Mending 1: not giving up
Welcome to mending, a monthly haven where words meet inner wisdom, and stories intertwine with the art of health and healing. At the heart of Narrative Medicine is a belief in the power of the human story. Words, among other human expressions, have the ability to enlighten and connect us to our most vulnerable or even seemingly insignificant moments in life.
Beyond the Evidence of Evidence-Based Medicine
If you’ve traveled the landscape of modern medicine in search of answers to your chronic health challenges, you’ve likely encountered the profound influence and appeal of Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM).
Unlocking the Myths of Health Hacking: You Can’t ‘Hack’ Your Health, Part 2
Last week, I recorded a podcast hosted by a naturopathic doctor. As we got into the conversation, we found ourselves talking about our personal journeys through perimenopause and menopause. While we both diligently drew labs and collected plenty of data and biomarkers, we each noticed that it wasn’t this quantitative data that shifted our symptoms.
Unlocking the Myths of Health Hacking: You Can’t ‘Hack’ Your Health, Part 1
You can’t “hack” your health. If you don’t have a chronic health concern and you use biohacking techniques to optimize your physical performance, there’s no need to read any further. This post isn’t for you because you may be among the lucky few who can successfully hack a thing or two. But if you struggle with an unresolved health issue – whether it’s related to pain, fatigue, digestion, immune function, focus, or your ever-changing hormones – then I regret to relay that the hacks you seek may do more harm than good.
Letter to My Body
Here goes … I’m about to share something deep and personal that helped to shape my journey as a Functional Nutritionist.
The appropriate “dose” of motivation
Picture this: On a chilly Monday morning, my 5:00 alarm draws me from the cozy embrace of my slumber. As you might imagine, there’s a tiny temptation to linger despite the buzzer. But something stirs within me, a spark of motivation that nudges me out of bed to initiate my morning routine.
How a Brain Tumor Influenced My Life’s Purpose
My passion for the role of nutrition in healthcare began with a family health crisis. This might have been true for you too. And by now you may be familiar with my origin story, but if not, it all began when my husband, Isamu, was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor.
The Book That Empowered Us During an Extreme Diagnosis
I’ll never forget the book I was reading back in 2000 that tipped me off to the fact that my late husband Isamu and I should eliminate sugar from our diets to help combat his brain cancer.
How Purpose Promotes Health
If you asked me what my passion is, it would be difficult to capture with one word. My passion is an assortment of interests that have manifested in “nutrition”.
How a Noble Prize Winner in Economics Informs Our Self-Health Care
I have a reframe for you. It's inspired by the Nobel Prize-winning Israeli-American economist and Princeton University professor emeritus Daniel Kahneman.
In Support of Gender-Affirming Care
This week was sort of a “coming out” for me. I was interviewed on the Life (Un)Closeted podcast with Rick Clemons to discuss my interests in expanding the reaches of Functional Medicine and Functional Nutrition to meet the unique needs of transgender patients.
How-To Move On after Being Gaslit by Your Doctor
We haven’t yet established any of the How-Tos, and we definitely can’t gloss over these practicalities. They’re how we develop the skills of awareness and self-care.
The Cycle of Chronic Illness
Elusive symptoms. No clear diagnosis. You can’t get the right lab tests run (or the right person to read them). You’re frustrated. But you can’t just abandon your doctor. Time. Resources. It’s just not an option.
On Gut Feelings and Moral Insult
Think about the last time your gut told you not to do something. Was it right or wrong?
Medical Gaslighting
I’ve seen more accounts of medical gaslighting on social media and popular news channels lately. And that’s a good thing! We need to bring more awareness.
Individuality in Healthcare
There are so many terms used to explain individuality in healthcare today. Yet it can be confusing to know what any signifier in front of the word “medicine” actually means.
