Nautilus Integrative Medicine - Dr. Sarah Z, ND, APRN, FNP-C

10/26/2025

In a world of abundance, there is NO excuse for a mom to pretend she's full just to make sure her kids have the food they need. There is no excuse for an elderly person, already frail and on a fixed income, to lose the assistance they use to buy a few cans of stew to carry them through the week. It's inexcusable and we don't shy away from conversations where health, social justice, and humanity are involved. This is an SOS moment for a lot of our friends and neighbors.

We've got an ongoing collection point in our office for non-perishable foods and personal care items to be donated to the Norwich Loft, serving the staff, children, and families in Norwich (where Dr. Z lives, and where resources for assistance are scarce). Any overflow will be donated to East Lyme food pantries. We've already made TWO deliveries in Norwich (YAY! and thank you!) and plan to have another before the end of the month. As many pantries receive items such as pastas, items to consider that are often needed: oil (to make boxed food in place of butter), boxed shelf-stable milk, children's peanut-free snacks, cereals, pet foods (unfortunately, they often lose food first), low-sodium soups (for people with health issues who are on sodium-restricted diets), and trail mixes (make healthy, easy and calorie dense snacks).

Also, if you're doing the clothing swap-outs from summer to winter, any gently-used winter clothing and bedding is accepted. Thank you so much! EVERY bit makes a difference and you never know how big of a ripple YOUR difference will make 💜

10/25/2025

I know, I know. I could go on ALL day about women's hormone health. But, my dudes, you've got some hormones that we need to chat about, too.

Sleep, stress, the "standard American diet", trauma history, and other illness can really hit those hormones hard. The downstream effects of not having imbalanced hormones? Metabolic issues, weight gain, mental health issues, low energy, cardiovascular implications - the list goes on and on. Don't ignore how you're feeling, and don't chalk it up to "just being busy". Take care of you! I promise, you'll be glad you did.

10/22/2025

If you don't feel like YOU, that's the best indicator that something is "off." Sometimes, the typical labs show us what's happening, and sometimes they don't. Keep pushing and keep advocating for yourself. When you find a provider who HEARS you, who honors that YOU know you best, and won't stop digging until you get the answers that help you get back to feeling AWESOME, it's a game-changer.

10/21/2025

If I look tired here, it's because I was up at the crack of dawn to see Moonstruck on the big screen (I'm Italian and IYKYK). But I had some thoughts to share before I went to watch Cher be the queen she is...

Genitourinary symptoms of menopause aren't always obvious - until they are. Preventative care goes a long way, and there are safe, effective treatment options that can stave off some BIG problems down the line.

10/03/2025

Just a reminder that "exercise" doesn't have to be weight lifting or expensive classes. Sometimes, it's the new vinyl dance-along and the functional movement of squatting, crawling, digging and lifting we do when we play in the dirt. Bonus:
~ music stimulates LOTs of important brain areas
~ my 90s-esque dance moves - including dropping-it-like-it's-hot in front of the neighborhood folks - keep me limber
~ and these flowers are gonna be bangin' come April...

Nurse Practitioner and Naturopathic Doctor Sarah Zambarano treats adult health concerns, including hormones, thyroid disorders, digestion, weight, auto-immune disease, and endocrine and metabolic disturbances via in-person or telehealth in Connecticut. Treatments can include herbal medicine, hormone

10/02/2025

Warning, Long-A** Post:
I took a bit of a break this week to rest, regroup, and reprioritize in time for my birthday (and, just so we all know, I'm forever 29...). My daughter took one of her mental-health-days off from school and we zipped off to spread some good in this wild world.

First, we headed to the Loft for NPS - they're always collecting personal care items, non-perishable food, working appliances, cleaning supplies, housewares and school supplies for the families and employees of the . A HUGE THANK YOU to the folks who donated in our office. We have an ongoing collection for anyone who wants to bring supplies by. There were lots of empty shelves, so we're working to stock those up! If anyone wants their contact info, please let me know. If you need assistance, please also reach out.

Next, it was off to one of our favorite old cemeteries (yeah, we're a little weird) and did some clean-up. A lot of the stones are over 200+ years old. I wouldn't be a responsible health care provider if I didn't mention that a LOT of those folks were kids, teens, and young adults - thank you to for the interventions like antibiotics, treatments for simple childhood illness, preventative medicine, IV rehydration and that have helped us progress.

We noticed a crew who was working in the newer part of the cemetery. I asked my daughter if she had any questions for them. Forever the curious spirit - and in the absolute last situation I could have imagined for the day - she ended up learning how to use a Bobcat with some expert coaching. A girl can never have too many super-powers.

We collected some acorns from a red oak (Guerrilla planting in tree-sparse areas, anyone?) and headed home to unwind. An absolutely perfect day! Enjoy your week, everyone! If you need help, ask. If you have help to give, now is the time.

09/16/2025

We're going to have a running collection for toiletries, non-perishable food items, and small clothing like hats, gloves, and scarves for the kiddos and their families in . Let's help the Loft stock up for the winter, and we'll keep our collections open to eventually help some of the local organizations in as well as .

08/23/2025

We LOOOOOOVE color in our clothes, hair, decor and, yup, food and drinks too!! Unfortunately, food dyes can act as neuro-irritants, especially in kids and sensitive adults. This "irritation" may manifest in restlessness, mood irritability, sleeplessness, and even learning changes (it gets a lot like The Exorcist up in here, just sayin'...).

But life without color isn't as much fun, so what can we use instead?

💙 Butterfly pea powder – deep blue that turns purple with a squeeze of lemon
❤️ Beet powder – a bold pink/red that’s also nutrient-rich
💚 Spirulina powder – gives a vibrant blue-green color and is packed with plant-based antioxidants.
🩷 Hibiscus powder – creates beautiful shades of pink to deep red with a tart, floral note of flavor
💜 Purple sweet potato powder – rich violet tones with a gentle sweetness

Wishing everyone colorful and delicious last days of summer!! A big "thank you" to the Tiger Fish Restaurant in Block Island for the post idea (and amazing food!)

08/12/2025

I won't leave this earth being known as a woman who keeps her mouth shut. When I see things that I find unjust, I speak out about it. Social media keeps me a whole lot quieter than I am in my day-to-day life, however, there comes a time when we need to speak up using our platforms. My patients' health matters to me. Access to affordable medication matters to me. Money grabs by insurance companies, drug companies, and the powers that be infuriate me - so here's the latest and greatest news on what's coming down the pike for our more affordable drug costs.

If you get prescription medication from Canada, although they are working to try to fix this horror show, it's ultimately up to our government to redact the tariffs that are going to significantly hinder our ability to use Canadian pharmacies for more affordable medicine. If you're one of my patients and you need a refill sooner rather than later, reach out to our office ASAP and we'll get you squared away in case this doesn't get a better resolution.

And for everyone watching, let me be very clear. I will ALWAY advocate for human rights, equality, equity, kindness, and a safe and joyful world. If this isn't your jam, feel free to unfollow. As I always say, I'm not for everyone, but I have to live with myself at the end of the day - and keeping my mouth shut while more and more people are squeezed out of getting decent health care is not something I plan to do.

08/03/2025

I love giving back to the world in the ways that I can, and I love plants and gardening. So what's a better way to do all of those things than for our little office to support the local East Lyme Giving Garden? Check out the picture of our row! A big "thank you" to the people who grow amazing food to donate to the community - taking care of people and the planet. Amazing!

08/01/2025

PSA: We're having some issues getting the Estradiol patches we routinely use in HRT. There are other options for getting hormones, although they do take a little more of a hustle than just sending off an electronic prescription. If you're one of my patients and having issues with your supply, reach out to us for options. If your one of the millions of other folks who are on HRT and can't get your patches, you CAN get your medicine - speak with your provider for other sources. For all of us having hiccups in our hormone dosing, I find that channeling some of that "extra" emotion into a super-power and using it for social activism right now is a good outlet :) And, finally, to those in charge of medication supply: DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE WHAT MILLIONS OF UNDER-MEDICATED MENOPAUSAL AND PERIMENOPAUSAL PEOPLE WILL DO IF YOU DON'T GET THIS FIXED UP REALLLLLLL SOON. 💪🏼🔥🫵🏼

07/20/2025

We take one big family vacation each year and we're happy to report that it was a huge success with great weather and a surprise 9th birthday bash at the beach! A big "Thank You" to Angela, our amazing office manager, for keeping the show running behind the scenes. Also, a big shout-out to our patients for their understanding as we recharged and rested. Now back to GREAT MEDICINE tomorrow!