
Health Resources/Links
Here are some of my favorite recourses/links that I’ve put together that look at some of the areas of Lifestyle Medicine (Nutrition, Movement, Sleep, Toxins, Social Health, Stress Management) as well as some additional topics “Beyond Lifestyle Medicine” that include more information regarding the physiological impact that light, water and frequency can have on our mind and body.
Additionally, I have listed some of my favorite health and wellness-related books and products and podcasts I often recommend to clients depending on their unique situation and needs.
For all my clients, I highly recommend reviewing some of these resources on this page related to your individual health and wellness concerns/goals before our first consultation so you can ask any questions you might have.
These 4 resources below are a great place to start! Check em out..
-
Its’ well known that “stress” can cause, trigger or exacerbate many physical issues such as…
Heart Disease and just about every other condition related to the immune system
This 5 minute video will give you a basic (quick) overview of the connection between our mind and body. The more we understand about the mind/body connection, the greater ability we have to heal from mental and/or physical issues and “conditions” that we’ve been labeled with.
Here’s another couple great videos on how Emotions Influence our Body and how we can Optimize the Mind-Body connection
-
DNA and The True Cause of Disease
In this 1 hour video (I promise you it’s worth the time) Nurse, Naturopath and Nutritionist Barbara O'Neill gives a great overview of what disease is at the DNA level and shares insights on how we can get our body back to healing itself as it was designed to do!
And if you’re game for a really deep dive into all the dimensions of how our bodies work - Barbara covers the core principles of germ/terrain theory, genetics, gut health and hormone balancing and MUCH more in this wonderful series of videos.
-
Meditation can be a powerful tool to help us calm the mind reducing stress along with a variety of other benefits such as; improving mood, emotional regulation, self-awareness, attention, concentration ,memory, spatial abilities, executive function (thinking, planning, decision-making), conflict resolution, mindfulness, relaxation and self-compassion (just to name a few).
There is also plenty of evidence that meditation can actually help with body more resilient to stressors that cause disease, and actually help combat conditions such as; Chronic Pain, Dementia and High Blood Pressure
When I first stared meditating, I used to think… <wow this is really boring> and I would give up after 5 minutes to go do something to be more productive.
Then it dawned on me… maybe the fact that my mind can’t tell itself to sit still for 5 minutes and do nothing but watch myself breathe in and out was part of the problem! Cultivating a sense of presence through continual observation of what is happening in the moment without trying to change anything is difficult - but a proven & powerful tool to help gain and build mental/emotional and physical resilience.
Here is a series of 9 separated 10-20 minute meditations to try that will help you get started with a meditation practice.
Also here’s another great article that help detail the benefits of daily meditation.
-
C.S. Lewis said, “I don’t pray so I can change God. I pray so God can change me”
I really like this perspective on the power of prayer as a means to align ourselves, thoughts and actions with those of the creator.
Prayers for healing (for ourselves or others), prayers for the land, prayers for clarity/guidance to help make difficult decisions. Or simply prayers of gratitude to help us cultivate presence and a sense of appreciation for what we’ve blessed with in life.
Regardless of your religion or spiritual perspective, prayer can be a powerful tool to help us heal by cultivating a deeper relationship with the creator and all of creation.
Prayers for Strength, Hope, Stress, and Everything Else You Need
Lifestyle Medicine & Health Coaching
Addressing your health and wellness can sometimes be a challenging task. Narrowing your focus down to these 6 areas of Lifestyle Medicine can often help you begin to simplify the process of identifying what aspects of your daily lifestyle may need attention.
Let’s say you have symptoms such as chronic fatigue, pain, lack of motivation, or inability to focus. You know your diet isn’t the greatest, so you search the internet for “foods (or herbs) for improving (insert symptom here) ”. You’ll find no shortage of recommendations on what type of diet (or herbal remedy) you might try to treat the unwanted symptom(s) you’re experiencing. In fact you’ll often finding “experts” who have ideas that conflict with each other! So how do you know what approach to use?
One thing to consider, is that we’re all very different and so it stands to reason that what works for one person, may not work in the same way for another. We have different genetics, blood/body types along with vastly differing lifestyles, backgrounds and daily stressors. We also have different capacity (mentally/emotionally/physically) to create and actually sustain lifestyle changes. In short, the best approach to addressing your health usually involves a totally unique approach that is custom tailored to your situation and set of circumstances.
That’s where health coaching can be a great tool to help you sort through that totally unique puzzle that is you and your life. During our coaching sessions, we will work together and take a step by step approach looking at each area of your life that you wish to improve and create actionable/manageable goals that lead to the transformation you’re seeking.
Check out some of these resources under the category menus below to get some helpful perspective & a few tips/tricks for improving these areas of your life.
-
-Barbara O'Neill
This is great overview of how different foods and eating habits impact our bodies.
Food of course is a complicated topic, and you can find “experts” involved with any type of diet; (keto, carnivore, vegetarian, vegan/raw-vegan, ect..) that will be very skilled at convincing that one type of diet is “optimal” vs another. Having tried all of these diets myself at one time or another, I’ve discovered that it probably isn’t JUST the type or source of macro or micronutrients that impacts our body.
Barbara in this video dives deep into macro/micro nutrients, as well as digestion/absorption, and why considering the pH (acidity or alkalinity) of the food can be just as important as the food itself. The different types of food we eat are acidic or alkaline - and as she explains it’s important to be balanced with our food choices for optimal health.
Another dimension of nutrition and diet is how our cells/mitochondria deal with the corresponding glucose spikes and creation of ATP energy which has a relationship to every major process in the body. In the book “Mitochondria and the Future of Medicine”, Naturopathic physician Lee Know goes in depth about the relationship to food intake (and caloric restriction) and mitochondrial stress. Basically the more food you eat during any set time interval (and the faster it converts to glucose) the more wear and tear on your cells and mitochondria. More wear and tear = greater disposition to poor health outcomes. In this way, the TYPE or CATEGORY of macro nutrient you consume might less important related to HOW much you consume.
Fasting
“Caloric restriction” and varying forms of “fasting” can have a major beneficial impact on our health and wellness.
The Truth About Fasting: What Really Happens to Your Body
Dr. Fung is one of the worlds leading experts on fasting. You can find a wealth of knowledge on his YouTube channel about the different types of fasting and all the benefits that fasting can provide.
-
Daily exercise is as essential as the food we eat, water we drink and the air we breathe.
The Big Benefits of Exercise is Not Weight Loss
-Dr. Eric Berg
Daily exercise also creates benefits to our mental/emotional health.
How Exercise Benefits Your Brain
- Better Than Yesterday (YouTube)
No time to exercise you say? Check out this quick 4-minute workout designed by Dr. Zach Bush MD
I do this 2-3x a day myself.
-
We spend almost 1/3rd of our lives sleeping! Lack of sleep (or poor sleep) can contribute to just about every medical condition out there. There are many things you do to make the most of your sleep time. Check out this video by Dr. Mark Hyman below for some great tips on how to optimize your sleep quality.
My Simple Sleep Routine That Changed Everything
-Dr. Mark Hyman
Also.. do you mouth breathe at night when you sleep? A vast majority of us do, and I know I have for a majority of my life. This can lead to variety of issues such as gum disease, and also contributed to my chronic inflammation.
Check out this video by Dr. Jin W. Sung about the benefits of mouth taping at night.
Here’s the brand of mouth tape I use from PapMD…
https://papmd.com/products/pap-md-mouth-tape-1
Here’s a testimonial from Robin from the The Science of Self-Care YouTube channel who slept with mouth tape two years! I slept with mouth tape for 2 years
-
Smoking and alcohol are hazardous to your health. But you know that already. 😉
Lesser known toxins/health hazards exist in other places however.
They exist our food, water and just about anything we put in or on our body (lotions, makeup, soap, shampoo, ect..). Even in plastic water bottles (Check out this article by Harvard Medical below)
The tiny particles are even in our bodies. What might this mean for our health?
Documentary: Plastic People - The hidden Crisis of Microplastics
Also check out some details about the different chemicals (such as PFAS) that exist in various products (including non stick cookware) and how they can negatively impact the body. Dr. Berg also gives some recommendations on some alternative products to use and other ways to combat toxin exposure.
The Ugly Side Of Beauty & Skin Care Products [Makeup, Cleansers & Lotion]
- Dr.Berg
Documentary on PFAS from Non-Stick Cookware/Teflon - The Devil We Know
Toxic chemicals (such as the pesticide Glyphosate) can also exist in our conventionally grown food and a majority of our water. Check out this video below by Dr. Zach Bush MD about our food system and how consuming some of these toxins in our food can negatively impact our health.
Chemical Farming & The Loss of Human Health
- Dr. Zach Bush
-
One aspect of health that often flys under the radar is Social Health.
Diet, exercise, toxins… are all important dimensions of health, but did you know that having meaningful social connections can help lower your risk of:
Heart Disease, Arthritis, and Diabetes?
For more information on Social Health check out this TED talk from Dr. Chelsea Shields about social health and some of the impacts having (or not having) meaningful social connections can have on your overall health and wellness.
How's your social health? Let's test it.
- Dr. Chelsea Shields
-
We all know stress impacts our mental health, but did you know that stress is one of the primary drivers of physical symptoms as well? Stress can impact our immune system and even how well we digest food and assimilate nutrients!
Check out this TED-ed talk on Stress to find out more on how stress may be impacting your health.
- Sharon Horesh Bergquist
Looking for some quick tips on how to manage stress real time? Check out this video with some helpful tips..
3-Minute Stress Management: Reduce Stress With This Short Activity
Some other great videos on stress/mental health from the popular YouTube Channel (Afterskool)
5 Keys to Beating Stress - Tony Robbins
Use Your Thoughts to Optimize Your Health - Dr Joe Dispenza
Also, meditation can be a great tool to help make us more resilient to life stressors. Check out this guided meditation series here.