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Explore the latest articles by Dr. Sara Szal, where she blends science and holistic wisdom to address the most pressing issues in women’s health, longevity, and personal transformation.
How Wild Alaskan Salmon Rocked My Locks and Transformed My Life
It’s August, 1989. Something weird and wonderful is happening en route to Harvard Medical School, and it’s not just the music of Nirvana and Pearl Jam. My hair is astonishingly full, thick, and shiny even though I haven’t used “product” on it for the entire summer. My nails are curiously strong.
Balance Your Hormones, Balance the Scale: 5 Ways to Lose Weight through Natural Hormone Balancing
Are you doing everything right, but still struggling to lose weight? A lot of people seem to think weight loss is just a case of simple math. That all it takes is “eating less and exercising more.” That the only reason someone is overweight is because of their self-control. Ladies and gentlemen, that is a…
8 Ways Birth Control Pills Might be Harming Your Health
Millions of women take birth control pills (BCP) for contraception and/or to treat an underlying hormone imbalance. BCPs block ovulation and thicken your cervical mucus so that sperm have a reduced chance of meeting up with a fertilized egg. But are they a good idea? That depends. As a gynecologist practicing functional medicine, I have…
Tired but Wired? 3 Foods to Eat + 3 to Avoid to Heal Your Adrenals
After taking care of patients for the past 25 years, I’m accustomed to the push back that occurs with adrenal problems. (In fact, I suspect you’ll have a few yourself in response to this article, and I look forward to hashing it out in the comments section). I get it – when you’re tired but…
Top Five Foods for Clear, Glowing Skin
The skin is a mirror of the gut and mind. In functional medicine, symptoms are divine messages from the body. It’s our job together to decode them, not rush to a new pill or cream. We need to identify the root cause and then create a protocol to heal that cause. The same rule applies whether the issue is acne, eczema, rosacea, wrinkles, weight gain, rapid aging, or diabetes.
Lost Your Mojo? It's Not You, It's Your Hormones
This statistic troubles me: 57 percent of women prefer Facebook to sex. While the data arose from a questionable source (Cosmopolitan), it reflects a general feeling of “meh” that many of my patients and online clients have toward sex. I see it daily in my functional medicine practice, and the symptom points to a larger,…
I’m a Doctor. Here’s What I Eat On a Typical Day.
I’m a board-certified gynecologist who practices functional medicine for women but I’m also a regular gal – busy working mom, constant chauffeur for my daughters, devoted wife, and spiritual seeker. I help women balance their hormones naturally, starting with their fork. I know that good food needs to be easy and convenient, or it’s unlikely…
Why Fermented Foods Make You Healthier (And How to Prepare Them)
You may already know that a daily dose of the probiotics from fermented food is a good idea, but do you know why? There are many options out there when it comes to getting your daily dose of healthy bacteria from food – here’s the “why” plus a few recipes to kick your health into higher gear.…
5 FAQs about Yoga and Hormones: Yoga Changes Your Adrenaline, Cortisol, and Melatonin
After practicing for four decades, I believe yoga helps with that uncomfortable “rev” in the body. You probably know what I’m talking about – that sense that you don’t like something in the present moment, like your belly or butt or thighs, or the feeling that you should be doing more in your career, or that you deserve to be paid more than you are, or you somehow don’t measure up to an impossible standard.