This week, we will continue exploring the fat-soluble vitamins by discussing Vitamin E. Unlike Vitamin A and Vitamin D, which play roles in DNA expression, Vitamin E plays its role as an essential antioxidant in fatty tissues.

Ready to learn more? Let’s dig in.

Vitamin D has gotten a lot of attention over the past decade, and for good reason. This fat-soluble vitamin is made by our bodies and can be eaten or taken as a supplement. Like all other vitamins, it is no magical cure-all, but it does play a vital role in our overall health and functioning. Like flavonoids and vitamin A, vitamin D can and does influence the activity of our DNA, turning genes on and off by binding to receptors on the outer layer of our cells.

When it comes to the health benefits of whole-foods over supplementation and the power of a plant-based diet, flavonoids are key.

Currently, there are around 600 different known flavonoids - it is by far the most diverse class of nutrients that we will discuss this year.

Have you heard of this vitamin-like nutrient that is essential for human health? I admit, I must have glossed over this nutrient in my medical education, because it didn’t register on my radar other than as a supplement until a few years ago. In this week’s article, we will explore this nutrient and some of the structures and processes it is important for. We will then look at food sources and discuss supplementation.

When considering a whole-foods-plant-based diet, nuts and seeds are one of our most abundant sources of healthy essential fats.  A small handful goes a long way to increasing your health and sustaining your energy, and they are non-perishable and easily transported convenience food.

Water is essential for life. All life on this planet got its start in water.

We need clean, fresh water to live. We need it to grow our food, to support livestock and wild creatures, and to sustain our wild plants and forests. The health of our water is directly related to our own health. Thankfully, we have groups of people who are defending our water every day. We, of course, get to do our part in turn.

Humans have had a relationship with alcohol for a very long time. That relationship has been both healthy and unhealthy. This week we will explore the relationship between alcohol and both physical and mental health. Just as with sugar, alcohol itself is not evil or bad, but an imbalanced relationship with alcohol can have life altering, or ending, consequences.

This week, we will cover added sugars and the harms they cause to our personal and societal health. The history of sugar is a tragic one that is often overlooked. By the end of this article, you will strongly wonder why U.S. tax dollars are used to subsidize this harmful crop at the expense of our health, economy, and public safety.

Fiber is an unsung hero of our health. Increasing our intake can prevent disease, treat disease, and help us maintain a healthy weight without sacrificing our appetite or our taste buds. This week, let’s discuss what fiber is, the different types of fiber, what fiber can prevent, what it can treat, and how to incorporate more fiber into our diet without uncomfortable bloating or embarrassing gas.

This week, I summarize two great lectures on food and its role on inflammation and your health.

Vitamins and minerals are natural substances found in food that are needed for life, development, and healing. This week we will touch on the diseases that can result from severe deficiency of each of the major vitamins and minerals as well as a few additional essential nutrients.

Some medical situations result in nutrient loss or a higher need for nutrients. This week we will look at a handful of more common medical conditions and medications that can cause this. I’ve also included a link to a website where you can evaluate your medications to look for nutritional gaps.

Let’s look at some of the most popular eating plans out there. We will look at their claims, weigh the research, and look at some of the risks for each. This will help you as you evaluate your eating habits. We will start with a consideration of how food is more than nutrition and what to do if you find yourself obsessing over food.

Let’s do a deep dive into understanding how our bodies turn the food we eat into the nutrients we need. We will review what healthy digestion looks and feels like, the different steps along the way, and common areas where things can go wrong.

When we think of nutrition, it’s easy to imagine spending time reading food labels, counting calories, and bottles of vitamins crowding our cabinets and counters.  Let’s look past this more commercial and weight loss focused version of nutrition to see it for what it really is.

While I love and appreciate herbs and their abilities to help us heal in many ways, they can only do so much. It is up to us to make sure our bodies are capable of mounting a correct immune response. There are issues of genetic inheritance that do make real difference, but how we live our lives, what we eat, and how we invest our mental/emotional energy can change how our genes work. This is the field of epigenetics and is a fascinating topic to study. We will also be incorporating some of the concepts of psychoneuroimmunology in today’s topic.

The summary of what we will discuss today is as follows:

• What you do matters!

That’s really it. In a world which at times can feel out of control and random, there are things we can do that can make a difference. Let’s jump right in shall we?

Our thyroids are busy keeping our metabolism running, warming us up, and stimulating growth, development, and repair. Let’s talk about healthy thyroid function, a few key nutrients needed for optimal function, and signs to look for if you suspect an issue with your thyroid.

Health starts in our guts. We often hear that we are what we eat, but that’s just part of it. A more accurate phrase would be: we are what we absorb. Let’s explore the lining of our digestive tracts and learn more about healthy function. This is a continuation of our journey with Calendula as this sunny herb can help soothe and heal irritations all along our digestive tracts.

Did you know that our skin is our largest organ? Did you know that it’s constantly communicating with our nervous system, our hormonal systems, and our immune systems? When thinking of our skin, we usually think only about what happens when it’s not functioning well. Today, let’s stop to ponder what healthy skin feels like, means to us, and what it’s actively doing without our conscious input.

We all know that our liver is important, but how much do we really know about the liver? Let’s explore this extremely important organ and come to a better understanding and appreciation of it. The liver is involved in five main areas of body functioning: filtering your blood, digestion via bile production, blood sugar regulation, blood clotting, and biotransformation of endogenous (made by the body) and exogenous (introduced to the body) toxins - AKA detoxification.