Many of you have asked me which air purifier I recommend and due to concerns about maintaining clean air in my office during COVID-19 I have finally done the research and discovered the highest quality air purifier on the market. 
I have purchased the EnviroKlenz Mobile Air System with UV Light which combines advanced technology for toxic and noxious chemical and odor removal with HEPA filtration and ultraviolet germicidal radiation (UVC) to remove airborne particulates and allergens and inhibit the growth of bacteria, viruses and mold. 
I have become a distributor for EnviroKlenz so that my patients can get the best prices on their products.  The same model that I purchased is available for $725.00 (Retail cost is $799.00)  The company also has the same system without the UV Light which is available for $600.00 (Retail cost is $699.00). 

I think the air purifier with UV Light would be incredibly beneficial for those who need to work in an enclosed space with other people or who have had mold in their home and the regular model without UV Light would be appropriate for those with allergies, asthma, chemical sensitivity or for those who have recently moved into a new home or remodeled a home and are concerned about exposure to chemical fumes from paints, carpets, cabinets, etc. 

Please call the office if you would like us place an order for you!  

As some of you know, I am seeing patients again in person as of last week and it is going well.  It is so nice to see you all again, albeit through a mask!  These visits are most appropriate for those who need a physical exam or a blood draw/urinalysis.  I am honoring the Health Fair Lab Special prices through the end of June.  We are following a new protocol in the office to keep both of us safe and appreciate your patience and cooperation with the changes.  Kiva will call you the day before your appointment to review some health questions with you and describe our protocols.  Telemedicine and phone visits are also available and are preferable if you do not need a physical exam or a lab test.  Please call us if you have any questions or if you would like to schedule an appointment!

I am in the process of developing an exciting new program and would greatly appreciate it if you would fill out the following survey which will take 3 minutes of your time.  It is anonymous and will help me to hone in on the type of program that will be most helpful for everyone.  Click here for the survey!

This chicken marinade is incredibly flavorful! 

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 
Juice of 1 lemon 
3 cloves garlic, minced 
2 tsp. kosher salt 
1 tsp. ground cumin 
1 tsp. ground coriander 
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper 
1/2 tsp. ground turmeric 
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon,
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper 
2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts 

In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and all seasonings.  Add chicken and toss to coat.  Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees and grease a large baking sheet with cooking spray.  Remove chicken from marinade and place on prepared baking sheet.  Bake until chicken is golden and cooked through, 30 minutes.  The chicken is also excellent if cooked on the grill.  This is often served sliced in warm pitas or flatbread with sliced tomatoes, cucumbers and a yogurt sauce.  I also like to serve it sliced on top of a salad.  Enjoy!

I am excited to announce that I will begin seeing patients in person again on Monday May 11th.  I have been carefully considering how to do this safely and have put some new protocols in place to enable me to see you in person while keeping us both healthy.  I will be doing blood draws as well and will honor my Health Fair Lab Special pricing through the end of June.  These appointments are only for those who have not had symptoms such as fever, sore throat, cough, body aches, chills, etc. within the last 14 days or have not been in close contact with people have those symptoms.  If you are symptomatic, please schedule a telemedicine visit with me instead.  Kiva will contact you by phone the day before the appointment to ask you some safety questions and explain our procedures.  I look forward to seeing you in person again!

Now that Colorado is cautiously opening up after sheltering at home for many weeks, we will likely see cases of COVID-19 rise due to increased exposure to others.  This is the time to pay very close attention to your general health and immune function.  Those who are over 65 years old or who have a chronic health condition are advised to continue to shelter at home and be very cautious with any exposures.  I see this time, and likely the coming year as the most important time to keep your immune system strong.  Please schedule a consult with me if you have specific health considerations that you would like me to advise you on.  For those who are generally healthy, see my web page on COVID-19 prevention and treatment.  We are now well stocked with immune support supplements such as Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Zinc, Probiotics, Viral Immune, Ashwagandha, etc.  so let us know if you need anything! 

This is a fun, fresh recipe inspired by a restaurant meal in Mexico (although this is not Mexican!).  Infinitely versatile, all ingredients can be substituted for whatever you have on hand in the refrigerator.  
Serves 2-4 depending on size of bowl

1 cup uncooked brown or white rice
1 lb. raw shrimp ( can substitute any cooked protein such as chicken, tuna, hard boiled eggs, tofu, edamame, etc.)
3-4 cloves of garlic
2 Tbsp. oil
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded jicama
1 1/2 cups shredded carrot
1 1/2 cups shredded raw beets
Additional garnishes:  fresh cilantro, pickled ginger, sliced scallions, salted peanuts, black sesame seeds, tamari, hot sauce or sriracha

1.  Cook rice according to package instructions.
2.  While rice is cooking, saute garlic in oil over medium heat in a large frying pan until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  
3.  Add raw shrimp to garlic and oil and saute until pink and cooked through, about 2 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.
4.  Compose bowls with rice on the bottom and shredded vegetables and shrimp arranged artfully on top.  
5.  Serve the bowls with additional garnishes offered separately at the table so that everyone can add what they like. 
Tip:  Bowls have the most flavor if all garnishes are used!  

Ayurveda, the traditional medicine of India, recommends that we change our diets to reflect seasonal changes so that we can stay in balance and prevent disease.  During the transition from winter to summer it is best to reduce heavy, oily, fried foods and transition to lighter, easier to digest foods such as freshly cooked vegetables, fruits, beans and lentils.  Bitter and astringent foods are recommended such as spring greens, fresh herbs, broccoli, endives and radishes.  Lemon water is very purifying in the morning.  The main meal should be at mid-day with a lighter meal in the evening. 
Spices recommended at this time of year are aimed at reducing mucous congestion and stimulating digestion.  These include ginger, clove, cardamom, black pepper, turmeric and saffron. 
Spring is an excellent time to consider a cleanse, particularly if you suffer from allergies.  Contact me if you are interested in my Two Week Cleanse program! 

I have been hearing from many of you that you are having trouble falling asleep or waking in the night recently.  I wanted to share my favorite “Sleep Hygiene” recommendations with you as these simple strategies typically help a great deal. 
1.  Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.  I recommend aiming to be in bed by 10 pm each night and setting an alarm if necessary to wake no later than 7 am. 
2.  Exercise daily, preferably outdoors. 
3.  Expose yourself to bright light first thing in the morning.  Go outside or sit next to a sunny window.  On cloudy days, open the shades and turn on lights. 
4.  Avoid electronics for at least an hour before bed.  This includes phones, computers, tablets, TV, etc.  The blue light emitted from electronic screens can prevent sleep.  I recommend reading a book, doing a puzzle or working on a craft project instead. 
5.  Keep the lights dimmer during the hour before bed to signal to the body that it is time to go to sleep.
6.  Avoid eating late at night and limit alcohol which can disturb sleep.  
7.  Take a warm shower or bath before bed to relax your muscles. 
8.  The bedroom should be dark, cool and quiet.  If you find it too quiet, try using a fan. 
9.  Put a few drops of lavender essential oil on your pillow before bed to calm your nervous system. 
10.  Massage your feet with warm sesame oil ( not the toasted sesame oil which has a strong odor) before bed.  This works like magic and is great for kids too! 

If you need more help, let me know.  I carry several natural sleep aids including Melatonin, Passionflower, 5-HTP, Sleep Easy and Tranquility which can be useful when additional support is needed.   

As we have all been hearing in the media, those with chronic medical conditions seem to be at higher risk of serious complications or death from COVID-19.  These chronic conditions include heart disease, diabetes, lung disease, liver disease, kidney disease, obesity, neurological disease and those who are immunocompromised due to chronic infections, cancer or certain medications. 
Keeping this in mind, I have created a program for those who have chronic health conditions who would like to bring their health to a higher level not only to prevent COVID-19 complications, but to improve quality of life and longevity in general.  The program is highly individualized, but in general will incorporate nutrition, nutritional supplements and lifestyle changes to help each person achieve health goals that we will set in our initial consultation.  The program includes an initial one hour consultation followed by three 30 minute consultations over a six week period.  The cost of the program is $497.00 which can be split into two payments if desired.  The visits can be scheduled as telemedicine or phone visits until it is safe to see each other in person again.  Please contact us for more information if this is something that interests you! 

I would like to share a list of my top immune boosting foods.  Please include at least 3 to 4 of these in your diet daily and try some new ones that are not in your usual rotation! 

1.  Dark Chocolate (!) 
2.  Fatty Fish (wild salmon, anchovies, sardines) 
3.  Turmeric 
4.  Ginger 
5.  Garlic 
6.  Cruciferous Vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, brussels sprouts) 
7.  Matcha Green Tea 
8.  Kefir 
9.  Chili Peppers 
10.  Apples 
11.  Citrus Fruit 
12.  Cranberries 
13.  Fennel 
14.  Sage 
15.  Shitake Mushrooms 
16.  Nuts 
17.  Oats 
18.  Olive Oil 
19.  Beans

One of the labs that I have been using for years, Diagnos-Techs, Inc.  is offering an amazing 20% off sale on all of their tests.  This includes saliva hormone and adrenal testing and stool testing.  The beauty of this offer is that all of their test samples are meant to be collected from home.  The kit would be shipped directly to you and you would ship your samples back to the lab in a pre-paid box.  I do require a 15-30 minute follow up telemedicine or phone consult to review your results as I am offering you my wholesale price on the lab tests.  Please contact us if you are interested and we can get the kits shipped out to you!

There are so many fun beauty treatments that can be done at home with natural pantry items that I thought I would share some with you during this time when it is not possible to go to the salon or the esthetician! 
Avocado Hair and Skin Masque:  mash 1 ripe avocado and mix in 1 Tbsp. honey and 1 Tbsp. liquid coconut oil.  Apply to dampened hair (only use on ends if scalp tends to be oily) and face.  Leave on for 20 minutes and then wash off and shampoo/condition as usual. 
Sugar Scrub:  mix 1 cup granulated sugar (white or brown), 1/2 cup coconut or olive oil and any desired essential oils.  Store in a container with a lid and keep in the shower.  Use 1 Tbsp. or more as needed to scrub skin, then rinse.  This will exfoliate and moisturize at the same time. 
Honey Masque for Sensitive Skin/Inflammation:  mix 1 Tbsp. honey with 1 tsp. matcha green tea (or the powder from a green tea bag) and 1 tsp. sweet almond or jojoba oil.  Apply to clean skin and leave on for 20 minutes.  Wash off with cool water and apply your normal moisturizer. 
Honey Masque for Acne-Prone Skin:  mix 1 Tbsp. honey with 1 tsp. lemon juice and 1 tsp. baking soda.  Apply to clean skin and leave on for 20 minutes.  Rinse off with cool water and apply your normal moisturizer. 

Any of the masques could be used once per week and would be a great addition to the Two Week Cleanse that I discussed last week.  Happy Beautifying!

We are right in the midst of spring allergy season and the symptoms that allergies can cause are often confused with the early signs of a COVID-19 infection such as runny nose, sneezing, scratchy throat, tightness in the chest and fatigue.  Please contact me if you need help figuring this out.  We carry all of my favorite natural allergy treatments including Aller Dx (a Chinese herbal formula providing rapid, non-drowsy relief), Homeopathic Southwest Allersode, Vitamin C, Probiotics, Omega-3s, etc.  Let us know if we can help you with seasonal allergies!

One of the most common concerns among my patients lately is fear and anxiety.  We are living in very uncertain times with much to be worried about including our health and the health of our loved ones, job loss, finances, homeschooling children and more.  On top of that we are physically isolated from others who might normally provide emotional support.  This has created an almost daily roller coaster of emotions in many of us ranging from fear to sadness to loneliness to frustration. 

Fortunately there are many resources to help including telemedicine visits with The Center for Mental Healthhttp://www.centermh.org, a private counselor or myself. 
I also recommend spending at least one hour daily moving your body outdoors if your health allows it, listening to music, dancing, appreciating or creating art, watching comedies, keeping in touch with loved ones, spending time with pets, cooking or working on home projects that you enjoy. 

Some people may also benefit from dietary supplements that support mood such as Omega-3s, B-Vitamins, Vitamin D3, Magnesium, 5-HTP, and St. John’s Wort.  I carry all of these items in the office so let us know if you would like to place an order or schedule a short consult to determine what is best for you.  I am here for you!