Modern medicine uses a pinpointed approach and typically narrows its diagnostic efforts on the “spot of trouble.” For example, if you go to the doctor reporting severe abdominal pain and diarrhea, you’ll likely get tests aimed at the gut, such as a lower GI series, ultrasound, colonoscopy or maybe a barium enema. On the other hand, traditional medicine (which includes acupuncture and Ayurveda) looks at the entire body as a series of parts and...

  Although it looks like an acronym for a dirty word, MTHFR stands for methyletetrahydrofolate reductase—which is an enzyme that converts folic acid (vitamin B9) into its usable, active form—called methyl-folate (5MTHF).  Active methyl-folate is important because it plays a crucial role in a biochemical process called methylation. Methylation is heavily involved with your body’s ability to detox itself, as well as enzyme, hormone and neurotransmitter production, and it even affects your DNA! Methylation is...

  Just a few decades ago, relatively little was known about the human gut microbiome.  It was common knowledge that the gut houses microorganisms (including bacteria, fungi and even certain viruses), and that for the most part, these little inhabitants either helped us in some way or at least didn’t hurt us. Boy have things changed! As studies of the microbiome have continued to explode over the last 30+ years and into the present time,...

  I recently consulted with a client who reported that a close friend of hers had suffered a heart attack. She understandably was shook up for her friend, but what the friend’s doctor said to her patient shook ME up. Apparently, this woman had been taking a multi-vitamin and her doctor actually scolded her for it, saying she doesn’t need “that crap” and her diet will give her “all the nutrients she needs.” Sorry doc,...

  If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my nearly 40-year career in the health field, it’s this: Our bodies are FAR smarter than we give them credit for, and they let you know what they need and when they need it. The key here is that you have to listen!  For example, when your body needs nutrients, you feel hunger. When it needs rest, you feel tired. When it’s repairing an injury, you have...

  When I first meet with a client, I typically ask them what’s going on and what their health concerns are.  Then I ask questions. I normally start with, “How’s your diet?” which is usually followed by the client looking at the floor or saying, “Um, not that bad.” Okey-dokey. This is followed by what I’ve observed to be the most dreaded question of all—“”What do you do for exercise?” As you can probably surmise,...