Have you ever wondered what it feels like to live life as your best self! We wanted to know, so we asked expert Dr. Lana Butner to share her techniques with us for living life as your best self. As a board-certified naturopathic doctor (ND) and licensed acupuncturist (LAc), Dr. Lana Butner shares her insights and expertise on how she lives each day, incorporating the same healthy lifestyle recommendations she suggests to her patients. Her goal is to help her clients be, “their best self,” feel great, look their best, enjoy abounding energy, and incorporate a positive mindset.
Thank you, Dr. Lana, for taking some time out of your busy schedule so share some of your nuggets with us. Let’s get started. What is your philosophy regarding “Your Best Self”?
I believe it starts with healthy nutrition and organic ingredients, along with exercise and quality supplementation. These are crucial to feeling optimal. Additionally, a healthy work-life balance, adequate “Me Time” and meaningful relationships with family and friends. These are all priorities that I also encourage my patients to incorporate into their daily routines. Working with you, as your partner in health, we will uncover the root causes of your current conditions or illnesses. Then, we work together to eliminate any obstacles that may hinder your journey towards being your best self.
Sounds like the simple things make all of the difference. Healthy food, exercise, and a healthy life-work balance is the key to living a successful healthy lifestyle, right? What makes your approach to finding the root causes of illness different from most other approaches?
My approach is different because I value the importance of listening to my patients! My initial consultations take around 90 minutes, where we dive into complete health histories and what makes you unique. You can ask all the questions you want, but if you don’t listen and pay attention to your body language or reactions, then you aren’t hearing the whole story.
Wow! 90 minutes! Today’s office visits are maybe 15 minutes if you are lucky enough to have a doctor sit down and listen. I can imagine that taking the time to hear the whole story makes a huge difference in getting results, because we are all so different and bring different health challenges to the table. As a busy doctor, what is your favorite thing to do every day for yourself?
So my favorite thing to do every day is to meditate and spend time writing in my gratitude journal before getting out of bed in the morning to start my day.
Awesome! Tell us what a healthy life-work balance looks like? What does it start with?
A healthy work-life balance starts with getting the right amount of sleep for your body and setting healthy boundaries with work and your personal life.
What about genetics? Research is starting to surface regarding genetics and how this could be a factor with certain health conditions. What do genes have to do with being healthy and do you recommend genetic testing as a guide to nutritional support?
Genetic testing can be useful, however, it’s not completely necessary. If you are getting adequate rest, sleep, eating a clean diet and doing everything in your power to lead a healthy life, it’s not something to be concerned over. In the case of a familial history of autoimmune disease, cancers, or other chronic conditions, by all means, go ahead and get genetic testing done for peace of mind. But again, it’s not entirely necessary.
Okay, so genetics is something to consider if you have a family history of certain diseases and you want to take a deeper look into this area. What about hydration? What is the best water source you recommend?
I would have to say FLOW Water. FLOW has more healthy minerals than most bottled waters and it’s naturally alkaline (pH of +/- 8.1). Their minerals come from the earth, not an artificial process. Flow’s naturally occurring magnesium, calcium, bicarbonate, and potassium provide amazing benefits for your health.
It sounds like a good way to get our minerals with every drink. Speaking of drinks, What is your favorite antioxidant drink?
My favorite antioxidant drink is green tea with lemon and frozen organic berries, such as blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries. It is so refreshing and satisfies the tastebuds.
The benefits of green tea are amazing! What are the three healthy tips you recommend for young women to follow before they start their cycle to experience fewer PMS symptoms?
First of all, I’d have to say STOP eating sugar in all forms the week before you start your cycle. Second, increase magnesium. As a matter of fact, double the normal dose. For example, if you take 1 tablespoon a day, make it 2 tablespoons a day. Third, Sweat! Get in the workout; the more you move your blood, lymph, and muscles, the less stagnant you’ll feel.
Sugar seems to be a huge factor with PMS symptoms, it’s in everything and quite addicting. When it comes to food, what is your favorite thing to eat?
My favorite thing to eat is avocado boats. Avocados are very nutritious and contain a wide variety of nutrients, including 20 different vitamins and minerals. Such a healthy nutritious option.