After six years in practice, I’m still continuously surprised by how many women are anemic. This is important because anemia can cause symptoms of depression and anxiety. There are multiple forms of anemias including iron deficiency anemia and vitamin B12 and Folate deficiency anemia. Women have a higher tendency towards iron deficiency anemia because of blood loss during menstrual periods. “But I’ve been checked”, you might say, “my hemoglobin was normal.” Many conventional care practitioners are only looking at a hemoglobin level to check for an iron deficiency anemia. While this is a valuable test, I find a ferritin to be more indicative of quality-of-life in my patients. I prefer a hemoglobin to be in the range of 13.5 to 14.5 and a ferritin in the range of 50 to 100 in menstruating women. Any ferritin under 30, I consider to be anemic. Anything under 20, I consider an "under the floor" functioning level.

Common signs of iron deficiency anemia  include:

• Headaches
• Depression
  
• Anxiety
• Sensitivity to cold / cold hands and feet
• Desire to chew ice
• Short attention span
• Brain Fog
• Fatigue
• Heavy periods - (Bonus! - Improving iron status can make periods less heavy! Score!)
• Dizziness
• Restless leg syndrome
• Heart palpitations
• Shortness of breath
• Hair loss (Ferritin should be >75 for optimal hair maintenance) 

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If an iron deficiency is discovered, it’s important to note that the next step is not to just supplement iron. I prefer to ask WHY. Why are you anemic? My starting list to investigate usually includes: heavy menstrual periods, a vegetarian diet or a diet low in high iron foods, celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, digestive issues (constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain), and/or chronic infections. It is possible to have multiple issues contributing at once. Supplementing iron should always be done with care. It is possible to supplement too much iron. I like to monitor ferritin and other iron markers while treating with iron and getting to the root cause of the issue. Talk to your doctor to see if checking for an anemia could help you. 

As requested from a recent medicinal herb walk, here is a list of some of my favorite herb books and authors. 

Medicinal Plant Books:

• Edible & Medicinal Wild Plants of the Midwest by Matthew Alfs - good local info on using herbs as medicine and  food, very well referenced. 
• Herbal Medicine from the Heart of the Earth by Sharol Tilgner - excellent resource for medicinal aspects of plants and combinations for particular ailments. 
• The Herbal Medicine Maker's Handbook by James Green - good for how to "make medicine" from tinctures to salves. Not the best for medicinal aspects of plants themselves. 
• The Book of Herbal Wisdom: Using Plants as Medicine by Matthew Wood - Amazing prospective on herbal medicine from a well known and respected herbalist. Any other book by Matthew Wood would also be good. 
• Edible and Medicinal Plants of the West by Gregory L. Tilford - Although this book is based out of the West many of the plants are here in the Midwest as well. I started learning herbs with this book and love it for that use. Good pictures and easy quick information. 
• Botanica Poetica by Sylvia Seroussi Chatroux - Fun poetry book to learn herbs in an artsy sort of way. 
• Dandelion Hunter by Rebecca Lerner - A novel about living off the land in an urban setting with medicinal tips. Fun read if you are into herbs. I also like her website and blog firstways.com

Other general book recommendations regarding plants and nature:

• If you are looking to get into more information about edible wild plants check out the author Samuel Thayer
• Get as many identification books as you can to compare from multiple sources
• Check out Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv on how to save our children from nature deficit disorder!

Of course this is just a short list of my favorites and I am always finding more. If you have a favorite list it in the comments below!

Let's talk sleep hygiene. If you have never heard this term before, let me introduce you. Just as we need proper body hygiene to prevent illness and promote health, we can also look at our sleep habits to make sure they are setting us up for optimal health during the day. During sleep our brains process the events of the day and cement memories as well as clean out thoughts we don't need anymore. Support your sleep and your brain by adopting these habits below.

• Consider the time you head to bed. Every hour of sleep you get before midnight is worth twice the quality of sleep after midnight. 
• Turn off all electronics at least 1 hour before bed. This means television, computer, and cellphones. Electronics are very stimulating to the brain and make it difficult to get to sleep.  
• Sleep in a dark room. Our brains start to produce melatonin, which promotes sleep, when they are exposed to less light. Start by dimming the lights in your room 1 hour before bed then sleep in complete darkness. 
• Create a nighttime ritual or routine. Our bodies and minds are comforted by patterns. Remind your mind that it is time for bed by starting a bedtime routine. Some ideas include: a warm bath, meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, or light yoga (click here for a 5 minute bedtime routine). Reading can also be good if it is not too stimulating or not on an electronic device. 

• Mild to moderate exercise during the day. This helps promote restful sleep at night. 
• Optimal sleep is 7-8 hours a night, more for growing children. Read more about how optimal sleep time and room temperatures can affect weight loss here. 

If you are still having trouble falling asleep and maintaining sleep see your healthcare provider for further support. Naturopathic medicine has supportive therapies that can assist you in your change to healthy sleep patterns. 

This is a short summary for more a very detailed blog with more information check out:

• Precision Nutrition - Hacking Sleep

Once you try them you'll never go back. Kale chips might just become your new favorite snack. 
Don't worry, you won't have to feel bad about this addicting treat - because it's good for you!

Kale is high in many great nutrients like vitamins A, C, and K, calcium, and manganese.
 It's anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic! 


Many studies have now shown that food sources of nutrients are better than supplements. Check out the two articles below to read more information about this.

Recipe: 
Adapted from other recipes and a personal obsession with making Kale Chips

Ingredients:
1 Bunch of Kale
1-2 Tbsp of Olive Oil (depending on amount of kale used)
Salt to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Rip or cut your kale into bite size pieces. 
3. Toss the kale, olive oil, and salt to taste in a bowel. 
4. Spread the kale out in one layer on a baking sheet. 
5. Bake for 5-8 minutes or until cripsy. 
6. ENJOY THE DELICIOUSNESS

This recipe can also be adapted and made with Brussels sprouts! 

Resources:
About the wonders of kale:

• World's Healthiest Foods - A great resource for food/nutrient information
  

Articles on food as best nutrient sources:

• Skip the calcium pills, opt for kale and dairy, study
• Food best source of vitamins, study finds

Looking for ways to manage your weight? 
Proper sleeping habits can help!

What the studies show:

• Lack of sleep and altered sleep schedules cause increase in appetite and weight gain
  
• Increased risk of weight gain is seen with less than 5 hours of sleep a night
• Decreased risk of weight gain is seen with ideal sleep of 7 to 8 hours a night
• Keeping your thermostat at 68 degrees in the fall and winter also decreases risk of weight gain

Sources:
WebMD
Article on healthmeup.com based on a study by the International Journal of Obestity

Discussions around food and nutrition often revolve around what to eat. But what about how we eat? How we eat affects our digestion. This can have long lasting effects on different aspects of our health. 

Why is proper digestion important?

• Less stomach pain
  
• Increased nutrient absorption
  
• More energy
  
• Less issues in the bathroom

Popcorn is one of America's favorite treats.

But were you aware that there are dangers lurking in our microwave popcorn? The Environmental Working Group has linked chemicals in the lining of the bags to infertility and certain types of cancer! Have no fear, there are still other delicious ways to make and enjoy popcorn outside of using your microwave.

My favorite way to make to make popcorn is on the stove top using coconut oil. Coconut oil is good to use compared to many oils because it has a higher resistance to heat. Oils such as corn, soy, safflower, and canola are more susceptible oxidative damage from cooking on high heat. This damage causes the loss of any nutritional value the oil might have previously held as well as creates free radicals which are damaging to your body! Coconut oil is delicious and I also like to use it for stir-frying my vegetables. It doesn't need to be refrigerated.

But back to the popcorn….I found the best way to figure out how to make the best popcorn is trial and error. Each of my pots makes popcorn a little differently. Don’t be afraid to try it out and don’t give up if one batch (or five) doesn't work out!  If you are a sucker for details check out this lovely blog for a tasty recipe.

Sources:
Read about more foods to watch out for here
Information about cooking with Olive Oil
Information about Coconut Oil