Lakeside Natural Medicine

Lakeside Natural Medicine Lakeside Natural Medicine is a naturopathic health and wellness practice in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Naturopathic Doctors Joanne Aponte, ND; Katarina Meister, ND & Sarah Axtell, ND Lakeside Natural Medicine combines the wisdom of nature with the rigors of science to address the root cause of health issues. Special focus on autoimmune diseases, gastrointestinal diseases, weight loss, hormone balancing, and detoxification. Lakeside Natural Medicine is located in the same building as Sherwin William

s and the Chiropractic Company on the corner of Oakland and Edgewood Avenues. Naturopathic Doctors (ND): Dr. Sarah Axtell, ND and Dr. Joanne Aponte, ND are now available for in office or virtual
visits to address your health & wellness needs.

08/01/2026

Low ferritin is not just a number on a lab test. It’s a signal.

If your ferritin is low, the question isn’t just “how do I get more iron in?”
It’s “WHY are my stores low in the first place?”

Here are 3 common reasons I see:
1. Poor Iron Absorption 💩 
You can be eating enough iron, but not absorbing it. This is often a gut story - low stomach acid, low digestive enzymes, celiac, Inflammatory bowel disease, gut microbiome imbalance, or chronic infection.

2. Blood Loss 🩸 
One of the most common reasons, especially for women. Think heavy periods, postpartum blood loss, or even small, consistent losses from the GI tract like ulcers or polyps that add up over time.

3. Inadequate Intake 🥬 
Not enough iron-rich foods coming in. This can happen with plant-predominant diets or chronic low-calorie intake. Plant-based iron is harder to absorb than heme iron from meat.

Ferritin has to be looked at in the context of the whole body - intake, absorption, loss, gut health, and hormones.

Low ferritin might be one of the most overlooked reasons for why people feel like 💩When my labs came back with low ferri...
07/29/2026

Low ferritin might be one of the most overlooked reasons for why people feel like 💩

When my labs came back with low ferritin, I did what I tell my patients to do: I built my meals around bioavailable iron and took a quality iron supplement.

I LOVE plants and eat a plant-predominant diet — lots of veggies, berries, whole grains, legumes and fish & poultry. I’ve never been too keen on red meat, but my body was crying out for some heme iron (found in animal protein).

Plants have iron and you better believe I will continue to eat lots of them... but I’m now focused on optimal food pairings and a bit more red meat.

➡️ Comment IRON and I’ll send you my favorite tips, tricks & goodies for boosting ferritin.

✨ Meet Dr. Elyse Carrera✨If you’ve been feeling like your body has changed, but you’re not sure where to start, you don’...
07/27/2026

✨ Meet Dr. Elyse Carrera✨

If you’ve been feeling like your body has changed, but you’re not sure where to start, you don’t have to figure it out alone.

Whether you’re navigating perimenopause or menopause, struggling with stubborn weight, curious about GLP-1 therapy, trying to optimize your hormones or thyroid, or simply looking for a provider who takes the time to truly listen, Elyse is here to help.

Her approach combines evidence-based medicine with lifestyle-focused care to create a personalized plan that supports your long-term health, not just quick fixes. 🙌

From comprehensive lab analysis and metabolic health to preventive care and hormone optimization, she partners with patients to help them feel them feel heard, understood, and empowered throughout their health journey.

💚 If you’re ready for a practitioner who sees the whole picture, we’d love to introduce you to Dr. Carrera.

👉 Click the link in our bio to learn more and schedule your appointment today.

I was vegetarian for years but started eating poultry and fish when I got pregnant 18 years ago. I didn’t venture into r...
07/11/2026

I was vegetarian for years but started eating poultry and fish when I got pregnant 18 years ago. I didn’t venture into red meat until now, when my body was asking for it — with low ferritin showing up as headaches, fatigue, and brain fog. A reminder that nourishment can look different in different seasons of life. A lesson in flexibility and listening to your body.

These stuffed cabbage rolls are SO good. Whether or not you have low iron, you’re going to love them! If you’re watching your cholesterol, just swap in ground turkey (lower in saturated fat) instead of ground beef.

🌿 Stuffed Cabbage Rolls 🌿

Ingredients
1 head Savoy cabbage, about 12 leaves
1 jar marinara sauce

Filling:
1/2 cup dry lentils
1/2 cup brown rice
1 lb lean ground beef (or ground turkey)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup chopped parsley
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp sumac
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 F.

2. Prep the lentils: Soak 1/2 cup lentils in water with 1 Tbsp ACV for 4+ hours. Drain, then simmer in 1 cup water for 15–18 minutes until just tender.

3. Prep the cabbage: Gently remove the leaves. Boil in salted water for 2–3 minutes in batches, then drain on a towel.

4. Cook the rice: Simmer 1/2 cup rice with 1 cup water, covered, for 25–30 minutes. Let cool.

5. Make the filling: In a bowl, combine beef, rice, lentils, garlic, parsley, cumin, coriander, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, sumac, pine nuts, and apricots. Mix well.

6. Roll: Cut out the thick rib in a V-shape. Add filling to each leaf, fold in the sides, and roll tightly.

7. Spread 1/3 cup marinara in the bottom of a greased 9x13-inch pan or cast iron skillet. Place rolls seam-side down, top with marinara, cover with foil, and bake at 375°F for 50 minutes.

8. Top with parsley and pine nuts before serving.

07/08/2026

Exhausted all the time. Hair falling out. Brain fog. Shortness of breath. Headaches.

Blood tests come back “normal”... but something still feels off?

Low ferritin might be the issue. For me, it was brain fog, fatigue, and headaches.

I recently got labs back showing low ferritin, so I’m on a mission to boost my levels using food as medicine.

Follow along as I share what I’m eating, what I’m learning, and the recipes I’m making.

Click here for or my favorite absorption tips, high-iron foods, and recipes: https://lakesidenaturalmedicine.com/blog/top-iron-rich-foods-recipes/

All of these items are likely available at your local health food store. Shop local Outpost Coop Grocery Store

06/28/2026

True story: this is how I got Chris hooked on sardines 🪝 🐟

We’ve been making this pizza on repeat for Friday pizza night. This is a big win: we’re eating sardines at least once a week AND enjoying them 🙌

Live longer, eat pizza…and sardines!! Your brain, skin, bones, and heart will thank you.

Ingredients:

• 1 prepared pizza crust (I use Cappello’s )

• 2–3 tbsp pesto

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs (parsley, basil)

• 1 cup mix of shredded mozzarella and parmesan

• 1 can sardines in olive oil, drained well and mashed with a fork

• 1/2 cup marinated artichoke hearts, drained and halved

• 2-3 TBSP sun-dried tomatoes

• 3 cups arugula

• 1 lemon, for zest and a squeeze of juice

• 1 TBSP olive oil

• 1–2 tbsp capers, optional

• Crushed red pepper, optional

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 475 F.

2. Spread pesto over the pizza crust. Sprinkle with fresh herbs.

3. Add artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, and mashed sardines. Top with cheese.

4. Bake about 10–12 minutes.

5. In a separate bowl, drizzle olive oil, salt and lemon juice over fresh arugula and mix well.

6. Top pizza with capers, lemon zest, a squeeze of lemon juice, and arugula. Season with crushed red pepper.

06/20/2026

🚩Calling out what’s “bad” about foods seems to build credibility faster in this space than celebrating what’s good about it. Fear gets clicks. But it’s often not backed by science, and it’s doing harm.

I’m seeing more patients come in afraid of oats because of carbs or glyphosate, peanuts because of mold, fish because of parasites, vegetables because of oxalates or pesticides, beans because of lectins, or scared to go out to eat because of seed oils. And most recently a patient asked me about eggs feeding viruses!? 🤯 There is so much fear mongering in this space and it needs to stop.

Listen, I get it. I used to do this too — I hyperfocused on all the foods and “toxins” to avoid — all the “inflammatory” foods: gluten, dairy, seed oils, corn, sugar. But what I’ve found is this scarcity mentality does far more harm than good.

So I’ve adopted an abundance mentality when it comes to food — placing more emphasis on what to INCLUDE (colorful plants 🌱, omega-rich 🐟 , fiber-rich whole grains and legumes, olive oil), not what to avoid.

It’s about the big picture — your eating patterns over weeks, months, years, not one ingredient pulled out of context.

Of course there’s a place for avoiding your food sensitivities — foods that actually make you feel sick. But don’t cut foods because a loud influencer told you to.

Overthinking. Fear. Perfectionism. Those are the real toxins.

You can care about wellness without living in fear. You can be mindful without being obsessive. You can be healthy and still fully live your life.

06/17/2026

$54 Aldi haul! Did I miss any of your favorites?

Address

3510 N Oakland Avenue #203
Shorewood, WI
53211

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 11am - 6pm
Thursday 11am - 6pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+14149398748

Website

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