Eat for Life

If you have breast implants and are experiencing symptoms, please hear me. You are not crazy. It's not all in your head and yes, you can do something about it.

If your medical provider isn’t hearing you or is dismissing you, then I encourage you to find someone else who will truly listen to your concerns and provide a compassionate approach to healing.

I'm passionate about this topic because I've walked with several clients through their breast implant illness healing journeys, and I want you to know you are not alone.

Breast implant illness survivor Danielle Valoras joins me for a two-part series to discuss the signs and symptoms of breast implant illness, along with how implants are manufactured and why we don’t have long-term data on their safety.

Danielle Valoris is a certified physician assistant and founder of NavWell RX, an integrative health practice.

She is also the originator of the Breast Implant Health Summit, a global initiative for education and better health for those with breast implants. Danielle brings over 20 years of experience in medical research and education to her clients.

She specializes in Psycho-Neuro-Endocrine-Immunology (P.N.E.I.), a burgeoning field that investigates the link between the nervous, endocrine and immune systems in relation to physical health.

For the last five years, Danielle's mission has been to inform, treat and advocate for women who have been diagnosed with breast implant illness and other implantable device-related issues.

Today, she shares her implant story and the challenges, symptoms, and illness that developed, her ultimate decision to have them removed, and how she healed.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• How lack of accountability and transparency in the FDA approval process for breast implants impacts our ability to make educated choices.
• How Danielle’s surgical team ignored her specific wishes for the size of her implants and how that impacted her healing and orthopedic symptoms she developed.
• The symptoms of lymphatic swelling, depression, fatigue, and brain fog that began to crop up almost immediately after surgery.
• What pathologists found in Danielle’s system at the time her implants were removed.

Click here to read the full article along with research links.

To this day, I get asked if gluten is problematic.

And I often get pushback from people who tell me that they have no reactivity to it and that their doctor or nutritionist doesn’t think it’s problematic.

But when they work with me and we dig deeper into their medical and family history, I see a wide variety of symptoms related to the gluten in their diets.

To make matters worse, gluten is often found in foods that wouldn’t normally contain gluten, but have been exposed to cross-contamination in how and where they are grown or in processing. This is especially true with oats!

Another scary fact is that glyphosate, the herbicide otherwise known as Roundup, is used as a desiccant to dry out oats and other gluten-free grains. Glyphosate is a common underlying cause of autoimmune disease.

Today’s guest is a world leader on gluten sensitivity and inflammation.

Dr. Tom O’Bryan is the founder of theDr.com and his most recent book, You Can Fix Your Brain, **was received with global accolades.

When it comes to getting healthy, Dr. Tom’s goal for you is making it easy to do the right thing. As an internationally recognized, admired, and compassionate speaker, focusing on food sensitivities, environmental toxins, and the development of auto-immune diseases, Dr. Tom's audiences discover that it is through a clear understanding of how you got to where you are that you and your doctor can figure out what it will take to get you well.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• How wheat and gluten create an immediate immune system response for all of us, even if you think you’re not reactive
• What the line of tolerance means for your gut
• How inflammation and dysbiosis in your gut impact your brain
• Why “gluten-free” on the menu or the label isn’t a guarantee
• Steps to take to transition to a grain-free diet

Click here for resources.

Half of the American diet is composed of highly processed wheat and gluten-based food products, making it a major contributor to diseases that impact the brain and body.

Gluten impacts not only mental health, but is connected to the staggering and continual rise in autoimmune diseases, especially pain syndromes and gut inflammation.

But if going gluten-free is the answer, why do autoimmune diseases and mental health disorders continue to rise? 

Is going gluten-free all it’s hyped up to be?

In this special two-part series, I’m speaking with two world-renowned experts who have dedicated their lives to educating the public about the impact of wheat, gluten, and other grains in our diets.

Over the next two episodes, you’ll learn how even so-called “gluten-free” grains such as corn and oats are still problematic, the problem with cross-contamination, how chemicals used in growing and storing grains impact your health, and so much more.

Today, I'm speaking with Dr. Peter Osborne. Dr. Osborne is the clinical director of Origins Health Care in Sugar Land, Texas. He is a doctor of Chiropractic, a Doctor of Pastoral Science, and a Board Certified Clinical Nutritionist. He is the author of No Grain, No Pain and the founder of Gluten Free Society.

Dr. Osborne is one of the most sought-after alternative health and nutrition experts in the world. His practice is centered on helping those with painful chronic degenerative and autoimmune diseases using natural methods. He is one of the world’s leading authorities on gluten sensitivity, and lectures nationally on this and many other nutritionally related topics.  

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• How mass-scale farming practices contribute to gluten sensitivity, inflammation and disease risk
• Gluten’s connection to autoimmune pain syndromes and the impact of pain management drugs on the gut and the body
• What gluten-free labeling in the US leaves out that can still make you sick
• How compounds in grains can actually mask their own damage by inhibiting pain response
• The many symptoms and disorders gluten is linked to that aren’t in your gut

Click here for resources.

Is your smartphone phone really bad for you?

Our lives are increasingly full of wireless devices, from our phones, tablets and e-readers to our “smart” home appliances.

We know there are mental health impacts from constant connection to the internet, work, social media and more through our phones, but our technology poses other risks too.

Maybe you’ve been hearing people talk about the negative effects of magnetic fields and wondered if it’s really that bad. I can tell you, in my clinic, I have seen the devastating impact EMFs can have on mental, physical and emotional health.

As a nutritional therapist, I’m usually talking about the toxins in our food supply, but we’re also constantly being exposed to toxins resulting from what today’s guest calls “electrical pollution.”

Nicolas Pineault, “the EMF Guy,” is an advocate for safe technologies and the bestselling author of The Non-Tinfoil Guide to EMFs

Through his unconventional approach, blending humor, science and common sense, Nick has become a leading voice on the topic of electromagnetic pollution and its impacts on our health.

I’m excited for you to hear our conversation as we dissect how EMFs affect mental health, cancer risk, infertility, cognitive function and aging.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• What emerging research shows about the impact of EMFs on cancer risk and their classification as a carcinogen.
• Why advocating for safer technology doesn’t mean you have to go back to the Stone Age.
• What EMFs have in common with smog and glyphosate.
• Simple steps to reduce your exposure in your home and office.

Click here for resources.

Prior to 2020, an estimated 25% of adults struggled with a mental health condition. Since the beginning of the pandemic, with the added stressors and uncertainties many of us face, along with the toll of social and physical isolation, that number is estimated to have risen by 40%.

The landscape of our collective mental health has likely permanently changed since the beginning of 2020.

But accessing mental health care and support is still a challenge for many people, particularly for anyone looking outside the traditional model of managing symptoms with medication.

And yet, there is a body of research that supports and validates the use of integrative strategies for treating mental health concerns by addressing root cause imbalances in the body that affect brain functioning and symptom presentation.

Today, I’m joined by the executive directors of Journey’s Dream and the Mensah Research Institute, organizers of the Integrative Mental Health Summit, October 8-10. This three-day online conference is intended for anyone and everyone facing mental health concerns by providing accessible resources and education.

I am so excited to announce that I will be delivering a keynote speech on October 8.

Breaha Wallin is the co-founder and executive director of Journey’s Dream. She was inspired to co-found Journey’s Dream following her brother Journey’s struggle with his mental health and subsequent death in 2013. Breaha is co-creating a world where mental health recovery is the mainstream expectation and everyone has access to excellent multifaceted care.

DJ Wells is the executive director of The Mensah Research Institute was founded as a conduit for conducting, supporting and presenting research efforts that provide scientific evidence of the efficacy of targeted nutrient therapy and other natural approaches to improving brain function and to enhancing and optimizing mind, body health and balance.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• How mental health should be viewed as a spectrum from thriving to struggling, and why no point on the spectrum is permanent.
• Why mental health support needs to go beyond addressing acute symptoms and become a preventative practice.
• What integrative or functional medicine means when it comes to mental healthcare.

Click here for resources and to register for the event.

Parenting in a post-pandemic world with masking requirements, Zoom school, and social distancing from friends and classmates is hard enough.

Being a parent to a behaviorally challenged and neurodivergent child comes with unique challenges that for many, have been heightened by the pandemic.

Anger, rage, extreme defiance, high anxiety and other behavioral and mental health issues can take a toll on you and on your relationship with your child.

If you are a parent struggling with how to best support your child, this episode with Dr. Nicole Beurkens was made just for you.

As a licensed clinical psychologist with advanced degrees in psychology, education and nutrition, Dr. Nicole is the world's leading holistic child psychologist. She has dedicated over 20 years to providing parents with research based strategies that get to the root of children's attention, anxiety, mood, and behavior challenges, so they can reach their highest potential. She runs a multi-disciplinary evaluation and treatment clinic and is a bestselling author, published researcher, award-winning therapist, media expert, and experienced mom of four.

Nicole and I take a deep dive into how to see your child's greatness, how to set firm yet compassionate boundaries, specific tools and scripts you can use to interact with your child, and how to help them build the skills they are lacking to help improve their behavior.

We also talk about the importance of diet, sleep, digestion, and hydration, and how a breakdown in these key areas can significantly impact their behavior.

Helping your child develop skills for emotional self-regulation takes time, but consistency, compassion and hope will help you see and support their strengths as well as their challenges.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• Why understanding that your child’s behavior is not about or a reflection of you is key to regulating your own emotional response.
• How to empathetically acknowledge your child’s feelings while enforcing clear boundaries.
• Why effective boundaries are about what you as the adult will or will not do, not what your child will do.
• The basic foundations kids need to support their physiological and neurological functioning.

23.5 million people in the United States suffer from at least one autoimmune condition and that number is rising fast.

Worldwide, autoimmune diseases are increasing by 7% each year, with the biggest increases in celiac disease, type 1 diabetes, and myasthenia gravis. The most significant jumps are happening in the northern and western hemispheres.

There are now over 100 different types of autoimmune diseases and I see them in over half of the people I serve in my clinic here in the United States.

Autoimmune disorders impact every body system, including the brain, thyroid, blood, GI tract, nerves, lungs, skin, muscles and bones. And let's not forget the female reproductive system in conditions like PCOS and endometriosis, which I classify as autoimmune diseases.

Where is this exponential rise coming from? And why do most people develop more than one autoimmune condition?

To help explain why this is happening, I’ve brought back microbiologist Kiran Krishnan to talk about triggers, why diet and detox alone don't work, and why taking a deeper look at your GI tract and environment is key to healing.

Kiran Krishnan is a Research Microbiologist and has been involved in the dietary supplement and nutrition market for the past 18 years. He spent several years with hands-on R&D in the fields of molecular medicine and microbiology at the University of Iowa. He is a co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer at Microbiome Labs.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• How the immune system relies on the microbiome to learn and adapt to your environment.
• A breakdown of two major immune system processes and how they can trigger autoimmunity in a dysfunctional microbiome.
• The three components of how an autoimmune disease is triggered.
• Why trendy diets like keto might alleviate some symptoms now, but have big repercussions for your microbiome and immune system later.
• Five warning signs of systemic inflammation that merit talking to your doctor.
• A gut microbe you’ve probably never heard of that is associated with lots of autoimmune issues.

Click here to read the full transcript and resources.

When you think of a concussion, do you picture a football player passed out on the field or someone who hit their head in a car accident?

It may surprise you to learn that a concussion doesn’t have to be from a direct blow to the head or include losing consciousness.

So what defines a concussion?

Anything that jostles the brain can cause a concussion. And symptoms can be more than just headaches.

In fact, many people struggle for years before they realize they've had a concussion and are dealing with a wide variety of debilitating physical, mental and emotional symptoms related to Post-Concussion Syndrome.

For years, today's guest struggled with many vague health issues, such as mild depression, lack of motivation, low energy and brain fog to name a few.

The breaking point was after he got into a horrible car accident that nearly cost him his life, which led to his calling as a functional neurologist and the realization that he’d had a series of concussions prior to that almost fatal accident.

Dr. Titus Chiu is a functional neurologist who has been passionately teaching people how to fix their brains since the day he healed his own broken brain. He is also an award-winning speaker and the bestselling author of BrainSAVE.

Dr. Chiu helps high achievers go from surviving to thriving after concussion by empowering them with the most up-to-date tools and resources needed to take control of their brains.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• What a concussion really is and common symptoms that you might not know about.
• How Post-Concussion Syndrome symptoms can continue to develop long after the original injury.
• Why symptoms vary widely and encompass so many aspects of physical, mental and emotional health.
• Why a holistic approach to symptoms is key to targeting treatment for the specific areas of the brain that have been injured by a concussion.
• How learning to activate your vagus nerve plays a role in healing from concussion.

Click here for resources.

Diet culture tells us “eat this, don’t eat that,” while anti-diet culture too often says, “eat whatever you want” even if it’s inflammatory and can feed health problems in the name of body positivity.

Though at opposite ends of the spectrum, both embody rules that keep us disconnected from the cues our bodies are actually giving us about the foods we eat.

In truth, diets and anti-diets trickle into all facets of our relationship with food, forming a belief system about what we should or shouldn’t put in our bodies based on someone else’s experiences.

What if that “all foods” anti-diet makes you feel crappy later? What if your Whole30, intermittent fasting, paleo, AIP, keto, whatever diet makes you feel anxious, depressed or fill in the blank?

Our bodies are unique and so are our needs and responses to different foods.

What if instead we slowed down and really listened to our bodies? What if we rewrote our stories with food and empowered ourselves to make choices based on how a particular food feels in our body?

I brought my dear friend and colleague Mindy Gorman-Plutzer back on the show to talk about how both diet and anti-diet culture profits off of disconnection with our bodies. We also talk about the challenge with anti-diet culture and the true meaning of being an intuitive eater.

Mindy Gorman-Plutzer is a Certified Functional Nutrition and Lifestyle practitioner and Eating Psychology Coach with over 25 years in practice. Mindy's life experience and training inspired her to create a framework that combines functional nutrition, positive psychology, and mind-body science.

She's also the author of The Freedom Promise: 7 Steps To Stop Fearing What Food Will Do TO You and Start Embracing What It Can Do FOR You.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• What anti-diet culture gets wrong about intuitive eating
• The difference between being in relationship with your body and honoring it and restriction
• Why emotional eating is not the same as compulsive eating, and why it’s okay to bring your feelings to the table
• Steps to begin reconnecting with your body and tuning in to your cues and responses

Click here for resources.

So many women struggle on birth control.

Yet when they finally decide to go off it, they continue to have the same, or in many cases worsening, symptoms.

If you or a loved one struggle on any form of birth control, today's episode will empower you with the knowledge to understand why this is happening and the steps you can take to begin the healing process.

You'll learn how hormonal and copper IUD forms of birth control–and other long-term hormone therapies–impair the GI tract and deplete the body of key nutrients that can lead to autoimmune conditions, thyroid imbalances, and so much more.

We also discuss Post-Birth Control Syndrome, which can have lasting impacts on fertility, thyroid health, sexual function, and may even put you at greater risk of developing autoimmune conditions like Lupus.

Today I'm talking with Jenna Longoria, AKA the Period Guru.

Jenna is a board certified functional nutrition practitioner specializing in women's hormones. Her work has been featured in the Huffington Post, Mind Body Green, NBC, the Elephant Journal, and SXSW. Jenna is also the author of The Period Solution: 28-Day Hormone Balancing Guide.

Through her virtual private practice, Jenna helps women reclaim their hormones and digestive health with a multi-disciplinary approach, combining functional medicine, nutrition, and diagnostic lab testing in her results-driven Root Cause Program. Jenna is a firm believer that the right diet and lifestyle can put any hormonal condition into remission.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• How suppressing ovulation impacts progesterone, and its ripple effects on heart, thyroid and bone health
• What potentially life-threatening side effects are even more common if you have a family history of them
• How the pill disrupts the gut microbiome, leading to inflammation, food sensitivities, yeast infections, and nutrient malabsorption
• Six steps to take as you come off of birth control pills or an IUD

Click here for resources.