If you’re looking for a healthy, gluten-free meal that’s easy to make and packed with flavor, this Roasted Salmon & White Bean Salad recipe is just what you need.
Salmon is an excellent source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for maintaining good health. When paired with white beans, cherry tomatoes, and cucumber, this dish becomes a satisfying and nutritious meal that’s perfect for lunch or dinner.
Not only is this Roasted Salmon & White Bean Salad recipe delicious, but it’s also a great option for anyone with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. By using gluten-free ingredients and skipping the bread, this meal is completely gluten-free.
So next time you’re looking for a healthy and satisfying gluten-free meal, give this Roasted Salmon & White Bean Salad recipe a try. It’s sure to become a favorite in your household!
Roasted Salmon and White Bean Salad
Looking for a delicious and healthy gluten-free meal? Try this Roasted Salmon & White Bean Salad recipe! Not only is it packed with protein and fiber, but it's also bursting with flavor. It's the perfect meal for lunch or dinner, and it's sure to leave you feeling satisfied and energized.
For a quick and delicious addition to your summer table try this minty-sweet-tart drink! Try different variations for a fun twist, such as basil instead of mint, or limes instead of lemons! Give it a try this summer to help beat the heat!
Menopause is so seldom talked about openly. Aside from some of the most common discomforts, menopause is often shrouded in mystery, and perimenopause even more so. Let’s shine a light on both.
The meaning of menopause
Dr. Caroline Meyer, naturopathic doctor and energy healer, tells us that, in its most technical sense, menopause is the time in a woman’s life following the absence of a menstrual cycle for a minimum of 12 months.
Dr. Jeanne Paul, ND, the first First Nations person to graduate in this profession in Canada, shares this definition with her patients: “[You] are entering the age of becoming a Wise Woman, an Elder-in-training.”
From a medical perspective, says Paul, menopause is when all mature eggs, which have been decreasing since birth, have been used up. At that point, “she will now cease her monthly moons due to decreases in female hormones.”
The “symptoms” of menopause
“Many women experience no negative symptoms with this natural change in life,” assures Meyer. Other women, however, experience such symptoms as insomnia, anxiety, memory loss, depression, weight gain, irritability, fatigue, and, of course, those hot flashes.
Symptoms can, in turn, range in discomfort level from annoying to outright debilitating. Additional common symptoms of menopause include night sweats, a decrease in sexual drive due to vaginal dryness, uncontrolled mood changes, sleep pattern disturbances, bladder infections, and forgetfulness.
The precursor—perimenopause
The time leading up to menopause, perimenopause, is a phase of transition when mature eggs are diminishing and ovulation and menses become irregular. During this time, there is a drop in estrogen levels, and women begin to experience some symptoms resembling menopause. Declining fertility, period irregularity, urinary urgency, memory problems, sleep disruptions, and mood shifts are common.
The transition toolbox
Menopause is not a disease or ailment, but rather a natural, poignant time of life for every woman. Paul says, “Most cultures view menopause as a natural life process, a sociocultural event, and a positive part of a woman’s life.”
Partner support
Supportive partners and family members can have a major impact on a woman’s menopausal experience. Meyer suggests offering “patience and kindness to the women in their lives who are undergoing perimenopause or menopause.”
A time to turn inward
Positively managing stress is essential during the peri/menopausal years. Meyer recommends meditation, regular exercise, prioritizing rest and sleep, doing activities that bring joy, and moderating alcohol. And, she emphasizes that moving into menopause is a time for women to finally focus on themselves.
Natural remedies for menopause
Dr. Caroline Meyer’s suggestions for peri/menopausal symptom relief; however, she urges professional guidance.
As we age, our bodies can’t absorb some nutrients from food as well as they did years ago. Supplements can be beneficial. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the nine best supplements for women over 40! Remember to consult your health care practitioner before starting any new vitamin regimen.
1. Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 builds red blood cells and assists in brain function and development. Without it, you may experience low energy levels, memory loss, and nerve damage. It’s estimated that 30 to 50 percent of adults over 50 are B12 deficient.
2. Omega-3s fatty acids
Omega-3 fatty acids support your heart, eyesight, and cognitive function. Studies also suggest they may play a role in preventing cancer. Since omega-3s may protect against age-related conditions, like heart disease and macular degeneration, experts recommend higher intakes of omega-3s for older adults.
3. Calcium
Nearly all the calcium in your body is stored in your bones. When you don’t eat enough of it, your body taps that bone reservoir to fulfill its physiological needs. This could weaken your bones and lead to osteoporosis. In women, estrogen helps the body absorb calcium. However, as you approach menopause, your estrogen levels dip, which results in poor absorption.
4. Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 supports the body’s nervous and immune system. A deficiency may lead to depression, weakened immunity, and certain skin conditions. As you grow older, your body needs more B6. High levels of B6 have been linked to better memory in aging populations.
5. Potassium
Potassium keeps your bones strong and may reduce the risk of stroke and high blood pressure. It also supports your kidneys, muscles, nerves, and heart. Unfortunately, certain medications and health conditions block the absorption of potassium. If you’re over 40 years old, ask your health care practitioner if you’re getting enough of it.
6. Vitamin D
Vitamin D reduces inflammation, helps the body absorb calcium, and supports the immune system. When women turn 40 and creep closer to menopause, a lack of vitamin D may result in weakened bones and osteoporosis. Because it isn’t found in many foods, and most people aren’t absorbing enough of it from the sun, vitamin D supplements can be beneficial.
7. Probiotics
Good bacteria in your gut keep your immune system in check and aid digestion. If you’re stressed, took a round of antibiotics, or have certain medical conditions, your good gut bacteria could get wiped out. Probiotics help to maintain balance, and as you age, you’ll want to pay close attention to the different strains and their benefits.
8. Zinc
Zinc supports your immune system and metabolism. There’s also evidence that it shortens colds, slows the progression of macular degeneration, and reduces diarrhea. Since zinc is known to support the body in many important ways, it’s an important nutrient to focus on as you age.
9. Magnesium
Magnesium regulates nerve function and helps keep your blood sugar balanced. As you age, a mild magnesium deficit could result in sleep and cognitive disorders. Maintaining normal magnesium levels through the years may help stave off age-related chronic conditions, like heart disease and diabetes.
While women generally have an easier time talking about our health than do our male counterparts, one area in which we lag behind is being open about our digestive issues. Many women have chronic digestive issues that come with us to work and impair productivity, while reducing overall quality of life at home. Feeling stigmatization about digestive issues is associated with decreased access to medical care and greater psychological distress.
Digestive disease in women
Common signs and symptoms of digestive dysfunction include:
nausea
vomiting
trouble swallowing
heartburn
acid reflux
burping
bloating
abdominal pain
gas
constipation
diarrhea
Women are less likely than men to develop gastrointestinal reflux disease (GERD), peptic ulcers, colitis, and gastric cancer. Research shows that estrogen may have a protective role in the development of these particular conditions.
Women, though, draw the short straw with a higher prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), celiac disease, and colon cancer than men. Women with IBS tend to experience more abdominal bloating, nausea, constipation, depression, and anxiety than do men with IBS. But some evidence suggests that IBS pain may improve after menopause.
Your digestion on hormones
Since there are receptors for estrogen and progesterone in the gastrointestinal tract, these reproductive hormones have a bearing on digestion.
For premenopausal women, the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle begins with the first day of menstrual flow and ends with ovulation. This phase is marked by high levels of estrogen. Research suggests that motility of the gastrointestinal organs is decreased among women during this time, which could contribute to constipation.
The luteal phase of the menstrual cycle begins with ovulation and ends with the onset of menstrual flow. In this phase, estrogen and progesterone levels are low. It’s common to experience loose stools during this phase.
During menstruation, diarrhea is the most commonly reported digestive symptom.
Pregnancy is supported by high progesterone, which tends to slow down gastrointestinal motility. This may contribute to pregnancy-related constipation, reflux, and biliary dysfunction.
Food: Friend or foe?
For most people, fiber-rich foods (oats, asparagus, legumes), and probiotic-rich foods (sauerkraut, kimchi, plain yogurt) are helpful for a happy tummy. But these very foods can sometimes aggravate digestive distress, and this is when it can be helpful to consider small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), FODMAP intolerance (FODMAPs are specific carbohydrate molecules in some foods), and food sensitivities as underlying contributors to your symptoms.
Along with your health care practitioner, develop a diet plan that works for you. Supplements may also help, which should be taken with supervision. Examples that may help digestion include:
As the body’s largest organ, skin’s primary role is to maintain a healthy barrier between you and potential harm from the elements, including sun and rain, bacteria and germs, and stress. But are you protecting this important ally of your immune system?
Skin: A complex system of protection
The skin comprises three major divisions or layers, including the epidermis, the dermis, and the hypodermis.
Epidermis
This layer of your skin is the part you can see and touch. Despite the fact that it can be about as thin as tissue paper, the epidermis itself contains five sublayers. The uppermost sublayer is the stratum corneum, and it’s the first line of immune defense.
Dermis
Skin’s middle layer, or dermis, houses collagen that gives your skin strength as well as elastin that provides flexibility. Nerves located here keep you safe by triggering pain or letting you know, for example, when your hand is too close to the stove.
Hair follicles are rooted in the dermis, as well as oil and sweat glands. They play critical roles in your immune defense. Oil, for example, may help to seal hair follicles so that unfriendly microbes can’t enter deeper layers of the skin. It also helps repel water. Sweat helps you maintain a healthy body temperature.
Hypodermis
The hypodermis (also known as the subcutis or subcutaneous layer) is the deepest skin layer and consists primarily of connective tissue and fatty tissue. This layer allows skin to move smoothly over tissue and muscle and to act as a shock absorber. The hypodermis also insulates your body to protect you from the cold.
Skin’s microbiome
Given its extensive surface area, skin provides room and board to millions of bacteria. This adds an extra layer of protection, as these bacteria help prevent colonization and invasion by pathogenic microbes.
Barrier breakdown
Despite various skin fortifications, barrier function can be compromised—and it might start with simple water loss. H2O deficiency is associated with skin dysfunction, including atopic dermatitis and skin wrinkling. To keep skin healthy, you want to drink plenty of water and minimize transepidermal water loss or the moisture lost from skin cells through evaporation.
There are a lot of things working against that goal, such as stress and pollution. Certain topicals can also cause a breakdown in barrier function. Common foaming agents such as sodium lauryl sulphate and sodium laureth sulphate can strip away valuable moisture and cause skin irritation. Alcohols such as isopropyl alcohol, propanol, and benzyl alcohol may also rob your skin of moisture.
To lock in moisture, look for skincare helpers that mimic the natural lipids found in your skin. Borage, carrot, and evening primrose oil are rich in fatty acids. Try camelina oil, which is high in vitamin E and a rare plant source of omega-3 fats.
Health has never been a more prominent topic or concern than in the era of COVID. But for all of us, supporting our immune system is the cornerstone of our well-being, whether we’re living in a pandemic or not.
“Health is defined now by most medical establishments as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity,” says naturopathic doctor Brian Davies.
Immune system redux
To best support our immune system, it helps to have a sense of how it works. Put simply, its job is to defend against disease-causing microorganisms. It has two main components.
Innate immunity, the immune system we’re born with, consists of physical barriers like our skin as well as cells that attack pathogens that enter the body, responding quickly via effects like fever.
Adaptive immunity is the part of our immune system that learns to react to foreign agents. When it’s exposed to a new germ for the first time, it responds by trying to fight it off; we might get sick, but our immune cells remember the invader and mount a more rapid response when it returns.
Having a healthy immune system doesn’t mean never getting ill. It’s quite the opposite, in fact. And remember that not all viruses are created equal, as we’ve all learned with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID.
“Having symptoms such as fever, cough, muscle aches, headache, and the like are indications that your immune system is working to fight off infection, not the infection itself,” says Ashley Stapleton, naturopathic doctor. Nevertheless, the global health crisis may have led to a greater awareness of the importance of taking care of ourselves, a wake-up call of sorts.
Immune system support
“When looking at key support for general immune health, a healthy lifestyle is a critical part of supporting our immune systems,” Davies says. Some people who should consider modifications to their lifestyle to better support their immune systems are those who
eat highly processed foods
don’t sleep well
are under excessive emotional or physical stress from injury or overexercise
consume excessive amounts of alcohol
smoke cigarettes
All of these factors put excess stress on the body, which is known to suppress innate immunity and dysregulate our adaptive immune system.
Caring for your immune system
Here are some other approaches to providing your immune system with support.
Cut out sugar
Avoid alcohol
Get plenty of good sleep
Reduce stress
Supplemental immune support
Always check with your health care practitioner before trying a new supplement. Supplements that may help support your immune system include:
National Sleep Awareness Week (March 12-18, 2023) highlights commitment to the vital refreshment of a good night’s sleep. Our bodies accomplish a great deal during sleep: bone, muscle, and tissue are repaired; our immune system is strengthened; memories are stored. Our systems slow down overnight, resetting energy levels for a fresh start.
LifeSeasons offers a studied, full-body range of care, including support for stress, mind, and mood, all conducive to a productive night’s sleep. They also offer supplements that enhance the natural relaxation that leads to restful sleep.
All LifeSeasons supplements are 25% OFF through March!
Rest-ZZZ Sleep Support
Encourage a healthy, restorative night’s rest with some soothing habits: a cool, darkened room, a warm bath, and a break from your screens. Rest-ZZZ can help by calming your nervous system, promoting your natural sleep cycle, and easing muscle tension, restlessness, and nerve-related sleeplessness.
Rest-ZZZ Melatonin-Free
Prefer to skip the melatonin? Rest-ZZZ Melatonin-FREE offers sleep support for those unable to tolerate melatonin. Ease yourself into a restful night’s sleep without feeling groggy or “hung over” the next morning.
Anxie-T
Stress challenges all our systems and can certainly interfere with the ability to fall asleep. Anxie-T nurtures a relaxed and calm mind by supporting the body’s natural abililty to respond to stress. This is a great way to start your self care stress relief.
Magnesium Glycinate
A better you starts with a better mood — create a routine to prioritize staying cool, calm, and collected. Both you and your sleep will benefit! Magnesium Glycinate aids mood and sleep support, while promoting bone and heart health, and helping to maintain normal blood sugar levels.
Energy
We all have those days when it’s just hard to get started. LifeSeasons’ Energy helps overcome tiredness and fatigue with a gentle boost to energy and mood. Natural ingredients such as green tea and cacao supply support for circulation and focus without unwanted jitters.
As a new season approaches, it’s common to turn our minds toward rejuvenation—detoxifying ourselves from what’s not serving us and refocusing on what nurtures us.
Tea, both true tea—made from the tea plant Camellia sinensis, including green, white, and black teas—and certain herbal infusions, can help in the physical process of detoxification by supporting the body’s metabolic and natural detoxification processes. These teas can also work to detoxify our mental state by helping to clear away stress, anxiety, and emotional blocks that may be weighing us down.
The value of doing less
Guided by Jude Wang of Cultivate Tea, we take a deeper look at how tea helps to detoxify and refocus the mind and body to enhance overall well-being. Wang explains that, while certain teas may be particularly helpful to physically detox, sometimes it is more about giving your body the space and time to carry out the self-care that it has been designed to perform.
“Sometimes detox is about doing less,” says Wang. “These days, detoxing our mind and soul can be so much more important to think about than physical detoxing.” That’s where the ritual of tea comes in.
Wang points out that our fast-paced, modern culture can often treat tea with a transactional attitude. “We have a tendency to think of it in terms of what it can give to us: tasting notes, health benefits.”
Wang believes that tea provides the opportunity for a more nuanced experience: a chance to slow down, declutter the mind, acknowledge emotions, and nurture meaningful bonds with others. Time out to tune in.
The tea experience for mental detoxification
Sitting down with Wang to share the ritual of tea is a fluid experience that is tailored to the tea being served and the person, or people, he is sharing it with. Wang notes that it doesn’t so much matter how your tea ritual is conducted but rather the spirit in which it’s carried out.
From experiencing the look and smell of the leaves, watching them unfurl as they steep in the water, exploring the taste and mouthfeel—and how it evolves through multiple steepings—Wang values the meditation that tea provides.
The power of tea ceremony
Research shows that tea ceremonies enable participants to share common emotions, capture a sense of personal progression, improve concentration, and increase feelings of mindfulness. Further, the act of preparing and drinking tea has been found to help curb stress and boost psychological well-being.
Finding meaningful rejuvenation
Wang suggests that, if you come to tea with an open mind, its power can be transformative and its contribution to daily life invaluable. “It’s something so simple. It’s just tea leaves. But at the same time, it has so much behind it.”
Without getting all doom and gloom, the unavoidable truth is that our environment is way more toxic than it was when our great-grandparents grew up. And that’s changing what we need to do to keep our bodies unburdened.
Toxic burden
Our food is sprayed with pesticides, our municipal water is chlorinated, and our air and soil are marred by persistent organic pollutants. Many of these compounds are fat soluble, meaning they accumulate in fat cells over time in a process called bioaccumulation. Since we’re all exposed to environmental toxicants, supporting natural detoxification is key for reducing our toxic burden and improving overall well-being.
What is detoxification?
Detoxification is the body’s built-in system for minimizing the harmful effect of toxicants, toxins, hormones, pharmaceuticals, and supplements, by transforming them into stable, water-soluble compounds that can be excreted from the body. While intestinal bacteria and body tissues including the skin and kidneys perform local detoxification, most detoxification reactions take place in the liver.
While it’s true that our food and lifestyle choices can enhance detoxification, we don’t need to do a juice cleanse or embark upon a rigorous fast to do so.
On the other hand, it’s a misconception that we don’t need to do anything to support the body; many detoxification pathways require essential nutrients we can only get from the diet.
Support the important routes of elimination
When the bowels aren’t emptying regularly, we reabsorb our toxins and estrogen through a process called enterohepatic recirculation. Once you’ve ensured your routes of elimination are working well (starting with plenty of fiber, water, and exercise), then you can incorporate targeted food, vitamins, and herbs to enhance natural liver detoxification.
Food physiology
What we eat consistently has a more profound impact on detoxification than an annual week-long “detox.” Here are some foods and nutrients to incorporate in your diet.
Glutathione: Foods rich in vitamin B6, magnesium, selenium (Brazil nuts), and folate have been shown to restore depleted glutathione levels.
Resveratrol: Foods high in resveratrol (grapes, cacao) enhance liver enzyme activity.
B vitamins and magnesium: Methylation reactions are important components of detoxification, and they depend upon adequate vitamin B12, vitamin B6 (animal protein), betaine (beets), folate (leafy greens), and magnesium (seeds).
Protein: Detoxification also involves the conjugation of toxins with amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein. Supplement diet gaps with protein powder or specific amino acids including taurine, glycine, arginine, and glutamine.
Water: Support bile excretion by ensuring you’re getting enough water.
Supplements to consider
Supplements that may help support your body’s natural detoxification include:
Spirulina
Chlorella
Probiotics
Dandelion
Milk thistle
Curcumin
Always check with your health care practitioner before starting a new supplement.
