Many people don’t realize that their diet and lifestyle can either positively or negatively impact their brain health. Last week, I provided an overview of how anemia, dysglycemia, and inflammation can affect the brain and this week I will provide you with an overview of a few lifestyle and nutritional interventions that can help to enhance brain health. Over the next few weeks we will discuss different components of brain health and the role that diet, and lifestyle can play. Neuroplasticity “can be defined as the ability of the nervous system to respond to intrinsic or extrinsic stimuli by reorganizing its structure, function and connections” (1). Plasticity of the brain is either adapti

This is a simple and easy dish especially when you forget to take the meat out of the freezer. The heat of this dish can be adjusted by adding more or less hot sauce depending on preferences. Serves: 4-5 Prep/Cook time: 30 minutes (instant pot)/8 hours in crockpot Good Option For: Gluten Free Food Plan Elimination Diet Core Food Plan CardioMetabolic Food Plan Detox Food Plan HERE is the recipe to print. Ingredients 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts ¼ cup hot sauce Romain lettuce leaves 16-20 Cherry tomatoes, halved 1 avocado, sliced Grass fed white cheddar cheese Directions Place chicken (frozen) and hot sauce in either an instant pot. Cook on manual for 30 minutes. (may be less if chicke

Having a healthy brain is crucial to living a healthy life. A healthy brain allows us to remember things, learn, play, concentrate and maintain a clear and active mind. Our brain provides us with the ability to manage information we take in, be logical, use judgement, and have perspective and wisdom. No matter what your age is, steps need to be taken to maintain the health of the brain and to reduce the natural risks of disease that occur as we age (4). We all know that prevention is the best medicine. This rings true for brain health as well. The field of Functional Neurology works to protect the function and efficiency of the brain whether the brain is healthy or diseased (5). When sig

Often times we associate hormonal acne with the adolescent years, affecting 79% to 95% of teenagers.(1) However, it’s no surprise that 40% to 54% of women above age 25, still have some degree of facial acne.(1) Aside from poor hygiene, less than stellar diets, food allergies/sensitivities, genetics, stress, and environmental causes, female acne outbreaks are often the result of monthly hormonal fluctuations. Why do hormonal fluctuations cause acne? The typical female menstrual cycle is approximately 28 days. During the first 14 days, estrogen continuously rises as the primary hormone. From day 14 to 28, progesterone begins to rise taking over as the main hormone. An imbalanced level of p

An herbal salve is a natural healing ointment, much like an infused oil, but in a solid form. Visualize a moisturizing Neosporin of natural medicine or a therapeutic skin moisturizer. Salves are semisolid at room temperature and soften to spread upon skin contact. The addition of essential oils can make using a salve an aromatherapy delight. Typically, natural salves are made of herbs, oils, and beeswax. The beeswax serves as a protective, soothing emollient, and provides the needed firmness to form a solid salve at room temperature.(1) Herbal salves can be used for: Dry skin or lips Scrapes Minor burns Bruises Rashes, eczema, psoriasis and other inflammatory skin conditions And more! Now

Spring is here (at least in the South) which means strawberry farms are open for picking! I picked up some fresh strawberries today and put together this quick, easy and tasty dish in honor of sunshine and strawberries! HERE is the recipe for you to print. Serves 5-6 Prep time: 15 minutes prep Cook time: 25 minutes Total time: 40 minutes Ingredients: 3 boneless chicken breasts, halved and thinned 1 ½ cup fresh strawberries, diced 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped 1 small red onion, diced 1 avocado, diced 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon olive oil Salt and pepper Directions: Depending on the size of the chicken breasts, cut chicken in half thinning out the chicken. Season chicken

Making an herbal salve is not complicated, but it is a multi-step process. To begin, we must first create an oil infusion. This requires a bit of kitchen lab work. What is Infused Oil? An infused oil is simply an oil permeated with macerated herbs, spices, or flowers. Creating an oil infusing involves transferring scent, medicinal properties or flavor into the carrier oil. Infused oils have both medicinal and culinary uses, which date back to ancient civilizations using solar infusions. Garlic, rosemary, peppers, and ginger are common choices for culinary infusions. Just imagine dipping bread into a garlic infused oil or using a freshly infused oil on your salad. Here, we are going to f