Thanksgiving is one of those holidays where overeating is so accepted as the norm, it’s been elevated to meme-worthy status. But as you prepare to regret nothing while kayaking down rivers of mashed potatoes and gravy, your pancreas would first like a word. Normally, the pancreas secretes proteases, lipase and amylase to help digest protein, fats and starches. If it doesn’t produce enough, diarrhea, cramping, malabsorption of nutrients and gas/bloating can arise. The problem with indulging and overeating enjoying large…
Archives
Delicious Ways to Make ACV Part of Your Daily Wellness Routine
April 30, 2019Once a humble pantry staple, apple cider vinegar is suddenly the new “it” ingredient. Celebrities like Katy Perry and Kim Kardashian swear by it, articles about it are popping up everywhere, and people are downing it by the boatload. But while it may be experiencing a surge in popularity, apple cider vinegar isn’t anything new. It’s an age-old food, dating back to the ancient Romans, and people have been drinking up its wellness benefits for decades. What’s new is that…
Probiotics & 5 Signs You Might Need Them
March 5, 2019
Probiotics have become one of the hottest supplements on the market and for good reason! It seems like most health experts are calling probiotics the panacea for every ailment, that miracle supplement that helps with just about everything. And actually…it’s kind of true. While nothing will magically “fix” everything, our gut bacteria are the first line of defense for many of our body systems. Therefore, they’re connected to a surprisingly high number of health concerns. I believe the root of…
Are Probiotics Unnecessary?
January 19, 2019
Health advice changes frequently, which can be super-confusing if you’re trying to do the right thing. (Remember when eggs were bad and margarine was good? Yeah, us too.) Last spring, a widely publicized review cast some doubt on the value of taking probiotics. At least that’s how it got covered in the media.[1],[2] The real story is more nuanced. The review was led by Dr. Saman Khalesi of Central Queensland University in Australia and published in the European Journal of…
Celebrate Health This Holiday Season
December 18, 2018From culinary and omega oils to probiotics, teas, and detoxes, we’re helping you give the gift of health to those who mean the most to you this holiday season. And maybe a little self-care for you while you’re at it. We all have that loved one who’s impossible to shop for. When it comes to their gift, it’s worth considering a gift from the health & wellness sphere. The average American spends over $100,000 on health and fitness in their…
Apple Cider Vinegar: The Secret Ingredient to a Healthy Mocktail
December 11, 2018Our apple cider vinegar isn’t like the others. Flora’s Apple Cider Vinegar Wellness Shots and Drinks combine our ACV with traditionally detoxifying, freshly ground herbs. Burdock, sheep sorrel, turmeric, blessed thistle, and kelp combine with proven digestion and immunity boosting plants like ginger, elderberry, turmeric, and lemon for a rounded out and amplified apple cider vinegar wellness tonic. They come in conveniently-sized glass-bottled shots for those on-the-go and 17-ounce bottles for the daily dose. ACV may not be broke, but…
No-Bake Brownies with a Secret Spicy Ingredient
November 26, 2018
There are some sneaky veggies in these brownies, which I find beyond delicious! Bulking this recipe up nutritionally is baked sweet potato. While I love sweet potato in this recipe purely for its taste and texture, there are some benefits to consuming it with other fats such as walnuts and chocolate. The bright orange flesh of sweet potatoes tells us that it’s high in the vitamin A precursor beta-carotene. Because beta-carotene is a fat-soluble vitamin, it’s best to consume sweet potato…
Bitters: The Secret to a Happy Tummy
November 20, 2018In today’s world, digestive problems are super common. Whether it’s indigestion, heartburn, or occasional constipation, an estimated 60-70 million Americans have some kind of digestive difficulty.[1] Turns out, our ancestors knew something about how to achieve the digestive harmony we’ve forgotten. What’s their secret? Bitters! What are bitters? Bitters are alcohol-based extracts of the flowers, leaves, bark, and roots of bitter-tasting plants. You may think of them as an essential ingredient to a good cocktail, but they’ve been used medicinally…
5 Things That Can Happen When You Take Digestive Enzymes
November 13, 2018Digestive enzymes seem pretty straightforward. They’re enzymes, and they help your digestion. End of story, right? Not so fast. Since all your other bodily systems depend on your digestive system to work efficiently, digestive enzymes affect your whole body. What are enzymes, exactly? If you remember the word “enzyme” from your high school biology class, but you can’t quite remember what an enzyme is, you’re not alone. Simply put, an enzyme is a substance that sets off a reaction. Enzymes…
The Real Immune Booster You’ve Been Looking For
October 23, 2018
We all know that vitamin C is the poster child immune booster. But there’s something else you should actually be grabbing when you feel that pesky cold coming on: probiotics. Why? Because your immune system starts in your gut. Yup, your gut health and your immune system are tied together like two peas in a pod against sickness. “A huge proportion of your immune system is actually in your GI tract,” says Dan Peterson, assistant professor of pathology at the Johns…