Events

BuzzNutrition Videos & Classes

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Get Out of the Gluten Glut: A series of three entertaining, funny, highly-visual online classes. Each is split into mini-lectures that are 2-5 minutes long, followed by a quiz to test your understanding. These videos are very helpful for those who are considering going gluten-free, or have been trying it for a while but need a refresher.

Real Food for your Four Bodies: Join me at an Assembly Hall presentation for the students and teachers at Stuart Hall while I discuss the importance of real food for your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual bodies. What is the best and most Real Food to serve to your 50-90 trillion hardworking cells? Games and videos will give a food-eater of any age a better understanding of what kinds of foods the body needs and why. The video is in two 10-minute sections, plus 5 minutes of Q&A.

The Cholesterol Comeback: This two-part Star Wars-themed video features all the scientific reasons cholesterol and saturated fat do not cause heart disease, all set to spunky music by my very talented brother.

cbd plant oil capsules CBD/Cannabis Medicine: These short snippets from my lecture on CBD & Cannabis Medicine explain the basics: the difference between Marijuana, Hemp & CBD and a general description of how Cannabis Medicine works

Legalizing Chickens in Staunton, Virginia: Back in 2015, I helped legalize backyard chickens in Staunton. Click the link to watch the six-minute video I created to share with City Council. It was a long, frustrating process, but well worth it because we won!

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Eat a Bug!

The entire world, except the USA, Canada and most countries in Europe, EATS BUGS! Why on earth would they do such a thing?!?!!?!?!? Well, when I, tell you, you might want to eat bugs, too!
Come join the conversation about bugs: the nutrition in bugs, the impact of entomophagy (bug-eating) on the environment, potential hazards of eating bugs and methods of preparation.
But most importantly, you can EAT SOME BUGS! The following will be provided: oven-roasted crickets & mealworms, Ghiradelli brownies made with cricket flour (100% gluten-free!) and rice krispie treats with termites. There will also be a limited number of other crazy bugs for a few lucky people to sample. (Did someone say SCORPION?)

The Heart is NOT a Pump

What is the heart for? To throb for a crush; to ache when that love’s lost; to tirelessly pump life-giving blood through your body… But what if the last bit were not true? What if the heart is NOT a pump!? If not, what is it there for? And what does pump the blood?
Learn the intriguing true tale of the heart: its true role in the body, what actually does pump your blood and what vital nutrient assists the body in circulation. We’ll cover the cluster of nerves in the heart that scientists call a separate brain, as well as how the heart enhances our connection to others and our true selves.

Stress and the Brain

Stress is at the heart of every disorder. Just like rust, stress corrodes whatever container it’s in. Each person’s body responds differently to stress, whether it’s anxiety/depression, digestive problems, heart disease, autoimmunity, or weight gain. But everyone is exactly similar in one respect: stress begins in the brain’s subconscious.
So let’s talk about how to get to the root of stress so we can heal and feel nurtured! With the right information, the brain can transform itself effortlessly. When the brain is regulated, choices become less impulsive (especially food choices) and we can mesh with the world instead of busily reacting to it.
I’ll also talk about the new tool I’m offering in my practice: Neurofeedback, a cutting-edge stress-reducing device.

Cholesterol Does NOT Cause Heart Disease

According to recently updated guidelines for the use of statin drugs, they will be “deemed necessary” for many, many more people. Unfortunately, statin drugs are at least not even proven to prevent heart disease and at most, harmful to the heart!
Heart disease is scary and all precautions should be taken to prevent it, but statins are not the answer for the enormous majority of people. This is because of one simple fact: heart disease it is not caused by cholesterol. Blaming cholesterol is like blaming a fire fighter for the fire she’s fighting! As a result of the vilification of cholesterol, you’ve been told to avoid or limit the most delicious foods!
We’ll discuss the scientifically-backed explanation about why cholesterol and saturated fat do not cause heart disease. We’ll also discuss the real cause of heart disease, how statins can be harmful, the best way to get your cholesterol tested, and whether & how to treat high cholesterol. After the talk, you’ll be amazed… and delighted… about which foods your local dietitian encourages you to eat!

Iodine and Health, aka. The Powerful Purple Mineral

If you have a thyroid, boob, prostate or ovary you want to come to this class! In fact, iodine is used by every single cell in your body.
Topics include iodine’s role in 10,000-year-old medicine, scientific scandal, link to breast cancer and thyroid disease and a myriad of health benefits.
Iodine levels have fallen 50% in the last 30 years and that’s had tremendous implications on health. Iodine deficiency has been linked to fibrocystic breasts, breast cancer, thyroid disease, hormonal imbalance, depression & dark thoughts & many other conditions.
Taking thyroid hormone while iodine is deficient may cause problems with your iodine-dependent bits (ex. ovary, breast, prostate… and everything else).
Iodized salt is NOT enough… doesn’t even scratch the surface. But, you shouldn’t just pop iodine supplements. Repletion requires proper prep, detox support and testing.

Detox Diets

We live in a toxic world and our bodies pay the price. Periodic house-cleaning is a really good idea but if not done right, it can be harmful! Come learn how to detox safely and comfortably.
Detoxing allows you to sleep better, think better, digest better and enjoy more energy. It may also reduce any symptoms of inflammation you may be experiencing.

Foods to Reduce Inflammation

Just as the right conditions will cause a spark to burst into flames, inflammation can stoke a minor health condition into a burning chronic disease. Come learn how to use food to cool your furnace and extinguish or calm arthritis, digestive problems, heart disease, headaches and more.

Meditation Group, aka. “The Mighty Meditators”

If you think you can’t meditate, you’re wrong! Come sit with some like-minded people and have a great, pressure-free, mindless time.

Food for Conception & Incubation

Food choices have a major impact on ‘Team MomBaby’ long before conception… and they and the strong influence continues through breastfeeding! (And let’s not forget Dad!) We’ll discuss how to use food to achieve a healthy, comfortable pregnancy, along with supplement ideas and screening for a common genetic flaw that can get in the way.

Intro to Vipassana Meditation

There are many different ways to meditate. Vipassana goes way beyond calming the mind- it helps reduce knee-jerk emotional reactions, increases compassion and make a person feel lighter! Many say this was the method taught by the Buddha 2500 years ago. We’ll talk theory, history, science and do a mini-meditation together.

Traditional Foods and Organ Meats

Think of all the strength, stamina and intelligence it takes to live off the land. Traditional Cultures all around the world survived and flourished by eating what Nature gave them. They were incredibly healthy and enviously free of health problems like heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune disease, most mental illness and complications in pregnancy! But then (insert foreboding music), processed foods were introduced (like white bread & sugary foods) and guess what: Traditional People’s health plummeted.
Join me to learn all about what healthy people ate. We’ll look at pictures of these healthy people compared to their friends who ate Industry Food. And talk about what it was about these foods that made them so healthy.
We’ll also TASTE SAMPLES of different foods that these folks thrived on… including rabbit brains, cow heart/tongue/liver & yucca root.

Get Out of the Gluten Glut

As the main protein in wheat products, gluten is everywhere. Unfortunately, it can cause various health problems for many people (digestive, mental, reproductive and hormonal). Come hear a brief history of gluten, what foods it’s in and what to do if it’s a problem for you. This informative and fun seminar will cover gluten intolerance & Celiac disease, plus how to shop & cook gluten-free!

Hey Sweet Thing: Is Sugar as Bad as They Say?

Sugar tastes great. No argument there. But what does it do once it gets into your body? How much is too much? Are some forms better than others? Come find out the honest, not-sugar-coated truth.

Diabetes and Blood Sugar Control

Diabetes is a widespread problem, yet many food-related tactics that help control blood sugar are unknown! Come learn how types of foods and timing of meals can help keep glucose at safe levels. These tips also help prevent dia- betes, so whether your diagnosis is new or old, or if you have diabe- tes in your family, this class is important for you to attend.

Metabolic Typing

If the same diet worked for everyone, there would be no love handles, no heartburn, no flatulence, no diabetes, no psoriasis and no problems! But since everybody is different, cookie cutter solutions always fail. Metabolic Typing provides a personalized guide- line for what and how to eat. Common results include increased energy, release of extra weight, sharpened mental clarity, and reduction of food cravings and disappearance of chronic health problems. We’ll discuss the philosophy and science behind MT, trouble-shoot common challenges and identify common blocking factors that prevent success.

Nutrition 101

Have fun learning the basics of nutrition and how it affects your health! We’ll start small with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, then we’ll move up a notch and discuss carbohydrates, proteins, fats and fiber. Then, we’ll talk about the big picture: popular diets, hunger versus craving, how to choose your food and food as medication.

All About Gut Flora

What are “probiotics” and why are you less human than you think? More here: You = Bed & Breakfast

Digestive Health

How healthy is your “food tube”? Let’s discuss the importance of a healthy digestive system to overall health, as well as comfort. The digestive system is intimately connected to the skin, brain and immune system and it’s one of the main exit routes for toxins that are so prevalent in our world. Specific foods and strategies can help resolve digestive issues: from heartburn and ulcers to food allergies, IBS, ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.

Lyme Disease: A Misunderstood Epidemic

It’s amazing that so many people have Lyme, and yet accurate information is not widely available. You’ll be surprised at how incorrect much of the advice you’ve likely heard is. For example, guess how many people get a bull’s eye rash at the site of a tick bite that’s infected with Lyme? Less than half! We’ll cover symptoms, treatments, prevention and more. (Also, it’s called Lyme Disease, not Lyme’s Disease… that small mistake makes a big difference to those who’ve been battling it for many years.)

Fats & Oils: Separating Health from Hype

Which is healthier, saturated fat or polyunsaturated? The correct answer is saturated! Would you like to know why? Let’s get into it!

Nutrition for Chronic Illness

Food is a medication that we take three or more times per day. When a person is in the throes of a chronic illness, the food they eat is even more important. We’ll talk about supportive nutrition, as well as some supplements, that might be helpful for those with chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, multiple chemical sensitivity, frequent infections, severe allergies and Lyme disease.

Biochemical Individuality

It might seem like the only thing that sets us apart are our physical features and fingerprints… but that’s not the case. Everyone’s stomachs, livers, hearts and other organs are all in slightly different places. Additionally, the tissues that make up those organs are also different. You might have different digestive enzymes than someone else, or more stomach acid, or less serotonin… your dietary choices can either help or hurt your biochemical individuality.

Ancient History

2009: Cholesterol Does Not Cause Heart Disease presented to fellow UVA Dietetic Interns and program supervisors
2009: ‘Food for the Tube’ presented to members of UVa’s Crohn’s and Colitis Support Group
2009: ‘Food and the Inflammatory Response’ and ‘About Fermented Foods’ presented to Registered Dietitians in UVA’s outpatient consulting center.
2008: ‘Survey of complementary and alternative medicine use among patients with inflammatory bowel disease is influenced by stress and disease severity’ was a research paper conducted during dietetic internship at UVa.