Functional Medicine

Strengthening Your Immunity

Our immune system is complex and has many parts and each plays a different role. Imagine your immune system like it is our military, with different branches that serve different functions. Some are highly specific in what they do, they may only consist of small, specialized, tactical teams, and others are more broad like an infantry of men. The small tactical teams are much easier to mobilize, but for an infantry of men it takes more effort and time to mobilize. In this winter season, it is as important as ever to support your immune health. There is the new COVID-19 variant, Omicron, on the rise and recent news that the current flu vaccine is not very effective against this year’s dominant flu strain.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Breast Cancer

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has many benefits in tissue healing. HBOT increases the amount of oxygen saturated in plasma regardless of red blood cell saturation percentage. The pressure assists in driving the oxygen through all tissue and especially where circulation may be compromised due to trauma or injury. Since oxygen provides energy, the cells can start repairing and rebuilding. The pressure also helps to close surgical wounds which can help reduce infection and scarring. Treatments such as mastectomy, tumor removal, and radiation therapy can cause damage to normal tissue and may lead to infection, burns, inflammation, and swelling or lymphedema. Multiple human studies have found benefit in the U.S. of HBOT for post surgical healing, radiation induced tissue damage, and radiation induced lymphedema.

Blood Sugar, Estrogen, and Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is directly connected to hormonal imbalance. When we talk about the complex world of hormones, we understand that many aspects influence them, such as stress, the food we eat, how we move our bodies (or lack of movement), and genetics. With breast cancer specifically, estrogen is a key player. So how does nutrition influence our estrogen?

By now you may or may not have heart of “estrogen dominance,” a condition where estrogen levels are either above normal levels or progesterone is too low. The typical estrogen dominant picture usually includes symptoms such as...

The Kidney: The Body’s Energy Foundation

During ancient times, the Chinese medical doctors who had the least ill patients were considered the best. Traditionally, the practice of Chinese medicine was used to prevent disease, maintain health and contribute to longevity as well as to treat all kinds of illnesses. So, receiving regular acupuncture treatments can not only help prevent the occurrence of many diseases, but help you live longer. Treatments can help strengthen the body to improve immune function, inhibit disease growth, protect the organs to ensure their healthy functioning, and calm the mind and emotions.

Simply by living our lives and aging there is a natural amount of depletion we experience, so it is important to find ways to continually build our bodies and minds... 

Move More, Age Less

Our bodies need movement to function optimally. Movement stimulates the lymphatic system, helps blood circulation, increases energy, decreases anxiety, improves sleep, and keeps muscles and joints working properly.  Technological advances have made our lives easier, but the downside is a tendency to adopt a sedentary lifestyle. Sitting at a computer all day, binge watching television (we don’t even have to get up to turn the channel) and driving instead of walking are just a few examples...

Aging & Organ Health: Goji Berry’s Role

When we think of anti-aging herbs we look beyond herbs that simply address the skin and consider those herbs that address a dysfunction in the body. Aging is not just the breakdown of skin but also the breakdown of organ functioning and their communication with the other organ systems in the body. One of the herbs that comes to mind is gou qi zi (pronounced ‘go- chee-tze’). Gou qi zi, a.k.a. goji berry, has been used classically to address aging related issues such as visual decline. You will find this herb as a common addition to formulas that address ‘kidney and liver deficiency.’ For the goji berry, youth preservation ties into healthy organ function, immune function, cellular nourishment and the mitigation of cellular damage.

Lyme Disease and Hyperbarics | Turning the Corner on Treatment

The healing benefits of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) and Lyme.