Author: b-better

Do You Use Homeopathy? (Tip for Hormonal Headache)

Written by b-better on May 30, 2023. Posted in Alternative Therapies, Holistic Health, Mental & Emotional Well-being. No Comments on Do You Use Homeopathy? (Tip for Hormonal Headache)

I shared the below images in my Instagram stories the other day and got flooded with DMs so thought to share my story and address your questions here.⁣⁣⁣⁣I am in the perimenopausal years (typically between 40 & 50 years of age), and with that can come a rollercoaster of hormonal changes and symptoms.⁣⁣⁣⁣I started getting cyclical headaches. Like clockwork.⁣ ????⁣⁣⁣With progesterone declining at a faster rate than estrogen due to the natural aging process, and with estrogen’s erratic surges, we can experience estrogen dominant symptoms. Yay. ????⁣⁣⁣⁣It’s these fluctuations in estrogen...

Is Your Water Safe?

Written by b-better on May 30, 2023. Posted in Holistic Health, Technology & Wellness, Wellness in Practice. No Comments on Is Your Water Safe?

One thing I’ve always appreciated about restaurants in North America is the culture of offering free water to their customers. But unfortunately, it’s usually unfiltered tap water that is served, which is contaminated with a host of chemicals. Coincidentally, while I was visiting the US recently, I received an email from the EWG (i.e. Environmental Working Group, a US non-profit organization that informs people on product safety), showing that many tap waters contain hexavalent chromium; the cancer-causing chemical made notorious by the 2000 film “Erin Brokovich” starring Julia...

Benefits of Sunlight 20-30 mins Upon Rising

Written by b-better on May 30, 2023. Posted in Active Living, Mental & Emotional Well-being, Technology & Wellness. No Comments on Benefits of Sunlight 20-30 mins Upon Rising

If you’ve been following me for a while, you know I preach getting full-spectrum sunlight within 20-30 mins of waking.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣To help boost our Cortisol Awakening Response or “CAR” for short. ⁣⁣⁣⁣When full-spectrum light hits our eyes when we wake up, our central nervous system produces a boat load of cortisol from our adrenal glands.⁣ View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bernadette Abraham | Functional Medicine (@bernadette.abraham) ⁣Cortisol is known as our “stress” hormone but it also has many other benefits (pictured).⁣⁣⁣⁣This rapid spike of cortisol...

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...

What Your Stool Color Means

Written by b-better on August 3, 2022. Posted in Detox & Cleanse, Family & Child Wellness, Holistic Health. No Comments on What Your Stool Color Means

As gross or taboo as it may seem, poop, stool, #2, or whatever you like to call it, is an essential part of our physiology. We all do it (hopefully), and it provides a significant amount of information about our gut health, and therefore our overall health.⁣ ????????So step 1, start looking! Ask your kids to look too; and to tell you if it’s not brown.⁣⁣⁣⁣????????Step 2. Know the warning signs.⁣⁣⁣⁣⚠️????❤️Black and bright red could indicate internal bleeding, so do seek medical attention. But there are some other less scary reasons for it:⁣ •large amounts of black foods, iron...

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...