Could fear or anxiety be affecting your health?
And are your hormone levels to blame?
There are so many things in life that may cause you to be fearful, stressed, or anxious… especially given what's been going on in the world over the last few years.
Fear is a helpful and protective experience - when in balance.
But when fear or stress produces anxiety that becomes chronic, it can affect quality of life and the trajectory of your health.
A recent study found that low estrogen levels are linked to heightened levels of fear and anxiety. This might explain why fear and anxiety are a hallmark of the postpartum time when estrogen levels are low.
And, perhaps why anxiety affects twice as many women as men.
The research also shows that having ample estrogen levels is protective against heightened fear recall, which means enhanced fear expression or just more fear.
The good news is that when we know the root cause, we can address and begin to fix the problem. ❤️
See the image above for some general action steps you can take to help address and control your fear or anxiety.
If you’d like to learn more, read my new article, The Relationship Between Stress, Anxiety, Estrogen and Fear & How to Reduce It (see articles in linktr.ee).
Dr. Ann ❤️
#estrogen #hormones #rootcause #anxiety #fear #cortisol #meditation #hpaaxisdysfunction #toxins #adrenalfatigue #adrenalfatiguerecovery #glycine #stress #resilient #postpartum #menopause #perimenopause #healthylifestyle #hpa #hpaaxis #hpaaxisdysfunction ...
Are you doing all you can to support your heart health? ❤️
Heart disease remains the number one cause of death and affects approximately one-third of adults across the globe.
Once thought of as primarily a disease of old age, we now see heart disease in younger people.
Recent data suggests that about a third of adults in their 30s have signs of heart disease, such as plaque formation.
And unfortunately, with 🦠 we are seeing even more inflammation and injury to the cardiovascular system triggered by the 🦠, with slow recovery time for those facing long-🦠.
The good news? The body has an incredible ability to heal.🥰
We’ve known that cells that line the gut turn over quickly, but heart damage from a heart attack was once perceived as permanent.
Fortunately, we also have evidence that we may be able to support the regeneration of these (❤️) cells too.
Many of you probably know how diet and lifestyle choices impact the cardiovascular system that heart disease often develops over years of poor habits. And hopefully, you’re making good choices that support your heart health. 😊
But did you know that there are many nutraceuticals that offer high-level, targeted support to the heart and the vascular system?
See the image above for my top 10 heart health supplements to support inflammation and cell regeneration.
For more information on heart health, read my new article, Nutraceuticals for Heart Health and 🦠 Impact (in linktr.ee).
Dr. Ann ❤️
#cardiovascular #heartheath #integrativenutrition #integrativemedicine #minerals #inflammation #healthiswealth #healthylifestyle #truehealth #heartdisease #healthjourney
#cardiovascularhealth #omega3 #astaxanthin #rootcause #toxinfreeliving #healthiswealth #heart #heartinflammantion #livewell #toxinfreeliving #toxinsout #bewell #agewell #lifestyle #eattoheal #eatwell #naturopathicmedicine #holistichealth #naturopathic #holistic #supplements ...
A common trigger to autoimmune diseases is a hidden sensitivity to gluten. Many people are consuming gluten daily in foods like breads, pizza, soy sauce or pasta (to name a few), and are inadvertently priming their body for an autoimmune condition that attacks the thyroid or other systems. And most people have no clear symptoms to alert them.
Here’s how: The protein found in gluten (gliadin) has a similar molecular structure to the protein found in the thyroid gland.
So, if you have a hidden sensitivity to gluten, and the protein, gliadin, leaks into the bloodstream through the intestinal lining, the immune system may recognize it as an enemy and release anti-gliadin antibodies.
When these antibodies are active in the body – they can start to attack the thyroid gland – leading to an autoimmune condition Hashimoto’s. Once considered rare, Hashimoto's is now common. But it's just one of over 100 distinct autoimmune diseases.
Autoimmune diseases affect three to five percent of the population of western countries, of which 80% are women.
I see autoimmune patients every day, some with multiple autoimmune conditions.
Unfortunately, many people come to me after seeing several specialists who only treat the symptoms, prescribing medications that “band aid” the issue and never address the underlying cause(s).
If you think you may have an autoimmune condition, or if you want to be proactive against Hashimoto’s and other autoimmune conditions, you can start by finding out if you are allergic or sensitive to Gluten – one of the labs I like is the Enterolab test.
And consider checking some additional thyroid panels...anti-thyroglobulin (TG), anti-thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPO), and thyroid receptor antibodies.
While many are told that autoimmune disease is a life-long chronic condition, this is not always the case. The disease process can be slowed, halted, or even reversed by taking a root cause approach.
For more insight and strategies, read my new blog (in articles in linktr.ee) Autoimmune Diseases – A Root Cause Approach.
Dr. Ann ❤️
#autoimmunedisease #hashimotos #thyroid #thyroiddisease #glutenfree #foodallergies #autoimmune #paleo #autoimmune ...
Stubborn belly fat? Maybe its time to address hormones…
Belly fat, or visceral fat is the fat that surrounds internal organs. And while you may want to lose it for the bathing suit, there are health risks associated with excess visceral fat.
When visceral fat increases its known as central or abdominal obesity.
And abdominal obesity is linked to metabolic dysfunction, insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance…and an increased risk of diabetes and heart disease.
If you’re dealing with stubborn excess belly fat, the “calories consumed minus calories burned” approach to weight loss does not address the real reasons your body is storing fat in the abdomen.
In short, we gain weight because of hormonal signals.
And it’s diet and lifestyle that influence the two hormones involved with fat storage and metabolism: Insulin and cortisol.
- Insulin drives the sugar in your bloodstream into your cells and is a main storage hormone.
- Cortisol is the main stress hormone made by the adrenal glands, and influences fat distribution.
When stress raises cortisol it can increase blood sugar, which then requires more insulin and plays into insulin resistance.
A cycle that continues, leading to weight gain and greater health risks.
Applying a Fun(ti0nal Medicine approach to address root causes and balancing hormones often allows body composition to shift without having to force it with an unsustainable fad or crash diet.
The approach is not a quick fix…it takes time and dedication to building new habits.
But the result of losing weight is a nice side effect to feeling great and supporting long-term health! 😊
For some key insights and steps to losing belly fat visit my linktr.ee and read my new article: The Answer to Belly Fat and Losing Weight - Visceral Fat vs Subcutaneous Fat.
Dr. Ann ❤️
#weightlossjourney #toxinbuildup #cortisol #bellyfat #visceralfat #abdominal #loseweightforgood #integrativemedicine #rootcause #foodismedicine #meditation #avocado #insulin #insulinresistance #hormones #toxinfreeliving #stressfree #weightloss #loseweight #meditation #eatclean #hormones #hormonesupport ...
Should you turn off your HVAC system when on vacation?
According to one of our expert mold advisors, turning off HVAC systems in buildings for days at a time in the cooling season is “bad, bad, bad!”
Air conditioning doesn’t just cool down your home, it also controls the humidity levels. 💧
It might be tempting to turn off the AC while on vacation – to save energy (and some 💵) however, you may end up with a more costly situation upon your return.
When you turn off the AC completely, the relative humidity (RF) goes up which allows for perfect conditions for mold growth… here’s why…
HVAC systems need to run for a minimum of 30 minutes to get some humidity out of the air.
When it runs less than that the moisture collected on the coils during the run time doesn't have time to drain down the fins and out of the house/building.
More moisture means the relative humidity is going to rise...
AND mold grows at 70 percent relative humidity in as little as 24 hours.
To avoid conditions that could lead to mold growth, maintain the temperature between 75-79°F, and RH at 60% or less.
A publication from the U. of Central FL (FL Solar Energy Center) concluded that running the HVAC once a day for a short period (2-4 hours) and/or dehumidifiers will greatly reduce the probability of mold.
Ideally, you’ll have a programmable or remote system, and an HVAC system with humidity control – if not, maybe you have a neighbor who can adjust the system for you while you are away.
You may be spending more money to keep it on…but it’s well worth it considering remediation can cost in the tens of thousands!
And most importantly, it's not worth the risk to your health! ❤️
Dr. Ann
#toxicmold #toxins #mycotoxins #cirs #humidity #hvac #biohackingtips #mold #moldexposure #toxicity #moldsymptoms #moldsymptomdetoxing #moldyhome #mildewremoval #healthtips #integrativemedicine #moldrelief #airconditioning #toxinfreelife #moldillness ...
Are you struggling to lose weight? Inflammation may be the reason.
Inflammation drives weight gain...
excess weight drives inflammation...
and inflammation makes it harder to lose weight.
Which is a two-way street, or comparable to feeling like you are on a hamster wheel.
How does it work?
Excess weight creates a cascade of pro-inflammatory cytokines and hormones that promote inflammation.
Chronic, low-grade, inflammation often affects the entire body, including the metabolic organs, which makes it harder for you to lose weight!
And unfortunately, systemic inflammation is the fuel to the fire of metabolic diseases, including:
• Metabolic syndrome
• Diabetes
• Cardiovascular disease
• Neurodegenerative disease
• Fatty liver disease
• Cancer
What is causing the inflammation and weight gain in the first place?
Often, the answer is in the GUT.
One solution? Balancing the gut microbiome.
And the best way to change the microbiome landscape is by changing the diet.
The good news is when you lower inflammation you lower risks for metabolic disease.
With this approach you’re making the goal about something bigger than the number on the scale.
It’s about moving the needle on the underlying mechanisms that lead to disease.
And from this perspective weight loss might be a nice side effect, one that you don’t have to force.
For more on inflammation and weight, read one of my latest articles, “Obesity and Inflammation – Causes & Connection Between Both (in linktr.ee).
Dr. Ann
#chronicillnessdiet #weightloss #inflammation #metabolichealth #obesity #guthealth #guthealing #integrativemedicine #rootcausemedicine #rootcause #inflammationrelief #toxinfree #detox #inflammationdiet #inflammatoryfoods #inflammatory #toxins #holisticmedicine #detoxyourbody #loseweịght ...
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