Heather Caron Health

06/07/2022

One of my favorite topics.

https://www.theguardian.com/food/2019/mar/18/can-you-eat-yourself-happier-nutritional-psychiatry-mental-health?fbclid=IwAR0lULgyPUpRfvJO3mJaWiDHeIu4Yf-NE39XTQnht7aZwLumitNsHFBvRIY

‘What we stick in our mouths matters to our mental health,’ says a leading light in this new field. So what should we be eating?

06/01/2022

A meal is never just a plate of food. It has the power to change the world. To bring people together.

Longer Tables, the name of my new Substack newsletter, is my way of saying that we are not Democrats or Republicans, Americans or immigrants, meat-eaters or vegans. We are people of the world, who cook and eat and drink together. I hope you’ll join me there and subscribe to Longer Tables on Substack.

Subscribe here: joseandres.substack.com

05/14/2022

“To make bread or love, to dig in the earth, to feed an animal or cook for a stranger—these activities require no extensive commentary, no lucid theology. All they require is someone willing to bend, reach, chop, stir. Most of these tasks are so full of pleasure that there is no need to complicate things by calling them holy.

And yet these are the same activities that change lives, sometimes all at once and sometimes more slowly, the way dripping water changes stone. In a world where faith is often construed as a way of thinking, bodily practices remind the willing that faith is a way of life.”

~ Barbara Brown Taylor

05/13/2022

Labels are deliberately confusing and are not at all regulated. Many of these are marketed to exploit consumers through psychological, social, and financial vulnerabilities.

To keep it simple, look for foods that are labeled ‘certified organic’. Sourcing quality foods can be tricky. Here are some confusing labels to navigate:

▪️ALL NATURAL- This means nothing. It still includes cellulose, preservatives, chemical preservatives, anti-fungals, and does not regard food production methods.

▪️NO ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS OR COLORS- this means that the flavors and colors are naturally derived and does not necessarily mean it is a wholesome choice. often these ingredients are derived from petroleum.

▪️NATURAL FLAVORING- these can contain many inflammatory oils and can be high in glutamic acid

▪️SUPERFOOD- this is an unregulated term marketed to a health conscious consumer

▪️MADE WITH WHOLE GRAINS and MADE WITH REAL FRUIT - sometimes packages say this while the grain or fruit is at the bottom of the ingredient list, preceded by refined oil, flour, and sugar.

▪️NON GMO, GMO FREE, NON GMO VERIFIED- these foods that are produced without genetic modification. However, many commodity crops are GMO and are used in the production of processed foods. Look for products labeled ‘Non-GMO Verified’, as they must undergo a thorough audit of their supply chains to obtain certification.

▪️ARTISAN- This is not a regulated term. Artisan refers to hand crafted foods prepared with traditional cooking techniques. As consumer interest minimally processed whole foods has gained momentum, the processed food industry has begun to apply this term to their industrially produced foods.

I’ll talk more about more of nefarious methods of The Big Food Industry uses another day.

05/13/2022

The best sources of food are really simple—sticking to fresh whole foods. Select organic produce, and buy pastured, grass fed animal products, and wild caught seafood. If you are able to source your food from local farms and CSAs, you will have a naturally nutrient dense and seasonal diet in rhythm with nature. Produce is the most nutrient dense when it is ripe, local, and in season.

When choosing animal products, choose those that are certified organic, pasture raised, grass fed, or wild caught. These animals have spent their life in the pasture and their meat, eggs, and dairy products are the cleanest and most nutrient dense available. If you select dairy products, choose raw, full fat dairy.

Whole, organic foods cost more than processed foods, and the cost is often a significant barrier in obtaining quality nutrition. This is a reality that must be reconciled. In 2014, Americans spent 6% of disposable income on food. In 1929, they spent fully 19% on food, and in 1960, 15% on food. Perhaps some of the cost of organic food can be put into perspective when confronted with the cost and consequences food has on our health, the health of our families, the welfare of agricultural workers, livestock, the environment.

We all have to prioritize our financial lives to make choices for our foods where and how we are able. The goal here is consistent progress, not perfection. Here are some ideas for sourcing food on a budget.

▪️bartering
▪️utilizing frozen fruits and veg
▪️buying fruits/ veg in season and freezing
▪️buying in bulk if one has the resources or buying bulk with a friend
▪️shopping at local food co-ops
▪️gardening
▪️raising chickens for eggs
▪️farm shares
▪️joining a CSA
▪️utilizing the Clean 15 List to save money on the cleanest ‘conventional’ produce
▪️purchasing the misfit/ imperfect produce
▪️foraging

👩‍🌾 Keep in mind that many local farmers will have produce that is ‘organically grown’, but small farms do not always have the resources to go through the process to be ‘certified organic’ and need your support. Getting to know your local farmers is a great way to know exactly how your food is grown.

05/12/2022

Nutritional therapy is a holistic approach to health that gets to the root cause of your symptoms. I use a whole foods first approach with added therapeutic supplementation specific to your health needs.

Nutritional therapy views you as a holistic individual. I use a bio-individual lens to create a plan designed just for you.

There’s so much nutrition and health advice online— it can be overwhelming with information overload. How to know what works for you? How can you piece it all together? I can help you sort through all the noise of the ‘wellness industry’ and simplify to get results.

Nutritional therapy focuses on the six foundations of health to maintain homeostasis in the body:

▪️Nutrient dense whole foods
▪️Digestion
▪️Blood sugar regulation
▪️Fatty acids
▪️Hydration
▪️Minerals

Nutritional therapy does not diagnose disease, prescribe medication, promote any specific diet, or provide quick fixes.

I’m here to help you do the s l o w work of incorporating daily nourishment of your body. Nutrition is a simple, beautiful, practical, and gentle way to ground your energy in your body and heal. Ideally, we have three or more chances a day to practice.

Life is the ritual.

05/11/2022

Friends, there are 100 trillion microbial cells living in your gut.

Some of these microbial cells turn the food you eat into vitamins and fatty acids that keep your gut healthy and your body nourished. Others can be harmful and damage the lining of your gut creating a cascade of symptoms in your body.

People know the saying, ‘You are what you eat.’ More specifically, you are what you absorb. If your gut isn’t healthy, you might not even be absorbing the nutrients that you are eating.

Think of your body as an ecosystem. Health begins in the gut. How and what we eat determines the health of your terrain. There is far more to keeping your gut healthy than just ‘taking some probiotics’.

🚽Signs that your gut is out of balance:

-Constipation
-Loose stools
-Bloating
-Gas
-Skin issues
-Fatigue
-Moodiness
-Food sensitivities

🥦Food that creates balance:

-Leafy greens (spinach, collards, chard arugula, etc)
-Tubers (sweet potatoes, potatoes , beets, turnips)
-Cruciferous veg (broccoli, Brussels, kale)
-Fermented foods (kraut, kimchi, kefir, kvass)

🚩Some things that contribute to an imbalance:

-Sugar
-Processed foods (All those hidden additives!)
-Refined carbohydrates (pasta, pastries, breads, crackers, cereals)
-Stress (majorly)
-Antacids and many other medications

The idea here is to first add more nourishing foods, and then begin to eliminate those things creating an imbalance.

What about the well known phrase ‘trust your gut’? Consider that it might also be difficult to trust your intuition and feelings if your microbiome is out of balance and sending you messages that reflect that imbalanced state.
🤔🧠 ⚖️

05/10/2022

Here are Her Words

Here are her words,
Written with the blackest of ink from the
Sharpest point of
An antique fountain pen
Carved from the branches of this oak tree,
Where an owl now meditates
While a crow watches,
With its eye radiating wisdom
After a long journey from inside
The darkest rock cave in the forest,
Where smoky quartz and
Ancient fern fossils illuminate the still glowing
And quivering coals from the fires of the
Green witches.

Clutching her pen
As a pearl handled knife
Or an engraved iron sword,
She will not silence the chanting or
The howling of her grandmothers and their mothers.
Who in this very cave
Wove words into incantations
And danced light into the crystals.
They brought healing out from the forest and
Into the streets.
She will do the same
With her words.
They will heal
They will bring light out
From the darkest places where wisdom and magic
Still radiate.

- Tonya J. Cunningham 2020

05/10/2022

Hi! I’m Heather and I’m passionate about helping people create the most nourished and aligned version of themselves. I’m a nutritional therapist, energy intuitive, and natal astrologer here to support you through periods of transformation as you catalyze change in your health. I am endlessly fascinated by the connections between our physical, emotional, and spiritual bodies. I am here to help clients meet themselves and their difficulties with trust, with radical compassion and effective clinical skill. My website is close to being finished, and I’ll be back soon to share more about functional nutrition and the never-ending path of nourishing your being.

05/02/2022

This wild cousin of the carrot with its beautiful white flowers is steeped in legends and lore and has a very interesting history. Learn more!

04/14/2022

Well, well, well.

Washington Attorney General Spends Seven Years, Finally Nails Monsanto, Coca Cola and Others in GMO Money Laundering Schemeby Nick Meyer | February 16, 2022 Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson spent seven years on the case. As certain world events have taken center stage over the past few...

04/03/2022

Hi! Welcome to Heather Caron Health.

I offer a deep foundational bio-individual approach to functional, holistic nutrition to balance body chemistry and address the underlying root causes of your health. I focus on nutrient-dense food, targeted supplementation, anatomy and physiology, lifestyle choices, culinary wellness, and how social and personal components influence your health. There is no one size fits all approach to nutrition. I honor the bio-individual needs of each client.

YOU are the expert on your body and life. As a nutritional therapist and astrologer, everything I offer is designed to help you create optimal health, to understand your body’s language/ symptoms more clearly, and to help you align with yourself and your goals. I’m here to help you create sustainable, transformative changes that nourish your body in a way that is energizing and satisfying. I support you in reconnect with your own innate ability to heal.

The gut and digestion are the center of my universe. As Hippocrates said, "All disease begins in the gut." Your gut health is simply too vital to the health of your body’s entire exquisite ecosystem to be ignored.

I look forward to engaging with you more! Thanks for being here.

03/20/2022

Regenerative farming practices such as soil-building techniques that minimize plowing, use cover crops, and plant diverse crops positively affect the nutritional content of the food, claims research.

03/17/2022

This daylight savings time change is a disruption to the body and sleep this week. This isn’t a very useful practice, it is about to get lighter for longer anyway— that’s what the Vernal Equinox is about.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2022/03/16/daylight-saving-bill-health-effects/

The Senate voted unanimously Tuesday to make daylight saving time permanent, but many sleep experts argue that the U.S. should adopt year-round standard time.

03/16/2022