Image credit to https://myfitstation.com Another new year, another set of resolutions. No doubt many of you plan to shed excess pounds gained during the holidays, eat healthier, and commit to a new workout routine. And if you manage to stick to it as rigidly as you intend at the beginning [...]
Starch is an efficient way for plants to store glucose, in polysaccharides (sugar chains). There are two main types of polysaccharides: amylose and amylopectin. The former is more of a single chain (so you have to release the glucose molecules one at a time) while the latter is a series [...]
It’s super frustrating. You’ve been following your low calorie/low carb diet and sticking to your new exercise regime religiously, and it worked for awhile… but suddenly you stop losing weight. This happens to nearly everyone who tries to embark on a weight loss journey. It’s the flip side of the [...]
Your metabolism is maintained via a careful hormonal dance, with each hormone sending feedback messages to influence the release of the others. The hormones we most often think of with respect to weight and metabolism are thyroid and insulin, and for good reason: these are probably the biggest players that [...]
The power of naturopathic medicine is in the philosophy: remove obstacles to cure and give the body the building blocks it needs to heal itself, and within reason, healing will follow. I prefer not to give supplements to treat symptoms, because that approach doesn’t get to the root cause… but [...]
When it comes to trying to create a new habit (or overwrite one that isn’t serving you), the best resource I’ve ever found, hands down, is Charles Duhigg’s The Power of Habit. I highly recommend that you pick up the book for yourself, but let me give you a brief [...]
Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is one of the most popular folk remedies I hear about in my practice, and for good reason. There’s some impressive research to back up its health claims. But first things first: definitions. Apple Cider Vinegar: Is It All Created Equal? Apple cider is basically unfiltered, [...]
Image credit https://traineracademy.org/ There are a lot of trendy diets out there (paleo, ketogenic, Whole 30, Autoimmune Protocol, GAPS, Specific Carbohydrate, etc). They all have their merits, and I do put people on each of them in specific cases. But one of the simplest, longest term approaches is “counting macros.” [...]
Creatine is one of the best-selling supplements of all time, particularly to athletes. It is marketed as an energy booster, and a way to increase endurance. Here’s how it works. Biochemistry 101 This one is a three part biochemistry interlude. (Brace yourself.) Part 1: What Creatine Is Creatine is a [...]
Maybe you’re eating paleo, or ketogenic. You’re avoiding not just added sugar, but most or all grains, and you’re even limiting your fruit. You’re exercising, too. But you’re not losing weight. You can’t understand it. Your thyroid looks perfect on lab work (TSH and fT4 anyway). Maybe your sex hormones [...]