Author: osaintegrative
-
Vitamin D, Calcium, and Cancer
Dear Osa friends, There isn’t a single one of us who isn’t affected by cancer in some way–either you know or knew someone who has or has had cancer, or you have received a cancer diagnosis yourself. We know that the development of cancer is heavily influenced by environmental factors, including toxin exposures and nutrition; Read more
-
What’s really the fat-burning zone?
Dear Osa friends, We’re continuing our conversation about exercise this week with a look at fat-burning (fat oxidation in science-speak) and how we might strategize to optimize this with the type of training we choose. If you’ve ever exercised on any kind of aerobic equipment, you are probably familiar with the phrase “fat-burning zone,” because Read more
-
VO2 Max, Longevity, and Nutrient Needs for Aerobic Energy Production
Dear Osa community, Although we’ve had some cold and wet days recently, I’m finding the earlier sunrise and morning birdsong energizing, and I’m excited to continue our conversation about exercise this week. I hope you enjoy! Last week we briefly discussed a 2009 study by Kokkinos et al., in which aerobic capacity was found to be Read more
-
Movement and your mitochondria
Dear Osa friends, Last time we spoke, we were welcoming springtime with the equinox and celebrating with more green in our lives (if you missed that letter, you can check it out here). Since then, spring has really sprung here in Portland with blooming daffodils, hyacinths, and magnolias, fresh leaves on trees that were no more Read more
-
Chlorophyll benefits + greenery & oxidative stress
Dear Osa friends, With St. Patrick’s Day and the spring equinox this week, I’ve got the color green on the mind 🍀. So, today I’m sharing a couple of insights on greenery for nourishing your whole self. Enjoy! You’ve heard you should “eat your greens,” but what exactly makes them so important? Green plants Read more
-
Ageism at the individual and systemic level
This week I’m sharing a reflection on aging and announcing the beta launch of my first group program offering. Enjoy! I was really glad to see the article on NPR this past week about doctors tackling ageism in medicine–it’s a quick, worthwhile read if you missed it. The term “ageism” refers to the stereotypes and negative Read more
-
New findings on fasting and inflammation
Dear Osa community, Please enjoy this synopsis of an interesting new study on inflammation and a moment of mindfulness to bring things home. One anchoring tenet of functional medicine which sets it apart from conventional medicine is that it seeks the reasons for dysfunction–what we like to refer to as the “root causes.” Read more
-
Estrogen 101, Flax & Metabolic syndrome
This week I’m going to continue our conversation about phytoestrogens with a new spotlight. And, I also want to provide you more context around phytoestrogens by offering you some education on estrogen itself. As I mentioned last week, this is a big topic, and what I’m giving you is a bite-sized piece (hopefully a delicious Read more
-
Genistein + Tuning in to joy
Hello beautiful Osa community, I hope you enjoy this round-up of a couple of things I’m reading and thinking about this week. 1. Phytoestrogen spotlight on Genistein Phytoestrogens are a HUGE topic and something I’d like to come back to again. For today, I’m shining a spotlight on genistein, one of the most heavily studied Read more
-
Chocolate clickbait + Happy Valentine’s Day!
Beautiful Osa Community, This week I cannot resist touching briefly on a subject near and dear to my heart: chocolate. But before you get too excited (Yes! Chocolate!), grab your chocolate bar, take a seat, and listen to this cautionary tale… Back in 2015, a study was published with the following title: “Chocolate with high cocoa Read more
-
Fiber & weight loss
Hello dear Osa Community! I hope you enjoy this round-up of a couple noteworthy things I’m reading and thinking about this week. First, I want to share a study involving one of my most favorite topics: fiber! If fiber doesn’t already excite you (and that’s understandable!), let’s see if this changes your mind at all. Read more
-
Frequently Asked Questions
Functional nutrition means slightly different things to different people. To me, functional nutrition is personalized, holistic health care with an emphasis on food and nutrients as instrumental to whole-body balance and health. My educational background in nutrition is rooted in the systems biology approach of the Institute for Functional Medicine. In systems biology, the body Read more