On Health for Women

Detoxification is something our bodies do naturally. Unfortunately, things are much different for us now than they were for our ancestors. While they were exposed to very few environmental toxins as little as 75 years ago, the same cannot be said for us today. We are simultaneously being overloaded by external toxins and undersupported by our diets because our diets are not balanced enough to keep our natural detox processes robust.Over the past few weeks of our series on detoxification, we have talked about the impact that too much detoxification can have on your health, as well as the differences between metabolic and psychologic detoxification and the dangers of fad detoxes. I want to wrap up this series discussing the very powerful role that some foods and supplements can play in our body's natural detoxification processes. I also want to share some of my favorite botanicals and herbs that I use with my patients to support their natural detoxification processes.Today I'm excited to dive into the steps of a 12-week detox program. Along the way, I'll share with you some of my absolute favorite botanicals and herbs to use to support the detoxification process while also showing you how to be intentional about limiting exposures to harmful toxins in your home, food, and household products.Listen in as I talk about the historical and scientific support behind these detoxifying herbs and the steps you can take to rid your home and your body of the harmful toxins that are getting in the way of your health."The more we can return to simple and natural, the more we can use less." - Aviva RommJoin Dr. Aviva Romm as she dishes up a weekly dose of the whole truth on health and medicine. To learn more about this episode of Natural MD Radio go to avivaromm.com/detoxification-101/

Did you know that we are facing a continuing growing cesarean section crisis? The overuse of cesarean sections, especially in the United States, is not new, but it has certainly continued to become more prevalent globally over the past 15 years. Women's ability to give birth is not greatly dependent on geography, and yet many women in low-income countries do not even have access to this method of birth when necessary. Wide variations in intervention statistics between regions tell us that something is very wrong.Joining me is Dr. Marleen Temmerman, a force in bringing the overuse and under-access of cesarean sections to the wider medical community. She is an obstetrician/gynecologist and a world leader in women's and children's health.Notably, Dr. Temmerman was the senior author on a series of focus articles in The Lancet medical journal for October 2018. She also has a strong record of diplomacy, advocacy, and clinical expertise. She also served as the director of the Department of Reproductive Health and Research for the WHO, as an elected senator for the Belgian parliament, and is the founding director of the International Centre of Reproductive Health at Ghent University, with offices in Kenya and Mozambique."Who is contributing to the increase in cesarean sections? Basically, it is the gynecologists who hold the knife." - Dr. Marleen TemmermanJoin Dr. Aviva Romm as she dishes up a weekly dose of the whole truth on health and medicine. To learn more about this episode of Natural MD Radio go to avivaromm.com/marleen-temmerman/

Today I talk with Joanna Kempner, an associate professor in the Department of Sociology at Rutgers, who is doing important work for gender politics and pain. In this episode of Natural MD Radio, we discuss the idea of a migraine personality, the historical concept of hysteria, and how this has all evolved to create a disparity in pain treatment for women -- especially women of color in the United States.We also talk about the societal factors that have led many women to feel guilty for speaking up about their pain, whether it be chronic pain caused by a condition like migraine or pain after childbirth, for example. We share the ways that the stigma of pain affects pain research and the implications that this has for the current and future treatment of women's pain.Listen to today's episode to learn why these disparities in pain treatment still exist and how we can combat them in our own lives."If a drug worked well it would not create a situation in which it was exacerbating the very problem it was treating." - Joanna KempnerJoin Dr. Aviva Romm as she dishes up a weekly dose of the whole truth on health and medicine. To learn more about this episode of Natural MD Radio go to avivaromm.com/kempner-migraine/

Vitex earns a place in my Top 5 Favorite Herbs for Women and today, I want to tell you how this powerful herb can help with your hormones. Hormonal imbalances are one of the most common complaints I see in my practice, and include conditions like PMS (to which more than 150 symptoms have been attributed, and which affects millions of women, irregular menstrual cycles (menorrhagia, dysmenorrhea, and amenorrhea, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS, fertility challenges, and menopausal symptoms. Robust scientific evidence now supports the traditional use of vitex for women's hormones - I'll walk you through what you need to know in this episode."A lot of hormonal symptoms we chalk up as “normal” are actually signals that something is out of balance in the body – if you’re ready to regain your health, you might find a great ally in vitex!"Join Dr. Aviva Romm as she dishes up a weekly dose of the whole truth on health and medicine. To learn more about this episode of Natural MD Radio go to avivaromm.com/vitex-hormones/

If you're freaking out at a little (or a lot) at the thought of pushing a small cantaloupe sized head out of your vagina and also want to do everything you can to avoid unnecessary medical interventions at your birth, including cesarean, you’re probably here because you’re doing your homework ahead of time to learn what to do to make this upcoming passage into motherhood as short, easy, empowering, and as safe as possible for yourself - and your baby. I'm here to help!Thirty-five years of practice initially as a home birth midwife, and then as an MD specializing in women’s health, including obstetrics, as well as being a momma of four, has shown me that labor and birth can be - yes - hard work - but beautiful, powerful events in our lives. While there should be absolutely no judgment over what type of birth experience you prefer or ultimately require, it’s worthwhile considering what natural tools we have that can help us avoid the speed bumps that often lead to preventable birth interventions - the most common being not going into labor within a reasonable amount of time after your due date (this is hotly debated - most obstetricians think within a week after, however normal human gestation actually goes up to two weeks after, which most midwives support), having a long labor, or need for pain medication, which often becomes the case when labor is going long."While there should be absolutely no judgment over what type of birth you prefer or require, it’s worth considering the natural tools that can help you avoid preventable birth interventions." - Aviva Romm.Join Dr. Aviva Romm as she dishes up a weekly dose of the whole truth on health and medicine. To learn more about this episode of Natural MD Radio go to avivaromm.com/herbs-easier-labor/

Discover the power of food as medicine, focusing on detoxification through diet. Explore the vital role of phytonutrients found in fresh fruits and vegetables. Learn how sulfur-rich foods like onions and garlic can enhance your body's detox processes. Uncover the significance of herbs and spices in boosting metabolism and supporting health. Delve into the cultural influences on our health choices and the importance of a whole foods, plant-based diet for overall well-being.

I am sure that you have all heard about trendy detox programs, but did you know that detoxification is different than the term 'detox'? Last week I shared just the tip of the iceberg on the dangers of environmental toxins in our bodies and in our surroundings. In the second episode in our series on detoxification, today I dive into how detoxification really works.I talk about detoxification, why it's important, and how it's related to the toxins we are being exposed to on a regular basis. We are all detoxifying every single day. Our bodies do it naturally. It's not something we're supposed to do intentionally. But because we're both overexposed to environmental triggers and deficient in the nutrients needed to support detoxification, I explain why we need to make a more conscious effort to mind the detoxification processes."The sheer volume of chemicals we're exposed to every day is so great that it threatens to overload our natural systems." - Dr. RommJoin Dr. Aviva Romm as she dishes up a weekly dose of the whole truth on health and medicine. To learn more about this episode of Natural MD Radio go to avivaromm.com/detoxification-101/

Every day it seems there is a new fad detox or cleanse program promising to help us get healthier. But what led us to believe that these programs were needed? The burden to detoxify the body has been placed on women and our diets, yet biological systems are already in place to do just that. So is detoxification real?Listen in to today’s episode where I discuss the environmental factors that we should be worried about, the origins and effects of these toxic chemicals, and what you can do to protect yourself and your children in the future."If we can't drink our water, if we can't breathe our air, if we can't trust our soil, that is a global crisis that affects us all." - Aviva RommJoin Dr. Aviva Romm as she dishes up a weekly dose of the whole truth on health and medicine. To learn more about this episode of Natural MD Radio go to avivaromm.com/detoxification-101/

Cleanses, detoxes, and fasts have existed for centuries for various purposes and with varying degrees of scientific validity. It is more common than ever for people to be self-administering a detox, cleanse, or fast as a way to lose weight or regulate toxins. Some of these traditional healing practices can have merit, but when done to extremes they can cause health problems -- especially for women and their thyroid health. Are there safe detox programs?Listen in to today's episode to hear what a healthy detox program looks like, what health complications can be caused by entering into a fast under the wrong circumstances and how to know whether a cleanse is a good choice for you.“Too much of a good thing can become a problem.” - Aviva RommJoin Dr. Aviva Romm as she dishes up a weekly dose of the whole truth on health and medicine. To learn more about this episode of Natural MD Radio go to avivaromm.com/detoxification-101/

Today I'm talking about Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, which affects over 5 million women in the U.S, and what natural approaches you can take to help.“You can reduce or eliminate any of the stresses that you don’t have to have. So stop saying yes to so many things - say no to things that you don’t have to take on.” - Aviva Romm.Join Dr. Aviva Romm as she dishes up a weekly dose of the whole truth on health and medicine. To learn more about this episode of Natural MD Radio go to www.avivaromm.com/pcos-natural-prescription/