Christine Kadykalo, ND

08/22/2025

Menopause doesn’t have to mean losing strength or slowing down. Weighted vests can be a powerful tool to rebuild lean muscle, protect bone density, and support weight loss especially during and post-menopause.

1. Protect Muscle & Bone During Weight Loss
Studies including a pilot trial found that wearing a weighted vest during calorie restriction may help preserve resting metabolic rate and slow weight regain over time.

2. Build Strength and Stability
From the 1990s to now, research has shown that wearing weighted vests during weight-bearing or resistance exercises can enhance bone turnover,
improve muscle strength, and reduce fall risk in postmenopausal women.

3. Boost Everyday Movement
Even light daily tasks like walking, chores, climbing stairs can feel like a mini workout when wearing a vest. It’s an easy way to “sneak in” resistance, elevate calorie burn, and improve posture and core engagement.

4. Safe & Smart Use
Weighted vests should be viewed as a complement to your wellness routine and not a replacement for resistance training or a healthy lifestyle habits. When used alongside these foundations, they can be a powerful tool to support you during and after menopause.

5. Especially for Post-Menopause
Menopause can accelerate bone density loss and muscle decline. Weighted vest training as a low-barrier option can offer a gentle but consistent way to counter these shifts.

For more guidance on how to safely incorporate a weighted vest into your routine or to learn how naturopathic medicine can help support your post-
menopausal health, please get in touch.

04/23/2025

April is IBS Awareness Month

Did you know IBS affects 1 in 5 people - yet so many suffer in silence? As a naturopathic doctor, I want you to know that bloating, cramps, and irregular digestion don’t have to be your "normal." The gut-brain connection is powerful, and solutions like personalized nutrition, stress management, and targeted probiotics can make a huge difference.

Additionally, regular exercise and yoga stimulate digestion, reduce stress-induced bloating, and enhance gut motility - key for managing IBS symptoms. Gentle yoga poses (like twists and child’s pose) can ease cramping, while walking boosts circulation to your digestive tract. For busy individuals, even 10 minutes daily can make a difference!

christinekadykalo.com

02/03/2025

My experience of 30 days without sugar

Week 1
- Cravings are high. My body is going through sugar withdrawal. This feels like sluggishness and irritability. Wondering why I chose to do this 🙃
- Learning how I use sugar as entertainment. It is also so habitual to grab a dessert after dinner even if it’s not needed.
- Making some mistakes as sugar will be in so many places you don’t even expect, but that’s okay, an attempt at a healthier diet with mistakes is better than not trying at all

Week 2
- Cravings continue
- Distractions are key. If I get a craving, I do something I enjoy - spend quality time with my dog or partner, read, watch a good show, cook an elaborate dinner, go for a walk. Cravings are fleeting. They will pass.
- Energy is more stable
- Waking in the morning without the use of an alarm

Week 3
- Cravings significantly reduced
- I look forward to hearty whole foods
- Bananas, berries and nut butters start to taste really sweet and are enough to curb any cravings and are quite enjoyable
- Cocoa smoothies sweetened with dates or bananas taste amazing
- Constantly realizing how good my energy and mood is

Week 4
- I don’t miss sugar anymore
- Feeling so good that I don’t have any desire to get back to sugar and 30 days no longer seems like an end goal

Post 30 days
- My palate has changed. I would much rather prefer a treat sweetened with whole foods vs refined sugars.
- Moving forward I will still engage in certain sweet pleasures with mindful intention. It has to be something I really want or an occasion to celebrate with someone. We often eat desserts/sugars so mindlessly due to habit or addictions. Stop and ask yourself, do I really enjoy this? If I had to take out a plate and fork and eat this mindfully with no distractions would I do it? If yes, go ahead, enjoy it and don’t feel guilty. If no, then think twice, perhaps your body is just craving dopamine or energy or real nutrient dense food but the treat seems like the easiest way to get that fix. There are other ways to fuel.

12/11/2024

Vitamin D is important during winter months as reduced sunlight exposure limits its natural production in the skin.

11/12/2024

09/03/2024

“We are taught to control the body by way of the mind, which is considered far superior. But the body has an intelligence whose mysteries the mind has yet to fathom. We read in books how to eat, how to make love, how much sleep to get, and impose these practices on the body rather than listening from within.”
- Anodea Judith

In an era of information overload and social media education without credible sourcing, healthy living can become confusing. What we have forgotten along the way is to listen to our bodies and their needs. I promise you’ll find some practical information, that hey, may be more valuable than your countless hours of doom scrolling.

07/23/2024

Tips to Help with Jet Lag.

1. Landing during the day? Soak up some sun (without sunglasses)! Natural light helps reset your body clock for smoother adjustment to the new time zone.

2. Keep the blood flowing: Get up and walk around the cabin every 1.5-2 hours (if you’re not asleep), or try some exercises in your seat.

3. Airplane cabins have less oxygen and humidity than on ground, which can dehydrate you. To avoid dehydration, skip alcohol during your flight and drink plenty of water. Even better, add electrolytes to your water

4. Jet lag diet. Start eating according to your new time zone 12-24 hours prior. This may include skipping dinner and eating breakfast at your new time zone.

5. Short term use of melatonin can help adjust to the new time zone (speak to your care provider for correct dosing).

11/20/2023

High Fiber Diet / Broccoli Sprouts could help with Colitis / IBD

A study published in mSystems suggests that early exposure to broccoli sprouts may offer protection against colitis in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

The research, conducted on mice, indicates that high-fiber diets, including broccoli sprouts, may alleviate disease symptoms and enhance the quality of life for IBD patients.

The study revealed that mice on a broccoli sprout diet exhibited higher concentrations of the anti-inflammatory metabolite sulforaphane in their blood, providing protection against severe disease symptoms such as weight loss, f***l blood, and diarrhea in spite of their immunocompromised state and colitis.

High fiber diets, like those that include broccoli sprouts or other cruciferous vegetables, may reduce disease symptoms and improve quality of life in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), according to a study conducted in mice. The study was published in mSystems.

06/25/2023

Soybean oil causes decreased oxytocin in the hypothalamus and affects 100 other genes related to energy metabolism and brain function. Soybean oil is typically genetically modified and often found in fried foods and packaged foods. These findings do not relate to other soy products that are whole food, organic.

Soybean oil, the most consumed cooking oil in the US, has been linked to neurological and metabolic alterations in mice. Soybean oil-fed mice showed decreased levels of oxytocin in the hypothalamus.

06/06/2023

03/21/2023

Exercise and its benefit on mental health

Exercise is 1.5 times better at reducing depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders than psychotherapy or medication, a new study indicates.