Aerial Integrative Health

As the weather gets hot this weekend and people start jumping into lakes and rivers, take a minute to look at the colors of your kids' bathing suits. Also, please remember the rivers are still very cold!

Swimwear Safety 👙🌊 | As the temperatures continue to rise and more people spend time at Lake Wilderness (and other area lakes), it is important to remind the community that the color of swimsuits can help make it easier or more difficult to see swimmers.

This is especially important for parents or guardians with young children at the lake. Making sure you are visible in the water is important in case something were to happen and a swimmer needed assistance.

We hope you have a fun, safe summer and enjoy any time spent at the lake!

I love engaging with the American College of Lifestyle Medicine - the medical professional society for physicians and other professionals dedicated to the practice of lifestyle medicine as the foundation of a transformed and sustainable health care system! 🎉 To learn more about how lifestyle medicine can support your health journey, visit https://aerialintegrativehealth.com

I love hearing how others are helping people live longer for better! What we do today really does impact how we'll age tomorrow!

https://lifestylemedicine.org/articles/lifestyle-medicine-and-aging/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR2mpzWmScEl38xLTgpakb5vkEnOEISKcpd81LoSogrkNB6ebxrxq0nkv9A_aem_jQy9i2bFNcb6PQ5asNnQGw

Making age just a number with lifestyle medicine - American College of Lifestyle Medicine Practicing tai chi in the park. Preparing healthy plant-predominant meals to enjoy with friends and family. Taking time for mindfulness. Those are just some of the ways older adults are applying the six pillars of lifestyle medicine to remain mentally and physically engaged as the years tick by.

I invite you to join me on a 4-week mid-summer challenge to renew and energize your health.

🌞Summer Slim Down starts July 14th!

With this 4-week mid-summer challenge, we will lose weight and lighten our loads together, energizing both our minds and our bodies!

This is a program for anyone who:
- Puts the needs of others first.
- Wants to lose weight but needs support and accountability.
- Is curious about mindfulness.
- Is curious about optimal nutrition.
- Wants to eat good whole food.
- Wants to move their body.
- Wants to breathe and meditate.
- Wants to be guided through yoga.
- And just generally loves to learn about health and wellness.

Most of us know deep down that true health comes from living a healthy lifestyle, but that is HARD to do in our current culture and environment. Believe me, I have NO JUDGMENT because the struggle is real and one I struggle with just as much as anyone else. However, I have spent much of my life thinking about health and learning how best to optimize and balance health, wellness, and life:

* I first started thinking about how nutrition and exercise affected me as a club gymnast years ago.
* In college, I studied biophysical wellness in aging to learn how to stay in the best health as one ages.
* As a professional acrobat, I started observing how our environments really impacted our performance and learned how to maximize performance as I juggled training for ironman distance triathlons while performing 10 shows a week for Cirque du Soleil.
* After the circus, my husband and I spent 4 months living on our bikes and visiting farms across the country, learning where food really comes and witnessing the intricate connections between soil, food, health, and the environment.
* I then attended naturopathic medical school where I was trained as a physician to treat disease with a wellness-first, natural model that focuses on whole mind-body health.
* I continued to be so impressed with what a strong foundation of health enables us to do, I continued my training and am now a certified professional for the American College of Lifestyle Medicine.

As you can see, I have spent so much of my life thinking and learning about health and I want to share it with YOU! In particular, I want to share tips and tools to optimize health for your greatest performance. What's your greatest performance, you ask? Simply...LIFE! Your day to day living! When we optimize what we do day to day in terms of healthy habits and lifestyle, we can perform our best at everything - work, parenting, school, hobbies, sports, and more!

So join me! By the end of our 4 weeks together, you will:
~ Lose weight
~ Reduce inflammation in your body
~ Feel better in your mind and body
~ Understand more about how lifestyle habits affect your weight, mood, and overall health.
~ Have recipes and tools to keep you on a healthy trajectory.
Are you ready to do this challenge? I know you are!

And in celebration of our country's independence, this $279 course is 10% off this week! Take advantage of this limited time offer before the program fills up. Click below to register and use code SUMMERSLIM4TH, and feel free to share with friends and family. It's more fun and rewarding to do it with someone you love!

(While we love to meet up in person, video access will be provided for weekly, yoga, and meditation sessions.)

aih.practicebetter.io

Please buy your supplements from a trusted source, preferably directly from companies that are third party tested or through your physician's trusted dispensary. I know it's tempting to buy supplements for less on amazon, but there are many fake accounts that result in adverse effects. The following post is the latest report of such an incident from one of my colleagues:

PSA: my patient just called me to report returning from the ER because they gave their child a supplement they thought was Orthomolecular D-Hist Jr chewable, ordered off Amazon. It came in a supplement bottle, and actually as capsules, which confused her initially, but she just opened up the capsule and added to their kids apple sauce. Then she noticed the label was peeling off and was a fake. She called Orthomolecular, and they confirmed that that Amazon account was a fake and that they do not sell on Amazon. Amazon confirmed this happened 2x with that same account and product that day. So was advised to go to ER because substance given to child was unknown. PLEASE BE AWARE! You can repost if you’d like.

In honor of Dr. John McDougall - a luminary in the fields of lifestyle and preventative medicine. He has been a great inspiration to many, including myself. He was a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine for his lifetime dedication and well earned achievements. My thoughts and condolences are with the McDougall Family for their, and our, great loss. May we continue his love and work!

American College of Lifestyle Medicine

On behalf of ACLM President Beth Frates, ACLM’s Board of Directors and staff, we acknowledge with great sorrow the passing of John McDougall, MD, while celebrating his legacy.

John was a great advocate for ACLM, a founding member of its Advisory Board and recipient of ACLM’s Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing his significant contribution to the field. Our hearts are with John’s family.

The ripple effect of his work will be ever-lasting.

❤️⚽️

Now THIS is pure joy.

Looking to lose a few extra pounds before your late summer get away?

Want to lighten your load - both mentally and physically?

Who's up for a 4-week mid-summer challenge?

Join by Summer Solstice for 20% off!

Click below for more information:

☀️Summer Slim Down!

Incredible, exciting news and wonderful work from Dean Ornish, MD, FACLM, providing further evidence on the importance of lifestyle intervention!!

Published today in the journal, Alzheimer's Research & Therapy, Dr. Ornish demonstrated for the first time, in a randomized, controlled clinical trial, a significant improvement in cognition and function in early dementia patients using intensive lifestyle intervention.

As there is currently no cure for Alzheimer's, this trial demonstrates a low tech, low cost intervention that can significantly improve the quality of life of people suffering with early dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

But what does LIFESTYLE actually mean?!? Many people have no idea what these simple, cost effective lifestyle behaviors and habits are that can lead to better health now and in the future. In fact, if you spend too much time on social media, it's easy to get confused and fed up with health and wellness advice. However, lifestyle medicine practitioners and naturopathic doctors are trained specifically to focus on lifestyle interventions that treat a whole person when dealing with any health concerns or symptoms. DM me if you'd like to learn more!

In the meantime, see link for published study:
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13195-024-01482-z

Effects of intensive lifestyle changes on the progression of mild cognitive impairment or early dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease: a randomized, controlled clinical trial - Alzheimer's Research & Therapy Background Evidence links lifestyle factors with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We report the first randomized, controlled clinical trial to determine if intensive lifestyle changes may beneficially affect the progression of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or early dementia due to AD. Methods A 1:1 mul...

Worried about your protein intake? Most likely you're not deficient! I certainly see more people who are deficient in fiber and micronutrients than in protein.

All of the fuss about protein is surprising when 97 percent of Americans get enough. Less than 3 percent of adults don’t, presumably individuals on extreme calorie-restricted diets who just aren’t eating enough food. Those eating plant-based diets tend to get more than enough protein, averaging about twice the estimated daily protein requirement. There is a nutrient, though, for which 97 percent of Americans are deficient: fiber. Less than 3 percent of Americans get even the recommended minimum adequate intake. Beans and other whole plant-based foods, such as whole grains, nuts, and seeds, are excellent ways to get both protein and fiber.

Watch the videos “Do Vegetarians Get Enough Protein?” at https://buff.ly/2D9zFfS and “The Protein-Combining Myth” at https://buff.ly/38aIS2i to learn more.

Check out our free Daily Dozen app, a tool to help you include the healthiest of healthy foods into your everyday routine.

Excited about the Blue Zones - ACLM partnership!

Lifestyle medicine advocates have worked for years to transform the field from a disruptive, novel concept to a fully embraced mainstream standard of care.

Dexter Shurney, Blue Zones Chief Medical Officer and ACLM Past President, explains in this blog piece how the new ACLM-Blue Zones partnership establishes a clear path to that future.

Read the full article: https://bit.ly/4bAMiwj

I'll be at the Maple Valley Library Tuesday evening for a Healthy Habits, Healthy Minds workshop for teens. Hope to see you there!

https://kcls.bibliocommons.com/events/660c25578b48e73a00d66725

Healthy Habits, Healthy Minds Workshop for Teens Learn how mindfulness, nutrition, sleep and physical activity can support your mental health. Gain empowering tools and techniques you can use to set your own goals. Presented by Dr. Rebecca Meldrum, ND, DipACLM.A notebook and pen provided for each participant, while supplies last. Sponsored by the....

Yesterday's focus was physical activity!

Today we are focusing on the pillar of physical activity!

Regular movement and exercise are essential for maintaining health. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend that adults accumulate at least 150 – 300 minutes of activity per week.

This can look different for everyone, and it is important to find something enjoyable to achieve those minutes! Even just a short walk can make a big difference in your overall health. Whatever activity you choose, make sure to and sit less today and every day!

Yesterday was the American College of Lifestyle Medicine's first day celebrating Lifestyle Medicine week with a focus on stress management. The first time I ever meditated was at age 17 as an elite level club gymnast. I really didn't understand it, but I enjoyed the break of lying down and relaxing 😄Nevertheless, it was after our team started this practice that I started understanding "getting in the zone" on a deeper level and shortly after I made the National Team. I didn't meditate much in the years that followed until I was in naturopathic medical school and having babies many years later. There, one of my favorite mentors and instructors would start every class with a brief meditation and it become a very welcome reprieve during those long, busy days and nights. Today, I use meditation weekly, if not daily (even if it's just a brief 1-2 minutes). It's still a hard practice for me to "make the time to do it," but it has greatly improved my overall mood, my patience with my family when schedules are busy, and it has contributed greatly to a reduction in migraines and headaches that became chronic after having my third child. I also love springtime and could watch the pollinators doing their work forever! What are some of your favorite ways of managing stress?

We are kicking off with the pillar of stress management!

Managing sress is an important component of care in working towards whole-person health.

Many things can help manage stress and improve overall health. Everyone's stress management "toolbox" will look different, so test out different techniques and see which one(s) works best for you.

ACLM suggests partnering with an interdisciplinary health care team to develop a plan for reducing stress levels.

I’ll be doing a workshop for teens at the Maple Valley Library, Tuesday May 28th. We’ll be going over lifestyle tips and tricks that also support our mental health. I hope to see you there!

Healthy Habits, Healthy Minds Workshop for Teens Learn how mindfulness, nutrition, sleep and physical activity can support your mental health. Gain empowering tools and techniques you can use to set your own goals. Presented by Dr. Rebecca Meldrum, ND, DipACLM.A notebook and pen provided for each participant, while supplies last. Sponsored by the....

This week is Naturopathic Medicine Week 2024 and next week is Lifestyle Medicine Week! Between the two, it's my birthday and it couldn’t feel any more perfect. These two forms of medicine are my passion! It’s my goal to share with everyone the benefits, joy, and value of these forms of root-cause medicine that are focused on the whole you, both mind and body. Naturopathic and lifestyle medicine both support optimal well-being for individuals and the planet, while also building resilience! Life is always throwing us a curveball, but the more resilient our health is, the better able we are to bounce back and thrive.

So, in the middle of this week celebrating Naturopathic Medicine, keep reading to learn how licensed naturopathic providers support health and wellness.

Here’s how licensed naturopathic doctors (NDs) are contributing to the revolution in wellness:

🌱 Whole Person Health: NDs emphasize a holistic approach to wellness, treating the whole person rather than just the symptoms of a disease.

🌱 Integrative Approach: NDs skillfully combine natural therapeutic traditions with modern science to restore and optimize health, offering patients a wide range of treatment options that prioritize the least invasive, most effective methods.

🌱 Preventive Medicine: NDs focus on preventing illness and promoting health. By addressing underlying imbalances and optimizing health, they work to prevent diseases before they even occur.

🌱 Patient Empowerment: NDs empower patients to take control of their health by providing education and collaboration that puts the patient in the driver’s seat of their own health.

🌱 Personalized Treatment Plans: NDs develop personalized treatment plans tailored to each individual's unique needs, preferences, and goals.

🌱 Focus on Root Causes: Instead of simply managing symptoms, NDs aim to identify and address the underlying root causes of illness.

👉 Learn more at naturopathic.org and naturemed.org.

As many of you know, food as medicine is an important part of my practice and my personal life. And I encourage all of you to embrace food as medicine as well. One of the best webinar/docuseries around food and health is happening right now...check out the 2024 Food Revolution Summit. You can watch it FREE from April 24th – May 1st, 2024! 🥦💪🏽
https://summit.foodrevolution.org

Join the Food Revolution: 2024 Docuseries with Top Food Experts Embark on a journey to a healthier you with the 2024 Food Revolution Summit Docuseries. Join 45 top food experts in this 8-part series. Sign up for free now!

After two long days at Planted Seattle, I finally got to meet Robert Cheeke, who just may be the kindest, most patient person ever. He most definitely embodies his t-shirt message. Ever time I peeked around the corner from my booth, he was chatting with and giving his time to someone new, through the ENTIRE weekend! Looking forward to his new book arriving in June!

Had an amazing time at Planted Expo Seattle this weekend!

Happening this weekend!!

10am - 5pm Saturday and Sunday at the Seattle Convention Center.

Hope to see you there!

April 20-21st!

SPEAKER ANNOUNCEMENT! 🚨

Say 👋 to Sandra! She’s been on team animal rights since forever and turned her passion into a career, pushing for a greener and kinder world ever since 💚 After saying bye to meat and dairy, she’s been living a vegan life for over 7 years and using her skills to help animals in any way she can!

These days, she’s the mastermind behind in the US, getting folks excited about trying vegan and sparking some major changes along the way 🔥

👉 She’ll be speaking at our Seattle show next weekend, on April 20-21! If you haven’t gotten your tickets yet, make to grab them now: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/planted-expo-seattle-2024-north-americas-largest-plant-based-event-tickets-781766624017?aff=ebdsshcopyurl&utm-source=cp&utm-term=listing&utm-campaign=social&utm-medium=discovery&utm-content=attendeeshare

Is your doctor up-to-speed on prescribing food as medicine?

With an over 75% alignment among major guidelines favoring whole plant-foods, clinicians should feel confident in prescribing evidence-based nutrition interventions. There is an urgency for healthcare professionals to educate themselves on effective dietary strategies amid rising chronic illness rates.

Read more via the ACLM blog: https://bit.ly/49f5kpN

Have type 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes, high fasting blood glucose, metabolic syndrome, and/or high insulin? Not sure about fruit? Keep reading...

Most guidelines for diabetes recommend eating a fiber-rich diet that includes fruits because they are so healthy, filled with antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, improve artery function, and reduce cancer risk.

People with diabetes were randomized into two groups—one told to eat at least two pieces of fruit a day, and the other told to have no more than two daily fruits. The low-fruit group experienced no effect on their diabetes management or weight. In other words, reducing fruit intake wasn't shown to be more beneficial.

A half-dozen randomized controlled trials swapped in fruits for other foods, like higher glycemic carbs, and found, on average, a significant improvement in blood sugar management.
Industrial fructose, such as added sugar, table sugar, and high fructose corn syrup, is associated with declining liver function and hypertension. It may also impact body weight, blood pressure, insulin levels, and lipid levels. On the other hand, the fructose found naturally in fruits is packaged with fiber and antioxidants, which may help to explain why people experience positive health benefits when they eat fruits.

Adding berries to a meal can help blunt an insulin spike from high glycemic foods, for example, and the fiber in fruits can help slow the release of the sugar. Fruit phytonutrients can help inhibit the transportation of sugar into our intestinal walls and bloodstream.

Watch the videos “How Much Fruit Is Too Much?” at https://buff.ly/3PB8yNp and “If Fructose Is Bad, What About Fruit?” at https://buff.ly/3TkNFas to learn more.

PMIDS: 23497350, 30463844, 23933265, 24065788, 22854401, 20564476, 23365108
5573330, 21621801, 11288049

Going WFPB isn't always easy, but your future healthy self will thank you!

One month to the Food Revolution's Annual Summit! As always, there will be some amazing and inspiring experts speaking!

📣 Calling all healthy food lovers! 📣

The most epic gathering of food revolutionaries on the planet begins on April 24 — and guess what? YOU'RE INVITED! 🎉🍏

🌱 Hosted by dynamic father-son duo Ocean and John Robbins, the 2024 Food Revolution Summit Docuseries convenes an all-star lineup of 45 world-renowned experts to bring you this year’s most urgent updates about food, health, and the environment.
If you believe that food matters and want to learn how to protect your health and the planet, this is THE place to be! 💪🌍

🎟️👉 Join the food revolution today! Registration is FREE, and the doors are wide open NOW! Get your ticket here — https://frn.co/3Ty4FtW — and let the revolution begin!

Just getting rid of the foods that raise blood sugar doesn't fix the problem!