Resources

Nutrition 

---

Nutrition is a cornerstone of wellness– and a source of mass confusion. It’s also one of the topics I get the most questions about in my clinical practice. Why is this so challenging? Well, there isn’t a single best diet that works for everything, nutrition research is hard to conduct, and food is cultural as much as it’s biological. People also get very invested in specific diets (paleo, vegan, keto, et cetera, ad nauseam), and it can be hard to tell what’s true and what’s hype.

There are a few basic, core concepts, though, that can aid almost everyone:

1. Eat whole foods. By this, I mean natural things in as close a form to the way they originated as possible. Highly processed foods tend to be less nutritious and less satisfying.
2. Eat vegetables, and lots of them. Especially green ones, but any of them is better than none of them.
3. Eat things that you enjoy, but pay attention to them so you truly experience the joy. Use common sense about how often to enjoy foods that are “treats”.

For more common-sense food philosophy, check out two writers who hit the nail on the head: Michael Pollan and Dan Buettner.

 

Science

---

Science is the foundation of much of our knowledge about health and wellness. My hope is to share some tips and resources for finding high-quality evidence.

• Start with my introduction to reading research and research glossary.
• Ready to read some research studies? Try:
  

  ---

  • PubMed. PubMed is a tool for searching the vast Medline database of the biomedical scientific literature.
    

    ---

  • Examine. This is an independently-run, non-commercial website that reviews evidence on nutritional supplements. It’s pre-digested research on specific topics by smart folks who aren’t trying to get you to buy any particular supplements.
    

    ---

  • NutritionFacts.org. This site provides short videos about updates in the field of nutrition science– always evidence-based, never hype.

 

Mindfulness

---

Mindfulness is a river running through much of my writing here. But for most of us, it’s not a default position! It takes deliberate practice. Certainly you can find a teacher, but to dip a toe in and start integrating mindfulness practice into your life in an accessible way, I recommend the Headspace app.

 

Fitness

---

Fitness is certainly a beloved topic of the blogosphere! I’m not a fitness expert, but I am an enthusiastic amateur and am happy to share here what I know and love.

In my experience, there are basic concepts of strength and mobility that apply to everything from being able to walk up the stairs and carry your groceries from the car to running hilly 10-ks or competitive fighting. I’m talking basic movement competencies. A great resource for this information: Kelly Starrett’s website MobilityWOD and book Becoming a Supple Leopard  (a real beast– just lifting it might be a workout for some!).

And of course, much love to the coaches, studios, and gyms in Tucson where I’ve trained, including Yoga Oasis (yoga, duh),  Tucson’s Rising Phoenix Fitness & Defense (Krav Maga, martial arts) and Tucson Strength (strength and conditioning, kettlebells).