Wholly Heart Blog

Fall is here! The season of change and adaptation is upon us. The time of year when the weather cools, the days grow shorter, and with the kids back to school, it’s a good time for making meals and snacks packed with as many nutrients as we can!   I often talk about eating nutrient-dense food, or “nutrient-densifying food.” What does this mean?   It means really looking at our food and eating with intention! Sometimes, it may mean removing or eliminating a food we know is “ba

Do you ever wonder what holds us together? Enter the resilience of collagen!

Vitamin D is also known as the "sunshine vitamin.” This is because our skin produces it when exposed to sunlight! But what does vitamin D do and why is it so important? We need vitamin D to maintain proper blood levels of calcium and phosphorus, both of which are essential for strong bones and heart health. Enough vitamin D also supports strong immune function as well as mood regulation.   Our bodies produce vitamin D when skin is exposed to ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation from

It's very easy to "get stuck." Especially when you're experiencing a difficult season in your life. This doesn't just apply to losing someone to death, it also includes things like diovorce, broken relationships, a new job or home, a loss of a job or home, kids moving out, you get the idea. Life is full of chages, and painful changes can either manifest changes in our bodies for good or bad. That's why it's so important to take the proper steps to ensure you don't "fall apart

Minerals are known as the “spark plugs” of the body. They are vitamins and minerals that help our cells facilitate hundreds of daily functions, including those needed for energy, mood regulation, hormone balance and sleep. These “magic minerals” have many roles in the body such as: catalysts (or cofactors for other functions to occur), regulators, cell transporters, facilitate nerve conduction / muscle contraction, and maintain pH. Very valuable for overall health!   The stre

Stress is a broad term that can encompass many things, to varying degrees. While there are many kinds of stress we can encounter, one type of stress impacts your immune system particularly hard: you guessed it, GRIEF.   The body releases hormones in response to stressful situations to protect it from harm. These hormones effect your digestion, blood sugar regulation, and immunity (among other things), as a short-term protective strategy. Stress hormones are regulated by the b

This is the story of how Wholly Heart Nutrition came to be. It has a lot to do with discovering “signs,” in unexpected places, sometimes...

Lifestyle changes can be necessary when we find ourselves “stuck.” When I see a client, often times, there is a “barrier” that keeps them feeling anxious, sad, angry, or resentful. Journaling is a small lifestyle change that have a big impact. How can journaling help you on your grieving journey?      My mother always journaled. I believe it was one of the things that kept her strong in the really difficult times throughout her life. She lived through having to bury a baby th

Another year has flown by, and 2024 is just about here. The holiday season can be packed with temptations to overindulge – This often...

Summer is all about new adventures and this can be a great mindset when it comes to trying new, nutrient-dense foods! Use this season to step outside your comfort zone and try something different, simply because it is so good for you. We’re focusing on black garlic. Now, before you gag and turn away in disgust, please allow me to describe to you this unbelievably awesome-tasting, absolute nutrient-powerhouse of an ingredient. Black garlic is made by a slow fermentation proces

Now that we know how valuable being optimally hydrated is, let’s focus on water quality . Not all water is created equal. As much as we are told our tap water is “perfectly safe” chances are, it is not. Chemicals such as chlorine, bleach and fluorine are added as treatments, which cause adverse effects on our bodies. Aside from that, a growing number of the population is becoming pharmaceutically dependent, and these medications show up in our water systems, harming us and th

Last week, we learned that optimal hydration keeps blood fluid enough to improve circulation and nutrient delivery to cells. We also learned it allows for proper detoxification via elimination pathways (or helps our bodies “take out the trash”), improves digestion, and even helps keep our joints properly lubricated. Good digestion plays such a critical role in every aspect of our health. While keeping our digestive tract in great condition is paramount to good health, we cann

You know the feeling of “butterflies” in your stomach? We usually relate that sensation to public speaking, or first dates- you know, things that are nerve-wracking but can also be exciting in a positive way! Oddly enough, I discovered that during my grief experiences, especially those that hit particularly hard, this feeling was here to stay... And NOTHING about it was positive or exciting. This “feeling” we get in our gut is thanks to a complicated network of neurons that m

Ever feel stiff and achy when you wake up in the morning? Find yourself dragging and in need of a solid nap by 3pm? This week we focus on how hydration affects our body’s energy . Did you know that if your body’s water content drops by as small as 2%, early signs of dehydration will occur? Guess what’s the first sign your body gives when it is dehydrated. You got it. Fatigue. Other early signs include thirst (well, duh!), dry mouth, amber colored urine, cravings, muscle cramp

Do you know what biofilm is? If you’ve ever had plaque on your teeth or slipped on a slimy river rock, you’ve seen it before. But inside the body, biofilm gets our gut health into, quite literally, a sticky situation. If you’re eating the standard American diet of refined sugar, processed oils and carbs, chances are you’ve created a nice little environment for biofilm to develop. You see, this diet that is has zero nutrients and is chock-full of inflammatory ingredients wrea