Vitamin D: Hormone Extraordinaire
Pop music is aspirin and the blues are vitamins. -Peter Tork
Vitamin D deficiency, hypovitaminosis D, is a very common disorder. Especially here in the Chicagoland area with our long winters spent indoors. We are meant to absorb Vitamin D from the sun but complications arise - either we don’t get to see the sun, we cover up when we’re in the sun or we use sunscreen to block the vitamin D from getting to our skin. 10-15 minutes/day in “bathing suit” attire will provide approximately 10,000IU of Vitamin D. If that’s not part of your regular routine read on to find out how and why to supplement!
Although usually found through a blood test, some symptoms of the deficiency include everything from aches and pains to depression and bone demineralization problems. Vitamin D is fundamentally important for the regulation of how your body functions. Over 200 genes in your body are controlled by Vitamin D. At least 35 different tissues in the body have Vitamin...
4 Functional Medicine Tests You Need
Working with a functional medicine professional can be exciting and rewarding. At the beginning of your journey, your doctor may start with a few simple tests to see what contributing factors are responsible for your current situation. Later on if you find that you have implemented lifestyle changes and you are not seeing the results your doctor expects, testing may be exactly just what the doctor orders!! Below are the four tests most frequently used by Dr. Jordan Leasure at her clinic in Illinois. If you’ve completed any of these please share your experiences below.
1. ORGANIC ACID TEST
This is one of Dr. Jordan’s favorite tests for a variety of reasons. It’s easy to complete - just pee in a cup at home! It gives a TON of information - Dr. Jordan calls it the “poop of the poop”. Essentially it measures metabolites - a fancy word for the end products of your metabolism - when you create energy and eliminate waste. It gives an overall look at your...
10 Ways to Improve Your Financial Health
“Money doesn’t buy happiness, but it buys the kind if misery you may prefer”, is a quote often attributed to comedian Groucho Marx. I would like to say that Groucho is wrong, BUT in my 25 years writing the consumer financial column, $uper $aver and another 23 as a mortgage banker the sad truth is that if you are experiencing money problems and are not “financially healthy” it negatively affects your “health” in other areas. No money for healthy groceries? There goes your physical health. No money for rent, electric bill, school fees? There goes your emotional health. No money for an emergency cushion? There goes your psychological health. The bottom line is that your financial health is directly or indirectly tied to your physical, psychological and emotional health. So where to start?
My own financial health, while probably at any given time is not much different from your own, did not improve until I started to look at it...
Chronic Inflammation: A Silent Killer
Inflammation is a word that is used often, yet hard to define. Most of us have a hard time separating inflammation from an ankle sprain vs. inflammation contributing to heart disease and arthritis. In order to understand how to fight it, it’s important to understand how and why it occurs!
Inflammation is a very common and innate response to an injury, pain or stress. It is part of our bodies natural defense system to prevent something worse and/or speed up healing time.
Acute inflammation is the first response to an injury or pathogen. It’s acute because it should only last several days or less.
EXAMPLES OF WHAT CAN CAUSE THIS:
- Illness (virus, bacteria)
- Trauma (punch, kick, sprain)
- Burn
- Frostbite
- Allergic Reaction
There are a lot of players involved in the inflammatory process, but the basics are: heat, redness, swelling, and pain. These four eventually lead to loss of function as a way to prevent future injury. Acute inflammation is...
The Benefits of Colostrum
Colostrum is a supplement that has been around for a while, but new research is coming to light every day. Colostrum is the first milk produced by cows during the initial days after giving birth. This type is called bovine colostrum. This milk is very rich in immunoglobulins (proteins that help boost the immune system and fight germs). There are also other compounds not found in regular milk such as growth factors, cytokines, and nucleosides.
Enough with the science already, let's review what it can help with. Studies are showing supplementing with bovine colostrum can help improve: (1)
*Immune System Support
*Athletic Performance
*Gastrointestinal disorders such as diarrhea, IBS, Leaky Gut etc.
*Fat Utilization
*Serotonin levels in the brain
*Improve skin tone and texture
*AND MORE!
Basically speaking, the immune factors in colostrum support the resistance to colds and the flu, to acute or chronic bacterial or fungal conditions. In turn, this will also help your gut repair and...
The Number One Supplement to Help you Relax
We all have times we feel on edge. Overwhelmed, burned out and run down. Those feelings can manifest in some individuals as depression and others as anxiety. You may notice you’re having trouble concentrating, even impacting your sleep. Do you eat right, workout and meditate, but you’re still not feeling like yourself? We may have the answer.
Inositol. Never heard of it? I’m not surprised. Inositol is a sugar alcohol but contrary to the name it is neither a sugar nor an alcohol! More confused? Let’s start at the beginning.
Inositol is found in many foods - mainly fruits like cantaloupe and oranges[2]. It is found in bran, nuts and seeds in its phaylate form which is unfortunately indigestible by humans so we don’t get much inositol from our diets.
Inositol serves many functions in the human body from helping to give a cell its shape to giving instructions to a nerve and even breaking down fats! As a clinician we use it primarily for clients with...
Supplement of the Month: L-Theanine
September is officially here, and we all know what that means: school is back in session. For parents, this means taking your children to football, dance, cheerleading, swimming, piano lessons, tennis, tutors and much more. Your kids become overwhelmed with homework, reading, working on book reports, and studying for daunting tests. As a result, we are more vulnerable to stress and anxiety. Sometimes we need an extra boost, and luckily, L-Theanine can provide just that.
What is L-Theanine?
L-Theanine is a relaxing and non-dietary amino acid found pretty much exclusively in teas Camellia sinensis (mostly green and black tea) and is known to promote relaxation without sedation. The crucial difference seems to be not in whether the tea is green or black, but how young the tea leaves are at harvest. Theanine is found in highest concentrations in the buds and young leaves of the tea plant (1). It is available as a supplement that helps relieve anxiety. Theanine should be...
Probiotics : What They Are & Why You Need Them
When I started this blog and typed in probiotics into Google, I was overwhelmed with how much information there was about probiotics. From the top 10 brands to warnings about probiotics. With all of that information out there how do you know what is right? Does it really matter which brand to get?
As a matter of fact; yes it does matter where you buy your probiotics. You can refer to a previous blog regarding tiers of vitamins as that applies to probiotics as well. It is imperative that your probiotics along with any vitamins you take come not only from reputable sources, but that the manufacturers are at a bare minimum cGMP compliant. At our office, we will only recommend physician grade supplements because they are the most highly regulated on the market. The manufacturers that we utilize test every batch for quality, safety and effectiveness. Not only that, but they are free of fillers and binders.
The question we get asked the most often...
Supplement of the Month: B12 (Methylcobalamin)
Supplement of the Month: Vitamin B12
One of the typical questions we get asked is, “I went to my doctor and they said from my blood tests that my B12 is low. How do I fix this?” Vitamin B12 goes by many names and one we have in the office is called Methylcobalamin. By sitting down with Dr. Jordan or Dr. Jade they can discuss what the course of treatment can be to get you on track
How do we become deficient in B12?
Your body does not make vitamin B12, so you have to get it from animal-based foods or from supplements. You should do that on a regular basis, because your body doesn’t store vitamin B12 in the liver for a long time. With age, it can become harder to absorb this vitamin. There are a few ways of being deficient:
- Not enough intake of B12. Vegans and vegetarians are at a greater risk due to eliminating certain foods from their diet.
- Impaired B12 absorption can be caused by a number of underlying issues, all requiring different treatments....
5 Ways to Boost Your Energy at Work
I’m not sure about you, but about 3:30 pm every single day my brain decides to turn off and stop working. I tend to get tired and antsy at the same time, which leads to some seriously shameful unproductiveness. Seeing as the boss (as most bosses do), frowns upon dilly dallying till 5 pm, I decided that I needed to find some ways to boost my energy levels. Here’s a few simple ideas that I’ve found help keep you going till the very last second.
1.Get Moving!
Yes, I know it sounds cliche, but seriously. Get up and go to the bathroom, empty your shred pile, or just take a lap around the office! Your body needs occasional movement to change channels and get oxygen flowing. You don’t need to be away from your desk for an hour but little breaks to stretch your legs here or there won’t hurt.Keeping your body warmed up will prepare you for whatever tasks your boss might throw at you.
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Eat Well.
I’ll admit that snacking is my weakness. I’ve found...
