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Dwell into my world where I share my knowledge, experience and suggestions around bone and hu health, nutrition, recipes, digestion and much more.
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Train your Balance to Foil the Fall
Did you know that 1/3 of Americans over the age of 65 fall at least once a year? Taking a tumble might not seem like a big deal, but a simple fall can lead to bruises, broken bones, sprained joints,...
Beyond Sleep: 5 Ways Melatonin puts the Breaks on Aging
You have probably read about the use of melatonin as a natural sleep aid, but did you know that melatonin may also play an important role in slowing down the aging process? Melatonin is a hormone...
Is Your Body Polluted with Plastics?
I picked up Consumer Reports magazine this week and the headlines on the front cover reads: "HOW TO EAT LESS PLASTIC" The article highlights that, on...
Let’s Stay Healthy Together
When life is in chaos, your home is your safe haven. The stay at home orders have extended in most states way longer than most of us ever expected! Although some states are beginning to lift closure...
Lessons Learned from Home
When I started with my “Creating a Home Health Haven” blog back on March 23rd, my goal was to provide support and encouragement to my community during a time of turmoil. We were hurled into a...
Shielding Your Mind while Sheltering in Place
There is no doubt that being home bound poses many challenges to our health. Reduction in physical activity, social interaction and mental stimulation coupled with comfort foods creeping into our...
Hello Sunshine
Hard to believe that May is one week away! While being hunkered down in my home, I feel like April has passed right on by. Luckily May in the Mid-Atlantic states means the beginning of warm, sunny...
I Made Sauerkraut!
This past month, despite seemingly having extra hours in the day, I have been very busy. I am not complaining, being busy is good right now! It keeps me fulfilled and makes it exciting to wake up...
Strength Through Nature
I took off today to celebrate Earth Day. I drove to the mountains and hiked 8 miles with my beautiful daughter and loving, courageous dog. I know not many people view Earth Day as a reason to take...
Shelter No Stress
Many of us have been sheltering in place now for over a month! The disruptions to daily life have impacted each one of us in very different ways. Some of us are worried about our health, while...
Your Muscles Can’t Afford a Corona-cation
On Saturday I challenged you to up your exercise! As silly as doing a couple of squats a day or merely standing up and sitting down from a chair may seem, there is a reason for my request! Your...
Exercise Challenge
I am challenging you today to get more exercise! Doing squats is a great place to start! This is an exercise that can range from something as simple as standing up and sitting down from a chair to...
Friday Feast: DIY Grain Bowl
It is the end of the week and in my house, containers of leftovers are stacking up in the refrigerator. None are enough for a complete meal, but when you are trying to limit your trips to the...
Your Body of Water
Yesterday, I took the opportunity to clean up and organize my office a bit. I ran across one of the very first books I read while starting out on my wellness journey back in the early '90's: Your...
Getting your Greens during Quarantine
Nutrient packed greens are a must for our health. They benefit everything from our brains to our bones. That includes supporting our immune system and our gut health, two areas top of mind these...
Start a Garden without Leaving Home
I have something exciting to share with you today! My friend and colleague, Debby Ward, is offering a FREE mini course on how to Start a Container Garden without Leaving Home. Debby is offering...
Hope isn’t Cancelled
The weeks of being confined in my home have started to get to me! Up until now, I haven’t felt like my life has been severely impacted. Other than not being able to run out to my favorite store on...
Sugar Weakens the System
Yesterday, I recommended starting the day out with a well-balanced meal to keep you full, fueled and feeling good in your healthy home haven. By avoiding refined carbohydrates and sugary foods, you...
Avoiding the Quaren-ten (pounds)
I have heard from many of you that you are concerned about maintaining a healthy weight during this time of confinement. Emotional eating and being bored can lead to frequent exploration of the...
Protecting your Pet’s Health during the Pandemic
Pets provide people with valuable companionship and unconditional love. They can also greatly contribute to our health. Having and loving a pet can help to reduce stress and anxiety, ease...
Day 13: A message from Reverend Haffner
Monday morning in America. This traffic map should be lit up in RED! Instead, people are hunkered down in their homes protecting themselves and their families from this virus that has engulfed the...
Day 12: Stress Resilience
Yesterday I wrote about the importance of sleep, and how our primary sleep hormone, melatonin, directly influences our immune system. Melatonin production at night helps boost our immune cells to...
Day 11: Sleep is Essential
Today I am going to share my most important tip for helping you create a home health haven. A tip for not only keeping your immune system strong in the presence of this virus, but also for living a...
Finding a New “Normal”
This week, President Trump extended the isolation period through the end of April. However, it is going to take many months before we truly get back to “normal.” We are being thrusted into a new...
How to Protect Yourself and Family from COVID-19
The current viral outbreak concerns us both as individuals and as a global community. Finding reliable information about how to protect yourself and your loved ones is challenging and ever-changing....
Day 8: 3 Favorite Immune Boosting Foods
When fighting a cold or defending yourself against a nasty virus, your immune system is called into action. Your immune system is a complex fighting machine that includes several different types of...
Day 7: Round table discussion
Sometimes, it seems like we are collectively watching a bizarre sci-fi movie. At least that was the consensus among the experts that participated with me in a recent Coronavirus Roundtable. I joined...
Home Health Haven Day 6: Just Breathe
I hope you have been more mindful of your posture over the last 24 hours! Yesterday I mentioned how poor posture can hamper your breathing and today, I am going to emphasize how important optimal...
Home Health Haven Day 5: Perfect Posture
Yesterday I touted the benefits of technology for keeping us socially connected during this time of social distancing. But with the increased time spent on our computers, using our mobile phones or...
Home Health Haven – The Science
Ok…we all know that to stop the spread of the corona virus we need to be diligently washing our hands. But do you know the science behind hand washing and why it is so important to wash for a full...
Staying Socially Connected
Human beings are not meant to live in isolation. Although we vary in the degree to which we seek our social contact, humans are social creatures that need each other. There is no shortage of...
Essential Impact Exercises
I received many wonderful responses yesterday as to what you are doing to stay healthy during this time of confinement. I am encouraged to hear that many are trying to stay active. One thing that...
Creating your Home Health Haven
Wow, what a time we are living through. With the rapid spread of coronavirus throughout the US, it has become clear that self-quarantining in our homes is the best course of action for our own...
Curious Connection: Heart Disease & Osteoporosis
February is National Heart Month! The perfect time to highlight the curious connection between heart disease and osteoporosis. It seems strange that the weakening of hard, rigid bones could be...
Air Pollution and Your Bones
A new study out of India found an association between exposure to air pollution and bone loss. This doesn't surprise me! ANYTHING that causes oxidative stress and inflammation will lead to the break...
How Do I Nurture My Bones?
How do I protect and nurture my bones? • Take care of my gut• Get my daily fill of bone building nutrients• Eliminate toxins where I can• Manage my stress• Exercise daily• Strive for 8 hours of...
Wellness Empowered U
If you have been one of my followers or patients over the last few years, you know that I believe in taking a holistic approach to treating osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is not a disease merely due to...
4 Tips to Restore Gut Health
I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and are looking forward to an amazing 2020! I don't know about you, but I am still suffering from too much holiday! Although my weeks were full of loving...
Aging is a Gift
When I say this many people look at me like I am crazy! They describe how they wake with aches and pains, need glasses to read a menu, experience forgetful moments. How is this a gift? It is because...
Healthy Aging Summit
I have been working really hard to bring you an awesome educational experience! The Healthy Aging Summit! I sought after and interviewed over 40 experts in the field of healthy aging...and you now...
Is Your Bone Health Plan Working?
How many of you out there are working hard and doing everything you can to keep your bones healthy? You’re eating a nutrient rich diet, exercising, controlling stress, getting enough sleep or even...
Goodnight Bones
Welcome to September! I hope everyone had a wonderful, relaxing summer! I had the opportunity to hike many of our amazing National Parks, what a treasure they are! Hiking provides my bones and my...
Mighty Mitochondria and Your Bone Health
I'm sorry you haven't heard from me for a while! I have been working hard on an exciting new project that I can't wait to share with you in the next few months! So stay tuned! In the...
Vitamin K2 and You
I was listening to a great webinar the other day hosted by Dr. Lani Simpson and featuring Dr. Kate Rheaume-Bleue, author of the book The Calcium Paradox. This is one of the first books...
Vitamin A: How much is too much?
This past week I had a new patient seeking advice on what supplements she should be taking to support her bone health, along with the health of her eyes and her immune system, and aid in...
How much protein do your bones need?
Over the years there has been a lot of controversy as to whether protein is detrimental or beneficial to bone health. Early research suggested that a high protein diet caused an increase...
Osteoporosis: East meets West
As the world grows smaller and my patient population more wonderfully diverse, I’ve been stretched to learn more about the traditional practices of Eastern Medicine. Although I take a...
Are you eating the right fats for your bones?
You’re living a healthy lifestyle, but why are you still losing bone? Maybe you have been exercising more, increasing your consumption of green leafy vegetables, and have even cut down...
Vitamin D: Beneficial or Bogus?
“Vitamin-D Deficiency Makes Bones Age Prematurely” “Vitamin D won’t help you avoid bone fractures and taking too much is not safe” “Calcium and vitamin D: the backbones of bone health” “Vitamin D...
Holistic Pain Relief: Laura Di Franco’s Ultimate Guide to Healing Therapies, Modalities and Practices
This week I would like to share with you an AWESOME blog post written by my friend and colleague Laura Di Franco. In Laura's Guide to Healing Therapies, Modalities and Practices you...
Round Up in Your Bones?
By now you have heard that the weed killer Roundup is showing up in dozens of popular breakfast cereals and snack bars. According to independent testing commissioned by the...
Get a Grip on your Bones
Upon rising with the sun barely peeking up over the horizon, I cautiously (because I don’t want to trip over my dog!) make my way to the bedroom door. I grip the doorknob, rotate it, and open the...
Diabetes and Your Bones
November is national diabetes awareness month. Sadly, over 30 million people across the US are afflicted with diabetes. Having high blood sugar can result in many serious health...
Breast Cancer and Your Bones
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among American women. It is estimated that 1 in 8 women develop breast cancer in their lifetime. This year a projected 40,000 women...
7 Lifestyle Habits for Better Bone Health
Did you know that women around the world are developing osteoporosis at younger and younger ages? Once observed primarily in postmenopausal women, an increasing number of younger women are...
Chew your way to Healthier Bones
Drink your solids, chew your liquids is a common principle encouraged by many holistic and integrative practitioners. But what does that mean and how is that possible? Through chewing! Slowing...
Fermented Foods Fortify your Bones
In the following article, Liane Paulson, of Wow Wow LLC, describes how fermented foods can promote optimal gut health. Learn how you can included fermented foods in your daily diet. “All disease...
Forest Bathing for Better Bones
We are more than just physical beings reliant on food and water to survive. Inside each of us there is a life force that we call the soul. You can’t see, touch or test the soul, yet it is critical...
Don’t Delay! Osteoporosis screening critical to prevention.
Benjamin Franklin said “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Yet when it comes to medicine, it seems like we are still focused on a cure instead of averting the condition. The US...
Is anxiety attacking your bones?
I often talk about the importance of exercise and how the mechanical stress induced by impact exercise stimulates positive bone remodeling. Emerging research indicates that psychological and...
Osteoporosis: Boost your Bone Building Exercise Program
Exercise is one of the most under appreciated treatments for osteoporosis. Study after study show how exercise not only helps to build bone, but also strengthens muscles and improves balance. It is...
How Strong is Your Backbone?
You’ve all heard the quotes: “Small business is the backbone of the economy” Ellen Tauscher "Toughness is not being a bully, its’ having a backbone” Robert Kiyosake The backbone of success is …hard...
Are you sure you’re getting all the key bone building nutrients you need?
If you have been reading my blog posts over the last year, you know how important good nutrition is to building and maintaining strong bones. You also know that good bone health is not as...
Chia: The Tiny Seed that Packs a Powerful Nutrient Punch
Remember the Chia pet? Those adorable terracotta pots shaped like animals or people covered with chia seeds and when the seeds sprout, they look like they have grown hair or fur. Fortunately, the...
The Curious Link Between Osteoporosis and Heart Disease
February is American Heart month, and as it comes to a close, I want to highlight the curious connection between heart disease and osteoporosis. It seems strange that the weakening of hard, rigid...
5 Reasons to Maintain Lean Body Mass as you Age
Striving to keep our body healthy as we age can be a challenge! One of the toughest challenges is maintaining a healthy body composition, or the percentages of lean tissue and fat mass. Starting in...
Nurture your Bones with Real, Whole foods!
A healthy diet is essential for strong bones, good health and longevity. Real, whole food provides a concentrated source of so many valuable nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, fiber, essential...
New Year, New Ways to Build Healthy Bones
Happy New Year! Although many people start the New Year thinking about losing those extra pounds gained over the holiday season or getting back in “shape”, let’s not forget about them...
Walk your way to Stronger Bones
Is walking good enough to build strong bones? Studies have shown mixed results on the benefits of walking for increasing bone density. To keep bones healthy and strong, you need to continually...
Boost Your Bones with Healthy Gut Bacteria
In recent years, researchers have been studying the microorganisms living in your intestinal tract to determine their role in health and longevity. There are at least 1000 different species of...
How to Navigate Thanksgiving with Grace and Great Recipes
Thanksgiving is just around the corner! A day to give thanks to all the people in your life that you cherish, all that is good in the world, and all of your many blessings! It is typically...
Fall for these Bone Building Foods
The chilly nights and shortened days are upon us! As we change out our wardrobe and put an extra blanket on at night, we also begin to crave the hearty foods of fall. Thank goodness so many of...
Celebrating Women!
This month I am celebrating women and all we do to everyday, not only for ourselves but for everyone else! If we want to keep up with the challenges of a busy lifestyle, we need to stay...
Salmon: What’s Healthy, What’s Not
A few weeks ago, I discussed the topic of dietary fats and which type of fat is best for our bones. If you recall, the research suggests that monounsaturated fats, such as olive oil, and omega-3...
3 Simple Exercises to Support Your Bones
Exercise is one of the most essential elements to strengthening your bones and preventing fractures. That is why exercise is a fundamental component of the BONES Method™. I know many of you...
The Hard Truth about Dietary Fats and Bone Health
For decades Americans were told to avoid fat, especially saturated fats from meat, dairy and cheese because it was bad for our heart and our health. We were bombarded with advice promoting low fat,...
Beyond Bones: 7 benefits of boron for healthy aging
There is nothing boring about boron! Boron is a trace mineral that is often overlooked as an essential part of bone health as well as for its ability to help us maintain good health and keep us...
Good Vibrations for Your Bones
Since the early 1960’s, space programs have been using vibration to help astronauts overcome the damaging effects that the weightless environment in space has on the skeletal system. Among these...
Would you like Coffee or Tea?
Would you like coffee or tea? Green tea please. Who doesn’t like to start the day with their hands wrapped around a hot beverage breathing in the nurturing aroma? Tea and coffee are two of the most...
Center Yourself Around Your Bones
This week, Lisa Jackson, a friend and colleague, provides insight into the power of yoga for bone health. Yoga provides a framework for healthy living. Western yoga studios and gyms often focus...
Getting to the Core of Bone Health
If you're like me, you remember having to participate in the yearly Presidential Physical Fitness Test back in your youth, which tested students in sit-ups as well as other exercises that tested...
What are You Going to Eat Today?
What are you going to eat today? You probably woke this morning thinking about all the important things you have to do today. Some of you will be thinking about decisions involving your work, and...
“C” how to Build Stronger Bones
Although the decline in estrogen that occurs during menopause is the most influential factor for the development of osteoporosis, there are several other mechanisms that contribute to bone loss as...
Is Chronic Inflammation Causing your Bones to Slowly Simmer?
Hope you had a wonderful 4th of July holiday week and got a chance to be active outdoors! If you were inspired by the beautiful weather to exercise a little harder or longer than usual, your may...
Are Your Bones Getting Enough Sleep?
Sleep problems and insomnia plague many Americans. However, women going through menopause can experience amplified sleep problems due to shifting hormone levels. Menopause is characterized by a...
3 Exercises for Perfect Posture
As children we were always told to stand up tall, pull your shoulders back, don’t slouch… and for good reason! Though you may have perceived it as your parents nagging you, proper posture keeps...
You may be eating enough food, but are you getting enough nutrients?
The food you eat either nourishes or diminishes your health. Choosing nutrient rich foods will not only nurture your body and your bones, but may also help to decrease the chance of developing...
Is a High Protein Diet Healthy for Your Bones?
You see, hear and read everywhere these days about high protein diets for fat loss, muscle building and optimal health. But what about for preventing bone loss? The amount of protein needed to...
Vitamin K2: The Link Between Better Bone Health and Heart Health
You may be asking “what do my bones have to do with the health of my heart?” Bone is a hard and rigid organ that gives shape and support to my body and the heart is a soft, muscular organ that...
Natural Awakening Spotlight Post!
A Spotlight on Susan Brady of Nurtured Bones Osteoporosis is a progressive bone disease affecting 54 million Americans. It is characterized by deterioration of bone tissue leading to loss of...
Live Long and Strong
My Grandmother's 100th Birthday! Celebrations with family and friends are such an important part of life, not only because they mark important religious and social rituals but also because they play...
Bone Broth for Bone Health
What could be more nutritious for your bones, than a broth made from BONES? Why bones? Because they are rich in collagen and minerals! Bones are made up of a flexible collagen matrix which is then...
Essential Exercise for Hardy Bones
Exercise is without a doubt the most important thing you can do to build bone strength. Although it is true that we naturally lose bone mass as we age, it has also been very well established that...
Don’t Stress Out Your Bones!
At some point in our lives we are all faced with stressful situations or experience anxiety, depression or loneliness. Stress is synonymous with modern living! Although short term stress can lead to...
Boost your Bone Strength with Extra Virgin Olive Oil
The beneficial effects of the Mediterranean Diet on cardiovascular health have long been recognize. In recent years, the diet has also been shown to support bone health, even reducing the risk of...
Bone Building Nutrient of the Month: Vitamin D
Vitamin D is critically important for the maintenance of bone health throughout a women’s life. And, ironically, vitamin D declines with aging, just when we need it the most! Vitamin D helps to...
Hello Sunshine!
Hello Sunshine! I am enjoying hanging out in Florida this week celebrating a momentous birthday with my mother-in-law and soaking up the rays of the sun! We all know that sunshine is one of the...
Do You Get that Gut Feeling?
Do you ever get that gut feeling? In this case not intuition, but the feeling of bloating, indigestion, reflux, stomach cramps, gas or have a history of constipation or diarrhea? Not only do these...
Is Milk really the Cream of the Crop when is comes to Building Bones?
GOT MILK? We have all seen this advertising campaign encouraging Americans to consume milk to help the body grow big and strong. A diet rich in milk products is also promoted for reducing the risk...
Bone Nurturing Food of the Month: Prunes!
Studies have shown that eating prunes supports bone health, especially in postmenopausal women. Prunes are a source of several key bone minerals: magnesium, potassium , manganese and boron. These...
Free webinar
Is your gut holding your bones hostage?
Join this webinar to discover how your digestive system and gut microbiome can impact your bone health. Learn how enhancing the health of your "Gut System" can lead to improvements in your bone health.