When some people hear “lithium,” they think of a prescription drug for bipolar disorder. But few realize that lithium is also a naturally occurring trace mineral that is found in soil, water, and some foods. This wonder mineral can do two pretty huge things - help manage stress & anxiety, and support long term brain health!

f your beef package doesn’t say 100% grass-fed, grass-finished, USDA Organic, or display another quality claim (see part 3 for more about this), it’s likely conventionally raised — meaning the cattle spent part of their life in feedlots eating a grain-based diet and possibly receiving growth-promoting drugs.

You’ve likely noticed labels like grass-fed, grass-finished, 100% grass-fed, natural, or organic when buying beef — and wondered what they mean and whether they matter. The short answer is: Yes, they do matter, but the “whys” are important too.

Adrenal supplements can provide powerful support for your adrenal function. However, you should always start with the items listed in my previous article: stress management, quality sleep, adequate hydration, a nutrient dense diet, and ensuring you have plenty of B vitamins, magnesium, and vitamin C. After addressing all of these, the next step is often either adrenal glandular supplements, adaptogenic supplements, or a combination of both.

Your adrenal glands sit on top of the kidneys and produce vital hormones such as cortisol, adrenaline, and aldosterone. These important adrenal hormones help regulate our stress response, our blood pressure, our immune function, our sleep/wake cycles, our metabolism, our electrolyte balance, and more. However, when our bodies are under prolonged stress—whether physical, emotional, or environmental—the demand on our adrenal glands increases. Over time, this can lead to feelings of burnout, low energy, poor sleep, brain fog, and reduced stress tolerance.

While most seed oils should generally be avoided, there are several healthier alternatives that provide not only better nutritional profiles but also enhanced stability when cooking at high temperatures.

When it comes to cooking, the type of oil you use matters more than you might think! Many commonly used cooking oils, particularly seed oils, can be harmful to your health due to their high omega-6 fatty acid content, oxidation during cooking, and the chemicals used to process them.

We live in a world filled with hidden toxins—many of which we unknowingly bring into our daily lives. From the water we drink to the receipts we handle, harmful chemicals can accumulate in our bodies and lead to long-term health issues. The bad news is, these chemicals are seemingly everywhere. The good news is, making changes can significantly reduce your exposure to these toxins. Below are five specific, and relatively easy, changes you can make to limit your exposure and protect your health.

One of the most natural ways to maintain healthy vitamin D levels is through sunlight exposure. The body produces vitamin D when the skin is exposed to ultraviolet B (UVB) rays from the sun. However, there are factors that can make it challenging for many people to achieve adequate vitamin D through sunlight alone.

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that plays a critical role in several physiological processes. Its importance cannot be overstated, as it influences everything from bone health to immune function, metabolism, and cardiovascular health. Although the body is able produce vitamin D from sunlight, there are many factors that can affect how much vitamin D it is able to produce, including amount of clothing worn, sunscreen usage, type of diet, and medications taken.

Food sensitivities and intolerances can contribute to a range of health issues, from digestive discomfort and skin rashes to chronic fatigue and headaches. Many people struggle with pinpointing the exact foods that may be causing these symptoms. An elimination diet is a helpful approach for identifying food sensitivities and can provide clarity on how certain foods are affecting your body. Here's how this method works, its benefits, and how you can successfully follow it to determine food sensitivities.

As a clinical and functional nutritionist, there’s one question that I get asked all the time: “What is the perfect diet?” If you go online, you can find hundreds of convincing articles telling you that keto is the best diet, paleo is the perfect way to go, or veganism is best for your health. There’s the carnivore diet, the Mediterranean diet, the Blue Zone diet, the Pegan (paleo vegan) diet, the Blood Type diet, GAPS, Autoimmune Paleo, low FODMAP, and much more… And then what about food quantity and timing? Should you try intermittent fasting, or should you eat three square meals with two snacks every day? The questions go on and on…