What is your ONE thing?

by Dr. Nicole Sundene

Are you tired of feeling like you have to do everything with your health all at once?

Do you feel overwhelmed trying to figure out how to get on a healthy whole foods diet and lifestyle?

Are you sick of feeling sick from a refined foods diet?

Have you tried many things only to fail and try and fail again? Well you aren’t alone. From my experience working with numerous patients, friends, family, and even strangers I encounter–only about 10% of us can quickly let go of an unhealthy behavior and develop a new one.

For nearly everyone else, changes best happen gradually over time as you successfully tackle one health goal at a time.

First I would like to officially welcome you to my blog and say thanks for stopping by my “kitchen table” to chat with me and my expert guests about whole foods and healthy living. Second, I would like to give you a starting point of reference for achieving your preventative medicine health goals.  The best way to keep track of the kitchen table is to subscribe to our RSS feed or weekly newsletters.  We do our best to update you between 1-3 times weekly with healthy recipe and lifestyle tips. Our writing team works hard to motivate you to the latest and greatest in healthy living.

I started Kitchen Table Medicine because I realized in my second year of naturopathic internship that all patients essentially need the same things.

We all need clean air, chemical free water, a reduced total load of exposure to toxins, positive mental attitude, adequate sleep, stress management, healing from past challenges, meditation, and organic whole foods.

Many people read the typical “Twelve Point Preventative Health Plan” from their Naturopathic Physician and feel immediately overwhelmed that they have to do it all at once. Really it is much much easier than that. In order to feel healthier, all you have to do is pick ONE thing at a time to work on until you get it down. Once that becomes a habit you are then ready for the next thing. Perhaps the most important portion of my prescription to you is not the herb, vitamin, or drug I am prescribing; it simply is to “Get more sleep, learn to cook whole foods meals, exercise, and tell people to be nice to you”.

You only need to simply pick one thing off that list in order to be successful at accomplishing all those goals. It doesn’t matter what your jumping off point is because the rest is bound to fall in to place. If you don’t believe me then let’s walk through some basic examples… Read more

©KitchenTableMedicine.com, LLC ™

Whole Foods Diet Resources

The key to adopting a Whole Foods Diet is to find one new whole foods recipe to try each week. Over time, and after enough trial and error you should easily have a bunch of healthy recipe ideas in your arsenal.

The weekend is a great time to practice a new recipe with your friends or family as well as grocery shop for next week’s healthy menu. I have included links to some favorite whole foods recipes I can’t wait to try out! Feel free to add your latest and greatest favorite healthy recipes to the comments section for all to enjoy! I love a good healthy recipe success story. Trust me I also have plenty of recipe disasters to keep you all laughing. Just keep trying and just keep laughing… Read more

©KitchenTableMedicine.com, LLC ™

How to Detox

Do you need a spring cleaning?

Spring is the best time to do a detox. We not only need to clean out the cupboards and the cobwebs in our homes, but our bodies and minds could use a similar sprucing up as well. Think of a detox as the “Spring Break” your body needs to get you back on track with your diet and lifestyle goals. Winter often leaves us feeling foggy, sluggish, bloated and phlegmy from lingering colds, inactivity, gluttonous holiday overeating, and lack of sunshine. Muddled thinking, low energy, and memory problems should improve with this light diet.

A spring detox is also great for those suffering from seasonal allergies as it aids the liver’s ability to breakdown and metabolize histamine, that nasty molecule that leaves us with itchy runny noses and watery eyes. The following eating plan can be followed for as little as three days or as long as three weeks. Be sure to check with your doctor before attempting any form of detoxification as pregnancy, history of eating disorder and other chronic conditions are contraindications for a restrictive diet.

Putting your body on a “Spring Break” is really quite simple: Read more

©KitchenTableMedicine.com, LLC ™

Seasonal Affective Disorder Natural Treatments

The end of winter tends to be the most frustrating for those that struggle with seasonal depression.

We tend to feel even more agitated and moody this time of year especially now that all the excitement of the holidays have died down.

March and April for those of us at the coastal northern latitudes means a few straight months of rain.

What better time for me to unveil my alternative medicine approach to seasonal depression?
Whether you just have depression during the winter months, or whether you struggle with depression all year round that is exacerbated by the low light conditions of winter; having a plan in place to better cope with the realities of winter depression is an important preventative measure.
My last name serves as a convenient mnemonic to help remember how to take care of yourself throughout the winter months…

SUNDENE PROTOCOL FOR SEASONAL DEPRESSION

Sun- for Sunshine

D- for vitamin D

E- for Exercise

N- for Nutrition

E- for Everything else!

(Thank you to Dr. Jane Guiltinan for her contributions on this protocol) Read more

©KitchenTableMedicine.com, LLC ™