Tag: Functional Medicine

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Cleaning Up A Toxic Liver

Herbs and limes; cleaning up a toxic liver.

Our bodies have to deal with a near constant influx of toxins including pesticides, chemicals, pollutants in our air and water, chemicals in our food, heavy metals, mold, and much more. The liver has many important jobs, and one of them is filtering through these toxins each day, but due to the staggering amount of chemicals the average person encounters each day (which can range from hundreds to thousands of different chemicals), the liver often ends up overworked and dysfunctional. The liver is such an important organ that is necessary for many vital functions in the body, so it’s important to keep it as healthy as we can. Let’s discuss what the liver does, and some things we can do to help clean up a toxic liver.

Jobs of the Liver

The liver is responsible for over 500 tasks like producing bile, filtering blood, producing cholesterol, storing glucose, and many others. Keeping your liver healthy is crucial to overall health, and sluggish livers are a common problem today. We encounter many different chemicals every day in our air, water, food, medications, beauty products, plastics, etc. Our bodies are constantly working to filter through these chemicals to minimize the harm done, but our livers and other organs can’t always keep up. Many people also do not eat correctly and lack vitamins and minerals essential for proper liver function, add this to the toxic load we’re carrying, and it’s a wonder our livers are functioning at all.

Glutathione

Glutathione is an antioxidant that the body is supposed to produce in cells, but production may not be optimal due to genetic mutations and/or environmental factors. We also produce less glutathione as we age, so supplementation is often recommended, especially for older individuals. Glutathione has many functions and benefits, including potentially reducing damage in liver cells, supporting a healthy nervous system, and improving insulin resistance and fat-burning especially in older people. One of the main benefits of glutathione is that it can help reduce oxidative stress, which greatly influences aging, certain chronic conditions, and autoimmune conditions. In autoimmune conditions, the mitochondria of the cells are often damages, and gluathione may help protect the mitochondria from further damage. Supplementing with glutathione may help aid in cleaning up a toxic liver, as well as many other potential benefits.

Symptoms of a Sluggish Liver

When the liver is not working quite as well as it should be, it is often referred to as sluggish. This doesn’t mean it is diseased, just that it is not functioning at the level it should be. Some of the symptoms of a sluggish liver may include:

  • Dark circles under the eyes
  • Waking up at 2am-3am for no apparent reason
  • Fatigue
  • Acne and/or rashes
  • Moodiness
  • Headaches
  • Brain fog

This is not an exhaustive list as symptoms can manifest differently in each person, but it is good to be aware of these common ones.

What Can You Do?

The good news is that we can do a lot to promote healthy liver function, but consistency is important. Reducing your exposure to toxins as much as possible is a great first step. Try to avoid synthetic household cleaning products, aerosol products like hairspray and air freshener, and opt for natural products whenever possible. You can also supplement with vitamins, minerals, and herbs that can help promote healthy liver function. Liver Support & Detox and Vital Detox are great products for liver health, and can aid in both phase 1 and phase 2 liver detoxification. Limiting alcohol intake is also important because excessive drinking can cause liver damage and may contribute to some forms of liver disease.

Cleaning up a toxic liver means you should focus on eating a varied diet of fruits, vegetables, high-quality meats, and healthy fats like coconut oil and avocados. You should also make sure the food you eat is organic because pesticides are a major source of toxins, and make sure you are drinking clean, filtered water to avoid the chemicals, heavy metals and other harmful substances found in tap water. Exercising regularly may also help improve liver function, and limiting alcohol intake may decrease your risk for certain forms of liver disease. Your liver is a very important organ and it has a lot of responsibilities, so take good care of it!

You can listen to our Happy Liver Makes a Happy Life podcast episode here. You can also listen on our YouTube channel here.

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Thyroid Health and Hypothyroidism

Thyroid issues are much more common now than they were in previous years, and there are a number of possible causes ranging from inflammation to radiation exposure. Thyroid issues are often difficult to treat, but there are many things you can start doing now that can help promote healthy thyroid function. Making dietary and lifestyle changes that promote thyroid health is crucial for people with a diagnosed thyroid problem, but it can also benefit people who currently don’t have a thyroid issue as it may help to prevent problems in the future.

Functions of the Thyroid

The thyroid gland is responsible for releasing certain hormones that are used throughout your body. When the thyroid is underactive or overactive it can lead to issues in different parts of the body, which can make it difficult to determine the root cause by looking at physical symptoms alone, this is why checking thyroid levels regularly is so important. The importance of a healthy, functioning thyroid is hard to exaggerate. The hormones it produces are responsible for regulating your weight, breathing, heart rate, nervous system, body temperature, and bone loss, among other things. If your thyroid is not functioning correctly, it’s difficult for the rest of your body to function correctly.

Hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism refers to a condition in which the thyroid is producing less hormones than it should be. IHypothyroidism is more common than hyperthyroidism (a condition in which the thyroid gland produces more hormones than it’s supposed to), but they are both serious conditions. The causes of hypothyroidism are often hard to determine, but it may be caused by inflammation, stress, certain medications, nutrient deficiencies including an iodine deficiency, or even exposure to radiation. Drinking tap water may also interfere with thyroid function due to certain chemicals and heavy metals like fluoride, bromide, chlorine, and aluminum that are often present in tap water. Prescription medications have also been found in tap water because medications are often excreted through urine, and it’s very difficult to fully filter them out of the water. All of these things can not only lead to thyroid dysfunction, but can cause problems in other parts of your body as well. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to help promote healthy thyroid function and good overall health.

What Can I Do?

The first thing you should do when trying to treat or prevent any kind of health problem is to optimize your diet. Cutting inflammatory foods out of your diet is crucial for good thyroid health and good health overall. Inflammatory foods include fast food, heavily processed foods, soda, and many others. Your diet should be centered around organic fruits and vegetables, grass-fed and pasture-raised meats, high-quality fats like coconut oil and olive oil, and filtered water. You should also look into switching to all-natural beauty products, soap and household cleaners. Consuming enough iodine is also very important for thyroid health. You can get iodine from fish and other seafood, seaweed, or by taking a supplement containing iodine.

Supplements

The main supplement we recommend for promoting healthy thyroid function is Thyroid Essentials. Thyroid Essentials contains vitamins A, C, and E, iodine, selenium, zinc, turmeric root extract, ashwagandha root extract and a few other ingredients. Thyrotain is like a multivitamin for your thyroid, so taking Thyrotain along with making diet and lifestyle changes can go a long way in promoting thyroid health.

So, eat a diet high in organic fruits and vegetables, high-quality meats and fats, and clean water. You should also switch to all-natural products wherever possible, practice stress-reducing techniques like yoga or meditation, and give Thyroid Essentials a try. You can also get lab work done and Dr. Lewis can see how well your thyroid is functioning so he can give you more specific recommendations. The diet and lifestyle choices you make every day are some of the biggest influences on your health, so make sure they’re good choices!

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Survival Podcast with Jack Spirko – Agriculture’s Role in Obesity

Dr. Lewis recently had the opportunity again to be a guest on The Survival Podcast with Jack Spirko. This is one of Dr. Lewis’ favorite podcasts to speak on, and we would love for you to listen to it! They discussed everything from the role modern agriculture has played in the health of America to the obesity crisis and the difference between certain popular diets. This podcast contains so much information, as do all of Jack’s podcasts.

Give it a listen here!

You can also visit Jack’s website here to see all his other podcasts and item reviews.

Episode-2370- Dr. Steven Lewis on Agriculture’s Role in Obesity
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Adrenal Fatigue or Holiday Blues?

We’ve talked about adrenal fatigue before, but it’s worth discussing again. Adrenal fatigue is very common, but most sufferers don’t realize they have it, and considering how much it can affect your quality of life, it’s something you should know about. However, with the holidays comes a lot of stress, and for some people it can be a depressing time of year, making it difficult to know whether it’s adrenal fatigue or just holiday blues.

Adrenal Fatigue

Adrenal fatigue occurs when a person has low cortisol levels due to being overly stressed for a long period of time. This condition is very common, and it’s believed that almost everyone will experience it at some point in their lives, but most people don’t recognize the symptoms. We lead high-stress lives nowadays due to work, school, kids, social media, holidays, family or marital issues, or a variety of other potentially stressful things. Though most of these things are out of our control, we can control our reaction to them and our nutritional intake. Nutrition can make a big difference in our ability to deal with stress both physically and mentally. Having vitamin or mineral deficiencies makes your body and mind more susceptible to stress, and most people are suffering from at least one nutritional deficiency.

Symptoms

Adrenal fatigue usually occurs when a person is under a lot of stress, which eventually causes the adrenal glands to stop producing cortisol the way they should. These symptoms could be due to a different condition, but adrenal fatigue can cause:

  • Brain Fog
  • Fatigue
  • Weight Gain
  • Body Aches
  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Mood Swings
  • Hair Loss
  • Trouble Sleeping

Holiday Blues

Anxiety and depression are more common during the winter months for different reasons, there’s even a mood disorder called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) that causes people to feel depressed during the fall and/or winter seasons. Seasons affect our moods for different reasons including less sunlight (which means less vitamin D), stressful holidays, social gatherings, etc. Sometimes it can be hard to distinguish between adrenal fatigue or holiday stress, but taking certain supplements can help you deal with stress regardless of what’s causing it.

How to Fix It

Our Comprehensive, Comprehensive Plus Hormones, and Super Panel blood tests include a cortisol test which can tell us if your cortisol is too low or too high. For low cortisol you can take Adren-All which contains bovine adrenal glands, vitmins A, C, E, B6 and B12, licorice root extract, and a few other ingredients that promote healthy cortisol levels. For high cortisol levels you can take AdreneVive which contains ashwagandha root extract, l-theanine, skullcap root extract, and a few other ingredients that can help lower and re-balance cortisol levels. Supplementing with a high-quality multivitamin like Alpha Base Without Iron, and a mineral supplement like Reacted Multimin can help fill in any vitamin or mineral deficiencies which will help your body deal with stress. Anxiety and depression tend to become more common during the winter months, and CereVive is a great choice to help lessen the symptoms of anxiety, stress and depression.

Work on eating a balanced organic diet, try out some supplements, practice stress-reducing techniques, set aside time for a relaxing bath or something else that relaxes you, and focus on the positive. It’s difficult to heal adrenal fatigue without reducing the stress that caused it. Remember to enjoy the holidays, and not let them stress you out!

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Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic Syndrome is the name given to a group of risk factors that greatly increase your chances of experiencing diabetes, stroke, and heart disease. These risk factors include high blood sugar, high triglycerides, low HDL (“good”) cholesterol, excess body fat – especially abdominal fat – and high blood pressure. These are common issues, but having Metabolic Syndrome means you have at least three of these risk factors. Each one of these risk factors alone can increase your heart disease, diabetes and stroke risk, but having more than one is especially dangerous.

Can You Fix It?

Considering how common these problems are, many people are wondering – can you fix it? The simple answer is yes, but it takes work, dedication and consistency. Cleaning up your diet should be your number one priority when trying to fix Metabolic Syndrome. A diet high in sugar and processed food contributes to Metabolic Syndrome, and a diet low in sugar and high in fat and protein is what can help fix it. Getting your blood pressure to a normal level, controlling your blood sugar, and losing excess body fat go a long way in treating Metabolic Syndrome.

What to Eat

When trying to heal Metabolic Syndrome, or if you’re just trying to eat clean, you should focus mainly on a variety of vegetables, nuts and seeds, fruits, and lean meats like fish and chicken. Avoid high-sugar and high-carb foods like bread, cookies and pasta, and avoid processed foods like frozen pizzas, bagged chips and snacks, and processed meats like hot dogs, sausage and sandwich meat.

You should drink plenty of water and avoid soda and juice due to the high sugar content and chemicals – you should also avoid diet soda because artificial sweeteners have been found to contribute to Metabolic Syndrome. Unsweetened tea and coffee are safe to drink, but water should be the main thing you drink.

What to Take

There are a few supplements that can help treat some of the risk factors like high blood pressure, low HDL cholesterol, and high blood sugar. You should notice a difference after beginning a healthier diet and taking these supplements:

  • Diaxinol – Can help maintain a healthy blood sugar level
  • CM Core – Can help control blood sugar levels
  • CitraNOX – Can help normalize blood pressure
  • OrthoMega 820 – Can help raise HDL (“good”) cholesterol

Learning that you have Metabolic Syndrome shouldn’t discourage you, it should encourage you to lead a healthier lifestyle and reduce your heart disease, stroke, and diabetes risk. Remember that you have the power to fix it, and never give up the goal of being healthier!

Be sure to listen to our podcast on Metabolic Syndrome for more information!