Healthy Eating & Nutrition Blog

Welcome to Health Takes Guts® Check back frequently for weight loss tips, advice for healthy nutrition and therapeutic diet plans, delicious recipes and other cutting-edge functional medicine nutrition news. Dianne Rishikof, MS, RDN, LDN, IFNCP, & CEO, has special programs for Registered Dietitians (RDs) with mentoring, resources and course offerings.



Health Takes Guts Meal Plan Header with Vegetable Grain Bowl

Health Takes Guts® Meal Plans

Leave a reply

The easiest way to help you meet your health goals

“What’s for dinner?”

We all dread that question…

And for good reason. No one wants to wait until the last minute to try to prepare something nutritious and healthy – that’s stressful!

But if you’ve ever wished there was a simpler way to eat better, we’ve got good news…

Now you can enjoy hand-curated meal plans—created just for you by dietitians—with easy-to-use subscription service.

For just a few dollars a month, you’ll receive delicious, nutritious meal suggestions, perfectly tailored to your unique dietary needs.

Healthy and delicious

All meal plans include tasty, nutritious foods, customized to fit your lifestyle.

Full and complete

Breakfast, lunch and dinner—with meal plans, you’ll never have to ask, “What should we eat?” ever again.

Detailed and accurate

As you customize your plans, nutrition facts and smart grocery list will automatically adjust.

Simple and affordable

There’s never been a better way to help you eat great food without agonizing about what to make.

Every recipe suggestion is thoroughly tested to ensure it’s delicious, easy to make, and helps you meet your health goals.

Here’s how the Health Takes Guts® Meal Plan works:

    For less than $1 per day, you’ll receive weekly, customizable meal plans with over 30 recipes! Add and remove recipes based on your preferences, then adjust the number of servings if you want leftovers.
  • Each recipe contains nutrition information with easy prep and make directions.
  • Meal planner includes a smart grocery list that tells you exactly what to buy.
  • You’ll also receive valuable coupons from health-focused brands—a real win-win.

Check out the meal plan options.

Still unsure about using meal plans to help you meet your health goals? No worries, we offer a 3-DAY FREE TRIAL for all plans – we’re confident you’ll love it!

There’s never been a better way to help you eat great food without agonizing about what to make.

road to recovery is a slow upward trend graph

Why do I feel worse today than I did yesterday?

Leave a reply

“I am following the diet strictly and was feeling better for a week, until yesterday. Today I have symptoms again! I am not better. It isn’t working!”

The road to recovery, with the right treatment plan, should be a slow upward trend. And although moving forward, this process also comes with lots of ups and downs. Healing the gut means a lot of good days and lots of ‘crappy days’.

Why crappy days?

There are so many factors that influence how happy our gut is.

  • Do you get enough sleep? Most of us are on our phones or staring at the TV the last couple hours before bed. This throws off our natural circadian rhythm, and when we don’t sleep well our cortisol levels rise.
  • Stress: If we have high cortisol, this triggers inflammation and inflammation is bad news for the gut! High cortisol, due to a lack of sleep or even as a result of stressful events or our busy jobs, has been shown to negatively impact the levels of beneficial bacteria in our microbiome. Although we are still in the beginning stages of understanding all these complex and dynamic relationships, research shows how much our lifestyle can positively or negatively impact our gut health.
  • Hormones. Women, what time of the month is it? Sex hormones play a major role in our gut functioning.
  • Germs. Are you fighting a cold, getting over a cold, or possibly have a touch of food poisoning.
  • Did you eat something that didn’t agree with you? I know how hard it is to follow a strict diet, and to expect results for your hard work. But sometimes we indulge in the wrong places without realizing it might be a problem. For instance, we are strictly gluten free, but we had a box of gluten free cookies. Well, that’ll mess up your gut!

These are just a few of many, many factors that affect our gut health and the symptoms we experience.

Sleep and stress are often the first things to ask yourself about when trying to discover why you are symptomatic.

Stress reducing:

Sleep:

  • Have consistent bedtimes
  • Get rid of the screens in the bedroom
  • No smart phones or tablets 1-2 hours before bed.
  • Don’t eat at night
  • Sleep in a dark cool room

Our gut is our second brain and just like we (ourselves, our mood) can’t expect to feel happy all day every day, we can’t expect our gut to be happy all day every day either.

The road to wellness is a slow upward trend.

The goal is to improve over time. Try to step back from the individual days of ups and downs and look at the overall progress. As long as you are on an upward trend; you are making progress. The graph demonstrates what I mean.

Health Takes Guts®: Your Comprehensive Guide to Eliminating Digestive Issues, Anxiety, and Fatigue

Why is the gut so important?

Leave a reply

As promised, here is the second half of the introduction to my eBook. If you missed the first half, check it out here.

Bloating, diarrhea, constipation, fatigue, insomnia, anxiety, depression, pain (anywhere in body), skin rashes, hormone imbalances, and brain fog are symptoms. A symptom is an indication that something is going on in the body. A symptom is not the answer as to what is going on, it is a clue. Getting a prescription to dampen these symptoms doesn’t fix the reason why the symptoms are happening. That is like clearing smoke out of a burning room without putting out the fire.

Doesn’t putting out the fire sound like a better idea?

Well, that’s what this book is all about—resolving the problems at the root of your symptoms.

And what’s the root of most health problems? The gut.

Why is the gut so important?

We have an estimated 100 trillion microbes (microorganisms) living in our gut. Ideally, most of these microbes are beneficial, there is lots of diversity (different types of bacteria), and no overgrowth of pathogens (really bad bugs). These microbes are mostly bacteria, but yeast and viruses are present too. Some of these microbes have health benefits for the host (that’s you), some cause health problems, and some don’t do either. This ecosystem is called our microbiome, and when our microbiome is out of balance, problems will emerge.  Unfortunately, most of us have too many pathogens, not enough beneficial microbes, and not enough diversity.

What’s important to realize about these microbes is that they run the show. They participate in or control all of our bodily functions, including:

  • nutrient digestion and absorption
  • protecting the interior lining of the digestive tract
  • how hungry or full we feel
  • what foods we crave
  • how well we utilize calories (metabolism)
  • how we detox
  • inflammation levels
  • how much neurotransmitters (brain chemicals) we make
  • our weight
  • our mood
  • our behavior
  • our ability to fight germs
  • how well we can focus
  • how tired we are
  • how our genes are expressed

The research on how these gut microbes affect illness is overwhelming. It is hard to find a medical condition for which the microbiome is NOT the underlying issue. Below is a list to illustrate this point.

Symptoms and diseases that are caused by or linked to an imbalanced microbiome: (and this is not even a complete list)

  • Bloating
  • Distension
  • Belching
  • Gas
  • Heartburn, reflux, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
  • Diarrhea
  • Constipation
  • Pain and cramps
  • Lack of energy
  • Headaches and migraines
  • Frequent colds or illness
  • Memory problems
  • Joint pain
  • Bad breath
  • Hormone imbalances
  • Acne
  • Dizziness
  • Insomnia
  • Stuffy nose
  • Inability to lose weight
  • Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
  • Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)
  • Inflammatory bowel disease: Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis
  • Celiac disease
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Lupus
  • Parkinson’s disease
  • Alzheimer’s disease
  • Arthritis
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD/ADD)
  • Autism
  • Asthma
  • Allergies
  • Tantrums in toddlers
  • Behavior problems in older kids
  • Chronic fatigue syndrome
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Eczema
  • Psoriasis
  • Cancer
  • Diabetes (both types)
  • Heart disease
  • Hypothyroid
  • Hashimoto’s disease
  • Grave’s disease
  • Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
  • Endometriosis
  • Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
  • Overweight
  • Obesity

The influence that gut microbes have cannot be overstated. They are the root cause and solution for most health troubles. They are the answer.

Take IBS as an example. Irritable bowel syndrome affects 10-20% of the population. It is a collection of symptoms, such as diarrhea, constipation, bloating, and pain. When a patient presents these symptoms, a doctor will order conventional tests for all the diseases that might cause these symptoms. If all the tests come back negative, and therefore diseases are ruled out, the patient is diagnosed with IBS. It is a diagnosis of exclusion. It is the name for the bucket of symptoms. Often patients are told there is nothing wrong with them and are sent on their merry way. Sometimes prescriptions are given to deal with diarrhea, spasms, and motility issues, but these are merely bandages. IBS is an awful thing to live with. The hopelessness that comes with the idea that there is no treatment or cure is almost too much to bear. Well, guess what’s really going on with IBS? It is the result of gut bacteria imbalance, leaky gut, a hypersensitive gut-brain axis, and food sensitivities/intolerances. These are all things I cover in great detail in this book. If these things are addressed, IBS can be resolved! I resolve my clients’ IBS every day. There is hope!

Let’s look at another example: Celiac disease, a condition where the intestines are completely damaged from eating gluten. For this condition doctors will indeed say that food matters. They tell their patients to stop eating gluten and send them on their merry way. Now, giving up gluten is an absolutely necessary first step, but it isn’t the end of the story. We now know, due to research, that gut bacteria cause celiac in the first place, and these need to be killed and replaced with beneficial microbes. Also, the damage to the lining of the gut needs to be healed (no small feat) and nutrients need to be replenished.

My eBook is intended to give you hope and a new perspective on your health. It is full of crucial information to guide you in healing your gut, and thus healing every condition on the list above.

 

Health Takes Guts®: Your Comprehensive Guide to Eliminating Digestive Issues, Anxiety, and Fatigue

Fix the root problem or dampen symptoms?

Leave a reply

We are approaching the one year anniversary of the release of my eBook: Health Takes Guts® Your Comprehensive Guide to Eliminating Digestive Issues, Anxiety, and Fatigue. In honor of that, I am going to publish the introduction of the eBook over two blog posts. Here is the first half of the introduction to my book. Enjoy!

So many people have unwanted unpleasant symptoms. Are you one of them? Do you want to stop feeling like crap? Of course, you do, but how? The way to do this is to fix the underlying cause of your problem. Treating symptoms while not searching for and treating the source of the problem is like using a bandage. Which makes more sense: taking a pain killer for a shard of glass in your thigh, or removing the shard of glass?

Conventional medicine is really good at some things. Personally, I can say that doctors have saved my life on more than one occasion. However, conventional medicine is not always useful for getting to the bottom of why certain illnesses are happening. Many conventional treatments are aimed at helping to ease symptoms and they fail to address the root causes.

Enter functional medicine and functional nutrition, which are focused on uncovering the underlying causes of symptoms in order to address and resolve the problem at its source.

When clients come to me, they tend to say the same types of things:

  • Their doctors don’t believe that diet matters
    • How can food, that stuff you put INTO your body all day every day, not matter? In fact, there is a ton of evidence that it does matter and can hurt or heal.
  • Their doctors don’t address their suffering because there’s nothing ‘wrong’ with them (this happens with: IBS, anxiety, chronic fatigue, chronic pain, and so on) according to test results
  • Their doctors say there is no treatment for their problem, this illness is something to just live with, this isn’t something that can be fixed
  • Their doctors give them five different prescriptions—one for each symptom—with no attempt to address what is CAUSING the symptoms, and, of course, these prescriptions cause their own side effects.

Bloating, diarrhea, constipation, fatigue, insomnia, anxiety, depression, pain (anywhere in body), skin rashes, hormone imbalances, and brain fog are symptoms. A symptom is an indication that something is going on in the body. A symptom is not the answer as to what is going on, it is a clue. Getting a prescription to dampen these symptoms doesn’t fix the reason why the symptoms are happening. That is like clearing smoke out of a burning room without putting out the fire.

Doesn’t putting out the fire sound like a better idea?

Well, that’s what this book is all about—resolving the problems at the root of your symptoms.

And what’s the root of most health problems? The gut.

Stay tuned for the second half of the introduction!

Boost your Immune System with this

Leave a reply

We are well into cold and flu season. Want a research-backed way to fight germs? I am not talking about the overblown exaggerated claims around Vitamin C. I am talking about Elderberry.

This berry is magnificent. It stimulates the immune system, it kills viruses, and it feeds good gut bacteria. And there are no ill side effects. (If one has an autoimmune disease, we don’t want to stimulate the immune system so use with caution or not at all)

Elderberry can be taken as a liquid (syrup), gummy, or pill. It can be taken every day to prevent a cold or flu or it can be taken when fighting a bug. Be sure to get good quality supplements!

 

Research:

 

Randomized study of the efficacy and safety of oral elderberry extract in the treatment of influenza A and B virus infections.

Citation:  Zakay-Rones, Z., Thom, E., Wollan, T., & Wadstein, J. (2004). Randomized Study of the Efficacy and Safety of Oral Elderberry Extract in the Treatment of Influenza A and B Virus Infections. Journal of International Medical Research, 32(2), 132–140. https://doi.org/10.1177/147323000403200205

PDF Link:  https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/147323000403200205

Elderberry Supplementation Reduces Cold Duration and Symptoms in Air-Travelers: A Randomized, Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial

Citation:  Tiralongo, E., Wee, S. S., & Lea, R. A. (2016). Elderberry Supplementation Reduces Cold Duration and Symptoms in Air-Travellers: A Randomized, Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial. Nutrients, 8(4), 182. doi:10.3390/nu8040182

PDF Link:  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4848651/pdf/nutrients-08-00182.pdf

Elderberry flavonoids bind to and prevent H1N1 infection in vitro.

Citation:  Roschek, B. J., Fink, R. C., & McMichael, M. D. (2009). Phytochemistry: Elderberry flavonoids bind to and prevent H1N1 infection in vitro. Alternative Medicine Review, (4), 411. Retrieved from https://ezproxy.simmons.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsggo&AN=edsgcl.215514483&site=eds-live&scope=site

What is Inositol?

Leave a reply

The family of B vitamins (B1 – Thiamine, B2 – Riboflavin, B3 – Niacin, B5 – Pantothenic Acid, B6 – Pyridoxine, B7 – Biotin, B9 – Folate, and B12- Cobalamin) are often spoken about for their important roles in the body, but what about vitamin B8?  Ever heard of it?  Most haven’t – because its technically not a vitamin – but science has shown us some really interesting health benefits.

Vitamin B8 or Inositol is a molecule similar in structure to glucose that can be produced by your body, can be found in dietary supplements, and can also be found in your food (such as beans, fruit, grains, and nuts).  After it’s classification as a B-vitamin in 1940, scientists discovered that the human body could synthesize enough Inositol to meet the body’s needs and therefore it no longer met the requirements to be called an essential vitamin.

Are there any Health Benefits?

Some evidence-based health benefits that may exist with therapeutic Inositol intake include

(1) reduction of anxiety-related and mental health disorders (panic attacks, depression)

(2) disorders associated with insulin resistance (including polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and metabolic syndrome).

Anxiety-related and Mental Health Disorders

More research is needed to tease out supporting evidence for correlation and causation as well as dosing. However, the following are diagnoses that have some evidence for use of Inositol.

  • Panic Disorder

Panic disorder is a severe form of anxiety often demonstrated by frequent occurrence of panic attacks.  Although research is limited in quantity, studies that do exist shows inositol supplementation of 12 – 18 grams a day for four weeks may decrease the rate and severity of panic attacks in those that suffer with panic disorders.

  • Depression, OCD, Binge eating disorder, Cravings

Inositol regulates molecules that send chemical signals to the brain, specifically serotonin and dopamine neurotransmitters. These directly affect your mood and appetite. However, research is mixed when it comes to inositol supplementation. Nonetheless, I think 900mg a day can boost mood.

Disorders associated with Insulin Resistance

  • PCOS

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine disorder affecting females. Its effects on the body include: imbalance of their sex hormones leading to irregular periods and infertility, weight gain, high cholesterol levels, and high blood sugar.   Although the cause of PCOS is unknown, insulin resistance seems to play a key role according to recent research.  Studies have repeatedly shown that the metabolism of inositol in the body may be dysregulated in females with PCOS, contributing to the pathology of insulin resistance.  And since excess insulin in the body may increase the body’s androgen synthesis, this would cause the imbalance of hormones and possibility difficulty with ovulation.

Studies suggest that supplementation in the range of 2-4 grams of Inositol daily appears to be effective in improving ovulation and thus rates of fertility, as well as positively affecting testosterone levels and insulin sensitivity.  A recent meta-analysis supports a therapeutic ratio of 40:1 myo-inositol to d-chiro-inositol as the optimal inositol combination to help treat PCOS. (1). In addition, the combination of inositol supplementation and folic acid has also shown to promote ovulation in those with PCOS.

  • Metabolic Syndrome

A 2018 meta-analysis of over 14 randomized control trials showed that inositol supplementation may reduce triglyceride and total and LDL-cholesterol levels in patients with metabolic diseases (diseases such as heart disease and diabetes), however no significant benefit was found with HDL-cholesterol levels (2).

Inositol has also shown improvements in insulin sensitivity while concurrently improving the body’s ability to balance blood sugar.  Inositol has been used to make cells more sensitive to insulin, which in turn allows for the cells to take in more glucose.  In addition, this can also affect women and their risk of gestational diabetes.

Inositol Supplementation

Studies have suggested that the average American consumes about 1 gram of Inositol per day.  However, current research has been conducted on a more therapeutic level, with intake of up to 18 grams per day via an oral dietary supplement, and the results are suggestive to potentially exciting health benefits.  And the good news is, studies show Inositol can be taken safely by children and adults alike.

Inositol supplementation should be started under the direction of a health practitioner. The good news is that there are no significant side effects of inositol supplementation!  If you are recommended to take Inositol, the two most abundant inositol molecules are myo-inositol and d-chiro-inositol.  Most supplements will contain either one of these isomers or a combination of both.  BUT REMEMBER – that not all supplement companies are created equal (did you see our previous blog?  If not – check it out here!) It is important to feel confident in the company where you are receiving your supplements from.  Of course, you can purchase through Wellevate and not have to worry about any of those scary stories.

References:

  1. Vittorio Unfer, John E. Nestler, Zdravko A. Kamenov, Nikos Prapas, and Fabio Facchinetti, “Effects of Inositol(s) in Women with PCOS: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials,” International Journal of Endocrinology, vol. 2016, Article ID 1849162, 12 pages, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/1849162.
  2. Tabrizi R, Ostadmohammadi V, Lankarani KB, et al. The effects of inositol supplementation on lipid profiles among patients with metabolic diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Lipids Health Dis. 2018;17(1):123. Published 2018 May 24. doi:10.1186/s12944-018-0779-4

Resistant Starch: Why it is what you MUST add to your diet

Leave a reply

Resistant starch is just that: starch that is resistant to digestion. This type of starch isn’t digested, absorbed, or used as fuel by the body.  Although digestible and absorbable carbohydrates are an integral part of a strong and balanced diet, resistant starch (RS) provides some additional health benefits most are not aware of!  Have no idea what I am talking about?  Read on!

Starch is a type of carbohydrate that is digested and turned into glucose for the body to use immediately for energy.  Starch is found in foods such as bread, pasta, rice, beans, and potatoes. RS is a type of starch that is “resistant” or unable to be digested by digestive enzymes in your small intestine.  As a result, RS passes through the gut into the large intestine where your gut bacteria ferment it. RS is a prebiotic: food for probiotics.  The beneficial bacteria in your gut uses prebiotics as fuel. By eating RS, beneficial bacteria can proliferate and colonize in your large intestine leading to countless health benefits.

RS also helps with weight loss as it improves satiety. RS has also been shown to help improve insulin resistance, as it is not digested and does not raise your blood sugar.

So where can you find these incredible starches?  There are 5 different sources of RS, based on how these starches are reacting with digestive enzymes in the body:

RS1 — Physically Inaccessible: Cannot be broken down due to thick outer cell walls (legumes, whole and partially milled grains, seeds)

RS2 — Resistant Granules:  Resistant to digestion due to starch’s crystalline structure (fruits such as plantains or green bananas, raw potatoes, or high-maize flour)

RS3 — Retrograded Starch: When starchy foods – such as potatoes, or rice- are cooked then cooled, the starch changes from digestible to a resistant form of starch making it harder to digest. These foods have to be eaten cold. If reheated, the starch returns to digestible.

RS4 — Chemically Modified:  Where starches are modified to optimize the structural and functional characteristics and nutritional properties

RS5 – Amylose-Lipid Complex: Stearic acid-complexed high-amylose starches.

RS1-RS3 will be the easiest to incorporate into your diet.  You may already be doing this and not even knowing it – great!  If you are, how much should be consuming?  Integration of RS into the diet should be slow as too much may cause bloating or gas, especially if these foods are not commonly found in your diet already. RS needs vary per individual, but most research suggests aiming for an intake of about 20 grams per day to obtain the health benefits.

One such benefit is the production short-chain fatty acids, such a butyrate.  Butyrate is not only the primary source of energy for your large intestinal cells, but research supports butyrate is also responsible for regulating cellular homeostasis with actions including: diarrhea control, reducing oxidative stress in the gut, anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory and immune modulation properties.  This makes RS a very beneficial fiber for treating leaky gut and reducing inflammation.

Now the important information – how can you incorporate RS into your diet!

  • Use Canned chickpeas and make your own hummus for sandwiches or a dip! Find recipe here.
    • Add canned beans (black beans, kidney beans, mung beans, etc)
    • Add to your leafy green salad
    • Make a cold three bean salad
    • Add lentils to a soup or salad
  • Overnight oats (raw oats soaked in yogurt, milk or non-dairy milk and refrigerated overnight)
    • Add in your favorite oatmeal toppings (fruit, nuts, etc). Find different recipes here.
  • Cooked then cooled potatoes
    • Homemade potato salad
    • Puree cooked white potatoes to create a chilled garlic potato soup
  • Cooked then cooled rice or pasta
    • Try cooking rice, potatoes, beans, and pasta a day in advance and cool in the fridge overnight
    • Homemade pasta salad
  • Green bananas or Plantains (before they are ripened and yellow)
    • Make a smoothie
    • Slice and mix with yogurt and oats for breakfast
    • Easy Plantain Tortillas (served cold). Find recipe here.
  • Raw Potato Starch Flour (used in supplement form) or sprinkled on your food. Do not heat or bake with.
    • Add to your yogurt, overnight oats or smoothie
    • Mix in with your salad dressing
    • BUY à Bob’s Red Mill (purchase here) or find in the baking aisle of your local grocery store
  • Hi-Maize Flour (used in supplement form) or sprinkled on your food. Do not heat or bake with.
    • Add to your yogurt, overnight oats or smoothie
    • BUY à King Arthur Flour makes a Hi-Maize Natural Fiber Flour (purchase here)

This is the next big thing, and it has arrived

Leave a reply

CBD oil is one of the components of cannabis (marijuana). Cannabis has a long history of being used in medicine (I am talking centuries of use).

THC and CBD are two of the phytocannabinoids in marijuana. THC has been found to have many health benefits and medical uses and is also the substance that causes the “high”. CBD has many benefits and uses as well but does not cause a high. For this reason, it can be used by people without dangers of impaired judgment or other consequences of getting high.

This CBD can be extracted from the plant and packaged into oil for human consumption. Research has been done on CBD oil, and there are many demonstrated benefits.

  • Analgesic (reduces pain)
  • Antioxidant (reduces free radicals that cause cellular damage that can lead to cancer)
  • Anticonvulsant (anti-seizure)
  • Anti-nausea
  • Anti-anxiety
  • Anti-inflammatory
  • Muscle relaxant

Anxiety and insomnia

CBD oil has been researched extensively in regard to anxiety. CBD oil relaxes people, improves sleep, and reduces stress. On theory is that CBD oil changes the way the brain responds to serotonin (the feel-good neurotransmitter). This promotes sleep and positive mood.

In one study 600mg CBD given to participants with Generalized Social Anxiety Disorder before taking a public speaking simulation test. CBD significantly reduced anxiety, cognitive impairment and discomfort in performance and significantly decreased alert in their anticipatory speech.

Digestive Health

CBD oil has been studied in regard to IBS and IBD. The strongest data is with Crohn’s Disease. The molecules involved in processing cannabis control and prevent intestinal inflammation. Studies have shown the following benefits:

  • Less abdominal pain
  • Less cramps (anti-spasmodic and muscle relaxant)
  • Less diarrhea (same reason as above)
  • Less nausea and vomiting
  • Improved appetite

Thus CBD oil has become my newest favorite supplement to use in treating my clients (and myself!). The company I like best is VivaOil. Use the coupon vivadianne for 10% off.

New study on the effects of Alcohol

Leave a reply

Most people drink alcohol because they like the way it makes them feel and/or social reasons. No one who steps into my office wants to hear that alcohol is bad for their health. But it is. We’ve known for a long time that alcohol increases the risk of cancers, is terrible for the gut (my favorite reason for avoiding it), and kills brain cells. On the other hand, there was some evidence that small amounts of alcohol had positive benefits to one’s health. For instance, some time ago, I read that one glass of wine can improve cholesterol levels.

Of course this was music to alcohol drinkers’ ears. Now they could drink alcohol and it was healthy! However, whether the health benefits outweighed the risks was always important to consider. I always inform people of the dangers of alcohol (what I could tell you about what it does to the digestive tract…). It is my job. My clients don’t have to follow my recommendations but I am not doing anyone any favors by sugar coating the truth.

Well, I wanted to bring you the latest study in The Lancet. They studied alcohol use and burden in 195 countries and territories. The conclusion: No amount of alcohol is good for you. Alcohol use increased risk factors for disease (especially cancer, but heart disease too!) and premature death (this includes traffic accidents and violence).  Even small amounts contributed to health loss; even the lowest levels of alcohol consumption increase risks.

“The level of alcohol that minimized harm across health outcomes was zero” -The Lancet

People will continue to drink alcohol. However, now we can be even more informed about the health consequences of any amount of alcohol consumption.

The latest on IBS and SIBO

Leave a reply

I wanted to alert you to another great free online summit.

If you’re suffering from bloating, painful gas, diarrhea, constipation, mixed digestive patterns and/or poor nutrient absorption — which impact OVER 400 million people worldwide — you’re not alone and there ARE solutions!

Anyone who suffers from IBS, SIBO, leaky gut or related digestive disorders will benefit greatly from the summit’s experts discussing their cutting-edge research and protocols — information that’s available there first!

Learn to overcome digestive challenges at The IBS & SIBO SOS Summit, September 3-10, 2018

WHY ATTEND?
The IBS & SIBO SOS Summit is hosted by health advocate and popular TV personality Shivan Sarna. Shivan asks the questions YOU would ask if you were in the room with these experts.

She draws on her own experience with painful digestive issues and years of failed treatments (alternative and conventional) to be YOUR champion for improved health…

…and she’s here to share her knowledge with you!

Join The IBS & SIBO SOS Summit to learn more about:
• Identifying the root cause of your digestive struggles
• Saving money from wasted doctor visits and ineffective treatments
• Identifying which foods cause your flares
• Naturopathic and conventional principles important to gut healing
• Strategies for food reintroduction
• Treatments, protocols and diets for IBS and/or SIBO
• And more!

The IBS & SIBO SOS Summit is online and free from September 3-10, 2018!

Register today!