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Want your pain, arthritis, fibromyalgia or Lyme disease to FINALLY go away without the use of drugs with side effects?This is Dr. Diane writing and I have suffered in my past greatly from pain, fibromyalgia and Lyme disease. I avoided all pharmaceutical medications throughout my healing journey and today I am free from disease. Part of the fundamental piece of

Last week, we wrote about Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and what causes it (here). This week, we talk about the solutions to PCOS.SOLUTIONS TO PCOSThere are many things we can do in Functional Medicine to address root causes of PCOS and we will discuss them below.----- But the most effective treatments for PCOS are: ---------- DIET & EXERCISE -----Lifestyle corrections to

This week, we discuss Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and what causes it. Next week, please read on for our article on the solutions to PCOS.WHAT IS PCOS?Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal imbalance that affects women. It involves reproductive and hormonal disturbances, primarily anovulation (when a woman does not ovulate) and high levels of androgen or male hormones in women (Diamanti-Kandarakis

Last week, we wrote about trauma and the many ways in which it can physiologically affect the body (see here for the full article). This week, we focus on solutions to address trauma using Functional Medicine.SOLUTIONSTO TRAUMAIs there a Functional Medicine approach? What does Functional Medicine do in cases of trauma or PTSD?In Functional Medicine, we will assess the general

This week we are writing on trauma:Trauma is not uncommon. One study in the US found that 74.2% of women and 81.3% of men reported experiencing at least one traumatic event in their lifetime (Mock SE, 2010).How does trauma affect the body and how we can resolve it using Functional Medicine?TRAUMA: a psychological, emotional response to a deeply distressing or disturbing

This week we continue to look at autoimmunity and gut health. This article focuses on possible ways of predicting autoimmunity by looking at specific gut bacteria.Dr. Alessio Fasano, whom we wrote about last week, has said that the reason someone develops autoimmunity or AI later in life is due to gut bacteria and a change somehow in the composition of

The Microbiome-Autoimmune Connection, Part 3: Dr. Alessio Fasano’s work on Autoimmunity This week we will review the groundbreaking work of Dr. Fasano and autoimmunity. Autoimmunity is when the immune system becomes overactivated and attacks the body’s own tissue. What causes this attack? Read on for more details. These are three steps that can cause an autoimmune condition: a genetic tendency an

Last week in Autoimmunity & the Gut Part 1, we introduced what is autoimmunity (AI) and discussed some gut issues that can contribute to autoimmunity; such as leaky gut and dysbiosis. This week we look at specific microbiome issues in common AI diseases and we will give you ways to manage and address an autoimmune condition.As we saw last week

INTRODUCTIONGut health is closely involved in autoimmunity (AI). In fact, there are three elements necessary for an autoimmune disease to develop. These are a genetic predisposition, a leaky gut and an environmental trigger (Fasano, 2012). This is commonly referred to as the triad of AI. Through intestinal permeability, or leaky gut, the gut becomes a critical factor in AI.AI diseases

Last week in Part 1 of Depression and the Gut, we defined depression and outlined the potential causes of depression; genetics, a chemical imbalance in the brain, hormones, stress or trauma, blood sugar dysregulation, poor diet, medications, inflammation and gut health.This week we provide specific ways to address depression through functional medicine.In functional medicine, we look for the root causes

We’ve written about the gut-brain axis and anxiety, ADHD and autism. In this week’s article on the gut-brain axis, we address depression and the gut. The gut and the brain are linked by the “gut-brain axis”, which regulates brain function and behavior (Chunlong Mu, 2016). For a full explanation of the gut-brain axis, please see our first article on anxiety

Approximately 24% of people have a genetic polymorphism (abnormality in a gene), which prevents them from properly breaking down the toxins that mold create. Different types of molds will produce different toxins. Different toxins will cause unique changes in our body and therefore, unique symptoms. As we live in moldy environments, genetically susceptible individuals do not have the opportunity to