Vashti

As wonderful as the winter holidays can be, the holiday season is a major source of stress for many of us — especially those with thyroid issues and other chronic illnesses. From concerns about celebrating safely amidst COVID-19 to other seasonal stressors such as shopping for loved ones, budgeting for gifts, preparing healthier alternatives to

Thanks to much of what we hear in the media, detoxing has earned a reputation for being unhealthy and even unsafe. When you hear the word “detox,” so you immediately think of all-liquid diets, expensive supplements, and short-term deprivation for short-term gains?   The truth is, a detox doesn’t have to involve any of the

You can’t open a magazine or newspaper without reading about them. Yet Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids (or Omega-3s, for short) remains one of the top American nutrient deficiencies! The body needs all sorts of different fats to function properly. Even saturated fats play a critical role in survival. Like a miraculous chemistry set, the body

The old saying goes: One man’s medicine is another man’s poison. Nowhere is this truer than when it comes to our different and unique responses to food. And nowhere in medicine is there more controversy, superstition, and religious fervor than there is surrounding the subject of food allergies and illness. This prevents doctors from helping

Every healthy human carries trillions of bacteria in their body – a few pounds worth. The largest colonies live in our digestive system, and many beneficial species help us to survive. As long as the amount of beneficial bacteria is kept high in the body and the immune system is kept strong, then populations of

Beneficial Bacteria So much of our society is obsessed today with being bacteria-free. In an effort to avoid illness and “bad bugs”(pathogens, viruses, harmful bacteria), we have created a wealth of anti-bacterial cleaners, soaps, and products. What most people don’t realize, however, is that the inside of our bodies is not sterile. Not even close!

Stomach acid is good for you – but is often impaired! Normally, a healthy stomach creates a helpful and necessary, strongly acidic environment with a pH of between 1.0 and 2.5. However, there are many modern lifestyle dynamics that can lead to a lowered production of stomach acid. In particular, sustained stress or suboptimal thyroid

Mindful breathing activates your parasympathetic nervous system to reset and rejuvenate your brain. This one, simple choice has the power to activate all repair and healing functions in the body. This is not hyperbole. Our body is constantly sensing our environment for cues and clues about the status of our world. Our breathing pattern is

Located just below the center of the neck, the thyroid gland is the body’s internal thermostat. It regulates body temperature by secreting hormones that control how quickly the body burns calories and uses energy for all body functions. The thyroid is responsible for using iodine and protein from our diet to create thyroid hormone (especially