Radio Naturopath Episode 480: Find Your Max Heart Rate, More Help for Osteoarthritis

220-your age is NOT the best way to go! The Norwegian University of Science and Technology has figured out a way to estimate your ideal max heart rate that uses your age, weight, gender, and height. I used it and it felt much better than the 185 I was using from five years ago, and was also higher and more useful than 220-my age! I had a great workout using it. Also, we return to help for osteoarthritis: foods, weight loss, exercise and more. Those green lipped mussels!

Radio Naturopath Episode 471: WICKED!, PRP and Omega 3s/Fish Oil for Osteoarthritis

This week I talked about Ron and my viewing of Wicked, but didn't give away any spoilers! It was VERY exciting, dazzling, and emotional. You may want to take nervine herbs, L-theanine, or something else to keep calm, and then plan to do deep breathing or other calming activities afterward! And this was only Part 1, Part 2 comes out in a year! I mainly discussed osteoarthritis and how it's helped by PRP, platelet rich plasma injections,and also omega-3 fatty acids, especially fish oil. Very healing for arthritis, especially knees! 

Radio Naturopath Episode 458: Cholesterol and Muscle, Shilajit/LIthium Orotate, Health Not Weight Loss!

This week, I talked to Ron about his muscle building efforts, which are still taking a long time. We talked about how the cholesterol-lowering drug he took didn't allow him to rebuild muscle, and may also have affected his nerves, He's eating a lot of oats, and the beta-glucan in them can help to lower cholesterol; he's also eating a lot of ground flaxseed to help to sweep extra cholesterol out. He's looking forward to his next cholesterol test! We answered a question about shilajit and lithium orotate from a listener in India! I tried a pea-sized amount of shilajit for the first time live on the air, and it give me a mild rush!  Then we went on to discuss my take on weight loss, and went through a Prevention article that is very much in line with my thinking, that weight loss, the numbers on the scale, and BMI are not nearly as important as more direct measures of health, like cholesterol, blood sugar, nutritional status, getting regular exercise and rest, and eating a healthy diet of whole fooods and avoiding processed, chemically laden foods and food intolerances.  There are studies that really do bear out Healthy at Any Size!

Radio Naturopath Episode 451: Sunscreens and Toxicity, Menopause and Exercise

This week, I got deeper into sunscreens. Avobenzone and octabenzone: BAD. And I found out that one of my favorite SPF-containing face lotions has avobenzone in it! And I cleared out most of my sunscreens except for the ones with zinc oxide in them! Sheesh. Turns out those two are the worse offenders, and are hormonal disrupters, and if you go to the drugstore or supermarket and look at the display, most of the sunscreens contain either or both of those! BEST is too find sunscreens with either titanium dioxide or zinc oxide, which sit on your skin, reflect the sun, and aren't absorbed. The only thing is to avoid sprays, because you can inhale the metallic microparticles. 

We started by reviewing Stacy Sims's recommendations for post-menopausal women and exercise. What's best? Living heavy stuff, and short intervals! Intervals of at lest 60 seconds promote increased cortisol, so keeping it to around 30 seconds is best. She also recommends plyometrics, which can involve a lot of jumping. There ARE ways to do low impact plyometrics, and we'll talk about that next week!

Radio Naturopath Episode 428: Detox Preview: Sarcopenia: Keep Your Muscle Mass!

This week we previewed next week's talk, which will be about detoxification, especially as it relates to tick borne illness. We'll review everything from binders to epsom salt baths. Our focus for THIS week was on sarcopenia: muscle loss, especially due to aging. If you want to maintain muscle mass, you've got to move it or lose it! However, ANYONE can increase muscle mass at any age, and there are studies that show that. Retaining muscle mass is a predictor for healthy aging. So eat your protein, get your rest, and GET MOVING! 

Radio Naturopath Episode 411: Supplements for Joint Repair and Neuropathy

This week we reviewed how my back and disc are steadily improving, and how the nerves seem to be reconnecting. Shout out to all the practitioners whose care and support made it happen! 

We talked about some great supplements that help with neuropathy, and how they work. Things like certain B vitamins, fish oil, and lipoic acid. We also talked about other supplements that help to rebuild joints, like glucosamine, chondroitin, and collagen.

Radio Naturopath Episode 410: Anti-Inflammatory Herbs and Supplements

This week I gave more updates on my disc, how PT went, and my return of dysautonomia symptoms, which we think might be Lyme disease. We're going through steps to help with that. Then we talked more about inflammation: great supplements and herbs that can help, and there are a lot of them! From curcumin to rosemary to holy basil to ashwagandha, we've got them all!

Radio Naturopath Episode 406: Spinal Stenosis, Herniated Discs and How to Help Heal Them

This week, of course, we talked more about spinal stenosis, which I hope I don't have. I'm guessing I don't because I did not have nerve symptoms until about 2 weeks ago, so mine is from an acute injury. There's a lot that you can do shy of getting surgery, which often has a 4-6 week recovery time and risks. You can stretch, ice, heat, take anti-inflammatory meds, eat an anti-inflammatory diet, do yoga, meditate, do yoga nidra, go to the chiropractor, get massage, acupuncture, and much more! When a nerve is involved IT JUST TAKES TIME. And I am impatient! Who wants to be in pain and laid up? Anyway, I'll do all the things, and report back.

Radio Naturopath Episode 401: Vaginal Dryness, Tick Repellent, Heart Healthy Foods

This week I talked about three topics. The first is one especially important to peri- and post-menopausal women, vaginal dryness. There are some simple things you can do to help, and not necessarily hormonal! The second is TICKS. My patients are coming in with tick bites and frank Lyme disease. We discuss how to prevent getting them on you, how to look for them, and natural tick repellents. The third is a long list of heart healthy foods! Lots of things that you can eat and generally help your heart to be healthier, and some that are actually studied to do great things like lower LDL, increase LDL size, raise HDL, lower triglycerides, improve endothelial function, and lower blood pressure. 

Radio Naturopath Episode 400: Starch, Sugar, Fat and Cholesterol; Two Newer Drugs

This week, I talked about how starch, sugar, saturated and hydrogenated fats affect cholesterol. It's not as simple as you think! Saturated fat is NOT shown to be that bad for cholesterol, and too much starch and sugar are what mostly raise it. Hydrogenated fat too! We help you sort through that. We also talk about two newer cholesterol lowering meds, bempedoic acid and the PCSK-9 inhibitors. Are they any better than statins? Hmmm.