Let’s Talk About Poop

This article has been updated. It was originally posted August 2014.

Do you talk about poop at the dinner table? We did when I was growing up. My Mom, being a Naturopathic Doctor, asked each one of us if we had a good bowel movement that day.

I continued the tradition in my family.

Your poop can tell you a lot about your body. How often you go, how long it takes you, and what it looks like in the toilet are all clues. If your bowel movements are off, you are more likely to get sick – becoming more susceptible to germs and other more chronic conditions. Your stools are also a good indication if you are eating appropriately.

Continue reading →

What’s in Your Supplement? – They Are Not All Created Equal

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This article has been updated. It was originally posted August 2020.

Back in 2020, I had a client that came in with a natural supplement that contained carrageenan. I was very surprised. Many supplements do contain fillers and other excipients, however, carrageenan is a known stomach irritant. In fact, many food manufacturers had phased this ingredient out of their products just for this reason.

Since then, I have been hearing more stories about people ordering their supplements online only to find out they are counterfeit. Unfortunately, it is becoming a common occurrence and it is not easy to figure out. The label may look exactly like the original and the links on the website may seem legit, but the product inside may be a fake. Continue reading →

Fast and Easy Beef Chili

Chili is a great cold weather meal! In a perfect world, I would soak and cook my own kidney beans and use tomatoes I had canned during the previous summer. If you have time for that, great! You can even cook a large quantity of beans and freeze them in batches for future use.

Instead, this recipe uses canned products from the store. Great to have on hand when you need to make a big pot of chilly in a pinch. Continue reading →

Health Triggers – Become Your Own Health Detective

UPDATED: I first wrote this article in 2017, but it is worth readdressing after the last couple of years since new and unusually health triggers have been introduced.

Did you know that most diseases take an average of 8 to 12 years to develop? Autoimmune Disease, Arthritis, Diabetes, MS. . . . and, yes, even cancer. Even chronic conditions like asthma, allergies, or histamine intolerance are often developed over time. 

Most people will have a hint that something is wrong long before a diagnosis. You may have insomnia for months or even years. You may have heartburn and/or indigestion when you eat certain foods. You may have constant diarrhea or constipation, or even gas and bloating after eating. You may have unexplainable skin issues or constant headaches or brain fog. You may have a nagging pain or feeling of anxiety that won’t go away.

These are just some of the signs that something is wrong. It is when these little things show up, when you find your life is out of balance, that you need to take notice. Your body is magnificently designed and it talks to you on a regular basis. Pay attention to it. And, pay attention to the health triggers in your life.

What Are Health Triggers?

A health trigger is anything that pushes you over the edge of being healthy one day and then not feeling well, either the next day or weeks or months later. Since each of us is unique, this trigger will be different for everyone.

There may be multiple triggers. Certain triggers, like toxins and EMFs (electromagnetic frequencies), can accumulate in the body over time. Then, suddenly, a new trigger is introduced that seems to “push you over the edge” into not feeling well.

Looking for health triggers in your life can be the difference between staying healthy and getting sick. The sooner you recognize a trigger and modify and/or remove it the better.

Health triggers can include any of the following: Continue reading →

Healing Our Children’s Brain and Mind

“Kids today are exposed to so many things that were not around when we were growing up.”

I know. Every generation says the same thing because the world keeps changing. However, the digital boom of the last 20 years or so has made childhood exponentially different today.

Anxiety, learning disabilities, depression, and even suicide . . . are all on the rise and even more so in the last few years. It is not a coincidence. Although digital devices may not be the only culprit, it is a huge factor.

Children are being exposed to screens and social platforms way before their brains are developed enough to handle it. Much of it is too much for an adult, let alone a minor, as I explained in my previous article about digital dementia. (Yes, that is a thing.)

In this article, I want to introduce you to two new heroes of mine when it comes to healing our children’s brain and mind. Both recently launched books. Be sure to read to the end for additional mental help tips. Continue reading →

Is Your Produce Safe to Eat?

We are about to be bombarded with a new level of food manipulation. Are you ready? Below I have linked a must see video and included links to other resources to get you up to speed on the newest produce-related technologies and ways to avoid it.

Manipulation of farmed produce began with pesticides, many of which were made from chemicals left over from WWII.

Eventually, genetically modified (GM) seeds were developed to allow more chemical spraying “without damaging” the plants.  (Learn more about GMOs here.) Originally declared safe, these GM foods are damaging and negatively effect the microbes in our bodies, especially the gut.

More recently, gene editing (most often referred to as CRISPR technology) took “genetically modified” to a whole new level. (Watch the video in the link to learn more.)

And, now we will be forced to eat a plastic coating, known as Continue reading →

Home Remedies for Immune Strength

Are you having a harder time staying healthy? Easy home remedies for your immune system to the rescue.

The last couple of years has put a strain on everyone’s immune system and it’s showing up more and more. People who never used to get sick are getting hit. Others who used to get sick a few days have illnesses that linger.

Rather than recounting all the new stressors we have been exposed to more recently, I would like to give you additional tools to use at home to support your body. Read on to learn how to assist your immune system and have the tools to support your body at home should you get sick. Continue reading →

9 Tips for Raising a Healthy Dog

Update: Shortly after writing this article I was introduced to a great raw pet food source that I wanted to share: Raw Pet Food Delivery Market. They are located in Springfield, TN but can ship throughout the US. They have lots of educational material on their website if you want to learn more about raising your pet on raw meat products.

I am writing this article in memory of our dog Puck, who died after being hit by a car the day before Thanksgiving last year. Raising him was a labor of love. I wanted to share what I learned about raising a healthy dog based on my research, what I learned from friends, and our experience during the short time he was part of our family.

Both my parents grew up on a farm and dogs were considered working animals, not pets. So no dogs in our family growing up. Only gold fish, which we usually won at our church fair every summer. 🙂

So getting a dog as an adult for our family was a big deal. Our son wanted one for years, but it seemed overwhelming, never having had one before. Like many other families, the time finally came when the quarantine hit in 2020. We ended up getting a 6-week-old mini-schnauzer. He stole our hearts, including mine.

However, there was a big learning curve. Continue reading →

Food for Thought – Useful Info in Our New World

There are several resources I wanted to share with you this month. Information that has recently been released that I feel is important to your health and the health of your family. “Food for Thought“ covers the dangers of cell phone towers and wireless radiation using birds as an example, multiple reasons for the rise in human infertility worldwide, tools for helping our kids and teens with depression and anxiety, and why we need to start looking at our food labels differently. Continue reading →

Alternative Food and Supplement Sources

We are all seeing changes in our local stores. Prices going up. More bare shelves. Favorite brands harder to find. And now, we are being told that more food shortages are coming.

You may no longer be able to depend on your local grocery store for all your needs. Instead, consider creating a backup plan so you set yourself up for success.

Below I will share some ideas so you have alternative food and supplement sources available to you. Not only will you be prepared should shortages become a more of a reality, it may help you to start eating healthier. Continue reading →

SIBO. SIMO. SIFO. What’s Happening In the Small Intestine?

Is SIBO the new leaky gut? Until recently, digestive issues were often attributed to “leaky gut” but now everyone seems to be talking about “small intestine bacteria overgrowth” or SIBO.

SIBO is considered a bacteria issue. However, many people do not see lasting results from typical SIBO treatments. Now we are hearing new terms like SIMO (small intestine microorganism overgrowth) and SIFO (small intestine fungal overgrowth). What is really going on?

As we continue to see gastrointestinal (GI) problem occur in greater numbers, we need to step back and look at things differently. In reality, the GI tract starts at the lips and ends at the rectum. It is a continuous “tube” and problems can occur anywhere along the way: mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and large intestine. Issues can also occur in the organs that feed into the GI tract.

The fact is SIBO or small intestinal problems in general can occur because of a wide variety of issues. Antibiotic use is a common cause for imbalance. Other regular culprits include unresolved food poisoning, toxic exposures, stress and traumas, and even electromagnetic frequencies (EMFs). In fact, I believe our smart phones are a big contributing factor.

Continue reading and I will explain more about this and the many other possible causes and solutions for small intestine problems. Continue reading →

Hospital EMFs Can Affect Healing

I found myself in multiple hospital and emergency rooms these past couple years, both with my father who passed away in early 2020 and then with my husband who had a health crisis later that year that lasted many months. Initially, I had not considered the amount of EMFs and wireless radiation in a hospital room.

At one point, however, after staying in the hospital for hours and days at a time, I started feeling the effects of being around so many electronics and so much wireless technology. I recognized the symptoms after previous experiences with smart meters installed on our house and exposure to dirty electricity. (See previous articles.)

So, I decided to record the number of electronics and wireless devices in a typical hospital room. Continue reading →

Pumpkin GF Muffins

I have been experimenting with a few new gluten-free flours and one that stands out is maya nut flour. Also known as Ramon seed flour, it is highly nutritious and adds an extra nutty flavor to a recipe. It works great with my new gluten-free pumpkin muffins.

These pumpkin muffins are perfect for the Fall. Eat them with a smoothie in the morning, for lunch with veggies and humus, or as an afternoon snack. The flour combination makes them light and fluffy. Continue reading →

Informative Links for Optimal Health

I am back again, sharing information from some of my favorite holistic-minded practitioners and colleagues. As I have mentioned before, it is important to learn from a variety of people and sources so that you can better make your own informed decisions. Take what resonates with you and/or keep the information handy for when you need it.

A variety of informative links are included below: fertility, heart health, group healing and cancer biology. Each article or video gives you insight into some of the newest information on health; information that might not be easily found elsewhere. Continue reading →

Morning Smoothie – Fruity Coconut Milk with Kale

In our house we tend to rotate our breakfasts throughout the week, alternating between smoothies, eggs, and paleo granola. Smoothies are great because they are fast to make and you can take them with you. You can also add a wide variety of healthy ingredients, which is a great way to start the day.

Each smoothie I make typically includes a fat, a fiber and a protein for a well rounded meal. A green leafy vegetable is a must and I sometimes include a ferment so we get some good probiotics. (Ferments include things like kefir water, kombucha, or even yogurt if you can tolerate dairy. See Healing Foods for more information on how to make your own ferments.)

Get started with the basic smoothie below. Continue reading →