Radio Naturopath Episode 446: Natural Help for Sprain/Strain, GABA, the Microbiome, and Sleep

This week, I talked about my knee injury! There are great natural ways to help with knee pain, as long as the injury isn't TOO severe. I had marked knee pain for a few days that rapidly improved with the right care! Rest, ice, compression, elevation. Helpful salves. Chiropractic and acupuncture. Kinesio tape! PT exercises. All good stuff! Also, it's strawberry season, and the first strawberries have come out. Here's why they're good for you! We finished with starting to review one more talk from the CNPA summit, about GABA, the microbiome, and sleep. Did you know that Camden, NJ and Detroit, MI are the worst places to try to get enough sleep? I wonder how that compares to East Windsor, NJ, where I grew up??? 

Radio Naturopath Episode 230: More Help For Sprains, Preventing Colds and Flu, Genetic Testing for Psychiatric Meds and Conditions

Today we review my progress on healing my sore knee. It's going OK, but now I'm off the bike until Sunday! My chiropractor thinks I need more down time. And then I'll have to go slow and easy when I get back! But I want to heal so I can get in some good fall riding before I have to move indoors.

I've seen so many colds and coughs and so many people with lingering sinus infections and bronchitis that I felt I needed to remind everyone about their cold and cough hygiene! Even Savannah Guthrie on NBC went viral! Neti pots, nasal sprays, lozenges, gargling.

And finally, for people taking meds for depression, anxiety and other psychiatric conditions, I talked about genetic testing to help figure out the meds that will work best and which are contraindicated. I also have testing for which supplements might be more helpful than others, and for vitamin utilization.

Radio Naturopath Episode 229: Natural Help for a Sprained Knee; Why to Not Vape

PHOOEY. I did a dance video that included jumping, and sprained my knee. Now, with all that great fitness I got over the summer, I have to back off on my exercise. I can do light spinning and swimming. I'm also going to the chiropractor and acupuncturist, taking natural anti-inflammatories and stuff to rebuild my ligaments, and (hopefully) getting more rest! I got into specifics on that.

I also talked about vaping today. I don't even think the jury is out; there's just too many health risks for me to recommend it. And it doesn't matter if you're vaping tobacco or cannabis; if you inhale oil, you risk getting lipoid pneumonia. Some people are dying of lipoid pneumonia from vaping. If you inhale oil, and then your lungs become inflamed, it's a vicious cycle of the body mounting an inflammatory response and you not being able to breathe it out! So, people, quit vaping.

Radio Naturopath Episode 177: Treat the Whole Person, Treat the Whole Knee, Drink Some Green Tea

TREAT THE WHOLE PERSON, a very important concept in naturopathic medicine. I used atrial fibrillation and cardiac arrhythmia to illustrate this principle. Everything in a person's life can affect his/her whole health, so knowing how someone is spending their time, how they work, play, exercise, what stressors are happening, what their environmental exposures are all play into any conditions about which they're concerned! Also, update on my knee: EXTREME athletic tape that's meant for sweating, swimming, showering, and other events involving water is ideal! It comes in black. Also, black. And if you'd like another option, it's BLACK. Speaking of black, that's one of the colors the plant CAMELLIA SINENSIS comes in. I am still surprised to find out that people don't know that white, green, black, and oolong tea are all the same plant! So I discussed their benefits.