The Functional Healer

Is your doctor ordering these labs each year? If not, then ask! EIGHT panels you should have drawn annually🧪📈👇🏻⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ After addressing any outstanding diet and lifestyle factors, labs are an excellent tool to help us course-correct, moving the dial closer to your best health 👏🏻👏🏻⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Regardless of whether you're managing Crohn's disease, insomnia, weight loss resistance, or depression -- here are some basic labs you should be asking your PCP (or me) for each year: ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ 🩸CBC w/ differential -- includes counts of your red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets, and provides information about anemia, infection, allergies, clotting factors, etc. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ 🍌 CMP: includes pertinent 'metabolites' in the body, such as sodium, potassium, glucose, and more, as well as information on kidney and liver health. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ‼️FULL thyroid panel: Most docs only order a TSH which is the hormone, located in your brain, that stimulates thyroid hormone production. We want to look at what the actual hormone is doing! A full panel should include: free T3, free T4, TSH, reverse T3, and Anti-TPO.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ 🤗 FULL iron panel: this will give us information on your iron stores, as it relates to anemia and low stomach acidity, as well as the level of inflammation as indicated by elevated ferritin. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ 💥 hsCRP: this is an inflammatory marker and assesses the global inflammatory load on the body. This is a great value to track, especially in someone with an autoimmune disease. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ 🧠 Lipid Panel: this tests for levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, and HDL. This can give us insight into the health of the brain, heart, and blood vessels. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ 🍦 Hemoglobin A1c: this is your 3-month blood sugar average and gives us a broader view of what's happening over time. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ☀️ Vitamin D: Measuring this marker annually is important as it has implications on energy production, fertility, anxiety, bone health, and more. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ I’d love to hear, what’s the craziest thing your doc told you about your labs? 🤯⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ If you need clarity sorting through the numbers and what they ACTUALLY mean, that’s what I’m here for! Head to the link in my bio for more info and how I can help 😘 ⁣⁣

If you suffer from anxiety, READ THIS👇🏻💥⁣ ⁣ I was in your shoes once and know exactly how debilitating anxiety can be. For years, I struggled with daily, unrelenting abdominal pain and bloating. Most days I would go to bed early because the discomfort was so unbearable. I thought I was eating ‘healthy’ and by running marathons I was in peak physical condition. However, I couldn’t have been further from the truth. A storm of repressed emotions was building inside of me as pressed on 😳🙈⁣ ⁣ You see, our bodies send us SIGNALS (for me, abdominal pain) when something is wrong, it’s whether or not we’re willing to listen to them 🚨⁣ ⁣ Lucky for you, I’ve done all the hard work and understand what it takes to heal from anxiety. In my experience, one of the biggest mediators in healing from anxiety is…⁣ ⁣ MOVING AWAY FROM CHRONIC, FIGHT OR FLIGHT MODE 👏🏻👏🏻💡⁣ ⁣ Under normal circumstances, cortisol, our stress hormone, helps us better utilize glucose for energy and increase the blood flow to our heart and muscles, like when running away from a bear. If you live a fast-paced, high-stress life then your cortisol levels stay elevated, constantly pumping out adrenaline, not allowing your body to rest or heal. Digestion is impaired and eventually, sleep is impacted, worsening anxiety, and perpetuating this vicious cycle 🫣🤯⁣ ⁣ For me, finding stillness has been the single most effective tactic that has allowed my system to settle. Whether that be through meditation, breathwork, yoga, taking a bath, or exploring the idea of just being — it’s all been instrumental in helping my body drop into that restful parasympathetic state 🧘🏼‍♀️💕⁣ ⁣ Also, it’s important to recognize that you’ve been managing anxiety for 5, 10, and 20 years so it’s going to take TIME, patience, and practice to rewire your nervous system 😚⁣ ⁣ Do you suffer from chronic anxiety? Drop a ❤️ if this was helpful? ⁣ #functionalnutritionist #functionalnutritioncoach #holistichealthandwellness #holisticlifestylecoach #functionalmedicinefoods #functionalmedicinepractitioner #plantbasedhealing #rootcausemedicine #anxietyhealing #anxietywarriors

Need an energy boost? 🥱 READ THIS! ⤵️ 7 hacks to eliminate chronic fatigue and reclaim your vitality! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻⁣ ⁣ 1️⃣ Chew your food to the consistency of applesauce. Digestion is one of the most taxing processes our bodies undergo each day. The more you can do on your end, the less energy the body has to expend, resulting in MORE energy! 😀⁣ ⁣ 2️⃣ NO processed foods. The body actually has to supply its own energy to digest these foods, DEPLETING the body of energy and nutrients, rather than supplying any 👎🏻⁣ ⁣ 3️⃣ Stress reduction. When the sympathetic or “fight or flight” response is activated, blood is diverted away from the gut, leading to decreased nutrient absorption and energy production. Try techniques like meditation, yoga, Epsom salt baths, spending time in nature, or even stillness to combat stress 🧘🏼‍♀️⁣ ⁣ 4️⃣ Antioxidants. Quell the fire and drop into that healing state by increasing your intake of matcha, blueberries, walnuts, kale, or cinnamon 🫐⁣ ⁣ 5️⃣ Boost stomach acidity. Most people over the age of 30 have too little stomach acid. An acidic stomach is critical to kill pathogens and also break down our foods for maximal nutrient assimilation. Essential vitamins and minerals, like iron and B12, are also absorbed in the stomach and require an acidic environment to do so. Sip on lemon water or apple cider vinegar in water before meals to gently boost stomach acidity 🍋⁣ ⁣ 6️⃣ Increase protein. It’s true, most women don’t get enough protein in their diet. Protein is an essential building block of life. It helps build and repair cells, carry nutrients around the body, synthesize hormones, and is key in energy production. Aim for a source of ‘complete’ protein with each meal or snack. ⁣ ⁣ 7️⃣ Sleep. Crucial growth hormones are produced for metabolism, as well as hunger and satiety regulation. Without sleep, health risks rise and stress hormone production stays elevated, leaving you fatigued, and starting the day depleted. Aim for 7 hours of sleep per night, going to bed, and waking at the same time each day, even on the weekends! ⁣ ⁣ Which of these will you implement first? Let me know in the comments 😍👇🏻 ⁣

What’s diet got to do with anxiety? 🤔🥦🥨⁣ ⁣ The short answer: EVERYTHING. ⁣ ⁣ Way back whenever you were a tiny embryo inside your mom’s belly, your brain and gut were one ball of tissue. As you developed, they took up residence in different locations, one in your skull, the other in your abdomen. And yet to this day they are still intimately connected, the vagus nerve often referred to as the ‘gut-brain axis’ is the longest nerve in the body and is a bi-directional highway of communication between the gut and brain. So anything you put in your mouth is sending messages to your brain, good or bad. For example, if you’re eating a diet containing gluten, refined sugar, dairy, or processed foods, that is going to result in a constant stream of inflammatory messages being sent to the brain, and ultimately worsening anxiety 😳🌭🍿🍪⁣ The first step in addressing anxiety, or any chronic health concern for the matter, is to clean up the diet. It’s not until these inflammatory mediators are removed that we can have a clear picture of what's really going on in there. What is the anxiety like at baseline, without the influx of inflammatory signals? How does it improve? And what symptoms remain? ⁣ I suffered from severe anxiety for way too long, and it wasn’t until I cleaned up my diet that I started to make strides in my healing. At the time, I even thought I was eating ‘clean’, but looking back, I couldn’t have been farther from the truth 🙈⁣ 👏🏻 Here’s a fun, eye-opening at-home experiment you can try! 💡⁣ For 5-days, track a food/mood journal. In one column, track all the food you eat in a day, and in the second column, any moods; that pop up and when. ‘Mood’ could be anything from anxiety or sadness, to irritability, headache, or fatigue. After the 5-days, go back and see if there is any correlation between what you’re eating and how you’re feeling. It’s mind-blowing when you see your symptoms mapped out like that – promise! 🤯🤯🤯⁣ Drop a 🙌🏻 if you’ll try! ⁣ #functionalnutritionist #functionalnutritioncoach #holistichealthandwellness #functionalmedicinefoods #rootcausemedicine #anxietyfree #anxietyhealing #anxietycoach

❌ 7 VILLIANS THAT SUPPRESS YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM 😷⁣ ⁣ If you’ve been following along, you know COVID recently ran rampant through our family. Last Friday, eight days after our first positive case, I finally met my fate. The first two days were the most uncomfortable, but by day 4 I was feeling 90% better. I like to think all the steps I take daily to support my immune system, as well as all the extra measures I took last week, were the reasons for my mild symptoms and speedy recovery 👏🏻⁣ ⁣ If you caught my reel last week you saw WHAT TO DO to support your immune system, so here’s WHAT NOT TO DO 😵⁣ ⁣ 1️⃣ Excessive sugar: 2 tsp of sugar suppresses the activity of white blood cells for 1-5 hours. ⁣ ⁣ 2️⃣ EATING FOODS YOU'RE SENSITIVE/ALLERGIC TO. This serves as a decoy, distracting the immune system from addressing real threats. The inflammation also causes damage to the intestinal wall lining where the majority of our immune cells live. ⁣ ⁣ 3️⃣ Alcohol: It prevents nutrients from being absorbed and it also impairs the activity of our white blood cells, much like #1. (Alcohol breaks down to sugar). ⁣ ⁣ 4️⃣ Dietary deficiencies: Especially Vitamins A, D, C, and Zinc, all of which are essential for a properly functioning immune system. ⁣ ⁣ 5️⃣ Excessive Toxic Load: Heavy metals, pesticides, pollution additives in foods, etc - these all compromise the production of antibodies, T-cells, and NK cells, some key players in fighting bacterial and viral infections, as well as keeping cancer cells in check. ⁣ ⁣ 6️⃣ Stress: Higher cortisol levels result in decreased production of white blood cells, making you more susceptible to infection, and making it more difficult to heal. ⁣ ⁣ 7️⃣ Vaccines and antibiotic use: The introduction of foreign agents into your body weakens your immune system for a period of 1-2 weeks.⁣ ⁣ Did any of these surprise you? Which one of these villains will you remove first? Let me know in the comments! 👇🏻⁣ ⁣ ⁣ #functionalnutritionist #functionalnutritioncoach #holistichealthandwellness #holisticlifestylecoach #functionalmedicinefoods #functionalmedicinepractitioner #plantbasedhealing #rootcausemedicine ⁣#healthyimmunesystem

Adrenal Fatigue is REAL -- your symptoms are valid. Here’s everything you need to know 👇🏻⁣ ⁣ Many people, mostly women, are suffering from daily, debilitating fatigue. Contrary to what all your 'normal' labs reflect, this is NOT normal and is a red flag that the system has been over-taxed. Quite simply, it is toxic and can be harmful 😵❌⁣ ⁣ Adrenal fatigue is near and dear to my heart, it’s something I’m STILL recovering from 2 ½ years into my healing journey. I also thought it was fitting to share on this topic seeing as we moved 2-days ago (while Ryan, Adalyn & Rory recovered from COVID😷), so I've been taking extra special care of my adrenals lately ❤️❤️❤️⁣ ⁣ THE DETAILS ON ADRENAL FATIGUE ⁣ The steroid hormone, cortisol, as well as neurotransmitters, epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine are all produced in the adrenals and serve as our body’s main reactors to stress. The body, however, cannot differentiate stress in the form of a bear chasing you versus years of physical or emotional stress. The same reaction is triggered. ⁣ ⁣ Some possible causes of stress include: ⁣ 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Parenting⁣ ❤️‍🩹 Divorce⁣ 👵🏻 Caring for a parent⁣ 🌿 Unhealed emotional trauma⁣ 🩻 Surgery⁣ 📚 Job loss⁣ 💤 Lack of sleep⁣ 🤸🏻 Under-eating / Over-exercising⁣ 🥃 Alcohol or drug use⁣ 💵 Financial struggles⁣ 👏🏻 Being a perfectionist⁣ ✨ Death of a loved one⁣ 🍴 Skipping meals ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ The stress response is naturally designed to be turned ON/OFF, it is helpful in certain scenarios. However, when this response is chronically activated…problems arise 😣⁣ ⁣ You may be suffering from adrenal fatigue if you’re: ⁣ 🥱 Chronically exhausted (even after 9+ hours of sleep)⁣ 💤 Have to nap to get through the day⁣ ☕️ Dependent on caffeine ⁣ 🏃🏼‍♀️ Poor recovery from travel or exercise ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ Drop a ✋🏻 in the comments if any of this hits home for you. ⁣ ⁣ OK, gotta go. Time to rest 😀💕⁣ ⁣ #functionalnutritionist #functionalnutritioncoach #holistichealthandwellness #holisticlifestylecoach #functionalmedicinepractitioner #rootcausemedicine #adrenalfatiguerecovery #adrenalfatigue

Drop a ✋🏻 in the comments if any or all of those hit home for you? 🤔🤔🤔⁣ ⁣ Without proper sleep, regular bowel movements, and blood sugar balance – no healing can occur. Period. These are NON-NEGOTIABLES for basic health 💯⁣ ⁣ There are reasons why you struggle with:⁣ ❌ Weight loss resistance⁣ 🍩 Acne or eczema⁣ 🧠 Irritability, mood swings, or brain fog⁣ 😷 Frequent infections ⁣ 🤕 Migraines⁣ 🦠 Autoimmune disease⁣ ⁣ If one of these three things isn’t happening: FORGET ABOUT IT! ⁣ ⁣ 1️⃣ Sleep: This may seem obvious, but without sleep, the entire system falters. It’s the time of day when our body rests and repairs for the day ahead. Crucial growth hormones are produced for metabolism, as well as hunger and satiety regulation. Without sleep, health risks rise and stress hormone production stays elevated, leaving you fatigued, and starting the day depleted. Aim for 7 hours of sleep per night, going to bed, and waking at the same time each day, even on the weekends! ⁣ ⁣ 2️⃣ Poop: as glamorous as it is to think about, pooping is our body’s way of eliminating what it doesn’t need. Food is either gold or garbage, and that garbage must be eliminated or else toxins accumulate. ⁣ ⁣ 3️⃣ Blood sugar balance: keeping your blood sugar in check is vital for a high-functioning immune system, regulation and expression of hormones, normal sleep patterns, as well as the health of the eyes, kidneys, nervous system, and more. When the blood sugar is imbalanced, all systems are at risk for damage. ⁣ ⁣ What’s NOT helpful is overlooking (or not even considering) these fundamental factors in your care. When in reality you need an expert in this field to dig deep and guide the path to healing 😀🌿⁣ ⁣ Did any of these red flags resonate with you? 🚩🚩⁣ ⁣ #functionalnutritionist #functionalnutritioncoach #holistichealthandwellness #holisticlifestylecoach #functionalmedicinefoods #functionalmedicinepractitioner #plantbasedhealing #rootcausemedicine #sleepisimportant #bloodsugarbalance

7 HARMFUL EFFECTS OF SUGAR ON THE BODY 😵🍭⁣ ⁣ It’s no surprise that refined sugar is bad for you, but do you really know the impacts it has on your health??? 🍰🍫⁣ ⁣ Once I started my functional training, it was eye-opening to learn the negative implications it has on ALL body systems. Excess sugar consumption can lead to or exacerbate issues like ADD/ADHD, depression, anxiety, osteoporosis, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, Candida overgrowth, and so much more 🤔⁣ ⁣ Here are 7 ways sugar is negatively impacting your health: ⁣ ⁣ 1️⃣ Causes mineral depletion ⁣ 2️⃣ Disrupts blood sugar balance ⁣ 3️⃣ Weakens the immune system⁣ 4️⃣ Alters brain chemistry ⁣ 5️⃣ Causes inflammation ⁣ 6️⃣ Leads to yeast overgrowth ⁣ 7️⃣ Compromises the health of teeth⁣ ⁣ ⁣ Have a sweet tooth? I got you. Not all sugars are created equal, some are okay in moderation, and some should always be avoided. In my latest blog post, I break down the different types of sugar, explain in more detail its physiological impacts on the body, and how to remove it with ease, not deprivation.⁣ ⁣ Hop over to the link in my bio to read the full post and learn more 😄❤️👏🏻⁣ ⁣ Need guidance kicking your sugar habit? Please know you’re not alone. I’d be thrilled to work with you 1:1! DM me or visit my website to learn more about my 1:1 packages 😍⁣ ⁣ #functionalnutritionist #functionalnutritioncoach #holistichealthandwellness #holisticlifestylecoach #functionalmedicinefoods #functionalmedicinepractitioner #plantbasedhealing #rootcausemedicine ⁣ #norefinedsugars #eatrealfoods #naturalsugar⁣

A SIMPLE HACK + AT-HOME EXPERIMENT TO BOOST ENERGY 👏🏻🍎🌟⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ 🤔 Are you someone who struggles with chronic fatigue? ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ 😴 You sleep 10-hours and you’re still exhausted? ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ☕️ Need to take a nap daily? Or rely on caffeine? ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ 🥩🥗 Or maybe you eat super clean, including a ton of iron-rich foods, but you’re still chronically drained?⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ If so, it could be linked to your stomach acid! 🧪😮⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Contrary to popular belief, we want our stomachs to be very acidic. The normal pH of the stomach lies between 1.5 and 1.7⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ 1️⃣ It has to kill all the bacteria, yeast, viruses, and other pathogens that enter our mouths, and⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ 2️⃣ Proteins are broken down here and require a very acidic environment to do so. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ 3️⃣ Iron and vitamin B12, both of which are essential for energy synthesis, are both absorbed here and also require an acidic pH. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ It’s not always what you eat, but what you can do with what you eat 💯💯💯⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Without proper digestion of vital proteins, vitamins, and minerals, absorption does not occur and no nutrients are obtained 😵⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ 🥑 And that’s the whole reason for eating, to obtain nutrients from our foods to be used as energy! 🤸🏻‍♂️🧘🏼‍♀️🏊🏻‍♀️⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ 🤔 So how do you know if your stomach is acidic enough? ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ The baking soda test! 🧪😄⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Upon waking, and before eating or drinking anything, mix 1tsp baking soda + a glass of water. Then, time how long it takes you to burp 😜⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ (If proper acidity, the baking soda should form a bubble with the acid, causing a burp.) ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ 📈 Functional time: < 10-15min⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ If it takes > 15-min or you don’t burp at all, this is indicative that you have too little stomach acid, and the environment is too alkaline. It also means pathogens are at risk for entry and protein metabolism does not occur 👎🏻👎🏻⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ A simple way to optimize your stomach acidity? ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ 🍋 Drink ½ lemon squeezed in water or apple cider vinegar in water 15-minutes before meals. With the ACV, start with 1-2 tsp and may titrate up to 2 TBSP ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Try the test and post your time in the comments! Mine is below too 😍 Did you find this helpful? 😄👍🏻⁣⁣ ⁣⁣

✨🌈 HOW I’M DIFFERENT ✨🌈⁣ ⁣ Almost daily, I hear my clients say:⁣ ⁣ “For the first time in years, I’m starting to feel like myself again” ⁣ ⁣ “You didn’t just prescribe me a pill” ⁣ ⁣ “I wasn’t labeled by my diagnosis”⁣ ⁣ “You treated me like a person, not a number” ⁣ ⁣ “I felt heard” ⁣ ⁣ And I’ve even got the, “I’m so happy I could kiss you!” 🤪😘⁣ ⁣ I can’t express the amount of happiness it brings me to be truly making a difference in the lives of my clients. I’ve been on both sides, as a PA and in private practice as a Functional Nutritionist — and gosh, does our healthcare system need more people like me. ⁣ ⁣ What makes me so special? 😃💛🥕⁣ 1️⃣ I see you. I respect where you are in your journey and go at your pace. ⁣ 2️⃣ I individualize your care. I use several systems and tools, allowing me to capture information specific to your case. From there, I formulate a treatment plan based on your unique needs. ⁣ 3️⃣ I dig deep. I collect information in a way that shines a light on some areas that have likely been overlooked, taking into account the whole story to get a clearer picture of what’s true for you.⁣ 4️⃣ Root-cause resolution. By making uniquely targeted diet and lifestyle modifications we can start to make shifts in the internal terrain, the biological environment where the dysfunction took root. We are not merely treating the symptoms but going to the heart of the matter, driving sustainable change. ⁣ 5️⃣ I work with you and your care team. Ultimately, your well-being is my top priority so it’s in my best interest to have open communication across all channels. ⁣ 6️⃣ Education. I provide a TON of education along the way. It’s easier to make changes when you understand the why behind it. ⁣ 7️⃣ I’m committed. As a former marathon runner, I’m in it for the long haul with you. Together we’ll look under every stone until a resolution is found. ⁣ ⁣ Looking for someone who will go to bat for you? Don’t waste another minute feeling tired, frustrated, helpless, etc. You deserve to feel AMAZING! 👏🏻👏🏻⁣ ⁣ Schedule your FREE strategy call with me to see if we’re a good fit! Link in bio! 😃👌🏻

In my opinion, gluten is one of the most harmful ingredients found in food. Sound dramatic? Let me fill you in on the deets 😵👇🏻⁣ ⁣ Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye products. It is naturally-occurring, but can also be extracted, concentrated, chemically altered, or added to foods to add texture, flavor, or act as a binding agent 🥐🥨🥖⁣ ⁣ At the level of the small intestine, where 90% of food absorption occurs, only one cell thickness separates the intestinal lumen from the bloodstream. These cells are aligned very close, standing shoulder-to-shoulder, only allowing very specific micronutrients to pass into the bloodstream. ⁣ ⁣ How does gluten play into this? 🤔⁣ 1️⃣ Gluten increases the production of a protein called “zonulins”. ⁣ 2️⃣ Zonulins wedge themselves in between these tightly knit cells, creating a gap. (This is not good.) ⁣ 3️⃣ Foreign substances and larger proteins that are not supposed to pass into the bloodstream are now allowed to do so. ⁣ 4️⃣ The bloodstream cannot handle these larger proteins so the immune system is called in to mount an attack against these ‘foreigners’, just as they would a bacteria or virus. ⁣ 5️⃣ As the immune system is distracted tending to the fire in the gut, it is unable to fight any real invaders. ⁣ 6️⃣ Provoked by the now agitated climate, destruction of immune cells, located right within the walls of the intestine, where the majority of your immune cells reside, can become further compromised. ⁣ 7️⃣ The immune system is totally distracted and overwhelmed as chaos erupts and all body systems are susceptible to damage — from the brain and skin to autoimmunity, cancer, allergies and so much more. ⁣ ⁣ Did you follow me?😵‍💫⁣ ⁣ The good news is that the gut can repair itself. Reversing the damage won’t occur overnight, BUT as you remove this inflammatory mediator, healing can begin. Oh, and it has to be 100%. #sorrynotsorry 😘 ⁣ ❌ Check your food labels and avoid products containing wheat, rye, barley, malt, brewer’s yeast⁣ ✅ Look for 3rd party validation and a ‘gluten-free’ label⁣ 👏🏻 Start healing! ⁣ . . . #functionalnutritionist #functionalnutritioncoach #functionalmedicinecoach

💥 NEWSFLASH 💥 Fats ARE good for you! In fact, they are essential 😄🥑🧈⁣ ⁣ Believe it or not, for most of my adult life and adolescence I was terrified of fats. Everything I ate was “low-fat”, “no-fat”, “reduced-fat” etc. Looking back it’s probably one of the reasons why I had such a hard time conceiving and also why my anxiety was so out of control. But fortunately, now I know better. I’m a huge fat-lover and always include a source of fats in each meal or snack. ⁣ ⁣ 💡 Did you know there has never been a study linking saturated fats to heart disease? However, it has now been shown that in the elderly, those that have the highest levels of cholesterol may have as much as a 70% risk reduction in dementia. So go ahead, eat your eggs and butter! 🥚🥚🥚⁣ ⁣ Fats are essential for: ⁣ 🧠 brain health, ⁣ ✅ hormone synthesis, ⁣ 🧬 blood sugar regulation, ⁣ 🔥 maintenance of body temperature, ⁣ 🦠 feeding our gut microbiome, ⁣ 🫐 storing and carrying nutrients around the body, and so much more! ⁣ ⁣ Fats also take longer than carbohydrates and protein to digest so they help keep you full longer. #winwin 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻⁣ ⁣ Not all fats are created equal and there’s a ton of misinformation out there, so making an informed decision can be challenging. Because of this, I wrote a blog post on the different types of fats, which are great, which are ok in moderation, and which to always avoid. I hope it helps clear the confusion as I bust one of the biggest myths in the medical history of all time! 😃👌🏻 Hop over to the link in my bio to check it out! ⁣ ⁣ What about you: fat lover like me, or still terrified?! 💛🥑😍⁣ #functionalnutrition #functionalmedicinepractitioner #functionalmedicinefoods #functionalhealthcoach #functionalhealth #fatsaregoodforyou #eatyourfats

5-DAY CLEANSE STARTS TODAY!! 🥬🥑🥕⁣ ⁣ If you’ve been following along, you know that the last few months have been wild. Probably some of the most challenging, and also exciting days of my life. In the past 6-weeks, we moved from NC to Maine, taking up temporary residence at my in-laws, my brother in law passed away tragically, I left my decade-long career as a PA, built a website, launched my business - and all the while trying to raise kind humans, ride the homeschool wave, and prepare for our next move in 28-days 😵⁣ ⁣ Needless to say, I’ve been feeling quite scattered and needed a hard reset to get grounded again. And I’ve found that one of the best ways to achieve this (other than spending a week alone on a tropical island) is through a food cleanse 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻⁣ ⁣ Why do a cleanse?⁣ 1️⃣ Remove toxins from the body. Whether it be in our foods, body products, drinking water, or in our air, toxins are everywhere. Our bodies are naturally designed to remove toxins, however, processed foods and sugars make this difficult. Cleansing helps reboot the system to ensure detox pathways are not overburdened and functioning properly. ⁣ ⁣ 2️⃣ Reduce inflammation. Inflammation is one of the three roots of chronic disease so by removing these foods from the diet you can move the body towards a healing state.⁣ ⁣ 3️⃣ It gives your stomach some well-deserved rest. Did you know, digestion is one of the most taxing processes our body endures each day? ⁣ 4️⃣ Boost your immune system. By flooding your body with essential nutrients and minerals you’re arming your immune system to perform at its peak potential. ⁣ ⁣ 5️⃣ Kick brain fog. When your brain is bombarded with refined sugars, artificial ingredients, GMOs, and other inflammatory foods, your mental clarity suffers. When you fuel your brain with clean, whole foods it responds with clear thinking! ⁣ ⁣ I like to do a cleanse twice a year and generally during a seasonal transition. I found a few different spring cleanses that I mixed and matched, alongside recipes online I’ve used with other cleanses. ⁣ ⁣ Swipe right to see the basic protocol and follow in my stories to see what foods I’m eating each day, and why! 😃🌿🥗⁣ ⁣

5-DAY CLEANSE STARTS TODAY!! 🥬🥑🥕⁣ ⁣ If you’ve been following along, you know that the last few months have been wild. Probably some of the most challenging, and also exciting days of my life. In the past 6-weeks, we moved from NC to Maine, taking up temporary residence at my in-laws, my brother in law passed away tragically, I left my decade-long career as a PA, built a website, launched my business - and all the while trying to raise kind humans, ride the homeschool wave, and prepare for our next move in 28-days 😵⁣ ⁣ Needless to say, I’ve been feeling quite scattered and needed a hard reset to get grounded again. And I’ve found that one of the best ways to achieve this (other than spending a week alone on a tropical island) is through a food cleanse 👏🏻👏🏻⁣ ⁣ Why do a cleanse?⁣ 1️⃣ Remove toxins from the body. Whether it be in our foods, body products, drinking water, or in our air, toxins are everywhere. Our bodies are naturally designed to remove toxins, however, processed foods and sugars make this difficult. Cleansing helps reboot the system to ensure detox pathways are not overburdened and functioning properly. ⁣ ⁣ 2️⃣ Reduce inflammation. Inflammation is one of the three roots of chronic disease so by removing these foods from the diet you can move the body towards a healing state.⁣ ⁣ 3️⃣ It gives your stomach some well-deserved rest. Did you know, digestion is one of the most taxing processes our body endures each day? ⁣ 4️⃣ Boost your immune system. By flooding your body with essential nutrients and minerals you’re arming your immune system to perform at its peak potential. ⁣ ⁣ 5️⃣ Kick brain fog. When your brain is bombarded with refined sugars, artificial ingredients, GMOs, and other inflammatory foods, your mental clarity suffers. When you fuel your brain with clean, whole foods it responds with clear thinking! ⁣ ⁣ I like to do a cleanse twice a year and generally during a seasonal transition. I found a few different spring cleanses that I mixed and matched, alongside recipes online I’ve used with other cleanses. ⁣ ⁣ Swipe right to see the basic protocol and follow in my stories to see what foods I’m eating each day, and why! 😃🌿🥗⁣ ⁣