News and Rants (slightly informative)

Is My Poop Normal? Yes, I'm serious! (And don't you sometimes wonder anyway?) You already know that your poop can reflect your physical, and sometimes even emotional, health. You may get constipation or have diarrhea when you eat something that "doesn't agree with you," or when you're super-nervous about something. And what about fiber and water? If you’re not getting enough, it’ll probably show in your poop. What about the all-important gut microbes? If they're not happy, it'll probably show in your poop. Here’s a trivia question for you: Did you know there is an “official” standard for poop? I mean a university-created chart! One that is used to help diagnose conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)? Meet the Bristol Stool Scale The Bristol Stool Scale was created at the prestigious University of Bristol in the UK back in 1997. The scale breaks down type of poop into seven different categories ra...

Food intolerances or "sensitivities" can affect you in so many ways. And they’re a lot more common than most people think. I'm not talking about anaphylaxis or immediate allergic reactions that involve an immune response. Those can be serious and life-threatening.  If you have any allergies, you need to steer clear of any traces of foods you are allergic to, and speak with your doctor or pharmacist about emergency medication, if necessary.     What I'm talking about, is an intolerance, meaning you do not tolerate a specific food very well and it causes immediate or chronic symptoms anywhere in the body. Symptoms can take hours or even days to show themselves. And symptoms can be located just about anywhere in the body.           This is what makes them so tricky to identify. Symptoms of food intolerances There are some common food intolerances that have immediate and terribly painful gastroin...

The words “weight-loss” and “snacks” often appear in the same sentence. But that might also bring thoughts of "tasteless," "cardboard," and "completely unsatisfying." Right? Let me give you my best weight-loss friendly snacks that aren't just nutritious but also delicious! What’s my criteria you ask? They have to be nutrient-dense whole foods where a little goes a long way;  foods that contain protein and/or fiber. 1 - Nuts It’s true - nuts contain calories and fat, but they are NOT fattening! Well, I’m not talking about the “honey roasted” ones, of course. Those probably are fattening. Studies show that people who eat nuts tend to be healthier and leaner. By the way, nuts also contain protein and fiber, which means a small amount can go pretty far in terms of filling you up. Not to mention the vitamins and minerals you can get from nuts. Did you know that almonds have been shown to help with weight loss? At least 10% of the ...

Not everyone should be taking digestive enzyme supplements, and not all of them are created equal. As a practitioner, I find that many people with digestive issues want to jump straight into using a supplement. And many times I would rather try other strategies first. Not to mention, that some supplements can be harmful if used inappropriately. So, let’s dive into a few of the common digestive enzymes, what they do, and who should NOT take them. What are digestive enzymes? Technically, “enzymes” are compounds that help critical biochemical reactions to happen in your body. These reactions can be anything, from making neurotransmitters like serotonin, to burning food for energy, to breaking down the food we eat into smaller pieces that our guts can absorb. Oh, and they all end with “ase”. As I just hinted, “digestive enzymes” are specifically those enzymes we use for digestion. They’re enzymes that our digestive system naturally makes and secretes when we ea...