⁣My mission as a Function@l Medicine physician is to educate and inform my patients and community about the toxins we face in today’s world, the connection between toxins and disease, and how to effectively protect the body against potential harm. ⠀
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The good news is that your body knows how to detoxify.⠀
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In fact, your body is detoxifying for you as you READ THESE WORDS.⠀
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I covered the role each organ plays in the detoxification process in the graphic above 👆🏻 ⠀
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Sometimes, however, we need to create the conditions for the body to optimize these processes and that’s exactly what I’m covering today (above). ⠀
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The liver typically gets a lot of attention when it comes to detoxification, and for good reason. The liver has the ability to transform waste products and toxins into water-soluble molecules that can then leave the body through the urine, bowel, breathing or sweating. ⠀
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In order to effectively do its detoxification job (along with the hundreds of other jobs it has to do daily), the liver requires a lot of nutrition in the form of vitamins, minerals, amino acids (from protein) and antioxidants. ⠀
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A solid foundation of nutrition from real food supports detoxification in the liver. This is one reason why the food you eat is critical for health.⠀
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The toxin exposures we face every day are more than any other generation in history, and every day in my practice, I see first-hand how these exposures overwhelm the body’s detoxification systems causing symptoms and disease. ⠀
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My intention isn’t to be alarmist, but to inform and empower you about these sources. There are many simple things you can implement into your daily life to both reduce your exposures to harmful chemicals as well as support your body in eliminating the toxins that you can’t avoid. ⠀
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Check out the link in my bio to read my blog post, The Importance of Detoxification” to find out. ⠀
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What are some tactics you implement to detox? Share below ⬇⠀
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Dr. Ann⠀ ...

Good morning everyone 😀

We’re almost a full month in to 2022!

Checking in…

How’s January going for you so far? Share with me one win in the comment section below ⬇️

I want to hear how everything has been going 🙏🏻

Dr. Ann

#integrativemedicine #integrativenutrition #integrativehealth #integrativedoctor #holisticdoctor #holisticmedicine #holistichealth #naturopathichealth #naturopathicmedicine #healthandwellness #healthyliving #healthylifestyle ...

⁣😂...but on a more serious note, ⁣I know first-hand how hard it is to function, perform and feel your best when sleep is lacking. ⠀⠀
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The years after I left my engineering career were filled with medical school, residency and having two babies!⠀⠀
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Being a new mom is hard enough with very little interrupted nights, but add long shifts at the hospital to the mix and my sleep schedule was far from consistent or ideal. ⠀⠀⠀⠀

It eventually took a toll and was one underlying piece in the health crisis that had me seeking new answers, which luckily I found in the field of Function@l Medicine. ⠀⠀⠀⠀

Now, after practicing Function@l Medicine for over 15 years, it is beyond clear to me how important sleep is, not only for myself in order to be the best doctor I can be, but for my patients to be able to heal from their own health challenges. ⠀
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When we sleep, the body performs many important functions: sleep helps us to detoxify, recover from exercise and illness, supports favorable epigenet!cs and increases longevity.⠀⠀
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In short, if you ever wanted a magic pill to look and feel your best, getting enough quality sleep IS IT!⠀
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The problem is that so many aren’t getting the sleep their body needs. We are busy burning the candle at both ends, tapped into our screens and missing the sleep cues our body is sending us.⠀⠀
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Those cues typically look like:⠀
• Stubborn weight gain or hitting a weight loss plateau (yet you're doing everything else right!)⠀
• Brain fog and a lack of focus⠀
• Irritability/Mood swings⠀
• Weakened immune system/ You find yourself getting sick more often⠀
• Lack of motivation⠀
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If sleep is a struggle for you, then I’d like to invite you to check out my free sleep checklist where I discuss how imperative sleep is and what to do to ensure you get enough of it!⠀⠀
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How many hours of sleep do you typically get per night? Share with me below ⬇ ⠀
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Dr. Ann⠀⠀
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⁣🤔 For those of you who may not be familiar, HPA axis stands for hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, which is a signaling pathway between your brain and adrenal glands. ⠀
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The job of the hypothalamus is to maintain homeostasis and keep the body’s sleep, thirst, temperature and other systems in a steady state. The hypothalamus interprets signals from the body.⠀
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When the hypothalamus interprets stress, the pituitary signals the adrenal glands to release stress hormones. The adrenals are the small glands that sit above the kidneys that release the stress hormone cortisol and adrenaline in a “fight or flight” response. ⠀
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“Fight or flight” also refers to a stressed state or when the sympathetic nervous system is dominant.⠀
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A classic example of this is when you come upon a predator in the woods. A tiger is chasing you, so you need these stress hormones to help you flee or fight in the moment. ⠀
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When the system is working well…elevated cortisol signals the hypothalamus and pituitary in the brain to reduce sending the signals to the adrenal. When you’ve made it to safety from the tiger, the stress system shuts off and you return to a more relaxed, or parasympathetic, state. ⠀
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The HPA axis works best for those brief, acute stresses such as the tiger chasing you, or the modern equivalent. The axis fires up, you benefit from the extra energy the hormones provide, and then you return to baseline. ⠀
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However, acute stress isn’t the type of stress most of us face these days. ⠀
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⚠CHRONIC STRESS ⚠ … causing almost constant firing of the HPA axis is what leads to HPA axis dysfunction. ⠀
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Outlined above 👆🏻 are a few signs your HPA axis isn’t functioning properly. For a deeper dive into the HPA axis and how to ensure it functions properly, check out the link in my bio to read my brand new blog post.⠀
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From 1-10, how would you rank your stress levels right now? ⬇⠀
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Dr. Ann⠀
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