What to Eat for better Concentration and Memory: The ADHD Diet

This diet is not just for those with ADHD.

Whether you have ADHD, think you have ADHD, are told by others that you are completely ADD, are worried about age related memory loss, have chronic brain fog, or simply cannot focus; a few simple diet changes can help improve your concentration abilities.

Eating smart and healthy should also improve your overall productivity.

Let’s face it, we all could benefit from being more focused and cognitive. If this list is overwhelming, then you will most likely REALLY benefit from changing your eating habits. Please don’t be overwhelmed though, adopting a new eating plan takes time and effort at first. Read more

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Why You Should Eat Breakfast

In my opinion, after interviewing thousands of people about their eating habits and disease states, the #1 most unhealthy mistake most unhealthy people all commonly seem to make is simply not eating breakfast.

Now, I am not sure if this just goes along with the fact that most unhealthy people don’t put a lot of time, attention, self love, or self care in to themselves, or if skipping breakfast every morning is exactly what is causing this biochemical myriad of chronic health complaints. Regardless, we have all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and I agree with that whole heartedly. Read more

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Favorite Smoothie Recipe

Recently someone told me that they “don’t have time to eat breakfast”.

I replied “you don’t have time to NOT eat breakfast. Not eating breakfast is killing you slowly. Your lifespan will be shortened by not taking care of yourself properly, therefore if you don’t eat breakfast you will REALLY be short on time.”

As much as some people don’t always enjoy my tongue in cheek responses to their bad cases of the “I cants”, not eating breakfast simply should just NOT even be viewed as an option.

From start to finish my smoothie recipe takes me all of 5 minutes and 38 seconds to make, including clean up time! This is the five minutes that will SAVE your entire day. Plus, all the cool kids are doing it (ie: my sister). Read more

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Rosemary for Remembrance

Rosemary is a great herb for memory.

Rosemary is often added to recipes dedicated to those that did not survive breast cancer for “remembrance”.

William Shakespeare even wrote in the play Hamlet, “There is rosemary, and that is for remembrance”.

Not too long ago we had some random spring snow here in Seattle, and whenever the sun is not shining (almost all the time) I am drawn to the garden for some sort of UV-free inspiration. Read more

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Rosemary Salmon Recipe

If I can make this recipe, then ANYONE can make this recipe. Combining the simple whole foods ingredients of salmon with rosemary is not only great for the cardiovascular system, but memory and concentration as well.

The omega-3 oils combine nicely with the anti-oxidant and circulatory properties of the rosemary to give your brain a much needed mental boost! This is brain food at it’s finest people! Try eating this salmon for lunch to have a productive afternoon. This is the perfect recipe for someone with ADHD.

Dr. Nicole’s Rosemary Remembrance Salmon Read more

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Are you suffering from a TERMINAL case of “The I Can’ts”?

I would like to make the official announcement that starting tomorrow I am going to fine anyone that says “I can’t” twenty dollars.

As much as this might be an elaborate scheme to support the “Dr. Nicole Early Retirement Plan” I will absolutely need to retire early if I am forced to continuously battle all the negative and self limiting statements that begin with “I can’t”. Read more

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How To Make The Best Use of Kitchen Table Medicine

Hi Everyone!

Thanks for making this website such a fun project with all your great questions about alternative medicine!

I am actively working to write up the best alternative medicine self help protocols known for common and rare disease states as well as all those questions about annoying health problems that you submit.

Be sure to vote in my poll on the lower right hand side of the site, so you can have your say in what you want to read about!

To submit a question, or an article idea, Read more

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Stevia Soft Drink

I bet you thought you would NEVER in your lifetime hear a Naturopathic Physician sing the praises of Coca-Cola, but because they are going to be the FIRST company out with a new naturally sweetened zero calorie soft drink made out of the herb Stevia, I thought I would do a little promo for them.

Because Aspartame is a Villain of the Kitchen Table, I whole heartedly recommend Stevia as the only currently safe zero calorie sweetener. Stevia has been used for over 200 years in Paraguay, and in my opinion we need to use products that are shown to be safe by research. I am always skeptical of any new chemical that has not passed the test of time, and has safely passed through generations of humans.

Truvia is the brand name of the natural sweetener synthesized from the plant Stevia that will be used in this new Coca Cola product. You can read an article about the use of Stevia based products here.

Otherwise I thought I would share with you all the exciting press release I just received on this product soon to hit the shelves this year: Read more

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Healthy Weight Gain Diet

Recently a reader asked me “What can I do to put on weight when I am a picky eater?”

Now I almost hate to have to write about this because I am incredibly jealous that there are people out there that actually struggle to gain weight, but in all reality people with super fast metabolisms, picky eaters, children, elderly, convalescents and the chronically ill will all benefit from adding healthy calorie dense foods in their daily diet.

First of all before we get started, would you like to gain muscle mass or fat? Or do you need to gain both?

• Normal body fat in males is 5-15% (Red flag if under 3%)
• Normal body fat in females is 15-25% (Red flag if under 12% or a when a woman loses her menstrual cycle) Read more

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Natural Medicine for Cancer Related Fatigue

The following is a guest post by the Alternative Medicine expert on Cancer, Naturopathic Physician Dr. Jake Psenka.

For more great articles on the latest research in alternative medicine and cancer you may visit his website Cancer ND. Feel free to leave any questions you may have in the comments of this post.

“Cancer Related Fatigue”

By Dr. Jake Psenka, Naturopathic Physician

Fatigue is the most common symptom associated with cancer and cancer treatment. Current estimates suggest that between 60 and 90% of people with cancer suffer with at least some degree of fatigue. Read more

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What did you Eat today?

Chances are if you ate anything today then you are amongst the lucky ones.

Those of us that can still afford food don’t have much of a right to complain about the rising costs of gas and food. Trust me, back in college I knew what it was like to collect a pile of change so I could buy six Top Ramen for a dollar, and then put the remaining $1.87 in my car and hope it was enough to get me home.

The rising costs of food and gas have so many of us stressed right now, but instead of focusing on the negative, let’s take a moment to focus on the positive. If you can actually afford food AND gas then you are officially one of the wealthiest people in the WORLD! That is right. Most people in the world don’t even own cars. If you are reading this off a computer that you own, then you are at the top 1% of the world’s wealthiest population. Read more

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Heartburn: Suppress or Support Stomach Acid?

By Dr. Nicole Sundene

A serious pet peeve of mine is how we all traditionally deal with indigestion and heart burn with the use of calcium carbonate antacids, proton pump inhibitors, and H2 blockers (histamine receptor blockers).

I understand that at times we need to suppress our stomach acid just to provide some short term relief, or to prevent it from burning our stomach lining and potentially causing permanent scarring to our stomach and esophagus. Read more

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How Well Do You Handle Criticism?

Let’s face it, nobody likes to deal with criticism. Especially unsolicited criticism when we are not even asking for “feedback”.

For those of us that are extremely sensitive, trying to shake negative criticism can take days, months, or sometimes even it can cling to us and linger in the back of our minds indefinitely.

One of my favorite tips for dealing with criticism I learned from my Family Medicine instructor, Robert Anderson, MD. Read more

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Natural Treatments for Bell’s Palsy

Bell’s Palsy is a very frustrating typically benign medical problem that causes one side of the face to temporarily droop.

Most patients with Bell’s Palsy are terrified they are having a stroke, however they are instead experiencing a temporary paralysis or weakness of the muscles of the face resulting from inflammation of the seventh cranial nerve, commonly referred to as the facial nerve.

Associated risk factors for Bell’s Palsy are exposure to cold, diabetes, pregnancy, upper respiratory infections, and being over the age of 30. Read more

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Natural Medicines for Depression

I am very passionate about helping people with depression using naturopathic medicine. Alternative medicines, herbal medicines, nutritional therapies, diet, and lifestyle are wonderful complementary approaches to addressing depression over the long haul. Please do keep in mind when I am discussing depression I am doing so VERY generally and you will need to work with your health care provider to determine the type of depression you have whether it be mild, moderate, severe, bipolar or what not. Also, I am writing this up as general self help to get you pointed in the right direction with the natural medicines that should be the most helpful. You can print out this list of well researched and safe suggestions for depression and bring it to your appointment with your physician to determine which treatments will particularly benefit your form of depression. You should ALWAYS work with a professional when treating your depression because the consequences of sub-optimally treated depression can be life threatening. I also strictly advise AGAINST combining herbs or natural therapies (aside from vitamins, minerals, or fish oil) with any form of anti-depressants. Although it is occasionally done, most naturopathic physicians, MD’s, and psychiatrists agree that until we have research demonstrating efficacy and safety herbs and natural anti-depressants with similar mechanisms to prescription drugs should not be simultaneously used. Also, although these medicines are “natural” they are still medicines. Please do not choose to discontinue your natural medicines without the advice of your physician, someone should be overseeing your care. Depression is complicated to sort out. Please do not try to do it alone. Someone needs to be documenting your mood fluctuations as well as when you start and stop specific therapies. Before we get started let’s just be perfectly frank about what natural medicines and herbs will and Read more

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Are Women Better Doctors?

Seventy years ago the only doctors in America were men.

My 98 year old grandma was a RN back in the day, and I am always fascinated by her stories of how different and barbaric medicine was not too long ago.

When I asked what made her choose to be a nurse she simply responded, “Women were only allowed to go to school to be nurses or teachers. So I just chose to be a nurse.”

I would be a nurse right now too, that is if a bunch of women hadn’t stood up for what they thought was right and fought for equal opportunity. Read more

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Walking for Depression

The other day I was talking to a friend on the phone that was suicidally depressed.

After a long conversation I asked… “Can you go out and go for a nice long healthy walk tomorrow? The fresh air and exercise will do you good.”

She responded, “Doc, I am too depressed to walk right now, can you just walk for me?”

This got us laughing about how maybe we should start a “3 Day Depression Walk”, you know like what we do in honor of those that have survived breast cancer?

“I would walk for you, if I actually thought it would do some good”, I replied.

Believe it or not, if you struggle with suicidal depression, you are a survivor. Read more

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Breathing Exercise: Five Minutes to Zen

Question: What is the one stress management tool you ALWAYS have with you everywhere you go?

Answer: Breathing!

Deep breathing is the simplest way to calm ourselves down.

I work hard to teach my patients to immediately check in with their breathing when they are feeling stressed.

First, sit comfortably in a chair and make sure both feet are on the ground. Imagine that your feet are deeply “rooted” in the ground. Now check in with your breathing… Read more

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Weight Loss: ZERO ZONE

Everyone trying to lose weight should have a “Zero Zone” in their refrigerator.

The Zero Zone is a drawer or region in your fridge dedicated to foods and snacks that are very close to zero calories.

You can eat freely of these zero foods whenever you want to snack. Hooray!!!

For instance in my zero zone I like to keep a big jar of pickles, celery, and lime flavored sparkling water. I know I can eat and drink as much of these foods as I want. The Zero Zone eliminates the guess work out of healthy snacking. Read more

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Herbal Healing For Hemorrhoids

Is this an ancient medieval torture device?

No, it is simply a horse chestnut seed.

Previously used for pelting other children on the playground, for adults the seed of Aesculus hippocastanum is a fabulous cure for hemorrhoids and varicose veins. Hemorrhoids are just varicose veins as well, so if you tend to have a weak veinous system, you might benefit from this herb.

The active constituent aescin has an astringent property that serves to tighten up loose leaky veins. It is also anti-edematous, anti-inflammatory, anti-spasmodic, anti-exudative, and decreases capillary permeability. Read more

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