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Although caffeine is found in over 100 plants worldwide, its effects are most potent in coffee. This potency stems from coffee’s high concentration of two other stimulants–theophylline and theobromine. Like caffeine, these two other stimulants are classified as alkaloid compounds that naturally occur in both plants and animals.  Coffee is primarily consumed for its mood […]

A few years ago, I attended the Cleveland Clinic Grand Rounds where Dr. Dale Bredesen spoke about the reversal of cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer’s Disease. Even if you’re not interested in dementia and it does not or has not affected your life or your work, read on. There was something poignant that the good […]

Bioindividuality in practice In order to truly practice the principles of bioindividuality we really need to understand the concept of what—in the Functional Nutrition Lab community—we call “what’s going on in there?” “What’s going on in there?” is different than what’s supposed to be going on in there, or what the textbooks say is probably […]

Holidays are often a time of “straying into the bike lane” as I call it. This means eating foods that aren’t generally on my menu, but also will not cause any symptoms that take me away from the gatherings and festivities. “Bike lane” foods are those that I can have sometimes. And, as you can […]

Listen to this post instead! Systems biology tells us that living systems are complex and dynamic. Their behavior and expression will be difficult to determine from the attributes of distinct parts of the whole. Systems thinking focuses on how something being studied interacts with other elements of the same system. Instead of isolating the specific […]

Listen to this post instead! When we consider a term like root cause, it’s important to understand that, in most cases, it’s more likely about causes (plural) rather than cause (singular). As we adopt a clinically Functional perspective in our approach to addressing the more complex cases that we’re experiencing in increasing numbers in healthcare—and […]

Listen to this post instead! The first tenet to practicing Functionally is to address the root cause (or, as I like to say, the ‘root causes’—as most conditions these days are multi-factorial). This means that as clinicians we’re not chasing symptoms. We’re not playing “whack a mole.” And we’re not getting prescriptive based on a […]

Listen to this post instead! Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and for a lot of us that means more food and more family than usual. And let’s be honest, both of those can be a lot to digest! Luckily I have just the remedy… what’s in my spice cupboard (to aid digestion) today? it’s […]

Listen to this post instead! A Functional question is a question about the terrain—it’s a question about the person. It’s not a question about the diagnosis. A Functional question uses the principles of Functional empathy as well as the Functional Nutrition Matrix to make inquiries that lead to information about the bioindividuality of the client. […]

Listen to this post instead! It’s been over 17 years since my husband Isamu died. Seventeen years… I can remember that morning like it was yesterday. An ending. A beginning. A point in time so clear and finite for each of us—unlike most triggers in our health histories. One thing I learned, through Isamu’s illness […]