Well, I was going to share this amazing article with you by Jennifer Block (also the author of one of my favorite women’s health books, Everything Below the Waist), but Scientific American has TAKEN IT DOWN. You can see their statement here that says it does not meet their editorial standards, but I’m pretty sure they just got social pressure to take it down. How do you post a piece and then say it doesn’t meet your standards?

Why? Because well known gynecologist and author of the Vagina Bible, Jennifer Gunter lost her shit and had a fit. Now, the piece did mention Dr. Gunter because of how she hates on alternative medicine and focuses so much of her work on fighting against it, but Dr. Gunter became so well known after going after GOOP and Gwyneth Paltrow. She wouldn’t even have her book deals or current lifestyle if it weren’t for alternative medicine. 

I don’t love everything GOOP promotes or creates. I think a lot of it is very extra, but I do not think it’s right to tell women that the only people that can help them is a person with a medical degree. And I HAVE a medical degree. The most important guide for a woman is herself–getting to know herself and her body to help determine what she needs. A good doctor honors that and works with it, not against it. Dr. Gunter doesn’t even acknowledge this. 

My Take:

• Scientific American got scared because Dr. Gunter has taken down many other companies and professionals and left them in her wrath. 
• Dr. Gunter was triggered because the article highlighted some of her biggest outbursts and really did make her look like she thought she was a god–her book is called the Vagina Bible after all. 
• While I understand the outrage against Dr. Gunter (I can’t even listen to her on podcasts), I do think this article could have used some other examples of physicians or heartfelt stories from women themselves. 
• Overall, it’s an important piece that I’m really sad was taken down. Conventional and functional medicine should be able to live in peace. They do two very different things. We need them both, but we also need them to support each other. 

​Read more about the article that was taken down in this post. ​

Lesson of the Week

Filtering Your Water for Hormone Health

When looking to reduce your toxic exposure and balance minerals for hormone health, a great place to start is your water. ⁣

Why? Because there can be many contaminants, heavy metals, and more in our water and our water is poorly regulated in the U.S. ⁣The Safe Water Drinking Act is what enforces what’s allowed in our water and only 89 contaminants are regulated. ⁣

It only gets updated every 5 years and takes an extremely long time to add anything to that list. Currently no contaminants have been added since 1996. 😱⁣Pretty scary!

It’s also important to point out that just because a contaminant is regulated, doesn’t mean it’s not in your water. ⁣You want to make sure you look at your city’s water report so you can be aware of what’s in your water. You can literally google (your city name) water quality report and it will come up. This is a great FREE resource to start looking at your water. 

The only issue is that it’s only what is regulated, but it does give you an idea of chlorine, fluoride, and any bacteria. 

🚨Contaminants To Avoid In Water:⁣

🔹𝐂𝐡𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞: used to disinfect and kill of pathogenic bacteria. Disrupts gut microbiome and competes with iodine. ⁣

🔹𝐅𝐥𝐮𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞: added to water since the 1950’s. Prior to 1945, fluoride was considered an environmental pollutant 🤯There are many issues with fluoride, but the main ones are excess exposure that can lead to dental fluorosis and thyroid issues since it competes with iodine.⁣

🔹𝐁𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 like pathogenic bacteria and parasites. ⁣

🔹𝐏𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐬 are a huge concern since many are not disposed of properly, come from farm runoff, and we also excrete them through urine, which gets flushed into our water system. ⁣

🔹𝐎𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬: nitrates, glyphosate, perchlorate, heavy metals, and atrazine. ⁣

Other Ways To Look At Your Water:

Another great resource is Tap Score. They even have a well water test! It’s affordable and allows you to look at what’s actually in your water so you can get the appropriate water filter (or not) if there’s nothing. I always recommend testing prior to buying a filter, unless you move frequently (my case) and constantly testing doesn’t make sense. 

My Water Filter of Choice: Pure Effect Water Filters​

I often recommend looking at your water, but if you just want to know what filter to get, I recommend Pure Effect Filters. I have zero affiliation and use them myself. They are the best for the money and filter out everything you need. They also have a shower filter that is amazing. They even email you a certain time after you purchase your filter to remind you to replace the cartridge.

Testing your water and buying a filter is also super important if you will be doing any hair testing. Are you curious about your minerals and if you should test? Check out my free mineral quiz here and find out!

reminder: i’m currently taking on 1:1 clients. if you’d like to explore what it would be like to work together and if we are a good fit, fill out this form to get more details!​