The bladder is a hollow, muscular organ with an inner layer called a urinary epithelium.  Two ureters carry urine from the kidney to the bladder.  At the lowest point is a urethra, a narrow tube from which urine empties when it’s sphincter muscle releases.

Stones, or calculi, can develop in the bladder when minerals that should be in solution in the urine congeal.  The condition is more common in men, and is more commonly found in low-protein diets.

Infection of the bladder (cystitis) is more common in women, with the suspected reason of our shorter urethra providing less of a barrier against bacteria.  

There have been some HOT topics on the podcast this month!  I love the powerful, brillant ladies I've been honored to meet.  I'll recap below:

1.  First we had Nicole Jardim, women's health coach, talking about the reasons and solutions behind ammenorhea (no period for 3 months or more.)  

Ammenorhea can be caused by post-birth control use, overtraining, under-eating, extreme diets and stress.  There is a good chance you'll experience a bout of ammenorhea in your lifetime. 

I'm happy to share with you today a great video on an important topic, making bone broth.  Bone broth is easy to make once you get the hang of it, and it's super nutritious.  It can heal a leaky gut, regenerate your joints, help you sleep, and help your hormonal system tick along nicely.   Just click on the image above to view.  It's about 10 minutes long, and well worth it!..

Got high blood pressure? Monitor your blood pressure with your primary care physician, and know there are also solutions with a functional medicine practitioner like myself to get this condition under control.

Here are some things to consider:

Check your blood sugar (fasting glucose and HA1C) as insulin resistance increases blood pressure.

Here in Oregon we've got a vote coming up on labeling GMO foods.  I think most people don't have a grasp on which foods these are and how they may effect our health.  So I spent some time today digging deep into the topic.

I was also curious about the battle over GMO labeling.  This initiative already lost in California, and I was shocked to hear it.  Now that the vote is approaching in Oregon, I can see why.  There is a lot of money being invested into this legislation not passing by companies with deep pockets like Monsanto and Pepsico.

I'm pretty darn excited about the upcoming Digestion Sessions, part 2 of the Second Opinion Series hosted by Underground Wellness.

All the event videos are shot in person with beautiful, high-quality production.  It's so cool to see our 'alternative' health leaders looking like true media leaders on the big screen!

One of the wonderful things about my job is that I get to continually learn more. Two supplements I've recently studied I wanted to share with you.

They are IGG Colostrum powder and its cousin, Immunolox, by Nutrasumma.

Colostrum is the 'first milking' of mammals, but it's not exactly milk. It's a fatty,

If you are stuck in elevator, between floors, it's a great time to use your wits to figure out how to get the heck out of there.  And, thankfully, in our culture today, we are encouraged to follow our hearts when choosing a mate.

But what about all the decisions in between these two extremes, when we are deciding what to eat, or when to exercise?  How about deciding our career, or what we are going to say next? 

My Five Favorite Women's Health Books

If you are a health geek like me, you love a great health book. 

Here are some of my favorites:

Women's Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine

written by local naturopath, Tori Hudson

This book details the origins and best natural treatments of twenty of the most common women's health issues from cervical dysplasia to menstrual cramps.