Signs Your Thyroid Might Be Out of Balance: What You Need To Know The thyroid, a small, butterfly-shaped gland located at the base of your neck, plays an enormous role in your overall health. Metabolism and Energy Production Growth and Development Weight Stability Gastrointestinal motility When the thyroid malfunctions, it can lead to a wide range of health issues that often go undiagnosed. A domino effect happens when the thyroid is threatened. 12% of Americans will experience a thyroid condition at some point in their lives. Know what to look for and who to go to when your body starts showing signs of a sluggish or even overactive thyroid. Many ways the Thyroid Dysfunctions The thyroid gland produces two main hormones: triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4). These hormones influence nearly every cell in your body, regulating your metabolism, heart rate, and body temperature. Hyperthyroidism happens when the thyroid produces too many hormones, speeding up the metabolism. Hypothyroidism is a common endocrine disorder characterized by an UNDER active thyroid gland, which fails to produce sufficient thyroid hormone T4 and/or T3. Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism is low thyroid hormone production caused by auto-antibodies Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is NORMAL hormone production but present auto-antibodies. Most difficult to diagnose are patterns that involve other mechanisms like under conversion of T4 hormones to active T3, Iodine deficiency, elevated reverse T3, low pituitary hormone levels or chronic inflammation. Common Symptoms to look out for: The symptoms of thyroid dysfunction can vary widely depending on whether the thyroid is underactive or overactive. Below are some of the most common symptoms associated with hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. Hypothyroidism Symptoms: Fatigue and Weakness:...
Hormones: Like the Gas Pedal for your Body “Your hormones are off when your get up and go, got up and went” ~My Mom~ Imagine sex hormones as the airplane, thyroid hormones are the gas, adrenals are the walkways to the plane and the gut is the airport…You can’t get on the airplane if you didn't go to the airport first and take the walkway to the plane. You likely have Hormone issues if you are experiencing: Persistent Fatigue Non-situational anxiety and depression Brain Fog / Memory issues Difficulty falling / staying asleep Morning fatigue / afternoon fatigue PCOS Endometriosis Irregular menstrual cycles / PMS Infertility Unexplained Weight gain / Weight loss Trouble going to sleep or staying asleep Chronic cystic acne Mood Changes Hair loss or ‘strange location’ hair growth Low libido Low motivation Painful intercourse / Erectile dysfunction Pelvic floor issues Chronic Bladder infections Skin changes Osteopenia / osteoporosis What are hormones? Hormones along with other tissues and glands make up our endocrine system. Our endocrine system is important for regulating our metabolism, mood, sleep cycles, growth and development, homeostasis such as blood pressure and our blood sugar, among so many other things. There are over 50 hormones that scientists have discovered so far that all work together to obtain optimal health. When we think of hormones we mainly think of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. What about cortisol, insulin, or dopamine? You are more than just a low number on a lab test, your body is a whole ecosystem and must be addressed in that way to really make powerful changes. Your body wants to heal, it...
Inflammatory Bowel Disease-Ulcerative Colitis & Crohn's Disease: It Doesn’t Have to Be Your Story The incidence of the autoimmune conditions ulcerative colitis & Crohn's disease has become pretty common in today’s world. Unfortunately, a lot of people suffering from this condition are given intense drugs to suppress the symptoms while the root of the illness is not addressed. This is because there is no diagnosis code for microbiome imbalance. Some people have to go as far as removing their colon to get relief. At The Healing Center Denver, our doctors work tirelessly to make sure you get to keep the organs in your body. Seriously. Some symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease include: Mucus in the stool Blood in the stool that can lead to anemia Frequent diarrhea Abdominal pain Sudden weight loss Other autoimmune issues Each person is different, so each case is different. However, any one with ulcerative colitis is experiencing an extreme imbalance in the microbiome that causes chronic high levels of destructive inflammation. The goal for healing this condition in our patients is to eliminate sources of inflammation, recolonize the beneficial bacteria and calm the immune system. Sounds simple right? It's complex and takes a significant effort, but you can heal. The one hundred trillion cells that make up our microbiome do a lot for us. It’s a delicate ecosystem that communicates with the nervous system, our immune system that also makes nutrients and breaks down half of the waste we need to remove. It can take months to years to recolonize a broken microbiome. Fecal matter transplants can be a key tool in the process along...
Is your Leaky Gut Compromising your Immune System? If you don’t have a healthy gut, you don’t have a healthy immune system. It’s just that simple. Without a healthy immune system, you become susceptible to viral infections, sinus infections, gut issues, autoimmune disease, cancers, chronic illness, hormone issues, skin issues like rashes/ eczema/ psoriasis and brain based issues to name a few. The key to having a healthy immune system is to nurture and feed the 100 trillion bacteria of your microbiome, have a good barrier of the intestines and good Vagus nerve tone, abundant nutrient levels (like Vitamin D), good hormone levels and excellent detoxification. This could mean healing a leaky gut, feeding the good gut bacteria with 50-200 different plant materials every month, or simply just going organic with your food choices so that you aren't eating pesticide and herbicide flavored foods. The gut communicates directly with your brain and with the immune system. The gut is fundamental to your health! Your gut makes up about 70-80% of your immune system 90% of your serotonin (happy neurotransmitter) is made in the GUT! Dopamine. GABA, glutamate, serotonin, norepinephrine, acetylcholine ALL neurotransmitters made in the gut Vitamins and minerals are made available 50% of stuff your body needs to get rid of happens in the gut Do you have low serotonin levels? Depression? Likely you have a leaky gut that is playing a role. Serotonin is your sense of well being neurotransmitter and is critical for good bowel movements. Low serotonin levels could look like: Irregular sleep cycle Depressed mood Irregular bowel movements and constipation Low libido Increase in inflammation...
Understanding Peptides: Are They the Key to Weight Loss Success? Weight loss peptides are gaining attention for their potential role in helping individuals lose weight. When the extra weight packs on and doesn’t seem to want to budge despite your efforts, it is tempting to look for a quick fix. An extreme diet, an intense work program, or…peptides. “I am doing everything right and I still can’t lose weight” is something we hear a lot. Peptides are great for those instances and allow us to fix things at the same time. Peptides are naturally produced in our bodies and the GLP-1 and GIP peptides are created in your large intestine (these two are what make up tirzepatide). It is two of the peptides that signal your brain that you are full. Essentially, when you boost that peptide in your system, you are telling your brain daily that you are full so you stop eating food, hence the weight loss. Its controlled starvation. This can create many long term issues if not strategically handled throughout the process. Because peptides have become so easily accessible for consumers at lower costs than before, it’s easy to get sucked into the idea that a couple shots of peptides will change everything! It won’t. Unless you do peptides the right way. First of all, why are you gaining so much weight? There are so many different reasons why you are packing on the pounds that don’t even have to do with food! Leaky Gut-Your microbiome needs some nurturing and pruning Sickness and Infections Stress-You are constantly in fight or flight mode which increases cortisol...
Managing Autoimmune Disorders Your life isn’t going to end with suffering There is a rise in autoimmune disorders across America. It is said that 1 in 5 Americans have an autoimmune disorder. At The Healing Center Denver, a vast majority of the patients walking into the office unknowingly have an autoimmune disorder, but have not been diagnosed. Through lab testing and looking at the whole body, our doctors, autoimmune specialists, end up being the ones giving answers to people who have been sick for months, even years. These patients often have a mixed bag of symptoms that no one has been able to help. Our doctors provide clarity and hope to our patients, and teach them how to manage their condition powerfully. When one hears the word, “autoimmune”, it can leave a bad taste in the mouth. First of all, what is autoimmune? And second, what does that mean for the person? Let’s back up a little bit. Autoimmune, is defined by the Cleveland Clinic as, “the result of the immune system accidentally attacking your body instead of protecting it”. If you are autoimmune, your immune system, which is designed for attacking anything foreign in your body (bacterial infection, virus, etc.) is now using its forces to attack the very body parts that are keeping you alive. For instance, if you have type 1 diabetes, your body is attacking the pancreas. If you have rheumatoid arthritis, your body is attacking your joints. If you have hashimotos, your body is attacking your thyroid. Some autoimmune diseases are: Hashimotos Hypothyroid Rheumatoid Arthritis Multiple Sclerosis Celiac Psoriasis Hemolytic Anemia Crohn's Grave’s Disease Lupus...
What Types of Lab Tests are Commonly Used for Functional Medicine? Functional Medicine is just that, it’s Functional. Functional Medicine takes a look at your whole body, not just one blood test, not just one symptom. Functional Medicine Doctors want to know everything that is going on in your body. That’s why, when you see us at The Healing Center Denver, you won’t just get one test, you could need several because our Functional Medicine Doctors look at everything. If you have ever said, “I still don’t feel good, but my lab tests look normal,” you NEED a functional medicine doctor! Basic/General Labs: Blood draws can tell the Functional Medicine and Traditional doctors a lot about what’s going on in your body. That is why getting a Comprehensive lab test done once a year is encouraged to make sure that there aren’t any crazy things happening. At the Healing Center Denver, the doctors will do a CBC/Differential, Metabolic panel, Lipid Panel, Vitamin-D, plus a FULL Thyroid panel (this includes TPO antibodies and all the T’s: T3, reverse T3, T4, etc.) among other things. Full comprehensive blood panels can tell us so much about our bodies. Is your thyroid low? Is your metabolism broken? Do you have an infection? Is your body inflamed? How are your kidneys doing? And your liver? There is a large range of possibilities and answers to these questions. Food Antibody Testing: If you are tired of guessing what foods are causing you reactions and which ones are safe to eat, then this next test is for you. The food antibody tests will give you a clear...
What is Chiropractic Care and Why it Matters as a Part of Functional Medicine? As functional medicine practitioners, our job is to have as many tools in our toolbox as possible and to know which is appropriate to use and when. One tool we use at The Healing Center is chiropractic care. A chiropractic adjustment is a manual therapy technique we often think of as treating pain. Chiropractic is amazing at getting rid of neck pain and headaches, pain and stiffness in your jaw, shoulders, elbows, and wrists, as well as pain in the hips, pelvis, knees, and ankles. But it is much more than just that. When you are adjusted it resets the nervous system so your brain can properly see what is happening throughout the body and recalibrate function as needed. Research shows adjustments positively affect immune function, blood pressure, and stress responses, actually, all things your nervous system regulates are impacted by an adjustment. You are an intricately self-regulated system and to heal we don't want interference at the level of the nervous system. Pain is just the last resort to tell you to pay attention…much like the oil light in your car. Stiffness and tightness are the first indicators of dysfunction at the level of the spine which affects the nervous system input and output and eventually leads to issues in the gut, thyroid, pancreas, etc. Misalignments or restrictions in the spine, called subluxations, can interfere with the normal function of the nervous system and surrounding tissues. Chiropractic adjustments aim to correct these misalignments or restrictions, thereby reducing nerve irritation and restoring proper joint function. This can alleviate pain,...
The Forgotten Organ - Your Microbiota Dr. Mercola recently came out with an awesome video and post regarding one of the most vital influences on physical and mental health; beneficial bacteria. Watch The Forgotten Organ – Your Microbiota Video or read full article here. Here are some of the highlights. It helps to view your body as a “super organism” composed of a diverse array of symbiotic microorganisms. Proper balance of these microbes is essential for optimal physical and psychological health Recent research suggests that many people are deficient in beneficial gut bacteria, making it a very important consideration if you’re not feeling well, physically or psychologically Gut bacteria influence the processing and utilization of dietary nutrients; help protect against food borne disease, and can impact drug efficacy. Recent research claims chemotherapy drugs need certain gut bacteria in order to work Certain microbiota and beneficial bacteria have been found to produce beneficial psychotropic signals such as serotonin and dopamine. Such “psychobiotics” may soon be used in lieu of drugs to treat psychiatric illness Researchers have identified specific gut bacteria that correlate with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In the 80s, Dr. Brown suggested RA was caused by a mycoplasma How to Optimize Your Gut Flora As you can see, consistently reseeding your gut with healthy bacteria may be crucial for the prevention of virtually all disease, from colds to autoimmune disorders, to psychiatric disturbances and even cancer. In light of this, here are my recommendations for optimizing your gut bacteria. Fermented foods are the best route to optimal digestive health, as long as you eat the traditionally made, unpasteurized versions. Healthy choices include lassi (an Indian yoghurt drink, traditionally...
Pay the Farmer Now or the Dr. Later: The Case for High-Quality Organic Food By Jessica Yoches, MNT The low prices of conventionally grown food conceal a greater hidden cost. These foods contain chemicals and food additives that cause ill health and the necessity for prescription drugs. The US is one of the few countries that invests such a small portion of their income on food; Americans spend double on healthcare than on groceries. Large-scale conventional farms are subsidized and able to grow food cheaply to sell at artificially low prices. However, this food can be toxic and poor in nutrients.While paying for high quality, organic foods is more expensive, it is worth the cost. These foods are the richest in disease-fighting nutrients and antioxidants, and are essential for maintenance of health and disease prevention. This is especially important for our patients with leaky gut and autoimmune issues such as Celiac, Lupus, Hashimoto’s, and MS. Hippocrates knew this long ago, coining the phrase: “let food be our medicine, and medicine be our food.”By food, we are referring to unprocessed, fresh, organic, and local food that is free of chemicals and food additives. This also means avoiding GMO foods that have less nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants than those grown organically. As mentioned in our recent blog on GMOs, “genetically modified” implies that the food is sprayed with a toxic chemical called glyphosate. Research studies show that glyphosate affects the brain and hippocampus, creating neurotoxicity and oxidative stress1. Studies with rats tested effects on the brain with both acute and chronic glyphosate exposure. Acute exposure alone demonstrated neural cell death, oxidative damage, and...
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