By Dr. Nicole Sundene, NMD
Holistic Psychiatry and Hormones
Over the years I have noticed how different hormonal imbalance patterns in women can translate to anxiety, depression, and mental health issues. My female hormone patients with mental health conditions are a lot like snowflakes. While the mental health condition looks very similar from the outside, we cannot apply a "One size fits all" approach to women struggling with their mental health because the ROOT CAUSE of the mental health condition is often triggered by the many different flavors and types of hormone imbalance. One thing that always amazes me as a hormone doctor is how thyroid and adrenal conditions causing anxiety can look very similar, just like in the picture above, yet they require completely different treatments for the patient to improve. Neither improves with antidepressants.
Anxiety, depression, ADHD and trouble concentrating for women are often the result of unique hormone deficiencies or imbalances. Especially in my women’s health practice. I believe women experience more mental health challenges due to their fluctuating hormones every month with PMS and also throughout life. While men tend to experience a gradual slow decline in testosterone as a natural part of the aging process, women experience a sudden drastic decline in hormones with menopause, perimenopause, and also each month with their menstrual cycle.
The #1 sign that a woman’s depression or anxiety is related to their female hormones is fluctuation. When we see symptoms constantly fluctuating each month then we know there is likely a female hormone imbalance to blame. If a woman suddenly develops anxiety or depression in their 40's or 50's and don't have any situational triggers it is also very likely a hormonal mental health condition.
Just like a snowflake mental health challenges caused by hormone imbalance can look very similar in women from a distance. However, when we zoom in closer we can see the subtle hormonal fluctuations triggering each different type of mental health pattern. As a women’s health doctor, I have noticed many fascinating patterns with mental health and hormone imbalance I would like to share today to educate women on this important topic. Especially while I am seeing so many women, especially moms struggling right now with their mental health! If you are struggling with your mental health, please know you are not alone, and that it is okay to seek professional help.
Thank you for sharing my posts even if you don't have mental health issues. As a doctor I am seeing epidemic levels of Depression and Anxiety in our communities and we need to make it socially acceptable to discuss these issues so patients are receiving enough support whether related to menopause or not. Which is why I have been blogging heavily about mental health.
Imbalance with thyroid, adrenals, and female hormones can cause a variety of annoying mental health symptoms that do not typically respond to standard anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications. Leaving both women and their doctors frustrated. Many women with hormone imbalance as the underlying cause tend to only receive the side effects of these medications such as weight gain and stomach aches with little relief of their anxiety and depression.
I am writing this PSA today on Hormone Imbalance and Mental Health for women to read and share so they can become educated about the symptom patterns I see when mental health disorders are being caused by hormone imbalance. With so many women struggling to parent through the Pandemic please keep an eye out for one another….many women are struggling and also are experiencing mood disorders that can be improved by balancing their hormones.
If you are a woman and struggling with anxiety or depression the first line of defense should be having hormones tested. Fluctuating hormones through menopause, perimenopause and the monthly menstrual cycle can negatively impact women’s moods. Hormone testing often can help identify the root cause of depression rather than prescribing medications like zoloft, prozac, amitriptyline, cymbalta, effexor, xanax, clonazepam, wellbutrin or propranol, we should be testing women’s hormones as the first line of defense. With hormonal mood disturbance none of these aforementioned medications work, and women are made even more miserable on an antidepressant or anxiety med.
Next, when the antidepressant does not work, what I commonly hear happens is that the psychiatrist decides that everything wrong with the woman is emotional and sends her to weekly counseling to figure out why she is so unhappy. The counselor then determines there is a lot of turmoil and fighting at home and that she needs additional marriage counseling with her husband to resolve the issues at hand. Meanwhile, the woman's weight just continues to balloon up, she feels more and more bloated, more frustrated, more angry, and the hot flashes and night sweats are getting worse and nobody knows what is wrong with her. Even worse nothing she is doing is helping the situation!
So many women with hormone imbalance get trapped in this vicious mental health cycle!
I have seen many marriages almost end, and completely fail due to untreated hormone imbalance. Women and their husbands deserve better awareness and education around hormonal causes of anxiety, depression, and mental health disorders. Especially when PMDD, a severe form of PMS can potentially result in suicide. I have had many husbands call my office at wits end wanting to know if their wife has a hormone imbalance as I shared in my "#1 PMS Doctor" blog.
Hormonal Depression and Anxiety can present differently than typical forms. When Depression or Anxiety is resulting from a hormone imbalance often standard medications are not helpful and the patient receives little benefit while enduring multiple side effects such as dry mouth, weight gain, stomach upset, poor libido, brain fog, grogginess, not feeling like one's self, and fatigue.
#1 "Menopause Anxiety” Presents with trouble sleeping, hot flashes, and cold flashes with severe levels of anxiety the patient has never experienced before. Oftentimes this accompanies Menopause and patients with Anxiety triggered by Menopause are usually exhausted all day in a fog, battling brain fog and poor concentration from lack of sleep, and unable to sleep at night no matter how tired they feel during the day. The cycle progresses until they feel worse and worse lost in a brain fog of fatigue, anxiety, and insomnia.
#2 "Thyroid Anxiety" can cause anxiety when the thyroid is either too high or too low. Patients with autoimmune conditions such as Hashimotos thyroiditis can exhibit mood swings as they go from a hormonal rush of high hormones to a crash/low of fatigue and exhaustion when their symptoms return to hypothyroidism.
#3 “Thyroid Depression” caused by low thyroid function is characterized as feeling blah and apathetic. I often describe this thyroid depression to women as “Feeling Like a Dead Plant Needing to be Watered” as I describe further in my Thyroid Depression Blog, when we finally give the needed hormone T3 that helps make serotonin in our brains, the mood can quickly restore to normal and all depression is basically gone. Serotonin is the neurotransmitter that helps us feel calm, happy, and like everything is okay. If your mood is not good AND you take levothyroxine as T4 monotherapy, it is most likely that your brain is starved of T3 and you need a different medication. It is always fascinating to me as a Hormone Doctor how quickly Thyroid Depression can clear up even with a very low dose of thyroid hormone.
#4 Adrenal Fatigue: Can feel like constant severe anxiety, insomnia, panic attacks, and burnout or depression. Adrenal fatigue is characterized in Naturopathic Medicine as 3 different states with chronic anxiety causing severe burnout or MSS 3= Blah, burnt out, unmotivated, apathetic, and no longer caring about day-to-day life.
This occurs when our adrenal glands have been running on high from constant anxiety or life stressors and then fail to continue to produce high levels of cortisol and adrenal hormones such as DHEA that make us feel perky, happy, and energetic. The early stages of MSS 1 are when our cortisol is high and we are “running from the bear”...as I describe in my "Fight, Flight or Fright" blog. The problem with chronic stress is that after so many days in a row “Running from the bear” our glands cannot continue this high rate of hormone production and shift to MSS 2 which is sputtering. Now the adrenals are making stress responses when we are asleep at night and trying to relax and we are waking up with panic attacks while feeling tired and blah throughout the day. We are “Tired but wired.” All of these scenarios can be tested for via insurance based blood hormone testing, and treated with herbal medicine.
When the adrenals are under constant stress we have a pattern of anxiety that crashes into depression. A classic sign of this with my mental health patients is when something stressful happens, or an uncontrolled bout of anxiety turns into depression after a few days. The patient then crashes with fatigue and depression and feels blah, fatigued, unmotivated, and sometimes achey, inflamed, and in chronic pain.
#5 Insulin Resistance Panic Attacks: Do you have constant low-grade depression, fatigue and anxiety and then get panic attacks that come out of the blue? Do you feel suddenly like you are going to die from a bone crushing level of anxiety yet there is no actual emotional trigger causing the panic attack? Do you feel Hangry aka Hungry + Angry? Do you have emotional meltdowns when you get too hungry? High insulin levels such as in PCOS, translate into frequent low blood sugar. Low blood sugar causes sweating, hot flashes, and frequent panic attacks. The only cure for these panic attacks is to eat more sugar which we appease ourselves with temporarily only to cause more insulin resistance and more panic attacks from low blood sugar.
Yet doctors rarely test for Insulin Resistance despite epidemic levels in the America. A simple insulin test can determine if this is a problem. Normal insulin fasting should be <3-4. If insulin is above that number fasting then women need Naturopathic intervention. Simply telling an Insulin Resistant patient to lose weight without providing them herbs and supplements to address and suppress the high insulin number generally results in failure. Treating Insulin Resistance takes 6-12 months to realistically address and control. The first step for women is to count carbs and ensure you are pairing complex carbohydrates with protein, fiber and good fats. By "Stacking Your Macros" and eating small "Stacked" meals every 3-4 hours in addition to taking supplements and herbs from your Naturopathic Doctor you can take charge of your blood sugar and stop it from running your life.
#6 PMS & PMDD: The most widely accepted women’s hormone imbalance causing mental health disorders. For many women they don’t understand how severely they are being impacted by PMS. The first half of your cycle or “Follicular Phase” you are “Fine” generally days 1-14. But then you ovulate on day 14, the "hormone sprinkler" of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone is released and your system is now raging with hormones that are about to burn off at different rates causing mental health imbalance in the process. The “Luteal Phase” or “Looney Phase” as I call it to help women laugh and understand that this is somewhat normal is when the mental health issues arise. During the Luteal or Looney phase, women feel agitation, anger, rage followed by depression, sadness and severe fatigue. Physical symptoms can accompany the anxiety and depression such as bloating, headaches, migraines and stomach aches are also common with this form of hormone imbalance causing female mood swings.
The best thing I can do to help you as your hormone doctor is order "Biphasic Mental Health Labs." This means I am testing your hormones when you feel "Fine" in your "Follicular Phase," and then I am testing your hormones days 21-25 of your cycle or when you feel the MOST Looney in your Luteal phase. Using a period tracker app can help us pinpoint the best and worst days to test your hormones. When my mental health patients do this and see the HUGE discrepancies in their hormones it always helps them cope better.
When we can laugh and call it the "Looney Phase," this also helps women feel less pressured that there is something wrong with them mentally, and understand it simply hormone imbalance challenging their mental health. This is an especially important point when women truly feel "Fine" in their Follicular phase and experience zero depression or anxiety. Does this patient actually have a mental health disorder? Do they deserve a permanent diagnosis with a mental health diagnosis code? Do they need the social stigma of being diagnosed with a mental health disorder? Or do they need their hormones tested and balanced?
#7 Perimenopause: As I describe in my "Perimenopause is Permanent PMS" blog, when women are in the ten years prior to menopause they are perimenopausal and dealing with hormonal mood swings from imbalanced estrogen and progesterone. Women in their 40's notice they have fewer and fewer "Happy Days" in their cycle and have more PMS days. Often my perimenopausal patients are complaining of constant anxiety, anger, agitation, rage, depression, and mood swings. Hormone imbalance can often easily be corrected via hormone testing and implementation of herbal medicine, Naturopathy and Bioidentical Hormones. Oftentimes in perimenopause women need more nutritional support for their mood and don't actually need Bioidentical Hormones until they are in menopause. However, it is common for low testosterone and low progesterone to impact mood.
Testosterone and progesterone levels naturally decline around 35 as "Nature's Birth Control." When testosterone is low for women it can cause depression, anxiety, lack of self confidence, "Imposter Syndrome," and physical symptoms such as fatigue, poor exercise recovery, achey joints and muscles, and low libido.
When progesterone is low it causes insomnia, anxiety, nightsweats, brain fog, low libido, vision problems, headaches, migraines, increased autoimmune disease, and vaginal dryness.
#8 Anemic Anxiety: Chronic anxiety, fatigue, depression, brain fog, coupled with a constant worry you cannot get everything done due to fatigue is the pattern to iron deficiency causing mental health disorders as I discuss in my "Depression Diet" blog. While iron is not a hormone, I want to take this important opportunity to remind all women how important it is to simply take iron every single day while you are bleeding every month and losing iron. When iron stores or “Ferritin” drop below 75 women are often depressed, anxious and exhausted. By taking a multivitamin with iron every month this is a simple “Mental Health Fix” for many women. Too many times I have taken on a new mental health patient only to realize the underlying issue is anemia. I hate to ever waste anyone's money on something so simple!
So if you are not feeling well and are tired and feeling run down you take a multivitamin for iron and B vitamins and call my office to schedule an appointment so we can get to the root cause of your anxiety and depression. I would be happy to help you with your hormones and mental health.
Female Hormones, Psychiatry & Mental Health
Many OBgyn’s and Family Doctors I know simply do not understand the complexity of these hormones and how they impact mental health. Proper hormone testing for female mental health patients is critical to their long-term optimal function. Many times women think they have had "all their hormones checked" and when I get the actual lab report, then I see that the doctor ordered a TSH, progesterone, and/or estrogen which is about as effective as doing a Mammogram on just one breast every year and assuming the other breast is just fine! Ladies a full hormone panel is not one test or one page of tests. If your hormone lab report is not at least 3-5 pages there is something wrong! You may not actually be "fine" as your doctor said when many tests are likely missing.
While I don't want to sound rude or disrespectful to any of my colleagues that read my blog, I have found from my own experience treating mental health patients as a "Holistic Psychiatrist" for many years that women are lumped in the same mental health categories as men and left judged, misunderstood, under-tested and treated for the wrong issue. Women are labeled as crazy or lazy when they just did not receive the right hormone testing. Neurotransmitters do not always fix depression because they are not always to blame with female mental heatlh!
Women that do not respond to SSRI's, SNRI's, ADHD medications, or anxiety medications need to have their hormones addressed! But who is the doctor to do this? Often my patients are bounced between an Endocrinologist, Psychiatrist and OBgyn to no avail.
The real problem is that many doctors actually don't know how to test hormones, are overwhelmed by the thought of testing hormones, and have limited knowledge on this topic. The reason for this is we are not taught adequate information in medical school and it is of no fault of the doctor. I get text messages every single day from my colleagues not knowing what to do with women's hormones and asking me to help them. So I feel pretty confident in stating that unless you are at an appointment with an official Female Hormone Specialist, such as myself, you likely will not receive the proper hormone testing and help you need. You will not be properly diagnosed and continue to flounder without understanding the exact blueprint for the hormonal triggers for your particular mental health.
I was chosen to work in hormones in 1999 and hand trained by another female hormone specialist as I describe in my blog above. I did not learn what I know about hormones even in Naturopathic school. Although I did learn a great deal about bioidentical hormones and women's health!
So if you are struggling with your mental health and think you have had your hormones tested go check what was done and if it only 1-2 pages it is not sufficient. Especially if you think any of the above scenarios describes your mental health. Please do not go off what your OB said as I usually get a copy of the labs from my patient telling me "My OB just checked all my hormones and they are fine," and instead find grossly inadequate testing done. Also, your hormones can be in the normal range and still not be optimal for mental health.
Most OBgyns I know truly specialize in safely delivering healthy babies and do not always have the training in the complexities of the endocrine system and how it impacts mental health. They lack the time to properly diagnose you, and they lack the time needed to educate you on what you need to do. They also may lack the tools to help you because they don't have herbal medicine and Naturopathy which is superior to just prescribing bioidentical hormones to alleviate hormonal symptoms. Many OBgyn's only know how to correct your hormones via surgery in the form of a hysterectomy removing your uterus and ovaries, or suppressing your cycle with birth control pills that may make your mental health much worse.
Leaving women to feel helpless, hopless and without safe and effective hormone options.
Bioidentical hormone therapy also completely does not work when the anxiety is caused by excessive hormones! There are very few medications that address lowering hormones. This is exactly why as an Integrated Female Hormone Naturopath I am grateful to have herbs in my Toolkit to help mental health patients!
WHAT IS THE WORST-CASE SCENARIO FOR WOMEN'S MENTAL HEALTH?
I recently saw a new mental health patient that was on FIVE psychiatric drugs all because she had low progesterone. She was anxious, suicidal, and unable to concentrate. After testing her hormones I found she was simply progesterone deficient which naturally occurs around age 35 exactly when her symptoms began. I simply gave her progesterone and then gradually she began sleeping no longer requiring Ambien. We began to taper her clonazepam down as she was experiencing less anxiety, and was able to concentrate again without Adderall and Vyvance for her ADHD symptoms.
She was no longer having panic attacks from the ADHD medications and was no longer depressed or suicidal from the anxiety and insomnia. At that point I began to taper her off her antidepressants and replace them with natural antidepressants. Isn't that amazing that just one deficient hormone could cause a woman to need FIVE drugs for their mood? I hope everyone can help me spread awareness for the importance of proper hormone testing for women, especially those challenged by anxiety, depression, and mental health disorders. Thank you for emailing and sharing on social media my mental health blogs to your friends and family that need them right now!
If you need help with your female depression, anxiety, or ADHD I would be happy to help! Simply pop over to my SCHEDULE page to treat yourself to a Naturopathic consultation.
Dr. Nicole Sundene
(480) 837-0900
Dr. Sundene is a Naturopathic Doctor in Scottsdale, Arizona, and is considered a Female Hormone Expert in Women's Health and Bioidentical Hormones. She specializes in Holistic Women's Health for Menopause, Thyroid, Hashimotos, PMS, Perimenopause, Autoimmune, Postpartum Depression, Chronic Fatigue, Depression, Anxiety, Food Allergies, Digestion, Dermatology , Acne, Psoriasis, Eczema and Adrenal Hormonal Conditions. In 1999 she began working for a Hormone Doctor prior to starting Naturopathic Medical School. With over 23 years of experience in both Prescription and Natural women's health and hormones, she presents to women the best integrated health solutions for their Chronic Disease. She has been an Herbalist for over 28 years and enjoys teaching women how to use herbs to balance their hormones, nutrition and optimize their health. Dr. Sundene relies on blood testing for her hormone metrics. The hormone testing is covered per the patient's insurance plan and conducted at certain points in the woman's menstrual cycle. To learn more about Hormone Testing for Women Visit: Bioidentical Hormones. Follow Dr. Sundene on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for more tips on Women's Health, Female Hormones, and Naturopathy!
"Are there any natural Dermatologist foods to avoid for my Rosacea?" Lilly Scottsdale, AZ
Rosacea is one of the most difficult skin conditions in Holistic Dermatology to treat and requires an aggressive Naturopathic nutrition, hormone, supplement, and general dietary support. Patients are quickly overwhelmed with the long list of potential trigger foods for Rosacea below and oftentimes cannot adhere to a Rosacea Diet or even understand what foods they need to be eating and avoiding without my help as a Naturopathic Dermatologist.
In addition to minimizing the foods known to trigger Rosacea it is imperative to test and balance hormones as this condition typically comes on with Perimenopausal changes in the thirties and forties, or with menopause around fifty. Thyroid conditions are also notorious for drying and irritating the skin whether the thyroid is too high or too low can upset acne and Rosacea in hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, and Hashimoto's.
If you need my hormone and dermatology help for your Rosacea, simply visit my SCHEDULE page to treat yourself to a Naturopathic Hormone visit. I would be happy to help you identify which foods on the below list are triggers and walk you through my Naturopathic Dermatology process designed to improve Rosacea, Hormonal Acne, Cystic Acne, Eczema, Psoriasis, Seborrheic Dermatitis, Hives, Rashes, Dandruff and Chronic Skin Conditions.
Common Rosacea Trigger Foods to Eliminate and then Test
Yogurt
Sour Cream
Cheese
Chocolate
Vanilla
Soy Sauce
Yeast extracts (bread, soup, nutritional yeast)
Vinegar
Eggplant
Avocado
Spinach
Broad-leaf beans and pods
Citrus fruits (including tomatoes, bananas, red plums, raisins, figs)
Spicy and thermally hot foods, Liver and organ meats
Foods high in histamine (see below)
Drinks that Trigger Rosacea:
Alcohol, especially red wine, beer, bourbon, gin, vodka, champagne
Hot drinks, including hot cider, hot chocolate, coffee, and tea
Foods High in Histamine that Trigger Rosacea
Fermented foods (salami, pepperoni, sauerkraut, fermented fish, tempeh)
Artificial food coloring, especially tartrazine (yellow 5)
Benzoates including food sources of benzoates, benzoic acid, and sodium benzoate
BHA and BHTAll prepared dairy products made with restricted ingredients
All cheese
All yogurt
Butter milk
Products made with:
Anise
Artificial colors and flavors
Bleached flour
Chocolate/Cocoa
Cinnamon
Cloves
Curry powder
Hot paprika (cayenne)
Nutmeg
Seasoning packets with restricted ingredients
Margarine
Preservatives
Restricted fruit
Some jams, jellies
Any food made with or cooked in oils with hydorlyzed lecithin, BHA, BHT
Grain products
Commercial pie, pastry, and fillings
Baking mixes
Dry dessert mixes
All breakfast cereals except those make with plain grains
Most crackers. Crackers must be gluten free, yeast free, and free of ingredients on this list
All packaged rice and pasta meals except with gluten free, yeast free natural/allowed ingredients
Vegetables That Trigger Rosacea:
Eggplant
Pumpkin
Sauerkraut
Spinach
Tomato
All vegetables prepared with restricted ingredients
Fruits that Trigger Rosacea:
Apricot
Cherry
Cranberry
Currant
Date
Loganberry
Nectarine
Orange
Papaya
Peach
Pineapple
Prunes
Raisins
Raspberries
Strawberries
Fruit dishes, jams, juices, made with restricted ingredients
Meats and Legumes that Trigger Rosacea:
All fish and shellfish
All processed meat
All leftover cooked meat
Raw egg white (as in some eggnog, hollandaise sauce, milk shakes)
Soy beans
Red beans
Fats and prepared foods
Fats and oils with color and/or preservatives
Hydrolyzed lecithin
Prepared salad dressing with restricted ingredients
Prepared gravy
Flavored syrups
Prepared icings/frostings
Spreads with restricted ingredients
Cake decorations
Confectionary
Commercial candies
Flavored gelatin
Mincemeat
Prepared relishes and olives
Soy sauce
Miso
Commerial ketchup
Pickles
Flavored milks
Fruit drinks (except pure juices of allowed fruits and vegetables)
Carbonated drinks (except carbonated mineral water)
Alcohol: Beer, wine and cider and all other alcoholic beverages
Medications and Vitamin Supplements
Tartrazine is in some medications (both prescription and non-prescription), and some vitamin supplements. Essential medications should be tartrazine-free. Pharmacies keep a list of manufacturers who produce tartrazine-free products. Some toiletries and cosmetics may cause contact dermatitis.
Cosmetics That Trigger Rosacea:
The following products may contain benzoates, parabens, pthalates, and fragrance check labels:
Eye cream
Hair dyes
Hair sprays
Skin creams
Perfumes
Soups
Sun screens
Vanishing cream
Other cosemetics
If you need my hormone and dermatology help for your Rosacea? Simply visit my SCHEDULE page to treat yourself to a Naturopathic Hormone visit. I would be happy to help get you through the Naturopathic process of understanding your individualized Rosacea triggers.
Dr. Nicole Sundene, NMD
Dr. Sundene is a Naturopathic Doctor in Scottsdale, Arizona, and is considered a Female Hormone Expert in Women's Health and Bioidentical Hormones. She specializes in Holistic Women's Health for Menopause, Thyroid, Hashimotos, PMS, Perimenopause, Autoimmune, Postpartum, Chronic Fatigue, Depression, Anxiety, Food Allergies, Digestion, Dermatology , Acne, Psoriasis, Eczema and Adrenal Hormonal Conditions. In 1999 she began working for a Hormone Doctor prior to starting Naturopathic Medical School. With over 22 years of experience in both Prescription and Natural women's health and hormones she presents to women the best integrated health solutions for their Chronic Disease. She has been an Herbalist for over 27 years and enjoys teaching women how to use herbs to balance their hormones, nutrition and optimize their health. Dr. Sundene relies on blood testing for her hormone metrics. The hormone testing is covered per the patient's insurance plan and conducted at certain points in the woman's menstrual cycle. To learn more about Hormone Testing for Women Visit: Bioidentical Hormones. Follow Dr. Sundene on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for more tips on Women's Health, Female Hormones and Naturopathy!
Dr. Nicole Sundene, NMD
"Should I do a Food Sensitivity Test, a Food Allergy Test, or an Elimination Diet for my skin rash? I know my hives are triggered by something I am eating and I need to know the best way to figure out the source of the allergy."
Jennifer J Scottsdale, AZ
In Naturopathic Dermatology it's all about the diet! I actually recommend ALL OF THE ABOVE as the best option to determine which foods are irritating the skin. Sometimes it is difficult for patients to follow an Elimination Diet and that is when Food Allergy testing is helpful. Hives, eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, and skin rashes can result from both food allergies and food sensitivities.
Usually, when a reaction is very severe and requires an epipen it is an IgE reaction which can be determined through standard blood work at a lab via insurance. To determine Food Sensitivities we have to eliminate all suspicious and likely foods and/or test the blood for an IgG reaction via a Food Sensitivity Test.
I simply cannot help patients that are not willing to change their diet to whatever I tell them their skin needs them to eat. If you are researching natural treatments for skin issues and looking only for an herb to fix everything you will fail. I am not trying to sound negative, I just want everyone to have realistic expectations and not sign up for a service they cannot do on their end.
My other pet peeve is when a Naturopathic Doctor or Functional Medicine doc tells you to eliminate your food sensitivity for the rest of your life. While with some foods this is mandatory, the real problem with food sensitivities is "Leaky Gut Syndrome," so if we do not address and treat the inflamed gut and heal it with herbs, correct yeast overgrowth in the microbiome or other unwanted organisms then the patient just continues to react to whatever new foods they eat and eventually ends up "Painted in a corner" with 3 "Safe Foods" they can eat. If this has happened to you, it is imperative you schedule a visit with me so we can work to heal your gut so you do not continue to develop reactions to foods that should be safe.
If you are unwilling to change your diet and heal your gut I cannot help you with your skin issue.
How can I say this? Because I have worked in both Traditional Dermatology and Naturopathic Dermatology since 1999. So I have seen many different skin problems every day for over 23 years. I have seen what prescription drugs can cure with medications, and I have seen what Naturopathic Medicine can heal when a patient does everything I ask them to do to the letter in my Holistic Dermatology practice.
Patients that cannot or will not change their diets do not improve with Naturopathic Dermatology. So when patients ask me if I can help their skin question, it is never a question in my mind IF Naturopathic Medicine will help my patient's dermatology condition. But my question to the patient is can you do the Naturopathic work? Can you change your diet to what we determine your skin needs you to eat? Can you take supplements and herbs in the forms of capsules, teas or tinctures? Are you serious about getting better? If you answered no to any of those questions my service will not be a good fit for you.
If I can't use the tools in my Naturopathic Toolbox on you, Nauropathic Medicine will fail, and you will need prescription drugs for your itchy skin. Please do not enroll in my practice if you are not open to changing your diet to the diet your skin needs you to eat, or if you cannot remember to take supplements as both are generally required in the first few months of care.
My detective process often results in making changes we don't want to make. But we also must listen to the skin because it is telling us something is seriously wrong with our body. In Chinese Medicine imbalances begin on the skin. When we fail to listen to them the imbalance drives in the body deeper and precipitates as an even worse chronic disease.
I have never seen a patient in fifteen years that did not need a dietary change to fix their skin issue with lasting results. Food is the trigger and hormone imbalance is often the underlying reason the skin is aggravated.
Whether it be Acne, Psoriasis, Eczema, Dyshidrotic Eczema, Dandruff, Seborrheic Dermatitis, hives or itchy skin I cannot help you be successful in achieving beautiful skin if you cannot change your diet. If that scares you but you are open to making gradual changes, I promise that I am the same exact way and will coach you through the process. Eventually you will learn what triggers your skin and want to avoid it through a process of trial and error.
Sometimes the food triggers is not even a food my patient likes to eat but is only eating "to be healthy." Such as my own soy intolerance I discovered from Food Sensitivity Testing. I developed eczema in college when I switched to a Vegan diet! So we cannot heal your skin if you do not want to change your diet. My most successful Dermatology patients already know this and hire me to help them figure it out. Let me explain why today.
Food allergies and food sensitivities are the #1 factor driving the common skin conditions I treat such as Eczema, Acne and Psoriasis. I am leaving this Food Elimination Diet from Bastyr University here for those of you that cannot afford a Food Sensitivity Test.
While I recommend testing, eliminating AND challenging to understand skin triggers, digestion, fatigue, joint pain and so forth, I do understand it is simply not affordable for some patients. The limitations of food sensitivity eliminations are that most of my patients cannot last 3 weeks on this diet and appreciate the ease of simply having their finger poked to determine the cause of the food sensitivity or allergen.
If you or your physician suspect that you might have a food allergy you can follow these basic guidelines to best determine the food that is the culprit.
Symptoms of food allergies can be insidious or immediate and include symptoms such as: skin rashes, dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis, irritable bowel syndrome, fatigue, suppressed immune system, autoimmunity, rheumatoid arthritis, depression, brain fog, neurological symptoms and much more.
Because 70% of our immune system surrounds our gut in the form of GALT (Gut Associated Lymphatic Tissue) it only makes sense that food allergies and intolerances easily place a burden on our immune system.
Blood testing for food allergies may be helpful for children or patients that are unable to follow this regimented of a diet such as those with a history of eating disorders. However, blood testing for allergies is truly only 70% accurate and is helpful for determining which foods should be elminated and tested.
The immune system can create IgG and IgE responses to food. IgE reactions are immediate and typically result in anaphylactic shock whereas IgG allergies are insidious and most patients only notice improvement once the food has been eliminated for at least four days. Generally two full weeks is needed to determine the impact. IgG tests for sensitivity. Intolerances are possible without true allergy. Lactose intolerance for instance is a classic example of a food like milk causing a problem such as diarrhea without the presence of allergy.
The gold standard for determining food allergies/intolerances is therefore the Elimination Diet. Be sure to follow the specific diet prescribed to you by your physician. I have been using Bastyr University's elimination diet with patients since 2005 and not every patient can do it. Please look at it below to determine if you can realistically follow it, otherwise you need to schedule yourself for allergy and sensitivity testing.
As with any health care suggestions given here be sure to check with your own Naturopathic Doctor before attempting a food allergy elimination diet. Those with history of eating disorders whether active or dormant for instance are not candidates for this regimented of a diet. If you are suffering from any chronic health complaints you absolutely should not attempt this on your own and should be under the supervision of a licensed health care provider.
To identify foods that may be causing some or all of your symptoms. During the elimination period, foods that commonly cause symptoms are completely eliminated from the diet for one to two weeks. After your symptoms improve, foods are added back one at a time to determine which foods provoke symptoms. The following is a basic template used by many health care providers and may need to be modified to suit your specific needs.
FOODS YOU MAY EAT:
Cereals:Hot: cream of rice, quinoa cereal (Quinoa Flakes).
Dry: puffed rice, puffed millet
Grains: Rice: no wild rice but all kinds of other rice including rice products such as pasta (Brands: Pastariso, Lundberg), plain rice cakes, rice bread without yeast (Brand:Energy), mochi (found frozen or fresh in Asian stores), buckwheat (kasha), millet, quinoa (a quick cooking grain), amaranth, and teff
Flours: Rice, millet, quinoa, amaranth, teff, bean flours, and tapioca
Fruit: All fruits except citrus fruits (oranges, lemons, limes and grapefruit)
Protein: Meat: lamb and wild game meats such as venison
Beans/legumes: all beans and legumes, except soy and peanuts. Check labels of canned beans, dips and soups for sweeteners, spices and additives (Brand: Taste Adventure dried refried beans and split pea soup). Do not eat canned beans with chemical additives (EDTA)
Vegetables: All vegetables except tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, potatoes, and corn
Nuts/Seeds: All nuts and seeds except peanuts
Oils/fats: All oils except peanut oil, corn oil and soybean oil
Sweeteners: Maple syrup (pure) and brown rice syrup
Beverages: Water (plain, mineral or sparkling), rice milk (plain or vanilla – check labels for ingredients, gums are allowed but barley malt or corn syrup are not allowed), all fruit juices except citrus juices are allowed and all herbal teas are allowed
Condiments: All condiments are allowed except for chocolate, tomato products (catsup), pepper products (Tabasco, hot peppers), and vinegars that contain malt or other ingredients requiring elimination. Black pepper is allowed. Check all condiments to make sure that the ingredients are allowed.
Elimination Diet Guidelines
1. Do not eat any food that you suspect is causing symptoms even if it is on the list of acceptable foods.
2. Use only those foods allowed unless you check with your health practitioner. READ LABELS! “Flour” usually means wheat flour, “vegetable oil” may mean corn oil or soybean oil, casein and whey are dairy products, and potato and soy flour is in some gluten free foods.
3. Withdrawal symptoms may occur during the first few days or week on the diet. Some or all of your symptoms may increase temporarily. You also may experience symptoms that you do not usually experience. The symptoms usually subside within 10 days. The following may help you feel better: drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day, buffered vitamin C, baths with Epsom salts or baking soda, naps and mild exercise such as walking.
4. The elimination diet may be followed for up to 4 weeks. When you have had 5 days in a row, without symptoms or your symptoms have decreased you are ready to challenge.
5. If no improvement occurs in 4 weeks, then the food substances were probably not the cause of your problem and you can gradually return to a normal diet. However, it is possible that you are eating something in the Elimination Diet that you are actually allergic to, and therefore testing should be conducted before assuming there are no food triggers. Testing must be conducted while the patient is on the food. Testing for Celiac Disease or gluten sensitivity will not be accurate unless the patient has eaten the food in the past 4 weeks. Occasionally patients are allergic to cashews and beans in this diet. If you cannot stomach beans, eat lamb for your protein source during elimination as fish, eggs, cheese, beef, and chicken are common protein allergens.
HOW TO CHALLENGE
Start: Begin challenging when you have been on the elimination diet for at least 2 weeks and when you have had at least 5 days in a row without symptoms or at least your symptoms have decreased.
Challenge: Challenge one food or food group at a time, eating the recommended amount of food for 3 days in a row. For instance if you are challenging dairy you should have a glass of milk three times a day for three days. Try to use the purest form of the food possible. Cream of wheat is a better choice than bread when testing wheat for instance in order to ensure that the problem is the wheat in the bread and not the yeast or any other additives.
Stop: If symptoms occur, stop the challenge. Do not start the next challenge until you have had 1 full day free of symptoms.
When you challenge, keep a record of both your physical and behavioral symptoms.
Be patient, reactions can take up to 48 hours to begin. If you hurry your challenges, you are likely to end up getting confused and having to start again. If a reaction is doubtful, wait until the end of the challenge period and repeat the challenge to confirm a reaction.
Food Challenges: When challenging individual foods, eat one serving three times a day along with the elimination diet foods. Challenge for at least three days. Stop the food immediately if reacting.
Occasionally some patients will have severe “anaphylactic” reactions to a food they are challenging. If you experience extreme symptoms such as shortness of breath, sensation of your airway closing, swollen tongue or lips, redness or swelling of your entire body, or any other symptoms of an urgent nature do not hesitate to call 911. These symptoms can come on quite suddenly and it is better to be safe than sorry.
Meal Planning
Breakfast Ideas
• Mochi with cashew butter, peeled pear or apple
• Rice toast with cashew butter, pear
• Rice cereal and rice milk
• Rice pudding with soy milk
Lunch and Dinner Ideas
• Lamb, rice and green beans
• Lentil soup and rice crackers
• Cabbage soup and rice bread toast
• Beans and rice, lettuce salad
• Rice cakes with cashew butter, celery sticks
• Lamb, cabbage and rice soup
• Lettuce salad with cashews, celery, shallots and mung bean sprouts
• Rice pasta with parsley and green beans
• Bean soup and rice cakes
• Split pea soup and rice bread toast
Helpful Hints:
Eat as much as you want.
Add cold pressed oil to vegetables and rice for flavor and calories.
Read a good book (not a cookbook!)
RECIPES
Combination Cereals
Hearty Morning Cereal
1/2 cup amaranth
1/2 cup millet
1/2 cup teff
1/4 cup cashews
Sweet Rice Cereal
1 cup brown rice
1 cup sweet brown rice
Cashew Millet Cereal
1 cup millet
1 cup brown rice
1 cup cashews
Millet and Quinoa Cereal
1 1/2 cup millet
1 cup amaranth or quinoa
Place all grains and nuts in a fine strainer; rinse and drain. Toast grains in one of two ways:
Oven toasting:
Preheat oven to 350? F. Spread grains on a cookie sheet and toast in oven until they give off a nutty aroma (12-15 minutes).
Skillet toasting:
Place washed grains in a large skillet on burner and toast on medium heat, stirring constantly, until grains give off a nutty aroma (5 - 8 minutes).
Let toasted grains cool and store in sealed container. You can toast a big batch of several different grains at one time and store them in separate jars.
For the best nutrition, grind grains just prior to using in a small electric grinder or food processor. Once a grain is ground it begins to lose nutritional value within 24 to 48 hours. Store the whole toasted grains in labeled, sealed containers and grind the amount you need before cooking.
To cook ground grains into cereal use 1/3-cup ground cereal and 1 cup water per person. Combine cereal and water in a pot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 10-12 minutes. Using a flame-tamer or heat deflector on the burner while simmering the cereal helps prevent scorching or sticking.
Top plain cooked cereal with a little fruit sauce topping.
Amaranth Breakfast Cereal
1 cup amaranth
2 cups water
1 pear, peeled and chopped
In a small saucepan, bring the amaranth, water and pear to a boil. Lower heat to simmer, and cook for 20-30 minutes, or until all water has been absorbed. Garnish cereal with maple syrup, vanilla or rice milk.
Rice Waffles
2 cups rice flour
4 tsp. baking powder
2 cups rice milk
3 tbsp. safflower oil
Sift the dry ingredients together. Add the milk and oil gradually, stirring the mixture constantly until smooth. Bake in a hot oiled waffle iron. Serves 4
Rice Pancakes
1/2 cup ground cashews
1 1/2-Cup amaranth, quinoa or rice flours 1 1/4-cup water
1 tsp. baking powder 2 tbsp. oil
Combine dry ingredients, mix well. Combine liquid ingredients in small bowl, mix well. Stir into dry ingredients. Cook pancakes on preheated, un-greased, non-stick griddle or fry pan. When bubbly and brown, turn. As batter thickens, add water, a tablespoon at a time to keep cakes thin.
Minestra
1 head cabbage, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic
2 tbsp. sunflower oil
16 oz can white beans, drained
In a large pot, steam cabbage with a small amount of water. Cook until soft. Remove cooked cabbage from pot and add oil and garlic. Sauté garlic for 2-3 minutes. Add the cabbage back to the pot with enough water to cover the cabbage by 1 inch. Add bean to cabbage and let cook for 30 minutes on low heat. Add salt to taste.
Nutty Drizzle (serve over grain, vegetables or pasta)
1/4 cup cashew butter
1/3 cup water
Place all ingredients in a small saucepan on low heat. Stir with a whisk until mixture is smooth and warm. Serve over your favorite grain, vegetables or pasta.
Quinoa Pilaf
1 cup quinoa
1/2 cup red lentils
1/4 cup chopped parsley
3 cups water
Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan on high heat. When quinoa comes to a boil, lower heat to simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Option: This mixture can be eaten warm as is or cold as a salad with added chopped vegetables.
Lentil Stew (6 servings)
1 lamb leg bone or 4 oz lamb blade steak, trimmed of fat and chopped (optional)
2 tsp. canola oil
1/2 green cabbage, chopped
6 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2 cups green lentils, washed and checked for stones
chopped parsley
Heat canola oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add lamb bone or steak (optional). Sauté until brown on all sides. Add cabbage and garlic. Sauté until soft and just beginning to brown. Add lentils and water. Bring to a boil. Turn heat to low and simmer with a lid on until lentils and lamb are very tender, 1-2 hours. After cooking, add parsley to taste.
Falafel
3-4 cups cooked garbanzo beans
5 cloves minced garlic
1 cup parsley
2-3 tbsp. safflower oil
3-4 tbsp. water
1 tsp. cashew butter
garbanzo bean flour
Mix all ingredients in food processor except the flour. When smooth, add flour until a thick batter/thin dough consistency is reached. Fry in oil in skillet until browned/crisp on both sides. Top with tofu dressing.
Black Bean Garlic Stir Fry
4 cloves garlic, minced
chopped vegetables (cabbage, scallions, leeks, celery, green beans)
chives and parsley, to taste
2 cups cooked black beans
4 cups cooked rice
Sauté garlic in a wok or large skillet. Add chopped vegetables and sauté until soft. Add chives and parsley and black beans and cook until heated thoroughly. Serve over rice.
Bean Dip
2 shallots
1/2 cup chopped leeks
2 cloves garlic, minced
16 oz cooked beans (Garbanzo, black, kidney or white)
1 tbsp. cashew butter
3 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp. oil
In a small skillet, heat oil on medium heat. Add leeks, shallots and garlic. Sauté for 5-10 minutes or until leeks are soft. While vegetables cook, add remaining ingredients to a food processor. When vegetables are cooked, add to bean mixture in food processor. Process until all ingredients are well mixed and texture is creamy. Allow to cool before eating.
Split Peas and Rice (serves 4)
3 tbsp. oil 2 cups brown rice
1 leek chopped 6 cups water
1 clove garlic minced 1 cup yellow split peas
2 tsp. chopped chives
2 tsp. chopped parsley
In a large heavy pot, heat 3 tbs. oil and sauté leeks, garlic, chives and parsley until leeks are tender. Stir in rice and cook for 5 minutes or until rice begins to turn white. Add water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook covered for 20 minutes. Add split peas to the cooking rice and cook 30 minutes more.
Split Pea Delight
1/4 cup dried green split peas
1/4 carrot, sliced
1 1/4 cups water
Wash peas and scrub carrot. Put peas, carrot, and water in a small pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20-30 minutes. Puree in a blender.
Bean Salad
2 cups cooked beans (lentils, black, kidney, chick peas)
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
2 shallots chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 tbsp. oil
Combine the beans and chopped vegetables in a large bowl and toss until well mixed. Add oil and salt to taste and mix until beans and vegetables are evenly coated.
Rice Pasta and Vegetables
1 package rice pasta cooked according to package directions
2 leeks, chopped
3 shallots, chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
2 tbsp. fresh chives, chopped or 2 tsp. dried
2 tbsp. safflower oil
Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add leeks, shallots and garlic and sauté for 5-7 minutes until leeks are soft. Add fresh parsley and chives and cook 1 minute longer. Remove vegetables from heat. Add rice pasta to vegetables, mix well. Add salt to taste.
Rice Salad
4 cups cooked brown rice
1 cup celery
2 tbsp. fresh chives
1 cup chopped red cabbage
1 cup chopped parsley
1/3 cup cashews
2 tbsp. oil
Toss brown rice with chopped vegetables and cashew nuts until evenly mixed. Add oil and salt to taste. Optional: add 1/2 cup to 1 cup canned beans or lentils.
Rice Pudding
* this recipe can be made with cooked leftover rice or uncooked rice
1 cup cooked rice
1 cup rice milk
1 tsp. vanilla
Place cooked rice in a pan with the rice milk. Heat on medium heat until most or all of the rice milk has been absorbed. Remove pan from heat. Add vanilla. If consistency is too hard, add more rice milk and return to stove.
To make this recipe with uncooked rice, add I cup uncooked rice with 2 cups rice milk and 1 cup water. Cook like ordinary rice. When rice is cooked, add vanilla.
Millet and Pears
1 cup millet
2 cup water or rice milk
1 pear, peeled and chopped
In a pan, bring millet, water and pear to a boil over high heat. Lower heat to simmer and cook for 30 minutes. remove from stove top. Mix well. If desired, add some rice milk for a creamier texture.
Fruit Sauce
Use 1 cup water per 1/4 cup cut-up pear or apple. Peel and slice the fruit. Place cut-up fruit and water in a pot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the fruit is tender and water has cooked off (about 15 minutes). Puree in a blender.
As you can see from the limited diet options this may be difficult for many patients to follow for a minimum of three weeks and therefore testing is helpful. If you are in need my help and support while on a food elimination diet or need Food Sensitivity Testing feel free to BOOK A VISIT with me. I am happy to help you feel happy in your skin again!
~Dr. Nicole Sundene
(480) 837-0900
Dr. Sundene is a Naturopathic Doctor in Scottsdale, Arizona, and is a Female Hormone Expert in Women's Health and Bioidentical Hormones. She specializes in Holistic Women's Health for Menopause, Thyroid, Hashimotos, PMS, Perimenopause, Autoimmune, Postpartum, Chronic Fatigue, Depression, Anxiety, Food Allergies, Digestion, Dermatology, Acne, Psoriasis, Eczema, and Adrenal Hormonal Conditions. In 1999 she began working for a Hormone Doctor prior to starting Naturopathic Medical School. With over 23 years of experience in both Prescription and Natural women's health and hormones, she presents to women the best-integrated health solutions for their Chronic Disease. She has been an Herbalist for over 28 years and enjoys teaching women how to use herbs to balance their hormones, nutrition and optimize their health. Dr. Sundene relies on blood testing for her hormone metrics. The hormone testing is covered per the patient's insurance plan (not Medicaid) and conducted at certain points in the woman's menstrual cycle. To learn more about Hormone Testing for Women Visit: Bioidentical Hormones. Follow Dr. Sundene on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for more tips on Women's Health, Female Hormones, and Naturopathy!
By Dr. Nicole Sundene
Scottsdale Naturopathic Doctor
Being a Naturopathic Doctor's kid means you grow up thinking about health and medicine quite differently. My daughter has a sore throat today, so she asked me to whip her up some “throat tea.” This made me laugh because I am sure not many kids out there think to ask their parents to make them an herbal tea for their symptoms.... although it SHOULD be how we all think and raise our kids.
Cloves are the first thing I know I have in the cupboard that come to mind as they are a natural analgesic and numbing agent for pain, the proanthocyanidins in blackberries are also powerful anti-inflammatories and immune supporting.
So the Naturopathic Doctor is out of elderberries today and is thus dumping a whole bag of frozen blackberries in as potent 2nd choice medicine. Blackberries have the most flavonoids, followed by blueberries and then raspberries. Strawberries are pretty worthless for flavonoids although high in Vitamin C.
Licorice is soothing to the throat, antiviral and gives a sweet flavor acting as an important “Synergist Herb” or the harmonizer which is the herb in Naturopathic Medicine that binds all the other herbs together. Honey is antiviral and antibacterial (Do not give honey to babies.) Cinnamon is antiviral and Star Anise is a powerful herbal antioxidant and anti-inflammatory.
Basically the purpose of these oils in nature for ALL of these aromatic spices is to repel bugs and microbes naturally for the plant which is why they also work as amazing Naturopathic Medicine! I drink this straight but recommend giving about 1 Tbl to a child over 2 every 2 hours diluted in warm water. Work with your own Naturopathic Doctor.
Testimonial: “This tea is totally nasty, Mom. But my throat feels so much better!”
So there you have it! Naturopathic Medicine works!
Dr. Nicole Sundene, NMD
Dr. Sundene is a Naturopathic Doctor in Scottsdale, Arizona, and is considered a Female Hormone Expert in Women's Health and Bioidentical Hormones. She specializes in Holistic Women's Health for Menopause, Thyroid, Hashimotos, PMS, Perimenopause, Autoimmune, Postpartum, Chronic Fatigue, Depression, Anxiety, Food Allergies, Digestion, Dermatology , Acne, Psoriasis, Eczema and Adrenal Hormonal Conditions. In 1999 she began working for a Hormone Doctor prior to starting Naturopathic Medical School. With over 22 years of experience in both Prescription and Natural women's health and hormones she presents to women the best integrated health solutions for their Chronic Disease. She has been an Herbalist for over 27 years and enjoys teaching women how to use herbs to balance their hormones, nutrition and optimize their health. Dr. Sundene relies on blood testing for her hormone metrics. The hormone testing is covered per the patient's insurance plan and conducted at certain points in the woman's menstrual cycle. To learn more about Hormone Testing for Women Visit: Bioidentical Hormones. Follow Dr. Sundene on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for more tips on Women's Health, Female Hormones and Naturopathy!
Dr. Nicole Sundene
Scottsdale Naturopathic Doctor
Nutrition is very important in Women's Health. Proper nutrition helps balance hormones in a Functional Medicine model. When nutrition is optimal less bioidentical hormones are needed because healthy women make health hormones!
I love using rice vinegar for so many wonderful low-cal reasons. First of all, rice vinegar is a delicious and healthy vinegar type prepared from the fermentation of rice. There are different rice vinegar varieties based on the origin countries, including China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. It is commonly used in many Asian dishes due to its mild and slightly sweet taste. Although rice vinegar is not as popular as apple cider vinegar, it does contain various bioactive compounds responsible for various health benefits. In East Asia, people add rice vinegar to sushi rice, slaws, pickled vegetables, and salad dressings. Plus, the inclusion of rice vinegar in dishes does not alter the food's appearance. [1]
Rice vinegar is the acetous fermentation of sugars obtained from rice that contain potent bioactive compounds, including phenolic compounds and organic acids. The phenolic compounds in rice vinegar are sinapic acid, ferulic acid, p-hydroxycinnamic acid, acetic acid, vanillic acid, dihydro-ferulic acid, and di-hydrosinapic acid. It also contains certain nutrients such as Potassium, Magnesium, Calcium, and Phosphorus. [1]
Nutritional Information of Rice Vinegar
A credible source reported that one tablespoon serving rice vinegar contains zero calories and less than 1 gram of protein, carbs, fiber, fat, and sugar. [5]
Health benefits of Rice Vinegar
Medical research studies reported the following health benefits of Rice vinegar consumption.
Antioxidant and Anticancer activity
The active constituents in rice vinegar show potent antioxidant activity that relieves oxidative stress and improves cellular integrity. Moreover, animal studies reported that rice vinegar inhibits human cancerous cells' growth and reduces the risk of cancer. In the case of colon adenocarcinoma, it reduces the incidence and multiplicity of carcinomas. [1]
Help High Blood Pressure
Research studies also reported that rice vinegar helps high blood pressure and supports cardiovascular functions. It inhibits the activity of angiotensin-converting enzymes that regulate high blood pressure. Also, the acetic acid composition act on the renin-angiotensin system and may help lowering blood pressure. However, further research is required to investigate this beneficial effect of rice vinegar. [1]
Improve Blood Sugar and Cholesterol Level
Medical studies stated that consumption of rice vinegar improves high blood sugar and cholesterol level in the blood. It helps insulin activity and aid diabetes management. Plus, rice vinegar regulates and lowers the total cholesterol and triglycerides level that help cardiovascular and liver function. [1, 4, 5]
Support Weight loss
Studies suggest that regular consumption of vinegar increases the feeling of fullness and suppresses appetite that aids weight loss. Thus, rice vinegar also helps weight reduction and improves lean body mass. [4, 5]
Warnings
It is advised to consult your doctor before consuming rice vinegar in the following conditions.
Usually, rice vinegar consumption is safe; however, it may cause some severe side effects.
The composition of acetic acid can weaken and damage the teeth over time. Better to use rice vinegar combined with food ingredients. Also, it interferes with the absorption of potassium and decreases its level in the body, leading to osteoporosis. [5]
Dr. Nicole Sundene, NMD
If you would like help with your nutrition simply pop over to my SCHEDULE page to treat yourself to a Naturopathic visit!
Dr. Sundene is a Naturopathic Doctor in Scottsdale, Arizona, and is considered a Female Hormone Expert in Women's Health and Bioidentical Hormones. She specializes in Holistic Women's Health for Menopause, Thyroid, Hashimotos, PMS, Perimenopause, Autoimmune, Postpartum, Chronic Fatigue, Depression, Anxiety, Food Allergies, Digestion, Dermatology , Acne, Psoriasis, Eczema and Adrenal Hormonal Conditions. In 1999 she began working for a Hormone Doctor prior to starting Naturopathic Medical School. With over 22 years of experience in both Prescription and Natural women's health and hormones she presents to women the best integrated health solutions for their Chronic Disease. She has been an Herbalist for over 27 years and enjoys teaching women how to use herbs to balance their hormones, nutrition and optimize their health. Dr. Sundene relies on blood testing for her hormone metrics. The hormone testing is covered per the patient's insurance plan and conducted at certain points in the woman's menstrual cycle. To learn more about Hormone Testing for Women Visit: Bioidentical Hormones. Follow Dr. Sundene on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for more tips on Women's Health, Female Hormones and Naturopathy!
References:
Dr. Nicole Sundene
Are chocolate chips better than Viagra? According to Journal of Nutrition, chocolate has some pretty exciting therapeutic potential for libido.
Since women don't have a “little blue pill” they have the green light from me to consider taking a daily dose of the little brown pill.
That’s right about 50-200 brown pills a day in the form of chocolate chips I often prescribe to my female patients complaining of poor libido. Research shows that flavonol rich chocolate actually can help prevent the cardiovascular damage that is a leading cause of poor libido and inability to orgasm in women, when it is not caused by female hormone imbalance.
According to research studies, the flavonoids in dark chocolate naturally enhanced natural nitric oxide levels. The drug Viagra works mechanistically as a phosphodiesterase inhibitor to enhance nitric oxide. Our bodies also synthesize nitric oxide, and nitric oxide works on our blood vessels to dilate them and increase blood flow. With psychogenic etiologies ruled out, erectile dysfunction is typically an issue of blood flow. Increasing blood flow is how Viagra manufacturers have made a fortune.
The journal of Nutrition published an Italian university study investigating the therapeutic potential of chocolate and found that, “Flavanols from chocolate appear to increase nitric oxide bio-availability, protect vascular endothelium, and decrease cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors….our findings suggest flavanol-rich, low-energy cocoa food products may have a positive impact on [cardiovascular disease] risk factors.”
Now as a women’s health physician, I typically avoid topics such as erectile dysfunction like the plague, so I am going to drop my men’s health commentary today and then run for dear life. Working as a family medicine for over twenty five years I have learned that... most men simply DON’T care about cholesterol, blood pressure, atherosclerosis, diabetes, blood sugar, antioxidants or inflammation.
The second you start to nag about this stuff their eyes just glaze over. You can nag and nag and nag about cholesterol and blood sugar lab values, and still no changes will be implemented.
Eventually I realized the secret to men’s health while working for a Urologist, the only way to get men to care about their health is to hit them below the belt with the facts that matter. Women are typically all about vanity and men are all about virility. These are the motivators I rely on to get patients to comply with my preventive medicine concepts.
Doctors know that all of the aforementioned health issues contribute to erectile dysfunction. But, what most men don’t know is that without a properly functioning cardiovascular system, things below the belt aren’t going to function either.
It’s all about blood flow and elasticity. We would never leave our garden hoses to freeze out in the cold of winter, we instead take the time to properly care for them to insure they don’t harden and become permanently dysfunctional. Although garden hoses cannot auto-repair, our arteries do by making scar tissue, and the similar type of destruction from high blood pressure, cholesterol, inflammation, and diabetes is repaired by the body by throwing down scar tissue and inflammation.
The more scar tissue and inflammation in your arteries the less elastic they are, and thus the narrower their diameter. Blood pressure just continues to escalate and the damage to your arteries continues in a vicious cycle. Viagra and similar medications such as Levitra and Cialis all work to enhance blood flow.
They are designed to promote the elasticity of those frozen old er…stiff garden hoses. Viagra is a phosphodiasterase inhibitor which increases levels of nitric oxide. Nitric oxide causes our blood vessels to EXPAND. Eventually arteries become damaged and hardened to the point where they will no longer respond to nitric oxide. Keep in mind though that a “garden hose” left out in extreme harsh “winter conditions” will inevitably lose it’s elasticity, and the hose will have to be replaced. How many “winters” have you left your body out in the cold, not caring about diabetes, blood pressure, cholesterol, and inflammation? This is why many men with erectile dysfunction don’t find benefit from Viagra. Blood vessel expansion is the premise of which Viagra has made millions.
I am going to instead give away my natural medicine tips for free, and if the Toll House Chocolate Chip Company wants to send me a billion dollar thank you check, they are more than welcome. What is more important to me is that TODAY you feel inspired and motivated to prevent problems that will inevitably occur down the road TOMORROW.
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”—right?
If you don’t have low libido now wouldn’t you like to prevent it from happening? Medicine’s used to treat libido are expensive, have multiple side effects and drug interactions, and are not as well tolerated as the commercials on television make them out to be.
When I worked as a Urology assistant the main complaint was always headaches and that “it just didn’t work”. Well after a while when disease has advanced too far, no medication will be able to work. Think back to the garden hose example. You want your arteries to be elastic and healthy, not hardened from the “harsh winter conditions” of sub-optimally controlled high blood pressure, diabetes, and cholesterol.
So why chocolate chips?
Well chocolate chips are fantastic prevention because they are DARK chocolate and the darker the chocolate the more nitric oxide enhancing flavonoids.
A study was done on Italian men and found that Italian men that ate an ounce of dark chocolate had healthier lab markers.
Keep in mind that 50 chocolate chips or roughly an ounce of dark chocolate is the minimum amount needed to prevent disease according to that study.
I weighed them out and found that 48 chocoalte chips= 1oz. But you have my permission to throw in two extra chips for preventive measure!
Another study cited previously, showed therapeutic benefit with 100 grams of dark chocolate which is about 200 chocolate chips! Is this not the best news ever for chocolate lovers?
Remember though that chocolate as a medicine is not free of calories, cocoa butter, or refined sugar. Pure cocoa products are a great alternative as an ounce of chocolate chips have 140 calories. While 200 chocolate chips pack a whopping 500 calories!
But, for those of you that are already eating too much sugar and saturated fat, chocolate chips are a fantastic way to transition to a healthier dessert diet. I know most of you are probably eating fattening desserts anyways (I mean we do have to enjoy life a little bit right?) so dark chocolate chips are a healthier alternative and I like that they conveniently come in little bits that can be savored throughout the day.
But, chocolate chips are not the only foods that contain disease fighting flavonoids. So here is the bait and switch. Most fruits and vegetables are also rich in flavonoids.
Berries are chock full of proanthocyanins, citrus is a fantastic source of hesperidin and rutin, and onions are an excellent source of quercetin. Fruits and vegetables are likely going to prevent the need of Viagra too!
Yes–really this is just a giant strategically planned nag on my part to inspire the consumption of more whole foods, especially those rich in flavonoids. And yes it really was too easy to grab your attention with chocolate chips and Viagra and then turn this in to a fruit and veggie nag. But, my point with this “gotcha” is that preventing disease is where it is at when it comes to poor libido. Winter is coming, and it is time to think about your preventative plan for your “garden hose.”
A healthy dose of fresh fruits, raw or lightly steamed veggies, raw nuts and seeds, and chocolate will work synergistically to prevent the cardiovascular damage that causes disease.
For diabetics that want to gain the flavanol benefits of chocolate chips, simply enjoy them with a small handful of raw almonds to decrease the glycemic load and increase phenolic compounds (anti-oxidant/anti-inflammatory/anti-cancer). Almonds are also high in fiber, and fiber consumption also is protective to the cardiovascular system. So add about ten raw almonds to your 50 chocolate chips or make a healthy trail mix with your other favorite raw nuts and seeds.
Those in need of weight loss should also benefit from this simple chocolate chip tip as eating a few chocolate bits throughout the day should help you feel satisfied for sweets and prevent those binges brought on by extreme deprivation and yo-yo dieting that sets the stage for binge eating.
Stick with me, and I will teach you how to be healthy while still enjoying life!
Need my help with your hormones and libido? Simply visit my SCHEDULE page to treat yourself to a Naturopathic visit!
Dr. Nicole Sundene
(480) 837-0900
Dr. Sundene is a Naturopathic Doctor in Scottsdale, Arizona, and is considered a Female Hormone Expert in Women's Health and Bioidentical Hormones. She specializes in Holistic Women's Health for Menopause, Thyroid, Hashimotos, PMS, Perimenopause, Autoimmune, Postpartum, Chronic Fatigue, Depression, Anxiety, Food Allergies, Digestion, Dermatology , Acne, Psoriasis, Eczema and Adrenal Hormonal Conditions. In 1999 she began working for a Hormone Doctor prior to starting Naturopathic Medical School. With over 22 years of experience in both Prescription and Natural women's health and hormones she presents to women the best integrated health solutions for their Chronic Disease. She has been an Herbalist for over 27 years and enjoys teaching women how to use herbs to balance their hormones, nutrition and optimize their health. Dr. Sundene relies on blood testing for her hormone metrics. The hormone testing is covered per the patient's insurance plan and conducted at certain points in the woman's menstrual cycle. To learn more about Hormone Testing for Women Visit: Bioidentical Hormones. Follow Dr. Sundene on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for more tips on Women's Health, Female Hormones and Naturopathy!
Dr. Nicole Sundene, NMD
Scottsdale Naturopathic Doctor
Did you know pine needles are a rich source of vitamin C, beta carotene and antioxidants? Sometimes Naturopathy indeed sounds crazy but I thought I would share one of my favorite anti-aging rejuvenating herbs today with everyone feeling blah after a long winter.
A delicious way for women to get more anti-aging antioxidants is with a simple cup of pine needle tea! Pine needles are a year round readily available nutrition source.
I have learned from prescribing pine needles to my patients over the years that it is an either “LOVE IT or HATE IT” type of flavor. Either you love it like me or wrinkle up your nose and feel like you are drinking floor cleaner....I get it! So warning this is not for everyone just like a lot of other strong flavors such as cinnamon, ginger, star anise, and licorice.
Personally I love the aroma of pine, as it reminds me of mountain biking or skiing on a clear sunny day. That smell of sunshine on pine is a perfect mental health afternoon pick-me-up for a healthy “Happy Hour.”
I like to make my pine needle tea in a big cup with one bag of organic pine needles, one bag of organic cinnamon and 2-3 packets of stevia. It is the perfect cozy cocktail for a rainy day.
If my sinuses are blocked I will inhale the steam from my tea to help clear them.
Naturopathic Doctors use pine needles for pain and to treat sinus infections, colds and flus. So I bring up this simple pine needle tea today as many patients are complaining of post-viral fatigue, stuffiness, cough, phlegm, and that annoying post nasal drip after sickness that keeps lingering.
Pine essential oil can help clear the sinuses for Seasonal Allergies. So I thought I would remind everyone of the benefit from my favorite anti-aging decongestant! Between the pollen and all the germs flying around we need some new healthy tea rituals. Don't forget the nettles for allergies!
Pine needles have amazing expectorant properties that actually help patients cough OUT the sickness so it leaves quickly, rather than in traditional medicine we instead suppress the cough and keep the sickness IN with a codeine cough syrup for instance. Which is when sickness can tend to linger longer from too much suppression. The body is naturally ridding itself of sickness by coughing it out. A cough longer than two weeks is not normal which is when you should contact your Naturopathic Doctor.
Rejuvenating herbs such as pine needles are very important to include in the diet after a long dreary winter. Especially those feeling sluggish and phlegmy with a lingering cough will benefit from the alpha and beta-pinenes, that help make pine a natural decongestant!
Pine needles internally and topically can also be soothing for pain. Remember anything that is an antioxidant will generally be helpful for chronic pain and autoimmune disease.
For more tips on how to add herbal medicine to your diet and lifestyle pick up my complete Naturopathic program here: www.PGE-2.com
In my Mind-Body-Spirit Naturopathic program I teach how you how to cook with herbal medicine so you can get more plants in your body for antioxidants, anti-aging, pain relief, balanced female hormones, and energizing fuel, as well as review the best choices of aromatherapy for meditation and yoga.
There are easy fitness classes designed for women. And the Body Pump is MANDATORY for preventing and treating Osteoporosis! So there are no excuses your bones will thank you someday!
The best part of my Naturopathic Diet program is women say it is an easy program to follow, their families will eat the most of the meals with them, and they feel and look amazing eating my Naturopathic diet chock full of my favorite herbs and superfoods all designed to balance female hormones!
Need my help feeling your best? Simply visit my schedule page to set up your Naturopathic visit or give us a call (480) 837-0900. I would be happy to help!
Dr. Nicole Sundene, NMD
Dr. Sundene is a Naturopathic Doctor in Scottsdale, Arizona, and is a Female Hormone Expert in Women's Health and Bioidentical Hormones. She specializes in Holistic Women's Health for Menopause, Thyroid, Hashimotos, PMS, Perimenopause, Autoimmune, Postpartum, Chronic Fatigue, Depression, Anxiety, Food Allergies, Digestion, Dermatology, Acne, Psoriasis, Eczema, and Adrenal Hormonal Conditions. In 1999 she began working for a Hormone Doctor prior to starting Naturopathic Medical School. With over 23 years of experience in both Prescription and Natural women's health and hormones, she presents to women the best-integrated health solutions for their Chronic Disease.
She has been an Herbalist for over 28 years and enjoys teaching women how to use herbs to balance their hormones, nutrition and optimize their health. Dr. Sundene relies on blood testing for her hormone metrics. The hormone testing is covered per the patient's insurance plan (not Medicaid) and conducted at certain points in the woman's menstrual cycle. To learn more about Hormone Testing for Women Visit: Bioidentical Hormones. Follow Dr. Sundene on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for more tips on Women's Health, Female Hormones, and Naturopathy!
Scottsdale Naturopathic Doctor
Did you know the best health habits bloom one at a time in Scottsdale, just like the Barrel cactus?
While the Barrel cactus normally has a gorgeous crown of flowers…that crown did not arrive overnight!
Instead each flower in my picture actually bloomed one flower at a time over several months from April to May.
This beautiful crown reminds me of my most successful Naturopathic Women's Health and hormone patients. Women that are the most successful reaching their goals are working on small goals one at a time to improve, and not expecting to do it all at once.
They understand many pieces of the picture need to be addressed and they work through perfecting simple steps one at a time.
Many New Year’s Resolutions fail because women become too overwhelmed to be successful. Most women lack the energy, time, direction, organization, and focus to make it all happen at once.
That's when I see women totally give up!
Expecting yourself to do everything perfectly all at once is just as unrealistic as expecting this Barrel cactus to suddenly pop out its majestic crown overnight. Building long term healthy habits takes patience and fortitude.
Think of each bloom as one single habit. What will you look like after working on one habit at a time such as exercise, proper hydration, eating vegetables, increasing lean protein, getting 10,000 steps in per day, getting outside for natural light, eliminating sugar, quitting smoking, decreasing alcohol, meditating, yoga, and eating clean?
What if we stopped these annual New Year’s Resolutions and instead focused on Monthly Resolutions? Wouldn’t that feel so much less overwhelming and easy to accomplish?
They say it takes 28 days to make or break a habit.
Each month of the year lets work on a new self improvement!
When my patients see and feel success from their efforts they are all the more excited to tackle the next goal. Building that self efficacy and knowing you receive great benefits from investing time and effort into your body will motivate you to achieve more and more.
After fifteen years of helping women feel and look their best, I have learned that women are much happier once they are fit and eating clean because they feel confident in their own skin. They are happy with their weight, their complexion is glowing, and their friends and family are shocked by their “sudden transformation.” Something I know isn’t magic because I watched it happen gradually over several months as their Naturopathic Doctor.
But for the friend that has not seen them in a while it appears to be as magical as the beautiful bright flower crown from the Barrel cactus.
Most people succeed by focusing on one small goal at a time.
“Inch by inch is a cinch. Yard by yard is hard.”
Instead of making one big giant overwhelming resolution this year and giving up by Valentine’s Day, think about setting twelve mini health goals this year and work through them in steps! Go grab a pen and write them on your calendar now.
Stay committed to the process to succeed!
Need help deciding what to work on first? Visit my SCHEDULE page to treat yourself to a Naturopathic visit! I would be happy to help.
Wishing you the best health, happiness, and energy for 2023!
Dr. Nicole Sundene
(480) 837-0900
Dr. Sundene is a Naturopathic Doctor in Scottsdale, Arizona, and is a Female Hormone Expert in Women's Health and Bioidentical Hormones. She specializes in Holistic Women's Health for Menopause, Thyroid, Hashimotos, PMS, Perimenopause, Autoimmune, Postpartum, Chronic Fatigue, Depression, Anxiety, Food Allergies, Digestion, Dermatology, Acne, Psoriasis, Eczema, and Adrenal Hormonal Conditions. In 1999 she began working for a Hormone Doctor prior to starting Naturopathic Medical School. With over 23 years of experience in both Prescription and Natural women's health and hormones, she presents to women the best-integrated health solutions for their Chronic Disease.
She has been an Herbalist for over 28 years and enjoys teaching women how to use herbs to balance their hormones, nutrition and optimize their health. Dr. Sundene relies on blood testing for her hormone metrics. The hormone testing is covered per the patient's insurance plan (not Medicaid) and conducted at certain points in the woman's menstrual cycle. To learn more about Hormone Testing for Women Visit: Bioidentical Hormones. Follow Dr. Sundene on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for more tips on Women's Health, Female Hormones, and Naturopathy!
Dr. Nicole Sundene
Hormonal Migraine Headaches are often caused by female hormone imbalance, which is why women suffer more often with headaches than men, especially migraines.
Mindy had a history of debilitating migraine headaches. She had so many headaches that were interfering with her work that her employer threatened to put her on a leave of absence. She worked in sales and was expected to be “ON” for twelve hours straight per day including Zoom sales presentations. Her employer said if she missed any more Zoom presentations she would be suspended.
That is when a friend recommended she try a different approach.
Mindy was exhausted, panicking, and extremely frustrated by her severe headaches that caused visual disturbances, nausea and vomiting. She was not sure what else there was for me to do, because she had already conducted over ten thousand dollars in testing that was not covered by insurance after going from specialist to specialist for five years to try to solve her chronic pain from migraine headaches. She had been to her primary care doctor, who sent her to a Neurologist, who conducted a sleep study and a bunch of tests that were all normal. She was then sent to an Orthopedist, Physical Therapist, Massage Therapist, and even a Psychiatrist for her Migraine headaches.
Nothing any doctor tried or tested her for ever really helped her migraine headaches. Things would seem to stop the migraines at first, but then they would just come roaring right back.
I explained to her that the symptoms would continue to come back until we “listened” to them and understood the cause of the migraines.
She asked me if I thought she was going crazy and that is why they sent her to a Psychiatrist. I assured her that I believed she had real symptoms, and that I would test her hormones and nutrition related to headaches.
We began my simple three step system to address migraines naturally and within a few months she reported that she had no more migraines. Still several years later she has remained completely headache free!
After conducting her annual check up she was still in shock at how well she was doing, and how completely different life was without constant headaches.
Let me walk you through how I approach migraine headaches in women much differently than the average headache doctor, pain specialist, or Neurologist.
Step 1: Identify Hormone Imbalance by running comprehensive Hormone Labs
Step 2: Identify and Remove Food and Environmental Triggers
Step 3: Reduce Inflammation with Nutrition and Herbal Medicine
Oftentimes with "Hormonal Migraines" the headache does not start with stress or tension but instead comes on suddenly when female hormones shift in the second half of the cycle or the "PMS Window."
By using a Period Tracker app to note symptoms, it is easy for women to determine if the headache is being triggered by imbalanced hormones or rapidly fluctuating hormones which usually happen between days 18-28 of the cycle, as well as during the menstrual period, or days 1-5.
What once seemed unpredictable may become easier to predict using a period tracker app! With this information we can determine when women will be able to be the most active with work and fitness, or alternatively when women should plan to schedule less activities during their menstrual migraine window.
Research studies show that plummeting estrogen is oftentimes the culprit behind menstrual migraines.
Some women report "Ovulation Migraines" and become incapacitated the second their ovulation hormones are released. This is much less common. The most common types of migraines I find in my Holistic Women's Health practice are occurring in the PMS window from estrogen dominance.
Along with female hormone imbalance triggering headaches we also must identify individualized diet and environmental triggers as well as work to reduce inflammation. With anti-inflammatory nutrition and herbs the cells of the body become less prone to creating inflammation aka pain.
Right sided headaches and migraines are especially associated with hormone imbalance, according to recent hormone research.
So instead of popping an Excedrin Migraine or taking a shot of Imitrex for migraine medicine, let me walk you through the process of how I help my migraine patients without medication understand their headache trigger symptoms at their "Root Cause."
My patients with headaches and migraines should be tested for Food Sensitivities using a trusted reputable test by a Naturopathic Doctor. Occasionally we must pair a Food Elimination Diet along with avoiding the laundry list below of potentially aggravating foods that cause migraines. While not every food on the below list will trigger a migraine it is important to first eliminate suspicious foods that are positive with testing as well as the ones that are the most notorious for causing headaches.
While many of my patients do not want to track their food daily, I do advise keeping a diet diary and writing down the foods consumed the two to three days prior to the migraine. This can also help your Naturopathic Doctor understand the patterns and triggers behind your headaches.
Studies show that ingestion of the following foods or substances may induce migraine headaches in susceptible individuals. Working with a skilled holistic migraine headache doctor will help you through this identification process much faster, as many women feel overwhelmed when they look at this long list of foods that may cause migraine headaches.
I highly recommend working with a skilled Naturopathic Doctor such as myself to help identify the different food, environmental, and hormone triggers for each individual patient, as unfortunately not every trigger like perfume or a certain food will be the same for each patient from my years of experience successfully treating women with migraines naturally.
MIGRAINE TRIGGER FOODS:
Fruit:
Apple, banana, grapes, melon, peach, strawberries, avocado, citrus fruits, pineapple, raspberry, red plum
Vegetables:
Carrots, corn, onion, tomato, potato, cabbage, eggplant, pickles, spinach
Beans/Legumes:
Black eyed peas, peanuts, pinto beans, soy, broad beans
Nuts:
All types
Grains:
Oats, rice, rye, wheat, gluten, barley
Animal Products:
Beef, cheese, chicken, cow’s milk, egg, fish, goat’s milk, pork, hot dogs, all processed meats
Aged Meats, canned or smoked fish, cheese, beef liver, dry pork & beef sausage, egg white, pickled herring, sour cream
Beverages:
Coffee, tea, wine (esp. red), beer, and other types of alcohol
Additives:
Benzoic acid, MSG, carrageenan, food coloring (especially red and yellow) tartrazine
Miscellaneous:
Sugar, chocolate, fried foods, garlic, yeast, yeast extracts, fermented foods, sauerkraut, soy sauce, vinegar
While some headache triggers will need to be avoided permanently, oftentimes my migraine patients find as they improve and experience less migraine headaches they can begin to eat some of the foods that they once reacted to moderately. While some of my migraine patients have headaches so severe they refuse to even bother testing the offensive food and just never eat it again.
Instead of trying to eliminate this entire list of potentially healthy foods, I recommend working with me and using a reputable Naturopathic approved Food Sensitivity Testing company to guide us through the process while we test for triggers, inflammation, hormone imbalance and nutrient deficiencies like low magnesium.
Need my help getting to the "Root Cause" of your Migraine headaches, testing and treating hormone imbalance, improving nutrition, and understanding headache triggers? Simply visit my SCHEDULE page to treat yourself to a Naturopathic visit. I would be happy to help!
Dr. Nicole Sundene, NMD
Dr. Sundene is a Naturopathic Doctor in Scottsdale, Arizona, and is considered a Female Hormone Expert in Women's Health and Bioidentical Hormones. She specializes in Holistic Women's Health for Menopause, Thyroid, Hashimotos, PMS, Perimenopause, Autoimmune, Postpartum, Chronic Fatigue, Depression, Anxiety, Food Allergies, Digestion, Dermatology , Acne, Psoriasis, Eczema and Adrenal Hormonal Conditions. In 1999 she began working for a Hormone Doctor prior to starting Naturopathic Medical School. With over 22 years of experience in both Prescription and Natural women's health and hormones she presents to women the best integrated health solutions for their Chronic Disease. She has been an Herbalist for over 27 years and enjoys teaching women how to use herbs to balance their hormones, nutrition and optimize their health. Dr. Sundene relies on blood testing for her hormone metrics. The hormone testing is covered per the patient's insurance plan and conducted at certain points in the woman's menstrual cycle. To learn more about Hormone Testing for Women Visit: Bioidentical Hormones. Follow Dr. Sundene on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for more tips on Women's Health, Female Hormones and Naturopathy!
Dr. Nicole Sundene, NMD
Scottsdale Naturopathic Doctor
Has something destroyed your house, life, job, family, or soul? Licorice root shall restore you!
The brilliant thing about herbal medicine is that it has restorative adrenal adaptogen herbs to repair weary tattered souls. When I worked in regular family medicine antidepressants were really all we had to offer patients suffering from too much stress. Sleeping pills for insomnia, ADHD medications for fatigue, and valium for anxiety.
What I have learned later on from practicing Naturopathy is that many of these depressed, blue, sad, exhausted, and blah feeling patients simply needed a solid adrenal adaptogen such as licorice root!
I love licorice as an adrenal adaptogen herb because it is also a potent antiviral. This root is one of our most powerful anti-inflammatory herbs. When we need to cut inflammation and revive patients that are weak, dilapidated, running LOW with low immunity, low blood pressure, low mood, and low cortisol adrenal hormone levels... licorice is the perfect herb!
Especially when there are any digestive issues going on such as heartburn, ulcers, acid reflux, constipation, IBS, liver disease, hepatitis, and cirrhosis licorice root is the perfect herb. Licorice is safe to use as a demulcent healing herb similar to the slippery nature of aloe vera. It helps heal and soothe irritated membranes in the digestive and respiratory tracts.
Licorice is an amazing cough syrup which is why I had to preserve the licorice I used in my Herbal Gingerbread house we destroyed on Instagram, and turn it into an herbal syrup. Since I use Stevia to sweeten my syrup and keep them low carb, I freeze them instead of preserving them in sugar.
First I let the syrup cool and then freeze it in ice cube trays. Once you make your licorice ice cubes you can store them for a rainy day in the freezer. To use simply pop a couple cubes into your hot tea or coffee to boost it with nature's best steroid. Licorice is often akin to giving patients a Medrol dose pack. So if you do not feel well on steroids you should discuss the use of licorice with me or your own Naturopathic Doctor.
As an Autoimmune specialist, I use licorice for many of my patients to help naturally reduce their inflammation. For autoimmune hormone conditions like Hashimotos, it can also be very balancing and supportive to the immune system. Immune support herbs are "immune modulating" so in a hyper autoimmune state such as what I have, Lupus, or other autoimmune diseases I commonly treat like scleroderma, MCTD, Sjogren's, Hashimoto's, and Rheumatoid Arthritis this herb can really be helpful. Although we should always monitor our autoimmune patients when implementing new treatments to ensure they are working properly and not causing "Paradoxical Reactions" as many of us often have strange reactions to foods and medications.
For patients that are exhausted with prolonged coughs from asthma, bronchitis, or pneumonia this is an excellent restorative herb for their lungs and energy levels. But this powerful medicine is not without side effects and should not be used by patients with high blood pressure or on any medications. I also generally do not recommend using licorice with any medications unless you are working with a skilled Naturopathic Doctor trained in Integrative Medicine. Because licorice is a powerful medicine it has more herb-drug interactions than most herbs.
Licorice is also contraindicated for patients that have overactive adrenal glands such as in Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH), PCOS, and stage 1 adrenal fatigue. Please do not take licorice if in adrenal excess, you instead need a calming adrenal adaptogen herb for your type of hormone imbalance such as ashwagandha.
Licorice may be overstimulating for patients with PTSD, although many of my PTSD patients report improvements by taking small amounts in the morning. Do not take licorice at bedtime or it will cause insomnia. You want to use herbal medicines that boost the adrenal glands in the morning when the glands are the most active and need the most support. At bedtime, a calming sedative tea is generally better to quiet the mind.
If you have been feeling depressed, fatigued, or blue and need help getting your energy, mood, and attitude back on track simply pop over to the SCHEDULE page of my website to treat yourself to a Naturopathic visit. We can easily rely on modern insurance-based lab metrics to test your hormones, adrenals, thyroid, and vitamins so we can put together a custom herbal medicine plan based on your specific constitution, symptoms, and lab numbers.
Dr. Nicole Sundene, NMD
(480) 837-0900
Dr. Sundene is a Naturopathic Doctor in Scottsdale, Arizona, and is a Female Hormone Expert in Women's Health and Bioidentical Hormones. She specializes in Holistic Women's Health for Menopause, Thyroid, Hashimotos, PMS, Perimenopause, Autoimmune, Postpartum, Chronic Fatigue, Depression, Anxiety, Food Allergies, Digestion, Dermatology, Acne, Psoriasis, Eczema, and Adrenal Hormonal Conditions. In 1999 she began working for a Hormone Doctor prior to starting Naturopathic Medical School. With over 23 years of experience in both Prescription and Natural women's health and hormones, she presents to women the best-integrated health solutions for their Chronic Disease.
She has been an Herbalist for over 28 years and enjoys teaching women how to use herbs to balance their hormones, nutrition and optimize their health. Dr. Sundene relies on blood testing for her hormone metrics. The hormone testing is covered per the patient's insurance plan (not Medicaid) and conducted at certain points in the woman's menstrual cycle. To learn more about Hormone Testing for Women Visit: Bioidentical Hormones. Follow Dr. Sundene on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for more tips on Women's Health, Female Hormones, and Naturopathy!
