You hear about inflammation all time now.  Inflammation is the root cause of many health problems. At the core of systemic inflammation for many people is blood sugar imbalance. Even and steady blood sugar levels are very important to keep the body healthy.

When we eat too many sugars or carbs, the body over-produces insulin, a hormone that helps escort glucose (sugar) into cells for energy.  Every cell in your body has an insulin receptor.  This receptor is kind of like a lock to the door that allows insulin into your cells. Insulin is like a the key that opens that door. Too much insulin and the lock that opens the door stops working..  This causes insulin resistance.  . This leads to excess glucose in the bloodstream, which is severely damaging to tissues in the blood vessels and brain. Eventually this can lead to type II diabetes.  Most importantly is that this all leads to inflammation.

Inflammation  leads to pain (obviously), arthritis, hormone imbalances, digestive problems, brain fog and mood disorders such as anxiety and depression.

                                              Seven Consequences of Chronic Inflammation

By keeping blood sugar balanced, we […]

Many people get an annual blood test from a general practitioner.  The doctor says everything looks fine and that’s it.  And many of these people still have symptoms.  Well, there is a lot more you can get from Blood chemistry analysis than just screening for serious diseases.  It can tell a lot about how your body is working/functioning.  And often when people think of functional medicine testing, they think about more specialized tests like hormone tests, saliva tests, stool test and allergy tests.  But in reality, the functional chemistry and urine analysis is the core in understanding how the body is actually doing.  Combined with a thorough history and exam, we get a picture of 80 percent of the body’s function.  For starters the typical annual test is a screening and only includes some of the available blood tests and only looks for diseases.  The function Chemistry analysis uses 2-3 times as many tests.  This way we can get a much clearer idea of how the body is functioning and not just if you are suffering from some sort of disease process.

With functional Blood Chemistry Analysis we can look at: Blood sugar insulin resistance, hypoglycemia and diabetes, acidity,   kidney function, […]

I get this question all the time. “Should I use ice or heat for my injury?”  It is almost instinctual to reach for heat, when you are in pain. Because it feels so good.  But is that right thing to do?  In most cases I would say NO.  Both ice and heat will temporarily block the pain.  But other than pain relief, they have opposite effects.  Heat tends to increase blood flow and swelling and increase metabolic activity. While ice slows blood flow and swelling and slows metabolic activity.  When you have an injury or sudden new pain, the body rushes in and tries to save the day by causing swelling and stimulating repair.  This is good, but the body usually get a little over enthusiastic and does too much.  One of the things it does is it stimulates the production of fibrin to repair the injury, but if you get too much fibrin you get too much scar tissue.  Also, if the swelling is allowed to progress, it will amplify all the chemical messengers that cause inflammation and swelling and it will become a repetitive cycle that is hard to slow down.  Heat exaggerates this cycle, whereas cold or […]

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, not to mention depression, isolation, sleep disorders, and anxiety.

While the answer is to spend less time using screens, the problem is screen time also appears to be uniquely addictive for us all.

Is there an antidote? Studies show spending time working with your hands crafting, building, gardening, etc. can provide unique qualities that boost your physical and neurological health. If you’re working to manage a chronic condition such as autoimmune disease of gastrointestinal disease, regular craft time can be a fun and beneficial tool in your health toolbox.

For instance, knitting, crocheting, sewing, and other textile crafts have been shown to have the same neurological benefits as meditation and mindfulness.

Regular knitters have reported knitting makes them feel happy and they are drawn to the […]

It is hard being a woman in a society that disapproves of aging women and favors straight hair. In fact, coloring and straightening hair is regarded as “professional,” “good grooming,” or “taking care of yourself.” But at what a cost — a new study shows hair dyes and relaxers are significantly associated with breast cancer…especially for black women.

The Journal of Cancer article showed the results of a study that tracked more than 45,000 women over eight years. Black women who regularly used permanent hair dyes had a 60 percent higher chance of developing breast cancer than black women who did not. White women had an 8 percent higher chance.

Women who used chemical hair straighteners were 30 percent more likely to develop breast cancer. While some white women straighten their hair, in the study three quarters of the black women straightened their hair.

Why the cancer link? The researchers pointed to toxic compounds in hair dyes known as “endocrine disrupters.” This means these compounds mimic hormones and interfere with normal hormone function, thus causing imbalances and an increased risk of cancer.

The chemicals […]

Landlords dismiss it, friends and family think you’re making it up, and doctors have no idea what you’re talking about — but mold illness is often an unsuspected trigger of chronic health problems. The recent revelation of a string pediatric deaths at a Seattle hospital due to mold in the air system brought national attention to the gravity of mold illness.

Newer construction methods and materials, water damage that was not properly addressed, high indoor humidity levels, and genetic susceptibility are all factors that play a role in whether a person becomes sick from mold. Estimates vary, but some research shows up to 85 percent of building inspected had past water damage.

A new study found that people affected by mold illness experienced:

• Brain inflammation in the hippocampus, the area of the brain that governs memory, learning, and the sleep-wake cycle.
• Decreased neurogenesis, or the formation of new brain cells.
• Impaired memory.
• Increased sensitivity to pain.
• Increased anxiety.

The study also noted that the mold spore alone is not necessary to trigger mold reactions and mold illness. We’ve long known that mycotoxins, toxic compounds […]

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 a placebo shot of saline and did not know on which day they received the vaccine.

They were then given cognitive testing in areas challenging alertness, prioritizing sensory information, and the ability to make executive decisions when presented with conflicting information.

The results showed that the area affected by the inflammation from the vaccine was alertness. The other two areas did not change.

The researchers suggested that inflammation impacts brain networks involved in mental alertness and that anti-inflammatory drugs may be warranted.

Functional medicine approaches to brain inflammation and brain fog

Fortunately, functional medicine offers solutions for brain fog and mental sluggishness. The key is to find and address the source of chronic inflammation.

But first, do you suffer from these symptoms associated with brain inflammation?

• Brain fog
• Unclear thoughts
• Low brain […]

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 helps manage symptoms compared to not exercising at all. This even extends to patients who may stop exercising due to pain, such as in the case of rheumatoid arthritis. No matter how small the effort, something is better than nothing when it comes to regular physical activity and autoimmunity.

Exercise guidelines for autoimmunity

Exercise has many general benefits, the best perhaps being that it simply makes you feel better. People who engage in regular physical activity report less depression and better self-esteem, and are happier. These benefits alone support autoimmune management as a positive mindset is more anti-inflammatory compared to a negative one.

However, when it comes to autoimmunity, exercise delivers specific immune benefits. In fact, you’ll never reach your full potential at managing an autoimmune condition unless regular physical […]

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 like most people. In fact, a recent study showed that people who were diagnosed with autism in their 50s spent their lives thinking they were bad people because of how their brains worked.

ASD appears to affect primarily males, however, many girls are not receiving diagnoses because their symptoms have not been studied to the same degree. As it turns out, girls have very different than boys. In fact, girls with autism often behave more like neurotypical boys than boys with autism.

Girls and women with ASD are frequently diagnosed with depression, anxiety, borderline personality disorder, bipolar disorder, or ADHD. Female ASD also more easily lends itself to eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

The intense focus associated with autism is believed to be […]