Many clients struggle to get the recommended levels of protein in daily…me too. At my house, we know that including healthy fats and protein in each meal, especially breakfast, sets a you up for a better day. This translates into more stable blood sugar, steady energy, stable moods, a sharp mind and feelings of satiety which means less snacking though the day. I know many traditional cereal based breakfasts (including oatmeal) are lacking in protein power. Here is a quick list of protein forward breakfast ideas to bring to the table. Pun intended!

Most of us in the functional medicine field are aware of the pop culture status of mushrooms. Various blends of mushroom “coffee” pop up in my Instagram feed all the time. Mudwatr—have it. Om—seen it. ClevrBlends—Chai is delicious but the Sleeptime is disgusting, IMHO. I recently decided that instead of a food-based blend, I would focus on taking Lion’s Mane at a daily therapeutic dose. This would be at least 100 mg a day. Lion's Mane mushroom (Hericium erinaceus) has gained attention for its potential cognitive benefits, including memory enhancement. In perimenopause and menopause, hormonal changes can affect memory and cognitive function (think: word recall or word finding or just feeling less sharp), Lion's Mane may offer some support.

The CYP1A2 gene variant refers to genetic variations in the CYP1A2 gene, which encodes the cytochrome P450 1A2 enzyme. This enzyme is responsible for metabolizing various substances, including caffeine, in the body. The two most common CYP1A2 gene variants are often referred to as "slow metabolizers" and "fast metabolizers." Here are some questions and answers about the gene:

We are proud to have Leia DeSousa as part of the Tendwell care team. Leia is a highly experienced health coach and personal trainer. In this blog, we talk to Leia about her approach to health coaching and functional medicine.

Growing up in the 1980’s, I was lucky to be raised in a fairly healthy household. My parents were all about moderation. They served us small portions of home cooked meals, often including the trout my dad caught himself in local rivers. Still the prevailing message in the culture at that time was that dietary fat was detrimental and sugar was fine, even in high amounts. Calories in calories out—nothing more. Consistent with this framework, my parents made us KoolAid, let us pick out sugared cereals like Cocoa Pops and Fruit Loops, and fed us PopTarts and Carnation Instant Breakfast.

Today I am going to highlight the health properties of the gorgeous pomegranate. It is one of the foods in regular rotation in our home, often in the form of juice. My 8-year-old is thrilled that he gets this treat, often mixed with sparkling water as a healthy beverage taken with a meal. (Though all juices can spike blood sugar, combining them with a meal tempers the glycemic effects). It only takes 3-4 oz of this powerhouse elixir to obtain health benefits. Pomegranate is such a great source of healthful properties that it can be considered a natural medicine. As with many other things, functional medicine doctors are always on the lookout for things we can do naturally that fit into our lifestyles to improve health. Pomegranates fit the bill nicely.

As part of the functional medicine approach to addressing the whole person, Tendwell practitioners pay close attention overall nutrition. Incorporating functional foods can make a tremendous difference to overall health. In this functional medicine blog, we focus on one potential change that is easy to make: eating more wild-caught salmon as part of a healthy approach to food.

In our functional medicine office, we often include recommendations in our personalized health plans to improve the quality of food our patients take in. One emerging area that we have been looking into is to source foods from facilities that engage in regenerative farming. Regenerative farming is a holistic approach to farming that focuses on building healthy soils and ecosystems, rather than just maximizing yields or profits. It dovetails nicely with the kind of holistic and integrative healthcare we practice at Tendwell.