Alter Life

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Susanna shares her recent trials and tribulations with nutrition and lifestyle through all phases of pregnancy and postpartum. With our little Grace being now 8 months, Dr. Susanna is 110% back to her normal and healthy self. She's got an extra 10% (at least!) from the innate superwoman powers that come through motherhood! While different individuals may st...

The postpartum and lactation phase of life demand intake of high quality nutrition in order to replenish and restore the mother’s nutritional stores, but also to provide the highest quality of breastmilk production for her baby.  Eating a plant-based diet is not only provides the the postpartum body all that it needs in this phase of life, it also provides benefits for both the mother’s and babies...

Is it healthy to eat plant-based while pregnant? This is a big question that often comes up from plant-based skeptics. The short answer is YES! But with any pregnancy, no matter the diet of the mother, proper nutritional awareness and planning is necessary I order to support the best health for both mother and baby.  We’re going to discuss all the important nutrition considerations for a plant-bas...

Preconception is a lifecycle phase that is often overlooked. However, it is extremely important to prepare a mother’s body for a graceful pregnancy and healthy baby!  Several factors play into optimizing egg quality, sperm quality, and a healthy environment for a fertilized eggs to thrive in - nutrition is certainly one of the biggest factors.  In this episode we'll explore all the nutritiona...

Becoming a mom has really reminded me (Dr. Susanna) how different phases of life require different nutrition. Some phases of life have much more physical growth where more fuel, more fat, more everything in needed compared to other times in our life when we are maintaining, or perhaps even wanting to shed some excess growth. We are excited to be entering into a little mini-series within the podcas...

There are a million and one ways to eat Whole Food Plant-Based! ... and they don’t all promote health and healing! Preparing a BALANCED WFPB meal can be super easy! But if you don't know WHAT to focus on or HOW to make it balanced, you might run into some obstacles. In this episode, Dr. Susanna walks you through the 3 steps of preparing a balanced WFPB meal that supports HEALING. Step 1: Focu...

Orthorexia is defined as "excessive preoccupation with eating healthy food." Well, "normal" is most definitely NOT healthy in our world today. Furthermore, focusing on health and creating healthy habits is essential for being healthy! So are you orthorexic? Does eating WFPB make you orthorexic? It's a big topic and an important question that is worth diving into. In a rece...

A weight loss drug? Yes, there is a "new" weight loss drug on the market (beginning of 2023). But, don't get to excited just yet... Remember things like Fen-Phen, Ephedrine,  or Dinitrophenol (DNP)? There are many other drugs that have proven to be effective for weight loss, but also dangerous and even  deadly. Smoking meth or snorting cocaine are also pretty effective ways to lose...

In the vast and complex human body, the digestive system is responsible for what is maybe the most mysterious and nuanced processes - transforming foods into the nutrients that sustain life. The enzymes, juices, sphincters, muscles, and microbiota are all uniquely working together to carry out the physiologic roles of digestion. But, what is in control of all of these nuanced physiologic processes...

"Seed oils" have taken on the role of the proverbial whipping boy, taking the blame for everything that is wrong in packaged and processed foods. Yes, seed oils are bad for your health. But that is generally where the conversation stops. Or maybe you've heard other conflicting information around eating more saturated fats like butter, lard, and animal products. In this episode we br...

The topic of heavy metal toxicity is a big one... and for good reason! Heavy metals (like mercury, arsenic, cadmium, lead, and others) can be toxic to the body, especially when accumulated over a lifespan... which is "normal" in today's toxic world. Once in the body, these sort of metals can be hard to get out. Therefore, they accumulate to cause or contribute to numerous chronic co...

Less than 1% of population has celiac disease, a condition in which gluten consumption causes direct destruction of the gut lining. The issue of avoiding gluten in this rare disease isn’t really up for debate. Non-celiac gluten sensitivity is something different. Some suggest 20% or more may have this sort of "gluten sensitivity," meaning that consumption of gluten causes gastrointestina...

We already recorded a pretty comprehensive podcast on the topic (Episode #257), but there have been requests to revisit NIGHTSHADES. So, here's the deal... There is NO - zero - evidence to even consider that eating nightshade vegetables can potentially cause or contribute to any health issues. Unless of course you are eating belladonna, dartura, or maybe green/sprouted potatoes. These plants...

Phytoestrogens = “plant” estrogens. These compounds attract quite a bit of controversy, almost as much as the lectins, oxalates, phytates, and goitrogens we’ve talked about previously. Here are direct links to episodes on... Oxalates - Episode 365 Lectins - Episode 366 Phytates - Episode 368 Goitrogens - Episode 369 First things first. The term “phytoestrogen” is actually a bit of a misnomer. Thes...

Continuing our discussion around “anti-nutrient” compounds in plants takes us to goitrogens . This term refers to substances that can interfere with iodine uptake by the thyroid and lead to decreased thyroid function, thereby leading to the formation of a “ goiter .” The classic goitrogen is actually the deficiency of iodine , an essential mineral for thyroid activity. This, of course  led to the...

Your metabolism is like a fire burning within each of your cells. For many, this fire is smoldering. But there's no reason why we can't get it roaring again! Boosting your metabolism is as simple as putting ENOUGH HIGH QUALITY FUEL on the flames to keep the fire burning brightly and efficiently. There's a few more keys to do it successfully, which leads us into the content of today&...

Answer: No. You don't need to worry about soaking grains or nuts or seeds. Believe it or not, phytates are actually super beneficial phytonutrients! We will take a much closer look in today's episode amidst the short series diving into the myth of the plant based "antinutrients." You can learn more about Oxalates in episode #365 and Lectins in episode #366 . So, what are phyate...

In another episode of debunking the nonsense... we're talking about LECTINS . Have you heard of them ? If you are clued into nutritional trends, you probably have. Chances are, they've also been represented in a negative light. Like oxalates that we talked about last week ( Episode #365 ), Lectins are another class of plant phytonutrients that get a very bad reputation as being an "...

Oxalates or oxalic acid are a phytonutrient found in pretty much all plants. They have become a nutritional supervillain of sorts, getting the blame for all sorts of health issues from mineral absorption issues to kidney stones to vague gut health and systemic inflammatory conditions. Why is it then that plant eaters who tend to consume far more oxalates than non plant eaters don't actually s...

If you've never heard of sulforaphane , you aren't alone. But in the world of nutritional science, it is celebrated for its superpowers! Sulforaphane is a phytonutrient found in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage, and Brussel sprouts. By far the highest amount is found in broccoli sprouts - not the full grown vegetable. Sulforaphane has been extensively stud...

The first time I drank ayahuasca, about 10 years ago now, I recall people talking about purging, i.e. vomiting, as a way of "getting well." At that point in time, I always equated throwing up with being sick, not "getting well!" Fast forward through the years of naturopathic medical school where I gained a deeper understanding of the self-healing human body. Since the body alwa...

In our previous episode on Bone Health ( episode #315 ) we covered some important bone health basics including: ⁃How plants actually contain plenty of Calcium ⁃How eating plants creates an alkaline environment to allow more calcium to be deposited where it need to be in the bone ⁃Why increased dairy consumption actually raises the risk of bone fracture ⁃The essential role of Vitamin D is for calci...

The topic of  RAW vs COOKED food is commonly brought up in the plant-based world. Which is superior? Should I be eating more raw food? What if I don't like to eat raw food, is eating mostly cooked okay? Are there any benefits or risks to eating strictly raw? It's good to be asking these questions! As you probably know, eating a plant-based diet is not entirely fool proof. In fact we work...

This episode was inspired by Dr. Ben’s Recent Episode, 11 Reasons Why I’m Plant-Based. This was my first live podcast appearance since the birth of our daughter Grace. The whole experience of being pregnant, giving birth, and moving through the postpartum phase has made me reflect with so much gratitude on all the health that the Whole Food Plant-Based lifestyle has brought me. I was not always in...

It's that time of year again - the end, and the beginning! Are New Year's Resolutions still a thing? According to some statistics, about 50% of people set a New Year's resolution and more than 50% of those resolutions are health related. I can certainly appreciate how the symbology of turning a page to start a fresh year invites self-reflection, and as a result inspiration for self-...