Wellness Mama®
Simple Answers for Healthier Families
Dr. Lauren Jefferis, MD is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics and has been practicing for almost 20 years. She graduated from MCP/Hahnemann School Of Medicine, Allegheny University Of Health Sciences in 2001 and specializes in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics.
After successfully reversing her own autoimmune disease through dietary changes (including Whole30), she was inspired to pursue a career in functional medicine. She completed her training at the Chris Kresser Institute for Functional Medicine in 2017 and is uniquely positioned to combine her traditional and functional clinical experience to help prevent or reverse chronic disease by focusing on lifestyle choices.
Dr. Jefferis has combined her medical skills, love of travel, and passion for helping people in the form of medical volunteering all over the globe. She has been to over 70 countries and has done medical and surgical missions in 19 third world countries. As a Pediatrician, she is especially passionate about children and has volunteered extensively doing pre-op screenings and post-op care for children with cleft lips and palates, through Operation Smile.
In her free time she loves to travel, hike, ski, and do pretty much anything outdoors.
If you’ve ever had food poisoning, you know how miserable it is. I always keep natural remedies for food poisoning in my natural medicine cabinet ever since I experienced food poisoning myself (many of these remedies I already had for other uses!). After a lovely date with my husband on a Wednesday night, I started …
Green tea wasn’t always my first choice when it came to tea, but now that I know more about the amazing health benefits of green tea it is one of my favorite coffee alternatives. This health-promoting herbal tea has been used by various cultures around the world for thousands of years, and now research confirms that …
If you’re like me, nutrition has become a big part of your life. It literally changed my health! Becoming so passionate about something can easily make you think of doing more with your interest. Have you wondered about doing a nutrition program or getting nutrition education so that you can start a career in wellness? …
Weird fact about me: I can’t stand bananas. That said, they still have their uses, like banana bread, as a sleep aid, and to ward off aphids from roses. Wait… what?? Seriously, banana peels have a few surprises up their sleeves. What’s in a Banana Peel? Banana fruit is high in carbs, potassium, and vitamins …
I’ve learned over and over that health and wellness is increasingly personalized! I largely credit my transformation to addressing trauma… and figuring out the personalized diet/lifestyle approach that worked for me after years of experimenting. The latest in my quest for personalized health is wearing a continuous glucose monitor. As a population, we consume over …
Not long ago one of our kids broke her leg while playing outside. Luckily, she recovered quickly and was back on her feet in just four weeks. I believe that the natural broken bone remedies that we used helped her leg get better as quickly as possible. How Do Fractures Happen? Bone breaks or fractures …
Those scabby, throbbing scabs on the mouth are annoying and painful, not to mention unsightly. Conventional treatments work to suppress the virus, but those drugs come with side effects that may include headache, hives, rash, swelling of the lips, and allergic reaction among other things. Research demonstrates natural cold sore remedies are as effective as …
Just as I prefer to use non-toxic kitchen equipment, I also try to stick with organic foods when possible. But many people wonder if organic food is really worth the extra cost. Here’s what I found about when it is (and when it isn’t) worth it. What Is Organic Food? We’ve all been to a …
As moms, procrastination is all too familiar to most of us. This is because we often have a list of things we’d rather not do! Piles of laundry or dishes, homework assignments, exercise, and handling finances are common tasks that we procrastinate. Add the allure of a smartphone and it’s easy to suddenly find yourself …
Vitamin D is being discussed more and more in the health community for its importance to the human body. But today I want to talk about another nutrient that is often forgotten — selenium. Selenium is a critical nutrient for metabolism and overall health, but many people don’t know much about it (or why it’s …
You probably add herbs and spices to your recipes without even thinking about it! While they can usually make or break your culinary creations, there’s so much more to the humble herb or spice than taste. I try to include a regular variety in our family’s diet since they have incredible health benefits that are …
Craving ice cream or searching the pantry for a sweet treat every night after dinner? You’re not alone. The truth is sugar is incredibly addictive, and in today’s world it’s easily available in many attractive forms! Whether it’s a quick stop at a drive-thru or raiding the pantry for a handful of chocolate chips, we …
It’s troubling to read that 1 in 8 women in the U.S. will face an invasive breast cancer diagnosis in their lifetime. Thankfully with better research and screening, survival rates have improved over the last decade at least in women over 50 (according to BreastCancer.org). Still, there is much more work ahead to improve the odds. …
“Beans, beans, good for your heart…” You probably remember that little chant that was popular among second graders, at least at my elementary school. It lightheartedly reminds us of the cardiovascular benefits of eating legumes… among other things! Turns out that there may be some truth in the old nursery rhyme. While it’s true that …
When our third child started to eat solid foods, we found out that he had a pretty severe dairy allergy. It started with bad gas and mucousy stools, then progressed to skin reactions and even worse digestive problems. Food allergies are common in babies born early, and my son was five weeks premature (that whole story …
How well would you rate your overall health — and how confident do you feel about your answer? Keeping a health diary might help give you a clearer view of how your lifestyle choices affect how you feel, and give your overall well-being a needed boost. I firmly believe that things like eating lots of …
I mentioned the Vinegar of the Four Thieves when talking about natural bug spray alternatives, but this health tonic is so much more! This herbal tincture is easy to make and works for so many purposes (more on that below). We use it both internally for illness and externally for a natural insect repellant. The …
Olive oil is well-known for its many benefits, but another oil is gaining popularity for its versatility and health benefits: avocado oil. Avocado oil is popping up as an ingredient in many healthy foods. People love it for its mild flavor in cooking and lack of scent in beauty recipes. It is the main ingredient in brands …
If you are like me, you grew up with the idea that sugar and bad genes cause tooth decay. Cavities and tooth decay meant a person needed to brush better and eat less sugar. And it certainly wasn’t possible to remineralize teeth. I believed all that stuff too… but as it turns out, there is …
Oh cookware… it is something most of us use daily but one of the toughest categories to determine safety. And the safest brands have their fair share of convenience problems. In this in-depth post, our team evaluated the top types and brands of cookware and ranked them based on safety and convenience. The bad news… …
I’ve been using herbs and herbal preparations for years now to treat mild issues at home. Horsetail (also called shavegrass) is an herb that I always keep in the herb cabinet (which is what I have instead of a medicine cabinet!). It has been my go-to for hair, skin, and nail health but I am still …
Shilajit is a rock exudate, meaning a tar-like substance resulting from the breakdown of minerals and plant matter over a long period of time. Although it sounds rather bizarre, studies are finding that shilajit is an incredible source of healthful fulvic and humic acids, among other benefits. For thousands of years, shilajit has been a …
As we age, we can look back on how we’ve navigated love, career, and family and feel pretty accomplished… as we should! Yet as we get into our fifth decade (or sometimes earlier), another challenge awaits. Menopause. And all that comes with it! I’m always looking for ways to prepare for that stage of life when …
I typically rely on allergy relief remedies when seasonal allergies creep up, but some of the things that can trigger allergies can also trigger asthma. If you or your child suffer from asthma (which is a growing problem!), you’ll be happy to know that there are lots of natural asthma remedies that are surprisingly easy …
