Ask Our Dietitian

Here Registered Dietitian, Kristen Johnson shares some simple ways for using food to heal the body.  Just ask our Dietitian!

Question #1

I wanted to ask you a recommendation for my daughter. She suffers from migraines and was diagnosed this year with gall bladder stones. She has a iodine allergy and cannot eat any fish. What do you recommend for her to try to get the migraines under control? I think her gall bladder problems are due to all the meds that she is taking for migraines.

Answer

There are a lot of different things your daughter could do.  Eating more superfoods and foods in the center of the food target can help her to get what she may be missing from her current diet and help to balance pH since it seems she may be more on the acidic side– hence the gall bladder issues.

Watch this awesome video on pH to learn more:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8kajVAh1Ec

I would also recommend she eat a variety of iodine rich foods like spirulina/chlorella and sea vegetables.

http://www.ontargetliving.com/product/on-target-living-5050-spirulina-and-chlorella-250-mgtabs1000/

http://www.ontargetliving.com/product/eden-foods-sushi-nori-sea-vegetables-0-6-oz/

Have her drink half her body weight in ounces of water a day—try adding fresh lemon juice to make the water more alkaline to help improve pH and digestion.  One glass of mineral water like Perrier or Pellegrino would be a nice addition as well. Usually migraines stem from dehydration and lack of minerals.

Hope this helps! Join our newsletter to stay connected and receive all of our latest updates—just scroll down to body of page link below:

http://www.ontargetliving.com/

Question #2

I am a semi health nut and working on being better at it, however my question is about my daughter. You mentioned beta-blockers in your speech and that is what my daughter just started taking for Migraines which stemmed from a nasty fall. Any suggestions to get her off this medication? She was on other meds that gave her kidney stones and nortriptyline.

Answer

Beta blockers help to slow everything down which can cause the body to become mineral depleted over time leading to other issues long term.  There are lots of natural ways to slow heart rate, blood pressure, etc—usually this all stems from stress and lifestyle factors.  I would recommend your daughter start consuming foods that help to calm the body down naturally like magnesium rich foods (cacao nibs http://www.ontargetliving.com/product/giddy-yoyo-raw-cacao-nibs-16oz/ Wheatgrass http://www.ontargetliving.com/product-category/wheatgrass/, figs, leafy greens), and omega 3 fats that are especially great for brain health, migraines, and depression.

(I would suggest 1 tbsp. of cod liver oil every day! http://www.ontargetliving.com/product/nordic-naturals-cod-liver-oil-orange-flavor-16-oz/)

Also, I would recommend she take epsom salt baths (add 2 cups to a bath) and work on belly breathing to slow down and distress along with helping ease pain and discomfort.

Other natural remedies include: Healthy fats (especially extra virgin olive oil and avocado), hydration, sleep, meditation, diaphragmatic (belly) breathing, regular exercise, Epsom salt baths, wheatgrass, spirulina/chlorella, bananas, and almonds)

For migraines I would also recommend she drink half her body weight in ounces of water a day—try adding fresh lemon juice to make the water more alkaline.  One glass of mineral water like Perrier and Pellegrino would be a nice addition as well. Usually migraines stem from dehydration and lack of minerals.

Question #3

Particularly interested in the hormone discussion. My 16 old daughter has super high testosterone (too high – Free T) due to PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome). Free T is causing her to lose hair and other concerns…attitude, mood, etc. The main fix for this is to add estrogen (birth control pill to combat Free T) – it is not doing the trick.

I had her checked 6 months later and her T is still the same. This disorder seems to be all hormonal- driven. Do you have any advice? P.S Checked for Thyroid and Adrenal issues and had MRI–total blood work up came back normal. However, her Vitamin D level was somewhat low. She does crossfit consistently (about 5 days a week) but her diet is not great. She likes to eat out too often. Any natural advice?

Answer  

The best way to balance hormones is with sleep (7-8 hours every night) and omega 3 fats like cod liver oil, nuts, and seeds (along with recovery exercises since it seems she may be over-training a bit).

Epsom salt baths and deep breathing are great ways to recover and rejuvenate the body.  (Add 2 cups of epsom salt http://www.ontargetliving.com/product-category/bathepsom-salts/ to a bath a couple times a week.) See below for deep breathing how to video.

I would recommend your daughter start on 1 tbsp. of cod liver oil every day—this can also help with making the body more sensitive to insulin helping to improve blood glucose levels and PCOS symptoms along with brain health. Cod liver oil is also high in vitamin D: http://www.ontargetliving.com/product/nordic-naturals-arctic-d-cod-liver-oil/

Birth control will not fix the source of the issue—it may just help to manage symptoms which it sounds like isn’t working either.  Along with the above, I would also have your daughter focus on eating more alkaline foods for improving pH balance (foods in the center of the food target).  I would also recommend you watch this video to learn more:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8kajVAh1Ec

Question #4

I am on the journey to healthy food and lifestyle and wanted to ask you a follow-up question. I am on medication only for my hyperthyroidism. I was told it is genetic as my mother and elder sisters have it. Is there anything you can recommend that would make me completely medication free?

Answer

There are definitely some natural ways to help with healthy thyroid function.  I would recommend you start taking the 3 most powerful superfoods (wheatgrass, spirulina/chlorella, and cod liver oil) which will help your body get the essential nutrients it may be missing from your diet.  You can find all superfoods here: http://www.ontargetliving.com/product-category/superfoods/

Wheatgrass will be especially high in minerals helping with pH balance and healthy iodine production.  Spirulina/chlorella and sea vegetables will be especially high in iodine, which can help to manage your levels naturally and regulate overall thyroid function. Hyperthyroidism will be more related to your lifestyle than genetics—which is much easier to control!

http://www.ontargetliving.com/product/on-target-living-5050-spirulina-and-chlorella-250-mgtabs1000/

http://www.ontargetliving.com/product/eden-foods-sushi-nori-sea-vegetables-0-6-oz/

Try this for two months and then retest your numbers to see if you can get off meds or at least lower your dosage!

Question #5

What should women that are menopausal be taking for hot flashes? Is the estrogen patch safe? How can you control your weight when you are menopausal?

Answer

For hormones and hot flashes—one of the best superfoods would be cod liver—take one tbsp.. every day.  The number one way to balance your hormones is to sleep 7-8 hours a night.  If you have a hard time sleeping, you can add more magnesium rich foods like cacao, figs, or try taking a bath with Epsom salt.  We have everything here: http://www.ontargetliving.com/shop/

Once your hormones become balanced—you will have a much easier time losing weight.

Join our On Target Living newsletter to stay connected and receive all of our latest updates—just scroll down to the bottom of page link below.

http://www.ontargetliving.com/

Ask Our Dietitian at kjohnson@ontargetliving.com