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…
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One of the most vital nutrients for the brain is oxygen, and a seldom-mentioned but worthy suspect of poor brain oxygenation is low blood pressure. You would think as long as you’re breathing your brain is getting sufficient oxygen. However, while it may be getting enough oxygen to survive, it may not be getting enough…
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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…
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Many people with gluten sensitivity and gastrointestinal inflammation develop intestinal permeability, or “leaky gut.” Leaky gut happens when the lining of the digestive tract becomes over-porous and allows toxins, undigested food, and other pathogens into the bloodstream. These pathogens trigger an immune cascade that results in systemic inflammation, increasing the risk for food sensitivities, inflammation,…
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Before reading about how to unwind leaky gut, it’s important to understand what causes it so you can identify the best strategies to improve your gut and brain health. Unwinding leaky gut is a multi-faceted approach that consists of following a restricted diet, taking nutritional compounds that help reduce intestinal inflammation and repair the intestinal…
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If you are working on repairing leaky gut and restoring oral tolerance, it’s important to know about one key facet of good gut health that is a fairly new discovery — eating an ample and diverse amount of produce is key to healthy gut function because of its influence on gut bacteria. The modern diet…
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Have you noticed fermented and aged foods, wine, and cured meats cause certain symptoms in you? If so, you may have a histamine intolerance. Histamine sensitivity can produce a wide array of symptoms, however some of the more common are hives, swelling of the face or throat, a headache, nasal congestion, skin problems, a racing…
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Many people wonder what they can do immediately to manage their chronic health condition. The science can be confusing and complex, especially to those with Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism and other autoimmune diseases, because these disorders can lead to brain fog, fatigue, and loss of cognitive function that make it hard to figure out what to do…
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Cavin Balaster was able to significantly recover after a severe brain injury once he began incorporating functional medicine and functional neurology therapies. Inspired, he went on to become a self-educated functional medicine advocate for brain injury survivors. He is author of Feed a Brain, hosts the Adventures in Brain Injury podcast, and created the Feed…
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