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Every week I share snippets of my conversations with patients, students, friends, things that I’ve read, heard, learned, reflected on and more. All with the intention of encouraging you to think critically, inspiring you and giving you practical tools to improve your health and hopefully as a byproduct, your life.
Are You Actually Healthy?? How To Measure It!
Jun 16, 2025
What does being healthy mean to you?
Hopefully you don’t think that health is merely the absence of disease! Or some vague concept that can’t really be understood, felt or measured.
So let’s discuss what it means to be truly healthy – physically and emotionally.
Being healthy means…
Having healthy and BALANCED vital signs!
This means, for example, a blood pressure that is not too low or too high.
I’m going to open a parenthesis here, because I know most of you have heard that having high blood pressure can be bad and there’s no arguing that. But rarely does anyone talk about the problem with having low blood pressure. In fact, most of my patients with extremely low blood pressures were congratulated by their past doctors. So, what’s the problem with having chronic low blood pressure? Think about it, if there’s not enough pressure at the level of your arm, how is there supposed to be enough pressure to carry blood to your brain? Your blood has to travel against gravity and pass through smaller and smaller vessels as it goes towards the brain, and you need enough pressure to make that happen. So, just because high blood pressure is bad, that doesn't mean that low blood pressure is good or the lower the better. What you want is balanced blood pressure. Over time, low blood pressure can lead to brain fog, weakness, sleepiness, blurry vision, lightheadedness and dizziness, especially upon sudden movements such as sitting up from a laid down position or standing from a seated position.
And then there is stable blood sugar levels – please note that by stable I don’t mean fixed or low blood sugar levels.
A breathing pattern and heart rate that do not indicate you’re in a constant state of stress.
A healthy appetite – remember less is NOT necessarily better.
A healthy libido.
A healthy menstrual cycle with regular bleeds (for those of us who menstruate).
At least one healthy bowel movement per day without needing coffee or laxatives (natural or otherwise).
Optimal energy levels – this means being able to get through your daily responsibilities and still having some energy left in your tank. So that you're not just doing the bare minimum and you have enough energy to also invest in the things that bring you joy.
Being able to unwind and sleep well without having to turn to alcohol or downers (i.e. the plethora of sleep aids out there).
Being able to wake up and have the energy to function without having to resort to cup after cup of coffee or other stimulants.
Having adequate muscle mass on your body.
Having cognitive stamina and brain power.
Having a calm and clear mind.
Being able to move your body without being in pain.
Being resilient – meaning being able to handle life and the stressors that come along without feeling like you’re constantly on the verge of having a nervous breakdown.
Being able to laugh and to NOT take yourself too seriously all of the time.
Learning healthy coping strategies to deal with stress that don’t involve distracting, numbing, running from and self-destruction.
Having a healthy relationship with yourself.
Having deep meaningful connections with other humans and a connection to nature.
Having a sense of purpose and an overall healthy outlook on life.
Feeling connected to your body, BEING in your body. This should be at the top of all of our lists.
Before you think to yourself that this is way too much and begin to feel overwhelmed, remember that the goal here is not to achieve all of this overnight. You can simply pick 1 or at the most 2 things that really speak to you, the ones that are the needle-movers for you, and begin to address those. And because your body operates as a whole, as you work on one facet of your health, other facets will also start to improve without the need for you to micromanage them!
And you can keep coming back to this framework to see which areas of your health still need some extra love and attention.
Four Steps To Fall And Stay Asleep!
Jun 09, 2025
If you’re starting from zero with your health or wanting to get back on track, prioritize two things:
Simplifying things this way can help you avoid confusion and overwhelm and get you to focus on things that’ll give you the most bang for your buck.
We’ll discuss blood sugar regulation in future articles but today I want to focus on sleep! By the way these two are connected and they directly impact one another. Meaning if your blood sugar levels are balanced throughout the day then you have a better chance of sleeping well and deep through the night AND sleeping well helps with regulating your blood sugar AND cravings throughout the day.
And now onto sleep…
There’s a reason why sleep deprivation is a form of torture!
There isn’t a system or function in your body not impacted by good sleep or lack thereof. Of course nutrition, movement, hydration and all the rest of lifestyle pillars matter but sleep REALLY REALLY matters.
And here’s the good news… once you begin to prioritize your sleep then many other aspects of your health will also fall into place.
Here are a few lifestyle strategies you can use today to help you sleep better and deeper!
Pay attention to how much coffee you drink and WHEN you drink your last cup. For some of you 11am should be your cut off, and your intense mid-afternoon energy crash is not because of caffeine deficiency. In fact it may be related to a dip in your blood sugar levels. So, having one or more espresso shots at 4pm is not a good solution!
And then there is alcohol… Alcohol, especially excessive consumption of it, acts as a source of stress for your body and I'm a BIG fan of getting rid of all the unnecessary sources of stress, including this one!
Alcohol is NOT a friend of your hormones and you need your hormones for sound sleep (amongst other things)! Alcohol is also NOT a friend of your waistline!
Although alcohol might help you fall asleep more quickly, it can negatively impact your sleep quality, leading to fragmented and less restful sleep.
But instead of taking my word for it, experiment and see for yourself! See how your sleep is affected after a period of no alcohol consumption.
Have a sleep ritual, do NOT expect to just go to bed and fall asleep! Our bodies are not light switches that we can just turn off. One of THE best things you can do is to set aside a few minutes (I’m talking 2 to 5 minutes) before sleep and breathe. Breathing slowly and intentionally.
Morning light exposure… As soon as you wake up in the morning, get out there and get sunlight into your eyes.
Natural sunlight exposure will increase your production of serotonin which is a hormone that helps to regulate your sleep-wake cycle (i.e. your circadian rhythm).
Serotonin is also a precursor to melatonin -- which is your sleep hormone.
All you need is 10 mins. If you can do more, even better. And if not then even 5 minutes is better than nothing. You can just sit outside your home for a few minutes while you’re sipping on your warm morning beverage or go for a walk to also get some movement in.
EVERYTHING about your health will improve once you begin to sleep better!!
Overeating This Food Group And Worsening Your Gut Problems??
Jun 02, 2025
So many people eat nuts and seeds like they’re going out of style, I have patients tell me they go through half a jar of a nut butter in one sitting?!!
If this is you too, then ask yourself… Why do I have such a strong craving for nuts, seeds and their butters?
If you constantly crave nuts and nut butters and can’t get enough of them, you might be DEFICIENT in NUTRIENTS & frankly CALORIES!
You might have been told that nuts and seeds are good for you, and some of you took that as: nuts and seeds are good for me therefore I can make a meal out of them. ☺️
If you’re not getting your macro and micronutrient needs met from other foods, then of course you’ll turn to these fatty nut butters to calm your cravings and to feel satiated.
As opposed to getting your nutrient needs met through a variety of sources, you’re limiting yourself to one group of foods that may not even be sitting well with you to begin with!
Yes, nuts and seeds can be good, but they are not for everyone and certainly not in huge quantities. And, not when you’re eating rancid and/or moldy nuts and seeds. And, perhaps not when you’re trying to get your GI health back on track.
Consuming too many nuts, seeds and their butters can lead to constipation or at the least slow down your gut motility which impacts your body’s natural ability to detoxify.
Nuts and seeds can also be allergenic and estrogenic – neither of which are really desirable outcomes.
The quality of the nuts and seeds you purchase matter. Depending on when they were harvested, how long they sat and under what conditions before landing in your hands they might already be rancid and/or contaminated with mold toxins.
When I say rancid, I’m referring to the oil content of these foods, and how do you know? By their color, texture and smell. I would say the most obvious indicator is their smell. They smell unpleasant and just off. And with texture, rancid nuts are softer and not as crunchy. And, their taste is a bit on the sour and bitter side.
Excess nut and seed consumption can exacerbate gut inflammation, autoimmune symptoms, weight gain, allergies and fatigue.
So, moderation is definitely key in this case! Think of them as condiments and not the main course.
As always, my goal here is NOT to create fear or to demonize nuts and seeds.
But more so to educate you and encourage you to find your balance with these foods. And, MOST importantly to help you better understand your body and what it’s trying to communicate to you.
There is ENOUGH nutritious foods and good fats out there that you don’t need to be getting all of your calorie needs from nuts and nut butters.
And, if you’re someone who is heavily consuming nuts, perhaps give yourself a break and see how you feel off of them…