By: Alyssa Kelly, ND Seattle is in the midst of a smoke wave. A severe one, at that. Climate Central describes a smoke wave as two consecutive days with an EPA Air Quality Index of 67. Seattle’s AQI today is 185. At AQI level 67, the particles in the air, called PM2.5, reach a concentration that can start causing adverse health effects. Some of these effects include “slowing blood flow and oxygen to the heart, developing plaque on the inner walls of arteries, and interfering with liver functions” (Climate Central). These are relatively invisible yet serious effects. One symptom of these effects can be feeling more fatigued than usual or lowered exercise tolerance. People are certainly experiencing other ill effects from the particles as well, such as cough, wheezing, difficulty breathing, headaches, and more. People who already have lung or heart diseases such as asthma, emphysema, COPD, angina, and ischemic heart disease are at risk of worsening of their disease due to the particles and their effects on blood and oxygen flow. At level 185, these effects are more severe. It is critical that those at increased risk avoid exposure as much as possible. This includes people with heart or lung disease, people with diabetes, older adults, children (including teenagers), and those who are pregnant. Children and teenagers are at increased risk because they take in more air than adults do per pound of body weight. At this high of an AQI, even generally healthy adults should be minimizing their exposure. If at all possible, avoid spending time outdoors and keeping windows open. In Seattle, home air conditioning is not commonplace, so try to find places with A/C where you can spend time. Movie theaters (who wants to see Crazy Rich Asians?), museums, libraries, and shopping malls are all typically…

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By: Jennifer November, ND January 1. Time to exercise more, eat healthier, drink more water, drink less alcohol, read more, less television… I’m already over it.  What’s the deal behind new year’s resolutions? Ultimately, these are the things that if we change them about ourselves, we believe will make us stellar human beings. Business Insider says that “80% of new years resolutions fail by February”. Is this because they are goals designed to make us appear better on the outside?  Is it because they tend to be activities we don’t really enjoy?  Is it because we already cram too much into our day that adding one more activity will make the bubble burst? Yes. To all of the above, yes. How do we get around the aforementioned red tape and really make our resolutions stick?  Of course, there are the old standbys like sharing your plans with a friend to keep you accountable, or enrolling in a class so that you have to go. But what if our resolutions, started small and built us up to people who felt the energy to take on larger goals like more exercise, healthier cooking, intellectual stimulation? What if our resolutions revolved around self-care and self-love? Here are some examples: Small self-care step #1: Take time to breath throughout the day When times get stressful, take a conscious, deep breath and let it go. Breath deep into your belly and push the air out through your mouth.  5 seconds, maybe 6.  Parasympathetic system activated; a small bit of stress released. Self-care activated. Small self-care step #2: A few more steps This from the Mayo Clinic: “research has linked sitting for long periods of time with a number of health concerns, including obesity and metabolic syndrome — a cluster of conditions that includes increased blood…

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By: Kim Hansen, ND The menopausal transition is unique to each individual woman. Some women experience minor symptoms while others suffer from a variety of different ailments. These symptoms can impact their wellbeing and quality of life from the beginning stages of menopause through several years after its onset. Menopause occurs when the body is no longer in “reproductive mode” and the amount of estrogen and progesterone produced by the body begins to decline. Not only can this drop in hormones lead to uncomfortable symptoms, but it also puts women at a greater risk of developing certain diseases, such as osteoporosis and heart disease. Common symptoms include hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, anxiety and/or depression, vaginal dryness, thinning skin, weight gain, and urinary changes. Now that women are living 30 to 40 years after menopause, these effects can last months to several years after menstruation ends. A common approach to treating these symptoms is bio-identical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT). Bio-identical hormones (estrogens, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA) are synthesized from plant-based sources (yams and soy) to have the same chemical structure as the hormones produced by the body. So what exactly are bio-identical hormones?  Bio-identical means “identical in molecular structure.”  Bio-identical hormones (estrogens, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA) are synthesized from plant-based sources (yams and soy) to have the same chemical structure as the hormones produced by the body. This process allows bio-identical hormones to carry out the same processes within the body as the natural hormones we produce, the body can’t tell the difference! Therefore BHRT can restore hormone levels to a desirable state and reduce or even eliminate the unwanted side effects of menopause. So who would be a good candidate for BHRT? Any woman experiencing hot flashes/night sweats or other menopausal symptoms noted above, women with low bone density, and women…

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