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I’m a Doctor and Here’s How to Become Younger
Dr. Stacie J. Stephenson, aka "The VibrantDoc", a recognized leader in functional medicine and author of the new self-care book Vibrant: A Groundbreaking Program to Get Energized, Reverse Aging, and Glow says, "Drink more water!
4 Things You Need To Be Doing for Your Skin This Winter
When you think about skin care, your brain likely goes straight to topicals. And rightfully so—the products you slather on your skin can make a huge difference in its health.
Possible Health Benefits of Moringa
Moringa leaf, either powdered or dried, is the most common form of the supplement in the United States. The potential health benefits discussed below involve moringa powder or extract.
Spring Pea Soup
Ladle the soup into four bowls and garnish with fresh pea shoots, a dollop of yogurt, and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve immediately !
Proven Ways to Lose Visceral Fat Fast, Say Experts
You can’t see or feel visceral fat, but it’s there. It’s hidden deep in your belly and wraps around your vital organs, which can cause major health problems...
Tomatoes Are the Most Important Thing You Can Eat All Summer
As temperatures rise, we've got to think more about sun protection. And that means loading on the sunscreen (SPF 30 and above, please!).
The Vibrant Health Benefits Of Dark Chocolate
Of all the things to do that are good for your health, of all the super foods, of all the healthy habits, eating dark chocolate must be one of the most enjoyable.
5 Reasons Not To Give Up On Dry January
If you like to live an anti-inflammatory lifestyle like I do but you find it hard to fit all the great anti-inflammatory foods nature has to offer into your diet every day, try this delicious and potent smoothie.
Vibrant’s Anti-Inflammatory Smoothie
If you like to live an anti-inflammatory lifestyle like I do but you find it hard to fit all the great anti-inflammatory foods nature has to offer into your diet every day, try this delicious and potent smoothie.
Why You Want Coal in Your Stocking This Christmas
If you like to live an anti-inflammatory lifestyle like I do but you find it hard to fit all the great anti-inflammatory foods nature has to offer into your diet every day, try this delicious and potent smoothie.
Are You Inflamed?
Maybe you’ve heard of chronic inflammation. It’s not that kind of red, angry inflammation you get when you skin your knee or twist your ankle or get a splinter. It’s the kind that happens inside your body—the kind that goes on and on at a low level and doesn’t go away
Holidays and Stress
Holidays and Stress December 13th, 2021 / Lifestyle Medicine & Mindfulness Don’t you just love the holidays? The carols, the cookies, the consumerism? What? You don’t? You might be...
Vibrant Eggnog
Vibrant EggnogDecember 10th, 2021 / Recipe This year, I’ve been thinking about ways to make decadent holiday treats more vibrant, and I immediately thought of eggnog. This high-fat,...
How to Stay Well This Winter
It’s confusing. So much health “news,” so many people so sure of one thing or another, so much controversy, so many contradictions–it’s no wonder people don’t know what to think. But if you want to avoid catching a virus this winter
Vitamins For This Season.
Vitamins For This Season.November 11th, 2021 / Functional MedicineFall is a great time to re-establish some good nutrition habits, now that the bounty of sun and summer produce is coming to an...
Stay Sharp in Meetings
Stay Sharp in MeetingsNovember 5th, 2021 / Lifestyle Medicine, Physical Fitness, Nutrition It’s time for that big (or long) meeting and you know it’s going to take all your mental energy,...
Rosemary Ginger Turkey Bone Broth
Rosemary Ginger Turkey Bone Broth November 4th, 2021 / RecipesI always hated the idea of throwing away a turkey carcass after Thanksgiving, and then I discovered that I could use it to make...
Immune Boosting Fresh Ginger Tea
Immune Boosting Fresh Ginger TeaNovember 4th, 2021 / RecipesYou can buy hundreds of kinds of tea, but sometimes it’s nice to make a fresh cup. This warming version is full of antioxidant,...
Cheezy Veggie Dip
"Cheezy" Veggie DipNovember 4th, 2021 / RecipesIngredientsServes 4 1/4 cup almonds, slivered 3 tablespoons avocado oil 1 clove garlic 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast 1 teaspoon lemon juice ¼...
Take Along Healthy Snack Pack
Take Along Healthy Snack PackNovember 4th, 2021 / RecipesIf you’re traveling this month, you can avoid fast foods stops and impulse junk food buying at gas stations and airports with a little...
6 Ways To Avoid Burnout And Get Your Energy Back
Learn what burnout is, if you have it, and most importantly, what you can do to climb back out of burnout to reclaim your power. Check out the article to start helping yourself today so you can reclaim your energy and your can-do attitude
Coffee and Anxiety
Coffee and AnxietyOctober 8th, 2021 / Lifestyle MedicineAmerica is seemingly fueled by coffee, and caffeine is probably the most socially acceptable and widely used psychoactive substance on the...
Foods to Avoid If You’re Trying to Get Healthier
By Kaitlin VogelSeptember 15th 2021With so many different types of diets and food advice out there, it’s normal to get confused about which foods are actually healthy and which ones to stay away...
Sober-tober and The Magic of Mocktails
This October, if you’re observing “Sober-Tober” but you’ve still got important socializing to do (and yes, socializing is important!), you’ve got a great opportunity to dip your toe into the...
What To Do With A Sugar Pumpkin
While you’re visiting the local pumpkin patch on a beautiful fall afternoon, browsing for potential jack-o-lantern pumpkins and other spooky fall décor, pick up a sugar pumpkin, too. These are...
Dirty Lemon Spritzer
Serves 4 If you love lemon drop cocktails but you want something spookier looking for Halloween, try this black-as-night version, made with activated charcoal. This is great for parties....
Magical Mulled Apple Cider Mocktail
Serves 4 On crisp fall evenings, especially Halloween, this autumn-spiced mocktail will warm your heart as Halloween chills you to the bone! (In a fun way.) This recipe is especially good made...
Sweet and Spicy Pumpkin Mocktail
Serves 4Ingredients ½ cup sugar pumpkin puree (or canned pumpkin) 2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk 3 tablespoons maple syrup 4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice ½ teaspoon cinnamon Ground nutmeg...
Chipotle Bison Pumpkin Chili
Serves 4 For a chunkier, meatier pumpkin chili, try this one featuring bison and smoky chipotle. If you don’t want to bother roasting a sugar pumpkin, you can use canned pumpkin in this...
Savory Sugar Pumpkin Soup
Serves 4 This mildly sweet, lusciously savory soup is a cheerful orange and will warm you on cold autumn evenings. It’s perfection with pureed sugar pumpkin puree, but in a pinch, you can also...
Fresh Sugar Pumpkin Puree
Makes 4 to 6 cups The amount it makes will vary considerably depending on the size of your sugar pumpkin, so make it and measure it before you commit to any particular recipe, to be sure you have...
Guiltless Mini Apple Crisps
It’s apple-picking season and this yummy, easy, vegan, very lightly sweetened dessert is great to make right now with fresh apples.
Big and Little Rainbow Bento Box
This simple but elegant bento box doesn’t need to be in an actual bento box, but I like it because it appeals to both adults and kids.
Quick Power Pumpkin Spice Chia Pudding
This super quick, please-everyone breakfast gets put together in minutes the night before, and is ready in the morning!
Slow Cooker Velvety Butternut Squash Pot Roast
Load up the slow cooker before you leave for the day and you’ll come home to the tantalizing aroma of pot roast with a delectable, velvety texture.
Preventive Health Checklist
When it comes to health, prevention is power and knowing your health status and risk factors is one of the best ways you can avoid chronic disease.
Vibrant Anti-Aging Pro Tip #4: Socialize Blue-Zone Style
The Blue Zones, those famous spots around the planet where the longest-lived and healthiest people come from, have been studied extensively because everybody wants to know why people in these regions live so long and age so well.
Vibrant Anti-Aging Pro Tip #3: BDNF
BDNF can help to mitigate mood disorders like depression that are common with aging, and it may even play a role in dementia prevention, so short version: You want more!
Vibrant Anti-Aging Pro Tip #2: Pick Probiotics
You may not think of your digestion as having that much to do with aging, but in fact, your microbiome—that collection of bacteria, fungi, and even viruses in your gut—has a significant effect on how well you age.
Vibrant Anti-Aging Pro Tip #1: Go For Antioxidants
Aging. Sigh. It happens to us all, but as you may have noticed, it seems to happen to different people at a different rate, and yes, there are reasons for that.
Blue For Morning, Red For Night
I’ve written about red light therapy for anti-aging and pain reduction, and blue light for treating acne and depression. These are technology hacks you can use to improve your health and...
Circadian Rhythm Hacks
Looking for ways to hack your circadian rhythm so you can sleep better at night and feel more energetic during the day?
Blue Light Therapy: What’s It For?
You may have heard that you should avoid computer, phone, and television screens right before bed because they emit blue light that can interfere with sleep. However, blue light is also used therapeutically. Does it work?
Red Light Therapy: Does It Work?
If you’ve ever tried an infrared sauna or a red light booth, or even had a red light treatment offered to you at the dermatologist, you may wonder what this therapy is and whether it actually works.
Better Sleep Hygiene at Night for A Better Morning Tomorrow
There are many reasons to prioritize sleep, but the most immediate for most people is the desire to feel good the next day: awake, alert, energetic, rested, and ready for anything! Easier said than done, of course.
Vibrant Romance
This month is Romance Awareness Month, so what better time to talk about romance in terms of how it can make you more vibrant?
The Importance of Managing Stress
As I was writing my book, Vibrant, I went back and forth about including a section on stress. Should stress be part of the Vibrant Triad?
Late Summer’s Garden Bounty
If there is one thing I think about when I think about August, it’s boating! But this blog isn’t about boating. It’s about food, and if there is one food-related thing I think of, it’s garden...
Fourth of July Recipes
It’s grilling season, and there is no time like the Fourth of July to celebrate the birth of our country with a reborn commitment to making the most of the gift that is your life!
Skin As An Indicator of Health
During my many years in private practice, I gained a kind of intuition about how healthy people are. This came from a lot of careful observation—it’s a skill any observant doctor develops over time.
The Vibrant Man
The Vibrant Triad is the key. I use it when I advise women, and I use it when I advise men, because its three sides are made up of the three foundational principles that create health and vibrancy in anyone.
Father’s Day Recipes
This father’s day, you may be thinking of making your dad (or the dad of your kids!) a special meal, but rather than loading him up with the stereotypical guy favorites, like steak and potatoes, why not consider a more vibrant meal for the dads in your life?
Get Ready to Fill up That Grocery Cart, Because We Found 20 Doctor-Approved Foods That Fight Infection
By Kaitlin Vogel - May 20, 2021
The 14 Best Foods to Help Reduce Anxiety—Plus 3 Foods You Should Avoid
By Kaitlin Vogel - May 14, 2021
A Vibrant Mother’s Day Brunch with Easy Recipes
If you’re looking for lovely and simple but elegant Mother’s Day Brunch menu ideas, look no further! Chef Q has crafted this vibrant menu, containing three easy brunch recipes for mother’s day,...
How Diet and Exercise Affect Mental Health
It’s Mental Health Awareness Month, and I’ve been pondering the mental health state of the world after a long hard year of social distancing, isolation, decreasing diet quality, and more sedentary living.
How to Get Better Quality Sleep
Sleep is one of the most important bodily functions for getting rid of metabolic waste products, healing and rebuilding the body, consolidating memories, and maintaining our physical as well as psychological wellness.
Should you “do something” about perimenopause?
It’s a conundrum. You, or someone you love (like your mom), is suffering with the symptoms of menopause or perimenopause, and you’ve been offered hormone replacement therapy, or anti-depressants, or maybe even a hysterectomy.
Spring Recipes
Spring has sprung and the first big holiday of the spring season is Easter. No matter how you celebrate—with a focus on the most sacred of Christian holidays, or as more of an...
Avocado Chocolate Mousse
Serves 4Ingredients 2 chilled avocados, pitted and cut into chunks 1 cup unsweetened coconut- or almond-based coffee creamer, plus a little more if necessary for consistency 1/4 cup organic...
Adapting to Stress with Adaptogens
There are many ways to become more adaptable and resilient amongst changing circumstances life throws at us, but one of my favorite tools is custom-made by nature to help us adapt: namely, adaptogens.
Natural Remedies for Seasonal Allergies
This is how you support your immune system, so it has a fighting chance at fighting your allergic response. Make allergy season self-care season. Also try these natural methods for reducing the symptoms of spring allergies
The Research-Based Health Benefits of Vitamin C
Vitamin C doesn’t last long in your system so it’s good to keep it incoming. Here are some of its most potent and well-studied benefits.
How to Be Less S.A.D.
The past year has practically been a recipe for seasonal affective disorder (aptly dubbed with the acronym S.A.D.), a mood disorder that typically coincides with the colder months when people...
March Recipes
After a long winter without fresh, newly sprouted produce, I crave baby spring vegetables, like tiny tender greens, spring peas, pencil-thin asparagus, baby artichokes, and nutrient-packed...
Dr. Stacie J. Stephenson Opens Up About Her Debut Book
By Phebe Wahl | Gotham Magazine | February 17, 2021
Date Night at Home Recipes
This light, fresh, three-course dinner is romantically fancy but easy to prepare, and it won’t weigh you down or leave you feeling overly stuffed, so you’ll have plenty of energy leftover...
Raspberry Avocado Mousse
Raspberry Avocado Mousse Serves 2Ingredients 2 pints fresh raspberries (chilled)1 avocado (chilled, pit removed, cubed)1/4 cup unsweetened almond or coconut milk2 tablespoons honey1 tablespoon...
The Most Well-Researched (And Best) Diet
A lot of people will tell you they know what the best diet is, but the Mediterranean diet is the only diet with the most research support and is recommended by the majority of health...
January Recipes
You may know by now that I’m not big on cleanses because, barring extreme circumstances, the body already takes care of most of your detoxification needs. That doesn’t mean January isn’t a great...
Detox Your Social Life
January is detox month, cleanse month, “fresh start” month, and social media is filled with suggestions for new diets, cleanses, and ways to detoxify the body. Maybe you have started a new diet...
Vibrant Resolutions
The year is almost over, and many of us will be happy to see 2020 fade away in our rearview mirrors. I for one can’t wait to toast the new year and start fresh, but unfortunately, people are...
Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes
I always look forward to the holiday season, but I don’t look forward to feeling overly stuffed, tired, or guilty after overindulging. For years now, I’ve been remaking my celebratory holiday...
Movement Tips for Staying Healthy at Home
Exercise classes are cancelled, gyms or closed (or they're open, but you just can’t), the weather is getting colder every day, and walking outside is getting less and less appealing. But don’t...
Healthy Thanksgiving Recipe
I don’t normally eat dessert, but Thanksgiving always feels like a reason to celebrate with a little sweetness. The problem with holiday desserts is that they often contain ingredients I don’t...
The Real Secret to Staying Well This Winter
It’s confusing. So much health “news,” so many people so sure of one thing or another, so much controversy, so many contradictions--it’s no wonder people don’t know what to think. But if you want...
Your Holiday Self-Care Prescription
In November, as the holiday season looms, I’m tackling self-care because there is no better time to take a minute and remember what’s really important (your health!) as we all brace ourselves to...
Deconstructing the PSL
Maybe knowing that we’re all anxious to get 2020 over and done with, Starbucks released their famous (or notorious, depending on your perspective) Pumpkin Spice Latte in August this year. August!...
Social Isolation and the Coronavirus Pandemic
As I write this, we are in the midst of a global pandemic that has resulted in people all over the world staying home and staying away from others. When we do go out, many (depending on where...
Deep Sleep And Brain Health
You want it. You crave it. You can’t wait to get more. But somehow, it eludes you. It’s sleep, and most people aren’t getting enough. A poor diet, alcohol, caffeine, anxiety, and stress can all...
Benefits of Continuous Glucose Monitoring
If you have diabetes, you are probably a pro at monitoring your own blood sugar. Whether you take periodic finger-stick tests throughout the day or you use the new continuous glucose monitoring...
What To Know About Fad Diets, and How to Actually Lose Weight
If there’s one thing that never goes out of style, it’s a fad diet. “I’ll sell you X, Y, or Z for easy weight loss” is a trick as old as the hills. Sometimes it’s a book touting some special...
Six Questions to Determine Your Exercise Personality
Whether you are exercising at home, social distancing when you walk the neighborhood or hike the trails, or are keeping a treadmill-width apart from the next person at the newly re-opened gym, I...
How to Be Healthier at Home
I saw a startling article the other day, from a job discovery platform called DirectlyApply. It showed what remote workers could look like in 25 years. God willing, we won’t all still be stuck at...
Types of Moving Meditation | VibrantDoc
Meditation is an important part of my life (and an essential part of my stress management efforts), but people often tell me, “Oh, I could never meditate!” They say they are too impatient, they...
Bringing the Outside Inside
It’s gardening season and everywhere I look, I see gardening inspiration—splashy photos, planting guides, aspirational kitchen gardens, gorgeous flower beds. It’s all lovely of course, and when...
Garlic Antiviral Properties: Cure-All or Health Scam?
Just because garlic has antiviral properties doesn’t mean it’s some super-powered preventive or magical cure for the cold or the flu, let alone COVID-19.oToday, garlic is still widely used as a...
Now more than ever, your health matters.
Welcome to VibrantDoc! Now more than ever, your health matters.Today, many of us are looking at our health with new perspective. We are largely shut off from the health resources and activities...
How to start listening to your body.
It’s a loud loud world, but somewhere inside you is a still small voice guiding you…or trying to. No, it’s not your conscience, or the angel on your shoulder. It’s your body, and it’s got plenty...
Winning with Vitamins: How to Incorporate Them Correctly
Immunity is a hot topic these days, but I’ve always believed it is what underpins health in any situation. Whether it’s cold season, a virus is going around, or you’re feeling just fine, your...
The Science Behind Quarantine Cravings
It’s becoming an all-too-familiar scenario: You’re worried, you’re bored, you’re uncertain about the future, and all you want to do is eat. Cravings are one of those things most of us battle once...
