If you have been researching how to improve your health, you may have heard of leaky gut, also known as intestinal permeability. If that conjures an unpleasant image of your gut contents leaking into the rest of your body — that’s not too far off the mark. Leaky gut happens when contents from the small […]
What leaky gut is and why you should care Read More »
Although they are more than a couple of decades behind functional medicine, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) is finally recommending lower carbohydrate diets for people with diabetes. In functional medicine, we have long seen the deleterious effects of carbohydrate-laden diets on not only blood sugar, but also on chronic inflammatory disorders, weight, hormonal balance, and
You may be familiar with common stroke-prevention strategies: Exercise regularly, eat plenty of vegetables, minimize stress, and keep inflammation at bay. But did you know taking good care of your teeth and gums is a major way to lower stroke risk? A new study has found a significant link between stroke and oral bacteria. An
Floss your teeth daily to reduce your risk of stroke Read More »
We live in a sea of toxins and we all carry significant amounts of heavy metals and environmental toxins in our bodies. Even if you eat all organic foods, drink filtered water, and use non-toxic home and body products, you will still come in contact with numerous toxins as a part of daily modern life.
How to reduce your toxic burden and protect immunity Read More »
Depression and anxiety are hitting all-time highs these days, sending millions of Americans in search of relief. While many avenues reduce or eliminate symptoms, particularly functional medicine protocols that reduce chronic inflammation, one must still tend to the health of the psyche. One powerful but overlooked relief from depression and anxiety is to spend time
Depressed & anxious? Volunteering reduces symptoms Read More »
A controversial new study found that high cholesterol does not shorten life span and that statins are essentially a “waste of time,” according to one of the researchers. Previous studies have linked statins with an increased risk of diabetes. The study reviewed research of almost 70,000 people and found that elevated levels of “bad cholesterol”
Controversial new study reports statins useless Read More »
Depression is one of the most common mental disorders in the United States, affecting more than 16 million people. As such, antidepressant use has jumped by 65 percent in the last 15 years, with one in eight Americans over the age of 12 taking antidepressants. These statistics are alarming considering the root causes of depression
Depression is a disorder of inflammation in many cases Read More »
One of the hardest things about dealing with a chronic health or autoimmune disorder is how isolating it can be. Because it’s an “invisible” illness, you look healthy and normal to people when, in fact, you may have periods where you suffer profoundly from the symptoms of your illness along with fatigue, brain fog, and
Streaming documentaries about chronic illness Read More »
Although few doctors know how to successfully manage autoimmune disease — a condition in which the immune system attacks the body — researchers say it has become a modern epidemic, affecting more people than heart disease and cancer combined. Conventional medicine also argues autoimmune disease has mysterious origins and is primarily genetic, but again research
Autoimmune diseases considered epidemic today Read More »
Chemicals to straighten and relax hair are a part of life for many black women, for reasons that range from societal expectations to ease of care. But our society’s discomfort with black women’s natural hair comes with a cost — these products contain chemicals associated with early puberty, obesity, asthma, and increased cancer risk. True,
Black women harmed by toxins in hair relaxants Read More »
Infertility has been a growing problem over the last three decades, with most of the attention focused on women’s reproduction. However, 40 to 50 percent of cases of infertility are caused by male infertility. Research shows sperm quality has dropped by 50 percent in the last 80 years. Sperm quality of dogs has also declined sharply over recent years.
Pollutants lower sperm counts in dogs and humans Read More »
In functional medicine one of the most common causes we see for many health disorders is imbalanced blood sugar. The good news is it is also one of the easiest things to remedy. A powerful tool in this process is a botanical compound called berberine. An epidemic of blood sugar imbalances According to the CDC,
Berberine rivals metformin for high blood sugar Read More »
Weight training is not the first exercise choice that comes to mind for seniors. Instead we think of chair yoga, walking, dancing, or aqua aerobics. However, science shows weight training is one of the best types of exercise for aging whether you’ve been doing it your whole life or have never touched a barbell in
Weight training offers the most benefits for seniors Read More »
Most of us have taken antibiotics to treat infections, whether for a nasty bug, a bad scrape, or after surgery. We tend to trust doctors’ recommendation, however, new data about the alarming side effects of a class of antibiotics called fluoroquinolones makes it clear they should only be used as a last resort. Fluoroquinolones are
This antibiotic is rupturing people’s tendons Read More »
Fats are a hot topic of debate in the health-conscious community, and recent reports have made it hard to separate facts from fear-mongering. Canola and coconut oils are two popular fats that have received a lot of attention over the years, and thankfully recent studies are showing us more clearly which fats to embrace, and
Coconut oil is bad? Knowing good fats from bad fats Read More »
If you struggle with chronic exhaustion, insomnia, poor immunity, and persistent low blood sugar symptoms, you likely have poor function of the adrenal glands, which sit atop the kidneys and secrete stress hormones. However, your conventional doctor may have told you there is no such thing as adrenal fatigue based on guidance from The Hormone
Why your doctor doesn’t understand adrenal fatigue. Read More »
Many of us start the day with a small breakfast as we run out the door, followed by a medium sized lunch and a large dinner. We also tend to snack throughout the day and even grab a bite before bed. However, while what we eat is important, a growing body of research suggests
Balancing your blood sugar can improve your energy and mood. Read More »
Most everyone has heard of SAD, or Seasonal Affective Disorder, when winter brings on chronic blues. But if you feel better in winter than summer, you may have summer SAD, also called reverse SAD. While the jury is still out on the causes of summer SAD, there are ways to get through the season with
Do you feel more depressed? Functional Medicine solutions. Read More »
You’re supposed to ditch regular soda for diet soda because it’s better for you, right? Wrong — research shows people who drink diet soda daily are three times more likely to develop dementia or have a stroke compared to those who drink it less frequently. A 2017 study that tracked almost 3,000 people ages
Diet soda raises risk of dementia and stroke Read More »
Green tea – miracle or myth? As more and more people are opting for a healthier lifestyle today, beverages like protein shakes and detox drinks are gaining popularity. One of such considered to-be-healthy drinks is green tea. However, rather than being a new scientific discovery, green tea has been in use since the ancient
Green Tea – Miracle or Myth? Read More »
One fizzy drink may immediately increase your chances of having Leukemia. This is applicable to both men and women. Aside from that, aspartame in consumables like a fizzy drink can trigger non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and Multiple Myeloma in men. Read on to know more how foods and drinks are linked to Leukemia. The circulatory system
Diet soda and Leukemia? Read More »
Nearly one-fourth of the drugs prescribed all over the world are originated from plants! Of the 252 drugs considered as basic and essential by the World Health Organization (WHO), 11% are exclusively of plant origin and a significant number are synthetic drugs obtained from natural precursors. Examples of important drugs obtained from plants are
Are HERBS an effective way to support your immune system and inflammation? Read More »
If you are counting carbs to stabilize your blood sugar, lower inflammation, balance hormones, or lose weight, experts say looking at carbohydrate density is a more important strategy. Carbohydrate density measures how many carbohydrates are present per 100 grams of food. Low carb density foods don’t raise your risk of chronic disease. Research shows
Carbohydrates are not just about weight loss. Read More »
“To Diet or Not to Diet” has become the present-age dilemma. To be fair, it is more about being health-conscious than body image-conscious for the millennials of today. It is no surprise then that the ketogenic diet, or the ‘keto diet’ as it is popularly known, was one of the most searched terms on
The Ketogenic Diet and blood sugar, inflammation, blood pressure, and memory? Read More »
[smps_sl_youtube data=”%7B%22url%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fyoutu.be%2FwX7OgH121zA%22%2C%22width%22%3A%22800%22%2C%22height%22%3A%22450%22%2C%22responsive%22%3A%22yes%22%2C%22controls%22%3A0%2C%22autohide%22%3A2%2C%22show_title_bar%22%3A%22yes%22%2C%22autoplay%22%3A%22no%22%2C%22loop%22%3A%22no%22%2C%22related_videos%22%3A%22no%22%2C%22full_screen_button%22%3A%22yes%22%2C%22modestbranding%22%3A%22no%22%2C%22class%22%3A%22%22%7D” ] Diabetes may be considered as one of the most notorious chronic problem that one can have. Having this condition comes with a lot of problems that will involve issues with wound healing, nerve functions, physical endurance, and organ efficiency (particularly the pancreas). Read on and I’ll show you the wonders of
Can Probiotics help Blood Sugar issues and Diabetes? Read More »
It’s now common knowledge that nighttime exposure to computer, tablet, and TV screens sabotages sleep —the light they emit simulates sunlight, thus suppressing sleep hormones. However, plenty of daytime sunlight is vital for good sleep. Most of us don’t get near enough. Research shows the average person spends less than an hour a day outside.
Plenty of sunlight needed for a good night’s sleep Read More »
The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland that can surprisingly turn your life around for better or worse, depending on its current condition. To help it veer towards the benefit-laden side, lifestyle change is one of the approaches, especially in patients with hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. In this article, we’re going to talk about how your lifestyle
Does your Lifestyle cause Thyroid dysfunction? Read More »
Let’s review some thyroid physiology before we get into nutrition. Learning how the thyroid works will help you understand how to take care of it. The hypothalamus is a portion of your brain that has sensors that can detect what is happening in the blood. The endocrine system is a group of organs that release
Do you have to be concerned with thyroid nutrition? Read More »
Before we start understanding conversion, let’s take a look at the physiology of how the thyroid gland works. When your body senses that your thyroid hormone level is low, the hypothalamus tells the pituitary gland in the brain to produce TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone). TSH tells the thyroid gland to start producing more thyroid hormones.
Is your Thyroid Hormone being Converted to the active form? Read More »
The road to chronic disease — from arthritis to heart disease — is paved with sugar and refined carbohydrates. It’s a freeway that leads straight to insulin resistance syndrome, given the right conditions, most notably being overweight and inactive. The devastating chain of events that leads to chronic disease goes like this: Carbs and sugar
Eating yourself sick: Insulin resistance and disease Read More »
You could be developing an autoimmune disease, one of the most common diseases today, and are not aware of it. This is because autoimmune diseases sometimes start off as “silent” autoimmunity. This means your immune system is attacking tissue in your body but the damage isn’t bad enough to cause symptoms yet. Autoimmune disease is
Could you be developing an autoimmune disease? Read More »
Although the autoimmune paleo (AIP) diet is a well-known foundation for managing chronic health issues, some people are dismayed to find embarking on it makes them feel worse. What gives? The sudden change in diet can temporarily upset your chemistry and reveal hidden health problems. If you have been accustomed to eating gluten, dairy, grains, sugars,
Autoimmune paleo diets make you worse? Read More »
