Ellen Vora, MD, Author at Ellen Vora, MD

What’s Up With American Gluten?

by Ellen Vora, MD on Jul 31, 2019 / Share

My patients frequently report they can’t tolerate gluten in America, but when they’re in Europe, they eat it and feel fine. I have the same experience. A lot of people hear this and say, ‘oh it’s just because you’re relaxed while you’re on vacation in Italy, so that’s why you tolerate pasta there.’ Okay, fair enough, except I put this theory to the test in my own life.

Last year my family traveled for 7 months around the world. I don’t tolerate a drop of gluten in America, but while I was in Italy, Greece, Israel, Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand, I ate ALL THE GLUTEN. And I’ve never felt better. Clear skin, calm belly, great energy, stable mood. Then we flew to Kauai. I was still 100% in the same state of relaxation and vacation mode as I was on the rest of the trip. Arguably, I was even more relaxed because I was in PARADISE, and yet one bite of the gluten on American soil sent my body straight back to all my old gluten-intolerance symptoms.

There is something about American gluten that is deranged. The next theory is that it’s the glyphosate (the active ingredient in the pesticide Roundup that we use on our wheat crop more than any other place in the world). I’m all for pointing to glyphosate as the root of all evil, but I’ve tested out this hypothesis in my own body too. Even when I eat organic long-fermented sourdough from the farmers market (100% glyphosate-free) in the US, I still get symptomatic. I will tolerate that less than a gas station croissant in Italy.

So what gives? Some theories I have are that the yeast in the air plays a role, or perhaps it’s actually the tap water used to make the bread. Even my organic farmers market sourdough was made with American municipal tap water, which contains glyphosate residue. Let me know if you have your own theories for why so many of us can’t handle American gluten but we can tolerate it abroad.

5 Tips To Help You Get The Best Rest Possible

by Ellen Vora, MD on Jul 29, 2019 / Share

Video by Brut America

Medication Shaming?

by Ellen Vora, MD on Jul 25, 2019 / Share

I was recently on the Do The Thing podcast with the amazing Melissa Hartwig Urban discussing diet and lifestyle approaches to treating depression. Melissa got a comment about shaming people for taking meds. Here are my thoughts on the matter:

This is such an important, delicate, nuanced issue. I of course would never shame anybody for anything, let alone for taking a medication as an act to take care of themselves and treat their mental illness. But I 100% get how someone could “hear” shaming when I say the key to treating depression is not just about serotonin and taking medication. In the act of offering people a different way of looking at depression, and additional tools beyond medication, it can be heard as a judgment of the approach of taking medications. It’s not. I don’t think there’s anything inherently wrong with taking psych meds. My concerns are: a) medications don’t actually help everybody; b) many people experience side effects such as decreased libido, digestive issues, weight gain, or even a blunting of affect when on meds, and those effects need to be balanced with the benefits, c) meds are not as efficacious as we’re lead to believe; and d) we have a lack of informed consent around the fact that medications can be difficult to get off of, so that information should be part of the conversation when we’re starting meds. It’s important to point out, if someone is on meds and it’s working for them and helping with their depression, that’s great news! No need to do anything differently. My concern is for the millions of people for whom our conventional mental health treatments aren’t meeting their needs. For those folks out there, I want to offer you other tools and approaches for addressing your illness and empowering you to feel well in your lives.

104 Things You Can Do For Depression Now|Melissa Hartwig Urban’s Do The Thing Podcast

by Ellen Vora, MD on Jul 23, 2019 / Share

Melissa Hartwig Urban’s Do The Thing Podcast

I joined the incredible Melissa Hartwig Urban for today’s episode of her Do The Thing Podcast. Our discussion is a treasure trove of practical, no-cost actions you can take NOW to improve symptoms of depression without pharmaceutical intervention. From diet to sleep, time in nature to breathwork, tapping to Reiki, I share how just a few small habit changes can make a huge difference in your mental health.

Listen to the episode

This Is How Many Hours Of Lost Sleep It Takes To Negatively Affect Blood Sugar, According To Science

by Ellen Vora, MD on Jul 22, 2019 / Share

Originally published in mindbodygreen

According to a new study published in the American Journal of Physiology—Endocrinology and Metabolism, losing just six hours of sleep may have an adverse effect on metabolism, including an increased risk for diabetes.

Here are a a few tips on how to improve the quality of your sleep if losing it is out of your control. (Of course, talk to your doctor before making any lifestyle changes, especially if you have any outstanding health issues.)

Get the phone out of your bedroom.
Go to bed earlier—think 10:00 p.m.
Try supplementing with magnesium glycinate.
Take an Epsom salt bath.
Stabilize your blood sugar by avoiding sugar, refined carbohydrates and alcohol and getting plenty of healthy fats and protein.

How To Relieve Insomnia Without Medication

by Ellen Vora, MD on Jul 19, 2019 / Share

Originally published in One Medical

Feeling sleepy? You’re not alone. According to the CDC, on any given day, as many as one in five adults suffers from an insufficient amount of sleep! Insomnia affects adolescents, adults and the elderly. And as we age, sleep can become even more elusive, so developing good sleep habits when you’re younger can pay off later in life.

Just Can’t Make Yourself Meal Prep? These 13 Expert-Approved Tips Will Help

by Ellen Vora, MD on Jul 17, 2019 / Share

Originally published in mindbodygreen

I know this sounds like unchecked privilege, but the fact is, we all spend money on things we don’t need. I recommend taking a hard look at your budget and reallocating some funds away from expensive coffee drinks and fast fashion you don’t need and putting it toward outsourcing the essential but time-consuming tasks of our lives, like cooking. In our household, we like to hire a task rabbit at $20/hr. to help us chop and cook. It makes all the difference in making meal prep possible, and we actually SAVE money in the end because we’re eating home-cooked food instead of takeout. Takeout feels cheap in the moment, but it really adds up over the course of the week. Save money, eat healthier home-cooked food, and save time by outsourcing your meal prep.

The Healthiest People We Know Share Their No. 1 Hydrating Drink For Summer

by Ellen Vora, MD on Jul 15, 2019 / Share

Originally published in mindbodygreen

In Chinese Medicine, there’s generally a recommendation away from cold food and drinks, so in certain ways, the healthiest cold drink is some warm bone broth or herbal tea. When I do want a refreshing cold drink in the summer, here’s my go-to: I like naturally carbonated spring water, with a splash of organic lemon juice, and a few functional add-ons. Sometimes I’ll add a splash of apple cider vinegar to support my digestion, my gut microbiome, and the liver’s detoxification mechanisms. Other times I’ll add a little gray Celtic sea salt to replenish minerals that get depleted in the sweaty summer months. If I have it in the fridge, a little crushed mint is the best.

I’m A Sleep Expert. Here’s The Nighttime Routine That Lulls Me Into Slumber Every Time

by Ellen Vora, MD on Jul 12, 2019 / Share

Originally published in mindbodygreen

You might think the doctor who treats everybody else’s sleep problems would be a “holier than thou sleeper,” but now it’s time for a moment of truth. Anybody out there who knows me has probably seen me stay out until 4 a.m., sleep in to 11 a.m., or embark upon a house organization project at midnight. I did not come into this world as a 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. picture-perfect sleeper. It’s quite the opposite: I’m the preacher who has sinned. But as a notorious sleep procrastinator and night owl dealing with racing thoughts at bedtime, I’ve had to work hard at cracking the sleep code. This struggle has forced me to understand the barriers to sleep, and now I can better understand how to help my patients. Here are a few tips that have helped me so far, plus a “night in the life.”

Considering Getting Off Antidepressants? Here’s How To Do It Safely

by Ellen Vora, MD on Jul 5, 2019 / Share

Originally published in mindbodygreen

I often find myself with a line out the door of patients who are struggling to get off of psychiatric medications. While you should absolutely do what’s right for you in your health journey, it’s worth noting that doctors rarely disclose how difficult it can be to taper off medications like Lexapro, Zoloft, Effexor, Klonopin, Xanax, Lithium, Abilify, Adderall, and Vyvanse.

While some people experience few if any side effects when tapering off these medications, for others it can lead to a persistent state of anxiety, low mood, dread, hopelessness, and despair for months. It can even lead to impulsivity and suicidal thoughts and behaviors. The medication withdrawal state is a difficult and potentially dangerous state. With millions of people on psychiatric medications and almost nonexistent support from psychiatrists or primary care doctors, patients are left to negotiate this harrowing process by themselves. So I’m left wondering: Why aren’t we having a public conversation about this?