After 4 years in the making, my family and I got covid. For me, the topic of covid is surrounded by anxiety for many different reasons, mainly to do with my own journey of working through severe health anxiety. If you’ve been following along for a while, you know I love to be transparent about my life, but even I don’t share much detail about my mental health.

I have anxiety.

I have severe health anxiety (and I sure know how to pick a career, right?)

Alcohol, a common part of many social settings, is consumed by millions worldwide. While moderate drinking can be part of a balanced lifestyle, excessive alcohol consumption is a major health concern. This blog delves into the complex relationship between alcohol and the immune system, exploring both the short-term and long-term effects based on research.

Gut health is a foundational aspect of naturopathic medicine, and something I treat in almost every patient! The gut is connected to many other systems in the body, including the endocrine system and stress response. In this article, we'll uncover the surprising links between these seemingly unrelated domains and shed light on how their balance or imbalance can profoundly affect your overall health.

We've all experienced those restless nights, tossing and turning in bed, only to find ourselves battling through brain fog the next day. It's in those moments that the undeniable link between sleep and cognition becomes crystal clear, highlighting just how deeply only one night of disrupted sleep can impact our mental clarity and performance.

We've all felt it before. That feeling you get when you spill your coffee, get stuck in traffic, fell that financial pressure, and the constant juggling of all your time commitments throughout the day. Experiences like these typically only lead to one feeling - stress! It's that familiar knot in your stomach, the racing thoughts, and the overwhelming sense of pressure that seems to weigh you down.

There’s no way around it, we are living in a toxic environment. From microplastics to pollutants in the air, synthetic fragrances in body products and chemicals in foods, our bodies are constantly exposed to potentially harmful substances. Luckily, our bodies are made to handle and detoxify many of the things we are exposed to- thanks, body! There are SO many products on the market claiming to help you “detox”, but our bodies are equipped with remarkable natural detoxification processes all on their own, designed to eliminate harmful substances and restore harmony within.

Are you ready for a wonderful year? As the calendar flips to a new year, January beckons as the perfect canvas for a fresh start. It's a time when resolutions are made, and aspirations for a healthier, happier life take center stage.

I recommend some form of adrenal support to almost every patient! We are living in a world of chronic stress (especially these last few years…) and we are feeling it. Constant stress can take a toll on our adrenal glands, leading to a condition known as HPA Axis Dysregulation (formerly called adrenal fatigue).

For me, pregnancy is a time to honor and feel ALL the emotions: joy, anticipation, worry, exhaustion, and beyond. During my first pregnancy I was in medical school full-time working towards graduation. I thought that was difficult then, but this time around I am a working momma with a three-year-old daughter running around, which brings its own levels of joys and challenges!

What does it mean to you to be “healthy”? A common answer might be, “to be free of illness”, but the absence of illness is not the same as living in optimal health, wholeness, or wellness. One of the main ways we do this is by always returning to the foundations of health. Treating symptoms as they come up can help with short-term relief, but oftentimes the deeper and longer-lasting healing happens when these foundations are brought back into balance.

Feeling tired and run down all the time? Although there are many causes of low energy, one important reason to test for could be low iron storage, or iron deficiency. When you think of iron deficiency, you might think of anemia, but those two conditions are not the same!

At the end of my first year of medical school I learned how to track my menstrual cycle in detail. I still remember the rush of empowerment paired with frustration for never being taught about my body’s fertility signs before. Learning how to track and interpret my own cycle is what led me to a career in reproductive health, and one of my passions is sharing this information with my patients!

If you have been experiencing chronic urinary symptoms, chronic pelvic pain, repeated sexually transmitted infections, or are struggling to conceive, you may want to consider getting tested for a genital mycoplasma infection. There has been some increased attention in the research lately surrounding small bacteria that may be playing a sneaky role in chronic pelvic/bladder pain, sexually transmitted infections, and even unexplained male and female infertility.

Don’t forget about the sperm! Women are often at the forefront of infertility conversations, but up to 35% of infertility cases involves the male partner. Sperm production is a leading cause of male infertility, but 20% of male infertility is categorized as idiopathic, which occurs when men have a seemingly normal semen analysis but are still infertile. Research is showing that sperm health has been declining over the last several decades and overall conception rates are lower as well.

I spent most of my high school and college career wondering what my future job would be. I knew I wanted to combine my passions for nutrition, health, and education, but I could never see a clear path for myself. Becoming a naturopathic doctor was never something I considered, even though looking back I see how clearly it checked all my “future career” boxes. Once I began researching naturopathic medical school and what the degree entailed, I felt like all the different puzzle pieces of my career interests finally fell into place. I grew up with naturopathic medicine as my main form of healthcare, so I was able to experience firsthand the power of natural medicine.