Women's Health

MTHFR Support for Women's Health with Dr. Samantha LeVine

The MTHFR gene mutation has gotten a lot of press lately.  But it can be confusing to understand, and even more confusing to know what to do next.

Our guest today, Dr. Samantha LeVine of Docere Naturopathic Wellness, breaks it down simply and practically in this short episode.  

Learn what a defect in methylfolate reductase gene production can effect:

Hashimoto's Thyroiditis: Discover Your Root Cause with Bestselling Author, Izabella Wentz

If you have Hashimoto's but haven't gone into remission (it's possible!), then I recommend you tune into this show.  If you have a thyroid disorder, but haven't been checked for anti-thyroid antibodies, tune in as well.  

If you have unexplained fatigue or an inability to lose weight, then listen in to learn if your thyroid may be involved.  Lastly, if you'd like to avoid autoimmune diseases in your future, come and learn more about how these diseases progress, so you can make the best choices now.

Guest Blog: Do Your Gut Bugs Influence Your Weight and Overall Health?

New research shows that your body does best when your gut microflora exhibits more bacteria AND a high degree of biodiversity or richness. A lack of gut bacteria and diversity is a cause for concern.  This makes sense since the bacteria living in you produce vitamins, mature and strengthen the immune system, and communicate with your nerve and hormone-producing cells, among many other functions.

Guest Blog: 37 Things I’m Happy I Learned By Age 37

This guest blog is brought to you by Emily Pereira of BeTheBeginner.com.  I first saw Emily speak at the Fertlity Planit event in Los Angeles in 2014.  Emily was incredibly authentic, and shared her journey from 'happy only on outside' to how she become truly content on the inside.

She recently shared her inspirational wisdom, on her 37th birthday, and I wanted to share her 37 discoveries with you. Enjoy!

Women and Autoimmune Disease, part 1 of 3

Women and Autoimmune Disease, part 1 of 3

According to the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association, Inc, “autoimmune diseases strike women three times more than men.” They further state that autoimmune diseases are the 4th highest reason for female disability, and are in the top ten for cause of death. 

The Blood Sugar Balancing Act

Before we hit a state of blood sugar pathology (diabetes, metabolic syndrome, or latent autoimmune diabetes of adulthood for examples), we most likely spend some time, perhaps decades, in a state of functional blood sugar imbalance.

These functional imbalances probably begin due to diet and lifestyle, and the good news is that they can usually be corrected with diet, lifestyle, and natural supplementation, under the care of a trained functional medicine practitioner.

Do You Have a Cranky Bladder?

The bladder is a hollow, muscular organ with an inner layer called a urinary epithelium.  Two ureters carry urine from the kidney to the bladder.  At the lowest point is a urethra, a narrow tube from which urine empties when it’s sphincter muscle releases.

Stones, or calculi, can develop in the bladder when minerals that should be in solution in the urine congeal.  The condition is more common in men, and is more commonly found in low-protein diets.

Infection of the bladder (cystitis) is more common in women, with the suspected reason of our shorter urethra providing less of a barrier against bacteria.  

PCOS, Ammenorhea and More on the Podcast this month

There have been some HOT topics on the podcast this month!  I love the powerful, brillant ladies I've been honored to meet.  I'll recap below:

1.  First we had Nicole Jardim, women's health coach, talking about the reasons and solutions behind ammenorhea (no period for 3 months or more.)  

Ammenorhea can be caused by post-birth control use, overtraining, under-eating, extreme diets and stress.  There is a good chance you'll experience a bout of ammenorhea in your lifetime. 

How to Make Healthy Bone Broth

I'm happy to share with you today a great video on an important topic, making bone broth.  Bone broth is easy to make once you get the hang of it, and it's super nutritious.  It can heal a leaky gut, regenerate your joints, help you sleep, and help your hormonal system tick along nicely.   Just click on the image above to view.  It's about 10 minutes long, and well worth it!..

High Blood Pressure- Natural Treatment

Got high blood pressure? Monitor your blood pressure with your primary care physician, and know there are also solutions with a functional medicine practitioner like myself to get this condition under control.

Here are some things to consider:

Check your blood sugar (fasting glucose and HA1C) as insulin resistance increases blood pressure.

GMO Foods: The Effect on Your Body

Here in Oregon we've got a vote coming up on labeling GMO foods.  I think most people don't have a grasp on which foods these are and how they may effect our health.  So I spent some time today digging deep into the topic.

I was also curious about the battle over GMO labeling.  This initiative already lost in California, and I was shocked to hear it.  Now that the vote is approaching in Oregon, I can see why.  There is a lot of money being invested into this legislation not passing by companies with deep pockets like Monsanto and Pepsico.

Get a Second Opinion on Your Digestion through Functional Medicine

I'm pretty darn excited about the upcoming Digestion Sessions, part 2 of the Second Opinion Series hosted by Underground Wellness.

All the event videos are shot in person with beautiful, high-quality production.  It's so cool to see our 'alternative' health leaders looking like true media leaders on the big screen!

Healthy Decision Making: part 1

If you are stuck in elevator, between floors, it's a great time to use your wits to figure out how to get the heck out of there.  And, thankfully, in our culture today, we are encouraged to follow our hearts when choosing a mate.

But what about all the decisions in between these two extremes, when we are deciding what to eat, or when to exercise?  How about deciding our career, or what we are going to say next? 

Summer Reading: Best Women's Health Books

My Five Favorite Women's Health Books

If you are a health geek like me, you love a great health book. 

Here are some of my favorites:

Women's Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine

written by local naturopath, Tori Hudson

This book details the origins and best natural treatments of twenty of the most common women's health issues from cervical dysplasia to menstrual cramps.