The Little-Known Connection between Leaky Gut, Gluten Intolerance, and Gallbladder Problems
Do you have patients who have trouble digesting fatty foods? Back pain or nausea? A sluggish gallbladder may be to blame. Recent evidence suggests that inflammation in the gut is closely related to gallbladder function. Read on to learn about the gut–biliary connection, how gluten might be involved, and how to get things flowing again.
RHR: Methylation: Are We Supplementing Too Much?—with Dr. Kara Fitzgerald
Methylation has been a popular topic in the alternative health world for quite some time. The ease of access to genetic testing and the ability to look at things like the MTHFR gene have led many people to be concerned about their methylation status, or their body’s ability to detoxify. However—as with many things in functional medicine—genes don’t tell the full story. Today I talk with methylation expert Dr. Kara Fitzgerald about the impact of diet and lifestyle on methylation and why supplementation can sometimes be harmful.
The Gut–Circadian Rhythm Connection
In past articles, I’ve covered the importance of the circadian rhythm to good health. I’ve also written a lot about the gut microbiome. But you may be surprised to learn that gut bacteria can directly influence your circadian rhythm. Imbalances in your gut can disrupt your circadian rhythm and affect your sleep, hormones, and immune system. Read on to learn more about how these two systems are interconnected and how you can keep your gut and “body clock” happy.
Nutrients for Lowering Blood Pressure
Seventy-five million American adults, almost one in three, have high blood pressure. Another one in three have prehypertension. (1) The majority of hypertensive patients are treated with blood pressure-lowering medications, but is a prescription the best course of action? Read on to discover which nutrients, as part of a healthy Paleo diet, can help lower blood pressure naturally and what options are available for patients who don’t respond well.
The “Eyes” Have It, Too! A Closer Look at the Ocular Microbiome
While the ocular surface was late to the microbiome table, a growing body of evidence suggests that it should not be overlooked. Read on to learn how these microbes are measured, their role in ophthalmic disease, and how contact lenses may alter their microenvironment.
The Downside of Mammograms
Mammography has been the medical industry’s “gold standard” breast cancer screening tool for nearly four decades, and the procedure has been pushed on women with great zeal by physicians, public health programs, and cancer organizations. However, mounting scientific evidence indicates that mammography may not only be far less effective than we have been led to believe, but that it also has numerous drawbacks that are affecting women on a massive scale. Read on to learn about the major drawbacks of mammography, what the research recommends for breast cancer screening, and about promising breast cancer detection alternatives.
Staffing Recommendations for a Modern Functional Medicine Office
Are you just starting up a practice or looking to cut costs in your current practice? Learn about the benefits of a lean practice model and get my best tips for staffing a modern functional medicine office.
Vitamin K2: Are You Consuming Enough?
Did you know that vitamin K1 and vitamin K2 are different types of vitamin K? Before 2006, the USDA didn’t even distinguish K1 from K2 in foods, (1) but vitamin K2 plays important roles in our bodies—and you might not be getting enough. Read on to learn the difference between K1 and K2, the benefits of vitamin K2, and how to incorporate K2-rich foods into your diet.
Rebooting the System: The Benefits of a Fasting Mimicking Diet
While fasting has many health benefits, prolonged calorie restriction can take a toll on patients, both physically and mentally. Diets that mimic the physiological benefits of fasting without the burden of food restriction may be a good alternative. Read on to learn more about fasting mimicking diets, their health benefits, and which patients are likely to benefit most from them.
The Benefits of a Paleo Diet on Lipid and Metabolic Markers
Metabolic syndrome affects 34 percent of all U.S. adults and 50 percent of Americans age 60 or older. Because metabolic syndrome usually precedes type 2 diabetes and heart disease, reversing it is necessary for long-term health. Read on to find out how a Paleo diet can improve lipid markers and help patients with metabolic syndrome.
Patient Communication Part 2: Communication Skills
Good communication is the foundation of successful healthcare. It has been shown to improve clinician–patient rapport, patient satisfaction, clinician satisfaction, and more. Despite this, most clinicians have little or no required communication training. Thankfully, communication experts Oren J. Sofer and Evan A. Wong have created a communication skills training program, coming out summer 2017, that I cannot recommend highly enough. It combines mindfulness and Nonviolent Communication—and is designed specifically for healthcare practitioners. Read on to learn why communication skills are so important and how this new program can help you master them.
ADAPT Student Spotlight #3
Are you a practitioner trying to transition to functional medicine? Or a health coach trying to deepen your understanding and increase your impact? In my ADAPT Practitioner Training Program, students have a wide variety of backgrounds. Take a look at what a DC and an FNP have to say about their experience adding ADAPT training to their practice in these two interviews.
RHR: The Functional Medicine Approach to Anxiety
Anxiety can significantly impact quality of life. While the conventional medicine approach focuses on balancing neurotransmitters in the brain, the functional medicine approach is to look for the root cause. Today I’ll discuss the top three pathologies that can contribute to anxiety, as well as steps you can take to correct these issues.
Patient Communication: How to Provide High-Touch Care without Burning Out
In Functional Medicine, we want to offer more support to patients than they receive in the conventional model. You can get closer to this ideal without overextending yourself by working with allied health care providers, using a clear communication policy, and keeping all electronic communication in your electronic health record (EHR). Read on for specifics on how to organize patient communication to provide better care.
Skin Microbiota and Your Health
Just two decades ago we knew very little about the role of the microbiome in human health. Today, it’s one of the hottest topics in both the scientific literature and the popular media. But while most studies so far have focused on the microbes that live in the gut, researchers are now turning their attention to the skin microbiome—with fascinating results.
5 Ways to Treat IBS Without Drugs
Irritable bowel syndrome is an extremely common functional digestive disorder that can be difficult to treat. Drugs are often ineffective and can have uncomfortable side effects. These five strategies can help address the root causes of a patient’s symptoms so you can treat IBS safely and effectively.
RHR: New Treatment for SIBO and IBS-C—with Dr. Kenneth Brown
As you know, I treat a lot of patients with gastrointestinal issues. Two of the most challenging conditions to treat are methane-predominant SIBO and constipation-predominant IBS. Join me as I talk with Dr. Kenneth Brown, a practicing physician and clinical researcher who has been specializing in treating these conditions for the past 15 years. We discuss the drawbacks of existing treatments and a new product that Dr. Brown has developed, called Atrantil.
RHR: How to Restore Healthy Gut Flora Over the Long-Term
We received a question about how to restore gut flora and function when unable to tolerate probiotics and fermented foods. This is a great question, it’s one that I get a lot, and it turns out there are several potential reasons why somebody may not be able to tolerate fermented foods or probiotics, and one of them is histamine intolerance.
5 Tips to Treat Post-Birth Control Syndrome
So what can you do when your patient explains that her cycle hasn’t returned since stopping birth control? The underlying causes of post-birth control syndrome can involve nutrition deficiencies, HPA axis dysregulation, impaired liver detox, stress, and more. Fortunately, with diet and lifestyle changes, it can be possible to resume normal menstrual cycles without drugs. Read on to discover five tips on how to get your patient’s hormones back on track!
Why We Need Health Coaches and Nutritionists to Solve the Chronic Disease Epidemic
The incidence of complex, chronic disease continues to rise each year, and there simply aren’t enough doctors and other licensed clinicians to reverse the tide. Fortunately, a growing number of skilled and qualified health coaches and nutritionists are poised to fill the gap.