Modern medicine is missing the mark in cardiovascular care by simply treating symptoms and lab markers. Even with all the advances we’ve had in science, research, and treatments over the past few decades, heart disease remains the top cause of mortality globally. Worse yet, it’s prevalence is projected to increase by 30% by 2035....
The Heart of Medicine: What’s Missing in Traditional Cardiovascular Care for Women and Men?
Heart disease is the number one killer in men and women and it continues to take its toll on the population. Previously, I reviewed some alarming statistics regarding cardiovascular disease (CVD) risks for women, highlighted traditional risk factors, and stepped into the controversies surrounding cholesterol levels and statins. I also explored how risk factors...
Is it Hormones or Heart Disease? Hot Flashes, Digestive Imbalances, and Other Underrecognized Symptoms of Heart Problems in Women
Heart disease is the number one cause of death for all genders, across every race and ethnicity. Yet, only a little more than half of all women are aware of this. This may be due to the fear of breast cancer and the fact that healthcare has focused a lot on its prevention in...
Heart Disease: The Overlooked, Number One Cause of Death in Women & What Conventional Healthcare is Missing for Healthy Hearts
Heart disease is the number one cause of death nationally and globally for all genders. Yet, many biological women* worry more about their breast health than their cardiovascular care. Why is this true? The fact is that women have a greater risk of dying from heart disease than all other cancers combined. This holds...
Exhausted? Adrenal Fatigue: Symptoms, Triggers, Testing, and Naturopathic and Functional Medicine Support for Low Cortisol
“Adrenal fatigue” is a hot button term in medicine. Many doctors take issue with the personification of an organ and the imprecise reference to its suboptimal functioning. Therefore, it is now becoming more vogue to refer to this syndrome of symptoms as “adrenal dysregulation.” Regardless of what it is called, it is not a...
Is “Adrenal Fatigue” Linked to Your Health Problems… Even if it Doesn’t Exist?
Perhaps you’ve been struggling with low energy? Maybe, it was revealed to you by your integrative doctor that the cause could be “adrenal fatigue,” or “adrenal dysfunction.” Regardless of the name, if you looked up “adrenal fatigue,” you likely noticed it has sparked a reactive divide in healthcare. Whereas some experts seemed completely fine...
Using Naturopathic and Functional Medicine to Support Digestive Health and Alleviate Stressed-Out Guts
Stress affects everything, including your brain, body, emotions, productivity, self-care, and even relationship interactions. Your gut is one area particularly vulnerable to stress and the connection is bidirectional. Emotional and physical triggers can impact the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and digestive distress can cause or perpetuate stress symptoms. Many have experienced a “nervous stomach” because...
How Stress Affects Your Gut
When your stressed-out your whole body is affected, from your brain to your hormones. It is necessary to have these physiology shifts to effectively respond to threats and ensure survival. Thankfully, when the stress is removed, you can recover. Interestingly, your body can’t tell the difference between the mind’s perception of stress and true...
Why We Sleep: A Summary on Sleep Stages, Your Chronotype (Night Owls vs. Early Birds), and How to Optimize Sleep from a Neuroscientist
In my series on slumber so far, we have learned that staying busy at the expense of rest is a bad trade-of. Being underslept negatively impacts job performance, brain health, cognitive function, emotional balance, relationships, and general wellness. In fact, sleep is as vital for health as nutrition, movement, self-care, relationships, and socio-economic factors....
Why We Sleep and How Slumber Improves Your Brain, Hormones, and the Whole Body
Staying busy at the expense of sleep comes at a high cost. Evidence now reveals that being underslept not only leads to poorer job performance, it also negatively impacts brain health, cognitive function, emotional balance, relationships, and overall wellness. Yet, why is that to be fully functional and healthy, we need to shut out...