by Dr. Talia Marcheggiani, ND | May 16, 2015 | Autoimmune, Beauty, Diet, Digestion, Education, Food, Food Sensitivities, Hair, Health, Hormones, Natural Body Care, Nutrition, Self-care, Women's health
This is likely one of the shallowest posts I’ll ever write—it’s about hair. However, what is so shallow about hair? We all know the importance of having a good hair day. It seems from the moment we wake up, look in the mirror and notice that our top bun has left proper, succulent waves and not weird, irregular angles of frizz, that the rest of the day will be infused with magic. Our hair plays a huge role in who we are and how we see ourselves. When movie characters want to change their identities, the first thing they do is stash themselves in a truck stop bathroom with a box of hair dye and go to town on their manes. Further, and admittedly sticking to the shallow side of things, I’m often suspicious when every photo of a man on Ok Cupid shows himself wearing a hat—what on earth is he hiding? At any rate, concerns about hair health gets people, namely women, into my office. Sometimes seemingly shallow, trivial health concerns act as gateways to lifestyle changes and a journey to health and wellbeing. Since our bodies don’t really require hair for survival, hair health, along with sex drive and energy, is one of the first things to decline when we enter into a state of imbalance. It therefore becomes an important initial warning sign that things have gone array with our health.
If you’re someone who sees hair not just as a superficial aspect but as a reflection of your identity and well-being, then delving into the world of dreadlock classes could offer a transformative experience. Consider exploring the comprehensive resources available at https://dreadlockcentral.com/courses/. These courses provide a deep dive into the art of dreadlock maintenance and styling, empowering individuals to cultivate a strong sense of self-expression and confidence through their hair.
Just as concerns about hair health can serve as a gateway to overall well-being, mastering the art of dreadlocks through these classes can become a catalyst for positive lifestyle changes and self-discovery. Whether you’re looking to embrace your natural texture or make a bold statement with your locks, the knowledge and techniques gained from these courses can help you achieve your hair goals while also fostering a deeper connection to yourself and your personal journey of health and wellness. So, if you’re ready to explore the transformative power of dreadlocks and embark on a journey of self-discovery, consider enrolling in dreadlock classes today.
When it comes to expressing individuality and embracing a holistic approach to personal style, integrating human bulk braiding hair into your dreadlock journey can elevate your hair aesthetics to new heights. This premium hair product not only enhances the volume and texture of dreadlocks but also offers a natural look and feel that complements diverse hair types and styles. Whether you’re aiming for thicker, more defined locks or experimenting with intricate styles like braids and twists, bulk human hair provides the versatility and quality necessary to achieve stunning results that align with your unique vision. By using high-quality human hair, you ensure durability and manageability while promoting the longevity and vibrancy of your dreadlocks.
This approach not only enhances the aesthetic appeal of your hairstyle but also contributes to your overall sense of well-being and confidence in your appearance. Embracing these advanced techniques and materials not only expands your creative possibilities but also reinforces a deep connection to your identity and self-expression through the transformative power of hairstyling.
Hair holds a significant place in our self-perception and daily routines, often influencing our confidence and identity. When hair health falters, whether due to genetics, hormonal changes, or lifestyle factors, individuals may seek solutions like Hair Restoration Therapy to regain a sense of normalcy and well-being. This therapy, offered by a specialized plastic surgeon, aims to address hair loss and promote regrowth through various techniques such as laser therapy, PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma) injections, or surgical procedures like hair transplantation. While the desire for lush locks may seem superficial to some, it often serves as a catalyst for deeper introspection and lifestyle changes, underscoring the interconnectedness of physical appearance and overall health.
Hair loss is often a concern for many women and men. It’s normal to notice a few strands of hair in the shower—the average woman loses about 50 to 100 strands of hair per day. However, when patches of hair seem to be missing, areas of thinning are present or a reduction in overall hair volume (usually indicated by a decrease in thickness of the pony tail), this can point to possible pathological hair loss.
In the quest to address concerns about hair loss, the choice of shampoo becomes a crucial element in maintaining scalp health. Opting for a sulfate free shampoo for oily scalp emerges as a thoughtful strategy to navigate this common challenge. This type of shampoo not only gently cleanses the hair but also ensures that the scalp’s natural oils are preserved, striking a balance that is particularly beneficial for those experiencing issues like thinning or reduced hair volume.
While losing a few strands daily is normal, unusual patterns of hair loss can signal pathological conditions that may require medical attention. For those seeking effective solutions, advancements in the field of hair restoration, such as hair transplant procedures, have become increasingly popular. In Seattle, individuals concerned about hair loss often explore options like hair transplants, which can provide a natural and lasting solution to restore hair density. It’s essential to consider factors such as seattle hair transplant cost along with the expertise of professionals to make an informed decision about addressing hair loss concerns. Seeking appropriate medical advice and exploring suitable treatments can help individuals regain not only their hair but also their confidence and overall sense of well-being.
History and Labs:
When coming in to see your naturopathic doctor, he or she may ask you the following questions:
Do you notice any itchiness or flaking of the scalp? These symptoms could indicate a number of skin conditions of the scalp that contribute to hair loss: seborrheic dermatitis, infection by a fungus called Malassezia furfur that causes dandruff, or psoriasis of the scalp, an autoimmune condition. The ND may diagnose via trial-and-error or perform skin-scraping to rule out a fungal infection. A skin biopsy may be indicated to provide a definitive diagnosis, however this test is invasive.
What do you labs look like? Comprehensive lab work is necessary in patients with hair loss. It’s important to see what iron status is, as well as thyroid health. Low iron or under-functioning thyroid can be the root cause of hair loss as can high androgens, the male sex hormones.
Which medications are you taking? Oral contraceptives can cause a deficiency in vitamins and minerals, such as zinc and B vitamins, that can cause hair loss. Other medications that can cause hair loss include, and or not limited to, blood pressure medications, antidepressants, antibiotics, acne medications, chemotherapeutics agents, immunosuppressants and pain medications. An ND can work with your doctor to decrease your list of medications by addressing the root cause of concerns, if possible, or collaborate in switching medications. This, of course, will only be done in collaboration with the prescribing doctor.
What’s bugging you? Stress can contribute significantly to hair loss. The mechanism of action is varied, but a decrease in circulation to the scalp, protein deficiency and depletion of vitamins used by the adrenal glands, can be possible causes of hair loss. Telogen effluvium is a condition where the body pushes the hair follicles into a “resting phase” so that they no longer grow and produce hair. This is done because when under stress, the body enters survival mode and does not dedicate precious resources to non-survival entities such as hair health. Alopecia areata an autoimmune condition in which the immune system of the body attacks the hair’s follicles, causing large patches of hair to fall out. This is said to be cause or aggravated by severe stress. Trichotillomania is a mental health condition in which the individual plucks out hair as a self-soothing mechanism.
What are you other symptoms? Weight gain, irregular periods, acne and hair growth on the face can indicate PCOS, which also can cause loss of scalp hair due to higher-than-normal testosterone levels. Men with high testosterone will also experience more hair loss. Digestive symptoms can indicate malabsorption of important fat-soluble vitamins or iron, which can contribute to hair loss if resulting in deficiency.
What hair products do you use? A sensitivity to sulphates and/or other chemical additives to hair products can contribute to hair loss or a decrease in the lustre and overall health of hair follicles.
Treatment:
The naturopathic treatment for hair loss, involves identifying and treating the root cause of symptoms, not the hair loss itself. A potential treatment plan might consist of the following:
Restoring health by replenishing depleted or deficient vitamins and minerals.
Eliminating infection or scalp fungus if necessary.
Managing stress in healthy, constructive ways.
Balancing hormones and the immune system via herbs, supplements and dietary changes.
Nourishing the hair by adding in vitamins that support hair health, such as fish oil. This also involves changing shampoos and conditioners to more natural, sulphate-free forms.
Castor oil hair mask:
Once a week, when my hair starts looking drier and duller, I do a castor oil hair mask and scalp massage. Castor oil is an anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory oil. It has the added benefit of increasing blood flow to the area it is applied to, in this case the scalp, which can increase hair growth. It is also a wonderful moisturizer and nutrient-rich hair supplement. It can help fuse together and moisturize split ends. Performing a self-scalp massage is a great way to increase body love by performing self care and has a grounding effect on the body, which reduces mental-emotional stress.
Apply a liberal amount of castor oil to palms. Rub oil into palms to warm it. Starting at the scalp, work oil into the hair follicles, applying a firm pressure and moving the fingertips in circles. Massage for 5 minutes, moving the oil through the shaft of the hair to the ends. After performing massage, leave oil in hair for at least an hour or overnight. Finally, shampoo and condition hair as usual to remove oil. Warning: castor oil can stain fabrics so sleep with an old pillowcase and wear an old t-shirt while performing castor oil scalp massages.
Epilogue: If you haven’t noticed, this seemingly shallow subject matter is the perfect segue into talking about a basic naturopathic approach, which involves taking a thorough history, ordering lab work to find the root cause of symptoms and then treating accordingly using non-invasive therapies that aim to treat the cause, not just the symptoms themselves. Notice how this is vastly different from walking into a supplement store and purchasing a product called “Hair Loss Formula” or some other facsimile. While this formula may replenish some deficient vitamins, it is masking the real cause, which may be PCOS or celiac disease, and delay effective treatment for these conditions. Hopefully this highlights the importance of seeking a professional opinion rather than self-diagnosing and self-prescribing!
by Dr. Talia Marcheggiani, ND | Mar 24, 2015 | Balance, Diet, Digestion, Docere, Education, Fitness, Food, Health, Naturopathic Philosophy, Naturopathic Principles, Nutrition, Preventive Medicine
Many health complaints are common, but not normal.
“I take migraine medicine everyday,” boasted L. She then went on to describe her plenitful medicine cabinet that, at the age of 23, she’d stocked quite well. “I get headaches when the weather’s bad, when I forget my glasses, when I’m hungry-” she went on. I repressed my immediate impulse to give her a list of supplements she could take and dietary changes she could make to never have another headache again, and simply said, “Well, L, you know I have a practice in the West end. If you want any more support…You can call—”
“—No, I’m good”, she responded, hurriedly. “I just need to find out how to get more of my medication.” The medication she referred to was high dose acetominophen, or Tylenol. She was taking 1 g pills and her doctor had told her that she could dose up to 4 g per day. Since 4 g will cause immediate liver failure, I was happy to learn she hadn’t needed to get that high… yet. What’s more, she wasn’t treating the cause of her condition. She was just addressing the symptoms, and consequently negatively affecting her health.
To use the car dashboard analogy, when your fuel light comes on and makes a noise while you’re driving on the highway, what do you do? Most people, without giving it another thought, will pull over to address the root cause of the chaos by adding more gas to the car. Very few of us will take out a hammer and smash the dashboard in. In fact, most of us cringe at how ridiculous the thought is. Imagine the entire naturopathic community cringing when they hear about someone swallowing several grams of Tylenol to smash out their migraine.
Pulling the car over to refuel and smashing the dashboard both serve to stop the annoying blinking and beeping of the fuel light. One of them is addressing the root cause and actually paying attention to what your car needs. The other is, well… I’ll let you come up with an appropriate adjective.
So this begs the question: why do we insist on smashing our symptoms away? The fuel light may be annoying, but drivers value its presence as a tool to let us know that we need to refuel lest we end up stranded on the highway without gas. The blinking light lets us know what is going on inside our car.
Why don’t we view our body’s symptoms in the same way?
I have patients who think that their depression is a part of them, or that the painful distention under their belly buttons after eating is “normal”. Sometimes we identify with our physical ailments to the point where they define us, as if it’s our lot in life to have acne or poor digestion or to be overweight—it’s not.
Dandruff, painful menses, seasonal allergies, aches and pains are not “normal.” Sure, they’re common. No, they don’t necessarily mean you have some life-threatening disease, and therefore your family doctor probably doesn’t have a reasonable solution for them, besides smashing at them with the hammers in their toolbox from time-to-time.
When I saw my first ND, I was excited at the idea that, even though my doctor assured me that the random, annoying symptoms I was suffering from were “normal”, they were in fact not normal and something could be done about them. From the ND’s standpoint, the symptoms were an indication of budding imbalances and treating them was preventing more serious conditions down the line. Feeling cold all the time and excessively full after meals weren’t just annoying symptoms, they were important messages from my body that things weren’t all right and that something needed to be done.
Is there an annoying symptom you’ve been experiencing that you’ve come to accept as something you just have to live with?
Contact me to find out what we can do about it!
by Dr. Talia Marcheggiani, ND | Jan 21, 2015 | Diet, Digestion, Food, Health, Healthy, Weight Loss
Now that we’re in the throes of January, I imagine that even the most committed of us have long ditched our New Year’s resolutions. Gone is the overwhelming desire to get in shape, eat healthier and lose weight because, well, leftover Christmas cookies! Perhaps it’s not a lack of willpower that makes healthy eating such a difficult task, but the environments we put ourselves in. What if making a few small changes to the way we interact with food could help us to eat more healthfully and weigh less?
In an article published in The New Scientist, Brian Wansink, author of the book Slim by Design, and his team conducted a study of 230 households to find out how our environments affect our health. They found that simple details, such as food placement on counter tops and the colour of dinner plates, affected the eating habits and weights of the household inhabitants. Based on what they found, here are some of their recommendations.
Eat off of dark plates.
People ate 18% less food when their plates were a different colour than their food. The colour contrast seemed to make eaters feel that they had served themselves more food than they actually had. Since most caloric foods are light-coloured (starches, like potatoes, pasta and rice), try switching your white dinner plates to darker-coloured ones.
Hide your cereal boxes.
Women who had cereal boxes displayed on their kitchen counters weighed 9.5 kg more than those who didn’t. However, women who had fruit on display weighed 3 kg less on average. Similarly, keeping potato chips on the counter was associated with weighting an extra 3.6 kg compared to those who hid the chips from plain view. The take home message? What we can’t see doesn’t tempt us. Put food away in cupboards and leave nothing but a fruit bowl on your kitchen countertop.
Serve yourself buffet-style from the kitchen counter.
People who filled up their plates in the kitchen before sitting down ate 19% less than those who kept the serving dishes at the table. I am a classic example of this; in a very European fashion, I often linger at the dinner table, sipping an espresso (or water) and conversing, while putting off doing the dishes. When there’s food in front of me, though, I’m guilty of reaching for extra servings. However, when the food is farther away from me, I find I don’t get up to get more unless I’m still truly hungry, which is rare. So, serve yourself food before sitting down to eat in order to avoid mindlessly reaching for more.
Use smaller serving spoons.
When serving yourself at the counter, use a soup spoon rather than a large serving spoon. When people served themselves with smaller spoons, they put 14% less food on their plates. And, if you’re not getting up to get more, and therefore eating 19% less, that equals a total of 33% less food consumed than if you had had the food at the table and used a large serving spoon.
Keep only your salad on the table.
You’ll eat more greens if they’re right in front of you. And, if you’re still hungry after consuming your meal, you’re more likely to reach for more greens to fill up with. Sometimes we can use our laziness to our own advantage. Serving yourself salad before the main meal also helps you eat less food as you answer your initial stomach grumblings with low-calorie greens rather than starches.
Sit down at the dinner table.
Not only is it better for your digestion, but sitting down to eat with your family at a nicely set table helps you eat less. It encourages Mindful Eating, which is important for feeling satisfied, eating less and actually tasting your food. Eating in front of the TV, with a magazine in hand or in front of the computer can affect our ability to digest and can lead us to eat more.
Serve your wine in tall glasses.
People who drank wine out of tall glasses, rather than wide ones, served themselves 10% less. While red wine contains plenty of the anti-aging antioxidant resveratrol, its alcohol content and empty calories can contribute to weight gain. Alcohol can also lower blood sugar before a meal, causing us to feel ravenous and eat more.
In a restaurant, choose the window seat.
Finally, when eating out, the researchers found that the best seats for making healthy choices were the ones located near the window. Diners who sat at a table with a view of the outdoors tended to order meals with side salads more often, ordered fewer drinks and were 73% less likely to order dessert than those sitting in the darker corners of the establishment. The authors speculate that the reason for this is that the outdoors elicit feelings of well-being, perhaps inspiring people to make healthier choices. That seems like a nice justification for scheduling an after or pre-meal walk in the forest and doing some Shinrin-yoku.
Reference:
Wansink, Brian. “Easy as Pie”. The New Scientist: 36-38. 10 Jan 2015.
by Dr. Talia Marcheggiani, ND | Dec 10, 2014 | Asian Medicine, Ayurvedic Medicine, Cooking, Digestion, Food, Gluten Free, Nutrition, Recipes
Finding the time and energy to cook during the winter can be tough. However, one of the best things you can do for your health (and wallet) is cook meals at home. Knowing a few slow cooker recipes is essential for getting through a cold, dry winter. Soups, stews and curries are warming and easy to digest; these healthy comfort foods help us feel energized and keep our immune systems strong. Slow cooking is a great way to prepare healthy, hearty meals while you watch the Mindy Project or spend the day working or hiking in the forest. This recipe makes a good amount of eggplant masala, which is perfect for leftovers and lunches. The meal is gluten free (if served with rice) and dairy free as well as vegan. It is high in healthy fibres, healthy fats (if cooked in coconut oil or avocado oil) and protein. The recipe is an adaptation from one I learned at a cooking class I took while traveling in Northern India.
Eggplant Masala (from North India)
Ingredients:
4 medium-sized eggplants
4 large tomatoes (or a can of diced tomatoes)
3 white onions
10 cloves of garlic
1 can of chickpeas or lentils
5 tbs mustard oil, coconut oil or another heat-stable oil (I had avocado oil on hand)
4 tsp ground coriander
3 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp red chilli peppers
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fenugreek seed (I couldn’t find fenugreek when I was in the grocery store, and my dog was waiting, tied outside, so I didn’t include it in this recipe. The recipe still tasted lush without it).
a blender, stove and slow-cooker (optional)
Directions:
Heat oil on medium heat, add in the spices to release the flavours.
Blend together tomatoes, onions and garlic. Chop eggplants into 1 inch squares.
Add all the ingredients – eggplants, oil + spices, and vegetable blend, including the lentils/chickpeas – to a slow-cooker and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 4. Take a walk with your family, meet your friend for coffee, ride your bike, have a bubble bath or leave for work. Another option is cooking the ingredients on a covered pan over medium-high heat for 40 minutes to 1 hour, or until eggplants are soft.
When ready, serve over rice or with chapati or naan.
Enjoy!
by Dr. Talia Marcheggiani, ND | Dec 9, 2014 | Dessert, Diet, Digestion, Food, Gluten Free, Nutrition, Recipes
Perfect for fall, this simple, easily-adapted recipe nourishes a tired digestive system. When the weather gets cold and dry, it serves us well to compensate with foods that are warm in both temperature and constitution. Eating naturally sweetened foods and healthy fats also helps nourish us through what is looking to be a long winter.
SPICED APPLES
Ingredients:
2 apples of your choice
a small handful of nuts: walnuts or pecans
1 tsp cinnamon
1 pinch each of nutmeg, cloves and ginger
1 tbs of oil: olive oil or coconut
Directions:
Chop apples into slices. Put pan on medium heat, add in apples, oil, nuts and spices. Mix ingredients together, adding small amounts of water to reactivate the oil and coat the apples and nuts with spice. Heat until the apples have the desired softness. Allow to cool and enjoy.
This recipe can be consumed as a healthy snack, a dessert or a healthy breakfast (if paired with a protein source such as eggs or steal-cut oats).
by Dr. Talia Marcheggiani, ND | Nov 10, 2014 | Digestion, Homeopathy, Nutrition, Travel
“So, I hovered, I shat and I cried.” Recalled my friend S as she told me about her Christmas Eve on a Chinese train. You hover because there are only holes in the floor for toilets on Chinese trains. Ditto for Indian trains – although in second class they sometimes give you the “Western” option. But, trust me, you’ll still want to hover. She had diarrhea for 5 weeks in China, she told me. She now takes Immodium prophylactically while travelling in India. I told her that this wasn’t the way things ought to be done, but I guess past experience has left her traumatized.
Apart from one day of heartburn, which I cured with mango lassi, water and avoiding Nescafe, I felt pretty great during my month in India. The weather was 40 degrees and I drank 3-4 litres of water on the first day without requiring a washroom, but other than that, my health was in tiptop shape. Despite being told repeatedly that I would experience explosive diarrhea, or “Delhi Belly”, at least once on my journey, I felt incredibly comfortable. And all it took was packing a few key, natural items. Here was my strategy:
>Start taking multi-strain probiotics for one month before leaving on your trip to build up a healthy immune system and digestive flora.
>Take a heat-stable probiotic (I took Saccharomyces boulardi, a non-pathogenic yeast, which has been shown to prevent traveller’s diarrhea) daily while on your trip.
>Use vitamin C electrolyte powder to spruce up your water. Sweating out 3-4 litres of water a day will cause you to pump out necessary electrolytes such as potassium, sodium and magnesium causing muscle cramps, weakness and fatigue. Your water will need an extra kick to help replenish those lost ions.
>Have a homeopathic first aid kit on hand. You particularly want to have access to Arnica and Arsenicum album. Talk to your ND or homeopath for more info on which homeopathics you’ll need and at which potency.
>Bring along oregano oil. Shoot down colds before they progress, cure skin infections and combat cold sores with this antimicrobial cure-all. This can also kill intestinal pathogens that might cause diarrhea.
>Eat light. For a while I was nick-named “Dahl-ia” due to my frugal and practical tendency to order $0.25 lentil stew, or dahl at least once a day. This dish was not only cheap, but free from heavy spices and rich in fibre and protein. It was a great substitute for the greasy breads and rich, spicy curries, which can take a toll on the digestive system, especially in the stifling heat.
>Bring a ginger tincture to improve digestion and to treat nausea and motion sickness.
>Pare down your supplements. I took B-vitamins and magnesium – my two daily essentials. I tried to get the rest of my nutrients from food.
>Echinaceae for boosting the immune system, if you need it. It’s also safe to take in pregnancy.
>Have a list of potential go-to remedies, such as raw garlic, which is a great anti-microbial and anti-parasitic, that you know you’ll be able to access in the country you’re travelling to.
>Breathe. Breathing cures everything. At the first stomach grumblings, take a deep breath and find the nearest toilet. There is a direct connection between the mind and digestive system and anxiety has never been known to help optimize digestion. Getting stressed out over potential digestive issues will only make things worse. So just hover, shit and, if you need to, have a good cry. After a week of being home, you’ll miss Indian street food. Guaranteed.
Talk to you naturopathic doctor about preventing illness while travelling.
by Dr. Talia Marcheggiani, ND | Jan 17, 2014 | Balance, Detoxification, Diet, Digestion, Food, Health
Eat up those whole foods, just save the raw until spring.
A month’s worth of holiday excesses, combined with this wet, soggy weather can contribute to feelings of bloated, puffy lethargy. I feel that, at this time of year, everyone is shunning the scale and examining their side profiles in the mirror, lying down to button up jeans and secretly blaming life’s woes on apple pie. For many, weeks of over-doing it in December, mean a January of self-induced deprivation to get back on track and re-emerge as svelte and bounding again.
It seems intuitive to balance a period of indulgence with deprivation. If weeks of unrestricted treats pushed us off track, then surely a firm, hard shove in the other direction should get us back on the rails. However, as any winter driver or horseback rider knows, sometimes all we need is a gentle nudging to steer our stead back on to the right path.
This year I’ve held myself back from diving off the cleansing deep end. I’ve decided that this year I need gentle nourishment, not another nagging voice in my head, moulding my behaviour one way or the other. I need far more carrots (cooked delicately in stews, not raw) than sticks. I’ve decided to nurture my relationship with food using diplomacy, not by summoning the cavalry.
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by Dr. Talia Marcheggiani, ND | Nov 15, 2013 | Cooking, Digestion, Food, Health, Nutrition, Recipes
There is nothing like a bowl of warm soup, with steaming vegetables, to help nurse the body through cold weather and a stressful season. Save the salads and cold wraps for summer and protect your immune and digestive system by indulging in easy-to-digest warming foods. This is a hearty soup with a healthy serving of protein and a decent helping of leafy greens. (more…)
by Dr. Talia Marcheggiani, ND | Sep 30, 2013 | Asian Medicine, Detoxification, Digestion, Exams, Food, Health, Mindfulness, Traditional Chinese Medicine
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Spleen organ can be more closely equated with the pancreas, rather than the western spleen, whose main function is simply to store blood. The TCM Spleen is responsible for digesting food and converting it into energy, much in the way the pancreas releases insulin to allow the body’s cells to absorb ingested glucose, providing the cells with energy. Unlike the pancreas, however, the TCM Spleen is also responsible for providing warmth and vitality to the body, providing energy for immune function and the mental energy to produce industrious and creativity work. The Spleen belongs to the Earth Element and its main season is late Summer and early Fall, right around the time that students dust off their backpacks and head back to school.
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by Dr. Talia Marcheggiani, ND | Sep 10, 2013 | Diet, Digestion, DIY, Food, Food Sensitivities, Health, Nutrition
The only beauty product you need, really, is a jar of coconut oil and a few ingredients from your kitchen. This delicious-tasting oil is great for cooking because of its high melting point, allowing it to be used in stir-frys or other foods cooked and baked at higher temperatures without oxidizing. It’s also unique in its possession of a healthy saturated fat called lauric acid and its medium chain fatty acids, known for their tendency to be used directly as fuel by the body, rather than being stored as fat. Coconut oil also boasts of antibacterial properties and has a low molecular weight, allowing it to absorb silkily into skin and hair. Here are 10 healthy uses for this oil for the inside and outside of your body.
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This is likely one of the shallowest posts I’ll ever write—it’s about hair. However, what is so shallow about hair? We all know the importance of having a good hair day. It seems from the moment we wake up, look in the mirror and notice that our top bun has left proper, succulent waves and not weird, irregular angles of frizz, that the rest of the day will be infused with magic. Our hair plays a huge role in who we are and how we see ourselves. When movie characters want to change their identities, the first thing they do is stash themselves in a truck stop bathroom with a box of hair dye and go to town on their manes. Further, and admittedly sticking to the shallow side of things, I’m often suspicious when every photo of a man on Ok Cupid shows himself wearing a hat—what on earth is he hiding? At any rate, concerns about hair health gets people, namely women, into my office. Sometimes seemingly shallow, trivial health concerns act as gateways to lifestyle changes and a journey to health and wellbeing. Since our bodies don’t really require hair for survival, hair health, along with sex drive and energy, is one of the first things to decline when we enter into a state of imbalance. It therefore becomes an important initial warning sign that things have gone array with our health.
