Become a Health Investigator

Take control of your life and your health in this 10 session course

Course began March 2024; all previous classes are recorded, available for you to watch and keep in your learning platform on the website. Live classes are Thursdays at 7:30 PM Eastern Standard Time.

Come join us each Saturday for 10 weekly lectures and videos by Dr. Lynn Lafferty and her guests.   This course includes: Vitamin and Mineral Booklet, A book on how to make your own herbal preparations, Refrigerator lists on which foods are on in vitamins, and discussions with Dr. Lynn.

You can join anytime.  Regardless of when you purchase,  you will have access to all the material presented in  the course.

You will have videos and other material accessible in your Course Portfolio.

 SESSION 1:

Food as Medicine

This session will examine how food and culinary herbs and spices will heal our body when they are grown properly with proper environmental conditions. We will look also at farming practices, food additives, food processing and genetic modifications that have shown in scientific studies to cause harm and lead to disease. By wise shopping and removal of some of these additives and toxins from your diet, you can stop the harm.

A new science called “epigenetics” shows that by eating what our body needs we can repair the damage that was caused in the past. We will explore the components and phytochemicals of foods that repair and heal the body leading to optimal health.

Why are our children ill?
Did you ever wonder why children have autoimmune disease, allergies to food and are often obese today? None of this occurred before the 1980’s. The way food is treated, grown, processed and delivered today causes these as well as many other problems. By knowing the facts, you can make a real difference in your family’s health.

What should I remove from my diet?
We are exposed to hundreds of toxins every day, and while studies may show that one toxin is easily eliminated by the body, there are not studies which show what happens when toxins are loaded and stacked together in the body. By removing pollutants from the body, we free the body from having to use its resources to remove and detoxify them.

What food components can create better skin, optimal performance, good health and wellness?
By having vitamins and minerals available for healthy growth of tissues and organs, and the production of enzymes, neurotransmitters, and hormones, the body is able to run like it should and be healthy.

Did you ever notice the beautiful colors and smells of fruits and vegetables? The creator of the most stunning foods made those colors and smells to attract us to eat what we need for balanced biochemistry and a perfect operating system. Eating whole, clean, fresh foods enhance our memory, skin and overall performance.

Probiotics and Prebiotics
Every culture around the world eats or drinks fermented foods which are full of good bacteria that help the probiotics in our G.I. tract to work better. Gut bacteria are responsible for making B vitamins, hormones, neurotransmitters, immunity and detoxification of cancer-causing substances we ingest. The good bacteria also fight against bad bacteria, viruses, yeasts and fungus. Prebiotics are foods that feed our bacteria so they can maintain good health and do their job in our body.

The Importance of fiber
There are two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble fiber. Fiber can help us lose weight, maintain bowel movements, and prevent cancer. Many foods in nature contain these fibers and need to be added to our diet.

SESSION 2:

My Stomach is the Key to Health

Do you know that as we age your stomach acid and digestive enzymes decrease? Studies show by the time we are 50 we may only have half of the stomach acid we need and by the age of 80 we may have only 20% of the stomach acid we had when we were young. People spend billions of dollars each year in the U.S. on products to relieve gastric reflux, heartburn, and other stomach issues. In this session we will review how specific digestive symptoms tell a story about what is wrong with us and what natural products in our kitchen may relieve some of these problems.

The Stomach acid age and disease
Stomach acid is very strong and is a major defense against infections. Stomach acid kills many common things it comes in contact with, such as bad bacteria and other microbes. You will learn why we need stomach acid for digestion and show how a simple at home test an determine if you truly have either too much acid or not enough. We will review the research on how imbalance in the stomach leads to diseases and why we shouldn’t be on drugs that block stomach acid too long. You will learn about diets and supplements that can balance the stomach and lead to feeing better and get the proper nutrients in your body.

Burping and gas: What’s wrong with me?
Many symptoms like burping and gas tell a story of a digestive system that may not be working optimally. We will review these symptoms and explain the meaning and what to eat or supplement in your diet to correct the problems.

The Importance of the Gallbladder and Bile
If you feel bloated, sick, pain or have loose stools after you eat a cream sauce or fried foods, it is most likely due to a gallbladder and bile problem. Bile is a waste product, produced on the liver and stored in the gallbladder. When bile is too thick or not released properly, it gets sludgy and hard, leading to stones, and often requiring surgery to remove the gallbladder. Bile is very important because it kills bad bacteria, makes your bowel movements smooth and regular, releases cholesterol and helps in the absorption of fats which makes all of your necessary hormones. In this session, we will review foods and herbal remedies that will help you release more bile and keep you healthy.

SESSION 3:

Digestive Enzymes, pH, Leaky Gut, and My Health

Our intestines do so much important work they need to get the fed properly. After your heart they use the most energy in your body! They prepare your important life-giving nutrients to be absorbed into your body so that your nerves, hormones, and all the biochemical communications taking place in the body can work properly. When your body does not have the protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals it needs, you get imbalances and symptoms which leads to disease.

Elimination is very important as the intestines are constantly breaking down harmful chemicals that can cause cancer and diseases and then remove them from the body.

What you eat has a direct impact on how well the gastrointestinal system can do its job.

Problems in the G.I. tract
Constipation, pain, gas, bloating and diseases like IBS or Crohn’s are all problems within our digestive system. We will look at how what we eat affects pH, bacteria, infections, gas production, bowel movements, and show the connections to diseases in the GI.

Digestive Enzymes, The Immune System and Food Sensitivities
A large amount of your body’s immune system is in your gastrointestinal tract. The whole body can be affected by the way you eat and how you take care of the GI tract. When we do not have the digestive enzymes we need, we can get many GI symptoms and food sensitivities, and large particles of food can cause an auto immune response. We will review how we can best take care of your immune system GI tract.

What is a leaky gut?
Our gut is brilliant; it knows how to absorb the important nutrients we need while keeping negative bacteria, viruses, parasites toxins out of the body. If our food does not digest or gets negative pathogens (bacteria, viruses, fungus, yeast, etc.) the digestive tract can become inflamed. Within the walls of the intestines are “tight junctions” which are the gate keepers where absorption of important nutrients takes place, while the trash is eliminated and kept out of the body. However, when inflammation takes place, the junctions become “loose” and allow toxic materials and microbes out. We will discuss supplements, herbs and diets that can help prevent and heal leaky gut.

Intestine-Autoimmune connection
There are many research studies which link microbes to autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, Lupus and many others. We will examine the research and discuss testing you can get to show if you might have a condition known as dysbiosis, an imbalance between the types of microbes in the gut. Many symptoms and disease may be caused by dysbiosis, and we will discuss herbs and changes to your diet which will address this condition.

SESSION 4:

The Story of Your Poop: Using Poop to Investigate Health and The Probiotic Story

My grandmother, the organic farmer, always wanted to examine my “poo-poo” as she would call it. I always thought it strange that she was so interested in my bathroom habits and wanted to take peek at what I did in the toilet. However, once I became a naturopathic doctor and learned how the stool tells the story about your digestion, enzymes, nutritional status, and overall health, I had a whole new appreciation for my grandmother’s obsession with my potty habits.

The Importance of Gut Bacteria (Probiotics)
My grandmother also ate many canned fermented foods like sauerkraut and pickled beets, because she knew the bacteria in those helped keep you healthy. Many cultures eat or drink fermented foods especially after a large meal. They know the importance of gut bacteria, found within the foods. Fermented foods, and the bacteria found within them, help your immune and nervous systems, help create vitamins, hormones and neurotransmitters, and also help prepare toxins for elimination. We will review how we can make these fermented foods and discuss probiotic supplements.

The Gut-Brain Connection
Old medical textbooks site examples of people with mental health issues being helped with certain foods and the cleansing of the bowel. We will discuss the importance your gut health as it relates to your mental health.

Natural Bowel Movers and Herbal Remedies for the GI
We will review foods, diets and herbs that can help us move our bowels, soothe pain and anxiousness, and repair the mucus membrane in the GI tract.

 SESSION 5:

Different Types of Diets and Your Health

Doctors often wonder, which diet should I recommend to my patients? There is the DASH diet, paleo diet, keto diet, vegan diet, vegetarian diet, Mediterranean diet, and many more. The proper diet may provide what is needed to treat a particular condition. A diet may be used for different purposes: to remove toxicities, to better absorb key nutrients during a disease or condition, and to supplement what is missing from the body. Some diets should only be used short term and others may be a lifelong commitment. No two people are alike, and no two conditions are identical, so it is important to review various diets and choose which one might be best for you.

Review of Various Diets
We will review the elements of various diets. We will tie symptoms and conditions with various components of popular diets.

Proprietary Survey: Individualized Nutrition
Each participant will take a proprietary survey to gather information about various symptoms and conditions. This will be used to recommend a diet that is right for you.

Putting it all together: Diet, Symptoms and GI
You will receive a worksheet to create a wellness plan that is tailored to your needs.

SESSION 6:

Liver Detoxification and Blood Sugar Regulation

Can your body break down fat, make the enzymes it needs for good health and stabilize blood sugar?

The liver is the maker of most of your enzymes and detoxification products in the body. It helps with every biochemical reaction and it makes over 500 enzymes and uses nutritional components to detoxify anything that may not have been originally designed for the body.

We will examine the importance of the liver and how you may not be able to lose weight because of a fatty liver. In this session we will review the foods and herbal products that help it to work optimally.

Fatty Liver is the top liver disease in the U.S.
A couple of the most important things the liver does is break down and eliminate fat and cholesterol. Fatty liver shows that the liver is weak and nutrient deficient, which means it cannot break down and eliminate your fat. This may increase your cholesterol levels and prohibit weight loss. The liver eliminates cholesterol by placing it in bile.

Many people lose weight and feel better after doing a liver detoxification, which is removing toxic substances by using nutrition and herbs to enhance liver biochemical pathways. We will review which foods and herbs are best for the liver and how to implement a detoxification program.

The liver-sugar connection

The liver produces enzymes that play a major role in every biochemical reaction, and these enzymes need key vitamins and minerals to make them work. The liver also regulates blood sugar, and stores glucagon for energy. The fatty liver can make it less responsive to insulin and may lead to high blood sugar levels. We will investigate the liver-sugar connection and discuss how to best stabilize your blood sugar.

Session 7:

I have No Energy and I can’t sleep. Are my adrenals shot?

Feeling tired all day, and then not being able to get a good night’s sleep is probably the number one complaint among women over 40, college students, and most working professionals.

We will learn how the hormones and neurotransmitters that we need to feel full of energy during the day can be put to rest at night so we may fall asleep.

Circadian Rhythm
Your internal clock is naturally meant to help you get up feeling refreshed and ready to go each morning and then go to bed and sleep well through the night. You should have energy in the morning and still be able to get a good night’s sleep.

Circadian rhythm refers to the fluctuations in cortisol (also called cortisone) and melatonin that happen all day and all night. When these are off you can feel tired all day but then not be able to sleep at night. We will discuss foods and supplements that can help get you on track so that you can thrive during the day and sleep all night.

How stress leads to adrenal fatigue, sugar cravings and wrinkles

The adrenals are on “high alert” when you are afraid or in a very stressful situation. When you are under constant stress the body uses more adrenal hormones and uses much of the body’s Vitamin C. Vitamin C is a big component of collagen, so skin and other tissues may be affected.

When the adrenals are low in cortisol this can lead to hypoglycemia and sugar cravings, as cortisol helps raise blood glucose (sugar) levels. When your blood sugar is high the brain is satisfied, and you do not feel hungry. However, after high blood sugar there is a crash that will lead to cravings especially for sugar. This is why marijuana causes carbohydrate cravings, as it dampens the adrenal output and lowers blood sugar.

Resetting your body clock

We will discuss several lifestyle issues to help you reprogram your circadian rhythm: diet, exercises, mindfulness, meditation, prayer and supplements. We will also discuss tests that can be performed that may read your adrenal functioning and give you a better understanding of what is interrupting your body’s natural rhythm.

Session 8:

Vitamin and Mineral Overview

Vitamins and minerals are most important for every aspect of your body. We will review how vitamins, minerals and nutrients function in the body and the difference between whole food vitamins and the chemical vitamins available in most stores. This information will show you how to keep skin youthful and glowing, how to keep your immune system in optimal condition and how important these nutrients are to your hormones and neurotransmitters.

Skin inside and out
Collagen is a major protein for creating skin, inside and out. Vitamins A, C and E, zinc, and copper are important elements for skin and for building blood.

What makes strong bones
Bones are a very important part of your body. Bones make blood cells and are part of the immune system. Bones provides the body’s structure and serve as a bank to store minerals until needed. We will discuss diets, vitamins and supplements that support bone health.

The Fatty Acid Pathway: magnesium, B6, and zinc
Fatty acids in the body may go to wonderful anti-inflammation pathways or inflammatory pathways depending on which vitamins and minerals are available. Magnesium, B6 and zinc are key to help the pathways work properly. We will discuss foods and supplementation that may help.

Vitamin D for your immune system
Vitamin D plays a major role in activating the immune system, calcium absorption and assimilation for bone health. We will explain the role of all vitamins and minerals for building and maintaining a strong immune system.

Session 9:

The Right Weight at Every Age

There are many reasons why it may be difficult to lose, maintain or gain weight. While diet and exercise play a key role, viruses, hormones, stress, your liver, toxins and many other factors also play an important role.

Virus and bacteria Connection
Viruses and gut bacteria are known to be related to weight gain. We will examine gut functions and immune health and determine how they might affect weight loss. We will show how supplements and certain foods can help you reach and maintain your ideal weight.

Blood sugar management
Blood sugar management is important to not only weight loss, but also for overall good health. Both hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia are blood sugar conditions that can both lead to weight gain or loss and may cause extreme emotional distress, mental health issues and cause inflammation which can lead to many chronic conditions. We will discuss what we can eat and suggest some dietary supplements that aid in blood sugar stabilization.

Hormone Health

During menopause women gain weight because they often lose estrogen. Fat makes estrogen, so the body produces extra fat to supplement the loss estrogen. The added fat can be helpful, but it may be too much. We will discuss how to naturally lift your estrogen levels naturally with supplements and foods.

Inflammation from our food and DNA profile

Some food choices may be causing inflammation and stress, which may lead to weight gain. We will share personal tests designed to help lessen inflammation and encourage weight loss.

Session 10:

Healing Our Homes

Our kitchen naturally has many things to heal, repair injuries and save lives. Our great grandmothers didn’t have the grocery stores and conveniences we have today, so they had to use what was in their own gardens, easily accessible or readily available. It worked well for them then and still works well today – you just need to know how to use what you have in your home!

Food: Variety is the Spice of Life
Each color, taste, texture, smell, flavor and consistency that nature offers is important. The foods of various colors are composed of different phytochemicals, each of which impacts different bodily functions. Antioxidants fight free radicals and inflammation in the body that cause over 50 diseases. The human body wants and needs a myriad of tastes. For instance, bitterness is important to the digestive process. Each texture can help in digestion, assimilation and elimination. Different smells can elicit a sense of calmness, satisfaction and well-being. Flavors and consistency bring us the idea of comfort foods for healing and wholeness. We will share recipes that incorporate all these various colors, tastes, smell and textures, which help us stay healthy both physically and emotionally.

Culinary Herbs: Growing and Use
Growing herbs in your yard or windowsill can bring a sense of peace and joy. We will discuss techniques for creating your own herbal garden and some recipes to enhance our senses and improve health.

Stress Reduction Strategies
We will discuss meditation, mindfulness and other techniques (including eating the right foods) to decrease stress.

Audience issues and cases
We will select a few individual cases to review and make recommendations for improvements to health and well-being. Class participants are encouraged to share their own recipes and ideas with others!