Thyroid Mystery Solved: Hashimoto's and Hypothyroidism Revealed

The Case: Robin is a 45 year old, super-busy, working mom dealing with aches and pains all over. She’s also experiencing stomach aches and unexplained bladder issues that include pain and burning during urination without a detectable UTI. She’s seen specialists, taken antibiotics, and tried eating healthier but her symptoms just got worse. The Investigation When I hear that a healthy diet makes someone feel worse, I immediately suspect that the food they are choosing, while healthy on the surface, may not be right for them. This was my suspicion with Robin and I knew it could be one or more of a few things in her diet causing the issue. I’ve been wanting to invite Dr. Beth O’Hara on the show for a while and I knew this case was right up her alley. Dr. O’Hara is a Functional Naturopath and the owner of Mast Cell 360, a Functional practice specializing in root cause approach to Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, Histamine Intolerance, and related conditions such as oxalates, mold toxicity, and chemical sensitivities. She is a Research Adviser for the Nutrigenetic Research Institute and also works in-depth with genetic analysis. What are Oxalates? Plants are made up of compounds and oxalates are one of these compounds. Under a microscope, oxalates appear to look like tiny razor blades - they are very sharp molecules. Certain plants have a high number of these compounds which serve as a defense mechanism for the plant. Foods that we consider to be very healthy, could be high in oxalates like spinach, beets, rhubarb, sweet potatoes, and almonds. Oxalates can also be created by our bodies and some fungal species may create oxalates in the body. While many people are able to metabolize these compounds without any issue, there are also many that may not. The Risk of Elevated Oxalates in the Body Some people struggle to process these oxalates and this can be due to many things and the oxalates build up. The immune system wants to get rid of this excess which results in inflammation. Overtime, this can become chronic and cause other health issues including kidney stones. however kidney stones are just the tip of the iceberg and oxalates have also been associated with thyroid issues, autism, endometriosis, bladder issues, vulvodynia, PCOS, diverticulosis/diverticulitis, breast cancer, osteopenia and osteoporosis. Causes of Elevated Oxalates One of the causes of elevated oxalates is eating a diet rich in foods with high levels of oxalates. However, there are plenty of people who eat these foods and don’t have an issue. There are a few other factors that can cause elevated oxalates. Genetics There are four genetic predispositions that may make someone more susceptible to developing an issue with oxalates. Vitamin Deficiency A deficiency in B1 or B6 can cause an issue with oxalates Leaky Gut When there is a break in the intestinal lining, oxalates can move into the bloodstream and to muscles, joints and even bone, potentially causing many issues. Mold Toxicity in the Body Exposure to mold can result in that mold colonizing in the body, which demands a lot from the immune system and can make it difficult for the body to deal with oxalates. Additionally, its possible the dysbiotic bugs may produce even more oxalates to add to the load. Symptoms of Elevated Oxalates Kidney stones are often noted as a key symptom but only 1% of people experience these. More often, it’s seemingly unassociated symptoms that are hard to nail down like fibromyalgia, joint pain, joint issues, visual problems (including cataracts), lung issues (including asthma), vertigo, urinary tract issues (pain and burning during urination as well as urgency that present like UTIs but no infection is present), and vulvodynia (stinging, burning, and irritation of the vulva). Mast Cell Activation Syndrome Scientists have been studying Mast Cell Activation Syndrome or MCAS since the 90’s but it has only recently (2016) been given a diagnosis code. As a result, many conventional doctors do not know about it. The immune systems ‘front-line defenders’ are known as Mast Cells. It’s their job to recognize a virus, injury, toxin, or bad bacteria that is threatening the body and mount a defence against it (usually causing inflammation to the area) and then signal the immune system to do its job. However, when there is a chronic issue, like elevated oxalates, the Mast Cells become dysregulated, fail to trigger the immune system and cause MCAS. Mast Cell Activation Syndrome affects an estimated 10 - 17% of the general population and is estimated to impact over 50% of those with chronic illness. MCAS and Elevated Oxalates Oxalates stimulate an enzyme called NOX. The role of this enzyme is to kill off pathogens and stimulate mast cells. When there are elevated levels of oxalates in the body, there is an over stimulation of mast cells which dysregulate over time and triggers MCAS. Oxalates can also cause physical damage on a microscopic level (because they are sharp and can wedg

The Investigation Chances are you know someone with a gluten sensitivity despite reports that only 6-7% of the population suffer from it. That’s because testing is tricky and false negatives can make people think their health issues are caused by something else. In this episode, I want to break down what’s going on and help you determine if a gluten sensitivity might be at the root of your health mystery. Understanding Gluten Intolerance Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, barley and oats. A person with gluten intolerance cannot digest the protein portion of these grains which triggers an immune response to what the body deems a foreign substance. This immune reaction causes inflammation in the digestive system and damages the lining tissue which, in turn, can cause symptoms like fatigue, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, gas, and cramping. The compromised lining can leave the person more susceptible to bacteria, parasites, and funguses. Overtime, if a person who has a gluten intolerance continues to eat gluten, their small intestine may also become damaged which leads to malabsorption of nutrients. This can cause fatigue and weight gain. And, the person will be at an increased risk of insomnia, osteoporosis, hormone imbalances, inability to deal with stress, and mood swings. Over time, additional issues may arise like lactose intolerance, depression, leaky gut syndrome (leading to higher susceptibility to infections and other illnesses.) Gluten Intolerance is the Root Cause of Many Health Issues Symptoms of Gluten Intolerance There are many symptoms that could be the result of a gluten intolerance. How many from this list can you check off? Weight gain Unexplained fatigue Difficulty relaxing, feel tense frequently Unexplained digestive problems Female hormone imbalances, (PMS, menopausal symptoms) Muscle or joint pain or stiffness of unknown cause Migraine like headaches Food allergies/sensitivities Difficulty digesting dairy products Tendency to over consume alcohol Overly sensitive to physical and emotional pain, cry easily Cravings for sweets, bread, carbohydrates Tendency to overeat sweets, bread, carbohydrates Abdominal pain or cramping Abdominal bloating or distention Intestinal gas “Love” specific foods Eat when upset, eat to relax Constipation or diarrhea of no known cause Unexplained skin problems/rashes Difficulty gaining weight Anorexia Bulimia Rosacea Diabetes Osteoporosis/bone loss Iron deficiency/anemia hronic fatigue Candida Hypoglycemia If you checked off 4 or less it is very unlikely that you have a gluten sensitivity. If you scored between 5 and 8 there may be a reason to suspect it. If you scored 9 or higher there can be a good chance that you are gluten sensitive. What is a Gluten-Free Diet? Gluten-free means avoiding all foods containing gluten, including wheat, rye, spelt, bulgar, semolina, couscous, kamut and some oats. Gluten can be hidden in processed foods and thickened products such as sauces and soups so read labels carefully. While this can be an adjustment at first, eating gluten free if you are sensitive will make a huge difference in your health. What’s the Difference between Celiac and Gluten Sensitivity? Celiac disease is an extreme intolerance to gluten where eating gluten will actually damage the lining of your intestines and cause mal-absorption along with many other symptoms such as all types of GI issues, skin issues, headaches, arthritis, depression and the list goes on and on. A gluten sensitivity is when you do not have full-blown celiac and your intestines are not completely damaged but eating gluten makes you feel worse and can often cause very similar if not the same symptoms of those with celiac disease. What are the Problems with Celiac Testing (and Why is it so Hard to Get a True Answer)? Testing for this is very tricky because the occurrence of false negatives is often likely. The only way to get a true celiac test is to go to the GI doctor and have a biopsy. Your intestines are lined with hair like structures called villi and in healthy intestines; they stand straight up like a shaggy rug. When a person has celiac disease, gluten causes damage to the intestines and the villi lose their integrity and become flattened. The biopsy looks at the state of the villi and only if they are flattened can there be a true celiac diagnosis. Once gluten is removed from their diet, the villi can be revived fairly quickly and thus the intestines will heal. Patients who already started a gluten free diet prior to their biopsy can often get a false negative because of this. To get a proper diagnosis, the patient should eat gluten (equivalent to at least 1 slice of wheat bread) every day for 30 consecutive days before the biopsy There is also a blood test that can identify the antibodies the body produces against gluten. Some GI doctors use this as a celiac test. The problem here is that the gluten antibodies are produced in significant numbers only if the person has a go

The Case: Mindy is 40 but feels like she’s 50. She often feels achy, tired, struggles to lose weight and thinks she looks older than her age. She didn’t have excessive sun exposure or any genetic history that would explain her premature aging. The Investigation When I met Mindy, I noticed right away that she was not eating well and so this was my first clue that nutrients and healthy eating were going to be a big part of solving her health mystery but Mindy wanted more. She didn’t just want to stop the premature aging she wanted to reverse it. Dr. Joseph Antoun is the CEO & Chairman of the Board of L-Nutra which is a nutra-tech company focusing on providing people with knowledge to live to 110 and beyond. I knew he was the best person to discuss Mindy’s case with. He is at the forefront of a push to change our current healthcare system of ‘sick care’ to a more proactive approach. Healthy-aging and Fasting Scientists have been researching the connection between fasting and aging for decades. Much of this research comes out of the Longevity Institute at the University of Southern California. What they’ve discovered is that aging happens on a cellular level. When the cells are given fuel (like carbohydrates, proteins, and fats) it accelerates the aging process of the cells. The more we fuel the cells, the faster they age. But, the cells also need fuel to survive. So, the best way to slow the process is to allow the cells to take ‘pit stops’ with intermittent fasting. How Long Should You Fast? Dr. Antoun shares the benefits of intermittent fasting and prolonged fasting. Using his analogy of pit stops, he explains that these shorter periods of fasting can help slow the aging process of the cells. However, he points out that longer periods of fasting (several days) creates a different cellular reaction. In these longer periods of fasting, the cells become stressed which moves them into a state of autophagy or self-cleaning & self-improving. The discovery of this reaction was so significant, it won the researchers the Nobel Prize in medicine in 2016. Prolonged fasting enables major cellular restructuring which contributes to healthy aging. This is because cells can deal with short term fasting by accessing stored fat, protein and carbohydrates. When those stores run out, the cells have to restructure and optimize. Prolonged fasts typically last from 3 - 5 days but these longer fast should be done in a clinic under supervision. What is the Fasting Mimicking Diet? Fasting-Mimicking is a system developed by the University of Southern California that allows you to eat specific foods in the right ratios and still be considered fasting, essentially mimicking a fast. This enables people to get all the benefits of fasting without the starvation, losing essential nutrients or needing medical supervision. The food is specially designed so that the cells don’t recognize it as food. The diet itself is plant-based, it’s high in good fats (ketoline fats or mid-chain fats) and low in protein and carbs. In the right combination, these nutrients are enough to feed the body and vital organs but just right for your cells to still be able to restructure. Dr. Antoun and his colleagues developed a program that people can follow at home called the ProLon 5-Day Fasting Mimicking Diet Kit and it can’t be simpler. It comes with all the food you need for the 5 days and completely takes any guesswork out because everything is included. This carefully formulated nutrition program nourishes the body with plant-based proteins, fiber rich carbs and healthy fats, and goes undetected by cellular food sensing paths to keep your body in fasting mode. For healthy people interested in supporting their longevity, Dr. Antoun suggests doing a prolonged fast 2-3 times per year. What is Intermittent Fasting or Intermittent Dieting? This has been the most popular diets for the past two years but Dr. Antoun points out that it’s not really new; it’s how we are supposed to eat. This is the practice of eating our food during a 12-hour period (usually the day) and then not eating for 12-hours (overnight). Dr. Antoun calls this circadian fasting. The body needs a rhythm and our modern lives can interrupt that rhythm. Circadian fasting reinforces that natural rhythm. The 12-hours of not-eating gives the body time to use the fuel that was gathered in the 12-hours of eating. If the body does not get that time of fasting, it accelerates the use of that fuel which speeds up the aging process. Is 16-hours of Fasting Too Long? You might hear people talking about fasting for 16 hours and only eating during an 8-hour window. Dr. Antoun says that this is really only ideal for people with health conditions like obesity, type 2 diabetes, or prediabetic people who need to lose weight quickly. But for those who are not obese or in need of fast weight loss, this is typically not necessary. He also says that the 16 hours is not enough time for the cells to rejuvenate so

The Case: Cassandra has been dealing with brain fog and fatigue. She’s checked her thyroid, takes B-12 & iron and even tried a low-histamine diet More research tied her symptoms to possible mold toxicity and that’s when it clicked. The Investigation When Cassandra came to me she explained her symptoms and told me that she’d had her home tested for mold (after recalling several large leaks in the past). These tests came back positive. With the mold issue confirmed, it was time to solve her health mysteries and find out if mycotoxins are at play and what damage they’d done. How Does Mold Threaten Health? Mold can accumulate in the home, office, or schools and it produces mycotoxins that you breath in. Even if your exposure is limited or you can’t see or smell the mold, the mycotoxins can still impact your health. There are 3 main ways it does this: 1. Immune Suppression Your natural killer cells, T-cells or B-cells become suppressed and fail to fight off infections creating chronic conditions. 2. Decreased Blood Flow to the Brain The frontal lobe is particularly impacted by this decreased blood flow. In fact, brain scans of people with mononeuritis multiplex (decreased blood flow to the brain) and brain scans of people with MS are very similar. 3. Interference with the Nrf2 Pathway This is the pathway where a lot of detoxification enzymes and antioxidant enzymes are created so when mycotoxins block it, it caused issues with mitochondrial production (for more on mitochondrial issues listen to Episode 22) Does Mold Always Cause Health Issues? When mold is found in a home, office, or school, it is usually because someone in that environment is experiencing health issues. But, not everyone sharing that space will be affected. Genetics play a role in how each individual will be affected, but it also has to do with the total allostatic load. The allostatic load has to do with the stress a body is under and how well it is handling that stress. If there are other factors adding to the load (like stress, dysbiosis, chronic infections, blood sugar fluctuations), the exposure to mold can be the tipping point that generates symptoms. But, even if someone is not symptomatic, it can still be an issue. Individuals may be pre-symptomatic or they may not recognize symptoms. The mold may still be affecting their brain health, energy levels, and organ performance which may not be as noticeable. Everyone is going to experience symptoms in their own way and at different levels. Symptoms of Mold and Mycotoxins Many people think that mold issues are going to show up like allergies and cause respiratory problems. That can happen but mold can also impact sleep, energy, muscle strength, memory, concentration, and trigger a variety of other symptoms related to the body’s inability to process toxins. Testing for Mold Toxicity and Mycotoxins People can be exposed to mold in their office or there could be mold in their home. These may not be causing a problem but to be sure, there is a urine test that will measure the mycotoxins in the body. In order to get an accurate assessment of the mycotoxins level, the test should be preceded by a far infrared sauna, use of a BioMat, or taking glutathione to provoke the mycotoxins. Provocation is important because mycotoxins aren’t always visible (even when they’re present) so it’s necessary to ‘stir them up’ a bit. This does not increase the amount, it simply reveals it. If it is not provoked, the test may show low levels and give a false sense of security. Analyzing Test Results The results of your urine test will reveal the levels of different types of mycotoxins caused by mold. Some of the most common ones are: Gliotoxins This type of mycotoxin tends to hang out in the brain and the central nervous system. So, the presence of this toxin can be linked to brain issues like, concentration and memory issues (both short and long-term), behavior changes, and in some cases substance abuse disorders. Ochratoxins This mycotoxin is fairly common (Dr. Jackson sees these the most). It can be carcinogenic and can target the kidneys. Ochratoxin tends to come from aspergillus, which is a mold species that is often odorless and invisible. It might be at home, school, or work but it can also be found in certain foods like nut butters. Aflatoxin M1 This is another mycotoxin caused by aspergillus which tends to impact the respiratory tract. It may also cause liver damage, abdominal pain, coma, gastrointestinal dysfunction and it has also been shown to inhibit certain immune cells called leukocytes. Verrucarin A and Trichothecenes These are mycotoxins that come from stachybotrys and fusarium which are very common molds found in buildings with water damage - which is up to 50% of the buildings in America. You Don’t Have to See Mold or Smell it for it to be Problematic Testing the Home for Toxic Mold - Locating Mold in the House or Office It can be difficult to identify the source of the mold. There are several w

The Investigation It used to be that women over 35 were the ones talking about challenges with fertility and struggling to get pregnant. Now, I meet women as young as 27 with fertility issues. So, there’s much more at play here than just age. I had my son at 37 and I am now pregnant at 40. I didn’t like seeing AMA (Advanced Maternal Age) on my OB file but this is the reality for many women who wait to start their family - even if they are healthier now than they were in their 20’s (like me). The fact is, we women are born with all of our eggs. And, as we age, there are fewer and fewer. But that doesn’t mean you can’t successfully get pregnant at an advanced age. Your body will naturally select the best eggs each time but that process takes 3 months. So, what you do with your health during pre-conception can have an impact on your fertility. In this episode, I share 5 of the best ways to improve your health, your egg health, and increase your chances of getting pregnant. Diet When we eat foods high in sugar and processed carbs as well as foods our body may have sensitivities to, we increase inflammation. The inflammation combined with increased stress which often goes along with fertility is a double-whammy on your body. Eating a balanced and clean diet with lots of vegetables, clean proteins, good fats and unprocessed carbs is a good start but you should also consider sensitivities. The most common food sensitivities I see are gluten and dairy. It may be worth getting a sensitivity test to make sure that undiagnosed food sensitivities aren’t going to create a challenge for fertility. I like the test by Vibrant America but if you are unable to do the test, try going gluten or dairy-free for 3 months and see how you feel. For more on food sensitivities, listen to episode 60 of Health Mysteries Solved. Hormones When seeing a conventional OB or even a fertility doctor, they typically test your FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) and LH (luteinizing hormone) and sometimes estrogen on day 2 or 3 of your cycle. It is important to make sure FSH is within range, ideally below 10. However even if that is the case, there are so many people that continue to have fertility issues. This is because these hormones are just the tip of the iceberg and there are so many more things to look at when it comes to hormones. Contrary to conventional practice, I think the best time to test estrogen and progesterone is on day 21 or 7 days after you ovulate because then you are catching those hormones at their highest levels so you can see if they are sufficient. I like to see a progesterone level of 12 or above on day 21. This shows the person is ovulating and has enough progesterone to maintain the pregnancy should it happen. Aside from blood tests, tracking your temperature every morning can also help you understand your cycle. After ovulation, temperatures will typically go up by about a half a degree. I like to see this elevated temperature for 12 days before it drops and you get your period. If it is less than 12 days, your progesterone may not be optimal. If that’s the case, herbs like Chaste Tree and Omega Oil can be helpful. It may also be estrogen dominance. Some symptoms of estrogen dominance are weight gain especially around your period, having swollen or tender breasts around your cycle, having longer, heavier cycles with more cramping and more headaches before your cycle. If this sounds familiar, avoid estrogenic foods and xenoestrogens (found in some plastics and skincare products) and work on the liver and detox pathways. Calcium D Glucarate is one of my favorite supplements for estrogen dominance. It’s also important look at DHEA. To do this, ask for a DHEA Sulfate (DHEA-s) blood test. You may have read that taking DHEA is important if you are trying to get pregnant; however, taking this supplement when you are not deficient may cause side-effects. CoQ-10 is often recommended along with DHEA but it’s expensive and again, if you are not deficient, it may not be worth it. The bottom line is, get tested before you blindly take either of these two supplements. Stress It’s no surprise that stress can impact your fertility. But, trying to get pregnant and reduce stress can be stress-inducing. So, how do you reduce your stress? I personally like meditation but there are many other ways to reduce stress such as listening to music, journaling, or getting out in nature. The key is to dedicate at least 20 minutes a day to it and make sure you set that time aside and let everyone know that this is time is important. Thyroid Optimal thyroid function is crucial for fertility as it’s one of the reasons the body may not pick the best eggs. If you are going to get your thyroid tested, remember that TSH is just one of the markers and is not nearly enough to truly determine thyroid function. Be sure to request these tests: TSH, Total T4, Total T3, Free T4, Free T3, Reverse T3, and Thyroid antibodies. And, ask to see the results because y

The Case: Maria has been dealing with a lot of inflammation and pain. She’s been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, Hashimoto’s and Raynaud’s. She’s tried everything suggested from conventional medicine to functional medicine. The cleanses, special diets, and supplements only made her feel moderately better. When inflammation, malaise and autoimmunity persist despite doing everything possible to heal the gut, clean the liver and support the immune system properly, there is something bigger going on. I knew we had to dig deeper into her past to find the root cause of her issues. The Investigation I spoke with Maria for over 2 hours. At some point, the conversation moved from her condition to her personal history. When she started talking about when her parent’s divorce during her childhood and then her mother’s unexpected death, I knew there was a link. We just had to connect the dots. A lot of people think that these experiences can’t possibly be the root cause of physical conditions like autoimmune disease. But, Dr. Don Wood, through his research has proven the link between the traumas we experience and our physical conditions. He’s the founder of the Inspired Performance Institute where he’s developed technology called TIPP as well as programs to ‘reboot’ the mind around past trauma that our body continues to feel. I’m thrilled to have him join me for this episode. Understanding Trauma Dr. Wood separates trauma into two camps. Most of us think of trauma as a clearly defined, often injury-inducing event like a car accident or a mugging. He calls this big ‘T’ trauma. The second type of trauma he calls emotional concussion. These are experiences that affected us psychologically but may be more loosely defined or harder to pinpoint. Dr. Wood says that a very large percentage of the population is dealing with unprocessed trauma when you consider these two types of trauma. How Trauma May Cause Autoimmune Issues When we experience a traumatic event, our body has a physical response to that trauma. Trauma triggers that fight or flight (aka active state) response. This creates inflammation in the body as a way of pausing the immune system so that the body can use all resources to respond to the trauma. When we are no longer in danger, the body allows everything to return to normal. What a lot of people don’t realize is that when we have unprocessed trauma, we think about it. And, when we think about it, we relive it which results in the same fight or flight response. We have the physical response to the trauma just by thinking about it! If we are doing this constantly, the immune system can’t function properly, which overtime results in autoimmune issues. Diagnosing Trauma as a Trigger Often we dismiss the idea that trauma is the cause of an issue because we may not recognize the experience as trauma. Dr. Wood uses a great analogy in this episode that points to the high-definition memories we have of traumatic times in our past vs the muted memory we have of a non-threatening event (like the dinner we had last night). These high-definition memories can be very powerful and can trigger a physical response. The first step in identifying them as triggers sit to recognize the level of the memory and the physical response it brings. In Dr. Wood’s program, they actually monitor the brainwave state to determine the response to memories. Treating Trauma Triggers Recognizing the physical response to memories of past trauma is not enough, the brain needs to be reconditioned as to how it responds to that memory. This is what Dr. Wood does with TIPP. This program gets the mind to reset that high-definition memory into the same format as a day-to-day memory. By doing this, the body no longer sees that memory as a threat and it no longer triggers the fight or flight response. The brain is no longer sending an error message. Dr. Wood points out that far too often we treat the symptoms caused by these trauma responses. For example, treating anxiety, depression, or inflammation that will never be resolved if the trigger memory is not reset. Blocked Trauma Memories Many people block bad experiences or they dismiss them as not being traumatic. This may lead them to believe that these experiences can’t be the cause because they don’t have these vivid memories Dr. Wood is talking about. However, these memories may still be operating on a subconscious level and can still put the body into an active response state. This happens because our minds receive too much information for us to actively process. So, the mind does something academics refer to as ‘time slicing’. This is when the mind takes in information and slices off some to be stored in the subconscious where it can be processed or accessed later. Then, when we encounter something similar, the mind goes searching for reference and the stored memory, resurrecting the memory in full color. This can trigger an active state response. Avoiding Trauma Memories For many people, the idea of un

The Case: Stacy has noticed her hair loss and thinning for several years. Started after she stopped taking birth control. She tried taking vitamins & had a dermatologist examine her scalp Her gynecologist recommended she go back on birth control pills Many women experience hair loss for a variety of reasons. And, many go through the same trials and tribulations as Stacy - seeing specialists and trying every supplement that promises hair growth or thicker hair. But, without knowing the root cause of the problem, these approaches seldom work. The Investigation When I first met with Stacy, I reviewed her past test results and noted that she had a lot of stress in her life. The blood work she’d had done by other practitioners was very basic, so I knew that we had to get more extensive tests done if we were going to solve this health mystery. I suspected that her hormones were at play in this mystery so I invited Dr. Deborah Matthew back on the show to discuss Stacy’s case. Dr Deborah Matthew is a Functional Medicine physician, author, speaker, wife, and mom of 4 boys. Like me, she focuses on the cause of the problem instead of simply prescribing something to cover-up the symptoms. How Common is Hair Loss for Women? Hair loss and thinning hair is much more common in women than most people think. Forty percent of women experience some form of hair loss by the age of 40. That goes up as women age. By the age of 65, there are 50-75% of women who note hair thinning. Despite the prevalence, many women find hair loss or hair thinning to be distressing and frustrating. Causes of Hair Loss for Women There are many different factors in determining the root cause of hair loss. It may be one thing or it could be a combination of several. Here are the main culprits in female hair loss: Nutrient Deficiency - Iron, Zinc, B12 Poor Gut Health Telogen Effluvium (Caused by Acute Stress) Adrenal Problems (Cortisol Overload from Chronic Stress) Hormonal Shifts - Menopause or Perimenopause Birth Control Pills Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) Hypothyroidism Autoimmune Diseases (Hashimoto’s, Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis) Baldness Gene Treating Hair Loss for Women The treatment depends on the root cause of the problem. You want to determine what that is (or if it is a combination of factors) and treat accordingly. Thankfully, most of these are able to be corrected fairly easily once the root cause is identified and there are so many functional approaches that address looking at this from every angle. The last cause (genetics) is really the only one that is more difficult but Dr. Deb shares that women who are experiencing balding caused by genes do still have options. In those cases they can look at PRP (platelet-rich plasma) therapy, laser light treatments or in very extreme cases hair transplants are also available. Hair transplants can be very expensive, costing upwards of $10,000 but again, this is really only used for extreme cases that are less likely than most of the other underlying causes. PRP can also be expensive and depends on the practitioner but may be in the neighborhood of $1500 and may require ongoing treatment. Laser light treatments range in efficacy. Dr. Deb recommends avoiding the ones that look like a comb and instead use the ‘cap’ that you put on your head. She specifically mentions LaserCapMD and Cappilus as popular brands. These caps start at $1000. Conclusion Determining the cause of Stacy’s hair loss issues was our first step in solving her mystery. I tested her hormone levels and found that her thyroid and adrenals were challenged (which was also causing gut issues) We worked on natural approaches to deal with her thyroid issue, specifically to help her convert her T4 to T3 using Thyro-CNV, extra Selenium and a liver supplement called LV-GB Complex. The detailed blood work also revealed that Stacy’s iron was actually sub-optimal so we added 1 capsule of Ferrochel Iron from Designs for Health which provides 27 mg of iron in a very gentle-on-the-stomach, non-constipating form. I also ran a DUTCH test and an organic acid test. These showed that her estrogen/progesterone/ cortisol pattern was off. We worked on that with a combination of lifestyle factors including reducing exercise, getting more rest and balancing her blood sugar with foods. I gave Stacy Calcium D Glucarate, my favorite supplement for estrogen dominance and Adrene Vive by Ortho Molecular Products to help balance her adrenals along with Methyl B Complex and vitamin C. We also found a sensitivity to dairy and eggs (through a food sensitivity test). We removed them from her diet for 3 months. Happy Ending Within 6 weeks, she started to notice less shedding. After 10-weeks, she started to see new hair growth! We stopped the Calcium D Glucarate after 3 months, but continued with the clean and balanced diet. At this time, we shifted her adrenal support from Adrene Vive to Adren-ALL by Ortho Molecular Products. We also added a supplement called H-S

The Investigation I recently did an episode where I answered your questions and invited you to ask more. I was flooded with emails (thank you!). One of the most common topics of these email inquiries was food allergies and sensitivities. From causes, to diagnosis, to how to deal with it - this episode aims to demystify food sensitivities and answer your questions. Food Allergy vs. Food Sensitivity vs. Food Intolerance These three terms often cause confusion because people are unclear of the differences. A food allergy means that there is a specific protein in a food that is acting as an antigen that is generating an immunologic reaction. Food without a specific protein (like sugar for example) cannot cause a true food allergy. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t have a reaction to it. Sometimes the body is unable to process certain foods properly. This could be caused by an immune dysfunction, build-up of toxins, or a deficiency in certain enzymes. These reactions can cause symptoms but may not always cause these symptoms everytime you eat the food. These are food sensitivities, not allergies because they can come and go depending on the environment. A second misuse of the term ‘food allergy’ is when people actually mean ‘food intolerance.’ A common example of this is lactose intolerance. In this case, the body is not having an immunological reaction to an antigen but rather it has an inability to produce the enzymes to properly digest the food. A food allergy is typically something someone is born with while food sensitivities and food intolerances can develop over time. Symptoms of Food Reactions Some of the most common reactions to food sensitivities or intolerances include dermatological symptoms (rashes and dermatitis), gastrointestinal problems, loss of appetite, mal-absorption syndrome created by inflammatory bowel reactions to the offending protein, irritable bowel syndrome, colitis, ulcerations, autoimmune phenomenon (like arthritis, lupus, MS, autoimmune thyroiditis), neurological degenerations, migraines, anxiety, seizures, asthma and other respiratory disorders, as well as fatigue and obesity. A food reaction could involve one or several of these symptoms. Testing for Food Sensitivities and Intolerances It can be very frustrating trying to solve a health mystery caused by a food sensitivity or intolerance because conventional testing (the skin prick) doesn’t always reveal the true cause of an issue. It is quite possible to get a false-negative with this test when it comes to food. My go to test is from Vibrant Wellness. It looks at both the IgG and IgA pathway in relation to common allergens like gluten, dairy, corn, soy, eggs, and nuts as well as each food’s breakdown products. By testing over 25 different markers, this test gives a much much more accurate picture. Right now the test is only available to my patients however we are looking at ways that we can offer this test to my listeners. Email me if you are interested. Causes of Food Sensitivities Lack of Variety. There are a lot of the same proteins in our food because of convenience and processed foods and we tend to develop delayed allergies to foods that we are overexposed to. For example, there is wheat, corn, soy and dairy in almost every packaged food. In addition, many of us do not have much variety in our diets. Seasonal availability used to help us with this but now all foods are pretty much available at all times of the year. Gut Biome Imbalance. Eating the same foods consistently can certainly be a big trigger but it’s not the only potential cause. The environment in our gut is another huge trigger. When we have dysbiosis (an overgrowth of bad bacteria, yeast & parasites in our gut) our microbiome becomes skewed. This microbiome imbalance will create inflammation which will then open up the spaces between the cells of our gut lining giving large proteins passage they should not have. Poor Digestion. Stress, nutrient deficiency, and toxicity can make it difficult for our body to digest food. Stress for example, can reduce the amount of digestive juices, stomach bile and can cause issues with the liver and pancreas (which are essential in digestion). All of this can result in large proteins getting into the bloodstream. The body responds by attacking these which then produces an antibody. That antibody continues to respond to the food being eaten and a sensitivity is developed. Solving Food Sensitivity Issues Since food reactions are created by the digestive environment, we have to look there first. Usually, I will investigate by doing a stool test. We work on eradicating the bad bugs to bring the gut biome back into balance and eliminate any parasites that might be present. Next, I focus on digestion because even if we avoid the foods causing the sensitivity, if we don’t correct the digestive environment, new food sensitivities will develop. I often focus on supporting the ‘good bugs’ in the gut by introducing probiotics. I t

The Case: Eva struggled with sleep issues, anxiety, and extreme emotions for years She saw doctors, functional medicine practitioners, and naturopaths and followed all of their advice with no results Medication, dietary adjustments, and supplements failed to help The Investigation After years of seeing specialists in conventional medicine, she turned to alternative medicine. Unfortunately, naturopaths, homeopaths, and functional medicine doctors were also unable to determine what was causing her ongoing symptoms. That’s when Eva came to see me. She mentioned that she was frustrated but that she’s always been overly-sensitive. When I asked her if she’d ever heard of an empath (and explained what that was) she cried. Lori Kennedy is the CEO of The Wellness Business Hub, the host of the Business Of Becoming podcast and she is a mom of 2 kids. She’s also an empath so I was excited to discuss Eva’s case with her. What is an Empath? Lori explains that an empath is someone who is highly sensitive to stimuli. This might be in the form of smells, sounds, light, other people's energy, or the environment. An empath will also feel other people’s emotions. Oftentimes, an empath can physically experience the emotions of another person, including their emotional reaction to physical pain. She describes the experience as absorbing the emotional experiences of others, which can be incredibly draining especially in enclosed, crowded spaces. Having the capacity for empathy is different from being an empath. Symptoms of Being Empathic An empath may not recognize their symptoms right away. They may feel tired after being exposed to stimuli. They may also feel anxiety, restlessness, anger, frustration, an inability to cope, grumpiness, physical fatigue and they may have difficulty sleeping. Unchecked, these symptoms can lead to things like digestive issues and other physical manifestations as they did with Eva. Tests will reveal no cause, which may also be an indication of being an empath. Diagnosis of Empath There is no formal diagnosis of ‘Empath’ however, anyone one who suspects they may be an empath can start, as Lori did, with some online quizzes and researching their symptoms. Lori suggests books by Dr. Judith Orloff. Here are a few things to consider: Medical tests reveal no cause for physical conditions Treatments that should cure a condition fail Noticing that other people’s energy or moods dramatically affect your mood or energy You pick up on other people’s truth (you feel like a human lie detector) You’re a true introvert You crave the outdoors and feel rejuvenated when you are outside You’re highly sensitive to stimuli (light, sound, smells, environment) You cry often and, after releasing the energy, you feel better Dealing with Being Empathic Recognizing you’re an empath is the first step in managing it and the physical manifestations of it. Lori says you have to learn what will trigger you and avoid those situations. She also says that you need to learn how to release the energy you’ve absorbed. For her, that means having sufficient quiet after being overly stimulated and also having daily alone-time. Recognize your limits and support your nervous system. Learning how to release energy you may have absorbed is also key - for Lori, that means having a little dance on her own. Moving your body is a great way to release that energy because energy can’t be destroyed; it can only be moved. Staying healthy with a nutritionally sound diet, watching your blood sugar level, drinking enough water and getting enough sleep are also ways to support yourself. The Gift of Being an Empath While it may seem like a bad thing to be empathic, Lori says she sees it as a gift to others. It’s a way to help them and give them some needed energy. If you set boundaries and learn how to protect yourself, you can provide much needed compassion, support, love and gratitude. Mystery Solved Eva had never heard of an empath before. When I explained what being empathic meant, she started to cry which solidified my suspicions. We started by introducing some stress management and health practices (beyond the nutrition and supplement regimens she was following). Specifically, she carved out 30 minutes of time in the mornings just for her, and she explained to her family what she needed from them in terms of support around guarding her energy. Eva also started visiting an energy practitioner who helped her learn how to better control and protect her energy. Happy Ending After adopting these self-care measures, it only took a few weeks before Eva felt a significant change in her health. She was calmer, had more energy and the bad days were far less frequent. With continued practice controlling and protecting her energy, a few months later, she was stronger and her bad days were behind her. Eliminating Health Mysteries For Eva we were able to find that unexpected but completely significant missing piece of the health puzzle. By identifying and managing

The Case: Alessia has suffered from Candida multiple times. She tried very strict Candida diets and various anti-fungal herbs She would feel better for a while, but then it would come back. Candida, as it is often referred to, is actually Candidiasis, a fungal infection caused by a yeast called Candida. According to the CDC, “Candida can cause infections if it grows out of control or if it enters deep into the body (for example, the bloodstream or internal organs like the kidney, heart, or brain).” The Investigation When I first met Alessia, her frustration was clear. She’d done so many things right and could not understand why she continued to struggle with this mysterious recurrence of Candida. I was determined to find out what else was going on. I noted that she ate a good amount of fish and lived in an old house - both clues. She also had symptoms of estrogen dominance which can affect candida growth. The tests she’d had were all gut related so I knew there was more to be revealed with different tests. Whenever I think of Candida issues, I think back to my own health struggles. The person who helped me was Dr. Michael Biamonte (who appeared on Episode 033) so I reached out to him again to consult on this mystery. Dr. Biamonte is the founder of the Biamonte Center for Clinical Nutrition. He’s been in practice for 30 years and is also the author of The Candida Chronicles: A Manual for Candida Yeast Infections. Candida and Heavy Metals There are many things that can cause Candida overgrowth however when it continues to come back, heavy metals have to be suspected. Dr. Biamonte says that he finds heavy metal toxicity in 25% of his patients with chronic Candida (meaning they have had it on and off for 5 years and that even when it appears to subside, it comes back within 6 months). Most Common Heavy Metals Impacting Candida The most common heavy metal issues he sees are with copper, mercury and aluminium. Copper and mercury depress the immune system when they are at toxic levels. Copper is an essential mineral but too much of it can cause an overgrowth of Candida. Aluminium plays a role in Candida overgrowth because it’s very alkalizing. This can be a bit confusing because many health experts recommend an alkaline diet that results in alkaline urine and blood. However, aluminium alkalizes your intestinal tract, which is not good as it stimulates the overgrowth of Candida. Sources of Heavy Metals Copper, Mercury and Aluminium Both Copper and Mercury are amalgam metals that are used in dental fillings. Copper can also be found in copper pipes (which may still be in use in older houses), in copper IUDs, and even in cookware. Mercury exposure can also come from fish. Aluminium exposure often comes from tin cans, aluminum cookware, antiperspirants, and even antacid medications. There are also a variety of food sources that can introduce heavy metals into the body. Diet and Estrogen Exposure to heavy metals isn’t the only factor in toxicity. Diet, blood type and hormone levels can all affect the body’s ability to metabolize metals. When the body can excrete the metals, then a build up can occur and a detox is necessary to rid the body of these metals. Testing for Heavy Metal Toxicity There are several tests that can identify if the body has an excess of heavy metals. One of the key tests is a hair analysis test. This not only shows toxic metal levels but the levels of beneficial metals and minerals. This way we can interpret how the metals are interacting with minerals like calcium or magnesium which provides a bigger picture. Sometimes, hair analysis tests don’t reveal the whole picture. When heavy metals are not being metabolized, then they will not show up in the hair analysis. In those cases, if heavy metals are suspected, urine and stool samples preceded by chelation protocols would be the better indicator of an issue. Chelation and Elimination of Heavy Metals Heavy metals that are trapped in the body (for example, copper is stored in the liver) need help leaving the body. This can be accomplished through a combination of things such as chelation, coffee enemas, or by introducing a binding protein to carry the metals out. This can take some time and not all metals detox at the same time. Hormone imbalances can also play a role in the body’s inability to excrete heavy metals, so hormone balancing is another approach in encouraging natural heavy metal detoxification. Mystery Solved After running a heavy metal panel through Quicksilver Scientific as well as a hair test through trace minerals labs, I found Alessia had a lot of copper in her body as well as a bit of mercury. I also suspected the mercury may be even higher than it was showing up to be because her body was prioritizing excreting the copper first. Next Steps I had Alessia take 1 P5P B6, 2 Zinc Supremes, 1 NAC, 6 pumps of BitterX and 1 tsp of C+Biofizz per day while also cleaning up her diet and making sure her water was coming from a clean source. Sh

The Question - Should I Change My Supplements if I’m Sick? Should I be taking different vitamins for general immune support and prevention versus if I am already sick or feel like I am coming down with something? The Short Answer Yes, yes, yes! Inna’s Response General immune support for prevention is going to differ from supporting your immune system while you are trying to regain your health. How to support the immune system for prevention For a typical 150 pound person, I recommend 1000-2000 mg of vitamin C such as C+BioFizz or Stellar C. I also recommend about 30 mg of Zinc and an adequate amount of vitamin D. The dosage of D should be based on blood tests that indicate your current status, however 5000 IU of vitamin D per day would typically be recommended. I use a liquid D for those who may have issues with fat soluble vitamins and the Vitamin D Supreme capsules for all others. Additionally Silvercillin is wonderful for general immunity and prevention and most people do very well with these. How to support the immune system during acute infection If you are already sick, the above dosages should change and other supplements can be added to help you better fight infection. This is true not just for COVID-19 but for any cold, flu or respiratory illness. Increase the vitamin C significantly for the first few days to up to a week but make sure you don’t take it all at once. In this episode, I explain in detail the process for finding your body’s tolerance for vitamin C but it typically involves taking 500-1000 mg of vitamin C every hour or so to bowel tolerance. There is a ton of research about the benefit of high dose vitamin C in fighting infections. I also recommend that my clients double their zinc to 60 mg per day for the duration of their illness but not much longer than that. 2 Tbsp of Silvercillin is also very helpful in acute stages of the illness. I’m also a huge fan of Oregano and recommend taking either 3 capsules of the oil or Oregano gel caps, twice per day for the duration of the illness. Finally, if the illness is more severe, I’d add Monolaurin. Garlic can also be helpful, I use either the Allicilin (3 gel caps, twice a day) or Allimed (2 caps per day). The Question - Are Immune-Boosters Safe for Autoimmune Disease? Are all immune support supplements safe if I have an autoimmune disease? The Short Answer No. Inna’s Response When you have an autoimmune disease, the immune system is already over active against your own tissues so you don’t want to take supplements that will further stimulate activity and can increase the attack on your own organs at the same time. Some common immune-boosting herbs to be mindful of include: Echinacea Astragalus Reishi and other immune supporting mushrooms Green Tea and Elderberry However, Vitamin C, Zinc D, Oregano and Garlic-based supplements should be safe. The Question - Is Elderberry still recommended for Coronavirus? What is the deal with elderberry? Elderberry has been talked about so much about being great for COVID but now we are hearing it's not good anymore, what is actually true? The Short Answer It depends on when you take it. Inna’s Response We are still learning about the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 and new information is discovered with each week that passes. The consensus right now is that you can very safely and effectively take elderberry for prevention and for mild symptoms (unless you have autoimmunity). However if you do test positive for COVID and the infection progresses to the later stages, we would want to stop elderberry. At this stage, the immune system is overwhelmed by the virus and Elderberry could overstimulate the system making the problem worse. It is still very much safe and recommended for prevention. The Question - Is More Zinc Better? We are hearing about the positive effects of zinc on all types of infections and wanted to know if more is better? The Short Answer Probably not. Inna’s Response Zinc is beneficial but it is a mineral and all minerals work together with other minerals in the body resulting in both synergistic and antagonistic outcomes. When you take a very high dose of zinc, you risk depleting your copper. I don’t recommend more than 30 mg of zinc for prevention (unless you are taking extra copper). If you are sick, it’s safe to double the zinc, but only for a short time (no more than 2 weeks). This shouldn’t significantly deplete copper. A copper deficiency can potentially lead to more bacterial infections and problems with the blood and even things like aneurysms. A hair test is a great way to determine your current zinc and copper levels. If you have never done a hair test, this test is quick, easy and not very expensive and you can order it yourself! When you get the results, make sure you look at the ratio of zinc to copper which should ideally be around 8. Anything lower than 8 indicates that you can increase your zinc intake. Anything above 8 means you should take extra copper along with the zinc. E

The Case: Amanda is 37 and dealing with pelvic pain, discomfort and heavy periods Doctors diagnosed her with endometriosis and fibroids They prescribed birth control but she’d had a bad reaction in her youth Endometriosis affects 10% of women between the ages of 15 - 49. That’s 176 million women in the world. The most common, traditional way to treat this issue is with hormone therapy in the form of birth control medication. The Investigation When Amanda came to me, I understood her hesitation in using birth control to manage her endometriosis symptoms. I wanted to find out if we could find the root cause of the endometriosis and treat that instead. The hunt was on and there were many clues to consider. Dr. Shiroko Sokitch is a functional medicine doctor, a trained acupuncturist, and a traditional Chinese medicine doctor. This unconventional combination makes her very good at solving health mysteries. She shares my approach of getting to the root cause of a problem, so I thought she would be the perfect person to discuss Amanda’s case. What is Endometriosis? Endometriosis is a condition where uterine tissue starts to grow beyond what is needed for the reproductive process. This can be contained in the uterus but it can also cause endometrial tissue to grow outside of the uterus. For example, a woman may have uterine tissue growing on her fallopian tubes or in her intestines. The excess endometrial tissue can really cause problems because it will continue to respond to hormones and can cause an imbalance that leads to many different symptoms. Symptom of Endometriosis The location of the endometrial tissue overgrowth will dictate the symptoms experienced. However, many women who have endometriosis experience abdominal pain, heavy and/or irregular periods, inflammation, pain with sex, and/or bloating. If the endometriosis has spread, they may also experience digestive issues and related symptoms. There is a second level to the symptoms caused by the hormonal imbalances related to endometriosis. These imbalances can cause migraines, headaches, moodiness, irritability, and other symptoms that may seem unrelated. Diagnosing Endometriosis It can take conventional doctors a while to test for endometriosis because many will dismiss it as PMS at first. This can be very frustrating. Endometriosis can be diagnosed using a pelvic scope, and sometimes it can be seen through ultrasound, CT scan or MRI. Once a definitive diagnosis is made, conventional doctors will generally recommend medication or surgery. However, in the functional medicine world, diagnosing the condition is only the start of the process. There are many things that could have caused the endometriosis and so, we search for that cause in the hopes that reducing or eliminating it will positively impact the condition. Causes of Endometriosis There are a variety of underlying causes and more research is needed. One of the possible causes that Dr. Shiroko is that many women are exposed to toxins in our environment. This includes feminine hygiene products that contain chemicals, plastics, beauty products, cleaning products, and food. Additionally, women are also exposed to xenoestrogens which mimic estrogen and disrupt the natural production of estrogen and can cause an overload of estrogen. Dr. Shiroko also points out that some women are genetically predisposed to endometriosis. There is no one singular cause of endometriosis which means that each patient has to be treated as a unique case. Understanding Endometriosis through the TCM Lens In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the menstrual cycle is regulated by the liver. Every organ in TCM has a different set of physical and emotional functions. So, the liver’s job is to regulate the menstrual cycle, store the blood and regulate smooth flow of energy in the body. It deals with the emotion of anger. If you have PMS, fibroids or endometriosis, it would fit within the perspective of liver imbalance. Tests to Find the Root Cause of Endometriosis The DUTCH test looks at the adrenal hormones (including eight kinds of estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, cortisol, and DHEA). Alternatively, an organic acids test can also reveal the root cause. Dr. Shiroko also likes to use the NutrEval Plasma® test which looks at how your cells generate energy and your digestive system. It also tests for parasites or bacteria, yeast production, food absorption, amino acid levels, the chemicals your brain produces, vitamins, minerals, toxins, heavy metals, and your body's ability to detoxify and manage oxidative stress. Treating Endometriosis Treatment for endometriosis, from a non-conventional perspective depends on finding the root cause of the condition. In following Chinese medicine, Dr. Shiroko would listen to the patient’s story, examine the abdomen, feel the pulses, and look at the tongue to determine where the imbalance is in the body. Then, she would use acupuncture and herbs to rebalance the area that is out of balance. She poin

The Investigation Our experience with the Novel Coronavirus shifts everyday. Some of us are feeling new levels of fear, anxiety, stress, and/or scarcity. But what is really behind these feelings? Is the crisis the cause or just an accelerant? Can we cope better if we develop more emotional resilience? To help me investigate these questions, I reached out to Anat Peri. She’s a transformational coach with over 15 years experience in development work. Her focus is on helping people see their emotions as allies so that they can find the success and happiness they desire. Understanding Suffering Anat describes suffering as a state when you are in an argument with reality. It is your rejection of what’s happening either externally or internally. You might be resisting the truth, spending emotion wishing it was different or that it would go away. When we deny the present moment experience, we create suffering. What is Emotional Resilience? We can’t always control our circumstances and the emotions they evoke. However, Anat says that we can build our capacity to be with any emotion. When you know how to be with an emotion, you can handle it and be resilient through any circumstance. Emotions vs. Sensations There is a difference between emotions and sensations. To understand the difference, you have to look at the context we give to emotions. We label our emotions (happy, sad, scared, frustrated, etc) based on the language we learned as kids but emotions are actually ‘energy in motion’. Before we knew how to label these emotions, when we were kids, we simply experienced the energy in motion by crying, screaming or laughing, etc. When we started to understand what we called these sensations, or feelings, we also started to categorize them as good or bad. Laughing is good. Crying is bad. That’s when emotions moved out of being a feeling or sensation and became a thought. We moved them out of our body and into our head. Emotional Paradigm Shift At the time of recording this episode, the world is in the grips of the Novel Coronavirus and COVID-19. The pandemic has forced many people to deal with new or heightened emotions. If we think of emotions as energy in motion we can change the way we address these feelings. We can move from the head reaction and return to the natural body reaction. When we feel our emotions in the body, we can process them much better and faster then when we let our minds take over. How to Deal with Intense Emotions Shifting your emotional response from your mind back to your body can be challenging since this conditioning has existed from infancy. Anat shares an exercise in this podcast that starts by seeing your emotion as a child. The next step is to be the mother to that child and offer up unconditional love and acceptance. You don’t have to fix that emotion, you just have to sit with it in love. Another approach Anat shares is to go deeper into the feeling and really explore the sensation of it; experience it in all its forms. Does it have a temperature, a color, texture? What size is the vibration? Is it moving? Why Numbing Doesn’t Work Many people ignore their emotions by distracting themselves with busy-ness, self-medicating, or overeating but that does not allow you to deal with that emotion. This is why so many people are experiencing difficult emotions right now because as our lives slow down, we are forced to confront the emotions we’ve been numbing. Anat suggests you think of yourself as a garden. The things that you don’t want to feel, those emotions you’ve been avoiding are weeds. Many people simply trim those weeds with numbing behaviours (watching TV, eating ice cream, working long hours, etc). But, when you trim the weeds, they just come back uglier and stronger. This can cause additional anxiety, stress, sleeplessness, and other issues. The key to keeping your garden weed free is to deal with those weeds from the root. You have to figure out what the sensation is that has translated (by our minds) into this emotion. Sometimes these roots are very long, so you have to keep digging until you get down to the very base sensation. 90 Seconds of Feeling Once you know what that root cause is, the next step is to experience that emotion. This can be very difficult as we are fighting a lifetime of conditioning that tells us feeling this sensation is bad. But, once you really get to the root sensation and you really step into feeling it and give it permission, the process only takes 90 seconds. After that, the body has processed that feeling and you can move on. If you don’t feel that release, then dig deeper - you haven’t reached the real root. Creating a Sense of Safety During times like these people want to feel safe within themselves. In order to do that, we need to stop letting our ego and our mind control our experience. There are three things Anat suggests we do to cultivate feelings of safety: 1. Body When we feel safe, we hold our body a certain way. The first step in feeling sa

The Case: Amy is 31 and has been dealing with tons of skin issues for a decade. She experiences acne, dry/oily patches, cysts, and generally red, bumpy skin. She tried the birth control pill, oral antibiotics, antibacterial soap, and tons of prescription creams. The Investigation Many people don’t connect their nutrition to their skin condition but when I met Amy, she told me about digestive issues she was having and I knew this was where we needed to start the investigation into her skin issues. When it comes to skin and natural health, it felt obvious to turn to Dr. Trevor Cates. She was the first woman licensed as a naturopathic doctor in the state of California. She wrote the Amazon bestselling book Clean Skin From Within. She is known as The Spa Doctor and developed a skin care line under the same name. Skin Warning Signs Dr. Cates says that all too often, when we have something out of balance with our skin, the traditional method of treating it is to suppress it with, for example, a steroid cream. They don’t tend to look for the cause. And so, the issue continues to manifest with different (and worsening) symptoms over time that experts may not track back to the initial skin issue. The skin is sending a message that something else is wrong. Erasing the message doesn’t change the fact that something is wrong internally. Hormonal Issues Presenting with Skin Conditions There are a number of hormonal concerns that may show up first as skin conditions. Hormonal issues with estrogen, progesterone, thyroid, adrenal hormones and more have symptoms related to the skin. For example, sex hormone changes can cause acne, dull skin and premature aging in skin. Thyroid issues can cause dry skin or oily skin depending on the issue. Dr. Cates calls inflammation affecting the skin ‘skinflammation’. This is when you have internal inflammation and it shows up on the skin. This might be caused by hormonal imbalances. Nutritional Deficiencies and Skin Issues Various nutritional deficiencies show up as skin conditions. In fact, doctors will also look to the skin first to determine if there might be a deficiency or poor nutritional absorption at play. Zinc, essential fatty acids, iron and B vitamin deficiencies all present as skin issues. Skin Microbiome Our gut microbiome can also affect the condition of our skin. In addition, the skin itself has its own microbiome. The skin has an organization of microorganisms that live on the skin and keep it healthy and disease free. When it is in balance, we have glowing skin that ages gracefully. Testing the Skin Microbiome Unlike testing the gut microbiome balance, there aren’t any true tests for determining the balance of your skin microbiome or microbiota levels. One of the reasons for this is that the state of your skin is affected day to day by your environment. If you have pets in your home, if your space is clean or dirty, if you use antimicrobial agents or cleaning products with certain chemicals - your skin is immediately affected. Researchers focus on testing the pores around the nose, but one of the best ways to determine the health of your skin microbiome is to look at the condition it’s in. If you’ve got dryness, dullness, breakouts, redness or irritation, then the microbiome is likely out of balance. Protecting the Skin Microbiome There are things that can definitely interfere with the balance of the skin microbiome. Dr. Cates points to our overly germophobic society as part of the problem. Overuse (or unnecessary use) of hand sanitizers, antimicrobial soaps, antibiotics (internally and externally), antibacterial cleaning products, and other toxic chemicals in our cleaning routine can all negatively impact the microbiome balance. She suggests using them only when necessary. Probiotics on the Skin Maintaining a balanced gut microbiome (by ensuring the body is getting enough probiotics) will help the health of skin (a healthy gut leads to healthy skin). Do we also need to apply probiotics to our skin to support a healthy skin microbiome? Dr. Cates says that probiotics in skin products is a bit of a trend right now but our skin doesn’t work like our gut. If people do get good results by using probiotic skin products, it’s more likely to do with the acidic nature of probiotics. The skin has a natural mild acidity to it but many products used on the skin have a very high pH. Soaps, cleansers, even water can strip the skin of natural oils and disrupt the pH balance of the skin. Ingredients to Avoid in Skincare Products Dr. Cates has spent many years formulating her skincare line. There are several things she suggests you watch for in your skincare products. The first is an ingredient called Dimethicone which you might spot in lotions, creams and various forms of makeup. It is often added because it ‘traps moisture’ which can result in the skin appearing dewy and moist. However, it doesn’t allow the skin to breathe which can lead to an imbalance of bacteria on the skin. Dimethi

At the time of recording this podcast, we are in lockdown as we try to flatten the curve on Covid19. Last week I talked about ways to reframe being stuck at home and things we can all do to improve our health and our lives during this time. This week, we focus on one of those - strengthening your relationships. How often do we wish we had more time with our loved ones? Now we do, and it’s time to make sure that we use it to make our relationships even better. To help us out, I’ve invited Alicia Munoz to share some of her creative ideas on how to connect (or reconnect) on a deeper level. She’s a couple’s therapist, the author of No More Fighting and A Year of Us. Schedule Time to Talk Alicia says that right now, we need to be even more dedicated to keeping the lines of communication open as each of us processes this crisis differently. So, while we press on with our day to day, her first tip is to carve out some time to have a discussion about feelings. She says that scheduling this time will ensure that both of you are prepared and present for the discussion. These conversations can happen spontaneously if they are approached the right way and in this episode, Alicia shares some great language we can use. Check-in Habitually Alicia says it’s good to get in the habit of checking in on your partner’s feelings intentionally. This might be part of your morning routine or your bedtime routine, or any time that works for both of you. She also shared a great way to check-in spontaneously by asking ‘past, present, or future?’ instead of asking something open ended like ‘what are you thinking about?’ Breathe Together Another practice Alicia suggests is to spend a few breaths inhaling and exhaling together with your partner. This involves synching your breath while maintaining a physical connection. This can be very soothing and can help reduce anxiety. It’s a simple way to take a moment to connect and feel each other’s presence. Explore the Power of Touch The above exercise creates an opportunity to increase human touch. Right now, touch feels like an prohibited behaviour but it’s really important to be reminded that the touch of our partner is not only safe, it’s needed. Alicia suggests exchanging a massage. Appreciate with Intention Alicia shared some interesting research that shows we need 5 positive gestures to counterbalance each negative gesture. One way to accomplish this is to share appreciations more often. There are several ways to make this a relationship habit. She shares several including appreciation journals, nightly exchanges, seated celebrations, and an appreciation jar. Accepting appreciation can be very powerful when you allow yourself to fully feel it in your body. Create Structure Structure creates a sense of comfort and right now, many people are finding that their changed routine is throwing them off. Alicia says that it’s important to create a new structure so that everyone in the family can feel that sense of comfort. The ideas that Alicia shares in this episode are proven ways to connect on a deeper level but also to cope with shifts in the relationship dynamic that may be at play right now as we hunker down at home. I appreciate Alicia for sharing them and I hope they inspire you to take this time to create space and opportunity to deepen your connection and communication so that you can come out of this crisis with a stronger relationship. Links: Thanks to my guest Alicia Monus. You can connect with her on her website https://aliciamunoz.com/ or on Instagram and Facebook. And, check out her books No More Fighting and A Year of Us. Related Podcast Episodes: EPISODE #052 6 Ways to Improve Your Life When Self-Isolating EPISODE #15 The Case of Relationships in Danger w/ Alicia Munoz Thanks for Listening If you like what you heard, please rate and review this podcast. Every piece of feedback not only helps me create better shows, it helps more people find this important information. Never miss an episode - Subscribe NOW to Health Mysteries Solved with host, Inna Topiler on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or Google Podcasts and remember to rate and review the show! Find out more at http://healthmysteriessolved.com PLEASE NOTE All information, content, and material on this podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Some of the links provided are affiliate links. This means we may make a very small amount of money should you choose to buy after clicking on them. This will in no way affect the price the product but it helps us a tiny bit in covering our expenses.

As I record on March 23 2020, I’m on lockdown. With so many of us struggling with being homebound right now, I wanted to give you a different perspective on the situation. We are all in this together and we have to remember that there is nothing we can do about the actual situation at the present moment. I’m not minimizing the difficulty of this situation but we can be mindful of what we can and cannot control and what we use our energy for when a situation can’t be changed. So, I’d like to share that we can choose to see a few silver linings. More Time With no commute, not having to drive your kids to activities and social engagements, we actually do have more time now than ever. I mean just commuting alone may be an hour or 2 saved a day. Let’s use this time to help ourselves and don’t let it go to waste. If your health is not where you want it to be, now you have the time to focus on improving it. If your relationships with your loved ones have become stagnant or strained, let's use this time to reconnect. Focus on Health Health is on our minds but we can do more than just worry about being infected. Here are some ways you can do that from home. Move your Body I know this can be tricky with your gyms closed but we have so many other options. If you are allowed to leave the house, go for a walk or jog. There are also countless websites and youtube channels offering online workouts. I like P90x3 (a 30 minute workout). If you are a member of a gym, check to see if they are offering their programs online. If you have kids at home, why not engage in some active play or yoga. Eat Healthy Many of us are eating more home cooked meals. This may not be by choice but it is a good thing. What better time to try out new recipes and prepare meals using whole foods? I have been doing more marinating and healthy baking as those typically take more time that I didn’t have before. I am not sure how it is by you, but around here in NJ, our stores have been out of chicken but fully stocked with fresh fruits and vegetables. I’ve been making lots of salads with as many veggies as I can find and playing around with homemade dressings. Prioritize Your Emotional Health These are difficult emotional times so it’s important to take care of your mind. We know the negative effects of stress but often don’t have time to down regulate our nervous system the way we should. If you have been curious about meditation but could not commit, now is the perfect time to give it a try. My personal favorite is the Ziva Method taught Emily Fletcher. If you’ve ever felt like meditation is not for you because you could never ‘clear your mind’, this method is for you. Build Better Relationships With our busy schedules we often complain that we don’t have enough time with our significant others and loved ones. Now you do. The trick is that you have to take that time and use it to connect because it's very easy to sit side by side watching mindless TV while zoning out. Plan some time to actually have a conversation. You can make time to play a board game or if it's nice out, play a game in the backyard. Whatever you choose, make a point of actually connecting not just passing time together. Connect with Nature If it’s possible to access nature while adhering to social distancing, it can be very calming as well as powerful for health and healing. Even if it’s just your own backyard. If you’re somewhere where it's warm enough, stick your feet in the dirt for some grounding. Practice Gratitude Even in the most difficult times, there is always something you can be grateful for. If you can’t think of anything at all, it can just be really simple things like the sound of songbirds or sunshine on your face. For me, I think about having my husband home, being able to provide health and support for all my listeners and patients (and the emails you send me), and the warming weather that lets me get outside for walks. The more I focus on gratitude, the more I realize I have to be grateful for. Gratitude has a VERY powerful effect on your health and overall immune system. Happy Ending We will get through this and we will become more resilient as a result. In every crisis lies opportunity. That might seem like a mystery to you right now but you CAN choose to see the silver linings and make the best of this difficult situation. Regardless of what's happening around you, there is a part of you that’s strong. Call on that part right now. You can do this! Thanks for Listening If you like what you heard, please rate and review this podcast. Every piece of feedback not only helps me create better shows, it helps more people find this important information. Never miss an episode - Subscribe NOW to Health Mysteries Solved with host, Inna Topiler on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or Google Podcasts and remember to rate and review the show! Find out more at http://healthmysteriessolved.com Related Podcast Episodes: https://healthmysteriessolved.com/insomnia-meditation-em

The Case: At the time of recording this (March 17, 2020), the Novel Coronavirus is a global pandemic. Entire countries are now on lockdown, store shelves are empty, children are not in school and the news cycle is non-stop COVID-19 updates. The cause and the result of this is escalating fear. But, fear is an emotion and it's something we can each individually control. And, controlling that fear, could play an important role in keeping us healthy. To explain how, I’ve invited Dr. Mario Martinez back to the show. Dr. Mario is a psycho immunologist and the best-selling author of The Mind Body Code: How to Change the Beliefs that Limit Your health, Longevity, and Success as well as the learning series How the Mind Wounds and Heals and How Longevity is Culturally Learned and the Causes of Health Are Inherited. He has published numerous articles in professional journals and lectures worldwide on his research and theory of biocognition. Reducing Risk Before we talk about ways to improve the immune system, it’s important to note that these ideas are in conjunction with recommendations for reducing risk (like washing your hands properly and often as well as practicing social distancing). Fear and Panic and the Immune System We talked about ways to boost the immune system through health practices and supplements in Episode 49 - Demystifying the Coronavirus. However, Dr. Mario says there is another layer to boosting our immune that has to do with its response to stress. When we experience stress, the body releases adrenaline and cortisol which suppress immune function. He explains that the best friend of Coronavirus is the panic and fear it causes because these actually help it spread. The Challenge of Reducing Fear and Panic About COVID-19 It’s not easy to simply ‘not panic’ because our brain is trained to take signals from our ‘cultural editors’. These include authority figures like parents, teachers, doctors and newscasters. These people may have vital information but they may also provide us with so much information that it creates a fear or stress response that suppresses the immune system. Improving Immune Function To fight a virus like Novel Coronavirus, the body needs to produce an antibody called Immunoglobulin Type A (IGA). There are ways to help the body increase the production of IGA. Studies show that emotions like fear, shame, chronic anger and an inability to forgive can actually decrease IGA production. So, being aware of these emotions and working to reduce them is important. Conversely, the research also found that being a loving person who cares for yourself and others increases IGA production. Social Connections and the Immune System Having a connection with people increases your oxytocin and other kinds of hormones and peptides that help support the immune system. While you should still head the advice of experts to practice social distancing, it’s important to maintain social connections. This might be regular phone calls or video chats. Self isolating doesn’t have to be social isolation. Positive Mindset during a Pandemic Despite the evidence that a positive mindset is beneficial to the immune system during a pandemic, it can be difficult to do. Here are some top tips from Dr. Mario for staying positive and supporting your immune system internally. 1. Create Rituals. Our routines are good for our health and right now many of us are out of our routines so Dr. Mario says it’s important to create new rituals like dining by candlelight or playing board games as a family. 2. Be Self-Aware of your Interpretations. We choose how we interpret situations and scenarios and we can choose to interpret them positively which ultimately decreases fear and panic and increases production of IGAs. 3. Practice Heart-Breathing and Generate Feelings of Compassion. Dr. Mario shares a breathing technique that helps the parasympathetic nervous system and triggers the production of oxytocin. 4. Care for Yourself and Others. Caring for others has a positive effect on our mindset but we have to be careful not to forget caring for ourselves or the benefits are negated. 5. Avoid Emotional Vampires Some people are so caught up in their negative loop that they steal from our emotional well. It’s best to avoid these people if possible or limit the time and emotional energy we give them. 6. Adjust your Emotional Default Mode to Positive We have an emotional default mode that we may not be aware of. It is possible to adjust this default to be more positive. 7. Maintain Perspective It’s easy to lose perspective with all of the dire news, but putting things into perspective can help us from falling into fear and panic, which is hard on our immune system. 8. Decrease Unnecessary Exposure to the News It’s important to stay informed, but Dr. Mario says we can over do it. He suggests getting your news only once a day. We’re in this Together While there are things we can’t control, you do have control over what you focus on and think a

The Case: Mary 38 and has been dealing with vertigo, light sensitivity and low energy. She was also experiencing gastro-intestinal issues She saw a neurologist who provided no answers and a gastroenterologist who prescribed Proton Pump Inhibitor medications The Investigation I often meet people with a bunch of symptoms that seem unrelated. That was the case with Mary. In our conversation she also mentioned that she often felt like something was crawling under her skin. When I probed her more she also recalled that she would get headaches here and there. My sense was that it had to do with how her nervous system was responding to something, which is where I started my investigation. My first suspicion was migraine syndrome. It’s estimated that over 33 million Americans suffer with some form of migraines. About 11% of the world’s population has migraines. What most people don’t know is that migraine syndrome isn’t just about bad headaches. There are a lot more symptoms to consider. To help me unravel Mary’s mysterious symptoms, I asked Dr. Rudrani Banik. Dr. Banik is a board-certified and fellowship-trained Neuro-Ophthalmologist with over 20 years of medical experience. She is the Founder of Envision Health NYC in New York City. She shares my root-cause approach to solving problems and specializes in integrative eye and brain health so I knew she was the right expert to discuss Mary’s case with. What is Migraine Syndrome Migraine Syndrome is a neurologic disease that can manifest in several aspects of bodily function. There are very specific criteria that the International Headache Society have proposed for making a diagnosis. Firstly, there have to be at least five attacks of symptoms which may or may not include a headache. Headaches, when they do occur, last from 4 - 72 hours (longer than a typical headache) and usually also have a pulsating quality. Additional symptoms include nausea, vomiting, light sensitivity and sound sensitivity. Additionally, some experience dizziness, vertigo, gastrointestinal issues which can include cramps, bloating, and diarrhea. Frequent urination and sweating may also be present. Dr. Banik says that she sees patients with a variety of different symptoms. Who is at Risk of Having Migraine Syndrome Migraine Syndrome is very common. According to Dr. Banik, one in ten people have migraines and women are 3 times more likely to suffer from it. If someone in your family has Migraine Syndrome, you are more likely to be affected. Children of migraine sufferers are 50% more likely to also suffer from migraines. Keep in mind that Migraine Syndrome often goes undiagnosed so you may be predisposed to it and not know it because family members are unaware that their symptoms are related to migraines. The Migraine Gut Connection A lot of people don’t realize the connection between gastrointestinal issues and migraines - in fact many doctors are unaware of it too. There are many connections between the brain and the gut. The primary connection is through a nerve called the vagus nerve which carries parasympathetic information from the brain to the gut. It helps control digestion and other GI functions. Plus, there's actually a nervous system in the gut called the interior nervous system. So, the gut releases neurotransmitters that send signals back to the brain. These two systems represent a dual neural-pathway between the brain and the gut. Common Migraine Triggers Migraine triggers are unique to the individual but there are some more common triggers to be aware of. Food sensitivities can trigger migraines. These foods may be foods you love (like red wine, beer, chocolate, and cheese) that do not trigger any other symptoms. Fermented foods or foods that are high in histamines or sulfites are common culprits. Caffeine can cause migraines, but it can also help some people. In order to track down what foods may trigger a migraine for you, Dr. Banik suggests keeping a food diary or using a free app like MigraineBuddy. This app will also help you track stress as this is a very common trigger. Additional triggers include toxins (especially inhaled toxins) as well as certain mold. Determining the Root Cause of Migraine Syndrome Because of the close connection between the gut and the brain, Dr. Banik usually starts by testing for the root cause of migraines in the gut. She will help heal the gut by bringing the gut microbiome back into balance and see if that alleviates the migraines. It’s also important to test for deficiencies because these can play a role in migraines, especially magnesium. Genetic testing that can identify the MTHFR gene which is common in migraine cases. In this case, a methylated vitamin B may be helpful. There are some tests that can help identify possible causes include an MRI, a food sensitivity panel (the IgG Panel), or a stool sample. Conventional Treatment of Migraines Conventional doctors are most likely to treat migraine syndrome with a prescription and not bother looki

The Investigation Misty has a long history of mysterious sleep issues. Just when she would solve one sleep mystery, another would pop up. It turned out, each of them was caused by something different. Luckily, Misty Williams became her own health advocate and was able to get to the various root causes and correct them. Now she runs Healing Rosie, an organization that provides high performing women in their 20s and 30s with the resources and community to successfully confront the unexpected in their own wellness journey. Misty joins me on the show today to share the different suspects you should be considering if you have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or getting enough quality sleep. Suspect #1 - High Cortisol Most people know that stress can play a big role in our ability to sleep well. The cortisol that our body releases in times of stress is what keeps us awake. For Misty, she experienced a significantly elevated level of cortisol during an illness and once it was rectified, her body struggled to get rid of it. You won’t believe how long she was awake (we’re talking days, not hours!). Some people don’t realize that stress isn’t the only way that cortisol can be elevated. Misty explains that X-rays, infections and other illnesses can also spike cortisol. Stress reduction protocols are key for combating this cause of sleep issues. Suspect #2 - Busy-ness Our lives are extremely full - too full, in some cases and all of that busy-ness can impact our ability to sleep. Being busy all the time with a million things on our mind, might be lumped into the stress category but it can be more than that. The mind might be racing making falling asleep incredibly hard and then when you do get to sleep, suddenly you’re awake a few hours later. Even waking up too early (and unable to get back to sleep) can be a symptom of being too busy. Lifestyle changes are the only way to alleviate this. Suspect #3 - Toxic Metals Misty experienced sleep issues after she had her mercury fillings removed by her dentist who inadvertently released some of the toxins into her body. Toxic metals, like mercury, can cause serious sleep disturbances. And, it can take the body up to 5 years to be fully rid of these toxic metals. A heavy metal detox may help. Suspect #4 - Hormones This is a very common cause of sleep issues for women as they approach perimenopause and menopause. The response to low estrogen (and even low progesterone) can be sleep problems. Low estrogen can also cause night sweats and hot flashes. Low progesterone can be caused by excess cortisol (caused by stress or metal toxicity) and also causes sleep issues. Suspect #5 - Epstein-Barr Virus We’ve talked in previous podcasts about Epstein-Barr and how pervasive (and undiagnosed) it is. Misty raises an interesting point that EPV can cause sleep issues. When the body is dealing with a really heavy viral load, it can affect our sleep. This suspect can be hard to catch because many doctors won’t test for this and the virus can sit dormant for a long time and then have a flare up. There are good homeopathic treatments for EPV. Suspect #6 - Parasites This may surprise some people but parasites are nocturnal so if you have them, they can keep you up at night. Many people don’t consider parasites because they think only people who travel to third-world countries get them. That’s not true! People can get parasites in many developed countries - including the United States! Luckily, most parasites can be evicted with a special cleansing protocol. Suspect #7 - Circadian Disruption Our modern lives don’t follow our natural circadian rhythm (except, maybe some farmers). We stay up too late using artificial light and we stare at blue screens all day and night that confuse the parasympathetic nervous system. Then, after hours of tricking our body into thinking it’s daytime, we suddenly expect it to accept that it’s not. The way to counter this is to live by circadian biology (and rise and sleep according to the sun). Since this is pretty much impossible for most people, there are ways to decrease exposure to blue light. Start by using amber glasses, limit screen time close to bed, and set screens to amber mode in the evening. Misty also has amber light in her house and uses blackout curtains to make sure her room is pitch black at night. Suspect #8 - Heat Misty says that a good night’s sleep requires a cold room. She likes to keep the room very cold (as cold as you can stand it). She also uses a ChiliPad on her mattress that helps to keep her body temperature low at night. Another way that Misty suggests lowering the body temperature at night is by having a cold bath (or shower) before bed. Eliminating Health Mysteries Sleep is absolutely crucial to our health. It’s important to determine what is interrupting your sleep (and it may be more than one of these suspects) and correcting it with the tips and tricks Misty shares in this episode. To truly demystify your sleep issues, check ou

The Case: Lindsay is 38 and constantly feels overwhelmed by her job, health, and life. She swings from depression to anxiety and can’t get a handle on things. She tried different diets, supplements and saw several experts including an integrative psychologist. The Investigation When I met with Lindsay, she had already tried and eliminated several of the root causes I would have investigated including removing gluten from her diet and supplementing with probiotics and specific amino acids (which may remind you of Episode 35, The Case of Unpredictable Anxiety w/ Trudy Scott). But, like I always say, every case is unique. With the usual suspects out of the way, I had to look deeper. I noticed that Lindsay seemed ‘in her head’ a lot. It reminded me of the old me and I knew this would be where the investigation would begin. Joining me on the show is Christy Whitman. She’s transformational leader, celebrity coach and the New York Times Bestselling Author of The Art of Having It All. Christy is also the CEO and founder of the Quantum Success Learning Academy & Quantum Success Coaching Academy. The connection between Christy and Lindsay’s case may not be immediately obvious. To see the connection, you have to understand a little bit about quantum physics. Luckily, Christy is happy to explain. Quantum Physics and Our Health Everything is energy including a chair, a tree, or a human body. Everything in the universe is made up of atoms and molecules which are energy. And all energy carries a vibration. That vibration is communication that goes out into the universe and then attracts other like energies. We are sending out vibrations and we are also receiving them. This happens spontaneously at a cellular level. This could be in a blood cell, a liver cell or a brain cell. Often, the body doesn’t know how to receive energy. Conditioned Not to Feel Christy explains that part of the problem people have with this flow of energy is when they don’t know how to feel this energy or they reject it - especially when it relates to childhood conditioning. Many kids are told not to cry, to bottle up anger, or not to be sad. Even telling someone not to be afraid is a suppression of emotional energy. Over time, this treatment of energy becomes so habitual that it becomes a state of being. Christy says this can lead to depression, anxiety or a diseased state of the body. Feel the Feels Instead of suppressing feelings and emotions, Christy says it is much healthier to feel those emotions and process them completely. It takes only 90 seconds for the body to feel the woosh of a feeling, sit with it, experience it and then release it fully. However, most people either suppress it or allow it to compound by adding on to it. This can amplify emotions and create a spiraling effect. This then becomes very unpleasant and so we distract ourselves from those feelings by eating, drinking, shopping, etc. Feel it in the Body, Not the Head We may think that emotions and feelings are something we process with our thoughts but they are actually processed in the body. We have to feel them. If we try to process them with our minds, they get stuck and can easily be reactivated. The more this happens, the more it compounds and overwhelms us. As a result, we close down to emotions because we don’t want them piling on. But, just because we’re shut down, that doesn’t mean the energy goes away. Instead, explains Christy, it spirals and creates an energetic vortex that attracts similar emotions to it. Emotional Energy Impacts Organs Unprocessed energy or emotions can impact the health of your organs. Different emotions impact different organs. Anger gets contained in the liver and gallbladder. This can show up physically as headaches, skin issues, sluggishness, and high blood pressure and emotionally as resentment, frustration, irritability, and rage. Grief sits in the lungs. Unprocessed grief can feel like a tightness in our chest, or we might become prone to bronchitis, pneumonia, or asthma. It can also show up as shoulder pain, back pain, hoarseness of the throat, or constant cough. Fear resides in our kidneys and our bladder and it's like adrenal fatigue. But when we're constantly in a space of worry, that's now a habitual way of being. In that state, we can see issues with digestion and stomach pain. Master Your Own Energy Getting your energy cleared out can be done by an energy healer but it is possible to manage your own energy. As an energy master, you will be able to pay attention to your thoughts and pivot them to serve the flow of your energy. There is no need to be a victim of consciousness because it’s possible to be a deliberate creator of our lives and choose how we want to feel. To clear your own energy, start by dropping your consciousness from your head and putting it into your belly. Then, just sit there and feel for a pulsation, like a heartbeat. Once you feel it, focus on it and allow it to get bigger and bigger. Then, just like a wave

The Case: Sydney is 41 and struggles with fatigue and fluctuating energy levels. She wakes up tired after a full night’s sleep and can barely make it through her day. She saw an endocrinologist and the 3 GPs who had no explanation for her condition. She tried several different supplements, but nothing helped. Feeling tired seems like such a common problem that so many people don’t even complain about it anymore - it’s just the accepted human condition. But, Sydney knew that how she was feeling wasn’t normal and she certainly couldn’t accept it. She had her thyroid tested so when her numbers came back in the normal range, she knew she had to dig even deeper. The Investigation When I first met Sydney, I noticed that she had a lot on her plate. By exploring vitamin deficiencies and thyroid issues, she’d already eliminated some of the usual suspects of fatigue issues. I took a look at her diet and saw that she was already eating pretty clean so that wasn’t the culprit either. My sense was that we need to have an indepth look at how her adrenal glands were functioning in order to solve this health mystery. Joining me on the show today to talk more about it is Dr. Deborah Matthew. Dr. Matthew is the Founder and Medical Director of Signature Wellness in Charlotte. She’s a Diplomat of the American Board of Integrative and Holistic Medicine, the President of The North Carolina Integrative Medicine Society, a member of the Institute of Functional Medicine, and is Board Certified by the American Academy of Pediatrics. What are the Adrenal Glands We each have two adrenal glands and they are responsible for making stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. They're about the size of a walnut and they sit right on top of our kidneys. When the body perceives a threat, adrenaline gets released instantly and only lasts for a few minutes. If the perceived threat continues, then the adrenal glands begin to produce cortisol, which the body can convert into energy over a longer period of time. The adrenal glands also make a hormone called DHEA, which is an anti-aging hormone that protects our cells, bones, and brain. Symptoms of Adrenal Gland Imbalance When the adrenal glands are overstimulated and over producing hormones, we call this an imbalance. The most common symptom is fatigue. Oftentimes there's a pattern to the fatigue, which is that it is hard to wake up in the morning and your brain feels groggy. Often, caffeine is needed to boost the cortisol and bring you up to a functioning level. The pattern continues with a slump late in the afternoon (usually when you reach for more caffeine or some sugar) and then the energy may return briefly around dinner but after dinner, the fatigue sets back in and you feel like you’re ready for bed. If you do stay up though, you may experience a second wind around 10 pm (just when you should be getting to bed) making it hard to get to sleep. What Causes Adrenal Gland Issues The job of adrenal glands is to respond to stress. This includes emotional stress (like our job, relationships, or general busyness) as well as physiological stresses that may come from chronic pain, injury, infections, exposure to toxins, or allergies. (including physiological and emotional stresses). The adrenal glands pump out cortisol to deal with each of these stresses. Over time, and as stresses start to add up, your cortisol levels can become chronically elevated. Chronically elevated cortisol can affect your blood sugar (and push you toward diabetes), it can push your blood pressure up, it can prematurely age your body by thinning the skin and hair, and by increasing the rate of bone depletion. It can even shrink your brain and bring on dementia. If chronically elevated cortisol levels continue for too long, the system can actually burn out and suddenly your body can’t make cortisol leaving you feeling burnt out, overwhelmed, and exhausted. Why Conventional Doctors Don’t Diagnose Adrenal Issues It can be very frustrating to work with conventional doctors who dismiss the possibility that an adrenal imbalance could be the cause of ongoing symptoms. However, doctors are trained in medical school to look for either tumors (which would be the cause of too much cortisol production) or other life threatening diseases. If they do not find evidence of these very rare health conditions, they have no more tools to help them since adrenal imbalance is not a disease and it is not taught in medical school. Testing for Adrenal Issues There are several lab tests that you can do to identify issues with your adrenal glands including a saliva test and a urine test. It’s important that these tests are done throughout the day to identify fluctuating levels. A single blood test will not paint a complete picture of what’s going on. Testing urine or saliva throughout the day however provides the best information about cortisol levels as well as DHEA levels and their relationship to each other. Treatment for Adrenal Issues Stress is

The Case: Molly is 37 and over the past few decades she’s become less and less comfortable in her body. She’s experiencing anxiety, uneasiness, restless leg syndrome, headaches, eye sensitivity, difficulty concentrating, and trouble falling (and staying) asleep. She often had to leave work early and was growing frustrated with her body. The Investigation I could see how difficult life had become for Molly. She told me that she’d often felt overly-sensitive growing up but these latest developments were unbearable. The more we talked about her lifestyle, the more I noticed that she was extremely connected in a digital sense. She constantly wore a bluetooth earpiece, she had many devices that she used frequently and she boasted about her super-high powered router. I became suspicious that all of these technological conveniences might be an important part of solving this health mystery. The potential health threats from exposure to Electromagnetic Fields (also referred to as Electromagnetic Frequencies or EMF) has been in serious question since the 90’s when studies were done about possible links between power lines and childhood cancer. Over the decades, our exposure has significantly increased. The volume of electronic devices in homes and public spaces has increased and the generation of wifi is also significantly grown. Wifi is all around us and the signals are getting stronger and stronger (from 2G to 5G) with technological development and increased consumer demand . Dr. Catherine Clinton is a licensed naturopathic physician and the founder of the website WellFuture. She is also an author, speaker, pediatric health advocate, and is in the process of completing a book about the impact of EMF on human health. She joins me in this episode to discuss Molly’s case. Human Bodies Generate Electromagnetic Fields When we think about EMFs, most of us think about wifi and electronic devices, but our bodies also generate EMFs. Dr. Clinton explains that EMFs in the body are small electrical signals between the cells in our body. We witness these if we get an EKG (which measures the currents of the heart) or an EEG (measuring the currents in the brain). But, these are just the most common. Every cell in our body, and especially in our organs, communicate using electrical signals or frequencies. This is important to understand when we look at how outside EMFs might disrupt or interfere with our internal EMFs. And, that’s not all. Plants and the earth also have a natural EMF that our bodies are conditioned to interact with. Potential Symptoms of EMF Disruption If our body’s EMF frequencies have been disrupted, the body can respond in a variety of ways. This makes it difficult to diagnose the problem because the symptoms could be caused by a myriad of other things. Potential symptoms caused by over exposure to external EMFs include: Fatigue Headaches Lack of energy Low immune system Irritation Anxiety Depression Autoimmune issues This list is by no means complete. For kids, symptoms might include: Difficulty sleeping Attention and focus issues Behavioral problems Mood problems EMF and Autoimmune Disease EMF disturbances tend to cause issues wherever the body is weakest, so if you already have a propensity for gut issues, then this is how it might present. Autoimmune patients are more susceptible, too. In fact, Dr. Clinton shared a study that looked at patients with autoimmune disease. The study found that 90% of autoimmune patients felt better with the removal of some of the EMFs in their environment. Sources of EMFs Cell Phones might be the first thing that comes to mind when we talk about EMFs - everyone seems to know that these devices generate electromagnetic fields. However, Dr. Clinton revealed that there are many other sources. Here are a few common examples: Electric blankets Wifi routers (in your house and surrounding houses) Smart meters Computers Video gaming systems Cell towers Refrigerators Electric devices (can openers, shavers, hair dryers, etc) If you are uncertain about the volume of EMFs in your home environment, there are companies that can test it for you with an EMF meter. It’s Science. Not Woo. While there is always a need for more research, currently research is proving that this topic is not “woo” but based in real science. Dr. Clinton explains how, on a quantum physics level, these EMF frequencies can affect the cells in our body. This research is proving that there is electric communication between cells, within cells, in the proteins on the outside of the cellular membrane - they're all set up to work in a certain electrical electromagnetic frequency. And when you start changing that, even the smallest changes have big effects cellularly.When we start to look at that on a very small level, what's happening with the electrons, what's happening with the molecules, we start to see how the body is really made up of these phospholipid bilayers. And they have this communication that's dependent on wate

The Investigation It’s estimated that more than a quarter of Americans are suffering with insomnia. Are you? Did you know that all troubled sleeping is considered insomnia? In this episode, we’re going to solve the mystery of sleep troubles and share valuable information about natural supplements that can help get you back to healthy sleep patterns. Two Types of Insomnia Many people are surprised to learn that there are two types of insomnia. Type 1 is when you have trouble falling asleep. Type 2 is when you can fall asleep but you struggle to stay asleep through the night. Specifically, if you wake up and struggle (for 20 minutes or more) or are unable to get back to sleep. Causes of Insomnia When You Can’t Fall Asleep There are many reasons someone may struggle with falling asleep. Common reasons are stress that has caused a high cortisol level. Low melatonin (which may be a result of low serotonin related to gut issues like dysbiosis) is a common factor in difficulties falling asleep. Did you know that bright lights used too close to bedtime (yes, that includes your TV, laptop, smart phone) can destroy melatonin? Mineral deficiencies, especially calcium and magnesium are also potential contributors to the problem. Causes of Insomnia When You Can’t Stay Asleep If you fall asleep but then wake up in the middle of the night (especially from 2 - 4 am) then the biggest suspect causes are high cortisol and liver issues. Cortisol is our stress hormone, and while we hear about it a lot, it’s a little more complex than just having too much. Our hormones need to be in balance throughout the day in order for us to function optimally - and that includes being able to stay asleep. The liver also plays a key role in a good night’s rest. If the liver is sluggish (overburdened) or toxic it can turn into physical stress that will wake us up. Natural Treatment Options for Insomnia The first part of determining how to treat your sleep issues is to determine what might be causing them. If stress is part of the problem (as it is for most people) you want to look into ways to down regulate your sympathetic nervous system. I recommend a dual pronged approach - mind & body and food & nutrition. Meditation for Sleeplessness Meditation is one of my favourite ways to address sleep issues. I encourage you to listen to episode 5 which dives deeper into meditation for insomnia featuring my meditation teacher, Emily Fletcher. Even if you are resistant to meditation or you think it’s too hard, this method of meditation can help you break through and really implement meditation as a treatment for sleep issues. Other things that can help with sleep issues are journaling and doing visualizations. Supplements for Troubles Sleeping From a supplement perspective, one of my favorites for lowering cortisol levels at night is phosphatidylserine. I use a product called PS150. It lowers cortisol and helps balance the adrenal gland. Typically, a 130 pound person can take 300 mg of phosphatidylserine. If cortisol is part of the issue, results can be expected in 1-2 weeks. I mentioned that a magnesium deficiency is a common cause for insomnia, so taking a supplement can often help. Magnesium helps with stress as it calms and relaxes the body. My favorite form of magnesium supplement for sleep is the glycinate form because it gets into the tissues much better than magnesium citrate. We all have different magnesium levels in our bodies and some people may need more than others, but for most of the clients that I see, a 300 mg dose can be a great start. There is another form of magnesium called Magnesium threonate and that is magnesium bound to the amino acid threonate. This form of magnesium is great for the brain and can also be helpful for sleep when there is an overactive mind. Liver Detox for Better Sleep First, you will want to determine if the liver is a potential cause for your insomnia. You can test this with an organic acid test which will look at certain liver pathways. However, if you have a history of consuming alcohol 3 or more times per week there is a good chance your liver detox pathways may be sluggish. Other causes of liver sluggishness are certain medications (even NSAIDS or birth control pills), eating out at restaurants several times per week or if you have not cleansed your liver in the last year. Herbs such as milk thistle and dandelion are wonderful to support the liver. I typically like going with synergistic formulas because all the ingredients work together. Some of my favorite combinations are the Push Catch Detox from Quicksilver Scientific, LV GB from Designs for Health and Livton Complex from Standard Process. Additional Supplements to Support Good Sleep If lowering cortisol (through meditation or other exercises) and liver supporting supplements don’t work, there are many other options. Valerian root and lemon balm are two herbs well-known for their nerve calming properties. Many people have found success with a

The Case: Emily has 2 autoimmune diseases She decided to get tested for EBV (Epstein Barr Virus) which her doctor reluctantly did. Her doctor didn’t know how to interpret her results and dismissed her concerns. What Emily experienced is very common. Conventional doctors often are hesitant to test for EBV and don’t truly know how to read the results. In some cases, they don’t even order the right lab tests. Emily knew that there was more to the story than her doctor understood. She’d educated herself about EBV and knew that there could be a connection to her 2 autoimmune diseases. And, that her health could be on the line. The Investigation I was happy to help Emily better interpret her lab results. As we learned in the first case of suspected EBV, this can be a very complicated, confusing, and time-sensitive diagnosis. There are few people who understand it better than Dr. Kasia Kines, so I brought her back to discuss Emily’s case. Dr. Kasia, she is a Doctor of Clinical Nutrition and the CEO of EBV Educational Institute and Holistic Nutrition Naturally. She is also the author of the Amazon Bestseller: The Epstein-Barr Virus Solution. Four Markers to Test for EBV Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) is complicated. In order to get a full picture of what’s going on with the virus (and determine if it’s latent or new), there are four markers that should be tested. These are tested through blood tests that many labs offer. The four tests are: EA IgG (Early Antigen) - this is the most important test and it’s often missed. If your doctor skips this one you won’t know your true EBV status. EBNA IgG (Epstein Barr Nuclear Antigen) - Indicates a history of infection in non-acute cases. This tells the story of the long term status of the virus. VCA IgG (Viral capsid antigen) - Indicates an acute infection and will remain perpetually present after initial infection. VCA IgM (Viral capsid antigen) - Is present in the early phase of an infection and usually disappears. For what the results mean, see the chart in this week's show notes here: Health Mysteries Solved Podcast - Episode 43 [chart courtesy of Dr. Kines’ website] The Often Missed EBV Test The EA IgG early antigen test is the most important in getting a big picture of what’s going on right now with the virus. Unfortunately, it is often skipped by doctors. When you have EBV, the virus stays in the body (and we may not be able to ever kill it off entirely). Dr. Kines says that 90 - 95% of the population carries the virus and for many, it doesn’t impact their day-to-day health. Despite this, someone may wake up and feel like they’ve been run over by a truck. Could it be the latent EBV reactivating? The early antigen test is key in determining this - and it must be tested early on (within the first few weeks of the ‘flare-up’ or reactivation). If this test is not done, you could have active EBV and not know it which can be dangerous. Symptoms of Active EBV A reactivation of EBV can present in a variety of ways. I could seem like the flu with severe fatigue and feeling like you’ve been ‘run over by a truck’. It can also present with cold-like symptoms (sore throat, swollen lymph nodes), or skin rashes, and even gut or digestive issues. Digestive issues could present as constipation, pain, or symptoms related to leaky gut. If you have an autoimmune disease like Hashimoto’s, it might present as a flare-up of the autoimmune disease. The real challenge with symptoms of EBV is that there are so many potential symptoms that could easily be something else. This is why EBV is often not considered or caught. How to Decrease Elevated EBV Markers When there is a flare up, the results on the lab can be very confusing - especially when the level is shown simply as above the maximum lab result. Dr. Kines has a protocol she recommends (and I use it with my patients too). This recommends a restricted diet and a lot of rest. It is all outlined in her book. It is also important to continue to monitor the markers. However, Dr. Kines points out that everyone’s levels are going to be different. Some will decrease significantly with lifestyle changes while others may take longer. However, how you feel is more important than what the labs say. If you feel good, and your labs are elevated, then consider that a win. She says that it’s easy for people to get demoralized but it’s not all about the numbers. Other Factors in EBV If someone is following the protocol and not getting results (either in how they feel or their lab results), then there may be something else at play. Two of the most common culprits are heavy metals and molds. For more on heavy metals, listen to episode 024 and for more on mold listen to episode 006. Mold can really block any efforts to decrease EBV marker levels because it devastates the immune cells and system. In cases where mold or heavy metals are an issue on top of elevated EBV markers, the mold and heavy metals must be addressed first. Negative Reaction to the EBV Protocol I

The Case: Doreen is 39 and dealing with chronic digestive issues. She never knew when something would cause her stomach or bowels to flare up. She’d worked with several integrative practitioners but nothing helped. She was at the end of her rope and believed that nothing would ever work for her and that her situation was hopeless. The Investigation I could see issues with her diet right away but with her history of working with respectable integrative doctors, I knew that dietary shifts weren’t going to be enough. There was something deeper going on and I suspected that it had to do with her mental state. Trying to solve a health mystery can be emotionally taxing and frustrating. I understand that getting back to health can feel like an impossible task. And, sometimes, if we tell ourselves this enough, and fortify it with more negative thoughts, we can make the challenge even more difficult. I knew that if negative self-talk was at play in Doreen’s health mystery, we might never get her back to wellness. Roxanne Saffaie is an empowerment coach and the host of Black Belt Beauty Radio (a podcast focused on Self Development, Life-Performance, and Health). She joins me on this episode to discuss how mindset can impact our physical health. Gut Health and Mindset When we’re dealing with digestive issues, our first sense is to assume something like dysbiosis, food sensitivities, or leaky gut. Sometimes, there’s another layer to the issues that has to do with mindset. Roxanne explains that our sense of self-worth, self-love, and self-confidence can all play a role in our overall health. A negative mindset, lack of self-worth or self-confidence can all lead to poor health habits, a general disbelief that we are worthy of good health and behaviour that amounts to self-sabotage. Committing to Healing Requires Commitment to Self The journey back to health can include some pretty challenging changes. These might be dietary changes, lifestyle changes, and/or habitual changes. In order for someone to commit to these changes, they have to believe both in themselves and the process. If they don’t believe in their own ability, that doubt can derail their efforts. If they don’t believe they will succeed, they are much more likely to fail. Roxanne says you have to adopt a champion mindset; you have to believe that you belong in the game and that you’re in it to win. Reversing Negative Self-Talk Many of us have negative thoughts and beliefs about ourselves. And, when we’ve been struggling with health issues, it’s easy to become doubtful about the prospect of feeling better. Roxanne says that reversing negative self-talk starts with paying attention to your inner dialogue to catch it as it’s happening. She also suggests that you prepare to reverse it when you know you have a challenge ahead. As you become more practiced at it, you will be able to witness your thoughts and create a separation between you and your thoughts. Journaling One habit that Roxanne feels can make a big difference is journaling. All too often, our thoughts stay internal. Roxanne says that journaling helps to expel thoughts from your mind and allow them to just be; put them on paper but don’t judge them. Journaling is not about writing something of worth for the outside world, it’s a tool to help you communicate with your inner thoughts. It can simply be a brain dump of all of your thoughts poured out on the page. She recommends creating a daily journaling habit. It doesn’t have to take long. Journaling for just 5-10 minutes a day can help you gain perspective on your inner-self which leads to a deeper self-awareness and self-connection. Meditation I’ve talked about the benefits of meditation on the show before and Roxanne agrees that it’s a great way to connect with your inner self. Like journaling, the practice has to be about witnessing your thoughts and not judging them. Letting your thoughts passby allows you to be aware of them without them affecting you. This also helps to build self-awareness. The 4 S’s The path to believe that you are worthy of good health and that you will overcome your challenges has 4 S’s, according to Roxanne. They are, in order: Self-Awareness This is becoming aware of your inner dialogue and recognizing negative self-talk. Self-Connection This is when you start to see an identity shift. You start to understand and live in your authenticity and your creative expression will be easier. Self-Love Now that you are more connected with yourself and living more authentically, you can generate more of a loving relationship with yourself. From this place, you can access more discipline, accountability and personal commitment to yourself. Self-Confidence Once you’ve learned self-love, you will be able to demand more from your life and live in a place of self-confidence. You will feel worthy of everything that you feel is important to you - which includes your good health. Mental Landscaping for Health Mental landscaping is a reframing

The Investigation Annual check-ups are supposed to confirm your health or raise flags on potential issues. But, could they be a false sense of security? I’ve had so many clients come in with a ‘clean bill of health’ from their doctor that doesn’t match how they feel. Today, we’re going to investigate why so many annual check-ups fall short. Insufficient Blood Tests Are you getting the right blood tests with your annual check-up to truly determine if your healthy? It depends on your doctor. What tests are run is up to each individual doctor. I find that, unless you are seeing an integrative doctor, chances are good that your blood work is very basic. An integrative doctor will ensure that the blood work includes specific markers to get a complete picture of what’s going on in the body. How Health Mysteries Start So often, clients dealing with a health mystery tell me that they’ve had an annual physical and that the blood work came back totally normal. Without more comprehensive blood testing, they presume that nothing is wrong and as a result, doctors may dismiss complaints or rule out issues prematurely. When we presume that things are ‘normal’ it can be very hard to dig deeper to find out what is really going on. And remember, imbalances often start months and years before symptoms appear and a disease is actually found. So, imagine if getting the right blood tests could mean that you catch things before they can turn into a health mystery! Avoid Becoming a Health Mystery The number one way to avoid developing a health mystery is to use your annual check-up as an opportunity to do more comprehensive testing. What does this look like? Ask your doctor to do more than just the basics. You need to be specific, otherwise, you might still fall into a false sense of security about your health. Normal is Too Broad Another way that issues can slip through the cracks is when our results come back inside the ‘normal’ range. The normal range is not the same as the optimal range and can vary depending on where you live. If you want optimal health, you have to compare your results to the ‘optimal’ range and not the normal range. What Blood Tests Should be in an Annual Physical Most routine physicals will include a complete blood count (CBC), a metabolic panel (looks at your glucose, liver and kidney markers), and a lipid panel (cholesterol and triglycerides). This is typically not enough. Here is what tests you should have done and the optimal ranges to look for: Vitamin D Check both 25 hydroxy and 125 hydroxy, ideally but if you just get one test, ask your doctor for the 25 OH. The typical ‘normal’ lab range for vitamin D is 30-100. Optimally, we want to be somewhere between 50-60 and if you have an autoimmune disease some say even closer to 70. Thyroid (listen to Episode 27 for more on this!) Most doctors won’t check this in a routine physical and if they do, it’s just a TSH test. You should test TSH, Total T4, Total T3, Free T4, Free T3, Reverse T3 and Thyroid antibodies. Check the PDF Download for optimal ranges of each of these Iron While the CBC includes a marker called hemoglobin but it is typically not enough to truly evaluate iron levels Ask for Total Iron, TIBC, Iron Saturation and Ferritin (which is the storage of iron). Inflammation Inflammation is what often leads to disease and very few doctors test for it in an annual physical. Ask for a test that looks a marker called HsCRP (high sensitivity c reactive protein). Ideally, this number should be below 1 even though the labs range may allow or up to 5. Also test ESR. Normal ranges is below 15 but optimal range is below 5. High Homocysteine levels can lead to inflammation and is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. It is rarely checked. Most lab ranges show 0-15 as normal. Ideally, homocysteine should be between 7 and 8. B12 Normal ranges from 200 to 1100 but ideally, you want to be above 600. Hemoglobin a1c (if you’ve had elevated glucose or you have a family history of diabetes) Most tests are a one-time check of glucose but the a1c looks at average levels over 3 months. Ideal levels are 5.6 or below. Between 5.7 and 6 indicates a higher risk for diabetes. 6-6.3 is considered pre-diabetes. Above 6.3 is diabetes ANA (anti nuclear antibodies) (if you suspect, have any history, or family history of autoimmunity) This general marker does not represent a specific autoimmune disease, having an elevated ANA can be indicative of some autoimmunity. If this is elevated, more investigation is warranted. Histamine determination whole blood (done at Labcorp only, Test # 081315) Learn more about this, the MTHFR gene, and methylation by listening to episode 34 The optimal range for this marker is 40-70 Redefining the Basic Tests Most doctors will run the basics, including a CBC, Metabolic and Lipid Panels. Here are the key things to look for: CBC Look at the white blood cells. The lab range is wide but an ideal white blood cell count is between about 5 and 9. A low w

The Case: Ariella is 32 and has been trying to get pregnant for the last year. As soon as she stopped taking the pill, she experienced irregular cycles, and headaches and cramps around her period Her family doctor’s only suggestion was to see a fertility specialist who suggested IVF which was too expensive. She tried tracking her cycle with an app but it wasn’t helping. The Investigation More than 10% of American women struggle to become (or stay) pregnant. Infertility has been on a steady incline over the past few decades and it’s estimated that by 2025, there will be close to 10 million couples struggling to have a baby. Fertility challenges may be common but in Ariella’s case, I suspected that the root of the problem had been hiding for a long time. My first clue was that she’d started taking birth control pills over a decade ago in order to deal with similar symptoms of her period. The pill may have masked the symptoms, but they didn’t solve the problem. If she wanted to get pregnant, we would have to deal with the root cause. Kymberly Kelly is a licensed acupuncturist with a practice in New York City. She has a Master’s of Science in Traditional Oriental Medicine from Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in San Diego, California and is a Diplomat with the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM). She specializes in fertility enhancement and pregnancy support so I knew she would be just the person to discuss Ariella’s case with. The Chinese Medicine Approach Just like functional medicine, Chinese medicine looks at the individual and knows that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. They know that the entire body constitution must be considered to solve an issue. Kymberly explains that fertility issues are not just about the sex organs. You have to look at the systems and find the pattern constitution. For example, she would look at someone dealing with headaches and consider what happens alongside those headaches. This might be triggers or other symptoms that will give a clearer sense of what treatment is going to solve the problem not just mask it. This is quite true for those suffering from Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) which is a common cause of infertility. Internal Weather Conditions Chinese medicine describes phenomenon that are happening in the body by likening it to what was happening in the outside world. So, for example, you might talk about the body’s internal environment as windy, dry, damp, hot or cold the same way you would describe the weather. These conditions are apparent to the trained eye of a Chinese medicine practitioner and help tell the story of what is happening with the different bodily systems that could be causing an issue. Plus, your internal body condition will respond to the external conditions. So, if you have a damp constitution, you might feel worse when it’s humid or raining outside. You might also feel worse when you eat ‘damp’ food like tofu or dairy. But, there is a way to balance out these internal conditions. Diagnosing Body Constitution Patterns There are no diagnostic tests to determine if you are damp, dry, hot, or cold internally; Chinese medicine tests are subjective. Kymberly explains that she has to ask a lot of questions around sleep, digestion, thirst, and temperature to see what the body is experiencing and how all of the systems are functioning together. She feels different pulses, to get a clear picture of what’s going on in the body. And, she will take a look at the tongue. Does it have teeth marks around the edge, thick coating, or really distended veins underneath? Each of these things can be significant to determining the internal state of the body. Chinese Medicine Treatment for Infertility Each patient is going to have their own unique treatment plan based on the assessment of their constitutional patterns and the internal state of their body. However, Kymberly says that 99% of treatments for fertility include acupuncture. Acupuncture works well to adjust the qi in the body and reset certain systems. She often starts with that and then adds herbal treatments one at a time so that she can determine what’s working and not working. It’s a process and it may take some time and some treatment-tweaking to restore fertility. Stress, Infertility and Acupuncture Stress can dramatically affect fertility, especially if it is chronic. If the body is in a permanent parasympathetic state, the environment is not right for creating new life. When we think of it in terms of fight or flight, a body in this state will not do anything to decrease the chances of survival (as a pregnancy would) so it shuts down fertility. So many of us are dealing with constant low-level stress that it can be hard to believe that this is the cause of infertility. Acupuncture can counter that parasympathetic state and calm the central nervous system down. Reducing stress is often step one in dealing with infertility. Reproductive Battery Pack

The Investigation I investigate a lot of health mysteries in my practice and on this podcast but there is one mystery that is hard to solve. How do you thrive? Not just in your health but in your life? If you got to the root of any problem and solved it, could you turn things around and live in optimal health? The Answer is Individual Everyone is going to view ‘thriving’ differently because it’s relative to your health circumstances and history. For me, thriving means waking up each day with great energy and sustaining that energy throughout the day. Getting fuel from the healthy foods I eat and digesting and absorbing everything with ease. Having my thyroid numbers in check and keeping my antibodies at an undetectable level. Having glowing skin and shiny hair a clear mind where I can easily focus on all the tasks at hand. Feeling present in my daily activities and enjoying what I do while having peace of mind, that is a big one for me. Having trust that things are working in my best interest. Parenting from a place of calm, enjoying quality time with my husband and family and really connecting with myself and others. What Does Thriving Mean for You? It’s an important question that many of us don’t give much thought. But, think about it, if you can’t picture what thriving looks and feels like, how can you achieve it? In today’s episode, I want to help you make that picture a little clearer. An Exercise and Meditation for the New Year Let me walk you through a fun exercise that will set you up for your best year yet. It works best if you give it your undivided attention so get yourself set up in a quiet, calm place. Have a notepad and pen handy because you’ll be doing some writing. Plus, if inspiration strikes during the exercise, you can make a note. This exercise takes at least 10 minutes but you can pause and take as long as you want. Celebrate Accomplishments Write down what you achieved this year. Celebrate and acknowledge your wins in: Health Career Family and Friends (Social Life) Lifestyle Acknowledge Challenges Write down the challenges you faced this year in all areas of your life. Health Career Family and Friends (Social Life) Lifestyle Envision Your Dreams Coming True Now spend some time picturing what you want to accomplish or experience in 2020. But, instead of stating it like a wish, state it as if it is already happening to you. For example - I am at my ideal weight. Focus on 2-3 dreams in different areas of your life. Meditate On It Once you have it all written down, close your eyes, put your pen and paper away and listen to this guided meditation. This will really help and you can use this recording over and over again to help you stay connected to your dreams and your vision of really thriving in your life. Next Steps I hope this exercise really helped. I would love to hear from you. What came up for you? Did you notice a difference right away or even a day later? Visit me on Instagram and let me know. Thanks for Listening If you like what you heard, please rate and review this podcast. Every piece of feedback not only helps me create better shows, it helps more people find this important information. Never miss an episode - Subscribe NOW to Health Mysteries Solved with host, Inna Topiler on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or Google Podcasts and remember to rate and review the show! Find out more at http://healthmysteriessolved.com PLEASE NOTE All information, content, and material on this podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Some of the links provided are affiliate links. This means we may make a very small amount of money should you choose to buy after clicking on them. This will in no way affect the price the product but it helps us a tiny bit in covering our expenses.

The Case: Jake is 3 and suddenly, he can’t sleep through the night. He doesn’t want to be in his room alone and seems scared. Mom and Dad don’t want him co-sleeping but they’re exhausted from the sleep deprivation caused by getting up multiple times a night to put him back to bed. They tried leaving his door open, keeping a light on, essential oils, and even supplementing his diet with calcium, magnesium and GABA. They knew they couldn’t go on like this, and they had to get to the bottom of this new sleep-resistance. Many parents encounter sleep pattern changes with their babies and toddlers. In some cases, it can be attributed to changes to the environment or the schedule. In other cases, the cause is unknown and the solution may not seem obvious, especially if both parents are becoming increasingly sleep deprived as they deal with their wide-awake child. The Investigation This health mystery was personal. I mean that literally. Jake, the suddenly sleep-resistant child is mine. Those bone-tired parents, that was my husband and I. Our son had been a good sleeper but as he started to outgrow his crib, something happened. He became frightened easily, refused to go to sleep unless one of us was in the room, and then he’d wake up a few hours later and we’d have to go through the whole routine again. The lack of sleep was making him unhappy and it was starting to affect our health. And, we started to give in to his demands. It meant we got more sleep, but I knew we were on a slippery slope. I reached out to Kimberly Walker, a sleep consultant to help us get to the root of Jake’s sleep pattern issue. She’s the founder of Parenting Unlimited, is a licensed social worker and has 17 years of experience helping parents as a pediatric sleep consultant. Sleep Regression When babies or kids go from sleeping through the night to struggling with sleep, it’s often called sleep regression. Kimberly says that many parents want to believe that it’s a phase; something that kids will fix on their own. However, if it’s been going on for 2 weeks or more, then Kimbely says, the child is forming a new habit and the problem won’t be solved without interaction. Plus, if it’s causing sleep disruptions for the whole family, then it’s something that parents need to take action for the health of everyone who is impacted. A lot of parents wonder ‘What happened? Why isn’t my child sleeping through the night anymore?’ There are many things that can trigger a sleep regression but Kimberly says trying to figure out ‘why’ is pointless. You don’t need to know what caused the sleep regression in order to fix it. Sleep Training vs. Sleep Teaching There are two common phrases used for helping children learn how to fall asleep (and fall back asleep) on their own. However, Kimberly says there is essentially no difference between ‘sleep training’ and ‘sleep teaching’; they both teach children the skill of putting themselves to sleep without the aid of anything. This includes learning to fall asleep without a pacifier, a parent present, or (for babies) without being rocked. Many people assume that falling asleep is an innate skill but Kimberly says it is something that we have to learn. The Cause of Bad Sleep Habits Parents often rely on their loving instincts to soothe their child. It can be very difficult not to go to their child and hold them when they are sick, scared, or unable to sleep. However, Kimberly points out that kids are smart and they learn that certain behaviour or circumstances result in getting more attention and love. They use this learning to get more of what they want (hugs, snuggles, time with mom and dad). This then creates a bad sleep pattern habit. For example, if every time they wake up in the middle of the night they cry out and mom comes running and then stays with them until they fall asleep, they will cry out every time they wake up without mom beside them. And then, the child can no longer fall asleep without mom there. Parental Emotional Challenges in Sleep Training It can be very hard for a parent who is trying to train their child to fall asleep and stay asleep without any help. Because, their instinct to soothe is going to kick in. Many worry that the anxiety caused by not being soothed by a parent will cause the child emotional stress that can harm the child physically and psychologically. Kimberly argues that the stress is happening anyway when the child wakes up in distress because mommy is no longer sitting where she was when they fell asleep. And, that when parents acknowledge the child’s emotional challenge but encourages them to work through it, it teaches the child resilience. (And the parents a bit too). Is Co-sleeping Bad? Contrary to what Kimberly teaches (that kids should be able to sleep on their own without their parents), some parents and certainly in some cultures, it is normal for the children to sleep in the bed with the parents. Kimberly respects this choice and while she does not teach this, she b

The Case: Susie is 45 and always tired and under the weather. She’s experiencing muscle weakness, chills, achiness and like she’s about to get a cold or flu but never actually does. She also experiences hyper sensitivity to certain scents from perfumes, chemical air fresheners, cigarette smoke, and household cleaners She’s seen multiple doctors that were unable to find anything wrong with her. Tests for Lyme Disease and Epstein Barr Virus came back negative despite the symptoms pointing to these conditions. The Investigation I use an analogy on the show all the time about our ‘bucket’ getting full from a variety of issues but it's the last thing into the bucket that causes symptoms (though everything together is what creates the problem). I could see pretty quickly that Susie was dealing with several undiagnosed issues and that her symptoms were not likely to lead to a single issue. Solving multiple health mysteries can be a real challenge, so I decided to rely on a technique that has worked for me and my family in the past - biomagnetismtherapy. Not only does it help diagnose difficult to detect infections, it also provides a non-invasive, drug-free way to treat them. Dr. Luis Garcia is such a strong believer in this therapy that he gave up his practice as a medical doctor to focus entirely on biomagnetic treatments. He stabilizes the body’s pH and stimulates the immune system through the use of magnets and bio energetic therapies. These help the body regain its self-healing bio electromagnetic balance so it can fight off infections. What are Stealth Infections? Stealth infections are infections that are difficult to detect either because they lay in wait without causing symptoms or they are sub-clinical. Often, they go undetected because they are not tested for. Infections that are commonly missed include mosquito-borne viruses (Zika, Dengue, Malaria, and Chikungunya) and other infections transmitted by insects like Lyme Disease. At a subclinical level, symptoms of these types of viruses, like fatigue or joint pain, might be attributed to more common causes like stress or aging and then treated with medication. Or, these viruses may not present symptoms at all until other stressors are added on the immune system and the ‘bucket’ overflows. How Does Muscle Testing Work? Dr. Garcia uses kinesiology to conduct muscle tests that allow the body to reveal what illnesses are impacting specific areas of the body. I’ve done these tests with Dr. Garcia, so I’m able to share my personal experience in this episode. What he does is have a patient lay down on the table. He put shoes on so that he can get a level read on the movement of the leg muscles. He lines up your feet and then asks the body very specific questions watching for the involuntary contraction of certain muscles. When he sees these ‘tells’ he can ask clarifying questions to really pin down what’s going on. This Muscle Testing Sounds Fake! I know it’s hard to believe that this process actually works because it sounds so impossible. But, I can tell you from my personal experience, Dr. Garcia was able to diagnose me with a condition I definitely did not know I had (listen to find out the shocking truth). As a traditional doctor, he was also skeptical. So, for the first dozen or so patients, he had his patients run labs to confirm his diagnosis and, after his treatment to confirm that it worked. He was stunned to see the results - results that lead to him giving up his medical practice to work exclusively with biomagnetic therapies. Treating Viruses and Infections with Magnets Once the infection or virus has been identified and located in the body, Dr. Garcia uses magnetic force to shift the circulation in the body part or organ in order to flush out the infection. This detoxification process can happen as quickly as one session but longer held infections may take months to clear. He has successfully scanned for and treated bacterial infections, viruses, fungus, parasites, endocrine or organ dysfunctions, as well as certain emotional issues attributed to past traumas. Sometimes, these are layered on top of each other so treatment requires dealing with one issue at a time until everything is gone and the pH is restored. Mystery Solved Solving Susie’s health mystery required two lines of investigation. First, I looked at her test results and saw that she was not dealing with viruses well, especially when she became stressed or had hormone changes triggered by her menstrual cycle. I knew her immune system was under strain and unable to handle things under any kind of challenge. I suspected that there were subclinical viruses or stealth infections to blame. I sent her to see Dr. Garcia to determine what was going on. He found a ton of hidden stuff, including Epstein Barr virus, Cytomegalovirus, both German and English measles, malaria, yersinia, and pseudomonas to name a few. These infections were not acute, but they were collectively burdening the immune syst

The Investigation There’s so much information out there about how to obtain optimal health that it can do some damage. This overwhelming amount of information often leads to one of two scenarios - doing nothing because it’s too hard to decipher all of the information or oversubscribing to health practices (which might contradict each other). Either way, nobody can blame you for getting it wrong. But it begs the question - could you be making a common mistake in the name of health? In my practice, I see these 5 things happen all the time -- even with people who are highly educated about health and wellness. This podcast is all about solving health mysteries and these mistakes are some of the most usual suspects. Inaction Change can be hard. When you find out that you have a sensitivity to gluten or dairy, you’re initial reaction might be to think that you can’t possibly make the changes necessary to be healthy again. The excuses might feel reasonable but it comes don’t to not being willing to make the changes. There is a difference between ‘can’t’ and ‘won’t’ when it comes to making the changes you need to make in order to be healthy. The first step is realizing that you are in control of whether you make the changes or not. Knowing that you are in control is so critical even if you choose not to take action right away. Over Limiting Diet The second mistake is almost a polar opposite to mistake #1. This is when someone sees several different health practitioners, discovers all kinds of issues and ends up on a highly restricted diet. Sometimes in the process of eliminating foods, they forget to add in new foods that they CAN eat. This can result in eliminating entire food groups and ending up with a very unbalanced diet. One of the biggest stressors on the body is blood sugar dysregulation which can happen with an unbalanced diet. When you have a complicated diet it’s easy to forget the basics so don’t just focus on what has to be eliminated, focus on what needs to be added to have a healthy diet. Unnecessarily Grain-Free Going grain-free is a very popular diet, and it does have some benefits like being really anti-inflammatory. However, it going grain free needs to be done right because if you over-consume certain foods, you can be increasing oxalates in your body. Oxalates are crystalline molecules that we primarily absorb from our diet. These oxalates can accumulate in the body and cause a lot of inflammation as well as joint pain, muscular pain, and even inside the eyes as well as neurological symptoms. They can even lead to kidney stones. It’s important to rotate grain replacements (like almond flour, nuts, and sweet potatoes) and watch out for excessive spinach since these can spike oxalates. Kale Overload! Don’t get me wrong, kale is healthy. But, you can overdo it. Many people think because kale has health properties you should have it at every meal. The problem with that is that kale is high in sulfur. Eating too much can create sulfur overload for some sensitive individuals, especially if you already eat high-sulfur foods like meat, eggs and certain greens. We talked about sulfur overload in Episode 10 with Beth Mosher. Sulfur overload can cause eczema, rashes, breakouts, and swelling around the eyes. The solution is to rotate in other greens and not be so committed to kale-everything. Not Listening to Your Body Recognizing we have a problem requires us to listen to our body. However, what sometimes happens is that once you discover an issue (or you self-diagnose) you adopt a treatment plan and promptly start to ignore new signs. Our body will tell us how it is handling changes to diet or supplements but too often, we aren’t listening. It’s important to know what to expect. For example, when doing certain detox cleanses, you can expect to feel symptoms from the ‘die off’. However, if these symptoms become severe, you need to listen to your body. Symptoms should never move beyond the uncomfortable stage, so let your body tell you what’s okay and what’s not. Eliminating Health Mysteries I’m sharing these 5 mistakes because on the surface, they seem like healthy choices but they can actually cause more harm or create new issues. Remember, doing something healthy does not always have to be super hard. Everything that you do counts and even little steps can get you to big results. Being aware of these mistakes will help you avoid making them. You have the power to fix your health issues. If you have someone in your life that may have fallen into these health-traps, please share this episode with them. Links: Inna’s Practice: www.CompleteNutritionAndWellness.com Inna’s VIP program: https://www.completenutritionandwellness.com/pricing-insurance/ Thanks for Listening If you like what you heard, please rate and review this podcast. Every piece of feedback not only helps me create better shows, it helps more people find this important information. Never miss an episode - Subscribe NOW to Health Mysteries Solv

The Case: Lauren is 32 and has been dealing with anxiety most of her life She noticed that her anxiety can be worse during stressful times and during the winter. She was on anti-anxiety medication but they made her feel flat. She tried meditation for anxiety but this wasn't enough and didn’t completely resolve the panic attacks. The Investigation Lauren’s situation is pretty common and I knew that we had to get to the root of the problem if we were going to help her deal with her anxiety. I suspected her neurotransmitters were part of the solution so that’s where I started investigating. Trudy Scott is a certified nutritionist and food-mood expert. She’s the author of The Anti-anxiety Food Solution: How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood and End Cravings and is the host of The Anxiety Summit. Neurotransmitters Role in Anxiety While anxiety is seldom only caused by neurotransmitters, there are several that can play a role. In this week’s episode, and for Lauren’s case, we look at two neurotransmitters - serotonin and gaba - which are both proven to impact our ability to handle stress and deal with different types of anxiety. Can Low Serotonin Causes Anxiety? Most people understand the relationship between serotonin and depression but they don’t realize that it also impacts anxiety. Low serotonin results in a specific type of anxiety, according to Trudy. She explains that it is linked to anxiety that may present as negative self talk, low mood, lack of confidence and self-esteem. Low serotonin can also result in panic attacks, phobias, ruminating thoughts (where you replay past events or constantly re-processing things) obsessive behaviors or obsessive thinking (often lying awake at night thinking about things). Another tell tale sign of low-serotonin-anxiety is afternoon and evening cravings were the only way to calm the anxiety is with eating (fulfilling the craving). Because serotonin naturally slows down during the darker winter months, anxiety can be seasonal. Low GABA Triggers Anxiety Anxiety triggered by low GABA (Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid) presents differently than anxiety caused by low serotonin. Low GABA anxiety is physical. This might present as general stiffness and tension in the body. You may lay awake at night feeling physically tense which stops you from being able to sleep. Often, low GABA suffers will feel tension in the gut, they may even feel sick to their stomach. Unlike those with low-serotonin anxiety who may self-medicate with food, those with low-GABA anxiety are more likely to self-medicate with alcohol. Diagnosing Neurotransmitter Triggered Anxiety There are a few tests (like urinary neurotransmitter tests and platelet serotonin tests) that can determine serotonin or GABA levels that can help determine if this might be the root cause of the anxiety. However, Trudy prefers to use a questionnaire to pinpoint the symptoms and then do a trial. For this, she has patients rank specific anxieties and then gives them a small dose, sublingually, of either GABA or an amino acid that replicates serotonin. She then re-administers the questionnaire. If there is a significant drop in their anxiety response, then she proceeds with a treatment plan. Treating Anxiety Caused by Low Serotonin Instead of just replacing the serotonin with a supplement, Trudy likes to help the body relearn how to make its own. Each treatment is highly individualized but a common plan would include amino acids including 5HTP and Tryptophan. These amino acids are considered substrates or precursors to us for us to make serotonin. There are some other nutrients that are needed like zinc, vitamin B6, magnesium, that are all cofactors that, together with tryptophan and 5HTP, help us to make our own serotonin.This supplement protocol, should be done along with dietary and lifestyle changes. Whatever caused the serotonin to slow down in the first place needs to also be addressed. This may be things like a gluten sensitivity, dysbiosis, parasites, autoimmune disease (like Hashimoto’s), or chronic stress. Treating Anxiety Caused by Low GABA Again, the treatment needs to be individualized and go hand in hand with diet or lifestyle changes that relate back to the root cause of the lower GABA production. Trudy prefers to use sublingual GABA supplements because its faster and it also ensures that there aren’t any issues with digestion. In this episode, she also addresses the controversial theory that GABA can’t cross the blood/brain barrier. There are different GABA receptors in the body (including muscle and gut) which she outlines as part of the reason that she feels GABA can still be effective. GABA has other benefits such as supporting the endocrine system, pancreas, liver, and fluoride-induced hypothyroidism. There are also benefits for people with diabetes. The Gut Connection to Anxiety So many things that happen in the gut can cause reduced levels of serotonin and GABA. 95% of our serotonin

The Case: Allison is 36 and has been struggling with mood issues since college She feels depressed, anxious, lonely and uncomfortable in social situations. Antidepressant medications and talk therapy worked only temporarily She tried supplement with vitamin B, but that made her feel worse The Investigation According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, anxiety affects over 18% of the US population and is the most common mental illness in America. They also report that it’s not uncommon for depression and anxiety to be experienced together. The website lists risk factors as genetics, brain chemistry, personality, and life events. I had my suspicions that genetics were at play with Allison. My instincts were to test her DNA for the MTHFR gene and determine if there might be a problem with her methylation capacity. To talk more in depth about this, I invite a methylation expert to join me on the show. Dr. Loren Marks is a chiropractic physician who has been practicing in New York City for over 35 years. He’s the founder of the Integrative Assessment Technique, or IAT which is an assessment methodology embracing nutritional-biochemistry, emotional health, and structural neurology. He's also a postgraduate instructor, a noted speaker, and frequent lecturer. What is Methylation Methylation is an important metabolic process. Methylation happens in every cell; in every organ of the body. And, it takes place more than a billion times a second. To understand the process, you first have to know that there is a molecule called methyl which is composed of carbon and hydrogen (CH3). This molecule occurs in the cell and plays an important role in many processes in the body including eliminating heavy metals, detoxification, repairing damaged DNA, and creating new cells. Mental Health and Methylation Methylation plays a role in energy production, mood balancing, and neural transmission in the brain. The three main neurotransmitters that are controlled or expressed through methylation are serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine - all of these correlate with depression, anxiety, and other issues with mental health. It’s important to note that the methylation pathways in the brain depend on good nutrition. What is the MTHFR Gene? Many people become familiar with methylation in relation to the MTHFR gene which can be identified through commercial DNA tests like 23 and Me. MTHFR is short for methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase. When geneticists looked at the different genes that control the methylation process, MTHFR has the highest molecular weight, which means it's the largest gene in a pool of over 20 genes. They assumed it had significant impact on methylation because of this dominance but further research has revealed that the smaller genes actually they can significantly impact the effectiveness of methylation. The MTHFR gene is responsible for the metabolism of methyl folate. MTHFR has two different alleles that, if they are mutated (which is common), can render the gene incapable of metabolizing methylfolate. What Does it Mean to Have Mutated MTHFR Gene? Many people become concerned that they have a mutation but Dr. Marks says that it doesn’t necessarily mean you're in trouble. There are many other things to consider including how this is impacting your ability to process methyl. The MTHFR can be expressed due to a predilection based on the genes that you inherited from your parents, but your lifestyle choices (the food you eat, the water you drink, the air you breathe, the stress that you're living with day to day) play a role. Research shows that lifestyle can trigger the expression of MTHFR gene. Diagnosing Methylation It’s important to work with a doctor to determine what’s happening with methylation. Having the MTHFR gene doesn’t mean there is a methylation problem - you could be balanced, be an over-methlator, or an under-methylator. There are two blood tests that can determine methylation efficiency. One is called a whole blood histamine. The normal range on this test is 40 to 70. If you're in that range, even if you have MTHFR, then your global methylation status is actually balanced out by other genes. The second test you can get is the SAMe ratio test. Testing the S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAMe) ratio will reveal whether you are net over or under in methyl. How to Treat Methyl Related Depression and Anxiety Rebalancing methyl levels may help with depression and anxiety. Depending on whether you are over or under methylator, there are supplements that can help. But, the wrong supplements can be problematic. For example, in some cases methyl folate can lower serotonin which is not what someone wants if they are dealing with depression or anxiety. Dr. William Walsh identified 5 biotypes of depression: undermethylation, folate deficiency, copper overload, pyrrole disorder, and toxic metals. Identifying which biotype is behind the depression will inform the correct supplement treatment. Additional te

The Case: Kenzie is 34 and dealing with a wide range of symptoms. She has digestive issues, dry, itchy scalp, and cognitive problems like brain fog. Doctors were unable to pinpoint the problem, leaving her with no answers and no solutions. The Investigation Kenzie suffered for 3 years before she came to see me. I knew that these were not a random collection of symptoms - they were all connected and I suspected that it had to do with something causing dysbiosis or an imbalance in her gut. This case reminded me of my own struggles to get healthy so many years ago, so it seemed like a great idea to invite the doctor who was able to help me get to the root of my problem. Michael Biamonte is the founder of the Biamonte Center for Clinical Nutrition and is also the author of the Candida Chronicles: A Manual for Candida Yeast Infections. He says that at any given time, approximately 30% of the population has an overgrowth of candida. What is Candida? Candida is a unique, yeast organism that exists primarily in the intestinal tract or in mucous membranes. Candida is a dysmorphic organism meaning it’s able to live or exist in two different states - it can exist in the body as a yeast or as a fungus. It’s natural to have this organism in the body and in fact, contributes to healthy flora in the intestines. But, it can over grow and become dominant and that’s when it can cause health problems. If you hear people talking about having Candida, they usually mean that they have an overgrowth of Candida. Symptoms of Candida An overgrowth of Candida can cause as many as 150 different symptoms. Serious conditions like pneumonia and arthritis can also result from Candida overgrowth. Often doctors will diagnose the symptom or resulting condition without looking for the root cause. Kenzie’s symptoms were all common for Candida, including digestive issues, low energy, dry scalp, hair falling out, and various cognitive issues. Candida overgrowth can also result in new allergies, chemical sensitivities, and even fertility issues. Causes of Candida Candida overgrowth has a variety of causes but Dr. Biamonte says that antibiotic abuse is the most common. Doctors who don’t know how to properly diagnose a condition, solve the problem by prescribing antibiotics. People who are constantly given antibiotics struggle to maintain the good bacteria in their intestinal tract. The bad bacteria or the candida then becomes dominant and it starts to release different types of toxins into your system. The immune system becomes suppressed. This cycle then goes on and on, producing different symptoms. Sometimes, people try to treat these symptoms which can make the Candida imbalance worse. Even when they are doing something natural, like eliminating a food irritant, they can further upset the bacterial balance. Finally, there is some evidence that some people are genetically predisposed to Candida overgrowth. And, people with diabetes may also be more likely to develop Candida. Diagnosing Candida Candida is difficult to diagnose. A spit test can help to identify dysbiosis (an imbalance in the gut flora) which is the first step in diagnosing Candida. The spit test is conducted by spitting into a glass of water. If the spit dissipates, that is an indication that the gut flora is in good shape. If it doesn’t then there might be dysbiosis. The look of your tongue is also an indication of dysbiosis. Blood tests can reveal if Candida antibodies are present but this test really only reveals if antibodies have been present in the past few months and isn’t a very good indication of the current state. I like to use an organic acids test however, Dr. Biamonte prefers a comprehensive testing process that he developed that he feels is more accurate. It’s important not to try to self diagnose Candida because, like leaky gut, you can get it wrong and make things worse. Treating Candida Candida is very drug resistant and certain drugs can give a false sense of cure because they provide temporary relief. There is a proven natural protocol for treating Candida. Dr. Biamonte’s treatment follows a two stage protocol. The first phase involves limiting the diet and using botanicals. The second phase includes use of antifungal substances, which have the ability to destroy the Candida deep in the mucous lining of the colon and the small intestine. Prebiotics and probiotics are also part of the healing process to help the body replace the candida. According to Dr. Biamonte, probiotics should be a sticky strain or human strain. Better Understanding Candida In this podcast, we also discuss the important relationship between Candida and heavy metal toxicity, how Candida can go hand in hand with leaky gut syndrome or SIBO, and the role mycobacterial biofilm can play in derailing treatments of Candida. Mystery Solved I had suspected Candida in Kenzie’s case so I ran an organic acids test and discovered that her D Arabinitol Marker was through the roof. Our first move was to low

The Case: Autoimmunity affects an estimated 50 million Americans Many autoimmune conditions go undiagnosed Autoimmune issues can compound; many people suffer from more than one The Investigation In my practice, I estimate that half of my clients have at least one autoimmune disease. Many of them don’t know it. Those who do, come in confused and frustrated by the treatment plan presented by traditional medicine which is often just treating the symptoms with pharmaceutical solutions. They want to know if there is a way to feel better naturally. My goal is to get to the root cause and address it from a functional medicine approach. But first, we need to understand autoimmunity better. In this episode, we’ll demystify autoimmune diseases. Most Likely to Get an Autoimmune Disease It’s an unfortunate statistic that those most likely to get an autoimmune disease are people who already have an autoimmune disease. Research shows that those with autoimmune issues can get up to 8 different autoimmune diseases in their lifetime. I’m not sharing this to depress you but rather to help you recognize that something else might be going on if your symptoms change. And, that by identifying a new autoimmune issue, you can find a treatment that will address it. The Immune System is the Source All too often when the medical system is treating an autoimmune disease, they treat the organ or gland that’s affected. So, if you have Hashimoto’s, they’ll treat the thyroid. Or, if you have rheumatoid arthritis, they treat the joints. Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is when the body attacks the milan sheath and Lupus is when the body attacks our connective tissues but the issue is with the immune system not the brain or joints in these examples. Suppressing the Immune System isn’t the Answer Conventionally, treatments for autoimmune disease follow a protocol of suppressing the immune system. This is to help regulate an overactive immune system that is attacking a part of the body it shouldn’t be. However, we need our immune system. We need it on a daily basis to fight the actual threats we face like viruses, infections and even cancer. If we suppress it, we’re more vulnerable. Get to the Root A more functional approach to dealing with autoimmune disease is to look for the root cause of the issue in the first place. What’s causing the immune system to be confused and attack parts of the body that it shouldn’t? Instead of treating the symptoms or suppressing the immune system, let’s go directly to the cause and treat that. This is going to be different for each person. Autoimmune Triggers There are four main triggers that can confuse the immune system. They are: Foods Infections Toxins Stress Autoimmunity can be triggered by one of these four things or a combination of these four things. Food Triggers Food is a very common trigger for autoimmune diseases. When you eat a food that your body doesn’t like, it triggers an immune response and the immune system actually sees the food as an enemy and attack it. This can trigger molecular mimicry which is when the immune system attacks food and recognizes a molecule in that food that is similar to molecules in our tissues or organs. This leads the immune system to start attacking the similar tissue or organ by mistake. You may recognize this explanation from my episode on IBS where I explain how food can end up in the wrong part of the body (often as a result of leaky gut) which triggers the immune system to attack it. However, food can also be a trigger due to genetic factors. For example, celiac disease or genetic issues with gluten (which can easily be tested with genetic dq2 dq8 test that is a simple cheek swab test). Learn more about celiac disease (and false negative results) in episode 9 with Dr. Peter Osborne. Food can become a trigger overtime so food that has never been a problem in the past can still trigger autoimmune disease. How we combine foods can also cause an issue as can when we eat and the overall balance of our diet. To minimize food triggers, I recommend balancing your meals, looking at genetics to see if gluten is an issue for you, and supporting your gut health. I also recommend seeing if you have food sensitivities. Remember that food triggers can often build up over time so getting results after dietary adjustments can take some time. Be patient, this is a marathon, not a sprint. Infections as a Trigger Generally speaking, for an infection to trigger an autoimmune response, it has to be chronic. In these cases, the immune system is constantly attacking this long-term infection and gets tired. This opens the door for an autoimmune disease to develop. Gut infections are one of the most common triggers. When the good and bad bacteria that makes our gut work are out of balance, especially when it’s chronic, it can result in leaky gut. This confuses the immune system. Dysbiosis (or out of balance gut flora) can be brought on by: Antibiotics Steroids PPIs Eating more sugar/carbs Stress

The Case: Miranda is 42 She was experiencing rashes on her face and chest, joint pain, and fatigue. A dermatologist prescribed antihistamines and a Physical therapist gave her exercises for the joint pain. There was no explanation or treatment for the fatigue. Miranda’s doctor responded to her condition the way many do - by ruling out the obvious (in this case, arthritis) and then treating the symptoms. More blood tests revealed the presence of ANA or anti nuclear antibody. This indicated that it could be Lupus but it could also not be Lupus. After months of waiting to see her rheumatologist the Lupus diagnosis was confirmed. But, her health mystery still hadn’t been solved because the root cause was still unknown. The Investigation An estimated 5 million people worldwide have Lupus, and about 1.5 million of them are in the United States. Dr. Tiffany Caplan is a chiropractic physician and a Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner who specializes in treating Lupus patients. She, along with her husband Dr. Brent Caplan founded the Central Coast Center for Integrative Health in Ventura California and wrote the book “The Lupus Solution”. On this episode of Health Mysteries Solved, Dr. Tiffany shares her knowledge in relation to Miranda’s case. What is Lupus? Lupus is an autoimmune disease that affects an estimated 5 million people around the world, although Dr. Tiffany feels this is an underestimation because the disease is very difficult to diagnose. Lupus is more likely to affect women (90 percent of all Lupus patients are female) and it is usually diagnosed during their childbearing years. Because Lupus is so hard to diagnose, it can be years of dealing with symptoms before a patient gets a diagnosis. Common Symptoms of Lupus The most common (and telltale) symptom is a butterfly-shaped rash on the face. While not all patients present with this rash, when someone does have it, it is a good indication of Lupus. Other symptoms may include fatigue, pain (joint-pain, body-aches, general achiness), stomach pain and/or nausea, headaches, photo-sensitvity, mouth ulcers, and/or acne. Lupus can sometimes occur in conjunction with other autoimmune diseases like Hashimoto’s, Sjorgren’s, or Raynaud’s disease, which means that symptoms associated with these diseases can also be symptoms of Lupus. The Difficulty of Diagnosing Lupus Lupus is a systemic autoimmune disease so it can attack different parts of the body, in different ways, at different times which makes it hard to connect the dots. There are 11 different criteria that are considered in diagnosing Lupus but not all of these need to be satisfied for it to be Lupus. Other diagnoses (like Hashimoto’s or kidney disease) might come first and end the search for the real cause as symptoms are lumped into that single diagnosis. Typically, it takes about seven years for someone to be diagnosed with Lupus. How Lupus is Diagnosed In addition to considering the clinical criteria (symptoms), there are a variety of lab tests that can help confirm a Lupus diagnosis. A DNA test could reveal an anti-double-stranded DNA marker which is present in about 80% of Lupus patients. A positive test for anti-Smith antibody and various antiphospholipid antibodies that are present in about 30% of lupus patients that can also be indicators. Doctors may also test the function of the immune system function by looking at complement c3 and complement c4 levels through blood tests. Treating Lupus Traditionally Most conventional doctors will deal with Lupus by prescribing immunosuppressants (since the immune system is overactive). They may also prescribe medication to treat the other symptoms such as antidepressants, pain medication, and/or sleep medication. However, a functional medicine approach to treating lupus doesn’t focus on treating the symptoms but rather getting to the root cause. The Root Cause of Lupus Each patient is going to be different, but the most common root causes of Lupus flare-ups involve gut issues (80% of your immune system lives in your gut), exposure to toxins or chemicals, and nutrient deficiencies (especially vitamin D, Omega 3s and Glutathione. Additionally, hormone imbalances, adrenal fatigue, and emotional or mental health issues can also be triggers for Lupus. Holistic Approach to Treating Lupus The first move Dr. Tiffany makes when working with a Lupus patient is to put them on an elimination diet. This will help identify the role various foods might be playing in Lupus symptoms - especially inflammation. Some doctors also recommend cutting out alfalfa sprouts, bean sprouts and even garlic as these can cause issues for Lupus patients. Repairing a leaky gut and/or resetting the gut microbiome can be essential in treating Lupus holistically. Test for parasites or enzyme deficiencies will also help fill in the picture of what’s going on. Further test on cortisol levels will help determine if stress is a potential factor. Vitamin D Deficiency Dr. Tiffany says that mo

The Case: Amelia is 39 and dealing with heavy periods. She was also experiencing extreme PMS including headaches, bloating, and uncomfortable breast tenderness. It got so bad, she started to plan meetings, social gatherings and vacations around her cycle. The only solutions doctors offered was to take the birth control pill but a previous blood clot made that a risky proposition. The Investigation Every menstruating woman experiences her period differently but it was hard to hear about what Amelia was going through. I completely understood her predicament and resistance to start taking the pill again after having suffered a blood clot the last time she was on it. I knew there was still hope and that there had to be something else going on that we could address that would help make her periods more bearable. My first hunch was to look more closely at her hormones. Joining me to discuss this case is Dr. Anu Arasu. She’s the founder of London Bioidentical Hormones clinic and was one of the first doctors in the UK to train in functional medicine. What’s Actually Happening with Hormones During the Menstrual Cycle? Having your period is the result of cyclical release of hormones. In the first day of your period, both estrogen and progesterone will be low. At the end of the period (about 7 days later), the estrogen begins to rise. In an ideal world, we would then get a LH (luteinizing hormone) surge. This triggers ovulation (and the peak of our estrogen cycle). If ovulation does not result in a pregnancy, then the corpus luteum breaks down and produces progesterone. Soon, both estrogen and progesterone levels drop triggering a bleed. What is a Heavy Period? It’s tricky to quantify what is a heavy menstrual flow and what is “normal” and a lot of women don’t know where they fall on the spectrum. It is difficult because we often only have ourselves to compare it to. Dr. Arasu says that if your menstrual flow is affecting your quality of life then it might be outside of ‘normal’. For example, if it stops you from doing things, going to work, socializing - or in Amelia’s case be able to go on vacation. Or, if there has been a dramatic change, then it is worth speaking to someone to find out what’s going on and what can be done about it. Potential Causes of Painful Periods or Heavy Menstrual Flow There are a variety of things that can affect the menstrual cycle. Heavy periods could be caused by endometriosis or fibroids. Heavy periods can also be the result of not having a regular menstrual cycle (which could be caused by hormone changes or Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Hormone imbalance can also result in heavier periods. And, some women are just naturally prone to heavy periods. Testing for Hormone Imbalance If pathologies like endometriosis, PCOS, and fibroids have been ruled out, a hormone test might provide a clearer picture of what’s going on. Dr. Arasu suggests doing both a urine test and a blood test to get the full picture of what’s going on. The DUTCH test (a type of urine test) is recommended because in addition to showing hormone levels, it also gauges metabolization efficiencies. However, this test will not reveal the follicle stimulating hormone levels which can indicate if someone is premenopausal. She also uses daily saliva tests to track what is going on over a period of time with regards to your progesterone and estrogen levels throughout the month. Estrogen Dominance Estrogen dominance happens when estrogen and progesterone are not balanced. This can be determined through the DUTCH test which looks at all of the potent estrogens. Specifically, experts will be looking at estradiol, estriol, and estrone - the total estrogenicity. Estrogen Clearance Metabolization of hormones is another important piece of the puzzle. If these dominant estrogens are not being metabolized, this can cause issues with the gut (which lead to other issues). A gut test will confirm this, particularly if there are anomalies with levels of beta-glucuronidase (which converts and clears estrogen). The Gut Estrogen Connection Dr. Arasu explains the new research into the gut microbiome that has identified genes involved in the production of estrogen. This emerging research (and one we’ll be watching) that looks at estrobolome (a type of gut microbes) and the role it plays in estrogen clearance. The more we understand about this relationship, the better will be able to control estrogen imbalance (like estrogen dominance) through diet. Diet to Reduce Heavy Periods If the heavy periods are being caused by estrogen dominance, then dietary and lifestyle adjustments may help to reduce the severity of these menstrual cycles. Here are a few shifts that will aid in estrogen clearance (and support hormonal balance): Eat more dark green leafy vegetables and cruciferous vegetables Eat lots of vegetables or follow a vegetarian diet Get adequate fiber (constipation may cause the circulation of partially metabolized oestrogen) Avoid using plast

The Case: Lisa is 32, dealing with fatigue, brain fog and general unwellness Countless doctors have told her that nothing is wrong She also mentioned she has slight discomfort in her lower jaw that has been around since a root canal years ago Her dentist also told her that he could find nothing wrong The Investigation Lisa has had a lot of dental work for someone so young. It seemed impossible to me that her health mystery wasn’t related in some way to her dental work. Dentists are trained to look at teeth and take X-rays and if they don’t see anything out of the ordinary, there isn’t much more they can do. I knew we had to dig deeper to get to the root of this mystery. Joining on the show to discuss Lisa’s case is Dr. Christine Shaffner. She’s a board certified Naturopathic physician and the Clinic Director of Sophia Health Institute in Woodinville, Washington. The Oral Health Connection Dr. Schaffner started off by explaining that interference fields are often found in the mouth and these can be barriers to healing. There is a neurological connection between our teeth and our brain and nervous system because during embryonic development, they are all developed from the same tissue. The American Heart Association and conventional cardiologists link oral health to heart health because of different microbes or bacteria that can affect cardiovascular inflammation and can lead to heart disease. From a Qi perspective, every tooth sits on an acupuncture meridian so there’s an organ relationship with each tooth. Damage to a tooth can create stress in the associated organ, which can lead to other illnesses. Cavities and Root Canals Dr. Schaffner also talked about how our oral health is related to our cranial nerves and to our lymphatic system. It is possible for non-bio-compatable materials in our mouths (and teeth) could potentially cause issues for the brain and drain into our lymph nodes and cause a variety of health issues. Wisdom Teeth The wisdom teeth sit on the heart, small intestine, circulation and also endocrine meridien. Issues with the wisdom teeth can show up as chronic digestive issues or poor circulation. Even if the wisdom teeth have been removed, there can still be a build up, a cavitation (empty space) or hidden infection that can cause chronic issues. Mouth Pain Sometimes these hidden focal infections in the mouth can lead to mild mouth pain. These symptoms are often ignored. However, Dr. Schaffner says that these could be the key clue to bigger health issues like chronic digestive issues. Why Your Dentist Won’t Understand This kind of thinking is too much of a paradigm shift for dentists. The conventional approach is to inspect visually and look at X-Rays. If microbes or minor infections are present, they likely won’t be detected unless it causes a visible infection. The idea that a minor infection in a cavitation or old root canal could be the cause of health issues is too much of a paradigm shift for most dentists. Amalgam Fillings and Gold Fillings Amalgam fillings are a combination of different metals including mercury (which is a neurotoxin). The American Dental Association says these are safe. Dr. Schaffner explained that over time, certain conditions in the mouth can release mercury vapor which we unknowingly inhale. Gold fillings that oppose mercury fillings present a different concern because they can cause electro galvanism which produces electrical disturbances in the body as well as speed up the dissolution of mercury in the mouth. Testing for Filling Sensitivities One of the common metals used in root canals is titanium however some people have a sensitivity issue with this metal. Dr. Schaffner says you can test for hypersensitivity using the Melisa Test. Sensitivity to metals in your fillings could affect your immune system making it hypersensitive. Assessing the Problem It’s not realistic and likely not necessary for every person who has health issues to have their fillings removed. In fact, it poses its own dangers. Here are a few things you can do to determine if your dental work is causing health issues: Send used dental floss to be tested for bacteria and viruses through a lab called DNA Connections. Do a heavy metal test to reveal the level of heavy metal burden in your body. If it comes back high for mercury, your fillings might be the cause. Take a look at a dental organ chart that shows the connection between certain teeth and organs based on acupuncture meridians. See if your health issues line up with problem teeth. Find a biological dentist who is open to these ideas to discuss your concerns. Mystery Solved Despite my suspicions that Lisa’s issues were connected to her oral health, I knew that we had to start by calming her system down and ruling out other potential contributing factors. I referred her to a biological dentist who understood the functional medicine approach. They discovered that Lisa did in fact have a cavitation and there was an infection in the root c

The Investigation Last week we unravelled the mystery of finding underlying issues with the thyroid. We specifically looked at how blood tests should be read to give a clearer picture of the thyroid function. I got a whole bunch of emails thanking me for the clear explanation but also asking me how they can get the correct tests and what they can do about their numbers. In this episode, I share a few strategies for getting the right tests done to get the full picture of what your thyroid is doing. I include options that will hopefully help you find someone locally who can help (and who is covered by insurance). Once you have your numbers, that’s another story. The truth is, every case is different; their symptoms are unique to them. It’s important to look at all levels to determine what is happening and what pathways are driving it. To give you a sense of how different each situation can be, I wanted to share a few of my past clients’ stories with you. Click play to hear about Cindy, Cara, Melody and Erin and their struggles with underactive thyroid glands. Case #1 - Cindy: Cindy’s TSH was deemed fine by her doctor despite being low at .5 (optimal range is 1.8-3) She was cold all the time, had trouble losing weight, and felt unwell all the time. Further tests revealed that T4 was low at 4.5 (normal range is 6-12) and her T3 was low at 68 (the optimal range is 100-150). I suspected that the problem was further ‘upstream’ from the thyroid in the pituitary gland. We supported pituitary function with supplements and within 3 weeks, she was feeling better. It took 6 months to see her levels move back into optimal range, but we did that without treating the thyroid at all. Case #2 - Cara: Cara’s TSH was elevated at 6.5 (the optimal range is 1.8-3), her Total T4 was 5.5 (ideal is 6-12) and her T3 was 75 (ideal is 100-150). Note that her TSH is high while her T3 and T4 are low. She was often tired, experiencing bad PMS and constipation. She was negative for the Hashimoto’s antibodies. She needed proper thyroid support but wanted a more natural option so she opted for dessicated thyroid extracts or DTE. After 6 weeks, all of her levels were back in the normal range. And, her very next menstrual cycle was balanced and devoid of those extreme PMS symptoms. Case #3 - Melody: Melody was already taking Synthroid, a medication to support her thyroid function. Thanks to the medication, her TSH and her T4 were right where they should be. However, she felt tired and often foggy and wondered if it might have to do with her thyroid. Further tests revealed that her T3 was very, very low at 70 (optimal is between 100 - 150) and her free T3 was also low at 2.4 (ideal range is 3 - 4). I could see immediately that she wasn’t converting her T4 into T3. We knew that the solution was going to involve the liver. She did a liver cleanse and also took supplements to support the conversion of T4 to T3. After 6 weeks of liver support and supplements, Melody had increased energy and improved mental clarity. Test revealed that total T3 was now back in range at 100 and her free T3 was also back in range at 3.1. Her T4 and TSH maintained their healthy levels. Case #4 - Erin: Erin’s TSH, T3 and T4 were all in the optimal range and she did not have Hashimoto’s. She was seeing classic hypothyroid symptoms like coarser, frizzier hair, thinning of the eyebrows, difficulty sleeping, and brain fog. She also didn’t feel well and wondered if it had to do with her high stress levels. There was one thyroid test that was missing from her workup that I wanted to run - the reverse T3. Sure enough, it was at 29 when the reference range is 8-24 (optimally it should be under 17). Stress (and the cortisol associated with it) can cause reverse T3 to rise. Helping Erin’s thyroid issue started with stress management techniques including meditation. She also took a natural supplement to lower her cortisol. Erin noticed he symptoms decreasing almost right away and within 2 months her reverse T3 had gone from 29 to 15! Mysteries Solved As you can see from these four cases, thyroid was behind all of their health mysteries but solving each one was vastly different. If your thyroid numbers are out of line, make sure you thoroughly investigate what can be at play. It could be a version of hypothyroidism, a thyroid conversion issue, something to do with the pituitary function or a high reverse T3 pattern. The answers (and treatments) are out there and there is hope! Next Steps If you have symptoms of a thyroid condition but your lab tests say otherwise, it may be time to look a little deeper to make sure all the labs were run and interpreted properly . I put some links to labs below but I do encourage you to work with a healthcare professional who is willing to help you dig deeper. Your health and well being are worth it. Eliminating Health Mysteries For Cara, Cindy, Melody, and Erin we were able to find that missing piece of the health puzzle and help them regain her hea

The Case: This episode, we’re not looking at just one case, we’re looking at many. More than 12% of the population will develop a thyroid condition in their lifetime. Thyroid symptoms vary but may affect energy levels, weight, and mood. Women are more likely to suffer from a thyroid condition. The Investigation There’s so much confusion around the thyroid. Symptoms can often be explained away as other things - like poor sleep, poor diet, poor exercise habits. The sad part is, these easy explanations can be a part of the missed symptoms. And, conventional medicine tends to diagnose thyroid issues using only one test. This means that many people, including those with Hashimoto’s may be misdiagnosed or not have the full picture. In order to truly understand the thyroid and solve thyroid issues, you need the whole picture and you need to get to the root of the problem. Thyroid Expert Over the years, I’ve become very familiar with this issue because of the countless clients who come into my office complaining of symptoms I know are related to their thyroid but they tell me that their doctor has told them that their levels are normal. I also know all about it because I personally went through it too. I went through the frustration of being told my thyroid was fine. I went through the doctor’s failing to diagnose my Hashimoto’s. And, I went through years of not properly treating this condition. Hypothyroidism 101 In this episode, I’m demystifying hypothyroidism and giving you everything you need to know about having an underactive thyroid gland. Many people think that thyroid issues only affect your energy levels. In fact, the thyroid impacts everything in the body including your hair, skin, digestion, brain, and bones. The thyroid can also affect your fertility and how well your organs functions - especially your liver. Thyroid hormones are needed for every cell in your body - so we should never underestimate how it can impact our wellbeing if it’s not functioning properly. Symptoms of an Underactive Thyroid The most common symptom, and the one most people think of is fatigue or a general lack of energy. There are many other potential symptoms of an underactive thyroid including dry skin, brittle nails, thinning hair, sensitivity to cold, constipation, brain fog, irregular menstrual periods, weight gain, hoarseness of the voice, muscle aches and cramps, low blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, fertility challenges, and sleep irregularities. There are other symptoms too but these are the most common. However, not all hypothyroid patients will experience all of these symptoms. In fact, it’s common for them to have a variety of symptoms that could change over time. Misdiagnosis of Hypothyroidism Many people who have hypothyroidism are misdiagnosed or a diagnosis is just plain missed. This happens because doctors have a strict set of guidelines for diagnosis (which is different depending on where you live). Doctors who have patients that don’t fall into the guidelines, will often rule out a thyroid issue without doing any further testing. There are a number of additional tests that should be run, but these don’t fit into the conventional approach to diagnosing thyroid conditions. I go into detail as to why and how this happens in this episode. Understanding TSH Anyone who has ever had their thyroid tested has to try to make sense of a hormone called TSH. This is often where confusion sets in. In this episode, I explain all the T’s involved in thyroid function including the TRH (the activation signal from your brain to your pituitary gland), TSH (the signal from your pituitary to your thyroid) and the T3 and T4 that the thyroid makes in response. T3 is the active hormone that is needed by the body and can be absorbed and used by your cells while T4 is called a pro hormone which has to be converted to T3 in order to be used. A lot can go wrong with the production and absorption of these two hormones and signals can get crossed - triggering the thyroid to stop or slow down production. Get the Right Tests for Hypothyroidism Conventional blood tests for hypothyroidism only looks at the TSH level. This can result in misleading information. The result is that up to 50% of patients with hypothyroidism are misdiagnosed or given treatment plans that don’t address the real issues. That’s usually when they end up at my office. We have to look at the whole picture. Here is what I recommend patients get tested (either through their family doctor or alternative health practitioner): TSH Total T4 Total T3 Free T4 Free T3 REVERSE T3 Thyroid Antibodies Assessing Your Lab Results So often, a doctor will tell you that your test results are ‘normal’. That means that according to their guidelines, they fall into the normal range. You may have subclinical hypothyroidism but you won’t hear it from them. It’s important that you see your results. Here are the optimal ranges you should be in: TSH 1.8- 3.0 though if you are on thyroid medicati

The Case: Natalie is 40 but feels like she’s 80 most days She was experiencing fatigue, aches and pains, poor sleep, and depression. After several doctor visits she was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, given medication and told to expect things to get worse. An estimated 4 million Americans are diagnosed with fibromyalgia. While symptoms can be present much earlier, most diagnoses are between the age of 35 - 45. And, women are much more likely to suffer from this condition. The Investigation This health mystery is a little different from most of my cases. Natalie already had a diagnosis and was already treating her condition. When she came to me, she hoped there was a better way. She didn’t want to accept that she would have to take medication for the rest of her life or that she should just get used to the idea of getting worse. She wanted to know if there was any hope of her feeling better despite her fibromyalgia diagnosis. I knew we had to connect all the pieces of the puzzle to find the true underlying cause of her condition. Joining me on the show today to discuss Natalie’s case is fibromyalgia expert, Dr. Rodger Murphree. He is a board certified chiropractic physician, nutritional specialist, and author of 5 books including “Treating and Beating Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.” Conventional Fibromyalgia Diagnosis Unfortunately, a lot of doctors don’t recognize Fibromyalgia. They see this long list of symptoms and they label the patient as a hypochondriac or someone who is lazy, crazy or depressed. Often, patients will have to see many doctors and go through a battery of tests to eliminate all known conditions before they actually get a diagnosis of Fibromyalgia. This can take years since so many doctors don’t recognize the syndrome. Doctors who understand Fibromyalgia (and who are willing to give a diagnosis) often don’t really know how to help the patients because there’s no prescription, no drug-based therapy that will solve all of the issues. As a result, most doctors will tell patients to treat the symptoms and ‘learn to live with it.’ What is Fibromyalgia? Fibromyalgia is a syndrome made up of a group of symptoms. This collection of symptoms often includes achy, sometimes disabling pain, fatigue, insomnia, restless leg syndrome, irritable bowel, low moods and brain fog. When a combination of these symptoms are present and there is no other medical explanation, it’s likely to be Fibromyalgia. There is a sort of Fibromyalgia spectrum so not all Fibromyalgia patients are going to have the same experience or combination of symptoms. Dr. Murphree says that true fibromyalgia involves central sensitivity pain syndrome where the pain threshold becomes very low. Essentially, pain is magnified. Other senses may also be heightened such as sensitivity to bright lights and loud noises. Stress can also become magnified. Stress and Fibromyalgia Up to 70% of Fibromyalgia patients say that stress was a trigger for their symptoms. It’s no surprise because stress is a trigger for most inflammatory reactions, which is the driver of most illnesses. In Fibromyalgia, we see a loss of plasticity to stress, or an inability to rebound from stress. This places the patient into a chronic state of stress that often shows up as pain and an inability to fall asleep or stay asleep. The stress causes more and more symptoms which causes the patient more stress and it becomes a vicious cycle. Diagnosing Fibromyalgia Dr. Murphree looks at sleep when considering a Fibromyalgia diagnosis. He says that almost all patients who he suspects of having Fibromyalgia have pain and sleep issues. Many of the other symptoms that are commonly associated with Fibromyalgia, like IBS, low mood, and brain fog stem from the lack of quality sleep over time. Treating Fibromyalgia Naturally Dr. Murphree says that he encourages his patients to shift their mindset away from the idea that drugs are the answer. He’s seen many patients who discover, after years of medicating, that drugs don’t help Fibromyalgia. All they do is poorly mask the symptoms without actually fixing the issue and they leave you vulnerable to side effects. It may seem impossible, but he says the only hope for patients is to get healthy. Sleep is Critical for Healing Fibromyalgia Getting sufficient restorative sleep is step one in Dr. Murphree’s strategy for treating Fibromyalgia. Regular restorative sleep can decrease the amount of inflammatory chemicals your body release. A lack of deep sleep causes the metabolism to slow down which causes lethargy, weight gain and heightened pain sensitivity. It also causes brain fog and a decreased ability to deal with stress. For patients struggling with sleep, Dr. Murphree suggests temporarily taking melatonin to restore their sleep cycle. Serotonin for Fibromyalgia Many of us know it as the happy hormone. Having healthy serotonin levels is critical in treating fibromyalgia. Serotonin increases your pain threshold, it improves digestion,

The Case: Erica is 37 and was experiencing fast and loud heart palpitations without provocation. These episodes became more frequent causing Erica to fear the worst. She saw several cardiologists who insisted that nothing was wrong. A racing heart or heart palpitations are described in many ways. Some might say, ‘my heart is beating out of my chest,’ or ‘my heart skipped a beat’. It can also be described as being able to feel your heartbeat in your ears, or like it’s banging against your rib cage. You might even feel like you can’t catch your breath. However you describe it, it’s scary. We get used to not really noticing our heartbeat - to just knowing that it’s in there, doing its job. So, when we suddenly feel it, we worry that something must be wrong. In some cases, heart palpitations can be a sign of a more serious issue so Erica was right to see her doctor and a cardiologist first. However, when she came to me with no answers from those specialists, I knew we had to dig a little deeper to get to the root cause of these frightening and erratic heart palpitations. The Investigation The heart is very responsive to other types of stimulation. When you see a cardiologist, they generally don’t have a lot of time to look into these other causes. Understandably, they focus on major issues or events that are life threatening and if those are not the cause, they may dismiss your concerns as ‘nothing’. But, that doesn’t stop them from happening or make you feel any better about it when it does happen. Luckily, some cardiologists go beyond the ‘it’s not a heart attack’ diagnosis to get curious about what’s actually going on. One such cardiologist is Dr Christopher Kelly. He practices at the North Carolina Heart and Vascular (part of UNC Health) and is the co-author of the book, Am I Dying?!: A Complete Guide to Your Symptoms--and What to Do Next. I was thrilled to invite him in to discuss Erica’s case. Could it be a Heart Condition? We know in Erica’s case it wasn’t but how likely for a fairly healthy 37 year old to have a heart condition? Dr. Kelly says that without a pre-existing condition (that you may have been born with) it’s unusual to see heart disease in people under 50. However, he’s seeing a trend where the average age of his patience is getting younger. He attributes this to the American lifestyle which is making people sicker, sooner. What are Heart Palpitations? Dr. Kelly describes heart palpitations as an extra beat or a skipped beat, a racing heartbeat, or your heart beating hard enough that you notice it. Generally this is without explanation. For example, we know that when we are working out or running, we are going to feel our heart beat faster. Or, if we have a scare or we’re understandably nervous, then we know why our heart might be racing. However, heart palpitations can seem to come out of nowhere and for no apparent reason. This is why they are so disconcerting. How Common are Heart Palpitations? Having a spontaneous, unprovoked heart palpitation occasionally is very common. However, when it seems to be happening regularly, without explanation, this is not common and should have you seeking professional help. The first thing you want to do is rule out that these heart palpitations are not related to heart disease. What Causes Heart Palpitations? When a heart condition is ruled out, there are several other places that we can look to find a cause for heart palpitations. The heart is very sensitive to a lot of inputs. One of the inputs to the heart is adrenaline which is the fight or flight hormone. We release adrenaline when we are scared, nervous, or excited but we can also release it when we are stressed or experiencing anxiety. In some cases, we may not be fully aware that we are in a state of stress or anxiety but the adrenaline is released anyway which is what can cause the seemingly unexplained heart palpitations. Heart Palpitations May Be a Side Effect Certain medications may cause heart palpitations. For example, some decongestants (cold or flu medications) actually contain adrenaline stimulants. Likewise, certain medications used to treat attention deficit disorder (like Adderall and Ritalin) also stimulate the heart. Does Coffee Cause Heart Palpitations? Coffee and many teas contain caffeine which does stimulate the heart. Excess caffeine intake can cause heart palpitations. So, what is considered too much coffee? That depends on the individual as some people are more sensitive than others to the stimulant. Each person is going to discover their limits when they drink so much caffeine that it causes their heart to race. Heart Palpitations When Pregnant When a woman becomes pregnant, in addition to having to supply blood to her own body, the heart has to pump blood to the placenta and the fetus. This can cause the heart to work overtime and this can cause the heart to race or skip a beat. When Heart Palpitations Mean Something Bigger There are other conditions that can cause heart pa

The Case: Valerie is 39 and she manages her stress with meditation and a bedtime routine. She falls asleep with ease but she wakes up every night and struggles to get back to sleep She tried to further reduce her stress, added supplements and medication to help her sleep issues but nothing worked. Waking up frequently throughout the night is a form of insomnia - the most common sleep disorder in America. Insomnia in the short-term can be dangerous because it increases your chance of falling asleep unexpectedly including at work, while watching children, or when driving. When insomnia becomes chronic, it can lead to sleep deprivation which, in turn, may lead to serious health concerns including metabolic disorders, hypoxemia, and pain conditions. Valerie knew that she didn’t just want to learn to live with it (as so many women do). She wanted to get to the root cause of the problem so that she could sleep better, and function better during the day. The Investigation My immediate suspicion was that Valerie’s diet might be a contributing factor in her sleep issue. I noticed that she ate a lot of processed foods, so it made sense to make this the first stop in our investigation. I ran some tests which confirmed my suspicions - Valerie had a higher amount of certain toxins in her body. I also noted that she carried a few genes that slowed down her ability to get rid of toxins. It was a double whammy and we were officially on the case. Valerie’s liver was struggling to rid her body of the toxins so this was the first thing we needed to address. It was time for a detox. Wendy Myers is one of the countries leading authorities in detoxification. She’s a functional diagnostic nutritionist, NES Bioenergetix Practitioner, and is the creator of the Myers Detox Protocol. She’s also the #1 bestselling author of Limitless Energy: How to Detox Toxic Metals to End Exhaustion and Chronic Fatigue. She joins me on the show to talk about Valerie’s case and how a low-functioning liver can contribute to waking up multiple times in the night. Your Liver’s Role in Sleep Wendy says, “the liver is the seed of sleep… When your liver is not functioning optimally because it's overloaded with having to break down and export so many toxins that we have in our environment, it can affect sleep.” In her experience, waking up in the middle of the night, usually around 2 - 3 am, is a telltale sign of the liver struggling. Why the Liver Struggles The liver has a really important job to do in the body. First it has to break down what we eat and drink (which is an even bigger job if we are eating too much sugar, refined grains, processed foods, or saturated fats). Then, it has to deal with the toxins that enter the body in various forms. It’s estimated that our environment contains 80,000 - 100,000 chemicals and dozens of heavy metals. If we combine an unhealthy diet with exposure to chemicals and heavy metals, the liver is going to struggle to process the toxins and get them out of the body. How We’re Exposed to Toxins Daily It’s almost impossible to avoid being exposed to toxins in our modern world. Here are some of the most common ways we’re exposed to toxins daily: Water: Water is a common source of toxins for many of us (even filtered water can still contain some trace metals, chemicals, medications, parasites, radiation and other contaminants). Even when drinking highly filtered water, you can still be exposed by bathing in the unfiltered water. Air: Our indoor air (at home and our place of work) may contain chemicals from the cleaning products and air fresheners. Outside, the air has toxins from pollution (both car exhaust and manufacturing). Food: Not only do we have to worry about the pesticides used on our foods but also the fertilizers that were in the soil the food was grown in. Cadmium is commonly used in fertilizer. Soil may also be tainted with leaded gas and other toxins. Beauty Products: Many of the things we use everyday (shampoo, soap, skin cream, makeup) contain toxic ingredients. The skin processes these differently than if they were ingested - these toxins don’t have the benefit of being filtered and exported by the liver. Start by Avoiding Toxins The first step in detoxification is to decrease exposure to toxins. There’s no point in cleansing the liver if it is still having to deal with daily inundation of toxins. While it may seem like an impossible task, given how bombarded we are with toxins, it is possible to decrease your exposure. Drink well filtered water. Select primarily organic produce. Reduce (or eliminate) processed foods. Use clean beauty products (make sure they’re really clean and not green-washed). Get Tested for Heavy Metals and Toxins In order to properly fix the problem, you need to see the whole picture. There are certain heavy metals you want to test for. Mercury is the most likely culprit causing sleep disorders. Mercury toxicity can come from a variety of sources, including shellfish, large migratory f

The Case: Dana is 35 and has horrible digestion issues. She experienced bloating, gas, abdominal discomfort, and inconsistent bowel movements. She was diagnosed with IBS and told it would be a life-long issue. All she could do was treat the symptoms with a battery of over the counter drugs. It’s estimated that 10 - 15% of the population suffers from IBS or Irritable Bowel Syndrome. According to the International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders, it’s the most common GI issue and is more prevalent in women than in men. The Investigation While Dana came to me with the IBS diagnosis in hand, we quickly determined that treating the symptoms (as is most often the recommendation from doctors) was not how she wanted to live her life. I was convinced that if we could get to the root cause of this issue, we could rid her of the vicious cycle of medications she was on. We could finally put an end to her taking Immodium one day and fiber supplements the next. What is IBS IBS stands for irritable bowel syndrome and the term is quite literal. The symptoms can range greatly from patient to patient and may include any combination of gas, bloating, stomach pain, urgency, diarrhea, constipation. However, some may experience certain symptoms one day and then wake up the next day with the opposite symptoms. IBS tends to be a ‘catch-all’ diagnosis for doctors and often doctors will diagnose IBS when they can’t find any other cause for the symptoms. Understanding the Digestive System Getting to the root cause of IBS symptoms is a matter of looking at the whole body and looking for where things are out of balance. To do that, we need to understand what’s happening in the digestive system. When we chew food, our saliva (which has enzymes in it) starts the digestive process. The food makes its way to the stomach where it should encounter hydrochloric acid which further breaks down the food and also acts as an antiseptic, killing off pathogens or bacteria that may have been tagging along on our food. The food then moves to the small intestine where it encounters enzymes created by the pancreas to further break down the food. Fats get broken down a little differently. In order for that to happen, the liver has to process bile (which is stored in the gallbladder) that when released and combined with the enzymes, emulsifies fats. The Balance of Good and Bad Gut Bacteria We have good and bad bacteria that live in our intestines which is called our microbiome. This balance can be disrupted by a number of things that reduce the good bacteria including eating sugar, exposure to stressors or environmental toxins, and antibiotics. Medications like NSAIDs (like Advil) or steroids can also destroy some of the good bacteria. It’s really common to have the microbiome out of balance because these destroyers of good bacteria are so pervasive. When the good bacteria are depleted, we can experience an overgrowth of yeast (which is a fungal overgrowth). What is Dysbiosis and How Does it Cause Leaky Gut and Food Sensitivities? When we have too much of the bad bacteria in our gut (and not enough of the good), we experience something called Dysbiosis. This is just a fancy word for our gut bacteria not living in harmony together. When we are in dysbiosis, and we don’t digest our foods completely, as this undigested food enters the intestines, it might be carrying bacteria that can ferment the food in the intestines. Dysbiosis can also trigger the immune system (which is really smart and recognizes the overgrowth of bad bacteria in the gut) to attack the bad bacteria. The bad bacteria responds by forming ‘biofilm’ in the intestines but that can harden over time and as the bad bugs try and protect themselves further from your immune system, they can dig themselves deeper and deeper into the intestinal lining and can “poke through” the very thin epithelial lining of the intestines causing what’s known as ‘leaky gut’. Food can then leave the intestines (through the holes) where it doesn’t belong. The immune system sees that the food and knows it doesn’t belong and treats it like an invader and forms an antibody against it. The next time that we eat that food, the body treats it like a foe and not a friend because of the antibodies that were produced and that is how we develop food sensitivities. IBS Symptoms and Dysbiosis Dysbiosis, ill-digested food, and leaky gut can all create the symptoms often associated with IBS. When food is not broken down properly, it can sit in the system for too long and as it gets fermented by the bacteria, it causes gas, bloating, constipation or diarrhea. Inflammation can also occur and wreak additional havoc with the digestive system. Plus, the leaky gut can cause new food sensitivities that further mimic the symptoms of IBS. Testing for IBS Conventional tests for IBS include an endoscopies and colonoscopies. These are invasive tests that can reveal serious health concerns but when it comes to an IBS diagnosis, they

The Case: Cindy is 42 years-old, loves to work out and enjoys the outdoors Lately, she’s been tired, foggy, out of breath, weak, and struggling to recover from her workouts. Her doctor ran a number of tests that revealed nothing. The Investigation One of the biggest clues for me was that this all started after a particularly stressful time in Cindy’s life. I was also suspicious of her gardening practices. Immediately I knew there was an answer to this health mystery and I was going to start my investigation on the cellular level. My sense was that it had something to do with how her cells were making (or not making in her case) energy and what was happening in her mitochondria. My guest on today’s show, Dr. Tim Jackson, is a Functional Endocrinologist, a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT), and an expert in nutritional biochemistry and mitochondrial health. What are Mitochondria? Mitochondria are the ‘batteries’ of your cells that make the energy for our cells. This energy is necessary for our day to day biochemical reactions such as detoxification, hormone production, and neurotransmitter production in the brain. They also have a communication role in the body, sending out signals when the body is in jeopardy. Like the nervous systems fight or flight response, the mitochondria trigger a ‘cell danger response’ that tells the cells to only produce survival levels of energy when stress is detected. Being in this state can leave you feeling “wired and tired.” Symptoms of Mitochondrial Dysfunction Mitochondria are at work in various different systems of the body, so symptoms of poorly functioning mitochondria vary depending on which system or organs are involved. The highest concentration of mitochondria are in the nervous system, brain system, and the spinal cord. For this reason, the most commonly experienced symptoms are of a low functioning brain or nervous system. This might present as brain fog, memory issues, poor concentration, mood swings, and sleep challenges. However, it can also be muscle fatigue, or even heart issues. Causes of Mitochondrial Dysfunction Extreme stress can certainly push the mitochondria into ‘cell danger response’, however minor stress along with other factors can trigger mitochondrial dysfunction. For example, environmental toxins like glyphosate (the chemical found in Roundup) can accumulate in the body and cause a mitochondrial reaction. Mitochondria damage can also be caused by other pesticides, some heavy metals, hormonal imbalances, sleep issues, mold exposure, and chronic infections. Every bit of exposure adds up. When you add stress to the equation, the damage can become too much and symptoms develop. Testing for Mitochondrial Dysfunction There are a variety of ways to determine if the mitochondria are compromised. The first is a blood test however, Dr. Jackson feels these are not specific enough to really pinpoint the issue. He prefers a more accurate test - an organic acids test that looks at the number of different metabolic byproducts. There are other tests that are used in other parts of the world, but this one reveals a lot about the state of mitochondria health. Once the organic acids test reveals the issue, there are other tests that can help determine the cause. Treating Compromised Mitochondrial Dr. Jackson recommends a three pronged approach: Addressing the cause of the mitochondria damage. This can be determined with a test followed by a detoxification of the offending chemical or trigger. And, helping the mitochondria return to optimal levels with supplements such as Co Q 10, and Carnitine. Repairing the mitochondrial membrane through a specific supplement course that both pushes the toxins out while rehabilitating the membrane. Protecting the mitochondria from damage or re-injury by taking an antioxidant enzyme. One popular way to do that is with molecular hydrogen. This is a very tiny molecule that stimulates the production of new mitochondria while quenching existing free radicals to allow damaged mitochondria to recover. Potential Side Effects Any time you increase cellular energy production there is the chance that noticeable biochemical reactions may occur. This might be improved immune function or improved detoxification which can trigger ‘die off’ reactions. Support Mitochondrial Health with Lifestyle Mitochondrial dysfunction may be avoidable and Dr. Jackson recommends a few lifestyle choices that can help, particularly as it relates to sleep as sleep has a direct impact on mitochondrial health. He encourages people to abide by the natural circadian rhythm. This helps to regulate biochemical reactions and hormonal systems that can impact mitochondrial health. This can look like getting up with the sun and going to bed with the sun. It also has to do with blue light (which we get from the sun but also artificial blue light that comes from electronics). He recommends that people wear daytime glasses that negate the blue screen of a computer, get sunlight wi

The Case: Holly is 39 and has been experiencing strange body sensations like tingling, buzzing and internal vibrations that she can’t explain She’s seen several neurologists, had MRIs, nerve tests and a brain scan but it was all normal The only solution doctors offered was anti-anxiety medication. She knew that wasn’t her issue. Strange tingling, feeling like your body is buzzing inside, and similar symptoms could be related to various medical conditions involving the brain or central nervous system so Holly did the right thing by getting those checked out first. But, like many people who deal with unsolved health mysteries, once her doctors ruled those out, they stopped searching for an answer. In fact, they essentially said it was all in her head. Feeling undermined, ignored, and frustrated, Holly came to see me. I was ready to get to the root of the problem and I suspected it wasn’t going to be something that could be measured with MRIs and CAT scans. The Investigation I deal in science. My work is framed by functional medicine and the clinical studies that support it. So, it’s not often that I have to veer off of the physical-proof path. However, in Holly’s case, I did suspect that her symptoms might be related to energy which meant that we had to explore the possibility that the cause might not be an entirely tangible. Stephanie Roman knows these feelings very well. She spent much of her life ignoring or repressing them. But this manifestation of energy is hard to ignore and she eventually had to acknowledge and embrace it. Now it is at the core of her work as an energy healer, psychic, author, Tedx Speaker, and trainer. Beyond the Physical Body Stephanie explained that we have different bodies beyond our physical body. We might call them spiritual or energy bodies. These bodies dictate our emotions and our reactions which in turn, affects our physical body. We are All Psychic Stephanie believes that we are all psychic in varying degrees and ways. We are born psychic. Some people call this energy or they might feel like they’re getting messages from their body. In our childhood, we are much more acquainted with our psychic energy but as we grow up, and learn societal beliefs and expectations, we loosen this connection. Welling Up of Energy Some people more open to the energy and maintain their psychic or energy connection after childhood. They may be completely unaware of it. This can cause the energy to build up until suddenly it shows up as physical symptoms. This might feel like tingling under the skin, shooting sensations (like a jolt), an internal vibration, or ‘buzzing’. This is like the bucket overflowing or the shaken soda bottle popping it’s top. Stress and Fear These symptoms can cause a great deal of anxiety (as they did for Holly) because doctor’s can’t find the source and the body feels ‘off’. Unfortunately, this fear and stress can exacerbate the symptoms because it’s like a piling on of energy; the stress just adds more water to the bucket. It’s easy to be afraid of things that we don’t understand. How to Deal with Excess “Energy” When someone finally figures out that they are holding energy, it can be confusing and frightening. Even Stephanie denied her psychic abilities for years because of the stigma and disbelief. She offered some great tips (and she goes into detail about each one in the podcast) for dealing with this new reality. Find a community Grounding meditation (empty your energy bucket) Visualization - of a tree Get into nature (away from electronics) stick bare feet in grass The Gift She knows that people are scared of being open to energy. They don’t want to admit that these feelings may mean that they’re better able to tap into the world of energetics, healing and even psychic abilities. They might brush it off or use more socially-acceptable terms like being ‘intuitive’, being ‘lucky’, or having a ‘gut feeling'. Stephanie encourages everyone to embrace their abilities, nurture them and see them as a gift. Happy Ending Holly was resistant to these ideas at first but she was eager to try anything that would make her feel better and prove that this wasn’t all in her head as the doctor implied. We did some grounding meditations and guided visualizations which helped Holly understand her body more. She was able to hone in on the energy in different locations and control it more. Holly had another breakthrough when she noticed situations where she picked up extra energy. Knowing this allowed her to do some preventative work which meant that energy didn’t get bottled up again. It was a strange road for Holly but she’s feeling much more in control now and is even considering embracing her gift and doing some training in Reiki. Eliminating Health Mysteries For Holly we were able to go beyond the physical tests and find the source of her problem. Could your energy body hold the clue for you or someone in your life? Links: Grounding Meditation https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mJvoYYWw

The Case: Candace is 39 and has been dealing with acid reflux for years. She was diagnosed with GERD and prescribed acid lowering medication but when it stopped working she switched to probiotics and digestive enzymes. These helped a little but she was still suffering and needed to find the root cause. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and acid reflux diagnoses have been increasing dramatically for the past 20 years. So much so that it is now considered a very common disorder with an estimated 20-30% of the Western population experiencing it. However, many people who suffer from it are prescribed acid-blocking medications like Prevacid, Omiprezole and Nexium however, these options come with their own concerns and cautions. Few patients are encouraged to look for the cause of their issue, but when Candace came to see me, I knew that was exactly what we needed to do. The Investigation Candace experienced some relief by following a strict course of probiotics and digestive enzymes however it didn’t completely relieve her symptoms. I knew that there had to be something that was continuing to cause inflammation and an imbalance in the gut. Lisa Pomeroy is a naturopathic doctor and functional medicine consultant. She coaches and offers online training through the Pomeroy Institute for Functional Nutrition. She is also a clinical consultant for two of the top functional laboratories where she guides the experts in interpreting functional lab test reports and developing effective nutritional protocols. Causes of GERD and Acid Reflux The increase in occurrences of GERD and acid reflux may be attributed to the increase in gastrointestinal infections. Many of these go undetected and over time cause acid reflux. Lisa also thinks that our shifting diet (including refined processed foods and non-organic foods) is also a culprit in the increased rate of GERD diagnosis. And, our eating habits can also contribute to the development of GERD. Common GI Tract Infections There are many potential infections that can affect the stomach but the most common is Helicobacter pylori (aka H pylori). This infection of the upper digestive tract can cause symptoms of stomach pain (especially within an hour or so of eating), feelings of hunger when there shouldn’t be, and acid reflux. Food is usually digested within 90 minutes of eating so feeling like food is ‘sitting like a rock’ in the stomach 90-minutes or more after eating can also be a clue that H Pylori might be the present. An aversion to protein may also be an indicator. Symptoms of H Pylori In addition to the above mentioned gut issues, H Pylori can also manifest as sleep issues, fatigue, malnutrition (not absorbing nutrients), or skin issues such as rosacea, acne, psoriasis or eczema. Hashimoto’s and other autoimmune issues can be triggered by H Pylori. Mental health issues like anxiety or depression may also be a result, or exacerbated by H Pylori. Too Little or Too Much Stomach Acid A lot of people think that acid reflux is because there is too much acid in the stomach, however, it can also be caused by not enough acid in the stomach. Acid is required to break food down so when there is too little, it can cause an imbalance of digestive enzymes and other digestive issues. Acid is also what helps keep food in the stomach by triggering the lower esophageal sphincter or L.E.S. When there is not enough acid, this can open up and allow food and stomach bile to travel back up into the throat. Testing for H Pylori The conventional test for H Pylori is a serum antibody test however Lisa does not like to use this test because there are a lot of false negatives and there is no way to know if the infection is new or old. A breath test is also common in conventional medicine but this can also deliver a false negative. Additionally, traditional doctors will do an endoscopy and biopsy which may or may not find the infection. Lisa’s preferred method of testing for H Pylori is a stool test (and there are few versions of this type test to consider). Detecting H Pylori with PCR There is one stool test that Lisa prefers over others (and I agree with her) and it’s a DNA stool test using PCR technology. We like it because this technology not only allows us to test for the H Pylori at a DNA level but it also can identify the virulence of the infection. When we know how active the infection is, we are in a better position to effectively attack it. Treating H Pylori Conventionally Once H Pylori is diagnosed, treatment will often include antibiotics (the strength of which may be adjusted according to the virulence of the infection) as well as proton-pump inhibitor medication. This is the more conventional approach and Lisa says that it’s only effective half the time and can do a lot of damage to the body. Treating H Pylori Naturally Lisa uses a clinically-proven botanical protocol to treat her patients with H Pylori. This includes a higher-dose mastic gum in combination with DGL (deglycerized lic

The Case: Camille is 38 and has experiencing unexplained joint pain, fatigue and generally not feeling like herself. Blood tests revealed an elevated ANA but that could mean many things and doctors were unable to give her a diagnosis. Further bloodwork pointed to an issue with thyroid and inflammation. The Investigation An elevated ANA can mean a lot of things but generally it indicates that there is an autoimmune issue which could be lupus, scleroderma, Sjogren’s syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, or a variety of other diseases. However, a positive ANA is not considered enough to diagnose any of these. In Camille’s case, I could see from the additional blood work I ran that there was more to this story; that there was perhaps more than one puzzle piece missing to complete this picture. Dr. Keesha Ewers is an integrative medicine expert, a popular speaker, and the best-selling author of Solving the Autoimmune Puzzle: The Woman’s Guide to Reclaiming Emotional Freedom and Vibrant Health. She’s board certified in functional and Ayurvedic medicine and the Founder and Medical Director of the Academy for Integrative Medicine Health Coach Certification Program. Holistic Medicine Includes the Mind When we are dealing with a physical ailment, like Camille was, we assume that the cause of the issue is entirely physical. However, as Dr. Keesha explains, we need to look at these issues from a holistic perspective. Our emotions send signals to our mind which can create a biochemical reaction. We’ve discussed in past episodes how long held beliefs can manifest into physical ailments (see episode 007) and this is certainly the case with autoimmune disease. How Emotions Affect Us Physically Dr. Keesha conducted a study in 2013 called the ‘Healing Unresolved Trauma Study” aslo known as the HURT study. In this study she found that young brains that are not fully developed (up to the age of 26) are affected by any kind of trauma (emotional and physical) that they encounter. These traumatic experiences can be as innocuous as feelings of rejection or being not good enough. Young minds try to make sense of these experiences by creating stories around them to give them meaning. These become beliefs. In turn, the young mind develops an adaptive strategy (to avoid future negative emotional experiences) which becomes hardwired into the brain and we carry that with us into adulthood. When we experience a similar emotion as adults, without knowing it, our brain references back and triggers a response. What’s Happening in the Body During Fight or Flight? We’re all familiar with the fight or flight response but Dr. Keesha explains that the brain can trigger this response even when there is no real danger as a result of these early emotional experiences. The physical response is however the same even if the trigger isn’t a tiger but something like rejection. The brain sends a message to our adrenal glands to release cortisol. This sends oxygen to our muscles, raises our blood pressure and our heart rate (all thing needed for fight or flight). At the same time it shuts down the unnecessary systems including fertility, sexual desire, and digestion. It also changes the way we take in information – it shifts our focus away from the now to the future (or from here to there – where safety is) Our hormones are not designed to be continually in that mode. Eventually, we run out of cortisol. This causes a new chain reaction (because your body is still in fight or flight) so the body starts to steal your progesterone stores from your reproductive organs. This creates a hormone imbalance. The Root of the Root Cause I talk a lot about getting to the root cause of the problem on this podcast, but often it can be tricky to see the root of the root. We might be able to trace the issue back to a hormone imbalance (and correct that) but we need to keep digging to see what caused that hormone imbalance. This can be a very challenging thing for people because we tend to not tie our physical condition to long held beliefs or emotional triggers from our youth. And, often we feel that this ‘new’ problem can’t be related because it came on ‘all of a sudden’. However, it’s more likely that the condition or symptoms were the result of a system breaking down after long-term stress. Capital T vs. Small t Trauma Many people think of trauma in the sense of what Dr. Keesha calls capital T trauma like sexual abuse, abandonment, PTSD, domestic violence, neglect, or psychological abuse. However, research shows that lower case t traumas does that exact same thing to your hormones, biochemistry and brain function. Dr. Keesha says that everyone experiences some form of lower case t trauma in their life. Is Autoimmune Your Fault? Dr. Keesha is adamant about shifting this paradigm of blaming ourselves for developing an autoimmune disease. Yes, our brains may be the cause but we were never in control of how our brains are wired as a result of our childhood experiences. That’s bi

The Case: Kim is 37 and lives in a high-rise in New York City For about a year she felt foggy, tired, and plagued by headaches. She was also experiencing joint pain that traveled from ankle to shoulder to knee. She tried anti-inflammatories but it only masked the problems. Her doctors were unable to find the cause of her issues. It’s not uncommon for people to turn to functional medicine to deal with headaches and inflammation but there was something that made me think there was something else at play in Kim’s case. The biggest clues were that aside from the pain, she also said she didn’t feel like herself. I knew that we had to get to the source of the inflammation and the roving joint issues. The Investigation My suspicion was Lyme disease but Kim is a city girl and hadn’t been hiking in areas where she might have been exposed. I needed to investigate whether this might be the cause of her issues as it certainly seemed to explain the collection of concerns. Dr. Darin Ingels is an expert in Lyme disease and a respected thought leader in natural medicine. He’s the author of “The Lyme Solution: A 5-Part Plan to Fight the Inflammatory Autoimmune Response and Beat Lyme Disease”. His practice deals with chronic immune dysfunction and he’s been successful in using natural methods to reduce the symptoms of Lyme (including his own). What is Lyme Disease? Lyme disease (also known as Lyme Borreliosis) is a bacterial infection transmitted primarily by Deer ticks. It’s unique because it has the capacity to penetrate different parts of the body in a way that other bacteria can’t. This means, it can travel around the body and it can be difficult to treat. Lyme is also known as the great mimic because the symptoms of the disease can look like many other illnesses and traditionally, doctors have found it very hard to diagnose. Also, there are upwards of 300 different strains of Lyme disease worldwide, with about 100 strains in the U.S. Know Your Ticks There are many different types of ticks and the one that most commonly carries Lyme disease is the deer tick. If you find a tick on you, it’s helpful to know what kind of tick it is. Here are a few pictures to help you identify them. (HealthMysteriesSolved.com) If You Find a Tick If you find a tick crawling on you, brush it off. If it hasn’t bitten you, then you are unlikely to have been infected. However, you should do a full tick check since you now know you’ve been in an area where ticks are. When a tick bites you, it stays attached while it feeds. The disease is transmitted from the saliva it secretes into your bloodstream while it is drinking your blood. If you find a tick that is attached to your skin, remove it using tweezers and a magnifying glass, pinching as close to the bite as possible and pulling the tick out slowly. Avoid the instinct to squash it or scratch it away. Gentle, intentional removal will decrease the amount of the bug’s fluids that enter your system. If possible, save the tick (in a plastic bag with a moist cotton ball so it doesn’t dry out) and bring it in for testing. Not Just Ticks Lyme disease is most commonly caused by a bite by a carrier known as a deer tick but it’s not just ticks that transmit the bacteria. Some research suggests that mice, rats, and squirrels may also be carriers. Many people write off the possibility of having contracted Lyme because they haven’t been in nature or in a region that is known for having infected ticks. There is also some research being done about the possibility that Lyme disease may be transmitted by mosquitoes, horseflies, fleas, and through the exchange of human body fluids. None of these have been proven conclusively. Where in the World are Lyme-Infected Ticks? Another factor that can cause doctors to write off the possibility of Lyme is location. For a long time, Lyme was primarily found in ticks located in specific regions of the US (the Northeastern and Midwestern states) but in the past few years, infected ticks have been found in every state - including Alaska. Symptoms There are some tell-tale signs of Lyme infection, the most significant of which is the appearance of a red bulls-eye like rash around the bite area. This is called erythema migrans and is the most conclusive symptom because it only occurs with Lyme. However, not everyone who gets Lyme disease will develop this rash so doctors have to rely on a collection of other symptoms. These symptoms may include fever, chills, joint pain (that may travel from one area to another), Bell's palsy, swelling of the lymph nodes, sleep disturbances, headaches, and general flu-like symptoms. Over time, symptoms can progress into neurological symptoms like balance problems, coordination issues, fatigue, brain fog, sensitivity to light and short term memory loss potentially leading to cognitive decline. Diagnosis Diagnosis of Lyme disease is tricky because unless the patient has (and sees) the erythema migrans mark, the symptoms could be a myriad of other t

The Case: Avery is 37 and was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism ten years ago. Despite taking medication, she still suffered from weight issues, fatigue, constipation and dry, brittle hair. Additional testing revealed she had Hashimoto’s. She made the lifestyle changes suggested, little changed. Avery’s experience is not totally uncommon. The traditional medical system helped treat her symptoms but it wasn’t until she turned to functional medicine that she was able to get to the real root of the problem. Or, so she thought. When I met with her, I knew there was still a piece of the puzzle that was missing and it would required her to be open minded about the cause of her health issues. The Investigation When we feel ill or our body is not functioning the way we want it to, we think about all of the physical things that could be wrong with it. For many people, solving their health mystery doesn’t need to go any further than this. But, for Avery we had to go beyond the physical and dig a little into the health of her energy. This is the truly holistic approach. Dr. Kyrin Dunston learned this through her own personal journey. She was a busy and successful OB GYN who struggled every day with her own physical health. She was overweight, lethargic, and dealing with the chronic pain of Fibromyalgia. She tried all of the traditional ways to regain her health but all of her tests came back normal, leaving her stumped by her persistent ill-health. She was as surprised as anyone that her solution did not lie in traditional medicine (which she loved, practiced, and was devoted to) but rather in functional medicine and energy work. Now, she shares her new approach to women’s health through online programs and her podcast, Her Brilliant Health Radio. Physical is a Manifestation of the Energetic Our physical body is a manifestation of our energetic body and this is true for everyone. This might seem unscientific but research has proven it. For example, our electromagnetic field can be red outside of us (using HeartMath technology) proving that it goes beyond the one job we originally assumed it did. These energies are accessible for health, healing and communication. This is new in the Western world but other cultures have believed this (and build their health care around it) for centuries. Acupuncture is a good example of this. Consider the Underlying Energy In any physical healing from disease, we have to consider the underlying energetic component. For instance, in Hashimoto’s or issues with the thyroid, it’s important to look at the energy center in the throat, or Throat Chakra. This is where energy is affected by and affects our communication and ability to speak our truth. Energy disturbances here could come from a long-held inability to speak up or share our true authentic self. Until that energy is addressed, the physical body will struggle. Little ‘t’ Trauma We talked in episode 007 about how our belief systems can impede our efforts for optimal health. In this episode, Dr. Kyrin explains that beliefs and long-held traumas interfere with the health of your energetic self. Traumas come in many forms. The ones we often think about are easy to quantify - a major accident, experience violence, witnessing something horrific - but there are other traumas that can also have an impact. Referred to as small t traumas, these could include incidences in your childhood that even you wouldn’t consider traumatic but that have left a scar on your energy or psyche. Even if they don’t register as traumatic experiences, they can still shape our biology. Energetic Comes First Before a physical illness, we experience an energetic interference. Every physical illness has an energetic counterpart. To get to the root of potential energetic origins of illness, Dr. Dunston suggests looking into the history of the issue and making a personal inquiry with journaling. For many people, this is too hard to navigate on their own and they may want to seek the help of an expert on integrating physical issues with chakras or doing energy work. This is important because it can be complex. For example, an issue like Hashimoto’s deals with the throat (thyroid) but also with the root chakra - so there may be more than one energetic blockage or disturbance at play. The Spaces Between Despite being raised by a ‘hippie’ who helped her connect to her energy and intuition at a young age, Dr. Kyrin was drawn to medicine. After she rediscovered the importance of energy work in her own health journey, she didn’t want to let go of the scientific side. Luckily, science has proof of something beyond the physical. She cites the Nobel Prize being awarded to the discovery of Higgs-Boson Particle which looks at the space between the known particles. She believes that there is a consciousness of the universe - and we should be careful what we ask for because it answers both negative and positive requests (as she discovered). Energy Work + Functional Medicine Often, when