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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.
I Weigh: Women, Hormones, Diet Culture, and Body Positivity
When I read an intake form for a new patient and she requests help with weight loss, I pause and I take a deep breath. The territory is full of landmines. On one end of the spectrum, we have diet culture, touting crash diets or unrealistic body-size standards or the latest miracle weight-loss supplement. On…
Ketogenic Diet: Who Benefits and Who Is at Risk?
The ketogenic diet (“keto”) is often touted as an easy way to lose weight fast, providing impressive weight-loss results for men and women alike. But is it true? How do you separate fact from fiction when it comes to keto when there are so many so-called experts stating keto is safe for everyone? Part of…
Women, Food, and Hormones: Why Keto Doesn’t Work for All Women
Keto diets can be disheartening for women, especially when they witness their male co-workers or partners shedding pounds with relative ease. I first tried to lose weight with a ketogenic diet several years ago. It simply didn’t work for me, unlike my husband who managed to quickly lose several pounds. Neither did keto work for…
Covid-19: Comorbidities, Long-Haul Symptoms, and Immune Resilience
Vaccines are getting distributed at increasing rates. Researchers are testing 68 vaccines in human clinical trials, 20 are the final stage of testing, and two are approved for full use according to the New York Times vaccine tracker. However, depending on your risk category and the state in which you live, it could be months…
Brain/Body Prebiotic Porridge
This porridge is what I eat when I want something warm and comforting in the morning—or the occasional dinner! It is packed with fiber, which plays an important part in gut health and healthy hormonal balance. Fiber also features in my Brain Body Diet detoxification protocols. Ingredients: 1 cup warm unsweetened almond or cashew milk…
PCOS: Natural Solutions for a Common Hormone Imbalance
What is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)? It is a complex endocrine disorder that affects 20 to 30 percent of women. In medicine, we use the term syndrome to describe a collection of signs and symptoms that don’t necessarily have a single identifiable cause or pathological process. PCOS causes the sex hormones in women to become…
Hot Flashes and Night Sweats: New Data That You Need to Know
The most classic symptoms of low estrogen are hot flashes and night sweats, collectively known as vasomotor symptoms. Vasomotor symptoms are an extreme thermoregulatory response associated with profuse sweating, flushing, and increased heart rate. Vasomotor symptoms can last for seconds to minutes, and frequency varies throughout the day and night.
Endometriosis: Diet and Lifestyle Changes That Help
Endometriosis is an often undiagnosed problem that affects 10 to 15% of women.1 What happens with endometriosis is that the cells similar to the endometrium, or uterine lining, implant outside the uterus, usually on the ovaries or other pelvic organs, causing inflammation and sometimes extreme pain.
Creamy Greens Soup: A Great Source of Calcium
The dairy industry would have us believe that milk is an indispensable source of calcium in our diet as calcium is necessary for healthy bones. What the milk advertisements don’t tell us is that there are many other sources of calcium besides dairy products, and that the mineral is only one of the building blocks…