It wasn’t long ago that the “autoimmune protocol (AIP diet)” was unknown term for what used to be known in functional medicine as the “elimination and provocation diet.” Today, the AIP diet is a well-known tool in autoimmune management, and thousands of autoimmune patients have used it successfully to help recover their health. However, while…
Details
Oral Tolerance Part I: Sensitive to multiple foods and not getting better? Here’s why If you’re managing your autoimmune disease, chronic health disorder, or brain health, then you’re probably familiar with the autoimmune paleo (AIP) diet, also known as the leaky gut diet or autoimmune paleo protocol. Prior to its rebranding online, functional medicine practitioners…
Details
The immune system is responsible for protecting us from bacteria, viruses, parasites, and other pathogens. However, many factors of modern life have created exploding rates of immune-related disorders, including autoimmunity — a condition in which the immune system attacks and destroys body tissue. Although autoimmune disease can affect any part of the body, many people…
Details
While male hormone imbalance is not a topic that gets as much press as female hormone imbalance, it is nevertheless vital to men’s health and well-being. It is important for practitioners and patients to understand the factors that underlie male hormone imbalances so the root caused can be addressed, instead of routing patients automatically to…
Details
Healthy gut bacteria is key to managing autoimmunity and other chronic disorders in part because they produce short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), compounds that help modulate the immune system and dampen inflammation. The primary SCFA we look at in relation to immune health is called butyrate. Butyrate is so important to intestinal cells they will…
Details
Are you becoming sensitive to an ever growing list of foods? Do you do lab testing only to have everything come back negative, despite clear and obvious reactions to foods. If so, you may have low SIgA levels. SIgA refers to secretory immunoglobulin antibodies. The immune system makes antibodies to tag proteins to be destroyed…
Details
Did you know your liver can play a role in inflammation, leaky gut, food sensitivities, chemical sensitivities, and autoimmunity? Tending to liver function and liver detoxification is a vital part of functional medicine protocols to address chronic health issues. Liver detoxification involves making fat-soluble compounds water-soluble so they can be eliminated in urine, feces, or…
Details
You may wonder why you struggle so much with brain fog, forgetfulness, anxiety, and depression. Many factors can underlie these symptoms, but one of the most common is poor gut health. The gut and the brain are closely connected, and poor gut health can lead to poor brain health and related symptoms. This is called…
Details
The editor of the scientific journal Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine invited me to submit a paper for publication on the topic of “Traumatic Brain Injury and the Effects on the Brain-Gut Axis.” The paper was recently published and the abstract summary of the paper can be found on the National Library of Medicine…
DetailsWhen you have hypothyroidism it’s easy to get caught up in thyroid lab values and which thyroid meds and supplements work the best. While these are significant factors in improving thyroid health, it’s important to remember gut health is foundational to thyroid health. As long as you struggle with a leaky gut, gut inflammation, gut…
DetailsWhen it comes to addressing hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s, certain nutritional and herbal compounds are invaluable. All the supplements in the world, however, will fall short if you fail to make the necessary dietary changes to support your condition. Americans are infatuated with pills, thanks to decades of conditioning from the pharmaceutical industry. It doesn’t matter…
DetailsAn ancient surgical procedure, called trepanation, consisted of drilling a hole in the head and removing a piece of the skull. It is thought this practice was used to release evil spirits that caused mental illness, migraine headaches and other ills. Nowadays, however, if you went to your naturopath with complaints of headaches and she…
Details