Endocrine System Issues

Micronutrient Testing: It’s Not Just About the Values

September 19, 2019 | Naturopathic Medicine

I get comments frequently that switching from an engineering career to naturopathic medicine had to be a big change. While this may be true, the problem-solving aspect of my engineering degree i use everyday in my practice. The body is very complex and when dealing with chronic health issues it’s not always easy to find the underlying cause. Solving these complexities is one of my favorite parts in helping others. The Micronutrient TestOne of the tools I use to help me is the Micronutrient Test. This test looks at both serum values and cellular values for 48 vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fats. The serum values depict what is available for the body to use and the cellular values depict what the body is actually using. This helps me differentiate between a true deficiency or malabsorption issues which may be due to intestinal malabsorption, genetic variations, or oxidative stress.  Here is what the patterns … Continued

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Natural Treatment for Endometriosis: Dr. Melanie’s Story

August 21, 2019 | Naturopathic Medicine

Endometriosis is a painful condition that effects 1 in 10 women.  Natural treatments for endometriosis aim to treat the underlying cause.  Many women suffer from endometriosis on a physical and emotional level, and may feel that long-term relief is hopeless.  Natural treatments for endometriosis, including diet and supplementation, have worked for many women, including Dr. Melanie who suffered with endometriosis and other medical issues until she found a naturopathic doctor to give her a new life without chronic pain.Dr. Melanie’s StoryI had always dealt with painful periods.  I thought this was the norm. In my late 20’s the pelvic pain increased and became constant. At first, I was diagnosed with yeast infections even though cultures came back negative. Then I was told I had fibromyalgia and I was told it was “all in my head”. The numerous pelvic exams and pelvic ultrasounds left me on the couch in pain for days.  I then … Continued

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Balancing Hormones for Every Woman

February 2, 2019 | Naturopathic Medicine

PMS and menopause are a challenge for every woman at some point.  While symptoms of PMS or menopause can be difficult to manage, understanding the many factors that are at play give you the tools to cope.  As a naturopathic doctor, I use natural methods to help balance hormones.Cholesterol and HormonesCholesterol is often high during peri-menopause and menopause to compensate for the decreasing levels of other hormones in the body, such as estrogen.  Cholesterol is needed to make both sex and adrenal hormones. Hormones are the messengers of the endocrine system, and cholesterol is key to transporting hormones to the correct receptor sites on the cells.  If you have low cholesterol, your body isn’t able to transport hormones efficiently, and if you have high cholesterol you may not have enough hormones getting into your cells.   Low hormonal levels caused by cholesterol imbalance can result in symptoms such as fatigue, … Continued

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Micronutrient Support for Overworked Adrenals

August 24, 2018 | Naturopathic Medicine

Supporting every aspect of your physical, mental and emotional body is always important.  It’s especially important to be intentional with supporting your adrenal function when going through difficult times. Emotional and mental stress can become so burdensome that your body takes over the responsibility of coping in an effort to give your tired mind and heart a break.  This is something to be thankful for.  Overtime, however, this can result in overworked adrenals, as well as other physical issues.Without proper balance between cortisol (aka the stress hormone) and DHEA (the hormone that balances cortisol), cortisol becomes a burden on the body. If left untreated, this can result in adrenal fatigue.  Supporting the adrenals with targeted nutrition and supplementation can make a big difference in coping with unavoidable stresses.  Here are some micronutrients that can relieve overworked adrenals:Vitamin C: Vitamin C depletion is very common in adrenal fatigue.  It supports adrenals and … Continued

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Are Allergies Causing You Anxiety?

June 1, 2018 | Naturopathic Medicine

Is your sleep disturbed?  Are you tossing and turning, or maybe having a hard time falling and staying asleep?  Are you feeling more stressed out than normal? Do you feel depressed but don’t know why? There are many factors that cause insomnia, depression and anxiety, but one of the most overlooked causes is allergies.  While taking an antihistamine can treat runny nose and itchy eyes, long term use can exaggerate sleep disturbances and mood issues. What are histamines? Histamines are stimulatory neurotransmitters (brain chemicals). Our bodies naturally have histamine circulating, which helps control energy levels, motivation, and the sleep-wake cycle. Histamine is an important neurotransmitter but when it increases due to a toxin or insect bite, other neurotransmitters such as epinephrine (adrenaline) may be affected.  Epinephrine helps lower large increases of histamine.  While allergies often present as itchy eyes or sinus congestion, anxiety and insomnia are also common symptoms due to the increase … Continued

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Don’t Write Lectins Out of Your Diet… Yet

April 5, 2018 | Naturopathic Medicine

Benefits of LectinsLectins are proteins that bind carbohydrates. By binding to carbohydrates during digestion, they reduce the glycemic effects of food. By stabilizing blood sugar, there may be benefits such as weight loss, sustained energy, improved focus, and reduced blood pressure. Many foods with lectins are nutrient dense foods such as beans, nuts, tomatoes, eggplant and peppers. Plant lectins are thought to be a defense.  They protect plants against pathogens and insects similar to phytochemical in plants. For this reason, plant lectins offer anti-microbial properties and immunity support. Problem with Lectins One common lectin that poses issues is wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) lectin. This lectin is found in wheat as well as other cereal grains including the sprouted forms.  Like gluten, it may cause inflammation in the body, not only in the gastrointestinal system, but also may affect the endocrine, neurological and immune systems.A diet that has received press lately is the lectin free diet. This … Continued

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Post-Menopausal Adrenal Support for A Healthy Sex Drive

November 10, 2017 | Naturopathic Medicine

When we think about adrenal function, we tend to think about fatigue or stress hormones. But did you know that your adrenals play a significant role in your libido especially post-menopausal? The adrenal glands are part of your endocrine system that regulates the body by secreting hormones directly into the bloodstream. These hormones are instrumental in regulating mood, growth and development, tissue function, metabolism, sexual function, and reproductive processes.The classic endocrine glands include the pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, pancreatic islets, adrenals, and gonads (ovaries and testes). Prior to menopause the body relies on the gonads to support sexual function and sex drive. However, post-menopause it is the liver that is responsible for metabolizing our hormones, and our bodies rely on both the liver and adrenals to support the libido. Since a healthy liver balances hormones, regular liver detoxification can aid this process. At the time of menopause, the adrenal glands should produce sufficient … Continued

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