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The Test Your Doctor Isn’t Ordering, But Should Be.

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ORGANIC ACID TESTING (OAT)

This at-home urine analysis is one of the most clinically valuable laboratory diagnostics available today.  This little known test tells you everything you need to know about your cellular metabolism and is what I consider “the most bang for your buck”.  You can think of this test like an emissions test you run on your car.  The exhaust is examined to see how efficiently the engine is burning fuel.  Similarly, these “organic acids” in your urine reveal how efficiently several of your body systems are running.  Organic acids are byproducts resulting from the metabolic pathways, or chemical reactions, your body uses to transform food into energy, during growth, maintenance, and repair of body tissue.  This test looks at 46 organic acids to give a comprehensive snapshot of a patient’s overall health and how effectively metabolism is functioning.  Our state of metabolism determines our state of health and is the result of an interplay of our genetics, diet, lifestyle, toxic exposure, stress response, thoughts/emotions, and other environmental factors.  With this one sample we can gain insight into several different processes happening in the body and discover where any breakdowns may be occurring.  Read more

Bioidentical Hormones Vs. the Functional Approach to Endocrine Health: Part I

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“As we become more educated about safer alternatives and become more aware of the social, economical, and environmental influences which prolong harmful health habits, we will be able to understand more clearly the distinction  between the politics and the evidence.” ~Raquel Martin – THE ESTROGEN ALTERNATIVE

When it comes to your health, a properly functioning endocrine system and hormonal balance is absolutely essential.  For over six decades now, while dealing with endocrine issues, the standard of care for both conventional and integrative physicians has been Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT).  Whether it be a teenager with painful periods put on the Birth Control Pill, a thirty year old woman with anxiety and acne prescribed Progesterone Cream, a menopausal woman experiencing hot flashes and weight gain given Estrogen Patches, or even an adult male with low libido handed supplemental Testosterone, this “replacement therapy” or “topping off” approach is far from the solution to most hormonal woes. 

HRT AND BIOIDENTICAL HORMONES

While there were many studies published in the 70s and 80s, it wasn’t until 2002 when a lot of public interest in HRT was sparked. The Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) released a massive study with data collected for over 50 years on women using conventional HRT.  The pharmaceutical hormones being used in this study were FDA approved Premarin and Provera, synthetic estrogen and progesterone conjugated from pregnant equine urine.   The study was halted when the research showed dramatic increased incidence of heart attack, stroke, breast and endometrial cancers in patients taking these hormones.  After the NIH came out with a public statement declaring the harmful risks of HRT, millions of women were left looking for a safer, more natural option for their hormonal symptoms.  Enter Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT).

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Probiotics vs. Prebiotics

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A diverse gut microbiome is essential for all aspects of health including digestion, immune modulation, metabolic activity, and gene expression.  Thanks to the vast amount of research done by foundations such as the Human Microbiome Project, a deeper understanding of the symbiotic relationship between human health and the microbial world has been gained.  Additionally, new insights and ground has been broken into progressive functional therapies and treatments for conditions not limited to digestion alone. Read more