Fall Equinox
Today marks the beginning of fall here in the northern hemisphere. Equinoxes mark the time when the light of day and night are equal, a day of balance. After today, the days will begin to shorten as we make our approach toward winter. Here at my home in the Pacific Northwest, it feels like fall. […]
Stop Running From the Bear!
One of the most frequent conversations I have in my practice is about how many people are living most of their lives in the “fight or flight” response, the sympathetic nervous system. This system is designed to help us in an emergency, like when we are running from a bear. When we become stressed, the […]
Bacteriophage/Probiotic Makes for Happy Guts
I am super excited about the new probiotic I am offering to my patients. It is a specialized formula from Designs for Health called, Probiophage DF. It includes four types of bacteriophages and seven strains of probiotics. Bacteriophages (also just called phages) are friendly viruses that infect only bacteria. They are the most abundant naturally […]
The Power of Epsom Salts Baths
I love the benefits from my regular Epsom salts baths, and I felt I should share. Epsom salts are actually not salts, but are a combination of magnesium and sulfate. They get their name from a saline spring in Epsom in Surrey, England. Magnesium works on at least 300 different enzymatic processes in the […]
Bad Press for Herbal Supplements
There has been some recent media attention regarding DNA testing of herbal supplements sold in 4 chain stores. The supplements they tested, echinacea, garlic, ginseng, and gingko, contained no plant material and were found to contain rice, beans, pine, citrus, asparagus, primrose, wheat, houseplant, and wild carrot not listed on the labels. Some believe that testing was […]
Oh, no! I think I’m getting sick. What can I do?
You awoke with a tickle in your throat, you are feeling run down, everyone around you has been sick, and you don’t want to get to get it. Here are some practical tips for staving off colds and flus at the first symptom: 1) Stay in bed or go back to bed, if at […]
Coming out of the sugar month
The holidays are almost over. We can go back to our normal lives, get back to regular exercise, and eat healthy foods again. But, what if you overdid it with the sugar over the past month. Do you just stop cold turkey or wean off? I don’t try to be perfect during the holidays. […]
Do you know your colors?
Recently, I have been on a huge fruit and vegetable kick. I have always been good about eating fruits and vegetables until I really started counting how many servings I eat per day. The current recommendation is 9-12 servings. I was eating about 5. Most of the patients I work with are required to complete […]
Herbal Gift Ideas
Many years ago, I worked at Hilltop Garden and Nature Center in Bloomington. Every year I would lead a workshop on Herbal Gift Making. I thought about these fun and informative classes and thought I would share these ideas with you today. These are perfect gifts for those on a budget or those who wish […]
Guest Post: “A Wholistic View of Essential Oils”
There is a lot of hype around essential oils these days. I personally have some concerns that I share with my colleague, Jennifer Steinbachs, ND. We are both members of the Indiana Chapter of the American Herbalists Guild and have been studying natural medicine for many years. I asked Jennifer to share her thoughts on the matter […]