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How to Make Kombucha from Scratch
Are you wondering how to make kombucha from scratch? Here’s everything you need to know. As a functional medicine doctor, one of my favorite conversations with patients is about gut health and using naturally fermented foods to boost well-being in all systems of the body. The truth is, nearly all aspects of our health…
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How to Make a SCOBY (from Scratch!)
If you already know how to make kombucha from scratch but don’t have a SCOBY to get started, the next natural question is how to make a SCOBY at home. The good news? Learning how to make a SCOBY is surprisingly simple and easy, requires very few ingredients, and is an empowering step toward…
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Oatmeal Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins Recipe
Who doesn’t love a good oatmeal banana chocolate chip muffin? We often think of muffins as a wholesome breakfast or snack, but from a nutritional standpoint, most muffin recipes are essentially cupcakes without frosting. They are typically made with refined flour, added sugars, and minimal fiber—ingredients that can lead to rapid blood sugar spikes…
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Healthy Whole Grain Bread Recipe
Search for a healthy whole grain bread recipe and you’ll quickly realize there’s a lot of confusion about what “healthy” even means when it comes to bread. Some people insist that all grains are inflammatory. Others point to traditional cultures that thrived on bread for centuries. Both perspectives miss important nuances. For most people,…
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Your Guide to Meal Prepping for Pregnancy
Are you getting ready to welcome a new baby into your family? If so, congratulations! Getting ready for baby involves a lot of prep, including the mental preparation for waking every 2 hours to feed a hungry newborn. Then again, it also involves a lot of prep for getting meals ready for yourself and…
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12 Week Weight Lifting Plan for Hormone Health
In functional medicine, we approach health by considering the interconnectedness of systems, not just symptoms. One of the most powerful tools in balancing hormones and improving metabolism is weight lifting. The benefits go beyond just muscle building. When done correctly, weight lifting improves hormonal health, optimizes metabolic function, and accelerates fat loss in a…
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How to Increase GLP-1 Naturally
The internet has exploded with fascination about GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) because it sits at the intersection of weight loss, diabetes management, longevity, and even mental health. GLP-1 receptor agonists (like semaglutide in Ozempic/Wegovy or liraglutide in Saxenda) regulate appetite, slow stomach emptying, and influence satiety centers in the brain by binding to receptors for…
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Reactive Hypoglycemia Diet: How to Manage Low Blood Sugar Naturally
In my practice, I often joke that “hungry” is its own emotion. It looks a lot like other emotions — anxiety, anger, sadness — but is, in fact, its own thing. And sometimes, the hunger totally takes over. From lightheadedness to irritability, digestive symptoms to fatigue, sometimes something as small as missing a snack…
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Can A Hormone Imbalance Make You Bloated?
Bloating is a common and often uncomfortable symptom, and it’s nearly synonymous with PMS. But, is bloating normal, or does it signify a deeper underlying problem such as a hormone imbalance? In clinical practice, I find that many of my patients use the word “bloating” to refer to different things. Sometimes, “bloating” refers to…
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The Truth About “Natural Flavors”
Prior to becoming a functional medicine doctor, I started my career in the field of food science working as a flavor chemist to make natural flavors. Frankly, I loved it, but much of what I learned and saw there ultimately led me to exit the field and transition to working in natural health. How…
