Nutritionist and Herbalist Lindsay Kluge shares how to include nutritious, medicinal herbs into your favorite meals.

Here are some of my favorite medicinal herbs to cook with that provide added nutrients, powerful medicines and delicate flavors.

1. Cinnamon. This is the ultimate addition to any food that is higher in sugars (like cakes, cookies or even fruit smoothies). Cinnamon helps to balance blood sugar and is great to help with glucose modulation throughout the entire body. Add about 1 teaspoon to your smoothies or up to 2 tablespoons to baking recipes to start with. It is also a warming circulatory tonic – great for the colder weather we are experiencing now!

2. Rosemary. In culinary doses (about 750mg daily), rosemary has been shown to boost cognitive function, memory and brain sharpness significantly over a short period of time. I love adding this herb to my soups, roasted chicken or even simple cookies for a subtle and sweet flavor with a added brain boost. You can read more about rosemary from my previous bog right here.

3. Fennel: This is a tremendous digestive aid to foods that are otherwise harder to digest. You may notice that fennel is often included with meats that you buy (like sausages) for just that reason. You can add about 1/2 teaspoon to soups, turkey/beef burgers, or any food that causes you digestive distress. You can also make a delicious tea by steeping 1/2 teaspoon of fennel seeds in 1 cup of hot water for about 7 minutes and drinking after meals.

4. Ginger: This is one of my favorite medicinal herbs to add to soup and also vegetables for its warming, calming effect on the digestive tract. Ginger modulates digestion by either speeding it up or slowing it down and also quells nausea and upset stomachs. I love adding some minced ginger to some miso and drizzling it over steamed broccoli, collards, kale or over stir-fry veggies. Adding about 1/2 an inch of fresh ginger to your winter soups and stews adds a nice kick of added warmth to get your circulation moving!

5. Garlic: Maybe everyones favorite medicinal herb, garlic is powerfully anti-bacterial and anti-microbial and an excellent addition to almost any foods. You can infuse your olive oil with garlic by adding about 5 minced cloves of fresh garlic to 1 cup of olive oil and let it sit for several days. Usually, I recommend cooking it just a little to make it easier on the stomach, however if you’ve got an acute cold, 1 clove of raw garlic is really effective at battling a cold. Including garlic in with your daily meals is an easy and delicious way to boost your immune system just by eating dinner.

Looking for Help with Healthy Eating and Cooking For Yourself?  Contact our office at (804) 977-2634 to book an appointment with our Nutritionist and Herbalist, Lindsay Kluge.

About the Author:

Lindsay Kluge is a Clinical Herbalist & Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist and received her Masters of Science degree in Herbal Medicine from the Maryland University of Integrative Health in 2012. She has been with Richmond Natural Medicine since 2013, and specializes in therapeutic holistic nutrition, circadian rhythm balance and sleep physiology, digestion, and Ayurvedic nutrition. She offers individualized nutrition and herbal medicine consultations that include meal planning support, custom compounded herbal formulas, nutrition guidance and general wellness support.  Learn more about services that Lindsay offers at Richmond Natural Medicine by clicking HERE.

Antioxidants are another fast growing trend in health foods and supplement world, but for most people their benefits are vague and unclear.

A big buzzword in the food industry right now is “Super foods.” Everything from acai to wheatgrass to blueberries and maca. Foods that are built up to be these amazing little health savers, packed with super nutrients…and usually from far away places. Some of the health claims may be a bit overblown but they are undeniably high in antioxidants.

The Dangers Of Oxidation In The Body

Antioxidants are molecules that help decrease oxidation in the body. Oxidation happens when we eat foods like charred red meats, over-heated oils (where the fatty acids break down and become carcinogenic), poor quality processed or fast foods, or even environmental factors. Over time, too much oxidation in the body can cause cell damage which can potentially lead to cancers, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cell death. Of course, when oxidation is potentiated by dietary inputs, that makes it all the more preventable.  By changing our diet to include foods that fight against this and protect cells against oxidative damage we are able to reverse some of the negative effects.

The quintessential recommendation of “eat more fruits and vegetables” applies here, however if we’re going to be specific about anti-oxidant rich inputs, we can be a little more discerning about what may be your best choices.

Here are some of the top choices:

• Red Grapes
• Blueberries
• Blackberries
• Broccoli
• Carrots
• Beets
• Spinach

Eat The Rainbow

Notice we’re seeing a lot vibrant color in these foods. As a general rule, the more color you can eat in your daily diet, the more antioxidants you’re consuming with these foods, including essential vitamins like vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin E. There is always more benefit to eating whole foods that contain these vitamins and antioxidants rather than just supplementing. When we eat whole foods, we are eating a perfected balance of vitamins, minerals, nutrients, fiber, antioxidants, and other macromolecules that make it much easier for the body to break down. When we strictly supplement, it’s easy to over-do.  It can also become difficult for the body to recognize and utilize these particles without their accompanying nutrients.

Incorporating Antioxidant Rich Foods Into Your Diet

Many of these antioxidant rich foods make for a great snack during the day. Munching on grapes and blueberries (about 1/2 a cup) is a perfect introduction to getting extra antioxidants.  Sliced carrots and broccoli (with a little hummus) are yummy any time of year. Adding 1/4 cup blackberries to some morning yogurt is delicious. Even when some of these fruits and vegetables are out of season, you can still get benefit from them by purchasing them frozen if you need to.

For Further Reading:

Antioxidants and Health: An Introduction

Antioxidants: Beyond the Hype

Antioxidants and Cancer Prevention

If you need more support or inspiration regarding antioxidant rich foods, contact our office at (804) 977-2634 to book an appointment with our Nutritionist Lindsay Kluge. There are countless ways to incorporate preventative medicine into your diet and antioxidant rich foods are a perfect place to start!

About The Author

Lindsay Kluge is a Clinical Herbalist & Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist and received her Masters of Science degree in Herbal Medicine from the Maryland University of Integrative Health in 2012. She has been with Richmond Natural Medicine since 2013, and specializes in therapeutic holistic nutrition, circadian rhythm balance and sleep physiology, digestion, and Ayurvedic nutrition. She offers individualized nutrition and herbal medicine consultations that include meal planning support, custom compounded herbal formulas, nutrition guidance and general wellness support.  Learn more about services that Lindsay offers at Richmond Natural Medicine by clicking HERE.

Every month is a perfect month to start to make healthy changes to your diet and just because it’s January doesn’t mean that your commitment to better nutrition hasn’t already had its challenges. Even the smallest nutrition changes can be hard to stick to, and dietary habits are some of the hardest habits to change in a sustainable way.

Here are my top 5 tips on how to make nutrition changes stick, each one designed to support your commitment to holistic nutrition, nourishing yourself all year long, and keeping yourself accountable:

1. Write down your goals and keep them visible. This is the #1 most helpful tip that creates sustainable nutrition habits. Often, we feel overwhelmed by too many changes or too many goals at once and forget our goals as the weeks go on. Most notably – we forget WHY we set those goals in the first place, especially after weeks and weeks of feeling setback by willpower challenges. Write down a manageable amount of goals or nutrition changes you’d like to make, and make sure they are sustainable changes. Start with only one or two changes so you can really focus and commit to developing those habits. Sustainable means you will likely be able to continue these changes for months and months (or even years) after you’re resolutions are “done”. Write down a few words that inspire you and remind you why you’re doing this for the long haul – and always make these words a positive reminder.
2. Plan plan plan. The best thing you can do for yourself is to always think ahead. You know yourself well enough to know where your obstacles lie (will power is a common one for most people, or being “too busy”), so take some time each week to plan things to make your life easier. For example. MEAL PLANNING is essential for almost any nutrition plan to be sustainable. Each week go through a couple of recipes, do your grocery shopping, pre-chop, batch cook and store several meals for your week so you’re not frantically trying to find a healthier dinner option at 6:00pm. It’s already done. After a couple of weeks doing this, you’ll start developing your own recipe arsenal and go-to meals that are easy to make, no brainer options. This always gets easier over time, the more you do it.
3. Designate an accountability partner. If you know you’re not great at sticking to nutrition changes, designate a friend or family member to check in with you every day with a quick, “Hey, did you remember to drink 60 ounces of water today?” or, “Remember to batch cook today – It’s Sunday!”. Even better, have a friend do this with you during the week so you can check in with each other. We can often weasel our way out of doing things for ourselves by making up all kinds of excuses. Having someone hold you accountable is a huge help, and they can be your biggest support if you feel like you’re struggling.
4. Budget your new plan and stick to it. It’s very common for folks to try and make sweeping nutrition changes only to find that 2-3 weeks in they’re spending a lot more money than is sustainable to continue. Eating healthy does not have to be expensive if you know where to look and how to stick to a budget. Batch cooking, buying in bulk (like nuts and seeds, whole grains, herbs and spices and dried fruits), and shopping at ethnic markets can save a lot of money long term. Collecting your recipes, planning your meals, and creating meals that have overlapping, seasonal ingredients is a great place to start.
5. Check in with yourself once a week and give yourself permission to adjust. Sometimes the new habits and lifestyle shifts that we make for ourselves don’t always serve us in a positive way long term. For example, if one of your goals was to try a vegetarian diet and decrease meat consumption, but you’re feeling like you’re energy is inconsistent, or you’re relying on more protein bars instead of meals, or your digestion is having a hard time with new plant based proteins, be honest with yourself and give yourself permission to make adjustments. Certain ways of eating are not for everyone – we’re all different and respond to food inputs differently. This is where working with a nutritionist is extremely helpful in creating a personalized nutrition plan that is designed for you and your unique constitution. Flexibility is important to make nutrition changes stick, and listening to your body is the first step.

If you need individualized support in making a sustainable nutrition plan, consider making an appointment with our licensed dietitian nutritionist, Lindsay Kluge, for a one-on-one assessment and collaborative meal plan to support your long term health goals.

About the Author:

Lindsay Kluge is a Clinical Herbalist & Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist and received her Masters of Science degree in Herbal Medicine from the Maryland University of Integrative Health in 2012. She has been with Richmond Natural Medicine since 2013, and specializes in therapeutic holistic nutrition, circadian rhythm balance and sleep physiology, digestion, and Ayurvedic nutrition. She offers individualized nutrition and herbal medicine consultations that include meal planning support, custom compounded herbal formulas, nutrition guidance and general wellness support.  Learn more about services that Lindsay offers at Richmond Natural Medicine by clicking HERE.

by Lindsay Kluge, Clinical Herbalist & Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist

There are several reasons why blood pressure may be consistently high, and most notably these include lifestyle factors with diet, exercise (too much, or lack of) and stress being the most common causes.

In traditional medical literature, you won’t find words like “hypertension” or “high blood pressure”. This is relatively new terminology.  In the past, traditional doctors and healers were more concerned with the movement of blood and circulation in relation to a host of various imbalances. Blood circulation was rarely ever a stand alone issue, but rather a result of imbalance elsewhere in the body.

High blood pressure is not always an obvious health issue. Cardiovascular disease, which now affects some 35 million Americans, is a great example. There is very little subjective sense of anything happening internally until complications arise. Hypertension, also known as “the silent killer” can be one of two kinds: Essential hypertension which is increased blood pressure with an unknown cause, and Secondary hypertension, which is high blood pressure as a result of an underlying condition such as endocrine or kidney disease. The following 5 natural remedies for high blood pressure will relate primarily to essential hypertension.

The Basics of Blood Pressure:

Blood pressure will naturally rise and fall as a result of lifestyle shifts. When you exercise, blood pressure rises as it’s circulated more rapidly throughout body, and when you sleep and relax, blood pressure naturally falls. This maintains a healthy homeostasis and allows your body the flexibility and stamina to endure short term physical demands of your life. When blood pressure rises, the pressure of the blood runs more quickly through your arteries because your arteries constrict, therefore blood pushes more fiercely against the artery walls. Think of arteries like a garden hose – the wider the hose, the slower the water moves through, and the skinnier the hose the more rapidly water will more through. When blood is pulsing through the arteries rapidly for prolonged lengths of time, this can cause peripheral vascular resistance and long term artery damage, leading to complications such as arteriosclerosis, enlarged heart, stroke, and kidney damage.

There are several reasons why blood pressure may be consistently high, and most notably these include lifestyle factors with diet, exercise (too much, or lack of) and stress being the most common causes.

There is very little motivation for people to take care of themselves if they don’t “feel” that anything is wrong. High blood pressure is a similar experience. You may subtly feel when you’re blood pressure increases, but likely it is not at the forefront of your mind until you walk out of your doctor’s office with a new diagnosis, a script for a statin and a healthy dose of fear and confusion.

Here’s a personal example. The last time I went to the doctor for a routine check-up, I had to sit in the waiting room for 30+ minutes. The entire time, there were 2 televisions on, both playing Divorce Court loud enough it was impossible to block out. Being a Highly Sensitive Person, this dramatically jarring noise caused me to feel and absorb stress. Once I was in with the doctor they immediately took my blood pressure and, lo and behold, I now have “high blood pressure” and they start talking to me about appropriate medications. This is missing the mark.

Although the most common course of treatment today for high blood pressure is to begin medication, there are several other options. There are plenty of preventative measures that you can easily put in place that support your body’s healthy response to optimal blood flow and naturally lower blood pressure. Especially if you consider yourself to be a highly sensitive person, knowing your triggers, environmental situations and how you respond to surrounding stress (ie – having a very deep understanding of your own body and your responses to stimuli) are extremely helpful.

Key Points to Know:

When approaching high blood pressure through holistic methods, it is always more effective to also include dietary and lifestyle changes as well. Rarely is a botanical medicine or supplement a stand-alone treatment, but rather an extremely supportive measure when used in combination with improved nutrition and stress management/lifestyle adjustments.

Always take your blood pressure in a calm environment, when you feel safe and relaxed. This will give you a more consistent and reliable reading.

Each holistic approach to high blood pressure is very individual and must take into account your health history, environment, lifestyle, emotional health and also maintain a focus on your central nervous system. It may be challenging for each person to find a successful treatment on their own, therefore working with a naturopathic doctor and/or well-trained herbalist that works in tandem with your GP is helpful in finding a successful and sustainable remedy or alternate solutions.

5 Supportive Remedies for High Blood Pressure:

1. Drink PLENTY of water. When the body is dehydrated, it will trigger thirst first, and if this is ignored, the kidneys will start to conserve water. The pituitary releases antidiuretic hormone (ADH), forcing the kidneys to hold onto more water.  In return, the kidneys respond by reducing urine flow, causing blood pressure to steadily fall. This, however, causes a cascade of enzyme and hormonal reactions from the kidneys and adrenal glands, which cause the kidneys to retain more sodium and chloride and therefore more water. With increased water, this increases blood pressure because there is an increase in blood volume. When you do not drink adequate water every day, this is a chronic reaction that causes blood pressure to remain steadily elevated in order to offset the effects of dehydration.
2. Exercise (moderately) for 30 minutes daily (even a brisk walk is helpful!). With moderate exercise, the body develops resistance and ability to more sustainably respond to the effects of other stressors that may arise. This is considered a “healthy push back” response, with gentle exercise providing just enough resistance to maintain a healthy balance of blood pressure long term.
3. Pin-point your stressors in life and reduce them: Consistent, chronic stress is one of the leading causes of high blood pressure. Period. This is due to our ability to appraise stressful situations. We may appraise a situation as being alarming and stressful. We make a decision that the situation in front of us is not ok, and this increases blood pressure, heart rate, respiration…then downstream sleep disorders, headaches, mood fluctuations all arise from this constantly alarming appraisal of daily events in our lives such as traffic, unpleasant coworkers, financial distress, family situations, etc. Our tendencies to adapt to these stressors may turn out to be self-destructive long term, physiologically. The more you can reduce your stress, the healthier your physiological responses will become over time – including blood pressure.
4. Decrease processed sugar intake and definitely stop smoking. These both dramatically strain the arterioles, damaging the endothelial (protective) layer of our arteries and decreases protection from pressure problems and atherosclerosis changes.  
5. Consider herbal tonics that provide hypotensive support. The main role of herbal medicine is to modify endothelial health (the lining of your arteries). The endothelium both encourages and discourages clotting under varying circumstances and moderates inflammation and plaque build-up. It also prevents lipids, proteins and other things from getting through the endothelial layer and into the tissues. Herbal medicines work extremely well to protect the endothelium long term and protect blood vessels that are damaged from the secondary effects of high blood pressure. In this way, herbs and drugs work in very different ways, and it’s important to remember that herbal medicines are NOT replacements for drugs.

To find the most appropriate herbs for you that may be hypotensive, diuretic, peripheral vasodilators or cardiotonics, consider making an appointment with one of our practitioners to create a formula that’s specific to your needs.

Read More:

Dealing with High Cholesterol Using Nutrition & Herbs

How Trauma Makes an Impact on health

10 Tools for Making a Positive Change in Your Health

With the new year, we are presented with the opportune time to clean, declutter, and transform our kitchens into inviting, joyful spaces.

One of the most common difficulties I hear from people when working together to develop a nutrition plan is that they “don’t have time to cook”, or they “don’t enjoy cooking”, or “cooking is such a chore”. Quite often, after further questioning and digging a little deeper, it becomes obvious that their kitchen is simply a space that they don’t want to be in. Period. It’s cluttered, dirty, unorganized, filled with negative (or resentful) energy, or simply not a functional space.

It’s very common for people to view food and cooking or lack of time as the culprit for their difficulty in preparing meals, but it’s truly remarkable to see what a huge difference it makes when you transform your kitchen into a positive space.

Short of tearing down walls and renovating the entire kitchen, there are several options for transforming your kitchen affordably and quickly and at your own pace.

• First, ask yourself what about your kitchen do you really love? Your answer here will help you choose what to elaborate on or further include in your space.
• Second, ask yourself what about your kitchen is truly bothersome? Is it too dark? Too sterile? Too small or too cluttered?

Where to start…

1. Bring indoor plants or herbs into the kitchen. The addition of an aloe plant, fresh flowers, rosemary plant or a couple of kitchen herbs like sage, thyme, or mint can make the space feel more alive, aromatic and less sterile. Touching, smelling and utilizing these plants every day will also greatly enhance your relationship with the foods that you prepare too!
2. De-clutter your counter space as much as possible. Counter space is for preparing food, not storing jars, cooking vessels, or spices. The more cluttered your kitchen counters, the harder it is to keep them clean.
3. Clean out your drawers and cupboards. This is more of an afternoon or weekend activity, but it’s alarmingly easy to stock up on pots, pans, utensils, kitchen gadgets and odds and ends that you never use anymore. Going through and purging out old or unused items from your kitchen and pantry will likely open up a tremendous amount of extra space and make the kitchen feel more open, spacious and usable.
4. Add a touch of fun.  Portable speakers, a small chalkboard for recipe ideas or notes, or colorful gemstones on the windowsill can create an inviting atmosphere. If you feel anger or resentment about being the one who “cooks all the time” at your house, then make it your own and add items that are welcoming and joyful.
5. Smudge out the space if you’ve had a bad day. The kitchen is easily one of the most resented rooms in the house for so many people. I truly feel like rooms (and houses in general) can store energy and it lingers for days, months or years. Smudging with white sage or cedar can help to clear the space and renew the energy.
6. Clean up when you’re done. Don’t leave dirty dishes in the sink to do later (or especially for someone else to do later). It’s a defeating feeling to walk into a kitchen to prepare a meal and have last nights dirty dishes in the sink. That can easily deter anyone from taking the time create a healthy, home-cooked meal.

Start with one task at a time, and work slowly to transform your kitchen into a space that feels good for you. Once you develop a space that feels comfortable, clean, spacious and inviting, it’s wonderful to see the changes that take place in your cooking and nutrition routine!

About the Author:

Lindsay Kluge is a Clinical Herbalist & Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist and received her Masters of Science degree in Herbal Medicine from the Maryland University of Integrative Health in 2012. She has been with Richmond Natural Medicine since 2013, and specializes in therapeutic holistic nutrition, circadian rhythm balance and sleep physiology, digestion, and Ayurvedic nutrition. She offers individualized nutrition and herbal medicine consultations that include meal planning support, custom compounded herbal formulas, nutrition guidance and general wellness support.  Learn more about services that Lindsay offers at Richmond Natural Medicine by clicking HERE.

The practitioners at Richmond Natural Medicine share their top picks and favorite holistic health resources that have been in their libraries for years.

The long, cold nights of winter are ideal for snuggling in with a good book. Take a peek inside the library of Richmond Natural Medicine to expand your knowledge of delicious foods, physiology and home remedies.

Cookbooks + Recipe Resources:

Healing with Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford

It combines whole foods with energetic ideas related to Chinese Medicine to understand food and nutrition from a slightly different perspective.

The Living Ahimsa Diet by Maya Tiwari

One of my favorite Ayurvedic inspired recipe and reference books filled with plant based meals that are simple, nutrient dense and utilize delicious herbs and spices

Greens, Glorious Greens!

The basics + many easy and yummy ideas for how to cook greens!

Wild Fermentation

A great starter book that makes fermentation feel easy

Will Frolic For Food

A great recipe resource for allergen friendly foods (that are mostly gluten free) and deliciously healthy sweet treats!

Wellnessmama.com

She has lots of recipes and ideas to get moms and kids to eat healthy (without them knowing it).

www.cookusinterruptus.com

Really good, healthy recipes with fun videos to go along with them.

101 cookbooks

Whole food ingredients, with recipes ranging from fancy to incredibly simple – not to mention beautiful photography!

Balanced Bites

User-friendly Paleo recipes for those of us who need to go light on the grains.

Holistic Health:

Mike Mutzel with High Intensity Health Podcast

Talks to experts in the field of various natural and functional medicine realms, diving into topics such as ketogenic diets, fasting, autoimmune diseases with great insights.

School of Greatness Podcast with Lewis Howes

Every interview is engaging and inspiring.  The focus is on well-being, maximizing your potential and self-empowerment without being mushy or esoteric. This podcast is great for anyone looking for a little push to make themselves, their careers, or personal life just a little bit better.

Dr. Lo Radio show

NUNM grad interviewing experts on various topics – a great way for people to learn more about naturopathic medicine.

Natural MD Radio with Aviva Romm

A great podcast with a holistic MD focusing on women’s health, nutrition and children’s health.

Rewild Yourself

Wide range of topics, often mind-expanding – not just health-focused, but all very relevant to well-being.

Herbal Medicine from the Heart of the Earth by Sharol Tilgner

I love how this book highlights common western herbs- describing their role in healing physical, mental and emotional conditions from a historical and biochemical perspective at once.

The Homeopathic Treatment of Children by Paul Herscu

This book is useful for the clinician and parent seeking to understand how children in common homeopathic remedy states show up in the world- providing insight into how to heal ailments as well as how to best support their learning and growth.

Taking Charge of your Fertility by Toni Weschler

An essential read for every single female of any age to fully understand how their reproductive system works and how to naturally support fertility and chart their cycles.

Holistic Living:

Why Zebra’s Don’t Get Ulcers by Robert Sapolsky

The best book I’ve ever read that fully explains how human beings react, respond to and suffer from stress over their lifetime (and how to positively change your reaction to stress). A must read for anyone with stress or anxiety.

Buddha’s Brain:  The practical Neuroscience of happiness, love and wisdom by Rick Hanson

This book explains the science behind anxiety, depression and our suffering and offers tangible tools that will guide you toward greater happiness and peace through breath-work, mindfulness, and meditation.  I found this book to be reassuring that I am not suffering alone with my thoughts and also completely empowering that I have the ability to change how I feel and think!

Anatomy of the Spirit by Caroline Myss

Anatomy of the Spirit uses real, personal stories and a comprehensive review of the Chakra System to identify physical ailments or diseases associated with blockages around certain chakras.  It prompts deep self reflection through journaling exercises at the end of most chapters and encourages you to be an active participant in healing your mind, body and spirit. I have re-read and referenced this book so much that just about every page is highlighted or dog-eared!

Wild Feminine by Tami Lynn Kent

This book teaches women to tune into and nourish their creative energy- which helps heal ailments in the pelvic bowl.

About The Author

Lindsay Kluge is a Clinical Herbalist & Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist and received her Masters of Science degree in Herbal Medicine from the Maryland University of Integrative Health in 2012. She has been with Richmond Natural Medicine since 2013, and specializes in therapeutic holistic nutrition, circadian rhythm balance and sleep physiology, digestion, and Ayurvedic nutrition. She offers individualized nutrition and herbal medicine consultations that include meal planning support, custom compounded herbal formulas, nutrition guidance and general wellness support.  Learn more about services that Lindsay offers at Richmond Natural Medicine by clicking HERE.

This bronchial herbal steam relies on herbs that are anti-microbial, anti-viral, moistening and antiseptic to help clear and combat any lingering pathogens that may be present in the lungs or sinuses.

The winter months are often the most challenging for our lungs and sinuses.  The cold weather often brings dryness to those areas and frequent illness such as bronchitis and lingering viral infections become more common. Cold and dry air quickly dehydrates the mucosal tissues which leads to scratchy and sore throats, dry raspy coughs and painfully dry sinuses. Keeping the sinus cavities and lungs moist and hydrated can be an extremely effective, preventable measure if you’re prone to developing sinus or lung related issues in the winter months. The best part about this herbal steam remedy is that you likely have all of the ingredients in your kitchen cupboards already, making this a classic and effective herbal home remedy.

This bronchial herbal steam relies on herbs that are anti-microbial, anti-viral, moistening and antiseptic to help clear and combat any lingering pathogens that may be present in the lungs or sinuses. Thyme & rosemary contain thymol and camphor, two beneficial herbal constituents that help to break up any congestion. I recommend using all dried herbs for this steam. You’ll also need a large bowl and a thick towel.

Herbal Steam for Bronchial Wellness:

1 tsp Thyme

1 tsp Rosemary

1 tsp Sage

Juice of 1 lemon + lemon peel (coarsely chopped)

5-6 drop eucalyptus essential oil

Instructions:

Bring 4-5 cups of water to a boil. Add all of the herbs into a large bowl and pour over with hot water. Sit close to the bowl and lean your head completely over the bowl, letting the steam rise up over your face. Cover your head with the towel and breath in deeply for 5-6 minutes.

Do this twice daily, in the morning and especially in the evening before bedtime. Repeat as often as needed throughout the winter months.

About the Author:

Lindsay Kluge is a Clinical Herbalist & Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist and received her Masters of Science degree in Herbal Medicine from the Maryland University of Integrative Health in 2012. She has been with Richmond Natural Medicine since 2013, and specializes in therapeutic holistic nutrition, circadian rhythm balance and sleep physiology, digestion, and Ayurvedic nutrition. She offers individualized nutrition and herbal medicine consultations that include meal planning support, custom compounded herbal formulas, nutrition guidance and general wellness support.  Learn more about services that Lindsay offers at Richmond Natural Medicine by clicking HERE.

Know that you are the biggest influencer and facilitator of your own health and healing.

It is not unusual for people to come and see a practitioner at Richmond Natural Medicine as their last resort. We welcome those individuals and understand that when they walk in the door they often have a lengthy health story filled with confusion, unanswered questions, resentment, and a sense of helplessness regarding their health. They have often spent years going to appointments only to be given a pill or told what they think is a big health issue isn’t “something to worry about”.

It is extremely common in western medicine to treat a symptom or disease with a specific drug that doesn’t take into account the contributing or underlying factors of why a symptom is showing up in the first place. People have grown increasingly accustomed to being prescribed a pill and being sent away, feeling like this pill is the sole answer to their issue or problem. Hence, being an active participant in one’s own healthcare and healing has gone by the wayside for most. When you don’t feel like you need to take part in your own healing journey, it’s common to feel helplessness and disconnected from your own health story. But it doesn’t have to stay that way.  Know that you are the biggest influencer and facilitator of your own health and healing.

Speaking from an alternative health care provider point of view, it’s very common to see people be taken aback when working towards a care plan that requires them to take an active role in their health. When we recommend lifestyle changes like conscious eating habits, physical activity, meditation, cooking practices, nutrition journaling, talk therapy or even taking a supplement or custom compounded formula more than once a day – it’s sometimes met with some confusion and hesitation. One of the things we always stress to every person is their innate ability to take control of their own health story and make a positive change through their own positive mindset and activities. We are here to educate you and aid in your healing journey – but not to do the work for you. This usually requires a shift in our thinking, as we have all been conditioned to rely on someone else (in healthcare) to “fix us” without doing much ourselves. Taking back control of your health is extremely empowering, and maintaining a strong connection with your own body (which is working to help you – not hinder you), helps to redefine your health narrative to make your health story, a happy one.

Here are some actionable steps you can take if you’re feeling helpless or disconnected from your own health picture:

1. Take some time to sit quietly and breathe deeply. Shift your focus to the areas of your body that you know you need support or improvement. Sit with no judgement – just awareness of these parts of your body.
2. Journal it out. Make a list of things that need improvement (physical, lifestyle, emotional etc). These can be your actual symptoms, diagnoses, diet – anything you feel needs some attention.
3. Next to each item on your list, write down one activity that you can do that you know will make an improvement. For example, if one of the items on your list is “high cholesterol”, something only you can do to improve this is to take up moderate exercise like taking a walk for 20 minute per day. If one of the items on your list is anxiety or stress, something only you can do to improve this would be to incorporate self care and joyful activity into your day such as getting a massage once a week or taking time to read, practice yoga and meditate, journal or spend time outside. If you don’t know what you can do to help something that’s on you list – that’s OK. That’s where we can help.
4. Take on one thing at a time. It’s very easy for us to feel overwhelmed with how many health challenges we want to change all at once. If we try to change everything at once we’ll likely feel too overwhelmed and not change anything at all. Keeping a health plan sustainable requires slow progression over a period of time. Start with one thing for a couple of weeks, then add one something else, and then something else.
5. Pay attention to your own health narrative. Do you ever catch yourself in negative self talk or have frequent feelings of guilt or disdain about your choices? Your mindset and health narrative is strongly tied to your health outcomes, and repeating thoughts that are positive, empowering, patient and kind will always build you up to continue rather than tear you down to sabotage yourself.

If you need additional support in any area of your health (and you’re ready to take on some of the challenges yourself and do the work), all of the practitioners here at Richmond Natural Medicine are here to help.  To speak to one of our Patient Relations Specialist about booking an appointment, call (804) 977-2634

About the Author:

Lindsay Kluge is a Clinical Herbalist & Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist and received her Masters of Science degree in Herbal Medicine from the Maryland University of Integrative Health in 2012. She has been with Richmond Natural Medicine since 2013, and specializes in therapeutic holistic nutrition, circadian rhythm balance and sleep physiology, digestion, and Ayurvedic nutrition. She offers individualized nutrition and herbal medicine consultations that include meal planning support, custom compounded herbal formulas, nutrition guidance and general wellness support.  Learn more about services that Lindsay offers at Richmond Natural Medicine by clicking HERE.

Cholesterol production is one of the most basic and essential functions of the body and we all need a good supply of cholesterol to keep us in a healthy balance.

Although we may instinctively think all cholesterol is a bad thing, this couldn’t be farther from the truth! We always need to strive for a healthy balance of everything in the body, and cholesterol is no exception.

Cholesterol (also called “lipids”)  serves numerous supportive and functional roles in the body including:

• Plays a major role in transmission of nerve impulses
• Essential for Vitamin D synthesis
• Serves as a precursor to bile acids and emulsifies fats
• Cholesterol is the backbone of all sex hormone synthesis
• Cell membranes are composed of phospholipids, glycoproteins and cholesterols – these cholesterols are essential for cell-to-cell communication throughout the body
• Cholesterol is found in every cell membrane in the body as is a major necessity for our brain (nearly 25% of your total cholesterol is found in the brain!)
• Along with calcium and collagen, cholesterol plays a role in patching up damaged tissue
• Cholesterol helps to maintain the integrity of the myelin sheath – an integral component of our central nervous system

Cholesterol production is not just a result of the foods that we eat. The liver and intestines actually produce about 70-80% of our total cholesterol, with our diet only contributing about 20-30% of our cholesterol. With the Standard American Diet (appropriately abbreviated as the SAD diet), we consume a disproportionately large amount of cholesterol from our foods which over time increases our cholesterol to higher than appropriate amounts, throwing off our delicate balance.

The three key aspects to dealing with high cholesterol using nutrition include increasing healthy fats, fiber and plant sterols, supporting optimal digestion and absorption, and supporting the liver.

Here’s how we can stabilize high cholesterol utilizing herbal therapies and nutrition techniques:

1. Increasing Healthy fats: Not all fat = cholesterol fats. Essential fatty acids (EFA’s) for instance are essential to eat in our diet because our body does not produce them, and these healthy fats help to maintain the balance between HDL (bad cholesterol) and LDL (good cholesterol). Nutritional sources of healthy fats include fish and fish oils (salmon and cod especially), avocado, coconut oil, olive oil, nuts and seeds (hemp seeds, chia seeds, walnuts, cashews) and high quality dairy products. Consuming healthy fats daily (omega-3 fatty acids in particular) has been shown to reduce LDL cholesterol levels over time while also supplying whole body anti-inflammatory support.
2. Support digestion with extra fiber and slippery elmAlong with increasing healthy essential fatty acids in the diet, special attention should be given to increasing fiber sources as well. By increasing phytosterols and fiber, you will decrease binding sites for cholesterol. The slower your food is passing through the bowels, the more cholesterols are being absorbed. If you speed up the flow of food with extra fiber, there is less time and opportunity for the body to absorb more cholesterol. Regular bowel movements (at least once daily) is ideal for healthy digestion. Increasing fiber-rich foods help this process. High fiber foods include split peas, lentils, black beans, avocado, edamame, raspberries, whole wheat pastas, blackberries, pearled barley, artichoke hearts, pears, broccoli, chia seeds, oatmeal, apples, brussel sprouts, flax seeds, brown rice and almonds. Also, slippery elm is a wonderful addition to your daily diet as this helps to coat and soothe the lining of the digestive tissues (especially the intestines and colon) so that your foods continue to move through at a steady rate. Just 1 teaspoon a day of slippery elm powder works well.
3. Support the liver With anti-inflammatory foods. Since the liver is a major site of cholesterol production, we need to make sure the liver is healthy and going through both phases of liver detox efficiently. The best way to support your liver detoxification processes is with the foods that you eat every day. Colorful, nutrient rich and simple foods are ideal, with a focus on brightly colored fruits and vegetables and lots of water. Anti-inflammatory foods such as turmeric, black pepper, green leafy vegetables, olive oil (all of the EFA’s are great anti-inflammatories!), blueberries, beets, broccoli, salmon, coconut oil, and chard are excellent foods for liver support, and the more variety you can get in your daily diet the better!

Stress also plays a role in high cholesterol (because we know stress contributes to everything!).

When the body is under stress, we produce more cholesterol because the liver is told to make more cholesterol for cortisol production. This is often why we see high cholesterol and high blood pressure go hand in hand. Along with a healthy diet, we also need to be mindful of how much stress we choose to take on, and especially how we respond to the stressors that we allow in.

Prevention is the first step in maintaining good health.

It has been consistently agreed upon that high cholesterol can lead to an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and heart disease. With some basic foundational changes in diet and lifestyle, these risks are drastically reduced. If you need support developing a nutrition plan that is specific for high cholesterol or metabolic syndrome, consider making an appointment with one of our Naturopathic doctors trained in integrative & holistic nutrition.

Mothers, fathers, children, siblings, care workers, grandparents, and even friends – so many step up to take on the care of their loved ones, which can be both a loving act and also an extremely depleting and stressful undertaking over the long term.

At Richmond Natural Medicine, we see an enormous number of caretakers, each presenting with their own set of health challenges. It is never overlooked that the act of care-taking another has often played a major role in their long term health.  Thus, it is extremely important for us to acknowledge that role, and make sure that the caretakers are, in fact, still taking time to care for themselves.  

It is extremely common that most people devoted to the long term care of a loved one often put themselves last. They make sure everyone else is cared for (usually a never ending task) before they take the time to care for themselves. Over time, this not only compounds stress and exhaustion, but also emotional guilt associated with taking time for their own self care. This is where they can often use the most support: building up their reserves, focusing on their endocrine system and energy levels, and allowing themselves permission and time to devote to their own self care.

Here are a few tips that we encourage all caregivers to take part in. Even implementing just one can make a huge difference over the long term:

• Ask for help and be willing to accept it. If you feel like you’re overwhelmed and could use additional help  – find someone to help out. Most people want to help, and either don’t know what to ask for, or don’t know how to step in without “overstepping”. Reach out and accept help when it is offered.

• Schedule time for yourself every day or every week that involves something that brings you JOY. Just 15 minutes of daily calm and joy can re-set your central nervous system from a state of overwhelm and stress into a  state to emotional calm and stillness. The body desperately needs these breaks and it’s essential that you mark these self care breaks on your calendar every day in INK.

• Make and follow an iron clad wellness plan that includes strict boundaries. Learning how to say “No” is one of the hardest things for caretakers because, often, they’re the only ones available to do the work. Setting boundaries for yourself is essential to not burn out, and also keeps others from taking advantage of your time, energy and caring nature.

• Create a meditation or gratitude practice every morning and/or evening. Mentally check in with yourself first thing in the morning or right before bed and acknowledge 3 things you’re grateful for that day. Starting and ending the day with positivity sets the stage for a more positive day (or subconscious night).

• Socialize and get together with people outside of your “care network”. Usually caretakers are constantly talking about and answering questions about the people they’re caring for which is equally as exhausting and repetitive as the act of caregiving itself. Get together with people who want to talk about you or something outside of your responsibilities.

• Implement words of kindness and encouragement to yourself every time you look in a mirror. Remember to always give yourself credit and encouragement for the work that you do, and notice when thoughts of negativity or guilt sneak in. Banish them away with a simple mantra for yourself like, “I am well and good today”, or “I am doing good work today, and that is enough”.

• Write: Check in with yourself at least once a week and notice where you are feeling burnout or where you can use the most support. Write this down. Take care not to overwork this area of burnout, and revert back to your boundaries plan to reinforce this area.

• Exercise for 30 minutes, 3 times per week. Just the simple act of exercising – whether it be going to the gym, lifting weights, going for a jog or a walk – can make you feel more in control of your situation and your body, and doubles as an excellent stress reliever while supporting your bones, muscles and central nervous system the same time.

If you need additional support in creating a self care plan for yourself, schedule an appointment with us at Richmond Natural Medicine by contacting our office at (804) 977-2634. We’re all here to help create care plans to support any and every area of imbalance, and support you where you need it most.

About the Author:

Lindsay Kluge is a Clinical Herbalist & Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist and received her Masters of Science degree in Herbal Medicine from the Maryland University of Integrative Health in 2012. She has been with Richmond Natural Medicine since 2013, and specializes in therapeutic holistic nutrition, circadian rhythm balance and sleep physiology, digestion, and Ayurvedic nutrition. She offers individualized nutrition and herbal medicine consultations that include meal planning support, custom compounded herbal formulas, nutrition guidance and general wellness support.  Learn more about services that Lindsay offers at Richmond Natural Medicine by clicking HERE.