Functional Medicine
Vitamin D: The Sunshine Nutrient
Vitamin D is necessary for optimal health, and most of us are deficient in it.
Why should you care?
Because vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of many diseases including:
Natural Remedies For Allergies
Spring is in the air and with it comes pollen. This can mean a significant reduction in quality of life for allergy sufferers. According to the CDC, allergies are the 6th leading cause of chronic disease in the U.S. with an annual health care cost of more than $18 billion (1). It’s estimated that 30% of adults and 40% of children suffer from allergies.
There are many nutrition, lifestyle and herbal remedies to decrease and even in some cases eliminate allergies.
Natural Remedies for Painful Periods
I was inspired by all of the strong women and men who marched last weekend to stand for women’s rights and equality.
This inspiration has left me thinking about my mission to empower women to overcome hormonal issues and menstrual disorders naturally. The menstrual cycle is a symbol of womanhood. It should be cherished. It shouldn’t have to feel like we’re cursed, but for many women it does. I want to change that. To get started, I’ve put together this list of natural remedies to combat menstrual cramps to make yourself and all of the women in your life even stronger.
Is This Why You Can't Lose Weight?
Happy Spring! It’s that time of year when you inevitably start thinking about swimsuit season and your beach bod, or lack thereof. If you’re not in the best shape of your life, you’re not alone. Did you know that 70% of Americans over the age of 20 are overweight or obese? (1). There are some obvious reasons for this like the poor quality of the standard American diet (aka S.A.D.) and general lack of exercise and movement. But there is another big issue here that is often failed to be addressed: chronic lack of sleep.
I’ve had countless patients come to see me for weight loss. All of the other doctors they have seen tell them they need to exercise more and eat less. They’ve tried it. It just isn’t working for them.
Prevent Colds & Flus
With cold and flu season upon us it’s a good time to start boosting your immune system to prevent infections and to know what natural remedies you can keep in your medicine cabinet to speed recovery time if you do get sick.
But first lets talk about the flu shot because I’m often asked about this...
S.A.D: Natural Treatments for the Winter Blues
As the days are getting shorter and shorter, it’s not uncommon to experience a change in energy and maybe even your mood. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is essentially depression that has a seasonal pattern. It’s estimated that 6% of the US population suffers from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) in it’s most severe form and an additional 14% experience more mild mood changes (1). That’s 20% of our population! Symptoms can include fatigue, difficulty waking up in the morning, increased need for sleep, lack of motivation, cravings sweets, and a generally depressed mood.
Conventional treatment of SAD is antidepressant medications which can have nasty side effects and are often extremely difficult to stop taking once you start. I’ve had patients come to me who started antidepressants for SAD and then ended up taking the medication the whole year.
Nicole McCarter is a naturopathic doctor located in Los Altos, CA which is conveniently located near Palo Alto and easily accessible from the Bay Area.
Holistic nutrition individualizes nutrition to your specific needs. Not everyone requires the same diet. Nicole uses food intolerance testing and looks for nutrient deficiencies to determine the right diet for you. She creates an individualized diet plan. She specializes in food allergies, elimination diets, cleanse and detox diets.
Functional Medicine
We take our cars in for tune-ups to maintain their longevity and we routinely remodel, redecorate, and revamp our living space to prevent depreciation in value. So why is it that when it comes to our bodies we let them go until they are broken and then look for a quick fix to cover up the problem?
The solution is simple - using functional medicine for prevention. I’m often asked the question, what is functional medicine?...