Cuozzo Health Integrative Medicine

01/08/2026

Great article about the benefits of castor oil!!

If you're looking to detox your liver and lymphatic system post-holiday season, consider castor oil. Extracted from the seed of the castor bean plant, it is native to India and has been used in topical medicine around the world. In addition, castor oil is often used in commercial products such as cosmetics, soaps, textiles, and massage oils.

Castor oil's healing abilities are derived from its high concentration of unsaturated fatty acids, especially ricinoleic acid. It works by way of absorption through the skin and into lymphatic circulation where it stimulates flow of lymph fluid and helps draw out waste products from the cells of the body. This enhances the body's natural detoxification process, while supporting immune system function. Critical Information: Don't use the seed itself -- it can be deadly and is never used medicinally.

Always use castor oil topically. Ingesting castor oil can cause serious health issues such as severe diarrhea. A pack is an excellent safe approach. As always, consult with your natural health practitioner to determine the best way to implement castor oil into you regimen - there are many ways to prepare packs, and some methods are more suitable for particular needs. For example, for some health conditions, the pack is used with heat; for others, without. Castor oil packs are not recommended for women who are pregnant and should not be used by anyone who has recently undergone surgery.

Resources
Fasullo, Craig. (N.D.) "Liver Detox & Castor Oil." Posted at Livestrong.com Accessed 30 Sept 2017: http://www.livestrong.com/article/496828-castor-oil-nutrition/

Pizzorno, Joseph E. (2013). Textbook of Natural Medicine. St. Louis, MO Elsevier.

Grady, H. "Immunomodulation through Castor Oil Packs." Jl of Naturopathic Medicine (1998) 7:1, 84 – 89. Print.

Cayce, E. The Oil that Heals, a physician's successes with castor oil treatments. (1993)A.R.E. Press.http://www.curezone.org/upload/PDF/Edgar_Cayce_The_Oil_That_Heals.pdf

Thornehill Naturopathic. "Castor Oil Packs." Accessed Oct 1 2017:http://www.thornhillnaturopathic.ca/patienthandouts/TNHCCastorOilTN2011.pdf

11/09/2025

Excellent summary about vitamin D. It's essential to maintain optimal vitamin D levels, yet most people are quite deficient. Also, standard lab reference ranges are too low. So if your conventional provider is telling you your level of 30 is normal...It's not! Learn more below.

The Power of Vitamin D

Vitamin D is vital for good health. Every tissue in the body needs vitamin D, yet a large percentage of the world's population is deficient. Even a mild deficiency can contribute to chronic and autoimmune diseases such diabetes, cardiovascular disease, depression, cancer (including ovarian, colon, and breast), multiple sclerosis, and psoriasis.

Nature intended for us to get vitamin D from exposure to sunlight, but colder temperatures prevents bare-skin sun exposure. Additionally, we don't eat enough D-rich foods, like egg yolk, cod liver oil, shiitake mushrooms, and wild salmon. Fortified milk/dairy is also not the best source because you'd need several cups every day.

The best way to help the body establish optimal levels of vitamin D is to take a supplement.

The recommended blood level of vitamin D (above 25 nmol/L) was established to protect people from bone disease (rickets and osteomalacia). From the natural medicine perspective (and emerging scientific data), that threshold is too low to protect against serious illness or to promote optimal health. Depending on the individual, holistic physicians identify 45-90 nmol/L as the ideal vitamin D blood level for disease prevention.

Age, gender, diet, stress level, and lifestyle factors affect absorption of vitamin D. A holistic physician can order a blood test prior to starting a supplement to help ensure you take the appropriate amount and form of vitamin D.

Resources:
The VitaminD Society. Accessed 5 June 2018: http://www.vitamindsociety.org/videos.php?sub=Misc%20Vitamin%20D%20Videos

Holick, M.F., "Sunlight and vitamin D for bone health and prevention of autoimmune diseases, cancers, and cardiovascular disease." The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, (1 December 2004) 80: 6,–1688S. Accessed 5 June 2018: https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/80.6.1678S

Grassroots Health. "VitaminD*Action" brochure. Digital copy available:http://www.vitamindsociety.org/pdf/New%20D%20Action%20Call%20to%20action%20and%20FAQ%20sheet%20Jan%2011.pdf

NIH.gov "Vitamin D Fact Sheet for Health Professionals." Accessed 5 June 2018: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/

11/06/2025

🍲 🍲 🍲

Broth's Best Health Benefits:

From moms and grandmas to holistic doctors everywhere, soup broth tops the list of healing foods to eat when you're feeling sick, or when you need a soothing, simple, and nutritious meal.

Varieties of soup broth include vegetable, fish, chicken, beef, and bone (made without meat). Broth is typically made by simmering ingredients, straining off the solids, and serving the liquid. Overall, broths are low in carbs, don't contain much protein, and are abundant in nutrients. This makes broth compatible with many diets.

For robust flavor and nutrition power, you'll want the broth to include a variety of veggies and herbs such as carrots, celery, garlic, mushrooms, onion, spinach, leeks, broccoli, green beans, bay leaf, turmeric, ginger, parsley, and pepper. As an added bonus, many of these ingredients have their own health benefits too.

The soothing effect of drinking warm, steaming broth happens to be an effective way to loosen up mucus when you have a stuffy nose and it can ease irritation from a sore throat. Broth helps provide what the body needs to prevent dehydration and manage nausea. This is because broth contains many minerals, including potassium, sodium, and calcium, which are important to hydration and heart and muscle function. Broth also contains Vitamin A which is important for immunity. The wider the variety of veggies and herbs included in the broth, the more robust the vitamin and anti-inflammatory power.

Resources

Lynn, D. "Is Soup Broth Good for You?"posted at Livestrong.com Accessed 13 Dec 2018: https://www.livestrong.com/article/439591-is-soup-broth-good-for-you/

Saketkhoo,K. et al., "Effects of Drinking Hot Water, Cold Water, and Chicken Soup on Nasal Mucus Velocity and Nasal Airflow Resistance." Chest Jnl (Oct 1978) 74:4, 408-410. Accessed 15 Dec 2018: https://journal.chestnet.org/article/S0012-3692(15)37387-6/fulltext

11/03/2025

Ever seen people (or athletes on TV) walking around with 🟣 on their bodies?

Cupping therapy is a science-backed technique that uses negative pressure to gently lift tissue, increase microcirculation, and stimulate the lymphatic system.

🟣 How does it work?

The suction draws blood and fluid toward the surface, bringing oxygen + nutrients to stagnant tissues, while removing metabolic waste and inflammatory byproducts by improving lymphatic drainage to the area.

Cupping can help the body clear toxins more efficiently and reduce inflammation deep in the fascia and muscles.⁠

The 🟣 left behind are areas of increased circulation, showing where blood flow and detoxification have been activated. Color variation can reflect the degree of stagnation or inflammation in that region, and fades within a few days.⁠

🟣 Does it hurt?

I've been having cupping done for years and I find it to be very relaxing. To me, the gentle pulling sensation feels like a "reverse massage" and I always fall asleep during treatment. 😴 There's no pain, just occasionally some mild soreness over an area that needed it most.

🟣 Healing from Lyme and co-infections?

Cupping can be a powerful adjunctive therapy: supporting detox pathways, decreasing muscle and joint pain, and helping regulate the immune + inflammatory response.

Cupping was a regular therapy I used while healing Lyme, and it remains an important part of my wellness regimen. I recommend it often to my clients. 💡

🟣 Ready to get intentional with your healing? Let's put together a strategic plan just for you. DM "HEAL".

10/28/2025

The newest SP product, SP Red Food, is part of my training supplement regimen for the Spartan Race I'm doing in 2 weeks! 💪 You can get your Red Food at cuozzohealth.standardprocess.com/products

10/26/2025

Small wins today lead to big change tomorrow. I promise.

Every time you choose to live by my FIVE Healing Foundations, giving your body nourishing food, gentle movement, restorative sleep, nervous system regulation, or detox support — you’re strengthening your body’s foundation for healing, which makes therapies more effective.

These aren’t small steps… they’re the intentional ones that transform your health over time.

Be patient. Be consistent. Be intentional. 💫

Cheryl Cuozzo, FNP-C, FAIHM ✨ Nurse Practitioner & Health Strategist
Live an active, fulfilling life while healing Lyme+, Long COVID & other chronic conditions.
Spots for free Strategy Calls are limited — DM or apply via Link in Bio! 💬🔗

10/24/2025

Recurrent UTIs? Read this.

Recurrent UTI are common among 20% of women, with many experiencing three or more infections a year. Infrequent UTIs are treated with antibiotics, but long-term use increases the likelihood of developing antibiotic resistance, making medication less effective against future infections.

A natural and effective long-term option is D-Mannose, a naturally occurring sugar found in a variety of fruits such as blueberry, apple, and cranberry. This sugar is the reason that cranberry juice is commonly recommended as a UTI treatment; however, it's much easier to get the recommended dosage from a D-mannose supplement.

D-Mannose works by attaching itself to E. coli, the bacteria often responsible for causing UTI's. Thus, D-Mannose prevents bacteria from binding to your urinary tract, and helps your body flush infection via urination.

Recent studies comparing D-Mannose to both antibiotic and placebo have shown women taking D-Mannose had a significantly lower frequency of UTI and a lower incidence of side effects compared to those taking the antibiotic. As always, talk with your holistic physician before taking D-Mannose medicinally.

Resources
L. Domenici, M. Monti, C. Bracchi, M. Giorgini, V. Colagiovanni, L. Muzii, P. Benedetti Panici: "D-mannose: a promising support for acute urinary tract infections in women. A pilot study." Eur Rev Med Pharm Sci (2016) 20:13, 2920. Accessed 14 July 2017: http://www.europeanreview.org/article/11121

Altarac, S. and Papeš, D. (2014), Use of d-mannose in prophylaxis of recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs) in women. BJU Int, 113: 9–10. doi:10.1111/bju.12492 Accessed 11 July 2017: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bju.12492/full

ClinicalTrials.gov "D-Mannose in Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections." (2013, April 1) Study Results. Accessed 11 July 2017: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/results/NCT01808755

Schaeffer AJ, Chmiel JS, Duncan JL, Falkowski WS. "Mannose-sensitive adherence of Escherichia coli to epithelial cells from women with recurrent urinary tract infections." J Urol (1984) 131:9, 06-10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6142969

10/23/2025

You can’t go back and change that you got sick — but you can start where you are and rebuild your biology for healing. ✨

Before treatment for ANY condition, your body needs to be ready to detox, regulate inflammation, and repair tissues — otherwise, you risk worsening symptoms or having treatment intolerance.

Immune dysregulation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and impaired detox pathways are common in chronic Lyme, Long COVID and EBV. Addressing these first through the FIVE Healing Foundations — Functional Nutrition, Targeted Movement, Regenerative Sleep, Neuroimmune Regulation, and Toxic Load Reduction — restores cellular energy, reduces neuroinflammation, balances the microbiome, and supports optimal detoxing capacity. 🧬💪

When we have an optimal foundation, then we can work on rebuilding health with targeted therapies. 🔨

Because when your foundations are strong, your body can finally respond to treatment — and actually heal. And that's a happy ending. 💚

✨Ready to create your happy ending with a personalized roadmap? Spots for free Strategy Calls are limited — DM or apply via Link in Bio! 💬🔗

Cheryl Cuozzo, FNP-C, FAIHM ✨ Nurse Practitioner & Health Strategist
Helping men and women regain an active, fulfilling lifestyle while healing Lyme+, Long COVID, EBV & other chronic conditions.