The 5 Triggers of Inflammation: What They Are and How to Address Them
To some extent, we need inflammation in the body. (For example, an acute response to stop the bleeding if you cut yourself.) However, when inflammation goes unchecked, and the body keeps mounting an inflammatory response to the same trigger, it leads to chronic inflammation and disease. Integrative medicine teaches us that we need to look […]
Is Being Sick the New Normal? Inflammation’s Role in Recurrent Illness
50% of American children suffer from chronic illnesses—more than at any other time in our history. Check out these shocking stats… I talk a lot about inflammation in my book, Healthy Kids, Happy Moms. There’s a reason I keep coming back to it… inflammation plays a key role in our overall health (including how frequently […]
The ABC’s of Probiotics: Your Gut is like a Garden
A diverse and robust microbiome is critical to our overall health and immune function. Since 70% of the immune system resides in the gut, eating a diet high in fiber (vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds) and adding the right probiotics helps support that gut diversity. In my book, Healthy Kids, Happy Moms, I use a […]
Mold in Schools: How to Fight Back Against Environmental Toxins
Here’s a not-so-fun fact about mold… According to recent studies, up to 50% of schools in the U.S. have indoor air quality issues, which often lead to mold growth and contribute to exacerbations of asthma, allergies, and eczema among children.1 It’s definitely not an ideal situation, but no need to add a hazmat suit to […]
Asthma: Is Wheezing the First Sign?
When I know a child has an increased risk of asthma or any other type of inflammatory issue like allergies, constipation, or reflux, I look at the bigger picture and ask, How can I reduce this child’s overall systemic inflammation?
Inflammation and Recurrent Illness: A Parent’s Guide
Inflammation is an intricate, complex response by the whole body to what it perceives as a threat.
Recurrent Illness: Stress and Illness
When we adults live in a fight-or-flight state every day, this makes it more likely that our kids will also be in a fight-or-flight state, which can wreck havoc with their minds, bodies, and spirits.
Grounding: Five Reasons to be Outside and Barefooted
Being barefooted and outside has many health benefits. My entire life, I have always gone barefooted as much as possible. It makes me feel good, and now that there is a growing body of research on grounding or earthing, I can justify my desired shoeless existence. And yes, I find it comical that we have […]
Treating Childhood Asthma at the Cellular Level: Case Study
In traditional medicine, asthma is often considered a lifelong diagnosis, but with an integrative approach, symptoms can be well-controlled or even resolved. Asthma is a condition involving the narrowing of airways and excess mucus production, leading to wheezing, coughing, and difficulty breathing. In traditional medicine, doctors manage asthma with inhaled steroids, which aim to keep […]
