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 »
Exercise may seem like a bad idea when you feel run down, in pain, or fatigued from an autoimmune disease. Autoimmunity, a disease in which the immune system attacks and destroys body tissue, can make exercise feel like an impossible feat when you’re not feeling good. However, studies show daily physical activity improves outcomes and
Exercise shown to improve autoimmunity outcomes Read More »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
Although autoimmune disease symptoms can vary depending on the tissue the immune system is attacking, most people with autoimmunity struggle with bouts of fatigue, energy “crashes,” brain fog, inflammation, and pain. These symptoms can throw a frustrating wrench in your exercise habit. Or if these reoccurring symptoms have prevented you from starting an exercise routine,
Exercise and autoimmune disease: A balancing act Read More »
If you feel like you have a harder time staying slim than your grandparents did at your age, you are right. We are about 10 percent heavier than people in the 80s, even when we eat the same foods and exercise just as much. This may be due to changes in lifestyle and environmental factors
Staying thin is harder for young people than in the past 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 »
When it comes to autoimmune Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism, dampening inflammation and immune attacks on the thyroid is the primary goal. One of the most powerful allies in this quest is to support your regulatory T cells (T reg cells). These are immune cells that do what their name implies — they help regulate the immune system.
Manage Hashimoto’s by supporting T reg cells Read More »
The notion that genes dictate our destiny has been solidly debunked in favor of epigenetics, the study of external or internal mechanisms that switch genes on and off. Exciting new research shows epigenetic memory can span multiple generations. Studies have linked epigenetics to cognitive dysfunction, autoimmunity, reproductive disorders, cardiovascular disease, and nearly all cancers. The
Effects of trauma and harm passed on for generations 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 »
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 »
Osteoarthritis, or degenerative joint disease, is the number one cause of disability in the US, afflicting 31 million people. Until now, treatment strategies have been aimed at pain relief but not the inflammatory factors driving it. However, new research shows that improving the gut microbiome — the community of bacteria that live in your gut
Target gut microbiome for osteoarthritis and joint pain Read More »
When done properly, exercise can help you go a long way, provided you’ll perform your routine correctly. Aside from giving you numerous physical benefits, did you know that it can also provide you with adequate emotional and psychological benefits that can help you in the long run? Read on to know more about this.
How can you make yourself like to exercise? Read More »
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is the heightened pressure of the blood that is pumped through the arteries. This condition usually has no warning symptoms or signs. People typically do not even notice that they already have the condition. Over the course of a prolonged period, the constant increased pressure can cause
Does Meditation help High Blood Pressure? Read More »
A weekly workout routine including high intensity intervals, spin classes, running, weight training and other sports offers us many health benefits. However, recent studiesshow that even if you get a solid hour or two of exercise daily, it may not be enough to counteract the effects of sitting for hours at a time. The good news is
24 things that can add up to increasing your exercise. 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 »
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 adrenal glands are two parts of your body that are located on top of the kidneys. They are mainly responsible for burning fats and proteins, controlling your blood sugar levels, regulating the blood pressure, and helping you effectively cope up with stress. On the other hand, the thyroid gland is the butterfly-shaped organ found
Is it your THYROID, ADRENALS, or BOTH? 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 »
If you want to get fit and lose weight, you should exercise as hard as you can, for as long as you can, every day, right? Wrong! Research shows extreme exercise can cause chronic health problems and make you feel worse. (What constitutes over exercise depends on the individual and their fitness level.) Recovery time is as
Extreme exercise is good for you, right? Not exactly Read More »
