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I’m Dr. Ann Shippy, and I understand what you’re going through. My personal experiences healing from undiagnosed celiac disease, autoimmune disorders, severe adult onset asthma, and mold toxicity have all been worthwhile steps in helping me to practice medicine the way I dreamed of doing. I know how it feels when illness puts your life on hold.
While working as a chemical engineer and manager at IBM, I got really sick coming home from a vacation– which was the first of four major health crises. Despite the efforts of traditional medicine, no one could find the cause of my problems.
One morning, after a long quest with various health practitioners and my own research figuring out how to heal myself, I woke up suddenly at 4 am with a clear decision…
Now, over a decade later, after earning my medical degree and becoming board certified in Internal Medicine and certified in Functional Medicine, I love caring for my patients here in my clinic in Austin, Texas.
And when people can’t get appointments right away because of my waiting list, it’s frustrating to disappoint people who are seeking answers about their health. You just want to feel better and get your life back…
This compelled and inspired me to find a way to help more people, so I created the Every Life Well® Cleanse Intensive Program!
This isn’t like the fad cleanse diets you see out there right now.
This is a safe, science-based approach to detoxifying and fortifying your body. Fatigue, brain fog, weight gain, and many chronic illnesses are often caused by a buildup of toxins from environmental sources and lifestyle factors.
However, when you remove toxins and reset your body you may lose weight much more easily.
But more importantly you will be giving your body the support it needs to increase your energy and heal naturally.
A dedicated 6 weeks together to do a detoxifying Cleanse Intensive and guide you through “what to do” and “what to eat” and why. (Two weeks of preparation, and four weeks of the cleanse program itself)
No Comparison: I can confidently say that this really is the best thing out there. No other cleanse program or fasting protocol is this comprehensive.
Most Thorough: There’s a reason I named the program the Cleanse “Intensive.” It is a much longer duration than a short fasting cleanse, but– it’s not just the time we’re spending together, it’s the value of what it does for your body. Fasting alone is not enough. It’s a great reset– but this cleanse does more.
You can’t just pour celery juice on top of your problem or skip a few breakfasts and get the results you can get with the Every Life Well® Cleanse Intensive.
This program augments your own detox pathways vs. just relying on the benefits of fasting. Among other things, the supplements provide the nutrients you need to repair and rebuild cell membranes and mitochondria, meaning that your liver, gallbladder and kidneys are supported, amplifying every aspect of detoxification. This support gives your body the tools to repair itself—fortifying your own body’s natural resilience.
Great Value: The Every Life Well® Cleanse Intensive is my solution to be able to help more people who are not able to become a patient in my clinic.
The doctor-patient relationship is a sacred and special one, especially the way I prefer to practice medicine. I spend a great deal of time listening to my patients, asking questions other doctors don’t ask… and my goal is to help patients address the root cause of their illnesses.
I’m taking everything I’m learning from patients in the office and applying it to this program, and you will benefit from this collective learning. I am often the “doctor of last resort” for the sickest of the sick, and I also see the most motivated high-performers who want to be the healthiest possible.
Just the initial new patient visit alone in my clinic is almost twice the cost of this program, and when patients begin treatment at my clinic, they also typically invest in lab tests and supplements in addition to the new patient fee.
To provide this affordable 6-week option, I’ve carefully formulated this supplement selection, and bought individually, these supplements cost over $600.
Access to Help You: Even though cleanse participants are not patients, I am personally here for Q&A and teaching each week in this program. I’ve built our own private app to provide accountability and support throughout the six weeks we have together.
• Kitchen detox makeover lesson with bestselling author and organizing expert Lorie Marrero
• Family-and-friend training module to help others understand and support you during your cleanse
• Cleanse “Travel Pack:” Must-haves packing list + tips to stay on track while traveling
• The Shippy Soup Diet: 14 soup recipes to reset your appetite and crush cravings
You could do a quick juice cleanse and get some temporary results…
You could do intermittent fasting for a few days and get some good benefits…
You could guess which supplements to use and spend more time looking around on the internet for pieces of the puzzle and become overwhelmed with conflicting information.
Or… you could join me for six weeks and completely change the trajectory of your health, for good—starting this new decade with the best possible odds for vitality to actually Get Better With Age.™
However, for all of those circumstances, it may be very beneficial to do this cleanse program AFTER your situation has changed. (And if you are planning a pregnancy soon, this program would be a tremendous advantage!)
Thinking about friends and the residents of Florida and the Carolinas and hoping for the best for anyone touched by the devastating hurricane Ian.
It’s a stressful time for anyone living there or for anyone who has loved ones in these areas.
Stress and anxiety are definitely on the rise in general in our society.
As a fun(tional medicine doctor, I always look for the most natural treatments to support the body and the mind to find balance and healing.
Glycine is one of the tools in my fu(tional medicine tool box that can help. It's one of my favorite amino acid supplements for its calming and relaxing benefits.
When we are unable to manage stress, it can lead to much greater health issues down the road including chronic diseases or even cancer.
The mechanism through which glycine relieves stress is its action as a neurotransmitter in the brain and spinal cord where it plays a critical role in neurotransmission.
And its very well studied. In fact studies show that elevating glycine concentrations in the brain can be an effective approach for treatment of schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and addiction.
More recently, research indicates that increasing levels of glycine may also provide neuroprotection, assist in the treatment of autism spectrum disorders, and alleviate symptoms associated with pain, Parkinson’s disease, and epilepsy.
I also like glycine because it is used by the body to make glutathione, the body’s chief antioxidant and a critical component of detoxification processes in the liver.
Patients also seem to notice benefits right away, and they don't have the side effects that they have when they try medication.
If you would like to learn more click the link in my bio to watch video on the Benefits of Glycine.
Dr. Ann ❤️
#toxins #detox #glycine #anxiety #naturopathicmedicine #holistichealth #detoxify #selfcare #healing #mentalhealth #stressrelief #naturalhealing #naturalrelief #anxity #aminoacids #naturalhealthcare #healthtips
Telomeres are structures that help protect the DNA within each chromosome. Think of them as the plastic caps on the ends of your shoelaces that prevent the fabric from unraveling.
Telomeres are long when we are born and play an important role in DNA replication that allows us to grow and develop.
Telomeres get shorter with each DNA replication and, therefore, shorter as we age.
When telomeres get too short, they can no longer create the protective cap for the DNA.
While there isn’t an anti-aging magic pill that turns back the hands of time, telomeres may be an important biomarker of premature aging that reflects how our environment and lifestyle promotes, or slows, the aging process.
Shorter telomere lengths are associated with:
• Cancer
• Cardiovascular disease
• Obesity
• Diabetes
• Chronic pain
• Poor Stress response
• Hypertension
Longer telomeres are associated with health and longevity.
What can you do to help preserve telomeres?
Research indicates that telomere lengths are largely influenced by the same lifestyle factors that correlate with chronic disease.
See the carousel above for tips on how to help preserve and lengthen telomers.
Or for a deeper dive, read my latest 2 blogs on telomeres - see articles in my linktr.ee.
Dr. Ann
#telomeres #agingbackwards #aginggracefully #epigenetics #healthylifestyle #heathlylife #antiaging #toxinfreeliving #toxinfree #chronicillness #integrativemedicine #foodasmedicine #eattolive #livelonger #agewell #naturopathicmedicine #healing #livewellbewell #meditationforhealth #eatclean #healthylife #telomeresupport #telomere
Why it’s so important to eat the right kinds of fats.
We need a balance between the unsaturated fats and the saturated fats for cell integrity and communication.
Both omega-6 fats and omega-3 fats are PUFAs or polyunsaturated fats. Omega-6 fats are used to make communication messengers, that can send more inflammatory signals. Poultry, meat, eggs, nuts, seeds, and vegetable oils are sources of Omega-6 fats.
Omega-3 fats are also used in communication and send more anti-inflammatory signals. Fish, other seafood, seeds, and fish oils are sources of Omega-3 fats. Too much omega-6 may cause a more inflammatory state in the body and consequently predispose to or exacerbate many inflammatory diseases.
A normal omega-6 to omega-3 ratio is somewhere between 4:1 or 2:1, however, since the rapid increase of industrial foods, like high omega-6 vegetable oils, this ratio has increased to 16:1 or even higher in many people. Excessive consumption of high omega 6 PUFAs causes oxidative stress and damages cell membranes which can lead to mitochondria and DNA damage, diabetes, and heart disease.
You may see nutrition recommendations that suggest avoiding the high omega-6 vegetable oils such as corn, soy and safflower oils, but also and other PUFA sources in the diet. Proponents claim that wildly reducing PUFAs will improve diabetes and blood sugar balance, risk for heart disease and even boost thyroid health, leading to improved metabolic health. But is this true, or even necessary?
With personalized medicine we look at each individual and make health recommendations that consider food allergies, sensitivities and other factors. But generally, when it comes to PUFAs, I recommend consuming natural food sources, like fish oils, fish, nuts, and seeds – so that we get PUFAs the way nature intended, and we avoid the unnatural processed industrial oils like GMO industrial oils (corn, soy, canola, etc.).
To learn more read my blog What is Polyunsaturated Fat – PUFA Foods and Personalized Medicine - link in bio.
Dr. Ann ❤️
#goodfats #healthylifestyle #toxinsout #eatclean #integrativemedicine #chronicillness #toxicfood #naturopathicmedicine #foodasmedicine #heal
When you’re experiencing fatigue your healthcare practitioner will likely run a few standard labs.
If tests come back normal, you may be feeling unsettled and unresolved.
In Fun(tional Medicine, we typically dig a bit deeper…and look at several non-traditional, more “outside the box” lab tests to get to the root cause and help resolve.
✅ Parasite infections, bacterial overgrowth, malabsorption, and other imbalances in the gut microflora/microbiome, can increase intestinal permeability and increase pro-inflammatory cytokine and oxidative stress and can be an underlying cause of fatigue. Abnormally high levels of these microorganisms can cause or worsen fatigue and many other conditions.
✅ Yeast overgrowth, food allergies, heavy metals, or other toxins, are other potential causes of inflammation – which can impact many systems in the body and cause fatigue.
✅ Nutritional deficiencies are often another factor at play when it comes to fatigue.
The first image above lists the more traditional labs healthcare providers will order to look for answers to your fatigue.
The second shows the comprehensive list of fun(tional medicine labs (minus the traditional labs that we also order) that look for underlying causes of fatigue.
Taking a good look at your diet, and making positive changes like eliminating processed foods, consuming a variety of organic fruits and vegetables, and good sources of protein, can help improve energy.
Testing for nutritional deficiencies can also help determine if supplements are needed to help restore levels.
Here are a few energy boosting supplements:
✴️ CoQ10
✴️ B Vitamins
✴️ D-Ribose
✴️ L-Carnitine
✴️ Adrenal Support
✴️ NAD+
✴️ Vitamin D
If you have unresolved fatigue, find a healthcare provider who will order these or similar tests or click the link in my bio for DIY labs.
Dr. Ann ❤️
#fatigue #chronicillness #heal #rootcause #rootcausemedicine #integativemedicine #holistic #holistichealth #boostenergy #chronicfatigueawareness #aging
Have you been diagnosed with Celiac Disease or Gluten sensitivity and you’re still suffering with symptoms even after adhering to a strict gluten-free diet…for months?
You’ve likely heard of gluten cross-contamination, but have you heard of gluten cross-reaction?
Cross-reaction is when your immune system reacts to a food as if it is gluten because that food has a similar molecular structure to the gliadin protein found in gluten. This phenomenon is also known as Molecular Mimicry.
The casein protein in MILK, for example, closely resembles gliadin – which is why anyone who is celiac or gluten-sensitive should be avoiding dairy.
Many people who go on a gluten-free diet tend to substitute with foods made from alternative flours like rice, amaranth, and sorghum…or they overconsume foods like potato, rice or corn which can lead to the development of new sensitivities.
In a nutshell, certain foods can make your body think you are eating gluten when in fact you are not (but causing a similar immune response as if you were eating gluten).
To determine if this is happening, I'll often order a test from a company called Cyrex labs (Array 4). It’s a simple blood test that will let us know if the body is having cross-reactions with specific foods and help us determine what is causing continued gluten-like reactions.
If you think you may be reacting to one of the foods on the list, ask your doctor for this test. The foods that you test positive for will need to be eliminated for 3-6 months – to give your immune system time to calm down and the intestinal wall to repair itself.
If you don’t have access to the test, talk to your healthcare provider about eliminating the cross-reactive foods to see if your symptoms improve. Usually after several months many of these foods may be added back into the diet, one at a time.
To test if you have a Gluten allergy or gluten sensitivity, I like Enterolab or the Vibrant Wheat Zoomer tests.
Dr. Ann
#glutenfree #glutenfreefood #foodallergy #celiac #glutensensitivity #glutencrosscontamination #foodallergies #foodallergymom #guthealth #chronicillness #autoimmunedisease #autoimmune #autoimmuneprotocol
Did you know that changes in the brain occur years before the onset of dementia symptoms? 🤔
While conventional medicine will say there is no cure for dementia, Functional Medicine is uniquely poised to offer personalized medicine and understand each individual’s root cause.
It’s important to note, however, that when it comes to dementia, or Alzheimer’s, there typically isn’t one answer, but a collection of areas to work on.
One important piece, and a pillar of my practice, is nutrition. Specifically, how we eat either contributes to metabolic changes and inflammation in the brain or maintains function and prevents disease.
Some interesting and emerging research is looking at diet as both a treatment and prevention strategy for Alzheimer’s.
Eating organic vegetables and fruits appears to be protective of dementia, suggesting that nutrition is a modifiable risk factor for dementia and Alzheimer’s. Simply by including colorful, whole foods in your diet you may be protecting your brain and memory.
Be sure to incorporate a variety of selections from these food lists 👆and choose the highest quality, organic options available.
A few small shifts in your diet now are truly an investment in your future health!
To learn more, read my new blog, Nutritious Foods to Help Prevent Dementia and Cognitive Decline click the link in my bio.
Dr. Ann ❤️
#dementia #alzheimers #dementiaawareness #dementiacare #brainhealth #foodismedicine #eathealthy #healthylifestyle #inflammation #chronicillness #aginggracefully #agingwell #septemberisdementiaawarenessmonth #nutrition #eatclean #polyphenols #naturopathicmedicine #mediterraneandiet #paleodiet
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