Board Certified Naturopathic Doctors
Intermittent fasting (IF) has gained in popularity since the turn of the century. The release of “The 8-Hour Diet” by David Zinczenko and Peter Moore 2013 brought fasting as a health tool into the zeitgeist. But fasting is nothing new. It has been a part of human society for thousands of years. In particular, religious communities have incorporated fasting as spiritual practice for millennia. But are the health benefits truly… Read More
Did you know that the development of the intestinal microbiome begins at birth? This happens with an exchange of microbes from the mother to their child during childbirth. But having a C-section or antibiotics given at or prior to birth can alter your newborn’s microbiome. Breast milk promotes the maturation of the infant’s gut microbiome, although, of course, breastfeeding isn’t available to all moms for various reasons. These are all… Read More
Hot flashes. Weight changes. Fatigue. Insomnia. Headaches. Painful intercourse. Thinning hair. A woman in her late 40’s is beginning to experience these undesirable symptoms. She lives a generally healthy lifestyle, eats well, exercises, and gets plenty of sleep. Why then, is she experiencing these health problems? The M-word is dreaded by many women as they approach mid-life. Are ladies doomed to have an entirely negative experience? Maybe that woman is… Read More
The way we approach preconception in my practice is going to be totally different for each person. I wanted to share a little bit about what I worked on to get pregnant in my 40s without medical intervention. Every single patient I work with has a different story. I work with women wanting to get pregnant with all kinds of hurdles from autoimmune disease to PCOS to MTHFR issues and… Read More
The word ‘terrain’ has been used a lot lately and for good reason. It differentiates between the bodily system and the pathogens it encounters. I suffered from chronic gut problems for years and it was only when I used this approach was I finally free of them. When I think about a patient’s terrain with regard to chronic health problems — and gut in particular — I’m thinking about three things:… Read More
I’m forever inspired by by endometriosis patients and how committed they are to healing themselves at the root level. It’s not easy task with this disorder. Endometrial tissue–which usually grows inside the uterus—grows elsewhere in endometriosis, including the fallopian tubes and ovaries. It can also grow on digestive organs and it’s commonly misdiagnosed as IBS. The symptoms can mimic each other: bloating, cramps, diarrhea, constipation. Many of my patients find… Read More
Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a diagnosis that is made based on symptoms—gas, bloating, change in frequency of stool, abdominal pain—that are present over a period of time. But the diagnosis doesn’t tell us anything about cause. I can’t tell you the number of patients who come to me, in total frustration, saying that their gastroenterologist told them they have IBS with the recommendation to take a probiotic, stop stressing out… Read More
I spend a lot of my days deep diving on cases of patients who come to me with hormone imbalance. For every person I work with, there’s a whole new and different picture. No one is the same, even if they have the same problem: painful periods, amenorrhea, PCOS, fibroids, hormonal acne, to name a few. It’s hormonal detective work: I’m always looking for clues, causes and conditions . finding… Read More
This year forced us to examine and reconsider our realities. The impact of the stress of a shifting world has been potent and no aspect of our lives has gone unaffected. For many of you, this forced pause has allowed time to focus on specific health issues and for others it’s created new imbalances to address (hello stress-eating and hyper-sedentary days!). This year more than ever, Dr. Galina and I… Read More
I constantly talk to my patients about how keeping your gut healthy is essential to clear skin, whatever your actual skin issue is. To understand this, we need to talk about something called the gut-skin axis. That relationship is complicated, but the basic understanding you need to have it that there are four aspects to this: The gut may communicate with the skin in several ways: • Absorption of nutrients… Read More
