weight gain

Short-Chain Fatty Acids: A New Tool for Systemic Inflammation

Short-Chain Fatty Acids:  A New Tool for Systemic Inflammation

To continue the conversation about probiotics and gut health, I dive deeper to explain what short chain fatty acids do and how they impact our overall health.

Autoimmunity: Early Detection Can Change Your Future

Autoimmunity: Early Detection Can Change Your Future

There is a good chance you will find some degree of autoimmunity in any random person off the street - one out of five Americans currently suffer from autoimmune disease.  Their immune system loses the ability to determine self tissues from non-self tissues and launch deliberate attacks against them.  This can come in many forms such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis, or rheumatoid arthritis, to name a few. Some simple tests can help you stop or slow the progression.  If you have concerns about your status or have a family history of autoimmune disease, this article is for you!

The Domino Effect of an Imbalanced Thyroid - Your Answer to Many Health Questions

The Domino Effect of an Imbalanced Thyroid - Your Answer to Many Health Questions

The Thyroid System is complex and significant.  It promotes cellular activity, helps us to be happy, healthy, and energetic.  It allows our immune system and brain to operate well.  It influences how our sex hormones operate and how much weight we carry.  The trouble is understanding it.  In this article I describe the Thyroid system and its subtle factors that, when missed, may just be the difference between success and failure to pull a person back into balance.

Fitbit Captures Patient Recovery

Fitbit Captures Patient Recovery

I wanted to take a moment and share a recent case study that I find to be particularly interesting.  Most of the time when I work with a patient we start with a set of symptoms or even a known medical condition.  Some tests are ordered, results observed and a plan of action is set in motion.  An improvement in symptoms, and/or a follow up test weeks or months later tells us if our efforts were effective.  But an interesting thing is starting to happen.  My patients are coming in wearing a Fitbit or some other handy device that measures all sorts of things about their daily physiology.  This provides for both of us some powerful feedback in real time as to how the strategies we are employing are actually working.  The basis of this piece is in regards to just such a patient experience. 

The Estrogen / Thyroid Connection

The Estrogen / Thyroid Connection

I want to describe to you a rather obscure tidbit pertaining to estrogen and its relationship to thyroid function. Low thyroid function is something that I talk a lot about because it affects a great many people weather they know it or not. Indeed the thyroid gland is very misunderstood and is certainly mistreated through the mainstream approach. But the thyroid gland itself aside, this article is focused on how thyroid hormone activity (not thyroid hormone production) can be hindered due to imbalances in the sex hormone estrogen.