ENVIRONMENT

Your Body’s Wisdom – Invitation or Threat?

January 20, 2017 By Karen Leave a Comment

“Symptoms are a signal from the body that it is imbalanced, in distress, or in need of support.”

Kelly Brogan, MD

Your body has it’s own innate inner wisdom.

In other words, with a little help from you – it has the ability to heal (you just need to give it what it needs).

How do you know what your body needs most?

You listen!

What signs and symptoms are your experiencing? How debilitating are they? Are you in pain, or is it more of a nagging discomfort that keeps you from enjoying your life to it’s fullest?

The Myth of Weight Gain & What To Do About It

January 6, 2017 By Karen Leave a Comment

Are you swept up, once again, in the first-of-the-year weight-loss battle?

Post holidays, it’s not uncommon to be 5-10 pounds heavier than you were two weeks ago and frustrated (yet again) that yet another year has passed where you ate all this junky food and are feeling like crap from all the over-indulgence.

Chances are you’re also thinking about what to do to start losing that weight. (It’s why Gym memberships EXPLODE during January.) You’re going to start seeing all these Detox and Cleanse programs – with the emphasis on exercising more and reducing calories.

While that’s all well & good, there’s also an elephant in the room!

What if I told you that your struggles to lose weight aren’t so much about how much you’re eating, but rather WHAT you’re eating? And that the chemicals and other irritants in your environment can also have an enormous impact on your weight!

What’s toxic to your body?

If your normal diet is gluten-free, (maybe dairy-free as well) and you veered off that path, that alone can get you off track.

But maybe you didn’t stray. Maybe you did everything ‘right’ – yet you still baked, and ate your share of seemingly safe holiday treats. In that case, you might simply have eaten more refined gluten-free flours and starches than you would normally eat, and are now feeling bloated and out of sorts. (Not to mention the additives and preservatives typically found in processed foods – whether gluten-free or not).

Add to this a simmering cocktail of chemicals like BPA found in plastic storage containers, water bottles, and store receipts! (you’ve likely read about this offender in the news)

3 More Environmental Toxin Myths Debunked

September 16, 2016 By Karen Leave a Comment

There are lots of myths circulating about environmental toxicants, detoxing, and whether or not it’s even a necessary thing to worry about.

You can read Part I of this conversation here.

I like to be thorough, if nothing else – leaving no stone unturned!

MYTH #4 – I’ve Already Switched to BPA-Free Plastic

That’s wonderful – you’re already ahead of the curve!

Unfortunately, I fell for the exact same marketing spin when I first learned about BPA in plastic.

I went out and bought all new plastic containers – looking for the tell-tale stickers that said “BPA-Free”.

I thought I was safe.

But guess what?

Manufacturers are smart. They know to replace BPA with something else – other chemicals with names like BPF, or BPS.

5 Simple Ways to Pamper Your Skin

July 22, 2016 By Karen Leave a Comment

Did you know that your skin is your largest organ?

Not only that, it’s also your body’s #1 defense against the outside world. And it gets more fascinating still – since you have both an outside skin, and an inside skin. (That inside skin covers things like your digestive tract and your respiratory system – not necessarily something you would think about)

Back in the early days when I first went gluten-free, I attended a lecture that was geared toward gluten-free folks like you and me.

The presenter was very insistent that there was no need to be concerned about putting gluten-containing products on our skin.

He said it was virtually impossible for gluten in skin care products to be a problem – because we weren’t ingesting it.

At the time, I thought it made sense.

But guess what?

He was wrong!

While it’s true that we don’t ingest our toiletries or cosmetics – whatever we put on our skin can get absorbed.

And that’s important!

What’s On Your Bucket List?

May 27, 2016 By Karen 1 Comment

You’ve heard of a Bucket List, right?

That list of things you’ve always wanted to do, but never quite got around to?

In a nutshell, a Bucket List is a way of setting some goals for yourself, namely what you’d like to accomplish in this life, before moving on.

And it’s an awesome idea!

(Perhaps you’ve even seen the movie by that name?)

Today I’d like to share with you a different sort of Bucket List.

It’s an analogy, if you will, a way of looking at the hand you’ve been dealt – your medical history, along with your entire life trajectory and challenges along the way.

In other words, everything that’s you led to where you are today.

So, here’s the thing.

Picture a bucket of water – with the water level stopping about two inches from the top.

Gluten-Sensitivity & Celiac Disease – Should You Be Tested?

May 13, 2016 By Karen Leave a Comment

Do you regularly experience any of these symptoms?

Digestive Complaints
Cramps, Bloating or Gas
Constipation
Diarrhea
Headaches or Migraines
Sinus Congestion
Joint Pain
Rash or Itching
Insomnia
Chemical Sensitivity
Memory Loss
Osteoporosis
Weight Gain
Mood Swings

Perhaps you know others who do?

While this list is by no means comprehensive, the thing to note is that NONE of these symptoms are NORMAL!

It’s also why it’s critically important to take a closer look at what you’re eating – and to know whether you have Celiac Disease – or non-celiac Gluten sensitivity.

While food sensitivities would also be great to test for, you want to rule out gluten first and foremost.

Here’s why:

Gluten-Related Disorders are known to be the cause behind almost every disease, or symptom within the human body – neurological disorders, such as dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, – especially anything related to your thyroid – plus common age-related diseases such as osteoporosis.

Have You Bought Into this Myth?

April 29, 2016 By Karen Leave a Comment

No doubt you’ve heard what the media says about getting older.

All that stuff about genetics and that it goes downhill from there – meaning you’ll be old and sick, tired and achy well before your time – and have to give up your favorite foods, and favorite activities.

Well, guess what?

None of it is true!

Chances are you’re already convinced that being old and sick is just the way it is.

It’s a normal part of getting older, and there’s not a whole lot you can do about it, right?

Wrong!

What about your genes? Isn’t sickness and poor health a foregone conclusion, based on your heredity? Aren’t you doomed form the get-go?

A lot of this confusion about getting older – what I call the ‘myth of aging’ – is based on this outdated belief that your genes are your destiny.

Yet nothing could be further from the truth.

How do I know this?

Look around you, and you’ll find plenty of research that supports what I’m saying – you just need to know where to look. [Read more…]

Filed Under: ENVIRONMENT, HEALTH & WELLNESS, HEALTHY AGING Tagged With: aging, autoimmune disease, Deepak Chopra, Design a Healthy Life, dietary triggers, environmental toxins, genes, genetics, gluten-free, Kelly Brogan MD, lifestyle medicine, myths, outdated beliefs

Are You A Toxic Mess? (What’s Your Body Burden?)

April 1, 2016 By Karen Leave a Comment

Ever wonder if you’ve got harmful chemicals in you?”

I don’t blame you for being curious! Especially if you’re feeling challenged by:

Excess weight
Digestive issues
Any number of mysterious aches & pains

On the heels of our recent exploration into Internet “fact or fiction” – including the myth that chemicals can be absorbed into your skin in 26 seconds flat – answering this question means taking the conversation a bit further.

As you know by now, chemicals CAN find their way into you through many different pathways – either from:

your food
personal care products
cleaning supplies
home furnishings
pesticides
…& more

And there ARE specific kinds of tests that can determine your overall chemical load – some of which you might have heard about some of, such as urine or hair analysis.

That said, are you familiar with Body Burden testing?

The 26 Second Rule – Fact or Fiction?

March 4, 2016 By Karen Leave a Comment

Do you believe everything you read on the internet?

To be sure, articles, pictures and the ever-popular infographics are plentiful, to the point it’s sometimes hard to stay on top of everything.

But how do you know that what you’re seeing is even true?

That’s a great question! And I can’t wait to share with you the ‘other’ side of the story.

Case in point, let’s take a closer look at a recent claim circulating on the internet – which is that ANY chemical you put on your skin will enter your bloodstream in 26 seconds flat!

I see this is a perfect opportunity to help you separate fact from fiction, and tone things down a bit.

Cause here’s the thing.

The internet is rife with articles and claims that we absorb up to 60% of everything we put on our skin.

However, this is only partially true – and I’ll explain what I mean by that shortly.

10 Americans – A Gem of a Video

February 12, 2016 By Karen Leave a Comment

Truth be told, this isn’t a story about pancakes but bear with me here.

Because there actually IS a large pancake stack in this wonderful video I’m sharing with you today – titled “10 Americans“).

As you may know by know, I’ve done a considerable amount of training with an Environmental Toxins Expert – learning as much as I can about the home environment in particular and the many little things we can do to create change.

As a former interior designer, with an eye on Green Design – this is right up my alley!

As I’ve also shared in recent weeks, it’s SO important to broaden the conversation beyond calories and exercise and food sensitivities, so we’re not just talking about these things – but also understanding how other things in your environment can affect your weight, and your health in general.

For example – did you know that the average female consumer uses a dozen personal care products every day (which may, or may not contain gluten)? And that those products alone, contain in the neighborhood of 168 different chemicals?

(Men use about half as many products – containing 85 different chemicals, or so.)

Either way you look at it, that’s a lot!