Sound Integrative Health Blog

One of my favorite all-time herbs is Urtica Dioica known as Nettle. I was introduced to this herb why doing a trail run in Marin County, Northern California when I turned a corner too fast and was stung by one of its infamous needles. Little did I know that this plant who I was "cursing" was one natures best medicines . When I started my training as a Naturopathic Medicine student, one of my mentors, the late Dr. Bill Mitchell talked about Nettle root extensively. He stated it has some of the best antihistamine properties of all the plants because it is rich in plant sterols, fatty acids, and lignans which basically act like a fire extinguisher for inflammation especially with seasonal allergies. If you suffer from grass or tree allergies, try some Nettle root tea from Traditional Medicinals. Or stop by Herban Wellness in Kirkland and ask for a tea to be made up. Enjoy a cup in the morning and again in the evening and let me know if you see a reduction in your allergy symp

Nutrition is highly individualized and often a philosophical debate among friends and family. What's important with nutrition is to find your right approach that your body responds to.  One of the more recent, yet ancient, approaches is a return to the Paleolithic Diet which mimics the diet of the hunter/gather society.  There are many different subtypes of the paleolithic diet but the commonality is elimination of grains and most sugar from the diet.  The diet emphasizes ample non-starchy vegetable intake, mild-moderate fruit intake, moderate to high animal protein intake , and mild/moderate healthy fat intake. Mark Sissom who wrote Primal Blueprint is one of the leaders behind the movement toward a paleolithic diet and he publishes a blog called Mark's Daily Apple. Sissom state that this approach when combined with short duration intense cardiovascular exercise and strength training reduces the likelihood of developing the triad of obesity, diabetes, and some risk factors