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…
While knowledge about the benefits associated with probiotics has exploded over the past decade, many people are still unsure about how prebiotics and postbiotics work. Probiotics are the "good" (or "friendly") bacteria that colonize the digestive system and support many functions of the immune system. Prebiotics essentially feed probiotics, helping them survive and reproduce through the…
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…
It’s not uncommon today for people to carry around small bottles of hand sanitizer wherever they go, wash their hands deliberately throughout the day, and scrub produce squeaky clean. Although many of us have been led to believe that all germs are potentially dangerous — and that the cleaner our diets, bodies and environments stay,…
There is nothing worse than starting an exercise program to burn fat, making some good diet changes but still not seeing the results you want to see. Has that ever been you? It can be really frustrating — and be due to consuming foods that slow metabolism. The reason this happens, even though you think…
