Herbs can make a wonderful addition to your self care plan during pregnancy. In addition to delivering an array of nutrients, herbs can also help alleviate your mood, calm your nerves and even help you get better sleep! While not all herbs are safe in pregnancy, the list below contains my 6 favorite pregnancy safe herbs that can help your body …
Is Whiskey Gluten Free?
Is whiskey gluten free? This is a common question in my practice as people begin to review the list of foods that are and are not gluten free. It is understandable— I can remember the overwhelm when I first had to go gluten free as I tried to navigate the grocery store (It’s why I created this Gluten Free Guide). The …
Why I Advocate for Better Postpartum Care
Many of you know that I am a postpartum care advocate. (Yeah, I’ve only been talking about it since the birth of my son 4 years ago!) It was through my experiences as a doctor and a mother that I came to recognize the lack of care provided to new mothers. Before I ever had my son, I spent time …
Glutened? Recover with these 5 steps.
With the holidays upon us, celiac disease and gluten exposure has been on my mind and many of my patient’s minds too. When you are traveling or at the mercy of other people’s cooking, it can be hard to tell if you are getting “glutened.” Many people feel that eating gluten isn’t a big deal unless you have celiac disease. But there …
Hashimoto’s Autoimmune Thyroiditis: Fertility to Postpartum
Autoimmune thyroiditis, also known as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, affects over 20 million of Americans, the majority of which are women. Thyroid conditions have a direct impact on our fertility, pregnancy, birth outcomes and can have a large influence on our postpartum period. But for some women, childbirth is the triggering event that leads to postpartum thyroiditis. Bridgit Danner, LAc and I …
The Hashimoto’s and Autism Connection
Hashimoto’s is an autoimmune condition that primarily affects the thyroid gland and has been correlated with autism in the offspring of mothers with the condition. Without intervention, the result is immune destruction to the mother’s thyroid, often with a need for medication. There is somewhat of a “myth” in mainstream medicine that leads some doctors to the conclusion that once …
5 Tips For Enjoying the Holidays With Food Sensitivities
Dr. Brighten here – When you’ve got food sensitivities it can feel like surviving the holidays is impossible. But not to fear! My staff nutritionist, Mallory, shared with use her top 5 tips for surviving the holidays with food sensitivities. Wishing you Happy Holidays!!! Dr. Jolene Brighten The other night, I went to a small event at a beautiful shop …
Celiac Disease— More Than Just a Tummy Ache
Awhile back, I attended a school event with my son and through a series of events I came to realize there’s a whole lot people do not understand about celiac disease. I’ve written about my son’s food sensitivities before (there’s a long list here), but it just so happens that there is girl in his class that shares the big …
Seven Mind-Body Practices for a Better Mood
Mind-body healing techniques can be defined as incorporating mindfulness/meditation and movement into our healthcare routine in order to tap into our bodies’ natural healing abilities and cope with stressors. These techniques have been used for centuries to heal and strengthen our bodies and minds, but it’s only recently that these techniques have been recognized by the scientific and medical communities. …