Recent Posts
Alumni Spotlight: Brianne Grogan and Casie Danenhauer Create Healing Global Retreats
Have you considered the possibilities for your career as a Women's Health Coach? In our alumni spotlight series, I want to introduce you to some of the amazing things that our Women's Health Coaches are doing all over the world to spread an integrative approach to...
Alumni Spotlight: Heba Shaheed Nurturing New Mothers Globally
Our Women's Health Coach graduate and physical therapist Heba Shaheed is a Sydney, Australia based powerhouse. Known as The Pelvic Expert, Heba is now reaching new mothers all over the globe with her unique Mother Nurture program. I had the honor of witnessing her...
Using an Elimination Diet to Relieve Vulvodynia and IBS
Functional Nutrition Treatment Options for Vulvodynia and IBS When the pain of vulvodynia hits - the painful sex, the pain with wearing tight pants, the pain with just sitting through a movie! - you just want it gone. Fortunately, by taking an integrative approach and...
Pelvic Pain and Autoimmune Disease with Dr. Terry Wahls
Chronic Pelvic Pain and Autoimmunity... Is there a connection? In my practice, many of my patients who struggle with chronic pelvic pain also have autoimmune conditions. Even those who don't have clear autoimmune diagnoses, often have autoimmune issues - such as...
The Connection Between SIBO and Bladder Pain (and how to relieve both)
One of the reasons that relieving pelvic pain is so challenging is that pain in different systems within the pelvis can overlap. For example, in rats where experimental colitis (colon irritation) was induced, many of the rats also experienced bladder and urethral...
Can Women Healthfully Drink Alcohol?
It's the morning after. Your client (or you!) woke up after a night of celebration tired, with a headache, dry skin, dry mouth, just Ugh! Is alcohol ever healthy? And, are there ways to enjoy alcohol and protect your liver, preventing the next day hangover? In this...
Postpartum Care is Undervalued and Underserved, How You Can Help
A Rare and Needed Service: Providing Postpartum Care by Providing Skilled Health Coaching Services to New Mothers Just under 4 million babies are born in the United States each year (1), approximately 700,000 in the UK (2), and over 300,000 in Australia (3). In...
Skin Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate and Collagen
The skin is a window to a woman’s general health. While there are many health benefits of dark chocolate, skin health tops the priority list for many women. Dark chocolate with collagen, plus an anti-inflammatory nutrition plan, hydration, and sleep are a winning...
Women, Safety, and Pain
In a study, recently published in BMC Pregnancy Childbirth, the researchers asked 21 women who had never had children, through face-to-face interviews and written questionnaires, about their experiences.(1) They were interviewed and questioned before and after their...
Alcohol and Hormones
What effect does alcohol have on female hormones? Do alcohol and hormones mix? Alcohol and Hormones Have Significant Effects on Women's Health As with many things, when it comes to women's health... It depends. Beginning in perimenopause (around age 35-50), the...
Sleep Issues in Midlife Women
Nearly 50% of midlife women ages 35-55 years have struggled with poor sleep and sleep issues. (1) For the clients in my practice, there are many common complaints associated with poor sleep, including: Difficulty falling asleep Getting a second wind late at night...
Maca Powder Benefits… Is Recommending Maca Good for Hormone Health or All Hype?
What's the evidence on Maca? Is there any evidence that adding that scoop of Maca powder to your smoothie is a good idea? Are maca powder benefits all that they're hyped up to be? As with nearly everything… the answer is, “It depends.” In my practice, I recommend...
Exercise and Hormones for Women over 40
80% of adults don’t even get the minimum recommended amount of exercise recommended by the CDC and similar public health organizations - 2 days per week of strength training and 150 minutes per week of moderate aerobic exercise.(1) Exercise for women over 40 is...
Healthy Estrogen Detox Smoothie
Enjoy my recipe for this Healthy Estrogen Detox Smoothie, which is perfect for anyone struggling with estrogen dominance. Estrogen dominance is a common issue for women with endometriosis, ovarian cysts, PCOS, PMS, painful periods, fibroids, and breast tenderness....
Healthy Fats for Female Athletes
Over the last few decades, there has been a lot of confusion about how much fat female athletes should eat and what types of fat are healthy. When it comes to dietary fat recommendations for female athletes, there is a lot of good data that demonstrates the...
How Adrenal Health and Hormone Balance Support Pelvic Pain Relief
Cortisol and Pelvic Pain Imbalanced cortisol levels throughout the day have been directly related to chronic pain, in general and in patients with chronic pelvic pain. High cortisol and pelvic pain is more often found in men with pelvic pain, and in women with pelvic...
Is There an In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) Diet to Improve Pregnancy Success?
While there is no one-size-fits-all IVF Diet, focusing on your nutrition can certainly improve your IVF success. Let’s discuss a few important strategies for supporting your health to improve your chances of having a healthy pregnancy with IVF. The IVF Diet is a...
We Stand for Planned Parenthood
When my friend, Alex Jamieson sent me an email a couple of weeks ago asking if I would join her and 100 of my colleagues in taking a stand to support Planned Parenthood as a woman and women’s health leader who cares about the health of ALL women… I hesitated. You see,...
Physical Therapy and Nutrition: A Powerful Combination To Heal Pelvic Pain
She’s been dealing with increasing pelvic pain symptoms for years. Newly married and ready to start a family, she worries about the effect that her pelvic pain will have on her relationship with her husband and whether she will even be able to get pregnant. She’s been...
3 Steps to Using Nutrition to Naturally Balance Hormones
She started her day with coffee just to get moving. Didn’t have much time for breakfast, maybe grabbed a piece of toast or a banana on her way out the door (or took a few bites of her kid’s leftover oatmeal.) After the school drop off and commute to the office,...
The Three Magic Pills Method: The Secret to Optimal Health for Women
The Three Magic Pills Method(TM): The Secret to Optimal Health for Women My clients are always asking me, “What is the magic pill that I need to take to relieve my pain?” They go from doctor to doctor, therapist to therapist, nutritionist to nutritionist, and...
The Ultimate Guide to Preconception & Fertility
At the Integrative Women’s Health Institute, we are continuously seeing clients who are seeking a more holistic approach to pregnancy, through the following article we intend to provide you, the reader, with a research-backed approach to preconception and proven wants...
Are You Suffering from Compassion Fatigue or Burnout?
Healthcare and wellness providers have been through so much in the last few years, and burnout and compassion fatigue are more prevalent than ever. Are You Suffering from Compassion Fatigue or Burnout? I want to share with you The 5 Root Causes of Women’s Health...
Can Probiotics Help Female Athletes to Perform Better?
The short answer to this question is… Yes! Probiotics and probiotic foods are an essential part of any active girl or woman’s nutrition plan for two important reasons: 1. Athletes who use probiotics have direct performance benefits. In a placebo-controlled study of...