LINDSAY CARVALHO

January 2008 was a life changing month for me. It was when I finally discovered why I was so extremely exhausted. With a three year old and a brand new baby at home, there were more days than not that I wasn't able to get off the couch to do more than feed and change my kids. It was not normal. Everything came into focus after I discovered I had severe hypothyroidism. My TSH levels were so high they were undetectable by the lab. No wonder I could barely move. And so began my

When you get right down to it, stress is a pretty amazing thing. It was developed thousands of years ago as a way to save ourselves. Lets think this through: an average day of walking around, suddenly we spy something dangerous. Our body has milliseconds to respond. The brain sends out a signal to kick things up so cortisol is released. In response, our blood sugar increased so we have extra energy; our pulse picks up so we can get that energy to our muscles, and a few other

Falling asleep at your desk is usually a sign that something if off. Unfortunately it is far too common. There can be many sources of fatigue: low iron, low blood sugar, dehydration just to name a few. But for those with hypothyroidism or autoimmune conditions, a very common source of exhaustion is low B12. There are a few reasons why. Vitamin B12 is essential to the metabolism of nerve tissue and critical to the overall health of your nervous system. Vitamin B12 is an import

Eating right is about so much more than just eating the right foods. It's about eating foods that have the nutrients we need to fuel our body. It's about eating foods that have the nutrients we need to keep our cells running they way they should. It's also about eating the foods that have the nutrients we need to protect our body. Let me explain. Our body, specifically our cells, stay very busy all day long. It is hard to calculate how many reactions, but scientists estimate

I love colour. My house is bright. My hair is red. My plate is loaded with a produce rainbow. And my spice cupboard is full of healing curry. This amazing spice is a combination of wonderful things like coriander, cumin, ginger, coriander, mustard, cinnamon. And Tumeric. All of these spices are fantastic healers in their own right. For great health, these should be regulars in everyone's diet. But Tumeric outshines them all with its ability to help those with osteoarthritis.

It's that time of year. Leaves are changing colour. Winter coats and hats are slowly coming out. The slow cooker is becoming a centerpiece on your counter. Pumpkin Spice Latte's are here. There may be a reason why we all crave these things as our hibernation setting kicks in. Our bodies are gearing up for a long, hard winter and these foods help us prepare for it. Pumpkins are an excellent example of that. Chock full of an amazing nutrient called carotenoids, this compound gi

The microbiome is important for immunity, digestion and mental health. This aspect of holistic healthcare is entering western medicine and i

Fat soluble vitamins are my hero. Don't get me wrong, all the vitamins in real food are are my hero's, but fat soluble vitamins hold a special place in my heart (not literally, just so we're clear). I have to say, there is one that stands out above the rest though. Vitamin D. My hero. Let me tell you why. Every cell on our body is effected by vitamin D. It strengthens our immune system. It supports a brain health and mood. It strengthens our bones. And recent research shows t

I have a confession to make. I get giddy talking about genetics. I know, I know, I have a problem. But there are worse things to be then excitable about science. I sadly thought for some time that when I entered the world of nutrition, my love for genetics would have to go by the wayside, but boy was I wrong. Because there is a whole area of science dedicated to the study of how our environment effects our genes. It is called epigenetics and I LOVE it. This means, in a nutshe