If you’re like most people today, you spend hours a day in front of a screen. Americans now spend at least half their lives in front of a screen, five times as long compared to 50 years ago. This excessive screen time has been linked with neurodevelopmental issues in children and “digital dementia” in adults, […]
Regular crafting helps undo damage from screentime Read More »
A new study has shown what we have known for some time in functional medicine: Chronic inflammation causes brain fog and mental sluggishness — many people with chronic health conditions report these symptoms. In the study, 20 healthy young male volunteers received a salmonella typhoid vaccine, which temporarily spikes inflammation. On separate days they received
New study links inflammation with brain fog Read More »
The popular perception of autism is a very male version — girls and women with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) can have very different symptoms than males. This not only leads to many girls and women never being diagnosed, but it also creates a life filled with confusion, mystery, and frustration over an inability to function
Autism presents much differently in girls than boys Read More »
Have you been googling for ways to improve your hypothyroid or brain condition and come across suggestions to test MTHFR. What is MTHFR and what does it have to do with hypothyroidism or the brain? If you are one of the 60 percent of people with a genetic defect in the MTHFR gene, it could
Eating a vegetable-based diets has loads of proven health benefits, including enriching your gut bacteria diversity, loading you up with plant vitamins and minerals, and ensuring you get plenty of fiber. However, if your plant-based diet is strictly vegan or strict vegetarian you may be missing out on this essential dementia-fighting nutrient: Choline. Choline is
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 »
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 »
If you have a chronic health or autoimmune condition, chances are you also suffer from brain inflammation. Brain inflammation causes symptoms such as brain fog, fatigue, lack of motivation, and depression. We all have some degree of brain inflammation, but it can range from barely perceptible to debilitating depending on how advanced it is. What
What kind of brain inflammation do you have? Read More »
Chronic fatigue syndrome — more correctly called myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) — is one of the more frustrating chronic illnesses because most doctors don’t believe it exists or that it’s a psychiatric issue. Despite symptoms that completely debilitate its victims, ME/CFS is often the butt of jokes or medical ridicule because there is no
New lab test in the works for chronic fatigue syndrome Read More »
American children are busier than ever. Between tutoring, over-scheduled after-school activities, and the addictive lure of video games and smart phones, children spend half as much time playing outside than their parents did. Kids today play outside an average of a dismal 4 hours a week, compared to 8 hours when their parents were children.
Want healthier children? Send them outside to play 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 »
For many women, the onset of their hypothyroid symptoms began either during pregnancy or just after. Most of these women went on to be diagnosed with Hashimoto’s, an autoimmune disease that attacks and destroys the thyroid gland. Pregnancy often triggers Hashimoto’s due to normal shifts in immunity that cause an already beleaguered immune system to
Pregnancy or postpartum can trigger hypothyroidism Read More »
Many people take SSRI antidepressants for depression. However, it’s important to ask why you are feeling depression in the first place. Many important research strides have been made linking chronic inflammation, poor gut health, gut bacteria, and general brain health with depression. However, we still need healthy serotonin activity, the target of SSRIs, to feel
How to support your brain’s “happiness” chemical Read More »
In functional medicine we look at diet and lifestyle strategies to prevent or reverse disease, calm inflammation, and slow the aging process. However, other overlooked but extremely important aspects to your health are your general happiness, well-being, and attitude. Science shows happiness and positivity are correlated with better health. If you are not naturally happy,
Six lifelong habits found among the happiest people Read More »
Emerging research reveals that higher-altitude living contributes to a higher risk for depression and suicide. While studies continue to look into the mechanisms behind this trend, it’s clear a variety of factors come into play. From the unique effects that altitude has on the brain to social and psychological aspects of life in the high
Can living at high altitudes can increase your depression? 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 »
For years we’ve been warned the cholesterol in eggs raises the risk of cardiovascular disease, however new research shows that in people with pre-diabetes and Type 2 diabetes, eggs do not raise cardiovascular risk if they are part of a healthy diet. What’s more, they pose no additional challenges to weight loss. These findings, along
No more egg shaming; cardiovascular risks unfounded Read More »
Do you know those irritable people that always seem angry or depressed, sensitive to emotion, live in constant chaos, or seem perpetually stuck in unfavorable situations? Sometimes, this is just a byproduct of poor brain function. Of course, naturally optimistic people can suffer from poor brain function too—symptoms may consist of memory loss, brain
If your brain and digestive system don’t talk, you could be sick. 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 »
[flipbook pdf=”https://drcelaya.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/101715_Jan2018-Celaya.pdf”]
We’ve long been pitched canola’s health benefits. After all, Whole Foods uses it in all their prepared foods and many vegetarian and vegan products proudly promote it as a feature ingredient. But when scientists, who had shown the brain benefits of olive oil in mice, decided to run the same studies with canola oil,
Canola oil worsens memory, raises Alzheimer’s risk Read More »
[smps_sl_youtube data=”%7B%22url%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fyoutu.be%2FfXqF1o0eDE8%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” ] You may have a “gut feeling” about what I’m going to tell you, and it is likely you have used the expression “I have a gut feeling” or the saying “I feel butterflies in my stomach.” As it turns out, it is not a coincidence that these phrases involve the gut
Having digestive problems? It could be your BRAIN? Read More »
The 2017 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to researchers for their discoveries of molecular mechanisms that control circadian rhythm, our biological “clock.” This sleep-wake cycle helps us move between sleepiness and alertness at regular intervals, and regulates important functions such as: Behavior Sleep Mood Immunity Brain function Hormone levels Metabolism Although we’ve
Can’t sleep? What is my circadian rhythm? 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 »
The American Heart Association (AHA) recently announced coconut oil is bad for you. This is the same advisory organization that endorses breakfast cereals loaded with sugars and artificial additives. It’s important to look at this coconut oil advisory in context: Saturated fats have been proven repeatedly not to be bad for your health or raise the
Is coconut oil good for you? Read More »
