Premenstrual Syndrome

I see many women who have heavy, irregular, or painful periods and do not mention PMS because they assume that PMS is “normal.” Premenstrual syndrome symptoms such as migraines, irritability, fatigue, and depression indicate that there is an underlying hormonal imbalance and there are many natural therapies that correct hormonal imbalances. Short-Term Treatments for Premenstrual Syndrome In conventional medicine, PMS is treated with birth control pills or antidepressants and these work well for many people. I think of these treatments as short-term treatments because if estrogen and progesterone remain out of balance, the woman will someday experience heavy periods, painful

Coconut Oil: Good for Cooking but No Miracle Cure

The American Heart Association (AHA) recently came out with a presidential advisory that coconut oil should be avoided for heart health due to its saturated fat content. Meanwhile, many people in the natural medicine community have been promoting coconut oil as a great way to lose weight based on an extrapolation of research done by Marie-Pierre St-Onge, Ph.D. at Columbia University. So where is the truth? The answer is somewhere in the middle. Coconut Oil & Saturated Fats It’s important to note that saturated fats got a bad reputation in part due to hydrogenated fats (also known as trans fats)

Pain With Intercourse [Dyspareunia] and What You Can Do About It

As part of my gynecological intake, I ask women about pain with intercourse because women often do not report pain with intercourse to their medical providers. There are many possible reasons for this but the one that concerns me the most is that many women are told that it’s “normal” to have pain with intercourse at a certain age or after childbirth. As my colleague, Anne Procyk, ND says, “it may be common but it is not normal.” Pain with Intercourse is Common, but Not Normal Pain with intercourse is very common. I have read estimates that range from ten

Health Tech Resources: Meditation Apps

Mindfulness meditation has been shown to improve memory, focus, and mental well-being and regular practice improves sleep quality. When I first heard about these studies on mindfulness meditation, I imagined that to get these benefits, one would have to spend at least an hour per day meditating.  I was surprised to find out that even five minutes can make a difference in stress hormone production and improved sleep.  There are many local resources for learning about mindfulness meditation with a group or counselor.  I highly recommend joining a group if you would like to deepen your practice but these apps

Local Resources: Nurture Nest – A Natural Parenting Storefront Community

I often have patients who are pregnant, or new parents ask me where they can learn more about cloth diapering and natural baby products.  In the past, I had no good answers for people who wanted this kind of resource, but then two women, Korie and Knikka, started a business that meets that need in our community - Nurture Nest. Nurture Nest: A Natural Parenting Options Nurture Nest is a natural children’s store in Niantic that is a true haven for parents and families.  Korie and Knikka founded the store after considering becoming doulas.  Korie had been running an in-home

Health Tech Resources: Fooducate

We talk to all of our patients about improving their diets not only to treat specific conditions like hypercholesterolemia or diabetes but also to generally support energy and wellness.  It is difficult to navigate the convoluted world of nutrition science because nutrition science is full of controversies, and conflicts of interest, and packaging is designed to be deceiving.  While we give you information and tools in the office, there are many food choices that are hard to make without specific guidance.  This is why I recommend the Fooducate App. How Fooducate Helps You Make Good Choices As you begin to work

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