Naturopathic Medicine

Aaaaaand, about that virus (COVID19)

(MARCH 2, 2020 COVID-19) I drafted this post a few days ago and started this section with “Well, it looks pretty clear that we are going to be dealing wtih COVID-19 on our home turf in a hot second.” Apparently I was correct. I’m in the Pacific Northwest and we have 3 cases in Oregon, close to where I live, and at least 18 in…

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Staying Productive When All You Want to Do is Curl Up on the Couch

Readers had questions. I have answers! After my last post on the winter blues, I heard from many readers that they don’t exactly have winter blues, but they do notice that at this time of year that staying productive and motivated is much more difficult. Some people mentioned also that with everything going on in the world (think politics, health crises, lack of good health…

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What’s the Deal with Winter Blues? 3 Solutions.

The lack of sunshine and shorter days take a toll on so many of us.   My patients in the dark of winter suffer more with depression, they are more tired, their PMS is worse. In addition, I see more issues with sleep, with unwanted weight gain, with stress. And as you know if you’ve been reading my emails or work, I hold that increased stress…

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Instead of a New Year’s Resolution, Try a New Year’s Theme

Around this time of year, the internet is flooded with articles about making New Year’s Resolutions, goals, and plans. I’m a big fan of looking ahead but I am adamantly opposed to resolutions. Why? Because not only is it human nature to have trouble sticking to change, but with resolutions, we create an all-or-nothing situation that practically guarantees we will feel that we’ve ‘failed’. It’s…

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My Top 5 Tips for Avoiding Holiday Stress

Can you believe the holiday season is already here? It’s time to wrap up calendar year projects, go to holiday parties, buy all the things if we do gifts, decorate, and get ready emotionally and physically for the dawn of a new decade. It can be a joyous and fun time for many, and a sad lonely time for others. But regardless of how this…

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Fall Chinese Medicine Tips to Stay Healthy

In Chinese Medicine autumn represents the transition season from the height of yang or active energy of summer into the passive or yin energy of winter. The season is associated with the Metal element and the Lung organ network. Just as the lungs and the breath help to establish a rhythm within our bodies, fall is the natural season to rediscover a healthy rhythm in…

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Back to School- Keeping the Kids (and Yourself!) Healthy

It’s not just kids and parents who get sick in the fall. More sick kids = more sick parents = more sick people sneezing on your kale. We spend more time inside as the weather cools down. We find ourselves getting less exercise. We are more likely to turn to poor habits as we head into winter. That said, this post will focus on the…

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The Top Three Mental Traps that Keep You Stuck in Overwhelm

Today I’m back with a pretty bold statement: The cycle of overwhelm, stress, fatigue, burnout, and ill health is epidemic in our culture. It’s not that society’s demands to do-it-all (and with a smile) are causing our ill health or symptoms, but these demands pile on top of all of the other things that we may not even realize are causing us stress—leading to physical,…

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To Sunscreen or Not to Sunscreen?

Why wear sunscreen? Put simply, to keep our skin from burning: Sunburns are linked to cancer. It is not known if sunscreen use prevents skin cancers like melanoma and basal cell carcinoma, but it does lower your risk. Keep in mind that sunburn is different than sun exposure. Regular sun exposure can means higher vitamin D production which means greater support for the immune system,…

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Do different types of sugar affect me differently? | Ask Dr. Samantha Video

Do you think that all natural sugars are ok in moderation? The answer is…it depends.   Ready to learn more about sugar and your body? Read these two articles (they’re both in the most-read list of my articles): Dr Samantha’s Top Tips for Kicking Sugar to the Curb Why is sugar so addictive? 

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