When you hear the words “turkey tail,” it’s natural to think of the plume of feathers on November’s bird of honor. But Turkey Tail, so named because of its similarity to the real thing, is a mushroom with immune-boosting powers.* And in the fall, when everyone from your little ones to your seatmate on the bus seems to be a walking cootie factory, that’s something we could all use. Which is why, if you don’t already know about Flora’s new(ish) produ... Continue Reading

The August/September ‘back to school’ period invokes a unique blend of feelings for both parents and children: excitement, anticipation, butterflies, with novelty and planning and growth all in the mix. More time indoors, crowded rooms of kids and cooler weather can also present challenges to our immune systems. The first two weeks back to school in September often involve a spike in colds/upper respiratory tract infections. The infection rate can ... Continue Reading

Whether we're planning an overseas dream vacation or a quick weekend getaway, gut health isn't usually at the top of our to-do list. But you don't have to be a globetrotter to know that when tummy troubles hit out on the road, it can make travel miserable. Even if you normally have a gut of steel, it’s easy for it to go haywire even when traveling from state to state. In this article, we’ll discuss how you can protect your gut health and prevent di... Continue Reading

According to research published on June 27th in the Journal of the American Medical Association[1], based on analysis of a nationally representative sample of nearly two decades of data, nearly 39% of females in the United States aged 12 to 21 have an iron deficiency. Researchers Angela Weyand M.D. and colleagues from the University of Michigan examined iron deficiency using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey[2] of 3,49... Continue Reading

Do you Need Probiotics for Travel? Traveling may be the perfect remedy for the age of distraction, for as we wander, our minds become present. But 30 to 40 % of the population have functional bowel problems at some point, and traveling is a time when digestive problems are more likely. No one wants to travel long and far just to see the inside of a bathroom, so having a Flora probiotic for traveling is a smart idea. Probiotics may support digestiv... Continue Reading

Happy Bee Day to you, Happy Bee Day to you, Happy Bee Day dear reader, Happy Bee Day to you! World Bee Day on May 20th reminds us of the importance and contribution of pollinators such as bees. Let’s spend a minute to think about how much better our lives are, and our selection of food and medicine is, because of bees! Read on to learn facts about bees and honey and what we can do to protect bees from the threats they face. Bee impressed Cool facts... Continue Reading

For this post, we’ll dig into some details on just how your body makes the energy it needs during exercise. In order to do that, we’re first going to introduce: the small but mighty mitochondria! Mitochondrial Fitness Mitochondria are specialized components of your cells. What they specialize in is converting the energy from food into energy your cells can use. They take things like pyruvate (from glucose) and fatty acids (from fats) and convert th... Continue Reading

Seasonal allergies are triggered by airborne allergens, such as tree, grass, and weed pollens, or mold or yeast spores. But only about 20-30% of us react. What separates those that do and those that don’t? Read more to find out. Seasonal Allergies and Pollen Reactions Reactivity is multifactorial and includes your heredity, pre-conception and early life, and environmental exposures. But usually, we start with your unique immune system as it is toda... Continue Reading

You’ve heard that iron is a nutrient critical for energy, but did you know it’s not just your heart or other muscles that need iron to be energized? Your brain’s cells, called neurons, demand considerable amounts of iron too. Our brains use iron to power many important tasks, including making new neurons, adding a protective myelin coating to axons (long neurons), developing synapses (spaces where the neurons communicate), and synthesizing neurotra... Continue Reading

If you think that stress is affecting your digestion, you could be right. The old narrative in medicine was that the cause of IBS is not clear. A modern perspective acknowledges the impacts of gut microbes and stress on digestion. I will share what we know now and provide some easy and accessible ways to feel better. Stress and Digestion Woes Stress is a normal part of life, as are digesting and eliminating. Yet, if you are reading this, your exper... Continue Reading

If you think that stress is affecting your digestion, you could be right. The old narrative in medicine was that the cause of IBS is not clear. A modern perspective acknowledges the impacts of gut microbes and stress on digestion. I will share what we know now and provide some easy and accessible ways to feel better. Stress and Digestion Woes Stress is a normal part of life, as are digesting and eliminating. Yet, if you are reading this, your exper... Continue Reading

Sunscreen, cleansing, exfoliating, and moisturizing regularly, you may think you’re taking pretty good care of your skin. These are important steps but they’re external remedies, and as we all know, beauty is more than skin-deep. Healthy, glowing skin comes both from what you put ON the outside and what you put IN the inside. Outer beauty reflects and radiates from inner health.   Step 1: Hydrate The first thing you need to do for happy skin is to ... Continue Reading