Root & Remedy Nutrition, LLC

05/05/2026

Insulin Resistance… what does it actually mean? Why does it matter?

Research shows insulin resistance can be developing for 10–15 years before pre-diabetes or diabetes shows up on standard labs. During that time, blood sugar can still look normal, but the body is producing more and more insulin to keep it there, which is not a long term solution. This is why a fasting insulin test can be so helpful - it tells us if there is dysfunction before a disease state begins. It is so much easier to prevent and reverse at that point!

It’s also important to understand that insulin isn’t ever truly “not working”, but it IS being used much less efficiently, so the body has to compensate by making more of it. Over time, if that demand continues, it can progress into pre-diabetes and eventually diabetes. I am trying to simplify the issue here, but think of it more as if insulin resistance is when the call isn’t ‘answered’ half the time, rather than it never being answered.

Sources for further reading:

Tabák AG, et al. Trajectories of glycaemia, insulin sensitivity, and insulin secretion before diagnosis of type 2 diabetes (The Whitehall II Study). The Lancet. 2009.

DeFronzo RA, Ferrannini E. Insulin resistance: a multifaceted syndrome responsible for NIDDM, obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and atherosclerosis. Diabetes Care. 1991.

Czech MP. Insulin action and resistance in obesity and type 2 diabetes. Nature Medicine. 2017.

05/01/2026

Have you ever heard of mycotoxins? Most people haven’t.

Mycotoxins are toxic compounds produced by certain molds.
Not all mold is harmful, but some mold species can release toxic secondary metabolites that impact your health.

Many molds found in water-damaged buildings can produce mycotoxins.
Exposure can also come from certain foods, peanuts and coffee are commonly discussed sources.

Here’s what most people don’t realize:
It doesn’t have to be a recent exposure.
These toxins can stick around in the body long after the exposure is gone.

And exposure is more common than you’d think…
It’s estimated that a large percentage of U.S. buildings have had some level of water damages — homes, schools, offices, and workplaces can all be potential sources.

The good news?
There are ways to look deeper. There are also things that can be done to help minimize mycotoxin exposure if you are unable to move or remediate right away.

We can test for mycotoxins and support the body’s natural detox pathways with targeted nutrition and supplementation.

If you’ve had known mold exposure or unexplained symptoms that aren’t adding up, message me and let’s explore if this could be a piece of your puzzle.

Check out a glimpse of a positive mycotoxin panel in the comments!

04/30/2026

Want some variety in your healthy eating? Try this Whole Foods-based meatloaf that hits the nostalgia AND supports your health. It is a regular at our house!

Ingredients:
• 2 lbs ground beef
• 1 small onion (or ½ large), finely chopped
• 1-1.5 cups oats (depending on your preference)
• 3–4 eggs
• Ketchup (for topping)
• Salt or seasoning to taste

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F
2. Mix all ingredients (except ketchup) in a large bowl
3. Form into a loaf and place into a 8x10 baking dish
4. Bake for 45–55 minutes
5. At the 30-minute mark, pull it out and top with ketchup
6. Return to oven and finish baking.

Tip: Throw a sheet pan of veggies in at the same time - broccoli, asparagus, cauliflour, Brussels sprouts, whatever you’ve got. Dinner = done!

Why this works:

•It’s simple, contains common household ingredients + takes 10 min to prep.
• Protein + fat → keeps you full, stabilizes blood sugar
• Oats + onion → adds fiber + flavor + replaces ultra-processed alternatives
• Whole ingredients → no mystery additives, just real food

The ketchup, seasoning and oats I use are in the comments!

04/21/2026

Does eating whole foods feel hard?
If so, you’re probably overcomplicating it.

This was my dinner last night:

10 minutes to prep (form burgers, cut broccoli, season etc.)
30 minutes to cook… while I played outside with my kids as the burgers were on the grill.

Oh, and I made extra burgers for lunch today and paired it with fruit and carrots. Two meals, 40 minutes effort…

It doesn’t have to be fancy to be effective. I feed my family mostly Whole Foods, and I PROMISE I’m not spending hours making 39 step recipes.

Try this simple meal framework:

• Protein: beef, chicken, fish, pork etc.
• Vegetable: anything you like
• Carb: potatoes, fruit, rice, etc

Then add in:
• Healthy fats (avocado oil, butter, tallow, olive oil, coconut oil, etc.)
And other fun add in’s to help with flavor!

Example from this meal:
– Broccoli with avocado oil + Redmond salt
– Baked sweet potato with butter + cinnamon
- Fermented saurkraut, ketchup + mustard.

Simple. Nourishing. AND Sustainable.

04/20/2026

04/20/2026

More education on heavy metals before we move into another toxin group 👇

One of the first questions I get is:
“Where could I have been exposed?”

Here’s a breakdown of some of the most common sources of the heavy metals I see in testing.

This isn’t meant to scare you, it’s meant to educate and bring awareness.
Because it’s often not one big exposure… it’s the small, consistent ones that add up over time. Another missed piece is that is isn’t necessarily YOUR exposure… Many heavy metals can cross the placenta during pregnancy. Emerging research suggests some exposures may have effects across multiple generations.

If this is something you’ve been wondering about, I’m here to help.

👉 DM me “DETOX” if you want more information regarding heavy metals detox + testing

04/20/2026

Same desserts… VERY different sugar + ingredient lists 👀

This is why “better-for-you” swaps are one of my favorite tools for:
→ balancing blood sugar
→ improving insulin sensitivity

Life is NOT meant to be devoid of joy, and I’m not about extreme restriction.

But understanding how much sugar is actually in conventional sweets? That matters.

Quick visual:
4g sugar ≈ 1 teaspoon

🍫Simple Mills Brownie: 9g (~2 tsp)
🍫Betty Crocker Brownie: 18g (~4.5 tsp) (this was actually on the low end for conventional brownies, I found some with 25 g per brownie)

🍫 Hu Dark Chocolate: 8g (~2 tsp)
🍫Hershey’s Special Dark: 16g (~4 tsp)

👉 Same type of food, but DOUBLE the sugar.

…BUT here’s the deeper piece most people miss:

Real food sweets tend to be more satiating, because they contain more nutrient-dense ingredients (fats, fiber, less refined sugars, no artificial ingridents) - they support your body’s natural fullness signals.

Ultra-processed foods, on the other hand, can override those signals, making it easier to keep eating without feeling satisfied.

👉 So not only do conventional options often have double the sugar… you’re also more likely to eat MORE of them.

📚 This is research-backed:

A controlled trial showed people ate ~500 more calories per day on an ultra-processed diet vs a whole-food diet—despite similar amounts and macros.
(Hall et al., Cell Metabolism, 2019)

Life is not about perfection.
And not about never having dessert.

👉 Just making better choices when you can, because it adds up…

1 in 3 adults have prediabetes
1 in 3 adults are insulin resistant
1 in 10 Americans have diabetes

…and these numbers continue to rise.

Maybe it’s not that there’s something inherently wrong with our bodies…
Maybe there’s something wrong with what we’re putting into them.

(I used AI to make these lovely side-by-side comparison ingredient labels)

04/19/2026

Breakfast habits I see all the time 👇

Skipping breakfast to save calories
Coffee on an empty stomach
Thinking eating less = better health
Intermittent fasting 365 days of the year
Living on high-carb/sugary breakfasts

Here’s the reality…

👉 Nutrients matter.
Eating enough + eating real, quality food helps prevent blood sugar swings and keeps you satisfied throughout the day.

👉 You’re coming off a fasted state, and what you eat first sets the tone for your blood sugar for the rest of the day.

👉 Women’s hormones are complex and many women can’t tolerate continuous intermittent fasting.

👉Coffee + no food = stress signal.

👉 High sugar breakfasts = energy crashes + cravings later.

What to do instead:

Eat protein + fat within 60 minutes of waking

Think: eggs, egg bites, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, leftovers, avocado, etc.

👉 Not hungry in the morning?
It doesn’t have to be big or fancy, 1–2 boiled eggs can make a positive impact.

👉 Love carbs at breakfast? Keep them, just be strategic by eating your protein/fat first, then your carbs (toast, fruit, etc)

👉 Fasting is a beneficial tool, but it is meant to be used strategically, it’s not a lifelong strategy, especially for women.

04/16/2026

About 1 in 3 U.S. adults are estimated to have insulin resistance, and most don’t realize it.

Over time, it can quietly contribute to conditions like Type 2 Diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and even hormone imbalances like PCOS.

It often starts subtly—energy crashes, cravings, stubborn weight, before turning into something bigger. Insulin resistance is the precursor to prediabetes and can develop 10–15 years before blood sugar levels are officially considered elevated.

The good news? Small nutrition and lifestyle habits can make a huge difference in balancing blood sugar and improving insulin sensitivity.

Blood sugar balance isn’t just about how you feel or look today, although it does impact those things. It’s shaping your long-term health.

04/12/2026

Could lead accumulation be a missing piece in breast c*ncer risk?

Below are two heavy metal test results from two separate clients. Both women were recently diagnosed with breast c*ncer at the time of testing. What stands out to me is that both show evidence of lead accumulation.

Now here’s where it gets interesting 👇

A 2025 study found that all 26 breast c*ncer tissue samples tested showed lead bioaccumulation, with higher levels associated with markers of DNA instability and altered cell signaling.

This does NOT mean lead causes breast c*ncer. But it does raise an important question:

Could environmental toxins like lead be one piece of a much bigger puzzle?

We know lead is a toxic heavy metal that can interfere with cellular function, increase oxidative stress, and impact how cells regulate growth and repair. We also know it is classified as “probably a carcinogen” by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

If you’re interested in this type of testing, I can help facilitate them for you. More importantly, I can help you support your body’s natural detoxification pathways in a safe and strategic way to REMOVE lead and other heavy metals. Send me a message if you have any questions!

Check out the FULL article: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41420-025-02676-6

04/12/2026

Time to talk about toxins. First up: heavy metals.

Below are my heavy metal test results from when I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in early 2024. My joint pain started in October 2023, I thought I had torn something in my ankle and knee. But then the pain started moving from joint to joint.

By early 2024:
• I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis via MRI (knee and ankle)
• My hormones were OFF
• My HS-CRP was extremely elevated (a marker of inflammation)

Within 3 months of implementing a targeted heavy metals detox, my joint pain disappeared. My hormones balanced over the following several months, and I was able to get pregnant without second daughter in December 2024. My fatigue and brain fog improved drastically, and my overall inflammation went down. Not just from the way I felt, but in measurable markers like HS-CRP.

Heavy metals don’t just “sit” in the body… they interfere with how your body functions at a cellular level.

Here are 7 ways they can impact your health:
1. Increase oxidative stress → damaging cells, DNA, and proteins
2. Disrupt mitochondria → leading to fatigue and low energy
3. Bind to key minerals → contributing to nutrient deficiencies
4. Affect the nervous system → impacting mood, memory, and focus
5. Disrupt hormones → interfering with thyroid, cortisol, and reproductive health
6. Contribute to chronic inflammation → a root driver of many chronic diseases
7. Burden detox pathways → putting extra strain on the liver, kidneys, and gut

The good news? Your body has built-in detox pathways, and with the right support, it can effectively process and eliminate heavy metals. I’m living proof!

Want to learn more? Check out these sources:

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4144270/
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2021.643972/full
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.123.323617
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12872-025-05248-9
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsomega.3c07047

*This is for educational purposes only and not intended to diagnose or treat.*