f you’ve suspected that hormones are driving your skin rashes, you’ll be pleased to know that they absolutely can. But only looking at hormones as a root cause might not be the best approach. This is a common mistake that can cost you money and time. Today, I’m answering a listener’s question about whether I believe that hormone testing is worthwhile if you’ve got skin rashes. To help you better understand my own rationale, I’m sharing a client story that will explain my attitude on hormone test...
Mar 03, 2020•11 min•Season 1Ep. 119
Hair loss can be a source of shame and embarrassment, especially when it is noticeable. While many of us may know the common causes of hair loss, my guest will talk about some hidden causes that aren't as widely known. My guest today is Britt Reuter, a Certified Nutrition Specialist and the author of the eBook Girl’s Guide to Reversing Hair Loss . It was after years of struggling with her own chronic illness that Britt was first introduced to Functional Medicine and realized that it had the pote...
Feb 27, 2020•38 min•Season 1Ep. 118
If you’ve ever wondered if an infection you had in the past potentially triggered your psoriasis, keep reading. Today I am going to share with you all the research I’ve been doing on the Strep Infection-Psoriasis Connection! It’s actually very fascinating and well documented for at least the past 50 years. Since hidden infections fall on my list of 16 potential root causes that underlie chronic skin rash conditions like psoriasis, I’m sure you’ll find this as interesting as I do. Let’s dive in! ...
Feb 25, 2020•12 min•Season 1Ep. 117
Chlorine is present in most of our drinking water. While it serves a useful purpose (preventing the growth of microbial and bacterial overgrowth, and thus preventing the spread of diseases like cholera), chlorine can also have detrimental effects on our skin, gut, and even thyroid health. My guest today is Lara Adler, an Environmental Toxins Expert & Educator, and a Certified Health Coach who teaches nutritionists, nurses, and other holistic health practitioners how to eliminate the #1 thing...
Feb 20, 2020•31 min•Season 1Ep. 116
Have you ever wondered about an annoying rash around your lips (or even on your lips) that can make it painful to move your mouth? It certainly can be unsightly and really beat down your confidence . But it can also be painful to do mundane things like smile or laugh. In today’s podcast, I want to explore if this rash around your mouth is really just eczema or something else. And why it’s important to dig deeper into it . Not just from a nutrient perspective, but also due to the likelihood of in...
Feb 18, 2020•16 min•Season 1Ep. 115
With the popularity of natural skincare booming, certain ingredients (like preservatives) have become somewhat taboo. However, as my guest will point out, sometimes natural skincare products do need preservatives. My guest today is Rachael Pontillo, a holistic skincare innovator, author, and educator. Rachael is the bestselling author of the book Love Your Skin, Love Yourself , and co-author of The Sauce Code . She’s a functional nutrition practitioner, AADP and IAHC Board Certified Internationa...
Feb 13, 2020•27 min•Season 1Ep. 114
Did you know that the pH of your skin is directly tied to the organisms that are able to live on your skin? As you already know, a healthy skin microbiome is crucial to avoiding things like a leaky skin barrier and unwanted bugs (like Staph Aureus) from taking over. What helps determine the makeup of the skin microbiome is directly tied to the pH of the skin. If the environment becomes too acidic or even too alkaline, problems can ensue. In this episode, I'm going to share with you some really c...
Feb 11, 2020•15 min•Season 1Ep. 113
Hyperpigmentation (e.g. sun spots) is very common. It can be caused by hormonal changes (like melasma during pregnancy), or sun damage. My guest will be talking about how to prevent sun spots, and how to try and reduce existing sun spots. My guest today, Anthony Youn, M.D. F.A.C.S, is known as America's Holistic Beauty Doc. He is a nationally-recognized, board-certified plastic surgeon. Recognized as a leader in his field, Dr. Youn is the author of the best-selling books The Age Fix: A Leading P...
Feb 06, 2020•30 min•Season 1Ep. 112
Have you ever heard of Geographic Tongue ? It certainly sounds strange, but bear with me because it's actually got some interesting connections to psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Some believe that Geographic Tongue (GT) is a sign of psoriasis in the mouth. In today's episode, I wanted to share with you what GT is, what it means if you have psoriasis, and why it's important NOT to ignore it! Part of the reason I say you shouldn't ignore it is that I believe your body communicates with you thro...
Feb 04, 2020•11 min•Season 1Ep. 111
Seeing a baby struggle with chronic skin rashes is heartbreaking. Today's guest is here to talk about how mom's health has the potential to impact her baby's skin health. My guest today, Jennifer Brand, is an integrative and clinical nutritionist with a Master's degree in public health, a Master's degree in nutrition, and she’s a Certified Nutrition Specialist. She specializes in childhood skin rashes (eczema, psoriasis, tinea versicolor, hives, acne, vitiligo, and others), food allergies and se...
Jan 30, 2020•32 min•Season 1Ep. 110
Ever feel like you've done everything and STILL aren't getting answers about your eczema (or other skin rashes)? You're not alone. Even I felt like my dermatologist should have better answers than just use another steroid cream and "this is probably genetic". I really felt like the answers that I got weren't real answers. At a certain point, I realized that I'd rather someone level with me and say "I don't know what's causing your eczema" rather than just blaming things that felt out of my contr...
Jan 28, 2020•14 min•Season 1Ep. 109
CBD is all the rage at the moment. My guest is back to discuss new research on CBD and its potential for those of us with skin rashes. My guest today, Lily Mazzarella, MS, CNS, is an herbalist, nutritionist, educator and writer. She is the owner of Farmacopia, a modern apothecary and integrative practice in Santa Rosa, CA. Lily is the formulator and creator of Farmacopia’s line of Signature Tinctures, Adaptogen Powders and Superfoods, and co-founder and formulator of Reishi Roast Original and Re...
Jan 23, 2020•32 min•Season 1Ep. 108
Have you ever wondered what the symptoms of a staph infection on your skin are? I have come to discover that a lot of people really don't know what the symptoms are which can lead to delay in seeking help from your doctor. Recently, I asked my Instagram community if they knew what to look for if you're having a flare and it might be staph. I was surprised to discover that 98% wanted me to talk more about staph infections and weren't clear on what the symptoms are. And I've found this issue with ...
Jan 21, 2020•12 min•Season 1Ep. 107
Many of us are familiar with eczema: what it looks like, and how it feels. But have you ever heard of its dangerous cousin, eczema herpeticum? My guest today is here to talk more about it. My guest today is Abby Lai. Abby is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist (RHN) and the founder of Eczema Conquerors, a website that was voted one of the top 20 eczema blogs to follow in 2018. She is also the creator of The Eczema Podcast. Her mission is to help as many people overcome eczema by working with clie...
Jan 16, 2020•33 min•Season 1Ep. 106
Wishing you could get a better night’s sleep without waking up all itchy? When sleep is compromised (or nonexistent) night after night, it can feel like you’ll never catch up. The cumulative effect of sleepless nights is maddening . Clients in my clinical practice often ask me “ How can I sleep better? ” The truth is, there’s not one simple answer to that question. Ultimately you have to figure out what’s causing the issue in the first place. But some supplemental aides like melatonin might be h...
Jan 14, 2020•15 min•Season 1Ep. 105
For those of us with chronic skin rashes, topical steroid creams are usually the first thing prescribed. But many of us aren't given any guidelines for the safe use of these topicals, or informed about alternative treatments we can utilize. My guest today is Dr. Peter Lio. Dr. Lio is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Dermatology & Pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. He received his medical degree from Harvard Medical School, completed his internship in Pediatri...
Jan 09, 2020•32 min•Season 1Ep. 104
If you've ever heard of Hidradenitis Suppurativa , then you know exactly how awful this condition is. For me, I initially thought it was some sort of cancer because of the painful, swollen, lump I developing in my armpit. As I did more research, I came to realize that even now... a decade later... not much is known about what causes HS. But if you have it, this issue can feel like a wrecking ball smashing into your life! Fortunately, I got a tip from a colleague that changed everything for me an...
Jan 07, 2020•11 min•Season 1Ep. 103
How we're doing internally is an important piece of the skin rash puzzle, even though they manifest externally. My guest today is going to talk all about inflammation, and its impact on chronic skin conditions. My guest today is Dr. Will Cole, leading functional-medicine expert. Dr. Cole consults people around the world via webcam at www.drwillcole.com and locally in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He specializes in clinically investigating underlying factors of chronic disease and customizing health ...
Jan 02, 2020•31 min•Season 1Ep. 102
Is there a connection between psoriasis (and even psoriatic arthritis) and thyroid problems? YES. I started to notice a trend amongst my psoriasis clients in my private clinical nutrition practice -- thyroid levels tend to be really off. No one ever bothered to look at them previously, but I do because a thyroid panel can reveal a lot about the status of certain nutrients. Plus it can explain certain symptoms like fatigue, hair loss, and weight gain... and even autoimmunity. As I looked deeper i...
Dec 31, 2019•13 min•Season 1Ep. 101
Psoriasis often causes feelings of shame and embarrassment, of wanting to hide. My guest today is here to share about her journey with psoriasis: the ups and downs. My guest today is Reena (aka Psoriaris_Thoughts). I found Reena on Instagram where she bravely shares her personal journey living with psoriasis. She's not just inspiring... she's also kind and real. Joining us from Canada, Reena is very candid about the ups and downs as well as what has helped her find peace living in her skin. Hone...
Dec 26, 2019•31 min•Season 1Ep. 100
Is Vitamin D helpful for skin rashes? That’s a good question that I hope to answer today! What’s most interesting is that research seems to point towards an increase in rash severity the lower the Vitamin D level. This is significant because vitamin D isn’t checked as often as it should be. And then the question is “ what should your vitamin D level be ”? I’d like to answer those questions AND introduce you to the concept of using Vitamin D topically. Wait… topically? Yes, you can use vitamin D ...
Dec 24, 2019•13 min•Season 1Ep. 99
For people who have struggled with skin conditions for a long time, finding hope and joy can become increasingly difficult. My guest today is here to share her story about finding and creating HOPE. My guest today is Camille Knowles, qualified Health Coach, Natural Chef, and founder and author of The Beauty of Eczema. Camille is on a mission to share her wisdom and guide others in living a fulfilled life beyond eczema. While eczema is part of her journey, Camille is adamant that it doesn't defin...
Dec 19, 2019•30 min•Season 1Ep. 98
It's pretty common when your skin won't stop flaring to be told that you might have salicylate sensitivity . It's become an (unfortunately) popular test for people with eczema. I get asked a lot about it and whether I think that people should follow it. Being that I'm not a fan of restrictive elimination diets for chronic skin rash issues, I wanted to share my two cents. The truth is -- salicylate-rich foods are VERY healthy . They're not bad for you... and reacting to them often means something...
Dec 16, 2019•12 min•Season 1Ep. 97
The conventional treatment for skin rash issues like eczema is topical steroid creams. Trying to go off the creams after a long period of time can lead to a little known condition called topical steroid withdrawal (TSW). My guest today is Louise King, a 28 year-old from the U.K. who is going through Topical Steroid Withdrawal and using all her spare time to raise awareness on the unrecognized illness Join us as we discuss topical steroid withdrawal, and how Louise is trying to heal from it. Have...
Dec 12, 2019•31 min•Season 1Ep. 96
If you’re interested in a neat connection between nutrition and eczema, look no further! I came across this interesting study that begins to illuminate the histidine-eczema connection. If you’ve never heard of histidine before (or l-histidine), I’ll bring you up to speed in a moment on this really interesting amino acid. This isn’t a miracle substance by any means, but there is interesting research that’s starting to explain the importance of protein in our diet (which you know I talk a lot abou...
Dec 10, 2019•11 min•Season 1Ep. 95
If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance that you’re on some variation of an elimination diet to help your skin. No matter how knowledgable you are, nothing will test your resolve like the holidays . The reason is that some people can easily become offended when you refuse to eat their food (no matter your health situation). In an effort to help you have a more enjoyable holiday (and ultimately burn fewer bridges), I want to share with you how to address diet restrictions after getting an i...
Dec 03, 2019•13 min•Season 1Ep. 93
Many of us with skin conditions don't know exactly what is going on. We often don't know our root causes, so we have trouble finding out why our skin is flaring up in various ways. I hope today's guest will help you. My guest today is Ashley James, an entrepreneur, coach and podcaster. When Ashley was 22, she lost her Mom to cancer. This loss was so great it caused Ashley to reassess her life. She became determined to learn how to help others lead healthier happier lives. She is a massage therap...
Nov 26, 2019•31 min•Season 1Ep. 92
As you probably know, psoriasis is so much more than JUST a skin rash condition. That’s why looking at the psoriasis gut connection is crucial! In this episode: Study discussion looking at bacterial DNA found in blood of patients with psoriasis What form of psoriasis did this impact the most Bacterial DNA can trigger cytokines and other inflammatory markers Types of bacterial DNA found Where researchers suspect the bacterial DNA came from Quotes: Out of the 45 total participants, 35.5% with with...
Nov 24, 2019•10 min•Season 1Ep. 91
Skin conditions can lead to feelings of powerlessness. In this conversation, I hope we can shift that. My guest today is Kelli Tennant, Host and Founder of Ceremony Wellness. She helps women heal deeply through Functional medicine, Ayurveda and spiritual development. As an advocate for women, Kelli educates on the importance of speaking up, choosing yourself and living authentic in every aspect of life. Join us as we discuss the healing journey, and how to advocate for ourselves. Have you learne...
Nov 21, 2019•33 min•Season 1Ep. 90
“How do I start reintroducing foods that I’ve eliminated without triggering a flare?” It’s a great question and one that my community has asked me repeatedly to address. The problem is that by blaming diet over and over — food fear is created. And let me tell you from personal experience — food fear is very real (and awful) . Because your skin is like a sponge and requires so many nutrients, increasingly restrictive elimination diets can put you on the path to nutrient deficiencies. And make you...
Nov 19, 2019•18 min•Season 1Ep. 89
