Herbal Remedies & Supplements

Are You A Mosquito Magnet?

Written by b-better on June 26, 2023. Posted in Herbal Remedies & Supplements, Holistic Health, Recipes. No Comments on Are You A Mosquito Magnet?

Have you ever wondered why mosquitos are attracted to some people but not others? ???? ⁣⁣⁣⁣One theory seems to lie in our ability to breakdown carbs and sugar! ⁣⁣⁣⁣I learned a while ago that those with a need for B vitamins are more prone to insect bites – specifically, vitamin B1 or thiamine.⁣⁣⁣Why? Because vitamin B1 helps us break down carbs more effectively.⁣⁣⁣As you may know, our skin is an elimination pathway.⁣⁣⁣⁣If carbs/sugars aren’t metabolized properly, the chemical byproducts can be eliminated through the skin. This is what’s suspected to make some people more...

Is Accutane The Acne Medication Helpful or Harmful?

Written by b-better on June 15, 2023. Posted in Herbal Remedies & Supplements, Holistic Health, Recipes. No Comments on Is Accutane The Acne Medication Helpful or Harmful?

Accutane is a controversial topic. Yes, it’s effective for a lot of people, but it also comes with a lot of risks. These risks should thoroughly be discussed and weighed with your physician.⁣ Recently a B Better member asked us how she can support her son during his Accutane treatment. Understanding the mechanisms behind these risks can guide the type of support needed: ⁣⁣⁣⁣???????? ???????????? ???????? ????????????????????????????:⁣⁣⁣⁣Since Accutane causes mucosal erosion and leads to loss of barrier function, including “leaky gut” and malabsorption, supporting mucosal...

Downside of Vitamin D

Written by b-better on November 1, 2022. Posted in Herbal Remedies & Supplements, Holistic Health. No Comments on Downside of Vitamin D

With so many people supplementing blindly with vitamin D these days, I wanted to share this PSA. Yes, vitamin D is amazing for immunity. BUT – please remember that Vitamin D is NOT a vitamin. It’s a prohormone that has hormone effects in the body, and therefore must be treated like a hormone.⁣ ⁣ View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bernadette Abraham | Functional Medicine (@bernadette.abraham) ⁣ ⁣⁣As I briefly mentioned in my story, long-term high-dose vitamin D supplementation can:⁣⁣⁣⁣1- Deplete vitamin A. What do we need vitamin A for?⁣⁣⁣⁣✔️Epithelial...

Beware of High Dose Zinc Supplementation

Written by b-better on October 24, 2022. Posted in Herbal Remedies & Supplements, Holistic Health. No Comments on Beware of High Dose Zinc Supplementation

Remember that all micronutrients dance together!⁣ View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bernadette Abraham | Functional Medicine (@bernadette.abraham) ⁣⁣If you supplement with a single micronutrient (vitamin/mineral), there needs to be justification for doing so, especially in high doses.⁣⁣⁣Testing allows you to determine if there’s a need for a particular nutrient, how much to take, and most importantly WHEN TO STOP taking it. I think this is often the missing piece.⁣⁣⁣⁣In the absence of testing, cycling on/off supplements every 3 months or so is an...

Balancing Blood Sugar Guide

Written by b-better on October 18, 2022. Posted in Herbal Remedies & Supplements, Recipes, Wellness in Practice. No Comments on Balancing Blood Sugar Guide

Do you crave sugar and carbs? Get “hangry” or feel shaky if you skip a meal? Low energy? Have brain fog and difficulty concentrating? Can’t lose weight despite eating like a bird? Have higher triglycerides? ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣ ⁣These scream blood sugar dysregulation which I provide plenty of solutions for inside my blood sugar course in ???? ???????????????????????? ????????????????????????????????????????, including tests & supplements to discuss with your practitioner. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bernadette Abraham | Functional Medicine...

Jet Lag Tips

Written by b-better on October 7, 2022. Posted in Herbal Remedies & Supplements, Recipes, Wellness in Practice. No Comments on Jet Lag Tips

I know it’s a little late, but I promised to share my jet lag tips after my summer travel so SAVE this post for your next trip! ⁣ View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bernadette Abraham | Functional Medicine (@bernadette.abraham) ⁣⁣⁣1️⃣ Our wake-sleep hormones cortisol and melatonin are tied to the rhythm of the sun and moon. So getting outside at different times of the day and grounding as often and as long as possible is my preferred way of helping reset my circadian rhythm to the new time zone. ⁣⁣⁣⁣2️⃣ My homeopath recommends I take Arnica...

Headaches In The Sun?

Written by b-better on September 5, 2022. Posted in Active Living, Herbal Remedies & Supplements, Holistic Health. No Comments on Headaches In The Sun?

Do you get headaches when you’re out in the heat or spending time in the sun? ☀️ ⁣ I felt one coming on today, but thankfully I was able to relieve it naturally. So I decided to share my troubleshooting tips in the hope that they will be useful to you as well. ????⁣ View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bernadette Abraham | Functional Medicine Coach (@bernadette.abraham) ⁣1️⃣ A headache is often an early sign of dehydration. So drink up! Natural spring water from a glass bottle is best, otherwise, choose filtered water. Avoid plastic bottles. I also add...

4 Possible Causes of Post-Covid Hair Loss

Written by b-better on June 30, 2022. Posted in Herbal Remedies & Supplements, Holistic Health, Mental & Emotional Well-being. No Comments on 4 Possible Causes of Post-Covid Hair Loss

One of my beta members asked for suggestions in our private B Better community on how to deal with post-C hair loss. ⁣I thought I would share my reply with all of you too since it’s a pretty common occurrence. Below are the 4 main causes of hair loss after getting covid: While some experienced it transiently, others are still struggling with hair loss and hair growth.⁣ Hopefully, this post helps some of the possible mechanisms of action that can lead to hair loss after an infection, and some testing suggestions to ask your doctor about. I’ll also...

Is Your Probiotic Making You Constipated?

Written by b-better on June 30, 2022. Posted in Herbal Remedies & Supplements, Holistic Health, Wellness in Practice. No Comments on Is Your Probiotic Making You Constipated?

I shared this tip in my IG stories and got flooded with DMs so I thought I’d share it here too and further expand on it.⁣⁣⁣⁣First off, know that our gut microbiome is teeming with beneficial and opportunistic microbial species. ⁣⁣⁣⁣Scientists are still learning and discovering new genera, species and strains, including their respective health benefits, so while taking a probiotic seems to be the popular recommendation these days, know that just like diets, there’s no one-size-fits-all probiotic. Different circumstances call for different probiotics.⁣⁣⁣⚠️For instance, those with...

Natural Allergy Relief Infusion

Written by b-better on June 2, 2022. Posted in Herbal Remedies & Supplements, Holistic Health, Recipes. 2 Comments on Natural Allergy Relief Infusion

I’ve been getting many messages asking about natural remedies for allergy relief. Enter herbal infusions!⁣ Stinging nettle (leaf) can help ease seasonal allergies like itchiness, runny nose/eyes, sneezing, etc. but adding onion peels – the secret ingredient to my secret ingredient soup – takes it to the next level. ⁣⁣Why? Because onion peels are rich in quercetin (pronounced kwehr-suh-tin) which is a natural anti-histamine that calms the immune system to reduce or prevent histamine release.⁣⁣ And stinging nettle leaf (very important: leaf, not root) has shown to have...