Health + Wellness
Polyvagal Theory: The Science of Your Body’s Stress Response
You’ve heard of the fight or flight response. Maybe even the fight-flight-freeze response. But you’ve never heard it explained like this! Polyvagal theory was originally proposed by Dr. Stephen Porges, a researcher, professor, and the founding director of the...
“Low Energy Availability” and Its Impact on Bone Health in Perimenopausal and Menopausal Women
The effect of essentially not eating enough for your body’s needs in perimenopause and menopause woman on deteriorating bone health, and why it’s rising.
Everything You Need to Know About Creatine and its Benefits
Creatine is one of the most popular sports nutrition products, and for good reason; get all the details on using creatine here!
The Surprising Role Diet Plays in Managing ADHD Symptoms
Discover simple yet effective lifestyle and dietary adjustments that can offer substantial benefits for adults and children living with ADHD.
The Deep Connection Between Sunshine, Circadian Rhythms, and Mental Health
It’s a fairly well known fact that exposure to sunshine can help boost vitamin D levels. But, did you know that getting enough sunshine, especially in the morning, also supports sleep quality and mental health? It seems simple enough, but more often than not, our...
Our Top 9 Cost Effective Tips to Increase Longevity and Healthspan (and the One Thing to Never Ignore)
Before you invest your precious time and energy in longevity products, take a few cost-effective or free recommendations from our experts to get the biggest impact before dolling out the dollars.
The Fountain of Youth Is In Your Bedroom – Sleep’s Role in Our Longevity
Discover how tweaking one everyday habit could be the key to not just adding years to your life, but life to your years, transforming the way you feel and function.
The Science of Building Lasting Habits: Top Insights from the Experts
Discover why 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail and how you can beat the odds. We gathered key insights from the top experts in sustaining habits.
Heavy Metals in My Chocolate – the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Mindful eating might be a topic that you’re well-versed in, or maybe it’s totally new for you! Either way, returning back to the definition of mindfulness can be a helpful starting point for building a mindful eating practice.
Winter Greens Salad Recipe With Farro & Lemon-Miso Dressing
This is a hearty winter salad that is loaded with nourishing fats and dark leafy greens. It is a perfect side dish for anyone still looking to finalize their Christmas dinner menu! Or, to make it a complete meal, we recommend topping this salad with grilled salmon, chicken or steak, or white beans.
Jane’s Perimenopause Journey A Case Study
Everyone’s perimenopause and menopause journey looks a little bit different, as no two bodies are the same. The Starkel Nutrition Peri + Menopause Program, co-led by Julie Starkel, MS, MBA, RDN/CD, and Dr. Lea McKinstry, ND aims to treat each individual participant based on their needs – using lab testing to pinpoint exactly which biomarkers need support. Because of this individualized treatment, we have many success stories from previous participants. Let’s look at one now.
3 Simple Ways to Practice Mindful Eating From Chelsea Fechtner-Hemmenway, MS, CN, NBC-HWC
Mindful eating might be a topic that you’re well-versed in, or maybe it’s totally new for you! Either way, returning back to the definition of mindfulness can be a helpful starting point for building a mindful eating practice.
How to Thrive During the Holidays Our Nutritionists share their top immune health recommendations
If the cold and flu season wasn’t rough enough, the holiday season is also officially upon us. Staying healthy and sane can be a struggle for the best of us. We asked our providers to share their top immune health recommendations to help you thrive this holiday season.
What is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)? And How Can It Be Treated?
According to the National Library of Medicine, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is becoming increasingly more common across the world. Similarly, we here at Starkel Nutrition have noticed an uptick in clients requesting support for PCOS-related issues. So what is PCOS? And how can adding a nutritionist to your care team help to alleviate symptoms? Let’s learn together.
Sports Nutrition Deep Dive From Maddie Hays, MSN, CNS
All exercise — whether it be strength training, endurance work, pilates, or yoga — is beneficial. But, if you’re a competitive athlete, your training and nutrition go hand in hand. Without adequate energy and nutrient intake, athletic performance can suffer. So how should athletes eat to fuel themselves for their training?
Adrenal Fatigue? Do I have that?
What are adrenals? Our adrenals sit right on top of our kidneys and produce numerous hormones like adrenaline, sex hormones, and cortisol—the hormone that responds when we are stressed. We can think of our adrenals as the “fight or flight” production center. They are hard at work when we are a little too hard at work. So, you heard it here first, adrenal fatigue is a real thing.
Be Wise in Your Body this Holiday Season A Word From Rooted Path Nutrition & Eating Disorders
The days are getting shorter here in the Pacific Northwest, and there’s almost some subconscious timer or internal clock that lets you know it’s getting to be the holiday season. While there can be a lot to look forward to, sometimes the excitement of decorations, lights, and gatherings isn’t always as joyous as one might think. When this is the case, how do you get through this season and still come out feeling okay…or even with some peace?
Perfectly Pumpkin
It’s that time of year again; with familiar orange orbs appearing all around. From your front porch to your local market, pumpkins are by far the trendiest gourds of the season. Their popularity is even reflected in seasonal latte offerings – be honest, were you in line the first day PSLs were back at Starbucks? I was. Beyond spooky jack-o-lanterns and Thanksgiving pies, pumpkins are delicious roasted, sautéed, added to soups, stews and smoothies; they can even be lacto-fermented and used as a crisp salad topper!
Inflammation, A Common Experience A Case Study
A common experience among our clients here at Starkel Nutrition is inflammation of some sort. Inflammation is a normal process that we all experience. It is the body’s reaction to injury, infection, or disease. There are foods that might be promoting inflammation, and it can be helpful to identify those through food sensitivity testing and a food/symptom log. However, if you are experiencing symptoms beyond the scope of “normal,” inflammatory disease can be difficult to define. It may cross over to the point of being chronic. Chronic inflammation may contribute to the development of a disease or condition. It is also a response present in many different diseasesA common experience among our clients here at Starkel Nutrition is inflammation of some sort. Inflammation is a normal process that we all experience. It is the body’s reaction to injury, infection, or disease. There are foods that might be promoting inflammation, and it can be helpful to identify those through food sensitivity testing and a food/symptom log. However, if you are experiencing symptoms beyond the scope of “normal,” inflammatory disease can be difficult to define. It may cross over to the point of being chronic. Chronic inflammation may contribute to the development of a disease or condition. It is also a response present in many different diseases.
A Reason to Add Turmeric & Black Pepper to Your Summer Grilling Anti-Inflammatory & Delicious
Turmeric has been receiving a lot of praise due to the health potentials of its bioactive compound, curcumin. Lately, it seems like every nutrition TikTok you scroll past and every summer recipe on Instagram’s For You page involves the bright spice in some capacity. We’re just catching onto this now – turmeric has been used in India for thousands of years as both a spice and medicinal herb. Now, it is getting more traction in Western cultures as research is able to provide evidence behind the medicinal properties.
It All Starts In The Gut Getting to the Bottom of your Autoimmune Condition
Do you suffer from an autoimmune condition such as celiac disease, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, multiple sclerosis, or some other kind? Are you tired of your family or friends telling you that your symptoms are “in your head” or tired of your health care provider throwing their hands up in dismay?