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.

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.

In this week’s article, we will cover the following topics:

What are carbohydrates in general, and what are the different kinds of carbohydrates?

Why do we need carbohydrates?

How many carbs do we need?

What happens if we eat too many or too few?

What are healthy food sources of carbohydrates?

Gluten - what about gluten?

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

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.

When the dry winds blow smoke from local wildfires, we get dried out too. How can herbs help us rehydrate and soothe chapped and irritated tissues? Let’s find out!

IBS is a painful condition of the digestive tract. Have you been recently diagnosed and wanting to understand the condition better? Do you suspect that you have IBS and need to know about getting a diagnosis?

Breathing in steam is a time tested remedy for clearing the skin and the respiratory tract. When we add herbs to the hot water, we can add even more powerful action to this treatment.

For minor injuries and even mild infections, herbal remedies can help. We can use these medicines to heal, reduce scarring, ease pain, and prevent infection.

Sleep problems are very common in our society for many, many reasons. When you are having trouble sleeping, herbs can be fantastic allies to help you get deep, nourishing, and healing sleep.

Pain is an ever present part of our lives. It’s also what sends most of us looking for medical care or natural remedies. Enter any natural food store, and you will see shelves and shelves of pain relief options. How do these work, do they even work? Where does one start on a search for natural pain relief?

The pain of arthritis can range from nagging to unbearable. Treatments and their side effects can as well. Counterirritation (rubefaction) can increase blood flow thereby decreasing inflammation and pain. Nettles have been used for this purpose for as long as we can remember.

Allergies affect around 20% of the US population and can range from irritating to life-threatening. Let’s learn more about allergies, what they are, how our bodies react, and what we can do to address them naturally.

Spring is a popular time to consider “doing a detox”.  While this is a very common term to hear in the alternative medicine world, this can mean many different things.  I frequently get asked for supplements and protocols for detoxification, but often when I ask clarifying questions, people are unsure what their goals are beyond a nebulous idea of cleaning up.

Many stores and websites will be happy to sell you detox kits, but they only do one thing - make you rush to the bathroom. Don’t get me wrong, getting things moving isn’t a bad idea, but triggering diarrhea by taking large doses of harsh laxatives isn’t the best way to do it. Plus only focusing on clearing out our bowels misses the majority of detoxification capabilities. Instead of helping someone profit off of a misunderstanding, let’s educate ourselves and support our beautiful bodies in what they are already doing day in and day out.

Most of us are aware that our blood pressure is one measure of our physical health and that there is such a thing as too high and too low. We also know that there are two numbers to consider and that 120/80 is considered a good reading. But many of us are pretty in the dark beyond this cursory information. Since blood pressure is something we hear a lot about and is often measured at doctor appointments, let’s explore this topic a bit more.

Have you heard about seed cycling yet?

Funnily enough, I haven’t seen very much about this powerful yet gentle way to balance your hormones on social media. I first heard about this nutritional therapy via one of my professors in medical school, Dr. Dickson Thom. Since then, I’ve used it successfully for myself and many patients. Those who use this method of balancing their hormones will enthusiastically defend it against nay-sayers and tell me about it afterwards. When you have struggled with irregular periods, low libido, PMS, and painful periods; anything that helps is very appreciated. Knowing what we do about flax seeds and fiber in general, we can see that seed cycling holds a whole host of benefits in addition to influencing our hormones. Let’s explore more shall we?

One thing that can really take the pep out of our step is constipation. The weighed down, bloated, dragging feeling can follow us for days, weeks, or longer. Before you jump for the laxative aisle at the pharmacy, you may want to consider a few natural remedies. Additionally, if you have tried the below remedies and you are still having issues with constipation, you may want to consult with your doctor to see if there is a larger issue that needs to be addressed. For chronic issues, my go-to window is 4-6 weeks of consistent treatment before I seek pharmaceutical interventions. If it’s an acute or intense issue, my window narrows to 24 hours if things are getting worse or 48 hours if there is no change.

Here in the Portland area, I've already encountered a few different cold strains this year.  I have yet to see any cases of the flu, but it's only a matter of time.  While I love seeing patients, sometimes staying home and resting is your best strategy with the simple forms of these illnesses.  Below you will find a few tips on how to care for yourself should illness strike your house.