Ketogenic Cooking with Maria Emmerich

Are you trying to reduce the amount of carbohydrates in your diet, but don't know what to cook instead?  Come check out this episode with Maria Emmerich, co-author of the Ketogenic Cookbook:  Nutritious Low-Carb, High-fat, Paleo Meals to Heal Your Body.

Maria has two young kids that she and her husband adopted both at once, and she stills manages to cook her little heart out, coming up with her own tasty, ketogenic recipes.

Her secret?  "Plan, plan, plan."  Ok, planning might sound like a drag, but once you get in the hang of it, you'll be a pro. Besides, most of us just rotate 12-15 meals, so you don't need to learn too many to eating well and low-carb daily

What is ketogenic?

Ketogenic describes a kind of high-fat, low-carb, moderate protein diet that results in the body primarily burning ketones for fuel.

Ketogenic diet has historically been used to treat epilepsy and diabetes, but also has benefits for things like:

•   Brain fog
•   Belly fat
•   PCOS

See our past podcast episode "Should You Try a Ketogenic Diet?" with author Jimmy Moore for more on the theory and practice of ketogenic eating.

Listen to this episode through the player below, or get yourself subscribed to our weekly podcast through iTunes or your podcast player on your smart phone.  Thanks!

For more info: http://www.bridgitdanner.com/

Functional Tests for the Gut and it's Relationship to PCOS

Why does the gut matter for PCOS?  Here are a few reasons:

•  Indigestion can equate to nutrient deficiencies
• An unbalanced bacterial environment in the gut can cause excess hunger & carb cravings
• The inflammation produced by internal parasites and food sensitivities stresses other body systems.

The tricky thing about the gut is that you may not complain of digestive symptoms.  But poor health in the gut can manifest in myriad ways- from headaches to moodiness and fatigue.

How Can You Learn if Your Gut is Stressed?

There are many types of tests for gut health.  I'll discuss three here:

 1.  Genova Intestinal Permeability Test

This is an easy at-home urine test that measures both how leaky your gut may be (letting large particles into your blood stream) and how well you are absorbing nutrients (if your gut surface too clogged to let them pass.)

To perform this test, you drink a sweet liquid in the morning, containing a small and large sugar molecule.  The small molecule (representing a nutrient) “should” get through your gut barrier.  The large molecule (representing a large peptide or immune complex) should not get through the gut barrier.

Seeing the amount of each type of molecule left behind in your urinary waste informs you of the health of your gut barrier.  You can then set about healing that gut barrier, reducing chronic inflammation and getting the most out of your food.

2.  Biohealth 401 H Stool Test

 

You know you’re getting down and dirty when you’re doing a stool test!  In this test, done at home, you collect stool (involving things like a paper plate, gloves and a spork) over three days or three bowel movements.

While collecting these samples may not be too fun, getting the results is definitely worth it.
This test is strong at identifying H Pylori infection, intestinal parasites, and a basic level of gut dysbiosis (bacterial imbalance.)  In some cases, it can pick up Candida as well.

These infections are much more prevalent than you think, and can go undetected for decades without proper testing!

If you have been dealing with irritable bowel syndrome, this test can be quite helpful in devising a protocol with your practitioner to finally resolve it.

3.  Leap MRT 150 Food Sensitivity Test

 

This final test does require a participating lab to collect your blood.  Your blood is then tested for it’s inflammatory reaction to 150 foods and food additives.  If your blood produces inflammatory cytokines, histamines, prostaglandins, etc., then you have a sensitivity to that food.

Imagine you are unwittingly eating 20 different foods that cause inflammation each time you ingest them.  That’s a real stress on the body, and could contribute to endocrine disorder.

Avoiding those 20 foods, however, can be sweet relief.  It’s advised to remove your food sensitivities for at least 3 months, then you may try eating them again if desired.  Your test results come with a handy laminated list of your food sensitivities, plus a book about how the test works, and what to do with your diet.

One thing I learned in the book was the categories of problem foods:

Food Sensitivities:  foods that cause an inflammatory response (what this test covers)

Food Allergies:  foods that trigger mast cells and basophils to produce a massive IgE reaction (think anaphylactic shock)

Food Intolerances:  foods that you can’t digest well due to your own digestive weakness
Helpful, right?

Getting functional tests run can really shed some light on your symptoms.  As our gut plays such a central role in our health, getting our gastrointestinal system in tip top shape can help to alleviate many conditions, including PCOS.

Chronic inflammation fuels the fire of a continual PCOS pattern.  Imagine what eliminating chronic stressors in the gut could do to eliminate that chronic inflammation and restore health.

A healthy gut can also help to prevent and manage autoimmune diseases, which commonly have a link to leaky gut.

In my opinion, this type of testing, followed by a lab-guided protocol, is one of the most powerful investments you can make in true, long-term healing.  To learn more about our services, please see our services page.

For more info: http://www.bridgitdanner.com/

 

Paleo for Women (The Get Real Version)

I get beyond "just eat paleo" and get real about a paleo lifestyle that is balanced and healthy for women in this interview with my guest Noelle Tarr, the Chief Empowerment Officer at Coconuts and Kettlebells.

Noelle is very savvy about nutrition and fitness but also very realistic about women's health, in the sense that we can't all look like super models and we can't be "perfect" about our diets 100% of the time. 

 

I love that Noelle crosses the bridge between, yes, let's have good nutrition and habits, and, yes, let's also embrace our bodies "as-is" and embrace a full life (without the need to count calories or miles run).  It's a bridge that's not crossed enough in conversations about women's health.

"I just want people to be happy."  Noelle Tarr

I hope you can check out this episode with Noelle Tarr below, and you can also check out the podcast she co-hosts, The Paleo Women podcast.  

You can listen to the podcast episode where Noelle and I were both guests on Low Carb Conversation with Jimmy Moore and Dietician Cassie here.

You can listen to the interview through by clicking on that arrow down there, and, even better, you can subscribe to our podcast through iTunes or most any podcast player.

For more info: http://www.bridgitdanner.com/
 

Stress Relief through EFT with Dr. Linda Wilson

Do you feel like stress has become your norm?  Or that you are way too busy but can't see how to reduce your load?  Do you have trouble letting go of stressful events, and end up in constant anxiety?

My interview guest today is Linda Wilson, a doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine, a hypnotherapist and an Faster Emotional Freedom technique who is based in Melbourne, Australia.  She is also the author of Stress Made Easy:  Peeling Women Off the Ceiling.

"It's about the degree of stress and how we interpret it."

Here's a few things you'll learn from Dr. Linda:

• Under stress, blood moves away from the forefront of the brain, involved in connection, creativity, problem solving
• Chronic stress effects your heart, your gut, your immune system
• Weight gain, insomnia, headaches are common complaints in chronic stress
• The fatigue of chronic stress can cause negative thinking and emotions
• The Faster Emotional Freedom Technique, which uses the meridians of Chinese Medicine, touch, images and language to create change.

"Stress is predominantly a learned response."

To learn more about Dr. Wilson and her resources, visit her very pretty website here.

Dr. Linda has a video where you can quickly learn Faster EFT.  This is the one I mention on the audio recording that I tried and it did work for me.

For watching video:https://youtu.be/pp_erDf7POc?list=PLSyTj7vneTCScjffP2hrK9Y0hu0L35406

 For more info: http://www.bridgitdanner.com/
 

The Micronutrient Miracle with Mira and Jayson Calton

Mira and Jayson Calton are super passionate and knowledgable about micronutrients, and my podcast recording with them is a taste of the fun and adventure they've created in their lives.

Mira was a busy publicist in New York City, living the dream, except for increasing, debilitating pain.  She was diagnosed with advanced osteoporosis, and advised to move home with her family and recuperate.

In her search to figure out her osteoporosis, she met Jayson Calton, a clinical nutritionist who did not specialize in osteoporosis,  but agreed to dive into this project with Mira.  Her osteoporosis was completely reversed, and meanwhile she and Jayson fell in love and got married.

You have to listen to the podcast to hear about how they have only spent 8 hours apart in 12 years together, and how they make that work to build an amazing life and business.

They journeyed for 7 years to 134 countries to learn the diets and lifestyles of many cultures, and synthesized that information into books and supplements with lots of research behind them.

The podcast covers the tenets of their new book, The Micronutrient Miracle:  The 28 Day Plan to Lose Weight, Increase Your Energy, and Reverse Disease.

"It's all about education, not limitation."  Mira Calton

Their new book is highly educational, but also very practical.  There are quizzes to find out where you might be deficient, and plans to follow (including meals for a whole month) for different health goals.

For a limited time (through August 31, 2015), you can buy the book and get $200 in Healthy Gift Certificates.

What do you get?  

• $50 to spend at Wild Things Seafood
• TWO free months + $20 to spend at THRIVE Market (like an online Costco for health food)
• $50 for US Wellness Meats (high-quality, clean meats)
• $50 for Vital Choice Seafood (high-quality, clean seafood)
• $25 to spend at Kasandrinos (The BEST gourmet Olive Oil out there!)

Once you've signed up at this link, then just buy the book at the seller of your choice (including local bookstores or kindle) & send your receipt to book@MyMiracleGifts.com.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How BPA is in more places than you'd think, and how it raises your insulin levels
• How adequate vitamin C can moderate your stress response
• Why iron should be taken away from most other supplements
• The best form of chromium (it's polynicotinate)
• The most important nutrients for thyroid health

Enjoy this episode on the player below, or, better yet, subscribe in iTunes or another podcast player.  To be informed of the next episode and our other online resources, be sure to opt in to our free gift on the right hand side of the homepage.  Cheers!

For more info: http://www.bridgitdanner.com/blog/the-micronutrient-miracle

Broth Bar Grand Opening in Portland!

Last week I attended the grand opening party of Broth Bar, the creation of sisters Tressa and Katie Yellig.  Broth Bar is the baby brother of Salt, Fire and Time, Tressa's mainly online business, serving up homemade, nutrient-dense foods like broth, coconut yogurt, date truffles and kombucha. 

At Salt, Fire and Time, Tressa found that her customers preferred to pick up in person and to interact.  So she wanted to create a hub where people could do just that. Thus, Broth Bar was born.

Broth Bar is bright and clean, with a little counter space to watch the rain while having a cup of hot broth with a friend.  It also offers the other products made by Salt, Fire and Time, as well as some other locally-made healthy foods.  Tressa also stocks some non-local favorites, like high-quality cod liver oil.

While I visited, I enjoyed some very rich miso broth, and went home with a gluten-free handpie, some fancy maple syrup, mineral drops for my water, and Salt, Fire and Time's delicate coconut yogurt.

Broth Bar is in a great, centrally-located neighborhood, just north of East Burnside at 115 NE 6th Ave.  Like every other close-in Portland 'hood, it seems to be evolving at at rapid rate, with adorable new shops and sleek offices popping up. 

As a a traditional food lover, I love to see a new way we can interact with traditional foods.  I hope Portlanders and our visitors find Broth Bar and get inspired!

For more info: http://www.bridgitdanner.com/

How Your Adrenal Glands Work with Dr. Saman Rezaie, NMD

Our little adrenal glands (we've got a pair with each kidney) are getting more attention nowadays.  Why?  In one word:  stress.  The stresses of modern life- whether it's traffic, deadlines, pollution, processed food, or late night tv- are really taking a toll on our adrenals.

In today's interview, Dr. Saman Rezaie, NMD of the Integrative Health clinic in Scotsdale, AZ, explains:

• How our adrenal glands work
• The difference between adrenal disorder and adrenal disease
• The stages of adrenal disorder
• Why getting tested for adrenal fatigue is not performed in a standard MD's office
• A few simple things you can do to be nice to your adrenals

Listen to the interview at the player below now or, better yet, subscribe to the show through iTunes or most any podcast player.
Be sure to grab our free gift at the side bar and stay in touch with our weekly guest experts!

For more info: http://www.bridgitdanner.com/blog/how-your-adrenal-glands-work