Radio Naturopath Episode 478: B Complex and Your Stomach, Menopause and More Comfortable Sex!

This week I talked about B vitamins. Sometimes taking specific B vitamins can cause stomach upset, and you have to figure out which ones are bothering you. Sometimes it's best to take a food based vitamin; sometimes a methylated blend; sometimes specific ones separately; and sometimes just get them from food! We help to sort this out. I then went on to discuss something very important to folks of a certain age: how to make sex more comfortable! Hormones, lubes, restorative activities, we lay it on the table. 

Radio Naturopath Episode 461: Menopause and Weight Loss

This week I'm playing a lecture I recorded a while ago, about menopause and weight loss. I talk about how it's harder to lose fat after menopause, and why. It's all about the cortisol! Get that cortisol down and it will help. Also, having a little extra weight on after menopause is actually good, because the fat makes estrogen for you, and carrying it strengthens your bones. But, if you want to be at a lower weight, here's some tips! Just like all my advice about weight loss, the first rule of weight loss is to not focus on weight loss. 

Radio Naturopath Episode 452: Low Impact Plyometrics, Exercise for Menopause and Osteoporosis

This week we went on to talk about plyometrics that you can do that don't affect the knees and hips especially if you have trouble with those. Hint: get a medicine ball! Carrying and tossing a heavy ball can be really helpful without the need for jumping. We also talked about more helpful exercises for menopause, especially dancing! And the important ways to build bone density. 

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 375: Practice of Stillness/Weight Loss, Eat More Cinnamon, Ginger. Pumpkin!

This week, I talked about something dear to my heart and very important to a lot of people. Many patients, especially peri- and post-menopausal women, are talking about difficulty in fat loss. The fat hangs out right around their midsection. It's known as MENOBELLY! I didn't make that up. It's because our reduction in estrogen and progesterone reduce activity of fat-consuming enzymes, and we become more sensitive to cortisol. In our stressful lives, we spend too much time in high cortisol, and that adds fat to our midsections! So the short answer is to lower cortisol. One simple way to do that: A PRACTICE OF STILLNESS. That's any activity that you can do that involves being still and deep breathing! Listen to find out how.

I also talked about some more yummy foods that we eat around Thanksgiving and why they're good for you: cinnamon, ginger, and pumpkin. Listen and eat up!

Radio Naturopath Episode 358: Help for your Poison Ivy, Stool Shape and Your Health

This week it was about less fun but necessary topics. Poison ivy is no fun, super itchy, and can range from annoying to problematic to even dangerous. Here's some useful tips to deal with it naturally. Of course, if the rash is progressing over your whole body, going into your mouth, throat, nose, eyes, or genitals, it's time to go to the doctor or urgent care. Sometimes it's just safer to get a steroid pack. But if it's merely annoying and not in a dangerous spot, there's lots to try, from menthol to grindelia to clay! I also had an interesting question from Eliana, a listener in Israel. She wanted the lowdown on stool shape and consistency! So we talked about the Bristol Stool Chart and what conditions can cause various stool changes. Somewhat unpleasant but necessary. And wasn't the bathroom called the "necessary" in Revolutionary War times?

Radio Naturopath Episode 308: COVID-19 Vaccination by State, Dysfunctional Uterine Bleeding

I was curious to see what the COVID-19 vaccination rate and also the absolute number of vaccinated people ranked by state in the United States. Unfortunately, the states with the lowest rates are in the south, Missippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Wyoming, and Louisiana at the bottom 5. This may be due to access, education, politics, and mistrust. All of the New England states are in the top 7, and the only reason they AREN'T the top 6 is because Maryland is #6! They edged out New Hampshire by just a little. Again, access, education, politics, trust.

The main topic of the day was dysfunctional uterine bleeding. It's a very important topic because the prevalence in the United States is somewhere between 10-30%. To me, this means there's something about our lifestyles that is promoting this. I do note that I seem to see a lot of women in my practice with the condition. There are various causes and sometimes the cause is unknown, but there are lots of things to try, both biomedical and natural.

Radio Naturopath Episode 266: COVID-19: Nasal Spread, Masking and Nasal Cleansing; More Natural Help for Menopause

Today I talked about an actual study that shows that COVID-19 replicates very well in the nose and it's an important vector of spread. It also spreads to the lungs not by migration, but by nasal secretions actually being aspirated into the lungs. I make the case that nasal cleansing is a very good idea, because even if you have the virus, you may kill some of it and clear some of it out. It's very important to GARGLE immediately after nasal cleansing to catch secretions that wind up in the back of the thoat. 

I also continued with the discussion on menopause from last week, and talked about the issues with using natural hormone therapy. I also talked about diet, exercise, rest, supplements for anxiety, and homeopathy.

Radio Naturopath Episode 265: Richard Redfield and Masking, Stay Hydrated in the Heat, Menopause 2020, Part 1

It's like Ground Hog Week! This week, I quoted Richard Redfield, the director of the CDC, who said that if we all wore masks, we could get a handle on this virus in about 2 months. I keep repeating it, but it's important. I went on to remind people that it's hot and they need to hydrate. Then, as requested by a listener, I started on my latest information about helping with menopause symptoms. There's so much to discuss that I'm going to continue next week!

Radio Naturopath Episode 208: Help Allergies with Herbs; Guide to Bioidentical Hormones for Menopause

It’s time for SPRING! This week I reminded people that if they are sneezing, there IS tree pollen in the air, and they might want to break out the neti pots and xylitol nasal spray. And drink nettle and eyebright tea, and eat local honey!

The main topic was bioidentical hormone replacement therapy for menopausal symptoms. If you've tried the natural stuff and it just wasn't working, it might be time to try bioidentical hormones. I talk about the difference between horse-extracted, synthetic, and bioidentical hormones, and why it's better to go bioidentical. I also talk about which hormones to take and where, whether it's testosterone for sex drive, topical estrogen cream, or oral for everywhere. In 2 weeks I'll review delivery systems.