The Diabetes Gut Connection
The microbiome The microbiome has numerous functions including protecting against pathogens, shaping the immune system, regulating intestinal hormone secretion and GI nerve activity, nutrient absorption, and synthesizing certain vitamins1. In recent years, the gut microbiome, the term for the trillions of micro-organisms that inhabit the GI tract, has been shown to be involved in the […]
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The interesting field of nutrigenomics
What is it? Nutrigenomics, or nutritional genomics, is a new approach to healthcare that looks at how our diet, nutrients, and genes all contribute to overall health and well-being. This area has gained interest from many healthcare workers and researchers, as the field of personalized medicine continues to grow. Most people think of their genes […]
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Curious about your Gut Microbiome? There’s a Test for That!
What is Gut Microbiome Testing and Why is it Important? Gut microbiome testing is utilized by functional medicine clinicians to get a glimpse at what is going on in your gastrointestinal tract. This type of testing is essential because the health of the gut impacts virtually every other system in the body and has profound […]
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Mental health care using lifestyle modifications tools
The health of our brain is as important as the health of the rest of our body. Just as we go to the primary care physician for our yearly well check appointments, we should also periodically check in with our mental health. Unfortunately, this area of our health is often neglected even by the best […]
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Enhancing Reproductive Health with Functional Medicine
Infertility rates have increased substantially in the past few decades with 1 in 5 women of reproductive-age in the United States affected today. The term infertility is defined as the failure to achieve pregnancy after one year of unprotected sexual intercourse1. This is not just a woman’s issue; infertility can also be due to male […]
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Improving PCOS using Lifestyle Medicine
By looking at an individual’s root causes and using a whole-body, systems-based approach, it is possible to improve symptoms and restore health. In this blog post, we will discuss how to improve and possibly reverse PCOS symptoms by addressing the foundations of health. Diet Using food as medicine is paramount in the management of PCOS. […]
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PCOS: A Lifestyle Disorder
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a disorder that encompasses a variety of metabolic and hormone-related symptoms. It affects anywhere from 5-20% of reproductive-age women, depending on the source and diagnostic criteria being used, and is the most common cause of female infertility in the United States. PCOS is a syndrome meaning it consists of a […]
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A Functional Approach to Hashimoto’s
Functional medicine takes the whole person into account when treating disease, and the case of autoimmune disease is no different. Because of the complexities of autoimmune disease development, we must carefully and systematically address the different contributing factors, like peeling layers of an onion. This blog highlights the general framework we follow when taking a […]
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Underlying causes of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
It is estimated that 20 million Americans have some form of thyroid disease, and up to 60% of those individuals don’t even know they have it.1 Symptoms of thyroid disease are often non-specific and many providers don’t run the proper tests to make an accurate diagnosis. With lifestyle modifications and supplements, it’s possible to support […]
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Nutrient Depletion: A Far Too Common Problem
It can be estimated that nearly 90% of American adults have a nutrient deficiency¹. This seems like a staggering number and it is. There are many contributing factors to so many people having one or more deficiencies in vital nutrients. The most common cause is the lack of vitamins and minerals in our food today. […]
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10 Ways to Reduce Your Breast Cancer Risk With or Without a Family History
With October being Breast Cancer Awareness month, a lot of campaigns emphasize early detection. Early detection and awareness are fabulous! But what about prevention or reducing your risk? If you have a family history of breast cancer, know this… your genes ARE NOT your destiny. Think of this comparison: Your genes are like a loaded […]
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Follow Your Gut! Exploring the Gut-Brain Axis
You know the term “gut instinct,” but do you know why we get help making decisions from our gut? Our gut has been called our second brain. Our brain and spinal cord compose our central nervous system, and we have another nervous system in our gut, called the enteric nervous system. There are 100 million […]
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Flip the Switch on Stress: Simple Ways to Nurture your Body
Have you ever done something really stressful? Think about the first thing you did after that stressful event was over. You probably let out a big sigh of relief because your body instinctively knew that you needed to begin shifting out of fight or flight mode. That big sigh, or exhale, was activating your parasympathetic […]
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Acid Reflux: Too Much or Not Enough Stomach Acid?
Acid reflux occurs when the contents of the stomach come in contact with the esophagus causing a burning feeling in the chest and throat. Unlike the stomach, the esophagus does not have a layer to protect against acid. Chronic acid reflux is also called gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Often these terms are used interchangeably, however heartburn is […]
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Female Hormones in Mid-Life
Hormones are potent messengers within the body that allow for communication between the brain, glands, and tissues to help the body respond to and thrive in its environment. The human body has many different types of hormones that affect different tissues, but sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone), adrenal hormones, like cortisol, and thyroid hormones […]
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Female Hormones: Finding Balance
Modern living is responsible for many choices that contribute hormone imbalance at its root cause. Stress, toxins, and nutrient-poor food are often key drivers for imbalance in the body leading to downstream diseases. If you’re concerned with your hormone health, there are many important lifestyle choices that can make a major difference. Stress Make stress […]
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The Power of Sleep
Sleep is one of the most fundamental healthy lifestyle habits. It is also one of the most effective ways to improve energy and mental clarity. Until 130 years ago, the average night’s sleep in the United States was nine hours a night. Now, the average person gets a miniscule 6.75 hours of sleep a night […]
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Preventing & Reversing Insulin Resistance Using Functional Medicine
In contrast to conventional medicine, Functional Medicine emphasizes prevention and treatment through diet and lifestyle changes. In part 1 of this blog post, we discussed the pathophysiology of blood sugar imbalance and insulin resistance. In part 2, we will focus on small changes you can make to prevent or reverse insulin resistance. Healthy lifestyle habits […]
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Blood Sugar Regulation and Insulin Resistance
Normal Blood Sugar Response When we eat carbohydrates, they are broken down into glucose which gets absorbed into the bloodstream. This glucose then needs to be shuttled around the body to be used as energy in areas like the muscle (to move) and brain (to think). This glucose “shuttle” is called insulin. Insulin is not […]
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Spore-Based Probiotics
What Are They? Spore-based probiotics are soil-based microorganisms that form spores, typically found in dirt and vegetation.1 This encapsulation allows them to survive harsh conditions such as extreme temperatures, high pressure, radiation from the sun, and acidity.2,3 Advantages of spore-based probiotics, the most common being Bacillus species, include their ability to withstand stomach acid and tolerate bile salts, allowing […]
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Gluten-Free Sourdough Oat Waffles
Waffles might be my family’s love language. We make them most Saturday or Sunday mornings, and try to make a big batch so the kids have them for breakfast a few more days. This recipe is inspired by a passed down family recipe my mother-in-law has made forever. I first started soaking the oats overnight […]
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Detoxification: Part 2
In part 2 of our detox series, we will be shedding light on nutritional interventions to help support your body’s detoxification pathways as well as some lifestyle strategies to reduce your toxin burden. The liver is the main detoxification organ and is involved in the biotransformation and elimination of toxins from the body. It metabolizes […]
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Detoxification: Part 1
What is Detoxification? Detoxification is a crucial cellular function that, if lacking, can lead to premature reduction in quality of life and death. The process of detoxification requires adequate nutrients and antioxidants to effectively mobilize, biotransform, and eliminate toxicants from the body.1 Our organs of elimination, mainly the liver, kidneys and gastrointestinal tract, require a […]
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Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth: Part 2
In part one of our small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) blog post, we defined SIBO and discussed risk factors and diagnostic testing. This blog post will focus on treatment. The 5R framework, a comprehensive approach to gut-healing, is the protocol used by functional medicine practitioners to treat gut imbalance and dysfunction, including SIBO. The five […]
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Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth: Part 1
The connections between gut function, health, and disease are complex. When the normal function and health of a person’s GI tract are compromised, any organ system of the body can be adversely affected. In a healthy person, there is typically a normal amount and type of bacteria in the gut. Some of these bacteria reside in the […]
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Immune Support: Gut Health and Key Nutrients
Gut Health and the Immune System It has been said that immune health starts in the gut; what we eat affects the bacteria (or microbiome) of the digestive tract. A balanced microbiome benefits the immune system in the gut, aiding the intestinal walls (intestinal epithelium) in their job of protecting the body from pathogens.1 When […]
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Three Immune Boosting Habits to Practice for Overall Wellbeing
Immune system support is important now more than ever before. According to the CDC, an estimated 39-56 million people had the flu between October 2019 and April 2020.1 Supporting the immune system is especially important for people at high-risk for flu complications or those who are immunocompromised- pregnant women, adults over 65 years old, and those […]
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Which Type of Magnesium is Best?
My intern who is now Dr. Kristina Burban wrote our magnesium series last spring. Don’t miss part one of the series were she discussed the important role of magnesium in the human body, and evidence for its potential benefit in heart health, diabetes, metabolism, and mood. I spoke today at a pharmacist continuing education symposium […]
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Strawberry Green Tea Smoothie
I’m working through the first course of the Institute of Functional Medicine. Yesterday’s lecturer mentioned using green tea to blend her smoothies for help with reducing excess estrogen. So I thought why not try it! Many of you wanted the recipe so I typed it up for you. Note that smoothies are generally very forgiving […]
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Are you missing a key mineral in your diet?
I hope your summer is off to a great start. It’s definitely going to be a different kind of summer given the landscape of the pandemic. A good reason to make sure our bodies are fueled with proper nutritious foods and that we correct any nutrient depletions we may be experiencing. I get a lot […]
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