Dr. Valerie Rodriguez, NMD

Food allergies, food sensitivities, food intolerances… oh me, oh my!!

If you’ve undergone any of these types of testing you may have said something along these lines:

-“All the things I have been eating, I can’t eat anymore!”

-“My favorite comfort foods are gone.”

-“I can’t eat out with family or friends”

-“This is depressing”

…when taking these things out, at first it may feel like you’re losing out on more than you can handle. But with time, herbal support, and stress management, your body will heal. YOUR BODY WILL HEAL! You’ll gain awareness of the cues your body gives when you’ve eaten something you can’t tolerate.

What’s at the finish line? Reduced inflammation (joint pains decreased), improved hormonal balance (talking to some of my low progesterone and irregular menstrual cycle ladies), mental clarity, energy, and sometimes even weight loss in those who have a tendency to be resistant.

I know it’s hard. I’ve heard and experienced the difficulty. But at the end of the day this is your story. Make it great!!! Make it unique!! Make it healthy!!

Check out these beauties!!!! Fresh mulberries 🤩🤩🤤

Now I can go into the awesome health benefits of mulberries and how they contain more of an antioxidant called reservatrol than most berries. Which is fabulous for heart health…

… I can also talk about how good it felt to pick the berries off the tree. One by one. Connecting with nature, acknowledging our abundance, and accepting the flow of movement from life.

I felt pretty good after that. I loved seeing the purple tint of mulberry juice spread among my fingers.

If u get the opportunity, go outside and get your hands dirty. It’s good for mental health and for the soul.

Making changes to your body takes time. Healing your body takes time. Believe in yourself and your body’s ability to heal.

Lucky Green Punch

-32 oz Limeade (Santa Cruz Organics)
-5 cans of Zevia Lemon and Lime Twist
-20 oz can of Pineapple chunks
-20 oz Butterfly Pea Flower Tea

1. Separate the pineapple chunks from the juice. Freeze chunks.
2. Steep 2 tea bags of butterfly pea flower tea in 20 oz of hot water according to package instructions. Allow to cool.
3. Mix remaining ingredients and serve immediately. Add frozen pineapple chunks.

Serves: 16 8 oz servings

Howdy!

Did you know that 2 out of 3 people with Type 2 Diabetes are depressed? Did you know that there was improvement in depression when blood glucose was monitored and reduced?

🤔 Sugar may be having an impact on your mood. Read the article yourself. I’m curious if this would also be affected similarly with different forms of sugar..like from fibrous fruit or a starchy sweet potato.

Just kidding! There’s research showing reduced rates of depression in those who consumed more fruits and vegetables!!!

Pubmed ID: 21916532, 33477603

2 weeks ago I had the wonderful opportunity to meditate with Pranic healing friends in Sedona at the Amitabha Stupa. 🥰☺️♥️

If you ever get the chance to check it out I highly recommend even if you’re not Buddhist. It’s beautiful and tranquil.

Meditation has benefits beyond being zen and “blissed out”. There’s actually health benefits that may result in improved blood pressure, reduced chronic pain, and improvements in general well being.

Lentil and chickpea toast with cilantro chutney, h**p seeds, purple cabbage, romaine, red bell pepper and onion. Drizzled with some mayo and sriracha! Why I like this? Eating toast forces me to interact directly with my food. It helps me to be mindful and connect with my food. This is colorful, antioxidant rich, omega 3 rich, vitamin c rich, satisfying, and has some crunch. Eating canned beans and lentils also helped me to put this together pretty quickly.

“The people who are successful are the ones who Do Not Give Up.” -M. Stephen Co

Happy almossst New Years beautiful people!

Why wait until January 1st to start your healing journey?!?!

Why not start today..and let yourself practice for a few days and let urself slowly sink into your goals?

Sounds like a lot of pressure to me to eat super healthy all at once!

Pick something simple and stick to it like….

***I’m going to add 1 cup of vegetables to breakfast every day.

***I’m going to drink 24 oz of water at the start of every morning.

***I’m going to meditate 3x a week and make my intention about self love. Choosing myself! Choosing my health! Choosing to feel great!

Ta-ta for now!

Dr. Val

Half the battle to eating healthy is knowing how to use ingredients or ingredient combinations to make food taste great!

Here are 2 informative YouTube videos that discuss:

- the effect of salt and acid while added during cooking or after

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oit3IOjcMfI

- the 5 rookie mistakes to salad making

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=601Rj1h_nlY

Happy Tuesday Friends!

Warmly,
Dr. Val

What’s the deal with sugar?

Well, our bodies are designed to metabolically break sugar down and utilize it for energy. It is one of the quickest sources of energy for our body to use. This break down of sugar is called glycolysis.

When we eat something rich in carbohydrates (bread, potatoes, donuts, even carrots) this will be broken down into glucose which is the smallest form it can be in so our bodies can absorb it.

Once broken down into glucose, our intestines will absorb glucose and bring it into the blood so it can be transported throughout our body to supply energy. In order to absorb glucose, we need our handy dandy pancreas. The pancreas will release insulin into the blood so that we can bring glucose into our cells AND then convert it into ATP (or energy) via the Kreb Cycle.

This is a completely normal and healthy process. However, things can go awry when there is a repeated over consumption of glucose.

More on how this can go wrong in the next post! :)

Happpppyyyy Friday!!! Go get em!

Warmly,
Dr. Val

Hello friends!

Did you know a salad a day is what actually keeps the doctor away? Opp! Just kidding. It’s definitely not the case but obtaining fiber and a nutrient rich lunch would be great however you get that.

Here’s a non-boring salad idea for those of you who love a salty crunch!
-3 tbsp h**p seeds (healthy fat and 10 G protein)
-2 servings of Kalamata olives aka.. 2 giant spoonfuls
-some onion, for an added bite. I like red onion due to increased antioxidant content
-marinated artichoke hearts. Mmmmm! ❤️. I usually add about .5 cup but I was at the bottom of the bottle. Great for digestion.
-some dill pickled gerkins. Weird but oh so crunchy!

-Don’t forget to season with salt and pepper to taste if needed.

Dressing: olive oil and balsamic vinegar
—-> then add ur protein!

Happy Wednesday!!! Go get the rest of this week!

Happy Monday Lovelies!

Sooo I did a thing and it’s official! I’m now available for appointments at EMDR Transformations. Link to book in bio!

TGIF! Whattaaaa week!

Lesson for the week. Set goals and CRUSH THEM. Accomplishing small goals deserves celebration!!

However, if you’re feeling this fatigued by the end of the week.. you might want to look into what supplement regimen you’re on, consider dietary sensitivities, thyroid health, mental health, or maybe your adrenals are under or over excreting cortisol!

Enough said. If you're gonna scroll through your feed... why not make it full of things that bring you joy?... HELLOOO CAT MEMES, Bee butts, and mindful instagrams.

A healthy life starts with a healthy mind.

Happy Monday friends. Choose you, choose happiness, choose to release the resistance holding you back.

-Dr. Val

OH MAN. Allergies... hives, diarrhea, constipation, sneezes, sniffles, brain fog, fatigue after eating, joint pain, and rashes galore. It's not fun and I feel your pain.

If you're struggling with any of the issues above.. you might be experiencing an allergy (IgE response) or a food sensitivity (IgG response).

A food sensitivity is not the same as a food allergy. A food sensitivity is an immune reaction that can occur to a food. Sometimes these foods turn into an actual allergy over time but other times.. after a long enough time of avoidance you can bring these foods back into your diet.

What foods are you potentially eating that might not be supporting your overall health picture? Ask your doctor for a food sensitivity panel.

Happy Monday Day lovelies.

Hoohaaah!

Dr. Val

There’s nothing quite like a nutrient dense hot bowl of soup after a chilly day.

Here’s your gentle reminder to listen to you. Our cravings can indicate different things from a macro or micronutrient deficiency to an emotional need. Maybe you’re always craving chocolate or salt. There might be a reason for that. Our bodies needs can vary from day to day and that’s ok too.

Reach out to a naturopathic doctor near you to find out the origins of your needs.

The only guarantee in life is that there will always be change.

Why fight it?

Prepare, flow, try, and repeat.

It might be sad, it might be uncomfortable, and it might even be exciting.

As Confucius says, "They must often change, who would be constant in happiness or wisdom."

What are ways that you prepare for change? How do you ebb and flow with the changing tide?

Meditation helps you to make space for the twist and turns of life. Instead of reactive you can be thoughtful.

Have a good evening y'all!

Dr. Val

Happy reminder to INHALE and EXHALE.

Oh rainy rainy day how we love you! Nothing like some rain to get us dreaming of the soon to be cooler weather!

“What did the rain water say as it ran off the road?”


Grate.

Hehehehe. Happy hump day!

Warmly,

Dr. Val

Made some friends at the local aquarium this weekend. 🐟🐡🐠

I also learned that eating more sea urchin is important for reef growth. Who’s with me to eat more sea urchin?!? 😝😁 yum!

If you haven’t had it, it literally tastes like the ocean but not fishy and it’s on the creamy side. Pretty interesting flavor and I learned the fresher it is the better it tastes!

Excerpt from Non-Violent Communication.

A reminder to your heart that others are hurting and you uphold the power to let things go or allow it to consume you.

Stay strong and bright sunshines.☀️

Warmly,
Dr. Val

Want to join me for a mindfulness challenge this week?

Let’s aim for a 7 day mindfulness challenge. Once a day, before a meal, check in with ur body and notice how you’re feeling. Notice any tightness in your body, notice your breath, notice how hungry you are.

He who keeps the Tao does not want to be full.
But precisely because he is never full,
He can always remain like a hidden sprout,
And does not rush to early ripening.

OH ME. OH MY. OH myyy LENTILS! 😍

Humina Humina.

What’s so great about lentils ehh??

They’re protein packed, rich in fiber, and contain micronutrients such as potassium and iron. Protein plus fiber helps to lower the glycemic index of food so it doesn’t spike the blood sugar as high! And honestly… are we even getting in enough fiber?!?! 1 cup of lentils has a whooping 16 g of fiber. HELLLOOOOO FIBER, hellloooo happy colon!

Once upon a time… Dr. Val hated lentils. She’d eat these flavorless want to be bean pieces with sadness. BUT ALAS! I’m here to say there’s a better way old Dr. Val. Here’s a recipe sure to shine in any kitchen! On the skill level… almost any novice can handle this recipe. I’m sure of it. (Not my recipe.. thank you Harvard TH Chan). Find specific details at the link provided.

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/cozy-red-lentil-mash/

It’s a simple recipe consisting of lentils, balsamic vinegar, salt, evoo, and sautéed onions. (Optional to add cayenne and pepper to taste at the end)

Enjoy! Hasta luego!

Dr. Val

When I’m feeling blue, I have a little album of bee butts to cheer me up. Somehow gazing at these cheerful bottoms really seems to elevate my mood. 😂😂. Plus who doesn’t like to look at pretty flowers?!?

What kinds of things do you have on deck for a rainy day or when you’re feeling blue?

It’s helpful to have it ready to go before you’re sad. By then, sometimes it’s hard to think up all the things that light you up! Like dancing! Painting! Calling a friend!

Struggling with anxiety, stress, irritability, or longstanding grief?

Pranic healing can help with that!

It is a no touch modality, that helps to re-energize your body to help it heal itself! See a 1/3 improvement or more in your symptoms after 6 sessions or 50% money back guarantee if you don't see any improvement after 3 sessions based on determined metrics.

https://p.bttr.to/3w2cYTK