Posts by Sara Szal MD
5 Genes That Make It Hard to Lose Weight, and What You Can Do To Combat Them
Do you ever feel like you exercise and eat well, but don’t see positive results? I feel you. I’ve been there! The problem may be with your genes. As scientists look into weight-loss genes, they have found that people with variations of certain genes are more prone to put on weight than others. I know,…
Read More3 Surprising Reasons to Cut Back On Alcohol & Caffeine + How to Do It
Everyone knows that alcohol and caffeine aren’t always the healthiest of choices. Is moderation effective enough to avoid their negative effects, or do some people have to quit altogether? It all depends on you. I’ll start with a short survey. Then I’ll discuss how alcohol and caffeine may be affecting you. Do you struggle with…
Read MoreHow My Great-Grandmother Influenced My Functional Medicine Practice
My great-grandmother embodied healthy living. She was a whole foodist and yoga practitioner—way before these things were trendy. When she visited us, she came armed not with candies and gum like my friends’ grandmothers, but with kale, carob, and wheat-berry cookies. She drank hot water with lemon every morning and evening. She extolled the virtues of…
Read MoreMy Top 5 Health Lessons of the Year: HIIT, Blood Glucose, Divine Unrest and More!
As I close out this year and look toward next year, I want to continue what was good and improve upon it. I have a vision of myself, fully expressed, beaming love and kindness to my family, friends, and community. But I started the year not in that state. So I took the vision of…
Read MoreWholeness: Why the Photo Shoot for My New Book Cover Made Me Feel Complete (And What You All Said About It, Too!)
We need more wholeness in the world, especially now. A recent photo shoot served as an important reminder. For me, the photo shoots never used to be about being whole. Instead, they used to be one part joy and one part do-I-look-fat-in-this-dress? Now I zip up the dress, stop staring in the mirror, and ask: …
Read MoreWorried About Holiday Weight Gain? Try These 3 Tips
Women are often on edge about the bathroom scale between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. Is there really any way to enjoy the holidays and avoid gaining weight? Hell, yes. This year, I’m going to clue you in on three—yes, just three—ways that you probably don’t know can help you stave off extra weight during the…
Read MoreFive Healthy Gifts That Benefit Hormones
We tend to let the holidays steer us away from healthiness. Yet the holidays are the perfect time to stay on track and share our commitment to health through the gifts we give. Sure, a gift of fiber powder may not say “happy holidays,” but I’ve found five gifts that help reset hormones and will…
Read MoreThree Fabulous Recipes for Fall
When it comes to walking the talk on nutrition, the proof is on your plate. I love recipes. I want recipes for meals that are nutrient-packed, yet pleasurable. As we face the holidays, you can plan accordingly to eat so well that you’ll still feel virtuous and healthy come January. Here are my favorite recipes…
Read MoreThanksgiving: What Gratitude Does to Your Brain
Dopamine, oxytocin, and serotonin walk into a bar . . . No, I’m not going to torture you with a bad joke. Instead, I want to discuss what gratitude does to the brain. Recent research findings are a call to action for a sense of thanksgiving every day, not just the fourth Thursday in November.…
Read MoreMedical Emergencies While Traveling and What to Do
When I was in my thirties, I traveled from San Francisco to Paris for vacation. We took a red eye, hoping my baby daughter would sleep. Just as I was dozing off, I heard an announcement: “Is there a doctor on board?” Apparently, I was the only volunteer. The flight attendant brought me to the…
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