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Hello mortals!

Al on a balcony looking cute af

As a result of social distancing due to COVID-19, I’ve finally decided to start my own site! I’ve been postponing actually doing something productive with my writing for some time now, and I’ve decided that a self-imposed quarantine would be an excellent opportunity to do so. Nice to meet you (with a 6-ft digital radius)Continue reading “Hello mortals!”

Posted byAlMarch 16, 2020April 20, 2020Posted inAll, UncategorizedTags:about, about me, bio, intro

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I know it seems like I live in Napa (I’ve been u I know it seems like I live in Napa (I’ve been up here 3 times this month, lol 🙃) but I promise it’s just because the only time I take photos is when I’m there 🤷‍♀️ Weekend with my mom- eating, drinking wine, and having too much fun. So appreciative ❤️
Sorry, I had to 🤷‍♀️ Just a few of my ✨ Sorry, I had to 🤷‍♀️ Just a few of my ✨ favorites ✨ from the health and wellness misinformation crowd. (Plus an excuse to doodle.) Which Little Miss (or Little Mister) would you add?
A weekend to recharge in nature on the Mendocino C A weekend to recharge in nature on the Mendocino Coast. My first glamping experience was 10/10.

On the itinerary:
- marshmallows
- nature walks
- meeting the dogs and cats who lived on the farm here (!)
- hundreds of miles of BEAUTIFUL coastline 

This Airbnb is Roseman Creek Ranch, owned by a lovely woman who is working to create a small, sustainable farm. From the flowers she left in the cabin to the visits from her 3 Aussie dogs, this was what I needed in a month that’s been filled with a lot of anger and frustration with SCOTUS and the government in general. I’m so glad to have had a moment to reconnect with nature and recenter myself so that I can do my best as an activist and a law student.
The wellness industry is maybe my favorite example The wellness industry is maybe my favorite example of “greenwashing,” where companies give the impression that they’re helping the environment while really not… doing much. For as many “sustainable” and “green” messages, the industry is still… an industry. 

How to make things more sustainable: Don’t take a supplement without talking to your doctor about it (yes this includes things like green powders, y’all!). Check where what you eat is sourced from- I learned this week that a bunch of collagen powders are sourced from Brazilian cattle, with little to no information on their websites re: whether this is part of the supply chain that is responsible for Amazon deforestation. Finally, the clothes you have are the most sustainable option. If you need something new in your wardrobe, try searching #secondhandfirst and THEN look to more sustainable products.
I’M DONE WITH ONE YEAR OF LAW SCHOOL 🎉🎉🎉 

Honestly, this year has gone SO well. I feel like I’m on the right track for my goals and life and it’s a killer feeling. It hasn’t been “easy” but it hasn’t been hell either, and I think that’s pretty darn good. Excited for what the summer holds- actual work, more time to spend writing and researching for the blog, and new places to explore. Get ready for: sustainable work ‘fits, more myths busted, and pictures of my dog (as per usual).
🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️Part of the 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️Part of the reason I started this blog is because I have been there. I have had a whole host of undiagnosable health issues, and gone through a million different tests, diets, and supplements to try and fix them. With each appointment and each doctor came a new set of rules to follow, but very little improvement in my health. I knew it wasn’t always the most “evidence-based” line of treatment, but I was so desperate for help that I didn’t even care.

So why do people who would otherwise trust the scientific evidence gravitate towards functional medicine doctors, naturopaths, and other alternative medicine practitioners? Two main reasons that I can identify.

1. They tell patients that there is a “root cause” for what they’re going through, and that they can solve it. Often, there is not one “root cause”. Disease is complex! Sometimes, although it is massively frustrating, the answer is just “we don’t know”. 
2. They often don’t take insurance, so they spend more time with their patient. Insurance reimbursement in the United States is often dictated by Medicare “relative value units,” a formula was developed in the early 1990s that aimed to make costs more even. What it ultimately did was reduce the length of an “ideal” doctor’s visit to about 15 minutes. Alternative practitioners and doctors who don’t take insurance might not do a better job of listening to you, but they certainly have more time to. (Don’t hate me, hate the American insurance system!)

Ultimately what many of these doctors end up doing is ordering tests that aren’t needed, to give people diagnoses that don’t exist, so they can win their trust and keep them coming back to their clinic$$$. It’s frankly predatory, and that’s why it gets me so heated. 

P.S. if we are talking root causes, pharmaceuticals that target a singular biochemical pathway and make specific changes on a cellular level are about as “root” level as you can get. FWIW, I think that’s pretty badass.
Writing about the super popular trend of “low-su Writing about the super popular trend of “low-sugar” and “sulfite-free” wines… (and of course, the SCIENCE) have y’all tried them? What do you think, marketing or legit?
While I think memes about “eating 5 melatonin gu While I think memes about “eating 5 melatonin gummies” are funny, they make me want to yell, “you’re doing it wrong!” 🥴🥴🥴 I ALWAYS hear people complain about how “every time they take melatonin they wake up so tired,” and I tell them to go check the dose on their bottle.

More often than not, they’re taking WAY more melatonin than they need! Your body naturally releases melatonin as it gets dark out, to prepare the body for sleep. If you’re stressed, looking at screens, etc., this can throw off melatonin production. 

The dose most people need is somewhere between 0.3-1 mg, as you want the melatonin you take to mimic your body’s natural production. While it’s unlikely that taking too much melatonin is dangerous, taking too much can make you feel like crap, and I think most of us like to avoid that. Go check your melatonin bottle, and let me know if you too, have been taking quite a bit more and feeling groggy.

PMIDs on optimal doses and side effects for those curious:  24802882, 9415954, 25380732

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Girls Love Evidence, 2021