We have all experienced it.  Joint pain…soreness in your back or neck.  What if I told you that improving your nutrition and lifestyle choices ( ie- sleep, hydration, stress management) can improve your pain?

Hi!! I am Shannon Yundt, PT, DPT, FNLP, CNC.  I am a Functional Nutrition and Lifestyle Practitioner and  Physical Therapist practicing with patients for the last 26 years . What I have found is patients can be stuck in a chronic cycle of pain in their joints and not understand why.  Our medical system may put a band aid on it by prescribing NSAIDS and pain killers, but all the while no one is getting to the root of the problem.  It was my recent certification in Functional Nutrition and Lifestyle that opened my eyes to the impact of these 2 elements- nutrition and lifestyle- that significantly affect our joints.

How can nutrition affect our pain?

Nutrition affects our joints and our bodies in 2 ways. 

Let’s Talk about a Leaky Gut. Leaky gut is a condition that allows the...

A smoothie a day, keeps the doctor away…

One smoothie done right each day, that act alone, can catapult your health in the right direction.  Can you believe it?

You can power pack the nutrition into that one drink and get in more than half your vegetable and fruit servings for the day. 

The problem is too many people do the smoothie wrong and end up setting themselves up for failure when they are trying to do a good thing, and I do not want that to happen to you.

I want you to get the most nutrition benefit from your smoothie so I created a set of 5 rules to follow when making your smoothie. 

Smoothie Rules:

1. The ratio of fruit to veggies should be 1:4 ratio. You do not want to add a ton of fruit to the smoothie and drink it fast causing a major blood sugar spike and a lot of work for your liver ( liver breaks down fructose). This means 1/2 cup of frozen fruit ( berries are the best option- the lower sugar the fruit is the better) to 2 cups of vegetables.( greens such as spinac...

I am telling this is a game changer when it comes to reaching your weight loss and wellness goals.

Its tracking!!! Do you track (aka journal) your days?

I am going to be honest I have had a bitter sweet relationship with it over the years, but hear me out.  You are tracking to judge yourself or beat yourself up but to learn from yourself.

The journal is your safe space to share how you are feeling, what you are feeling and what you are doing that is causing these feelings in your body.  Its your safe haven, I promise.  And if you track it right, it unlocks tons of insight about you and what you need to do to heal and help yourself feel better.

Watch the video for more information!!!

Happy 2022!! 

I am so happy to welcome a New Year.  A clean slate, a fresh start.  It’s such a great opportunity to self reflect on the previous year and do things better, differently and change the trajectory of your future.

I am going to be very honest, December 2021 kicked my butt.  A family emergency derailed my whole month on top of it being the busiest season for a Mom of 2 littles with Christmas in the December mix.  I was trying to be everything for my family and also stick to my nutrition plan of eating low FODMAP due to a gut infection I was dealing with-brought on by stress from 2020. It was tough, to say the least, and despite the odds being stacked against me, I remained consistent in my routine and stuck to my goals.  

I am only telling you all of this because December 2021 was one of the hardest months of my adult life and I was able to remain steady with my own health amongst the chaos that existed around me.  And that is what I want to share with you…the ke...

Cravings….do you have them?? For sugar? Cheese? Salty snacks? 

Cravings are a sign that your body is out of balance. The imbalance of your blood sugar with peaks and valleys is a part of that imbalance we are talking about.  

Understanding your cravings and tuning into what your body is trying to tell you is a part of figuring out that balance for you. When the craving comes out, it time to tune into your body and figure out what it is trying to tell you with this craving, knowing the answers to these questions can help you figure out what to do to stop your cravings.

Here are some questions I ask myself when a craving comes on: 

1. How many hours of sleep did I get last night? Was it restful sleep? 
2. How much water have I had today so far? 
3. What did I eat for my last meal? Was I busy or distracted while eating?
4. Am I stressed out or having uncontrolled feelings right now?

Knowing the answers to these questions can really help you figure out what you need to do next ...

What can you do to improve Oral Health naturally?

1. Avoid Snacking and Sipping: The longer a sugary or acidic food sits on your teeth, the more likely it will be to eat away at your enamel. Also, grazing on food all day is a recipe for a sluggish digestive system.  My best advice is to have the cup of coffee or acid drink then be done and eat 3 balanced, nutritious meals a day. 
2. Drink Clean, Filtered Water: hydration is vital for your health and your teeth.  Dry mouth causes increased acidity of your saliva and increased tooth decay.
3. Oral Health Supporting Herbs: Incorporating herbs into your diet via your meals, drink, teas and even through essential oils.  Some of my favorites are cinnamon, oregano, thyme, peppermint and clove.
4. Dietary Changes: supporting your body through a very nutrient dense diet is the best choice you can make for yourself.  Remember that the cavity, the gum disease and oral health concerns are a sign that the inner terrain in which your body is trying to sup...

What to do with your Nutrition to stop the Tooth Decay and improve your Oral Health?

Cut out Sugar. Start to read labels and look at the added sugar in your favorite products. The goal is to stay around 25 grams of sugar a day. Track it and see what your total is, you will be surprised at the sneaky places sugar is hidden in our foods.

Eat your Veggies. Veggies are full of nutrients and mineral properties that can really help your body.  Vitamin C, B vitamins and calcium are beneficial for oral health.  Be sure to eat the colors of the rainbow. 

Eat nuts, seeds and beans. Zinc, copper, chromium and B vitamins are found in nuts, seeds and beans.  Eating a variety of these foods will ensure you are getting all the nutrients and fat soluble vitamin, Vitamin E.

Get in your amino acids. Eating good quality proteins can be very beneficial to your oral health. Incorporating bone broth, grass fed beef, grass fed butter and wild caught fish can give your body the building blocks for repair....