Articles

How Toxic is Acetaminophen?

by Tom Malterre | 1 comments

In most houses in the US, there are over-the-counter and prescription medicines that contain a potentially dangerous ingredient called acetaminophen. Acetaminophen is one of the most common ingredients in cold, flu, and pain medications. This common substance may be harmful to you or your child, in fact, taking too much can cause liver damage. Luckily there is a safer, natural alternative that has been scientifically proven to be as effective at reducing pain. Read more about How Toxic is Acetaminophen?

Why 95% of People Fail on Gluten-Free Diets

by Tom Malterre | 2 comments

After seeing thousands of people in clinical practice, I would estimate that 95% of those who try to go on a gluten-free diet fail. For many of them, it’s not their fault. They follow all the guidelines of eating gluten-free foods like rice, oats, lentils, millet, and sorghum. They find amazing gluten-free cookie recipes with arrowroot and tapioca starch. All the while, they are ingesting tiny amounts of gluten containing grains. How does this happen? It’s called cross-contamination and it is far more common than you would imagine.  Read more about Why 95% of People Fail on Gluten-Free Diets

Vitamin K2 Decreases Heart Disease and Stroke Risk

by Tom Malterre | 24 comments

Cardiovascular (heart and blood vessel) disease is the most common cause of death in the US with over 801,000 people dying every year. Over 1,370 people die every day because plaques containing calcium build up in their blood vessels. This restricts the flow of life-giving blood to their hearts and their brains and may lead to a heart attack or stroke. But how does the calcium get there? Is it from the calcium and vitamin D supplements you may be taking? It could be. Is there a missing nutrient that can prevent calcium depostis in the arteries and thus arterial plaque build-up? Yes there is--vitamin K2.  Read more about Vitamin K2 Decreases Heart Disease and Stroke Risk

Fried Plantains and Sausages

by Alissa Segersten | 3 comments

If you are looking for a very easy elimination diet breakfast meal that will keep you fueled throughout the day, then this recipe is for you. Plantains are an excellent source for complex carbohydrates that are easily digested. Use any type of nightshade-free organic sausage that is acceptable for phase 2. If you are vegetarian then try using cooked, drained black beans and ground cumin in place of the sausages. We like to make this quick and easy elimination diet meal for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!  Read more about Fried Plantains and Sausages

Nighttime Tea Recipe

by Alissa Segersten | 1 comments

Sleeping well is key to proper digestion and detoxification. When we don’t sleep our bodies produce more inflammatory chemicals. This can lead to a leaky gut, as well as pain and inflammation throughout the body. This tea calms the nervous system and helps prepare the body for a deep sleep.  Read more about Nighttime Tea Recipe

How Chemicals Increase Food Allergies and Food Sensitivities

by Tom Malterre | 8 comments

It is hard to go to a party and not notice how many people have food allergies and sensitivities. Whether your host has gluten-free dinner rolls, dairy-free ice cream, or a peanut-free snack mix, many people are accommodating this drastic rise in food reactions happening right now. So what has changed in the last few decades? One of the many factors is our drastic increase of man-made chemicals. Due to our rising population and our feverish consumption of chemical products, data from 2010 shows us that we import or produce over 74 billions pounds of chemicals in to the US every single day. That is over 250 pounds of chemicals per person per day! Every year that number increases as our use of chemicals increases. Read more about How Chemicals Increase Food Allergies and Food Sensitivities

How to Optimize your Digestion for a Large Meal

by Alissa Segersten | 1 comments

Have you ever enjoyed a large holiday meal with family and friends only to experience digestive issues that left you feeling reclusive? Eating a large meal can put a strain on your digestive system, especially for those already dealing with weak digestion. We've put together a number of things you can do before, during, and after a large meal to optimize your digestion, leaving you happier, healthier, and more able to fully enjoy your family and friends! Read more about How to Optimize your Digestion for a Large Meal

How Acid-Blocking Medications can Cause Food Allergies

by Tom Malterre | 5 comments

When we are healthy, we produce a strong acid in our stomachs; so strong that it resembles battery acid. This helps us to break apart our foods so we can access the nutrients found in them. But what happens when we have low acid in our stomach? We can’t break our foods down. This can lead to symptoms of indigestion, deficiencies of nutrients, and bacterial infections. Or, worst yet, your immune system attacks the food that hasn't been broken down leading to food allergies. Read more about How Acid-Blocking Medications can Cause Food Allergies

The Elimination Diet Book is Here!

by Tom Malterre | 10 comments

As a functional medicine nutritionist, I’ve watched thousands of people have their symptoms melt away on The Elimination Diet...skin problems, mood issues, gut disorders, headaches, chronic pain, and more. By simply (and deliciously) modifying their diets, people just like you are reversing their conditions and eliminating their most troublesome symptoms. In fact, many people continue to improve so much that they no longer need their medications! Read more about The Elimination Diet Book is Here!

Elimination Diet Resources

by Alissa Segersten | 95 comments

Here you will find the essential documents we mention in our book, Please download them, print, use a 3-hole puncher, and add them all to a special binder. For the Journal, we recommend printing off about 60 pages of the third page in the document in order to have a full journal to write in. Add this to your binder or use a separate binder just for your Elimination Diet Journal. Read more about Elimination Diet Resources

How to Make a Green Smoothie your Kids will Love

by Alissa Segersten | 23 comments

Do you ever feel that your children are not eating enough fresh greens? Did you know that by adding greens like kale, spinach, and collards to a blender with fresh fruits and water, you can create the most nourishing, healthy green drink that they will LOVE? Our children make their own green smoothies regularly, and they are going to show you how in this video! Read more about How to Make a Green Smoothie your Kids will Love

How to Heal Gallbladder Disease

by Tom Malterre | 79 comments

Over the last 3 decades, there has been a 20% surge in people suffering from gallbladder disease. It is estimated that 20-25 million Americans (10-15% of the population) have gallbladder complications (primarily from gallstones) that lead to 1.8 million hospital visits and $6.2 billion dollars in health care costs every year. Unfortunately, 10-33% of people who get their gallbladder removed never resolve their symptoms of gallbladder disease. Read more about How to Heal Gallbladder Disease

How to Make Broccoli Sprouts

by Tom Malterre | 45 comments

Broccoli sprouts contain a chemical called sulforaphane which is one of the most potent antioxidants and detoxification substances that we know of. These have been shown to greatly reduce the risk of stomach, bladder, colo-rectal, and breast cancer. Just add about 1/4 cup a day to your diet and watch your health change! Read more about How to Make Broccoli Sprouts

How To Crack Open a Young Coconut

by Tom Malterre | 2 comments

When you are feeling wilted and tired, nothing seems to hydrate better than the water from a fresh, young coconut. This is because it contains minerals like potassium, sodium, and magnesium that allow for water to pass through cellular pumps and hydrate your cells. Not to mention, the flavor of fresh young coconut water is absolutely delicious! Learn how to crack open a fresh coconut in this short video.  Read more about How To Crack Open a Young Coconut

Sunny Sunflower Seed Burgers

by Alissa Segersten | 1 comments

Try this meatless recipe as an alternative to hamburgers. In fact, this recipe is one of our children's favorites! They like to eat them with ketchup, a lettuce salad, sliced avocado, and homemade lacto-fermented dill pickles. These tasty nut-free, vegan burgers can also be wrapped in lettuce leaves (instead of using a bun) and used during phase 2 of our Elimination Diet.  Read more about Sunny Sunflower Seed Burgers

7 Steps to Heal your Migraines

by Tom Malterre | 7 comments

Through my clinical practice, I have found that eliminating trigger foods is the fastest route to healing. While working on my recent book, The Elimination Diet, I examined research explaining how food sensitivity and intolerance reactions can increase stress, alter hormones, and drastically effect the production of energy in each and every cell—the other three primary triggers for migraines! Read more about 7 Steps to Heal your Migraines

Summer Vegetable Spaghetti

by Alissa Segersten | 2 comments

I like to make this sauce toward the end of summer when there is an abundance of vegetables needing to be used. You can freeze the sauce in pint-size jars for future use. I prefer to serve the sauce over baked spaghetti squash, but my children prefer brown rice noodles—either way it’s a nutrient-dense meal! Read more about Summer Vegetable Spaghetti

It seems like gluten-related reactions are becoming more and more prevalent. Is that true? If so, why?

by Tom Malterre

Is gluten-sensitivity on the rise?

The primary job of our immune system is to tolerate what would be considered "friendly" items in our bodies. Things could go really wrong, really fast if our immune cells started reacting to food particles, friendly bacterium, or our very own cells. Read more about It seems like gluten-related reactions are becoming more and more prevalent. Is that true? If so, why?

What cross-contamination issues should I be aware of to get all gluten out of my diet?

by Tom Malterre

How common is gluten cross-contamination?

Going gluten-free means gaining a deeper understanding of your food supply and how food reaches you. Where is your food is grown? How it is processed, stored, transported, and sold? Are your grains being processed in the same facility as wheat is processed? Read more about What cross-contamination issues should I be aware of to get all gluten out of my diet?

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