These days, you'd be hard-pressed to find someone who's never tried celery. It is a popular ingredient often featured in low-carb, low-calorie recipes for dieters and health-conscious consumers alike. However, far less people are familiar with celeriac, a root vegetable that is closely related to celery but boasts an entirely different set of nutrients and…
Most people think of bacteria within the body as a cause of getting sick or developing certain diseases, but did you know that at all times there are actually billions of beneficial bacteria present within all of us? In fact, bacteria make up the microbiome, an integral internal ecosystem that benefits gut health and the…
Mushrooms have been consumed for centuries as part of diets promoted in folklore and Eastern medicine practices, including Traditional Chinese Medicine. The ancient Egyptians considered mushrooms, such as cremini mushrooms, to be a food that promoted immortality and were worthy of being included in diets fed to royal leaders. Still, to this day, mushrooms are…
Digestion and assimilation of nutrients are complex processes that occur over several hours, starting from the moment that you place food into your mouth. The pancreas is essential in digestion, as it it secretes pancreatic enzymes that facilitate the breakdown of foods into smaller molecules — allowing the body to actually use fats, vitamins, minerals,…
Our gut microbiome is composed of the trillions of microorganisms, mostly bacteria, and their genetic material that exist in our intestinal tract. Now we know that this bacteria is involved in functions critical to our health and wellbeing. Our individual microbiomes are sometimes called our “genetic footprints” since they help determine our unique DNA, hereditary…
Just about everyone at one point or another has sat around a fire and roasted a marshmallow, whether to make a s’more or to simply eat the sticky treat. It’s typically thought of as an empty-calorie snack, but did you know that marshmallow root — from which marshmallows are made — is actually full of…
Helichrysum essential oil comes from a natural medicinal plant that's used to make a beneficial essential oil that boasts many different full-body benefits due to its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, antifungal and antibacterial properties. (1) Helichrysum essential oil, typically from the Helichrysum italicum plant, has been established in various experimental studies to have strong abilities to lower inflammation due to…
Chickpeas, also called garbanzo beans, are one of the oldest consumed crops in the world. In fact, they have been a part of certain traditional diets for over 7,500 years, and it's not hard to see why when you take into account the benefits of chickpeas nutrition. Today, chickpeas remain one of the most popular legumes…
Most people have the occasional gut symptoms after eating a heavy meal or during periods of high stress. This is normal, as the human body has ways of telling you that you need to take a break and take better care of yourself. What’s not normal, however, is when your digestive symptoms get so bad…
A cornbread recipe that doesn’t use corn. Seems a little odd, right? Cornbread is a staple side dish for Thanksgiving, or it goes swimmingly with chili and hot cider. But many of my patients I encountered over the years as a functional medicine doctor could not tolerate or digest corn. That was the inspiration for…
