​This morning, I came down the steps to, Derek, washing dishes, loading dishes, and starting breakfast. Immediately I was elated. I sat down on the island finishing some emails on my phone. He finished up the dishes, washed the sink, and started making our blueberry pancakes. 

In that very moment, I couldn’t help but think about how grateful I am that he’s mine. How grateful I am that he respects my wants, cares for my needs, and helps me whenever he can.
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That also made me think about never ending conversations I have about homelife stress.

I cannot tell you the amount of times I’ve had a conversation with whomever about, Derek, doing x,y,z around the house or with the kids followed up with a comment about ‘how lucky I am.'

Now hold on, Karen, I am not being insensitive, I completely understand the hustle and bustle of life- school, sports, band, homework, reading, grocery shopping, laundry, housework, etc. It typically is a never-ending list.
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However, recruiting help from your partner makes this list a lot more manageable. 

Women are notoriously great at running things at home until they can no longer run anymore. Why at this point do we ask for help?

As women, our bodies were not and are not made to withstand the toxic cesspool of a world we live in. It’s engraved in us to do much more than we physically or mentally can, all with a smile, all while trying to be perfect. It’s engraved in us to order these toxic, miracle creams/serums to help make us feel young. It’s engraved in us that the social media world is real life. It’s engraved in us that this zombie, exhausted from sun up to sun down, mom lyfe thing is ‘normal’. Well, I’m here to tell you that that’s a bunch of crap.

​No, I don’t mean just the food we are eating or the drinks we are drinking. I’m referring to all the negative energy that we consume- the gossip, the negative comments, the negative thoughts. All of it is breaking us down internally. Surround yourself with who brings peace and happiness to your life. I don’t care if you’ve been friends for 25 years- if you aren’t going to make yourself a priority, who is? 

​It’s getting to be the time of year again where extra lotion is needed. Before you grab that Bath & Body Works lotion, do your body a favor and toss it in the trash. Our makeup and skincare routines are FULL of toxins. All the while preaching natural or safe (insert eye roll emoji). Toxins that are linked to endocrine disruption, cancer, reproductive toxicity, neurotoxicity, and the list goes on. One that is very easy to spot and used often is ‘fragrance/parfum’. Anything with this listed in the ingredients deserves a spot in the trash. 

​If you don’t make time for your wellness, you will be forced to make time for your illness. If you would like to chat about what Functional Medicine can do for you, please complete our Free Online Health Assessment at the top of this page. 

As always, let's get back to health!
Much love,
​Dr. Taryn

Did you know that well over half of premature babies are delivered via cesarean section? This means that your baby doesn’t receive the beneficial bacteria he or she needs from the birth canal. These beneficial bacteria can reduce susceptibility to food allergies, asthma, hay fever, and even obesity later in life. 

Did you know that it is ‘protocol’ to give preemies a preventative antibiotic once they are born? This is a proactive measure to prevent a deadly infection and is administered for 24 to 48 hours. However, what has that done to their already immature gut microbiome? It has completely wiped out even the good bacteria. 

Research continues to show that ONE round of antibiotics can change the gut microbiome negatively for up to FIVE years. That’s saying you’ve only had one round of antibiotics in five years.
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Our immune system is founded in our gut. This vital component of our health and wellness isn’t just reborn without help.

Did you know that commonly preemies leave the hospital with medications geared towards GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease), breathing treatments, and/or bowel movement problems? The gut-lung axis has a huge influence on all three.

Fun Fact: The central nervous system (CNS) is directly responsible for the process of peristalsis (which the body uses to make sure everything goes through the digestive tract in the correct direction). This is the primary malfunction of GERD. What helps directly with peristalsis?
Specific chiropractic care. ​

Zirah, was a very special case. She developed NEC (Necrotizing Enterocolitis) which is a very dangerous infection in your gut as well as the biggest culprit of deaths in premature babies. Zirah, was placed on antibiotics for THIRTEEN whole days. This was the longest 13 days of my entire life. While she was on these high dose antibiotics, she couldn’t have any food in her stomach and was given her nutrition through IV. I knew that my daughter was never going to be developmentally 'caught up' if I didn’t learn everything I could about repairing her gut.

I am eternally thankful to traditional western medicine for saving both mine and Zirah’s lives, but I am forever grateful to alternative medicine for giving Zirah her life back. This wasn’t a quick fix and her journey is still evolving. Without functional medicine, chiropractic, and healthy living practices our two-year checkup would have been much, much different. You’d have never guessed this little diva spent the first part of her life- fighting for it.

Do you have a preemie that suffers from allergies, is constantly sick, never 'catches a break', and/or isn’t hitting their developmental milestones? Please, reach out!

Do you or someone you love have a preemie? Be proactive, let’s get that gut back to health!

The best part about healing, it’s never too late to start the journey. There are supplements and herbs that are beneficial in gut healing, along with diet and lifestyle changes! Contact us for more information. 

I am also here to say, being a NICU mama is hard.
It's one of the hardest things I've ever endured.
It's okay to not be okay.
If you are feeling overwhelmed, please reach out.
You can't pour from an empty cup!
And the woman you were before you became, Mommy, matters. 

As always- stay healthy, friends. 
Dr. Taryn

​Being a mom is hard. Right now, most moms are juggling their careers, while being their children’s teacher, while being daycare for their younger children, while continuing daily home tasks.

​Did you know that right now, today, there are more single mothers than ever in history? In 2019, there were 15 million single mother-headed households and 25% of families are headed by a single parent (80% of those households are headed by moms).

​Now, this blog isn’t directed solely at single moms. You could be a mom who sometimes feels like a single mom, one that used to be a single mom, or one that simply relates to what I’m going to type. Either way, moms need our support- probably now more than ever.

​This blog is for you, my single moms. Mother’s Day is fast approaching- just know, we see you and we appreciate you. (I’m sending extra love to those that won’t have their kiddos on Sunday per their placement order.) I am typing this to bring a sigh of relief, relatability, and positivity. I, too, was a single mom for most of my son’s life. 

​I am a co-parent. Am I the only one that almost feels dirty saying that? It took me a lot, and I mean, a lot of years to be comfortable saying that. Co-parenting is hard- and I mean extremely hard, painstaking hard. It’s truly exhausting physically, mentally, and emotionally. Every holiday needs coordination, every appointment, every life changing thought- not only coordinated with your current significant other, but also your child’s father. Speaking of significant other, you first need to find the one that’s worthy of your love and your child’s love. That loves your child as their own. Once you find that, never let it go. And never, ever trust a man or woman who tries to destroy you when they're angry.  

​With all of this comes stress, worry, fear and last but not least- anger and frustration. These five emotions are detrimental to your health. These five emotions can destroy your happiness and suck the positivity from your life. Read that back, you caught the ‘can destroy your happiness’, right? It doesn’t HAVE to.

The next time you feel overwhelmed in your co-parenting situation, when you feel like you may succumb to the demons of negativity, close your eyes and take a deep breath. Don’t send that text that you’re angrily typing, don’t say those words that you’ll never get back, just take a deep breath. At the end of the day, you can only control what you can control- leave the rest to the big man upstairs. If the deep breathing doesn’t cut it, go for a bike ride, go for a walk, throw the cheap store boughten eggs at a tree in the backyard. Whatever you do, turn that rush of negativity into positivity, your body will thank you.

​The dreaded ‘single mom stigma’ (insert eye roll emoji). Having a different last name than your child isn’t this centuries scarlet letter. The world we live in is full of loving, supporting individuals- just like it’s full of hating, undermining individuals. No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. If someone is making you feel that way, that’s not someone that needs to take up anymore space in your life. Life is too short to be anything but happy. I know, that’s incredibly cliché, but it’s true. If someone is projecting their doubt onto you- cut the cord. 

If you’re unhappy with your job, find one that makes you happy. If you’re unhappy with your home situation, develop a plan that brings you happiness. Sitting around and dwelling on the ‘what ifs’ is only holding you back. A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.

Damned if you do, damned if you don’t- is how I feel about it. I’m very blunt, many can attest to that. Remember when I was talking about not dwelling on the ‘what ifs’? A huge portion of mom guilt stems from those two words. You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.

​Your mental health is vital. STOP wondering if your children know they’re loved. (They do.) STOP questioning if you’re a failure. (You aren’t.) Staying in a relationship solely because you created children is like staying on the Titanic because you shaped the steel.  

​As moms, we tend to focus all our energy on our children. But you can’t help your children if you aren’t helping yourself. What do I mean by that? STOP beating yourself up for needing me time. STOP beating yourself up for having to work two jobs to put food on the table and make ends meet. STOP beating yourself up for asking for help. We all need help, at some point in our lives. 

​To all my single mamas reading this, know you’re not alone. It’s okay to have a rough day- tomorrow is always a new day. It’s not okay to be stuck in a void, just going through the motions. If you feel this way, please reach out! I’m here to tell you there is hope. And remember, you were someone before you were their mom- and that someone matters. 

I still remember the days that I prayed for what I have now. 
All my love,
Dr. Taryn

Let’s talk M҉O҉M҉G҉U҉I҉L҉T҉
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To all my mamas who are reading this - you’re doing better than you think!! Being a mom in today’s day and age is hard. The constant input from social media, the picture perfect families on Insta, the judging when you finally take some “me time”, the list goes on. The choices never end.  I spent 15 minutes trying to pick out a sippy cup the other day. A SIPPY CUP! As I type this, my 10 month old is screaming “mom, mom, mom!”, my 6 year old is yelling something about not finding his socks, and I’m over here just trying to finish a lukewarm cup of coffee.
 
I recently had a friend tell me of an experience she had with her two boys at the dentist. Both boys decided to have meltdowns - 2 toddlers, 2 separate rooms, 1 mom. The assistant caste so much shade on the mom with sighs, rude comments, and even eye rolls, that when the mom left, she was in tears. Why? Because she felt that she was a subpar mom based solely on this one situation. It took judgement from someone with zero relation to her everyday mom life struggles to break her. That’s just one example of how much pressure we put on our moms. When, in reality, she is a kicka$$ mom! There aren’t many kiddos that like the dentist in the first place (sorry to my besties hubby who’s a dentist) and kiddos can’t ⒜⒧⒲⒜⒴⒮ behave. That’s life. 

Let's get back to health,
Dr. Taryn