A common food ingredient I see on my client’s food sensitivity & GI Map test results is GLUTEN. Gluten sensitivity can cause gut inflammation, intestinal permeability, weight management issues, and damage to the gut biome. 

Giving up any food even though you know it makes you sick can be difficult. Especially for an ingredient like gluten because it’s found in wheat, which is typically a big part of your normal diet. 

I mean, how does one live without these salad toppers or these morning kickoff foods??? No fear, it’s possible and you will learn to love it!

Foods that usually contain gluten:

• Bread, pita, bagels, flatbread, rolls
• Pasta
• Cakes, crackers, and biscuits
• Cereal and granola
• Croutons
• French fries
• Gravies and sauces
• Salad dressings and vinegars
• Processed meats
• Soy sauce
• Snack and bars
• Potato chips and tortilla chips
• Stuffing

Maintaining a certain diet or avoiding certain ingredients when you work at home can be easier to follow but as...

My obsession with bone broth is REAL!

I walked into my functional medicine doc 8 years ago with high heels and booshie corporate clothes. On the outside I had it all together. A “highly successful young professional mom” living the Super WoMOM “she does it all” type of life.

“You’ve got it together Mar!” “How do you do it all Mar?” Common questions from others.

On the inside I was a wrecking ball. My brain was mush, I was drained constantly searching for energy boosting sugar sources, and my stomach was plagued with painful bloat and gas.

When I discovered I had an imbalance in my gut bacteria, leaky gut, food sensitivities, and brain fog my Doc placed me on a lifestyle protocol to reduce my symptoms naturally instead of turning to pills to fix a specific issue.

One of my favorite products for restoring the body has been Bone Broth. It's also been been an integral product in most of my client’s personalized protocols.

Bone...

Here’s the real deal: There’s no one-size-fits-all solution for wellness, but there are things you can do to support your own unique blueprint and it starts in the gut.

Inflammation and irritation are the two main contributing factors to your muffin top, belly blah, and “Holiday Fatigue Syndrome.”

By addressing certain factors through a systematic, no fluff, simple-to-follow approach, you can begin to restore balance, proper gut function, and open up your detoxification system which allows for long lasting weight loss.

The 4-Week Gut Revival Holiday Edition is not specific to any single condition but rather - it supports the pillars of gut health.

After completing this program, you may experience relief from symptoms, weight loss, and more balanced digestion.

With this program you get:

•  4 Weeks of Suggested Meals and a Shopping List
•  30-Day Gut Health Calendar
•  A Food Mood Diary
•  Educational Guide
•  Handout / Worksheets / Quiz...

If you find yourself stuck in the holiday gut rut year over year, a little weight gain and an extra pair of stretchy pants in your Amazon cart, I encourage you to educate yourself on gut health.

Your gut bugs may be the one thing causing you to eat the stale Halloween candy or liking the social media ad for a sweatshirt which reads, “Thou Shall Not Try Me.” 

When there is an imbalance in your gut health (dysbiosis) it can cause an influx of toxins. These toxins can block hunger hormone receptors modifying your eating behaviors causing you to eat Aunt Mel’s fruit cake. The hunger hormones which regulate satiety are activated by binding to bacteria. So the feelings of hunger are coordinated with the diversity of your microbiota. (1)  

Symptoms from gut dysbiosis or toxic bacteria show up as “common” life nags.

Side effects of poor gut health include:

•  Fatigue
•  Weight gain
•  Gastrointestinal issues (IBS, IBD, Constipation,...

"Do I need a probiotic?"

"Do I need to spend a lot of money on a probiotic?"

"Do I need to take a probiotic everyday?"

Common questions I hear from my clients and the same questions I asked myself before diving deep into my gut health journey. Before my gut health education I too was hella confused by all the professional gut health jargon. 

The truth is, you are exposed to stores and websites LINED with probiotics supplements which leaves you confused and empty handed.  It can be a grueling task to choose the right probiotic supplement, so how do you decide which probiotic is right for you?

Here are simple tips to guide you towards choosing the best probiotic supplement.

REVIEW THE COLONY FORMING UNITS (CFUs)

CFUs, or Colony Forming Units, are the measuring unit of probiotics. This number must be clearly displayed on the probiotics bottle. To best suit the digestive system a probiotic should be in the range of 3-50 billion.  

Lower range CFU products can be...

BOOST the IMMUNE SYSTEM

In the day of avoiding global diseases, I get a lot of questions about, "How do I boost my immune system?"

Here's one simple trick...AVOID SUGAR! 

Oh no, she did not just say that! 

Unfortunately, I did.  UGH!

And yes, that includes alcohol.  DOUBLE WHAMMY! 

Even sugars from natural sources, such as fruit and honey, can cause sugar imbalances. Sugar, at the end of the day, is still sugar, even when there is some fiber in it, and even when it is a natural source of sugar. 

The Sugar Blues

• Sugar inhibits the immune cells responsible for destroying pathogenic microorganisms (bad bacteria)
• Sugar can knock out vitamin C from cell receptors
• Having high blood sugar can mean less vitamin C from entering the cells
• Excess sugar converts in fat

Craving for Sweetness

Try curbing your sweet tooth with a variety of non-sweet foods or a few of the lower sugar items listed below.

• Maple syrup
• Date sugar (raw dates)
• Raw honey
• Pure stevia 
...

The stores are LINED with probiotics supplements which leaves you confused and empty handed.  It can be a grueling task to choose the right probiotic supplement.  So which probiotic is right for you? 

Here are some tips that will help guide you to select the best probiotic supplement. 

Colony Forming Units (CFUs)

CFUs, or Colony Forming Units, are the measuring unit of probiotics. This number must be clearly displayed on the probiotics bottle. A probiotic should be in the range of 3-50 billion CFUs to best suit the digestive system. 

A lower range would be sufficient as a maintenance product. This potency will allow you to recover the probiotics lost due to the modern lifestyle when otherwise you have a completely healthy digestive system.  

The higher potencies are recommended for specific instances, including the following:

Stress and Travelling: Raise your hand if you’re a professional working parent living a high stress life (RIGHT HERE,...

Kids screaming...“MOM, MOM, MOM!”

Phone notifications…”Ding, Buzz, Ding, Buzz”

Relationship demands, Career demands, Self Doubt and NO time for thyself.

These are the daily sounds and thoughts you hear and feel as a working mom. 

In the era of wearing multiple hats, you stretch your ability to feel like you’re succeeding in all areas of your life.  No matter how you divide your time you still feel like you’re failing at something, or with someone or with yourself. 

These feelings compile into stress - actually, distress.  Whether it is mental, physical, or chemical, chronic distress can be extremely destructive.  When you continue to ignore the constant distress of life the hidden stressors can boil up in your body and have a massive explosion.  It will show up differently for everyone but it can show up in the signs of weight gain, allergies, headaches, depression, mood swings, reduced immune system...the list...

Do you lie awake at night, tossing and turning with billions of thoughts running through your head?  You just can’t seem to turn it off.  Each morning you roll out of bed feeling hangover simply because you slept like sh*t.

So, what do you do?  You turn to the very things which are known to interrupt your sleep patterns.  Items such as coffee, sugar, processed foods, and alcohol (got to get to sleep somehow). It’s a vicious cycle of “I need energy, I am tired, I need energy, I am tired.”

Your body repairs itself during the sleep phase.  Do you want to be more productive; do you want more endurance; do you want to avoid being the grouchy a-hole?  I’m hearing a lot of YES’, then you need to get your Zzzzz’s!!!!

The microbiome (aka gut) supports the way you sleep.  When you feed it with items which “mess it up” it gets confused and produces hormones which directly affect sleep. Studies are showing...

How to Head Into the Day Feeling On-track

Do you often feel frazzled 10 minutes after waking up? You check email and get anxious, you check the calendar and get anxious, ugh, so much to do, so little time.  Your morning sets the tone for the rest of your day. To help conquer the day try partaking in a morning ritual routine. 

1. Plan the night before. (ok, I know it’s not a morning ritual) But, you have 2 choices: start your morning calm and pre-planned, or start by running around like a wild cat - pure chaos.  Before going to bed, set out your clothes (including workout clothes :) set out products you use, pack the essentials including lunch, and make sure your shoes have their match and are waiting by the door - YES!!! (please let me I’m not the only one)
2. Wake up immediately. You snooze, you lose. Always wake up the instant you hear the alarm.  Five minutes of extra sleep is doing nothing but having you lie there wondering what you have to do. It also...