Inflammation: is it always bad? In the functional and alternative medicine world, inflammation is the villain of the story. Virtually all chronic disease stems from excess inflammation driven by our stress filled modern lifestyles. So it makes sense that alternative practitioners focus on controlling inflammation when treating patients.   With inflammation in the crosshairs, many practitioners prescribe pharmacological doses of...

Obviously the most important part of the wedding is the ceremony right? It happens SO fast but ultimately the whole purpose of the wedding is to end up marrying the person you love, and that all goes down in about 10-20 minutes out of a 6+ hour wedding. Craziness! And actually, since we had our marriage license signed prior to...

If you don’t like to eat meat, how can you eat enough protein in your diet? Nourishing our bodies with the right amount of dietary protein is essential for health. It supports proper immune function, helps to maintain muscle mass, regulates blood sugar and allows for sustained energy throughout the day. Typically, omnivores eating a whole foods diet don’t have...

I’ve been talking about my upcoming wedding on the podcast for what feels like a million years, so I thought I would share my favorite photos with y’all (of the 1000+ my photographers sent me!) At some point I may do a post describing how my husband and I met, but the most important details are this: we met online, dated...

Due to years of exposure to “Got Milk?” ads and the good old USDA food pyramid, most people understand that calcium – mainly found in dairy sources – is essential for building healthy bones. And if you didn’t see those ads, chances are your mom or dad preached that you needed to “drink your milk” to become big and strong....

(Forgive the controversial title, and please know that I’m not attacking other women who have abs or want abs.) I get it. There’s something about the idea of having a perfectly fit body that is super appealing. And honestly, there’s nothing wrong with having a body composition goal. But we need to get real about WHY. Why do you want abs?...

As a bride-to-be, I notice there is an insane amount of pressure for brides to look the best we’ve ever looked in our entire lives on our wedding day. As much as I am on board with looking beyond weight and physical appearance for worthiness and happiness, I’ll admit that I’ve been feeling some internal pressure to look as good as possible...

When I was at my lowest point of health in the last few years, one of the most frustrating symptoms I was experiencing was fairly severe PMS. While I’ve always had a little moodiness and cramping prior to the first day of my period, I was noticing far more disruptive symptoms such as exhaustion, severe cramping that would even wake me...

Planning a wedding is stressful enough without being worried about the way your skin looks as the big day approaches. And sometimes eating well, sleeping plenty, and exercising regularly isn’t enough to support healthy skin. I’ve been experiencing a serious acne and keratosis pilaris flare up over the past few months, which I attribute to stress and hormonal changes. My...

Has a doctor ever told you your gut symptoms are “all in your head”? Many conventional doctors attribute unexplainable gut conditions to “psychosomatic” causes, meaning their symptoms are primarily due to negative emotions or stress. Suffering patients are usually diagnosed with IBS, which is often accompanied with an “it’s all in your head” response from their doctor. Patients are sick...