Dr. Shannon's Blog

Benefits to having balanced blood sugar levels

Fri, 13 Jun 2025 18:04:01 GMT

I am sure you know that diabetics pay close attention to their blood sugar or blood glucose levels. In my opinion, I think everyone should know if their blood sugar is balanced or not!

First off, let’s talk about what your blood sugar level is: A blood sugar level or otherwise known as blood glucose is the amount of sugar or glucose in your blood.

Sugar comes from carbohydrates in food and drinks you put into your body. Sugar or glucose is your body’s main source of energy. Your blood can carry sugar all over your body.

Your liver can also release stored glucose, if your body needs some energy. How does your liver get glucose? Your liver can get the glucose you ate from your gut, specifically your intestines and then stores it. Your liver does so many important things and this is just one of many!

What are the benefits to having a continuously balanced blood sugar level?

•Great way to help with optimizing your health and healing your body!

•Steady energy throughout the day.

•Better focus and memory

•Stable mood

•Better sleep

•Hormone balance including adrenals, thyroid and sex hormones

•Stress resilience

•Nervous system more balanced and less likely to be stuck in fight or flight mode

•Organs functioning optimally

•Optimal metabolism

•Less inflammation

•Improved immune function

•Better resilience

Testing to find out about your blood sugar level:

1- Finger stick test . You get a drop of blood from your finger, put the drop of blood on a test strip, then put the test strip in the glucose meter and within seconds you find out what your blood glucose is at that current point in time.

2- Lab draw taken from your vein . This also tells you at the current time what your blood sugar level is. This is more accurate than a finger stick test.

3- Hemoglobin A1c test . This can be obtained with a lab draw or finger stick test. This tells you what your average sugar level is for a 3 month period. What we are looking for with this test is how much sugar is hanging off of your red blood cells and this will give you a clue about your average sugar level for a 3 month period. For the typical person, your red blood cells last a total of 3 months in your body.

4- Continuous glucose monitor . You wear a sensor this is usually placed on the back of your arm for ~10-14 days to continuously measure your sugar level 24/7 using an app on your phone or a reader.

What are the drawbacks to each test:

1-Finger stick test is not always accurate and is only giving you a one time snap shot of what your sugar level is doing currently.

2-Lab draw is pretty accurate but is also only giving you a one time snap shot of what your sugar level is doing currently.

3-Hemoglobin A1c test. It sounds like a great test because you are getting info about a three month period. But the problem is, you are getting the average, you are not seeing if there are highs or lows.

4-CGM (continuous glucose monitor). Not always accurate. Sensors sometimes malfunction. Certain things can throw off the readings such as going thru a metal detector, laying on your arm that has the sensor or being in a hot environment like a sauna, hot tub or bath.

What is the best way to see if your blood sugar level is balanced?

With the technology that is currently available, I am a big fan of continuous glucose monitors . This is a way we can get the most thorough data about what your sugar level is doing 24/7 for 10-14 days.

You will be able to see if your blood sugar is actually balanced 24/7. This means you don’t want to see ups and downs. You want your blood sugar to be balanced—as close to a straight line as possible 24/7.

You will also be able to see if certain foods raise your blood sugar. Guess what? In conventional medicine there is a list of foods that are suppose to increase your sugar level. What I have found partnering with patients and looking at their data from their CGMs is that every one is unique and an individual and responds differently to different foods. You will find out what foods increase your blood sugar levels.

You will also be able to see how your body responds to simple and complex carbohydrates. For a lot of people, if you don’t have protein and some fat before eating carbs, this can also raise your blood sugar level and put your sugar level out of balance.

The amount of carbs also matter. Some people can get away with eating more carbs than others. You will also get the answer about how much your body likes in terms of carbs.

You will also get to see if you have any symptoms or your body feels a certain way, if you have low blood sugars or high blood sugars. In conventional medicine, there is a list of symptoms for low and a certain list of symptoms for high blood sugars—but guess what? You are an individual and unique, so your symptoms maybe different than what the “typical symptoms” are.

If your body feels stressed, this also affects your blood sugar level. So if you get stressed or angry at someone, you will likely see your blood sugar level increase. If you are exercising too hard and it is too stressful on your body, you can also see an elevation in your sugar level.

You may also not feel when you are high or low.

What does having a balanced blood sugar look like based on the numbers?

Conventional Medicine has outlined what the criteria is for blood sugar numbers that are in prediabetic range or diabetic range, which is helpful. My goal for you is to work towards optimal range for blood sugar levels and have a balanced blood sugar level 24/7, so your body can work optimal!

Here is what I have found to be the best ranges for an optimal blood sugar level after working with patients over the years:

Fasting blood sugar: 80’s to mid 90’s mg/dL. For some individuals, mid 70’s is optimal.

After eating blood sugar or post prandial blood sugar level: I have found that the most optimized patients with a balanced blood sugar level increase their blood sugar no more than 10 mg/dL from their pre-meal blood sugar level.

It is okay to have blood sugar level highest before bed even up to 100, since you will not be eating all night and don’t want your blood sugar level plummeting while sleeping.

Studies are currently being conducted to figure out what the optimal levels of blood glucose levels should be. It has only been in the last few years that continuous glucose monitors have been available for non-diabetic patients, so as we learn more and continue to conduct more studies, eventually we will have better evidence and wisdom. What the current studies are showing is that optimal levels for fasting blood glucose should be less than 110 mg/dL and after eating the blood sugar should not increase more than 30 mg/dL from pre-meal blood sugar level.

Just like everything in life, you don’t want too little or too much when it comes to your blood sugar level—you want it in balance!

Are you concerned about your health or a loved one's health and not sure where to begin? Schedule a FREE 15 minute strategy call with New Beginnings. Schedule online or call 970-305-0101.

References:

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/12363-blood-glucose-test

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5293555/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK555976/

https://www.levels.com/blog/what-should-my-glucose-levels-be-ultimate-guide

Surprising Benefits from Topical Castor Oil

Fri, 17 May 2024 19:01:46 GMT

Support your gut health, decrease your inflammation & enhance your beauty

Castor oil has been used for centuries for medicinal purposes.

For some of you, you remember castor oil as something your mom pushed on you as a kid to take a spoonful every day to keep you healthy and away from the doctor’s office!

For some of you, you have heard of taking it orally for constipation and to induce labor.

Did you know castor oil is something you can use topically?

Even though castor oil has been used for centuries as far back as the 16th century BC, there is not much scientific studies to back it up. I have seen a lot of awesome things happen with patients that use castor oil packs, but we just don’t have much scientific data on the use of topical castor oil. I wanted to share the data we do have on topical castor oil.

What is castor oil?

Derived from the bean of the Ricinus communis plant common in Eastern areas of the world (native to India)
Through cold processing this yields 33% medicinal quality oil, which is further refined to rid the oil of ricin, a toxic substance to us humans
Oil is odorless and thick
High in ricinoleic acid and other fatty acids including oleic acid and linoleum acid.
Contains antioxidants and antimicrobial compounds

Studies where topical castor oil shines:

Anti-inflammatory Effects! Studies show it can decrease inflammation and pain from osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. I have had patients have success from using topical castor oil over all parts of their body that have inflammation and have noticed a significant improvement when using castor oil packs.

Aid the liver in better functioning including detoxing. Remember the roles of the liver? Your liver is vital and plays a role in nearly all organ systems in the body interacting with your digestive system by creating bile to break down fats and your endocrine system by metabolizing your hormones. The liver is important for cleaning and filtering all your blood! Your liver stores fat soluble vitamins, iron and copper. Your liver also does so much more!

Stimulate hair growth! Studies are showing that using in combo with other ingredients or by itself, that topical castor oil can stimulate hair growth!

How to use topical castor oil:

Castor oil packs are a great way to try it out! I have found a company that sells organic castor oil and organic cotton packs. Their packs are less messy and you don’t need to place a heating pad over the pack. If you are targeting your liver & working on detoxing recommend placing the pack on before bed and taking off the pack, when you wake up; since your body does most of its detoxing at night. Check out Queen of Thrones Castor Oil Packs and use code NEWBEGINNINGS10 to receive 10% off.

You can also make your own pack. If you want the DIY version, soak a piece of cloth (recommend organic) with castor oil and place it over the area of your body you are targeting for 30 minutes up to overnight. You can also place a heating pad or warm towel over your pack, since these helps to enhance the oil’s absorption.

Side effects to topical castor oil:

Any treatment has potential side effects and risks!
If you have sensitive skin or have a history of reacting to things topically, recommend trying a very small area with castor oil first to see how your body reacts.
Allergic reaction. If you notice any signs or symptoms of an allergic reaction please stop using the castor oil immediately!
May feel worse before feeling better. Especially, if you are using castor oil to help aid in detoxing, you can feel worse before feeling better. Feeling worse with the initial detoxing could last a few days. Please talk with your doctor and see if this is the right treatment plan for you.
Overall castor oil is usually well tolerated topically and has been show to be safe.

Are you concerned about your health or a loved one's health and not sure where to begin? Schedule a FREE 15 minute strategy call with New Beginnings. Schedule online or email Staff@NewBeginningsFMC.com

References:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK551626/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33515683/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8837976/

https://intjnm.com/evidence-for-the-topical-application-of-castor-oil/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33037703/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8230055/

https://intjnm.com/evidence-for-the-topical-application-of-castor-oil/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9963650/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1781768/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19288533/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32427126/

https://drprincetta.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Castor-Oil-Packs-Immunomodulation.pdf

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK535438/#:~:text=The%20liver%20is%20a%20critical,of%20an%20adul... .

Get Your Detox On!

Mon, 05 Jun 2023 21:16:41 GMT

Steps to Help Your Body Detox...

Are you taking time to support your body in its detoxing efforts? I get excited talking about the importance of detoxing because it is a key part of getting to optimal health!

What is Detoxification?

✅ Process of removing toxins from your body

✅ For most toxins, your body has to process toxins in order to change toxins into a less toxic substance that is easier to get out of your body. Your liver is key in this process!

How does your body Detox & How can you support your body in detoxing?

Your body has six key organs that are responsible for detoxing:

✅ Liver . Cleans and filters all your blood & processes (metabolizes) all toxins, medications and your hormones! A super awesome way to support your liver is to eat healthy liver at least once a week. Yes, I said it! Eat your liver! Eating organic, pasture raised chicken liver, grass-fed, grass finished beef liver, bison or wild game liver provides your liver with all the nutrients your liver needs to function well!

✅ Kidneys. Flushes waste and removes toxins from your blood (after the liver has done its job) and turns the waste into urine to get it out of your body! A huge step you can take to support your kidneys is staying well hydrated with water!

✅ Lungs. Great filters for getting out carbon dioxide, airborne toxins, and mold. Focusing on breathing exercises, so you are not just doing shallow breathing is important. Your goal is to get oxygen to every part of your lungs! It is good to take a few seconds throughout the day to make sure you are getting in big, deep breaths that are completely filling the lungs and then working on exhaling all of the air out of your lungs, so your lungs can be super effective at detoxing.

✅ Lymphatic System , which parallels your blood vessels. Removes byproducts of viruses, bacteria and other pathogens that can cause infection. Great ways you can help to support your lymphatic system is by helping your lymphatic system to drain and work more efficiently:

1️⃣ Dry brushing (recommend performing this before taking a shower)

2️⃣ Vibration plate or cardiovascular exercise

3️⃣ Fascial rolling, lymphatic massage

✅ Colon. Gets rid of waste & toxins via your poop. The goal is to have a least one bowel movement a day. Eating enough fiber and staying well hydrated is a great start to support your colon health. If you have a lot of inflammation and things growing in your gut that should not be there such as bad bacteria, parasites or yeast overgrowth, your colon is not going to work well at eliminating toxins!

✅ Skin . Sweating out toxins is also important for detoxing. If you are not effective at sweating, far infrared saunas are a great way to teach your body how to effectively sweat. New Beginnings has a medical grade far infrared sauna for patients to use. Dry brushing, exercising and Epsom Salt baths are also ways to aid in skin detoxing!

Is Detoxing Great for Everyone?

Active detoxing is not for everyone! If your basics including your gut, adrenal and liver health are not in a good place, active detoxing can make you sicker! If you work on active detoxing and your liver can't process these toxins that you bring into your blood stream and to your liver--these toxins will hang out and go to other places in your body and make you feel even worse! It is a lot of work for your body to detox and then eliminate toxins. If your body is well supported and the basics are working well then it goes really smoothly. If your body is not in a good spot, you realize really quickly that the body is not ready and you need to start first with getting the basics tuned up and functioning well!

Do you or a loved one need a partner to help put the puzzle pieces together and work on the basics to get your body ready for detox?
Schedule a FREE 15 minute feel good again strategy call with Sara to learn more. Click here to schedule

Are You Suffering from Hashimoto's Disease?

Fri, 01 Oct 2021 14:04:33 GMT

Learn Steps to Decrease Symptoms & Optimize Your Health!

Are you concerned about your thyroid health?

Unfortunately thyroid conditions are on the rise and are becoming more common. Per the American Thyroid Association, an estimated 20 million Americans have a thyroid problem. Women are 5 to 8x more likely to develop thyroid conditions. Over the last few years, in my medical practice, I have seen a rise in thyroid conditions affecting men. Hashimoto’s is the most common cause of a low thyroid.

What is Hashimoto’s?

Hashimoto’s is an autoimmune thyroid disease that usually causes the thyroid to be low functioning. It really isn’t a thyroid problem, it is an immune system problem. Finding the root cause of why there is inflammation and why the immune system is making antibodies towards the thyroid is key!

Want to learn more about a low functioning thyroid and causes for a low functioning thyroid? Check out my blog .

Typical symptoms associated with Hashimoto’s:

• No energy or feeling sluggish

• Difficultly losing weight or weight gain

• Foggy brain

• Irritable, depression and/or anxiety

• Constipation

• Joint pain

• Feeling cold

• Hair loss

• Dry skin

• Infertility

How Do You Know If You Have Hashimoto’s?

• Lab work can be very helpful . Some important thyroid labs to check are: TSH, Free T3, Free T4, thyroid peroxidase antibody and thyroglobulin antibody.

• If lab work looks okay, but you are experiencing a lot of symptoms and have concerns about Hashimoto’s, a thyroid ultrasound can also be useful in evaluating for Hashimoto’s. In Hashimoto’s, the thyroid gland looks irregular (lumpy and bumpy) throughout. The thyroid can also be large and have more vascularity than normal. These are all signs of inflammation happening in the thyroid.

Steps to Take to Optimize Your Thyroid:

• Optimize Your Gut Health! Did you know most of your immune system is in your gut? If your gut is ticked and not working well, this affects your immune system in a negative way and also affects how you are breaking down and absorbing nutrients—which all affects how the rest of your body functions! How exactly can you optimize gut health?

✅ Stay away from foods that are causing inflammation in your body. Not sure what foods are triggering inflammation? An elimination diet and/or food sensitivity test can be helpful in figuring this out. Check out my webinar to learn more .

✅ Keep processed foods out of your diet.

✅ Eating a rainbow of colors in regards to produce every day is key! A re you creating a good environment for your gut microbiome? The goal is to have a ton of variety of good gut bugs growing in your gut!

• De-Stress . How are you dealing with every day stressors? Did you know that always being stressed actually causes inflammation and makes it very difficult for your body to function optimally? Need some help de-stressing?

✅ Take time daily to do things you enjoy and do activities that give you rest. You may need to put this on your calendar until you get in a routine.

✅ Restful sleep. If you are not getting enough restful sleep at night, your body is not able to rest and be restored!

• Reduce Toxins ! All of us are exposed to toxins daily. Yes, even if you are paying attention to your environment and what you are using in your home, on your body and putting in your body—you are still getting exposed to toxins. Steps to limit your toxic load:

✅ Regular routine to help your body get rid of toxins. Staying well hydrated with filtered water, having daily bowel movements and eating foods that provide nutrients to support your body in detoxing are all a must!

✅ Knowing your environment. Do you know what potential toxins you are being exposed to and how to limit toxins? Are your beauty/personal hygiene products, household cleaning products or cookware contributing to your toxic load?

✅ Know if your body needs extra support in detoxing. Not everyone’s body is great at detoxing. Your body may need extra nutrients or supplements to help with detoxing. Epsom salt baths and/or sauna sessions can also be beneficial in helping your body to get rid of toxins.

Are you concerned about your thyroid health and not sure where to begin? Schedule a FREE 15 minute consult with, New Beginnings. Schedule online or email Staff@NewBeginningsFMC.com

References:

https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/endocrine-diseases/hashimotos-disease

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17665-hashimotos-disease

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5401130/

https://www.thyroid.org/media-main/press-room/

Sun Protection

Mon, 05 Jul 2021 20:41:35 GMT

Ingredients to Avoid in Your Sunscreen...

Are you enjoying the beautiful, warm weather? Getting outside and enjoying nature is a great way to get in your self care!

If you are like me, you’ll want to soak up every single moment of glorious warm weather by spending lots of time outdoors, which means SUN PROTECTION is a must!

As you may already know, what you put on your skin can absorb into the rest of your body! So, you want to make sure that what you are applying to your skin is NOT toxic to you!

The Environmental Working Group is a great resource to learn about what ingredients to stay away from and what sunscreens are recommended. Just like looking at food labels, it is also important to look at the ingredients labels of what is in your sunscreen.

The TOP 3 ingredients to STAY AWAY from:

✅ Oxybenzone . Can cause skin, eye or respiratory irritation. This chemical, once it is on the skin, absorbs easily into the rest of the body and can mess with the endocrine system! It is also toxic to aquatic life!

✅ Octinoxate (octyl methoxycinnamate) . Can also cause skin issues. Studies have also shown that it can mess with thyroid and sex hormones.

✅ Homosalate . Can cause skin, eye or respiratory irritation. It is another ingredient that can cause harmful effects to aquatic life!

If you’re looking for MY favorite sunscreen, I personally like to use Badger .

Want to see how your sunscreen rates? Check out EWG (there’s a search bar at the top - type in the sunscreen brand name you’re currently using and see how it stands up!)

Another way you can protect yourself even further is to avoid sun exposure at peak times of the day when UV radiation is strongest - so, avoid being in direct sunlight between the hours of 10:00 am and 4:00 pm. Get out there and enjoy that early morning walk and those sunsets at the end of the day, but if you are outside mid-day, make sure to slather that sunscreen on (don’t forget multiple times, if playing in the water), and always wear hats and/or long sleeve pants and shirts for even more sun protection. I personally like to wear more breathable fabric like bamboo or Merino wool.

References:

https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Oxybenzone#section=Safety-and-Hazards

https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredients/704203-OCTINOXATE/

https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Homosalate#section=Safety-and-Hazards

Low Thyroid & High Cholesterol...Is There a Connection?

Fri, 23 Apr 2021 17:12:59 GMT

Is an Under Active Thyroid Causing Your High Cholesterol?

Did you know that a low functioning thyroid can be a cause of high cholesterol?

How is this possible?

Your thyroid makes hormones that play an important role in the production of cholesterol and how your body gets rid of extra cholesterol that is not needed. If your thyroid is not functioning optimally or under active; your body is going to have difficulty breaking down and removing cholesterol—specifically LDL cholesterol.

Let’s Talk about Cholesterol…

Cholesterol gets a bad rap. Guess what? You need cholesterol to help form your cell membranes, aid in digestion, produce certain hormones and help make vitamin D. With everything in life, you need to have a healthy balance. This also applies to cholesterol; you need it, but not too much of it!

If your body has too much LDL cholesterol and your body is not able to easily get rid of this…it can wreak havoc. Especially, if the LDL cholesterol is small and sticky, it can get into arterial walls that can lead to plaque build up, and put you at risk for heart attacks or strokes.

Check out my blog on Heart Disease to learn more.

Knowing Your Whole Story!

This is why it is so important to know your whole story about how your thyroid is functioning! How do you learn about how your thyroid is functioning? Blood work is very helpful. Most of the time patients are only screened for low functioning thyroid or under active thyroid with a TSH, which is not your whole story. In order to get more of your story about your thyroid, checking a Free T4, Free T3 and thyroid antibodies are also important.

What does all of this lab work mean?

TSH (Thyroid stimulating hormone) is the signal that your brain gives to your thyroid to tell it to make thyroid hormones.

T4 is a thyroid hormone that your thyroid makes.

T3 is a thyroid hormone that your thyroid makes a little of, but most of your T3 occurs when your body breaks down the T4 to T3—which happens when an iodine molecule is removed, then every cell in your body can respond to T3.

Thyroid antibodies —the most common are thyroid peroxidase antibody and thyroglobulin antibody. These are antibodies that your immune system makes towards your thyroid. We do not want our own immune systems making antibodies towards our tissues including our thyroid! If this is happening, this can damage your thyroid!

If you have a low functioning thyroid, it not only can affect your cholesterol, but you can have lots of other symptoms! Check out my blog about Low Functioning Thyroid to learn more. also have symptoms.

So, to keep your heart healthy and decrease your risk of heart disease and/or stroke, it is important to know your thyroid and cholesterol status! If your thyroid and/or cholesterol is not optimal, it is important to get to the root cause!

If you are concerned about your thyroid or heart health schedule a FREE 15 minute Fix Your Thyroid Strategy Call with New Beginnings. Schedule online or email Staff@NewBeginningsFMC.com.

References:

https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11886-004-0054-3.pdf

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/11920-cholesterol-numbers-what-do-they-mean

https://www.endocrineweb.com/conditions/thyroid/how-your-thyroid-works

https://www.endocrineweb.com/news/thyroid-diseases/59757-hypothyroid-cholesterol-too-little-thyroid-hormone-too-much-cholesterol

mRNA COVID-19 Vaccinations

Tue, 05 Jan 2021 19:46:48 GMT

This blog is based on the research that is currently available as of 1/3/2021.

I have had a lot of questions from patients about the mRNA COVID vaccinations. First, I want to start off with you knowing where I am coming from. I spent several years as a family medicine physician and received additional training in functional medicine. My goal in life is for everyone to choose their plan of care after they know all the benefits, potential risks and side effects to anything they do! I want everyone to be able to make an informed decision about their health journey!

So here is what we know so far…

COVID-19 mRNA (messenger RNA) vaccinations by Pfizer and Moderna both have emergency use authorization from the FDA. First off, let me explain what emergency use authorization means: The FDA decided that the current studies and circumstances of the pandemic justify the emergency use of these vaccinations and that the benefits of the vaccine outweighs the risks. These vaccinations are a new technology for human vaccinations. All of the previous vaccinations are usually antigens such as inactivated or weak viruses.

The goal of the mRNA vaccine is to teach the human cells how to make a protein or a piece of a protein that triggers an immune response. So, in other words the mRNA is like a blueprint for the cells to follow in order to make a protein that will trigger an immune response in the body—causing antibodies to be made and protect the body from getting infected if exposed to COVID-19. The specific protein that was targeted for the COVID-19 vaccination is referred to as the spike protein.

Per the scientific studies, messenger RNA does not enter the nucleus of the cell where the body’s genetic material or DNA is kept. The cell breaks down and gets rid of the mRNA soon after it is finished using the blueprint or instructions from the mRNA.

The Specific Steps to How the COVID-19 Vaccines Work:

✅ mRNA has a lipid nanoparticle coat surrounding it to be able to enter into the human cell

✅ Once the mRNA is inside the cell, the cell uses these mRNA instructions or blueprints to make a protein piece—specifically the spike protein piece.

✅ After this protein is made, the cell breaks down the instructions and gets rid of them.

✅ Then the cell displays the protein piece on the cell’s surface and the goal is for the immune system to see that protein piece and realize that this protein piece is foreign to the human body and does not belong! The goal is for the immune system to then start an immune response to this protein and make antibodies against this protein piece.

✅ At the end of the process, the ultimate goal is for the human body to have learned how to protect against future infection.

Guess what? With any vaccine we have to rely on the immune system to do it’s job properly! So, if the immune system isn’t working properly, this process might not occur, which can be the case in some individuals who are immunocompromised.

What is in the COVID-19 vaccinations?

Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine contains: a total lipid content of 1.93 mg (SM-102, polyethylene glycol [PEG] 2000 dimyristoyl glycerol [DMG], cholesterol, and 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine [DSPC]), 0.31 mg tromethamine, 1.18 mg tromethamine hydrochloride, 0.043 mg acetic acid, 0.12 mg sodium acetate, and 43.5 mg sucrose.

Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 contains: a nucleoside-modified messenger RNA (modRNA) encoding the viral spike glycoprotein (S) of SARS-CoV-2, lipids ((4-hydroxybutyl)azanediyl)bis(hexane-6,1-diyl)bis(2- hexyldecanoate), 2-[(polyethylene glycol)-2000]-N,N-ditetradecylacetamide, 1,2-distearoyl-sn- glycero-3-phosphocholine, and cholesterol), potassium chloride, monobasic potassium phosphate, sodium chloride, dibasic sodium phosphate dihydrate, and sucrose.

If someone has known allergies to PEG (polyethylene glycol) or polysorbate, they should NOT get the vaccination! Polysorbate is not an ingredient in the mRNA vaccinations, but is closely related to PEG, which is in the mRNA vaccinations.

If you have never heard of PEG or polyethylene glycol it is not a new synthetic ingredient. It can be found in skin care, other hygiene products, foods and medications.

Potential Side Effects/Adverse reactions:

Moderna reported side effects:

Injection site reactions (pain, tenderness, swelling of the lymph nodes in the same arm, swelling, redness
General: fatigue, headache, muscle pain, joint pain, chills, nausea, vomiting or fever

Pfizer-BioNTech reported side effects:

Injection site reactions: pain, swelling, redness
General: fatigue, headache, muscle pain, chills, joint pain or fever, nausea, “feeling unwell”, swollen lymph nodes

*With any vaccination or medication there is always a potential risk for severe allergic reactions.

What ages are approved for vaccinations?

Moderna : Individuals 18 years or older

Pfizer: Individuals 16 years or older

Mutations?

Mutations occur when an error is incorporated in the viral genome. This can cause the COVID-19 virus to look differently and/or act differently. In RNA viruses (COVID is a RNA virus), mutations can occur frequently and can occur as often as one mutation per virus genome copy.

Per the CDC, multiple mutations of the COVID-19 virus emerged leading to different variants in the fall of 2020. One of the most notable was in the UK that had several mutations including mutation in the spike protein.

Why keep track of the variant strains of COVID-19?

Some of the potential consequences of variant strains can lead to:

✅ Ability to spread more quickly

✅ Ability to cause either milder or more severe disease

✅ Can make it more difficult to detect by current diagnostic studies used

✅ Decreased susceptibility to therapeutic agents—May need to find different treatment

✅ Ability to evade natural or vaccine-induced immunity

The mRNA vaccinations for COVID-19 were made based on the spike protein. So if there are mutations to the spike protein, the spike protein is going to look different. Are our immune systems going to recognize these variant spike proteins? Is the vaccination going to be effective for the variant strains of COVID-19?

What is the time frame for when the vaccination becomes effective?

The current clinic trials with Moderna and Pfizer have tested for COVID-19 antibodies 7 days after individuals have received the second dose of the vaccinations.

Should I get the vaccination if I have an autoimmune condition?

As of 12/29/2020, per the CDC no data is available on the safety of mRNA COVID-19 vaccinations for individuals with autoimmune conditions.

What about individuals with chronic conditions?

Currently there is limited data on individuals with chronic conditions due to the small amount of participates that were in the clinic trials for the mRNA vaccinations.

As of 12/29/2020, per the CDC, people with chronic medical conditions may receive the vaccination after informed consent.

What are the other possible side effects?

Is this vaccine safe for everyone?

How long is the efficacy?

Will this work on mutated COVID-19 strains?

There are still a lot of unanswered questions. More questions will be answered as more individuals obtain the vaccinations and there is a longer time period to collect the data.

As 2020 has shown, COVID-19 can be very debilitating and deadly for some individuals. COVID-19 has put a huge burden on the wonderful, hardworking healthcare workers that are working tirelessly in the hospitals. COVID-19 for most individuals has shown to cause mild to moderate symptoms. There are also individuals that have a lot of issues after having COVID-19—the long haulers.

A lot of people have found 2020 to be a wakeup call. Taking care of yourself and keeping self care a priority is important in staying healthy and having a well balanced immune system!

References:

https://www.fda.gov/media/144245/download?fbclid=IwAR3HTjXfsTEalU4SjKR-llW7wObhf1Cg9moplmmqf1iPDfvV0CIvY-I0c5E

https://reference.medscape.com/drug/bnt-162b2-pfizer-covid-19-vaccine-mRNA-pfizer-4000140?src=WNL_infoc_201219_MSCPEDIT_evidence&uac=132365HY&impID=2745060&faf=1#6

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/mrna.html

https://www.modernatx.com/covid19vaccine-eua/

https://www.fda.gov/media/144638/download

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/more/science-and-research/scientific-brief-emerging-variants.html

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK8439/

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/recommendations/underlying-conditions.html

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2213219818308237

Is Low-Dose Naltrexone an Option for my Condition?

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 20:28:37 GMT

THE BASICS:

Low-Dose Naltrexone otherwise known as LDN is a compounded medication that has been shown to help balance out ticked off or dysregulated immune systems.

Common Conditions treated with LDN:

✅ Hashimoto’s (autoimmune thyroid disorder)

✅ Fibromyalgia

✅ Crohn’s Disease

✅ Ulcerative colitis

✅ Multiple Sclerosis

✅ Autism

✅ Irritable bowel syndrome and other gastrointestinal disorders

✅ Rheumatoid arthritis

✅ Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

✅ Multiple Chemical Sensitivity

✅ Chronic pain

✅ Cancers and so much more….

Not all conditions listed above have had published clinic studies. Research continues to be ongoing with different conditions. Currently there is a study being conducted on LDN for treatment of COVID positive patients.

Research into the effects of LDN is ongoing and not a new venture. Research into LDN started in the mid-1980’s for treating HIV patients.

How Does LDN work?

THE GENERAL SCIENCE:

LDN is a competitive opioid antagonist. In large dose, naltrexone blocks the effects of both endogenous opioids (made by the body) and pharmaceutical opioids (opioid medications).
LDN is a pure inhibitor. The structure of LDN looks very similar to endorphins that are produced naturally by the body, called met-enkephalin, otherwise known as opioid growth factor.
LDN is an antagonist at the opioid growth factor receptors. A variety of human cells have opioid growth factor receptors.
LDN binds to endorphin receptors & the blockade lasts ~4-6 hours, which can cause analgesia and anti-inflammatory effects in part due to the increased production of the body’s endorphins.

To understand how LDN is working with the body, first, we need to understand what ENDORPHINS are:

The body makes endorphins to help regulate cell growth, including immune cells. Many patients with autoimmune disease tend to have low levels of endorphins, which is important for regulating the body’s immune system.

Opioid receptors are located throughout the body including the digestive system, nervous system and on certain immune cells.

THE SPECIFICS:

Low dose naltrexone binds to opioid receptors causing the body’s endorphins to be displaced or removed from the OGF receptors. This affect causes the body’s cells to become deficient or lacking in OGF (also known as endorphins). The body compensates by:

1️⃣ Producing more OGF receptors to get more OGF (endorphins) to bind to the cells

2️⃣ Sensitivity of the OGF receptors become more sensitive to try and get more OGF (endorphins) to bind to the cells

3️⃣ Production of OGF (endorphins) increases to try and compensate for the perceived deficient of OGF.

In a Nutshell:

If a patient takes LDN, they receive a brief blockade of the OGF receptors for a few hours, causing a rebound effect of increased endorphins and increasing the production and sensitivity of OGF (endorphins) and OGF receptors. Once the LDN has been metabolized by the liver, the high level of endorphins produced by this rebound effect can then interact with OGF receptors and assist in regulating the body’s immune system and cell growth.

HOW TO TAKE LDN:

Low dose naltrexone has shown to be beneficial at 4.5 mg in studies. However, every individual is unique, so I take a more individualized approach. I have found that lower doses for some individuals is just as beneficial. With all patients, starting out at a lower dose and working up to an individual’s therapeutic dose is key. Most research recommends starting at 0.5 mg up to 1.5 mg. Depending on the individual, certain patients may need to start out on a smaller dose and their therapeutic dose may be lower than 4.5 mg.

LDN is ideally taken at bedtime, which allows LDN to be most potent when the body’s endorphin levels should be highest.

WHO CAN TAKE LDN:

LDN has been studied on adults and children as young as 4 years old.

DIFFERENT FORMS OF LDN:

The most common form of LDN prescribed are tablets or capsules, which are available by prescription from a compounding pharmacy.

LDN can also be in liquid formulations, sublingual drops, eye drops, creams and lotions.

POTENTIAL SIDE EFFECTS OF LDN:

Most individuals, in my experience, don’t experience any side effects with LDN.
Some individuals may have disturbed sleep for a few days when first starting LDN. If disturbed sleep continues, switching LDN to a daytime dose may be helpful.
Some individuals may have vivid dreams
Rarely nausea, constipation or diarrhea. If GI side effects occur, it may be helpful to switch to sublingual or topical forms of LDN to bypass the gut.

MY THOUGHTS ON LDN:

LDN can be a very useful medication in helping an individual get a ticked off immune system balanced, which can make it easier to work with patients on fixing the root cause of their issues.

Since I partner with a lot of patients that can’t tolerate any medications, supplements, have trouble living in their environment by reacting to many foods and their environment. The patient’s immune system needs assistance with balance and decreased inflammation, before work can begin on the root causes of issues.

In my opinion, LDN is not a magic pill or a cure—it is a tool to help an individual become more comfortable with less pain, being able to better tolerate their environment by helping out a dysfunctional immune system.

I have patients that have benefited from LDN who have Hashimoto’s, Multiple Sclerosis, Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, Ulcerative Colitis, Fibromyalgia, Chronic migraines to name a few…

If you or a loved one would like to learn more about LDN and if it is a possibility to help in your journey to optimal health, schedule a FREE 15 minute consult with New Beginnings. To schedule call 970-305-0101 or email Staff@NewBeginningsFMC.com.

References:

https://ldnresearchtrust.org/

https://www.ldnscience.org/ldn

https://www.naturalmedicinejournal.com/journal/2018-04/uses-low-dose-naltrexone-clinical-practice

5 Steps to Balance Your Estrogen Levels

Tue, 06 Oct 2020 14:57:51 GMT

Are you struggling with estrogen dominance?

Are you feeling sluggish, have mood swings, PMS or weight gain? These can be symptoms of estrogen dominance. Estrogen dominance occurs when too much estrogen is in the body. The body can have difficulty getting rid of this extra estrogen.

Estrogen dominance is becoming more common. One reason it is more common is due to all the chemicals that are around us that are endocrine disruptors. These endocrine disruptors mimic estrogen and are called xenoestrogens. You may be thinking that this is only affecting women! Think again! Estrogen dominance and xenoestrogens negatively effect men’s health too!

How can estrogen dominance affect your health?

Autoimmune disorders: Hashimoto’s (autoimmune thyroid)
Metabolic issues: Diabetes Mellitus Type 2
Infertility in both women & men
Increased risk of cancer: breast, ovarian & prostate
Weight gain
PMS & heavy menstrual periods
Uterine fibroids
Fibrocystic breasts

5 Steps to Balance out Your Estrogen Levels:

1️⃣ Limit your toxin exposure. Your environment, what you eat, and what you put on your skin all matter! No, you cannot completely limit all of your toxin exposure, because we live in a world that is filled with toxins! How can you limit most of your toxin exposure? If you would like more detail on limiting toxin exposure, here is a link to a previous blog: https://www.newbeginningsfmc.com/environmental-toxins

Air. Purifying house plants are a great help to clean your air. HEPA filters can also help.
Cleaning products . Are you using non-toxic cleaning products? Studies have show that a large percentage of people’s homes are a toxic environment. You can make a lot of non-toxic cleaning products yourself. They are cheaper than the chemical products at the store and most products are easy to make. You can also purchase non-toxic cleaning products.
Water. Are you drinking filtered water? What kind of container do you use to drink your water? Non-toxic glass, stainless steel or ceramic water bottles are best.
Hygiene products . This is a big one! The average person uses about 9 personal hygiene products everyday. Are you paying attention to the ingredients of your products and is there a ton of chemicals in these products? Several studies show that women put on hundreds of chemicals to start out their day. Check out EWG.org to find out how your products rate.
Food . Organic is best. Also what you cook your food in and how you store your food is also something to consider in order to limit toxins. Cooking food in non-toxic cast iron, stainless steel, ceramic or glass is ideal. Storing food in non-toxic glass, ceramic, or stainless steel is best.

2️⃣ Support Your Liver . Your liver is an organ on the upper right side of your abdomen and is protected by the lower rib cage. Your liver filters blood from the digestive tract before the rest of the body sees it. It also detoxifies chemicals and toxins. Your liver is also important for metabolizing medications, alcohol and estrogen. Your liver metabolizes estrogen by 3 different pathways. Your liver can metabolize estrogen into helpful or unhelpful metabolites depending on which pathway the estrogen takes. To keep your liver producing helpful metabolites: Support your liver with proper nutrients, limit or avoid alcohol, stay well hydrated with water, get a good night’s rest and find ways to de-stress!

3️⃣ Fiber . Fiber binds to harmful estrogen metabolites and other toxins that can affect your estrogen balance and metabolism in your gut. Fiber makes it easy for your colon to eliminate these from your body. How much fiber do you need? Most people should aim for at least 25 grams of fiber per day. If an individual is not currently consuming this much fiber daily, it is best to work your way up. Let your body get used to it. When people increase fiber, it is also important to stay well hydrated with water! For most individuals, half their body weight in ounces per day is the goal. For example, a 150 pound person needs approximately 75 ounces of filtered water per day.

4️⃣ Cruciferous vegetables are in the broccoli family and have an important phytonutrient—Sulforaphane. Sulphoraphane supports your body in producing glutathione, a key antioxidant, which aids in detoxification. Some cruciferous vegetables are: arugula, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, brussel sprouts and radishes.

5️⃣ Supplements may also help in supporting healthy estrogen metabolism. It is important to partnering with a functional medicine physician to find the right supportive supplements for you. Everyone is an individual and unique! Some of the supplements that can be recommended are:

DIM (diindolylmethane)
I3C (indole-3-carbinol)
Calcium-D-Glucarate
Milk thistle
NAC (N-acetyl-cystine)
Methylated B vitamins

Estrogen balance is key to optimizing your health!

Estrogen balance is crucial for survival and health in both women and men! Estrogen is important to keep your sugar level balanced and immune system robust. It also helps with bone health, cardiovascular health, fertility and brain functions. When estrogen is unbalanced it can contribute to lots of health issues: autoimmune issues, metabolic issues, degeneration, and chronic inflammatory disease to name a few.

If you have signs or symptoms of estrogen dominance and do not know where to begin, schedule a FREE 15 minute consult with New Beginnings . To schedule call 970-305-0101 or email Staff@NewBeginningsFMC.com .

References:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4226184/

https://functionalmedicine.widencollective.com/portals/py85vmmv/ToolkitAllResources

https://www.ewg.org/californiacosmetics/toxic12

https://www.consumernotice.org/products/personal-care/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279393/

https://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/picture-of-the-liver#1

Stress, Anxiety & Less Sleep

Sun, 16 Aug 2020 17:53:10 GMT

Simple Steps to Achieving Better Sleep, Finding Your Calm & Reducing Stress

This world can cause us to feel stressed, anxious and lose sleep. Did you know that there are steps you can take to cope with stress, find your calm and get a better night’s sleep?

Adrenal Health

Taking care of your adrenals is a necessary step in dealing with stress, anxiety and sleep.

Let’s talk a little about your adrenals, where they are located in your body and what their purpose is. Your adrenal glands are located on top of your kidneys and are composed of two parts: cortex and medulla. The adrenals produce certain hormones that are important to help regulate your metabolism, sleep/wake cycle, stress response and so much more!

Cortisol is a steroid hormone produced by your adrenals.

Controls sleep/wake cycle. Cortisol should be highest when you wake up in the morning and lowest when it is time to sleep at night.
Released during times of stress to help increase energy and handle emergency situations. This is ideal if a big bear is chasing you!
If your body is in constant fight or flight mode (otherwise know as the sympathetic nervous system), your adrenals are going to wear out! Why? Your body is not designed to live continuously in fight or flight mode! Your adrenals and body need a break!
Cortisol alters non-essential body functions, which makes sense if you are in an emergency situation, you don’t need your body wasting energy on other bodily functions—you need to get away and survive! What are some of these functions that cortisol alters?

Immune system responses
Suppresses digestive tract
Reproductive system
Growth processes

Can also communicate with brain regions that control mood, motivation & fear
If you are constantly & chronically releasing cortisol it can be very disruptive to your body and put you at risk for:

Anxiety and/or depression
Sleep problems
Digestive issues
Heart issues
Weight gain
Issues with memory and/or concentration

So how can you support your adrenal health?

Self care:

1️⃣ Eating a healthy, clean diet. Stay away from soda, foods with added sugars, box foods, foods that have ingredients that you can’t pronounce.
2️⃣ Relaxing
3️⃣ Resting/Getting enough good quality sleep
4️⃣ Taking time for movement

Supportive Nutrients for Your Adrenal Health:

1️⃣ B complex . Foods high in B vitamins: fish, poultry, other meats, eggs, dairy products, leafy green vegetables such as spinach, beans and peas
2️⃣ Vitamin C. Foods high in vitamin C: Broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, leafy greens, sweet potatoes, citrus fruits and berries
3️⃣ Magnesium . Foods high in magnesium: almonds, spinach, cashews, peanuts, soy, black beans & avocado
4️⃣ Omega 3 Fatty Acids . Foods high in omega 3’s: cold water fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, tuna, herring or sardines. Flaxseed, chia seeds or walnuts.
5️⃣ Zinc. Food highest in zinc are oysters. Other foods are beef, crab and pork.

Tips to cope with stress & feel less stressed and anxious:

Take time for yourself daily! Schedule time daily and don’t ignore this on your calendar!
Everyone has different ways of relaxing and taking time for yourself….Do what relaxes you! Is it reading a book? Is it sitting outside enjoying nature?
Find your calm by performing breathing exercises such as 4-7-8 breathing , praying or meditating.
Listen to music you enjoy that is peaceful.
Movement or exercise. This should be enjoyable, it should not feel like a task or work!
Get routine, quality sleep!

Let’s move onto Sleep! Are you getting enough quality sleep at night?

Why is sleep so important anyway?

While you are sleeping, your body is repairing and replenishing itself:

Healing or getting rid of damaged cells
Boosting your immune system
Recovering from the day’s activities
Recharging/repairing your heart and cardiovascular system

If you are not convinced yet that sleep is critical to your wellbeing, here are SIX more reasons:

1️⃣ Learning & Memory. Sleep helps the brain commit new info to memory.
2️⃣ Metabolism & Weight. Chronic sleep loss can cause weight gain by affecting the way your body processes and stores carbs and alters the level of hormones that affect your appetite.
3️⃣ Safety. Not getting enough sleep can contribute to greater tendency to fall asleep during the day. As an example, this would not be good if you are driving!
4️⃣ Mood. Not enough sleep can cause irritability, impatience, and/or moodiness.
5️⃣ Cardiovascular Health. High blood pressure and an irregular heart beat are more likely when you are not getting enough sleep.
6️⃣ Disease. Cancer and autoimmune diseases are more common in those that do not get enough sleep!

Simple Steps to Get Quality Sleep:

Support your adrenal health!
Stick to a schedule. Go to bed at the same time and get up at the same time, even on the weekends.
Watch your caffeine intake! How much caffeine are you consuming daily? How late are you consuming caffeine? Most recommendations are to stop caffeine intake by 2 PM.
Avoid alcohol within 3 hours of bedtime. Most of you know that alcohol is a depressant, but it can also be a stimulant!
Some medications and supplements may be stimulating.
Try not to exercise at least 3 hours before bedtime.
Limit screen time before bed (TV, smartphones, computers). Ideally, electronics should be turned off 2 hours before bed.
Turn WiFi off at night.
Avoid tension & anxiety before bed such as the news, stimulating activities, paying bills, eating large or spicy meals.

Simple Ways to Feel Relaxed Before Bed:

Fill your mind with positive thoughts such as “I can relax. I will be able to fall asleep easily.”
Write in a gratitude journal about what you are thankful for.
Perform breathing exercises, pray or meditate. 4-7-8 breathing is a fast and easy breathing exercise!
Listen to peaceful music before bed.
Having a schedule or relaxing routine before bed.
Taking a bath with essential oils and/or epsom salts.

Bedroom Environment for Optimal Sleep:

Temperature should be cool (60-67 degrees Fahrenheit). Your body temperature naturally lowers at night, so a cool room helps to maintain your body’s natural rhythm.
Quiet or white noise
Dark
Clutter free environment (clutter can cause anxiety).

Regular, good quality sleep will help you to cope with stress, feel less anxious and help your body to function more optimally!

If you are having trouble getting a good night’s rest or having other health issues and do not know where to begin, schedule a FREE 15 minute consult with New Beginnings. To schedule call 970-305-0101 or email at Staff@NewBeginningsFMC.com

References:

Is a Low Vitamin D Level Affecting Your Thyroid?

Thu, 16 Jul 2020 14:07:49 GMT

Vitamin D deficiency is when your vitamin D level is too low. Unfortunately, it is very common and affects over a billion people worldwide. Yet, vitamin D levels are not commonly checked. Why is this the case? One barrier, is that most health insurance companies will not cover the cost to check a vitamin D level.

Why is Vitamin D so important?

Vitamin D has many important roles in helping your body function properly!

Vitamin D plays a significant role in several of your immune functions:

Vitamin D plays a role in numerous effects on your cells within the immune system including lessening the production of inflammation within the body.
Studies show that vitamin D plays a significant role in reducing the likelihood of autoimmune disease such as Hashimoto’s and Grave’s disease (auto immune thyroid disease) likely due to decreasing the production of inflammation.

Vitamin D is also beneficial for:

Bone and muscle development
Calcium absorption
Boost mood and energy levels

What are some symptoms individuals experience with a Low Vitamin D level?

Tired or sluggish
Bone pain
Muscle weakness, aches or cramps
Decreased mood or depression
Symptoms of a Low Thyroid: feeling sluggish, having brain fog, hair loss, trouble losing weight, decreased mood and constipation to name a few.

What exactly is Vitamin D?

It is a fat-soluble vitamin that can be produced endogenously when UV rays from the sunlight strike the skin and can trigger vitamin D synthesis. There are also a few foods that contain some vitamin D such as cod liver oil, trout, salmon and mushrooms. Vitamin D has to be converted to an active form for our bodies to recognize and use it. First, your liver converts the vitamin D to 25-hydroxyvitamin D and then your kidneys change this form of vitamin D to 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D so that your body can recognize and use it.

How do you know if you are low in Vitamin D?

A blood test can determine if your body is low in vitamin D. Per The National Institute of Health, the best indicator of vitamin D status is to obtain a blood test called a 25-hydroxy vitamin D level. Other labs that may also be helpful are calcium, ionized calcium and parathyroid hormone levels depending on an individual’s health journey.

Every organization has a different idea of the number that defines vitamin D deficiency when interpreting lab results.

From a functional medicine perspective, the goal is to have an optimal level of vitamin D. For most people, the goal is to have a vitamin D level between 50-80 ng/mL.

If you are living at high altitudes in a place that is colder in the winter, your vitamin D level is likely going to be lower in the winter months due to having less sun exposure.

Most people need to supplement with vitamin D. How do you know how much to supplement? First, you need to determine your level with a blood test. You may need less vitamin D supplementation in the summer and more in the winter—depending on where you live.

As with anything, balance is key. Being low in vitamin D is not good, but also having too high of a vitamin D level is not good either. When vitamin D levels are too high, it can cause toxicity! Remember, vitamin D can be stored in the body! If vitamin D levels are too high it can cause many problems. These problems include: weight loss, weakness, poor appetite, nausea, vomiting, not feeling hungry, rhythm issues with the heart that can lead to heart disease. For this reason, it is important to evaluate your vitamin D levels regularly!

If you are concerned about your vitamin D levels, have known thyroid issues or have symptoms of a low thyroid, don’t forget about having your vitamin D level checked.

Are you concerned about your vitamin D status or your thyroid health? Not sure what your vitamin D level is? Need a partner in finding the root cause of your symptoms or disease? Schedule a FREE 15 minute consult with New Beginnings Functional Medicine Clinic. Email: Staff@NewBeginningsFMC.com or call 970-305-0101.

References:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3921055/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5618598/

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1568997214002201

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4158648/

https://www.degruyter.com/view/journals/jpem/25/5-6/article-p467.xml

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4439962/

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/?print=1

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/15050-vitamin-d--vitamin-d-deficiency

The Gut is the Gateway to a Healthier You!

Tue, 19 May 2020 17:01:27 GMT

How is Your Gut Health a Connection to Inflammation & Chronic Health Issues?

What is the Function & Importance of Your Gut?

First, let’s talk about some specifics of your digestive tract:

The mouth is the beginning of your digestive tract, where the breakdown of food begins.

Esophagus starts in your throat and receives food from your mouth when you swallow. It delivers food to your stomach due to a series of muscle contractions known as peristalsis.

Stomach is a hollow organ that receives & holds the food that is brought from the esophagus. Stomach produces or makes stomach acid to help break down food, and kills pathogens (bacteria, fungus ¶asites) that can cause harm to your body.

Small intestines then receive the stomach contents. Food continues to break down from enzymes released by the pancreas and liver. A series of muscle contractions otherwise known as peristalsis occurs to move food through and mix the food with the digestive enzymes.

Pancreas secretes digestive enzymes into the first part of the small intestine called the duodenum. It also secretes insulin to metabolize sugar.

Liver has lots of important functions! It helps with digestion from nutrients absorbed from the small intestine. The liver also makes bile which breaks down fats that are ingested. It also helps to detoxify potentially harmful chemicals (converts toxic substances into harmless substances).

The gallbladder stores the bile that is made by the liver. It releases bile into the small intestine when you eat fat to help absorb and digest fats.

Colon or large intestine processes waste. Most of your microbiome is located here!

Next, let’s dive a little deeper into the microbiome , to discuss it’s function and importance…

What is a microbiome? It is genetic material of all the microbes (bacteria, fungi, protozoa & viruses) that live on and inside the human body.

You are mostly made up of microbes—over 100 trillion. Microbes outnumber your human cells 10 to 1.
The majority of microbes live in your large intestine.
Microbiomes can weigh up to as much as 5 pounds!
What happens with the microbiome? Short chain fatty acids are produced when fiber is fermented in the colon, and these short chain fatty acids are a source of energy for your cells lining the colon. They also metabolize or breakdown foreign substances, certain drugs or chemicals the body does not recognize.

What is the link between your gut & immune system?

Did you know that the majority of your immune system is located in your GUT?

Gut-associated lymphoid tissue or GALT for short makes up 70% of your entire immune system!

This is why your gut plays a central role in your immune health and having a balanced immune system! The GUT is your GATEWAY to Health!

Understanding Inflammation:

Acute or short term inflammation is a part of your body’s appropriate immune system response to an acute injury or illness that is helpful for healing.

Acute inflammation is also an important defense against pathogens (harmful bacteria, parasites or viruses).

Your immune system’s ability to mount an adequate and appropriate inflammatory response is critical for survival! As an example, if you were to cut open your hand, causing a large open wound; you don’t want to have excessive bleeding or get an infection. When acute inflammation takes place due to this trauma—it helps you to clot—stopping the bleeding or decreasing the bleeding. It also takes care of pathogens that there is no longer a barrier against—so you don’t get an infection and then helps to heal your open wound. All which is appropriate and necessary! A balanced immune system is self-limited, beneficial and necessary!

Just to summarize, a balanced immune can identify potentially harmful pathogens or substances, recognize self, assess potential level of threat posed by infectious, toxic or non-self antigens and repair any damage that happens when the immune system takes care of threats.

What about Chronic Inflammation or an Unbalanced Immune System ?

Chronic inflammation happens when there is loss of balance of the immune system causing constant inflammation and destruction to your body.

Long term or chronic inflammation can lead to long term problems such as obesity, thyroid issues, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, heart disease and so much more!

Your immune system is no longer regulated and is out of control!

What are some ways gut issues lead to chronic inflammation?

Issues with digestion . One of the most common digestive problems is not making enough stomach acid. Are you taking any medications that decrease stomach acid such as proton pump inhibitors (omeprazole, esomeprazole, lansoprazole) or H2 blockers (ranitidine, famotidine, cimetidine)?

Remember that stomach acid is important for helping with the breakdown of food and killing pathogens such as bacteria, fungus ¶asites.
If you are not making enough stomach acid to help with the break down of food and also let bad bacteria, fungus or parasites survive to hang out in your intestines, which wreaks havoc & causes inflammation!

2 . Leaky Gut also known as intestinal hyperpermeability. This is when the intestinal lumen no longer has tight junctions between your cells. This means that the physical barrier between the digestive tract and blood stream is broken down; making it easy for intestinal contents to enter the blood stream.

Your immune system will see things that it is not suppose to, such as big food particles, which causes your immune system to react. This can then lead to food sensitivities for example.
Your immune system will also be exposed to more pathogens.

How Does Leaky Gut Happen?

NSAIDs such as ibuprofen, steroids, and naproxen. Research shows that NSAIDs cause small intestinal inflammation causing leaky gut and can also be toxic to the cells of your gut.
Viral, bacterial or protozoan infections
Gluten
Inflammation
Stress
Cytotoxic drugs
Xenobiotics such as glyphosate which alters the gut microbiome
Heavy metals such as mercury
Antibiotics which alter the microbiome
Standard American Diet

Chronic Health Issues associated with gut health : If your gut is ticked off, your immune system is gonna be ticked off, causing chronic inflammation that affects your whole body!

Everyone has different genetics and environmental factors, which can lead to a different path of chronic issues you are faced with!

Obesity . Defined as “accumulation of abnormal or excessive fat that may interfere with the maintenance of an optimal state of health.” In the U.S. the population with obesity is 42.2%. There is not any up to date costs for obesity, but in 2008 the estimated annual cost was $147 billion dollars. This was 12 years ago, and now the percentage of obesity has increased from 2008. Can you imagine what the annual cost is now?

Chronic inflammation causes an increase in certain inflammatory mediators (such as TNF-alpha, IL-6) which can lead to inflammation in fat cells (adipose tissue).

Did you know that fat cells (white adipose tissue) is an active participant in regulating your immune system and play a role in inflammation?

Fat cells (adipose tissue) that are exposed to chronic inflammation initially from the gut can then go on to produce more inflammation, which ends up becoming a vicious cycle.

When fat cells become enlarged, the blood supply to these cells may be decreased leading to a limited blood supply to this tissue. When this happens, fat cells or tissue begin to die, which leads to more production of inflammatory mediators! This then leads to overall inflammation in the body that is linked to:

Abdominal obesity
Metabolic abnormalities that lead to altered cholesterol and sugar metabolism
Atherosclerosis than can lead to heart attacks and stroke
Insulin resistance
Diabetes
High blood pressure

Thyroid issues. To really understand why thyroid problems are a big deal, first we must understand the importance of a well functioning thyroid. The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland located at the base of the neck. It may be small, but it is powerful and plays a vital role in how your body functions! The thyroid can influence all the parts of your body such as your gut, heart, brain, liver, kidneys and much, much more!

Your thyroid needs proper fuel or nutrients to produce thyroid hormone to be able to influence the rest of your body.

The thyroid gland mostly produces T4 (thyroxine) and some T3 (triiodothyronine) that is made up of iodine and tyrosine. T4 contains four iodine atoms and T3 contains three iodine atoms. Conversion of T4 to T3 takes place mostly outside of the thyroid gland. Most of the body responds & recognizes T3.

If the gut is in poor condition, such as a leaky gut, it is going to be difficult to get nutrient absorption to take place from the gut into the rest of the body. The thyroid suffers and does not get all the vital nutrients such as iodine and selenium for proper functioning.

Why else is having a healthy gut important for your thyroid health?

20% of the conversion of T4 to T3 happens in the gut!

Healthy gut microbes can convert T4 to T3.

Bile acids when secreted into the small intestine following fat consumption increase activity of the enzyme that converts T4 to T3.

Hashimoto’s is an autoimmune disease that affects more women than men. Hashimoto’s is a chronic inflammatory state in which the immune system makes antibodies that attack the thyroid gland. This then damages the thyroid, and if left untreated, can lead to the thyroid not making enough thyroid hormones. If found and treated early, most individuals with Hashimoto’s will not need to be on thyroid replacement medication.

Autoimmune Conditions can occur other places in the body, not just the thyroid. Autoimmune conditions are a result of the immune system attacking the body’s own organs, tissues and cells.

Affects 23.5 million U.S. citizens
Leading cause of death & disability
More than 80 diseases are associated with autoimmune conditions
Most common: Hashimoto’s, Lupus, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis, Type 1 Diabetes, Grave’s Disease, Celiac disease
Inflammatory bowel disease is chronic inflammation of the GI tract. Prolonged inflammation results in damage to the GI tract. Two types of IBD: Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Crohn’s disease can affect all parts of the GI tract—mouth to anus. Inflammation may include multiple layers of the walls of the GI tract. Ulcerative colitis affects the large intestine and rectum. Damage is usually patchy. Inflammation is usually present in the innermost layer of the lining of the colon.

Chronic inflammation from leaky gut can also cause seasonal allergy symptoms to be out of control!

Six STEPS to a Healthy Gut & Balanced Immune System:

Eat a clean, well-balanced diet

Eat earth made foods. Earth made foods don’t need labels! Try to eat a rainbow of colors in regards to produce to get all your nutrients—each color has different minerals, vitamins etc.
Stay away from processed foods such as soda and box foods that can cause inflammation. If you are reading ingredients labels and see a big, long word that you have no idea how to pronounce or what it is, your body likely has no idea what it is either, so your immune system mounts a response causing inflammation!
Buy organic foods. If the budget does not allow for all organic foods, buy all the produce that are listed under the Dirty Dozen organic. The Environmental Working Group has a list of produce with the highest pesticide/herbicide contents: www.EWG.org (strawberries, spinach, kale, nectarines, apples, grapes, peaches, cherries, pears, tomatoes, celery, potatoes, and hot peppers).

2. Stay well-hydrated with water

Most of your body is made up of water and needs water to work effectively and also flush out toxins.
In general, drinking 1/2 your weight in ounces per day is enough. For example, a 150 lb person needs ~75 oz of water daily. You may need more water if you are out in the sun or exercising vigorously!
Also something to consider is how your water rate? What is your water source? How clean is your water? Have you considered filtered water?

3. Rest

Are you getting quality sleep at night?
How many hours of sleep do you get at night?
Do you wake up well rested?
Sticking to a schedule can be very helpful: going to bed and getting up at the same time everyday.

4. Self care

Are you taking time daily for yourself?
Are you taking time to rest and let your body reset?
Are you taking time for movement or exercise?
Self care looks different for everyone. Self care is a way for you to relax and do something you enjoy!

5. De-Stress

This is a part of self care. You need to find ways to stay calm and relaxed.
Chronic stress all by itself causes inflammation!
If you have trouble taking time for yourself here are some tips: put self care on your daily schedule—even if it is for 2-5 minutes to start out. Have an accountability partner to make sure you are not ignoring your scheduled self care!

6. Supplements

Multivitamin: basic minerals and vitamins that your entire body needs to function daily.
Omega 3’s: anti-inflammatory for your gut and whole body. Your body needs omega 3’s to make cell membranes, make hormones and fuel your brain.
Probiotics: improve gut health—digestion, absorption and microbiome. Also helps to improve immune health.

Having gut issues or an out of whack immune system? Need a partner in your health journey? Schedule a FREE 15 minute strategy call with New Beginnings. Email Staff@NewBeginningsFMC.com or call 970-305-0101 to schedule.

References:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2515351/

5 Natural Ways to Get Relief from Seasonal Allergies...

Thu, 16 Apr 2020 20:43:41 GMT

Are Your Seasonal Allergies Making You Miserable?

Seasonal allergies occur when your immune system reacts to something that is usually harmless such as pollens from plants.
Symptoms may include sneezing, coughing, runny nose or stuffy nose, itchy eyes, nose, mouth or throat.
You are not alone in your battle with seasonal allergies! In 2018, 19.2 million adults and 5.2 million children in the U.S. were diagnosed with seasonal allergies.

5 Natural Ways to Get Relief from Your Allergies:

1. Limit or avoid exposure.

Pollen Count . If you are aware of your particular allergies, you can look up the pollen count in your area: https://www.pollen.com/forecast/current/pollen . When the pollen count is high, stay inside (if possible), keep windows & doors closed.
HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter in your bedroom and main living area or a whole house filter can be helpful. HEPA filters work by removing particles from the air by forcing it through screens with microscopic pores.
Indoor house plants to purify the air: Gerber daisy, snake plant, English Ivy, Areca palm, peace lily, spider plant & dragon plant.

Clear Your Nasal Passages.

Nasal irrigation with warm saline, distilled or boiled water and sea salt (don’t use regular table salt—it is processed) twice a day can also be helpful to remove the pollens from your nasal mucosa or the lining of your nasal passages. You can either use a nasal irrigation bottle or a Neti Pot. I would recommend watching the video first, before trying. If you have never done this before, it is a little awkward and feels really weird the first time. Here is an instructional video on how to perform nasal irrigation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgsRmkBxWCc
Sinus spray such as ION Sinus (formally known as Restore) rinses off the dust and pollen from your nasal passages. ION Sinus originates from naturally derived ancient minerals from soil, so there are no additives or chemicals.

Natural Supplements & Botanicals.

Stinging Nettle : recommended in freeze-dried capsule form. Used to treat symptomatic symptoms, not a prevention for seasonal allergies. Recommended dosage is 1-2 capsules every 2-4 hours as needed.
Butterbur : 4-5 doses daily is recommended.
Bioflavonoids such as quercetin and rutin (compounds found in lots of vegetables & fruits—which give them their bright colors). Recommended dosage is every 4-6 hours.

De-stress.

Schedule time for daily rest . Going for a walk outside, praying/meditation, working out, reading a book, taking a bath are just a few examples.
Sleep. Are you getting restful sleep? Sticking to a schedule—going to bed and getting up at the same time is important. Are you getting good quality sleep?

Don’t Neglect Your Gut Health.

��

Eat earth made foods

Hydrate

Eat organic

https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/dirty-dozen.php

Do you need help getting your seasonal allergies tamed down or improving gut health? Schedule a FREE 15 minute Strategy Call to learn more about your symptoms and how functional medicine could benefit you in your journey to optimal health. Call 970-305-0101 or email at Staff@NewBeginningsFMC.com .

*Please consult your doctor before taking any supplements to see if certain supplements are right for you.

References:

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/allergies.htm

https://medshadow.org/indoor-allergies-plants-might-be-the-answer-harmful-pollutants-and-allergens/

https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/dirty-dozen.php

Weil, Andrew, Mind Over Meds. 1st ed. New York: Little, Brown and Company; 2018. 67-68 pgs.

5 Simple Ways to Boost Your Immune System

Mon, 16 Mar 2020 16:50:06 GMT

1. Gut Health. Healthy Gut = Healthy Immune System. Did you know that most of your immune system is in your gut? The gut plays an important role in immune system balance; otherwise known as homeostasis. Why would most of your immune system be located in your gut? Well, the gut is in contact with lots of things daily from the outside world, such as bacteria, fungi, parasites, virus and toxins. When the body is functioning correctly, the immune system monitors and protects the rest of the body from exposure to harmful things.

What we put in our gut matters! Food can be the body’s best medicine or worst nightmare! Earth made foods are great medicine for your body. Man made processed foods are not! Do you look at food labels and wonder about the big, long words that you can’t pronounce? In general, if you can’t pronounce the word or have no idea what this ingredient is, chances are your body has no idea what to do with it. Your immune system does not recognize this and it causes inflammation (your body mounts a response because it sees this ingredient as foreign and does not think it is safe).

2. Stay Hydrated . Most of us have been told over and over how important it is to stay hydrated with water. Up to 60% of the body is made up of water. In order to survive, the human body needs water. Water is essential for all parts of the body to function. Water delivers oxygen to all parts of our bodies and helps remove waste & toxins from the body.

If you are not drinking enough clean water, your immune system is going to have a difficult time working properly. I recommend drinking filtered water. You can also look at the reports of your city’s water to see how it rates. If you are drinking well water, I recommend that you test your well water annually.

How much should you drink? The general consensus for drinking water is half your body weight in ounces per day. For example a 150 lb person should drink ~75 oz of water per day. If you have been working hard out in the sun or exercised, you may need more. If you are unsure how much water is right for you, ask your doctor.

3. Rest . Are you getting enough quality sleep at night? Sleep is so important in keeping your immune system working properly and helping your immune system stay in balance. Studies have shown that if you are not getting enough sleep at night, it creates inflammation & causes your immune system to be overreactive.

How can you get enough sleep at night? Here are some sleep hygiene tips:

Be consistent (go to bed at the same time & get up at the same time—even on days off),
Sleep in a bedroom that is quiet, dark & relaxing.
Don’t use electronic devices a few hours before bed.
Don’t have electronic devices in the bedroom.
Turn off wifi while sleeping (you can buy a timer—so you don’t have to remember to unplug & plug in).
Exercise/Movement is great, but don’t do it close to bedtime!
Avoid meals a few hours before bed.
Avoid caffeine & alcohol before bed.
Breathing such as 4-7-8 breathing, prayer and meditation can help to get your body into a relaxed state and ready for sleep!

4. Movement . When regular movement/exercise is combined with healthy eating this has a positive impact on creating a diverse range of good (beneficial) bacteria (your microbiome) in your gut, which in turn helps you have a healthy, balanced immune system (remember, most of your immune system is in your gut). You should participate in movement that you enjoy and have fun with. If you are exercising and it is not enjoyable or fun—it could be causing you stress! Movement/exercise comes in may different shapes and sizes! Exercising regularly throughout the week is important. Studies show that regular routine exercising builds a healthy immune system. Irregular or infrequent exercise/movement have shown not to be beneficial. What movement/exercise makes you happy?

5. Coping with Stress. Stressed? Fearful? Overwhelmed? Stress, unfortunately is a part of life. How do you handle it? If you constantly feel stressed this affects your immune system in a negative way. Constant, chronic stress can decrease your immune system function and put you at a higher risk of getting sick. Constant stress can also affect your mood and puts you at risk for depression and/or anxiety.

How can you feel less stressed?

Meditation/Breathing/Prayer. A great way to start is 4-7-8 breathing. There are also apps available to help guide you in meditation/prayer.
Movement/Exercise. Do movement you enjoy! If you are exercising just to exercise and it is not fun for you, you maybe causing yourself more stress!
Counseling. Counselors can help navigate the stress you’re facing and offer ways to help, so you feel less stressed. Finding the right counselor that you feel comfortable with and can offer you advice and tools to heal & navigate this world can be a necessity!
Self care can come in may shapes & sizes depending on you & what puts you in your happy, relaxed place! Enjoying the outdoors, getting a massage, sauna treatments, reading an entertaining book, participating in an exercise class or going out with friends to name a few…

Don’t Worry, Be Happy!

Sluggish? Stressed? Not Sleeping well? Do you need help boosting your immune system and living a healthier, happier life? Schedule a FREE 15 minute Strategy Call with New Beginnings . Call 970-305-0101 or email Staff@NewBeginningsFMC.com

References:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2515351/

https://www.usgs.gov/special-topic/water-science-school/science/water-you-water-and-human-body?qt-science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3256323/

https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/sleep_hygiene.html

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/exercise-healthy-diet-can-give-your-immune-system-a-boost/

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-happens-when-your-immune-system-gets-stressed-out/

The Hormone Symphony...

Sat, 15 Feb 2020 16:43:28 GMT

Is Hormonal Imbalance a Cause of Your Symptoms?

Did you know that your adrenal health affects your thyroid health and sex hormones?

First of all, hormones are the body’s chemical messengers that travel through the blood stream to tissues and organs. Hormones affect may different processes in the body: metabolism, sexual function, mood, reproduction, growth & development.

Hormones are produced by the endocrine glands. Adrenals, thyroid, testes and ovaries are some of the endocrine glands.

Only a small amount of hormones are needed to cause a big change in your cells and your entire body! This is why it is so important to have all your hormones in balance. Too little or too much of a hormone can be very troublesome!

Let’s talk about the Adrenals…

These small triangle shaped glands are located on top of both kidneys. They are composed of two parts: cortex & medulla. The adrenals produce certain hormones that are important to help with regulation in the body’s metabolism, sleep/wake cycle, stress response and so much more!

Cortisol is one important hormone produced by the adrenals. Cortisol helps control the sleep/wake cycle and the body’s use of carbs, fats & protein. It also regulates blood pressure, increases blood sugar and can decrease bone formation. In individuals with healthy adrenals, cortisol is highest when the body wakes up and lowest at bedtime. Cortisol is also released during times of stress to help increase energy and handle emergency situations. For instance, if you are hiking in the woods and come across an angry bear, your cortisol should increase causing you to have more energy to get the heck out of dodge!

In this stressful world, most people are in constant stress mode causing the adrenals to work overtime. When individuals are constantly stressed, it wears down their adrenals and can cause adrenal dysfunction. It is important to let our bodies relax, rest and take a break!

DHEA is another important hormone produced by the adrenals. The ovaries and testes also produce a small amount. DHEA is the highest circulating steroid present in the body. On its own, DHEA is not biologically active. It can be converted into active hormones such as testosterone and estradiol. DHEA is an important source of estrogen for postmenopausal females. Production of DHEA increases from age 10, peaks during the 20s and slows down as the body ages. Studies show that low DHEA in males causes a decreased life span. Studies in females with low DHEA shows a low sex drive and osteoporosis.

How Do You Support Adrenal Health?

Self care! Eating a healthy, clean diet! Relaxing, resting and taking time for movement.
Eating foods with supportive nutrients:

B vitamins (co-factors for hormone production): B5, B6, Biotin & Folate: Proteins (fish, poultry, eggs, dairy products), leafy green veggies (spinach), beans & peas
Vitamin C: Broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, leafy greens, sweet potatoes, citrus fruits, berries
Magnesium: Almonds, spinach, cashews, peanuts, soy, black beans, avocados
Omega 3 fatty acids: Cold water fish (salmon, mackerel, tuna, herring, sardines), flaxseed, chia seed, walnuts
Zinc: Oysters, beef, crab & pork

What are some symptoms of Adrenal Dysfunction or Imbalance? Depending on whether the cortisol is too high or too low, individuals will experience different symptoms:

Low or high blood pressure
Difficultly falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up
Trouble controlling blood sugar, either too low or too high
Fatigue
Feeling wired
Irritable

Let’s move onto the Thyroid…

The thyroid is a small butterfly-shaped gland located at the base of the neck. It maybe small, but it is vital to the body’s overall health and plays a huge role in how the body functions! The thyroid influences the function of the sex hormones, heart, brain, liver, kidneys, skin and gut to name a few…

How does the thyroid influence an individual’s cells, organs & body? It makes thyroid hormones. In order to make thyroid hormones, the thyroid needs nutrients. The thyroid mostly produces a hormone called T4 (thyroxine) and a small amount of T3 (triiodothyronine) that is made up of iodine and tyrosine (amino acid). T4 contains four iodine atoms and T3 contains three iodine atoms. The body mostly recognizes T3. So T4 needs to be converted to T3—which this conversion happens outside of the thyroid.

Some factors that can inhibit hormone production: stress, infection, trauma, radiation, medications, fluoride (antagonist to iodine), toxins (pesticides, mercury, cadmium & lead), and autoimmune disease.

How Does Adrenal Health Affect Thyroid Health?

Cortisol slows thyroid hormone production—too much stress, can cause too much cortisol release, leading to less thyroid hormones.
Prolonged elevation in cortisol can cause excessive estrogen, which can make the thyroid hormones the body has inactive (the thyroid hormones stay bound to thyroid-binding globulin, so the thyroid hormones are not free to bind to the cells in the body to activate the body’s cells)
Chronic stress causes inflammation, which can make the body’s immune system overactive & trigger autoimmune responses. An example of this is when the body’s immune system over reacts and starts making antibodies towards the thyroid gland.

How to Support Thyroid Health…

Support Adrenal Health!
Decrease exposures to toxins
Have a daily detox routine
Get rid of inflammation!
Make Gut Health a priority
Regular, enjoyable movement (this is also important for adrenal health)

Supportive Nutrients for Thyroid Health:

Iron: Oysters, white beans, dark chocolate, beef liver, spinach
Iodine: Seaweed, fish (cod or tuna), seafood

Iodine is very controversial to recommend, especially in hypothyroid patients. Here is my opinion on iodine: Iodine is essential to synthesize thyroid hormones. If you remember above, there are four iodine atoms in T4 and 3 iodine atoms in T3. Your body needs iodine in order to make thyroid hormones. Now everything needs to be in balance. So too much iodine or too little is a problem. I recommend, if you are going to supplement with iodine, check your iodine level first to see where you are at. The recommended standard for checking an iodine level is a 24 hour urine test—this can be a little difficult to accomplish for some individuals. If not able to obtain a 24 hour urine iodine level, check a one time urine test or perform a blood test.

Tyrosine: Eggs, fish, meats & beans
Zinc: Oysters, beef, crab
Selenium: Brazil nuts, fish (halibut, sardines, tuna), beef, turkey, chicken, rice, eggs
Vitamin A: Liver, fish oils, sweet potato with skins, spinach, carrots, broccoli
Vitamin D: The best source of Vitamin D is the sun! Foods containing vitamin D: cod liver oil, swordfish, salmon

Recommend every individual check their vitamin D level yearly. If vitamin D levels are too low or too high, an individual may need to check vitamin D levels more often. Most individuals need to supplement with vitamin D. If you live in a place that is colder during the winter and you are not spending much time outside or are covered up—individuals may need more vitamin D supplementation during the winter months. The only way to know is to check lab work!

Vitamin C: As mentioned above—broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, leafy greens, sweet potatoes, citrus fruits, berries
Vitamin E: Wheat germ oil, sunflower seeds, almonds, peanuts, beet greens, spinach, pumpkin, mango, avocado
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin): Clams, salmon, chicken breast, beef liver
Vitamin B3 (Niacin): Beef liver, chicken breast, salmon
Vitamin B6: Chickpeas, beef liver, chicken breast, salmon

Supportive Nutrients for Hypothyroid (low thyroid) individuals:

Selenium 200-400 mcg daily
Zinc 15-30 mg daily
Vitamin D 2000 IU daily (Maybe more depending on the individual’s blood work)
Vitamin A 2000 IU daily
Iodine 150 mcg daily (Always important to evaluate baseline iodine level)
Iron 15-20 mg daily for menstruating females (Important to evaluate iron level with blood work)
It is important to talk with your doctor to see what supplements are right for you!

Symptoms of Thyroid Imbalance… There are so many symptoms that are tied to thyroid imbalance since thyroid health plays so many important roles for our overall wellbeing! Here are a few of the most common symptoms:

Fatigue
Constipation
Joint pain
Depression
Anxiety
Changes in skin
Brain fog

What about Sex Hormones?

Sex hormone production is controlled by the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Gonadal (HPG) axis. The hypothalamus signals the pituitary and then the pituitary signals the testes and ovaries to produce sex hormones.

Let’s focus on Testosterone, Estrogens & Progesterone:

Testosterone: Can be produced by testes, adrenals & ovaries. Important for expression & maintenance of male sexual characteristics; sex drive in both males & females; metabolism & muscle mass. Testosterone can be sent down a different pathway to form estrogens.

Estrogen: Produced in the ovaries. Conversion of androgens (such as testosterone) to estrogen can occur in fat cells, bone & testes. Estrogen is important for development & maintenance of female sexual characteristics; energy balance, metabolism and prevents bone loss.

Progesterone: Produced in ovaries & adrenals. Has several important roles in the female reproductive cycle.

Thyroid & Sex Hormones…

The thyroid and sex hormones are always in communication. Both the thyroid and sex hormones are influenced by each other. So, if one system is dysfunctional, it will cause the other system to be dysfunctional.

Estradiol (estrogen): lowers the effectiveness of the thyroid hormone in the body (keeps the thyroid hormones in an inactive state)
Testosterone increases the effectiveness of thyroid hormone in the body to keep it readily available for use—this is one reason why testosterone is important for metabolism.

Adrenals & Sex Hormones…

Cortisol (which is produced by the adrenals) blocks the production of estrogen & testosterone. Cortisol also blocks the estrogen and testosterone that is already in circulation from binding to an individual’s cells. So, if an individual is constantly stressed and producing lots of cortisol, then the individual’s body is not able to make sex hormones or use the sex hormones it previously made!

Symptoms of Imbalanced Hormones…

Estrogen Dominant Symptoms: breast tenderness, fibrocystic changes, heavy periods, fat distribution in hips or thighs, anxiety, fibroids, endometriosis or symptoms suggestive of endometriosis and painful periods.

Lack of progesterone or imbalance between estrogen & progesterone: oral contraceptive use, anxiety, PCOs (polycystic ovarian syndrome), anxiety, hormone replacement of estrogen only, spotting before & after periods.

Testosterone Imbalance: acne, anger or aggressiveness, change in sex drive, hair growth or hair loss, and loss of muscle mass.

Helpful Foods for Hormone Balance:

Protein
Healthy fats
Vegetables & fruit. Rainbow of colors daily with goal of 10-13 (1/2 is one serving) servings per day. Heavy on the vegetables!
Organic, non-processed foods (certain herbicides & pesticides studied have shown to be endocrine disruptors & also cause inflammation)
Filtered water (especially if you have thyroid issues obtain filter that also filters out fluoride in drinking, cooking and bathing water)
Stay away from foods that cause you inflammation!

Foods that are NOT helpful for Hormone Balance:

Pesticide/herbicide ridden food
Inflammatory foods with lots of chemicals, additives & dyes
Soda
Caffeine
Alcohol

The Hormone Symphony: It becomes a master piece when all the different players (hormones, endocrine system, body) work together and have the right balance—not too much or not too little of anything!

If anything is out of balance, it can negatively affect the rest of the body, since the body works together as a whole, not separately!

In summary, to have a hormone symphony, instead of a hormone disaster, it is essential to have the proper nutrients, a healthy gut, a liver that is happy & at full speed on detoxing. It is also important to have a happy and balanced immune system with well functioning adrenals, thyroid and sex hormones that are working together.

Do you have symptoms of hormone imbalance and feel like your body needs help getting to optimal health? At New Beginnings Functional Medicine Clinic , Dr. Shannon Evans, DO, IFMCP is passionate about empowering, educating and partnering with patients to get to their optimal health! Call 970-305-0101 or email Staff@NewBeginningsFMC.com to schedule a complimentary 15 minute consult with Sara to see how Functional Medicine can get you to your optimal health!

References:

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamin-e/

https://medlineplus.gov/hormones.html

https: ods.od.nih.gov/factsheet/Iron-HealthProfessional/

https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-1037/tyrosine

https://www.pathophys.org/sexhormones/

https://ods.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminA-HealthProfessional/

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Riboflavin-HealthProfessional/

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/adrenal-glands

https://www.hormone.org/your-health-and-hormones/glands-and-hormones-a-to-z/hormones/dehydroepiandrosterone-dhea

https://medlineplus.gov/bvitamins.html

https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002404.htm

ifm.org

https://ods.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Omega3FattyAcids-Consumer/

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Zinc-HealthProfessional/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5120618/

Https://www.endocrinologyadvisor.com/home/decision-support-in-medicine/endocrinology-metabolism/effe...

Holiday Treats

Sat, 21 Dec 2019 20:37:02 GMT

Celebrate the Holidays with Yummy, Healthier Desserts, Appetizers & Drinks!

During the Holiday season it can be difficult to eat healthy, with all the sugary processed food that seems to be lurking around everywhere! Are you having trouble finding healthy foods or making good decisions on the foods you are putting in your mouth this time of year? Here are some ideas for healthier desserts, appetizers/side dishes and alcoholic beverages:

Desserts:

Sugar cookies are always a hit at Christmas time. Yes, there is actually a healthier version of sugar cookies with frosting: https://detoxinista.com/almond-flour-frosted-sugar-cookies/?fbclid=IwAR3PI-hPaMDfrNiQNhrJLLkAJftmBs_Lmw3RG22FEAB9YF0EPd84jmtsqJU#wprm-recipe-container-23194

When I was a child, I always looked forward to no bake cookies this time of year. Here are some recipes for some delicious, easy to make no-bake cookies:

https://minimalistbaker.com/coconut-no-bake-cookies/

https://www.eatingbirdfood.com/healthy-no-bake-cookies/#tasty-recipes-33453

https://www.eatingbirdfood.com/protein-cookie-dough-bites/#tasty-recipes-45784

The holidays are never complete without magic cookie bars:

https://www.eatingbirdfood.com/healthier-magic-cookie-bars-vegan-grain-free/#tasty-recipes-33569

For those of you that are less into cookies and more into pies:

https://prettypies.com/cheat-free-chocolate-pie/

Appetizers/Side Dishes:

Lots of social gatherings are happening this time of year. You can bring a dish that will be healthy, tasty and others will enjoy:

https://www.eatingbirdfood.com/buffalo-cauliflower-wings/#tasty-recipes-34348

https://minimalistbaker.com/miso-glazed-roasted-brussels-sprouts/

https://minimalistbaker.com/smoky-grilled-eggplant/

Want to bring a veggie tray? Here are some dip ideas to add a yummy kick to dip the veggies in:

https://www.eatingbirdfood.com/almond-pesto-dip/#tasty-recipes-38189

https://minimalistbaker.com/easy-vegan-ranch-dressing-oil-free/

https://minimalistbaker.com/spicy-vegan-pimento-cheese-ball/

Need something else besides veggies for the dip?

https://minimalistbaker.com/fluffy-curried-socca-chickpea-bread/

Alcoholic Beverages:

If you want to enjoy an alcohol beverage, consider using tequila, gin or gluten-free vodka:

https://drhyman.com/blog/2017/05/02/social-gatherings-drinks/ .

It is also the time of year for eggnog: https://minimalistbaker.com/easy-vegan-eggnog/ . Try substituting gluten-free vodka.

Wishing you & your family many blessings!

New Beginnings Functional Medicine Clinic is passionate about getting you & your loved ones to optimal health! If you are concerned about you or your loved ones health, contact New Beginnings via email at Staff@NewBeginningsFMC.com or call 970-305-0101 .

Gift of Health

Fri, 13 Dec 2019 18:07:13 GMT

We are in the holiday season where everyone is focused on getting gifts for their loved ones and friends. Have you thought about what gifts would be a blessing for you? What about the gift of health? Would you like to be healthier or prevent chronic disease? My goal is for everyone to have the education and tools to get to optimal health! Here are some suggestions as a gift you can give yourself or share with loved ones:

Food as Medicine . Eating non-processed, earth made foods is so important for our bodies to work properly. Are you wondering about some ways you can make this happen without stressing yourself or loved ones out? Start slow and make it simple—this makes it easier to stick with over time. I would recommend trying one of these suggestion…

Increase your vegetable intake and work on eating a rainbow of colors.

If you are drinking soda—wean off. Soda is highly processed and contains chemicals that have been show to affect our health negatively—causing inflammation and cancer in some cases.

Try decreasing your trips to fast food restaurants. If you eat at a fast food restaurant once a week, try eating at a fast food restaurant every two weeks. If you do want a fast meal, try eating out at a healthier restaurant. Most big chain restaurants/fast food places have a list of ingredients that tells you what is in their food located on their website. You would be surprised to see what preservatives and additives are added to their foods.

Hydrating with Water . Are you slacking on how much water you are drinking daily? In general, most of us need 1/2 our weight in ounces per day of water. For example if someone weighs 150 lbs, then they need ~75 ounces of water daily. Water is important for your body to function properly. It is a vital nutrient to the life of every cell in our bodies. Up to 60% of our bodies are water. Not drinking enough water can be detrimental to your health.

Is your water filtered? Buying a good water filter can make your water tastier and also take out unwanted contaminates that can affect your health.

Drinking more water during the day will give you more energy, help you have regular bowel movements & get rid of toxins.

Self Care . Self care looks different for everyone. The goal of self care is finding hobbies or activities you enjoy doing, that allow your body to relax, rest and reset.

Self care can be reading a book that is entertaining, listening to music, praying & meditating, exercising, or enjoying nature to name a few things.

Yes, everyone needs to do self care regularly! If you are not rested and taking care of yourself; you will not be in a place where you can take care of anyone else!

Self care needs to be scheduled into your week! Many of us think that self care happens when we have time and then self care never happens!! Self care needs to be scheduled throughout your week—it is not something that can be put to the side! It needs to happen regularly and frequently!!!

Movement . It is very important to do something you enjoy to get your body moving! Nature supplies us with a great, vast array of ways to practice movement. Some people enjoy going to the gym or participating in a group class. There are so many benefits to movement.

Improve your mood & mental health with movement. Improving your mood will help you feel less stressed.

Improve your sleep with movement. Studies show that regular movement helps you fall asleep easier and stay asleep longer.

Movement helps keep our brains healthy with better concentration, makes it easier to learn & comprehend, while also improving our judgement.

Health Screenings . It is important for everyone to schedule a health screening to evaluate your history, genetics and your interaction with your environment. Based on your health journey, this determines what screening labs are recommended for you. For most individuals, it is important to obtain basic labs once a year to determine overall health. New Beginnings Functional Medicine Clinic offers preventative health consults for optimal health. Functional lab screenings can be performed for further evaluation. Here are some of the functional lab screenings performed:

Comprehensive Cholesterol Panels. In order to identify any issues, a complete cholesterol panel (Is your LDL small & sticky?), markers for heart disease, inflammatory markers, insulin and sugar levels are helpful. For more info about cholesterol: https://www.newbeginningsfmc.com/heart-disease-risks-original-post-2-5-19

Thyroid optimal? Most individuals have only have a TSH obtained with blood work. If you are having signs and symptoms of a low thyroid—it would be beneficial to obtain a thyroid panel that shows more data about how your thyroid is working and if you have thyroid antibodies.

Are you lacking in minerals or vitamins? Lab testing can be performed to check for nutritional deficiencies also.

Signs of inflammation? Inflammatory markers with blood work can be obtained. Also identifying if gut issues or food sensitivities are an issue.

Are you wondering how you can achieve better health and don’t know where to start, Dr. Shannon offers a FREE 15 minute consult. If you have a loved one that you feel would benefit from the gift of health, feel free to share this information with them. You can contact Dr. Shannon at New Beginnings by emailing or calling: drshannon@newbeginningsfmc.com or 970.305.0101 .

References:

https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/drinking/nutrition/index.html

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/water/art-20044256

https://www.usgs.gov/special-topic/water-science-school/science/water-you-water-and-human-body?qt-science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects

https://medlineplus.gov/benefitsofexercise.html

Enjoying Thanksgiving Dinner

Thu, 21 Nov 2019 17:10:58 GMT

Did you know you can still have an enjoyable Thanksgiving meal that is delicious, clean and your body won’t go into freak out mode with what you just ate?

I wanted to share some of my favorite things for Thanksgiving dinner that makes me feel satisfied, happy, spoiled and my body doesn’t hate me later…

Turkey & Turkey Gravy

Yes, I like to enjoy turkey along with everyone else. There is also turkey gravy that can be made gluten & dairy free: https://theprettybee.com/easy-gluten-free-gravy/#wprm-recipe-container-18643 . I like to substitute almond flour for corn starch.

Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are a great alternative to white potatoes. Sweet potatoes can be made in many delicious ways including mashed, baked, twice baked, cubed & roasted: https://amindfullmom.com/mashed-sweet-potatoes/ . Here is another recipe idea for sweet potatoes: https://www.health.com/recipes/quinoa-stuffed-sweet-potatoes

Mashed Cauliflower

Another alternative to potatoes is mashed cauliflower: https://minimalistbaker.com/vegan-garlic-mashed-cauliflower/

Brussel Sprouts

As a child, I remember having a hate relationship with Brussel sprouts, so I was afraid to try them as an adult. I am so glad that as an adult, I tried them again because Brussel sprouts are one of my favorite sides! I like roasted Brussel sprouts the best: https://amindfullmom.com/oven-roasted-brussels-sprouts/

Green Bean Casserole

For those of you that love green bean casseroles, there are healthy, deliciously options: https://minimalistbaker.com/vegan-green-bean-casserole/ . I recommend using almond flour as an all-purpose flour substitute.

Stuffing

Are you crazy about stuffing? If you are unable to have gluten, here is a gluten free option: https://www.foodfaithfitness.com/harvest-dairy-free-simple-vegan-stuffing-recipe/

Cranberry Sauce

For some people, Thanksgiving dinner is not complete without cranberry sauce. Cranberry sauce can be just as tasty without the refined sugars… https://cookieandkate.com/naturally-sweetened-cranberry-sauce-recipe/

Pumpkin Desserts

What about dessert? If the cranberry sauce does not satisfy your sweet tooth, a pumpkin dessert might. I love any type of pumpkin dessert. I am also a big fan of chocolate. What if the two were combined? Here is a clean, fabulous dessert with pumpkin & chocolate: http://sweetlyraw.com/pumpkin-chocolate-swirl-cheesecake/ .

Here are some other recipe ideas for pumpkin desserts:

https://wholenewmom.com/recipes/pumpkin-snickerdoodles-with-gluten-dairy-egg-and-sugar-free-options/#wprm-recipe-container-57143

Pumpkin pie recipe: https://meaningfuleats.com/gluten-free-pumpkin-pie-dairy-free/#wprm-recipe-container-12705

I am always grateful when I eat clean for Thanksgiving dinner so I am not suffering afterwards and can enjoy the company of my family.

What are your favorite foods or dishes for Thanksgiving Dinner?

Do you have health concerns and don’t know where to start? Schedule a FREE 15 minute consult with New Beginnings Functional Medicine Clinic @ 970-305-0101 or email Staff@NewBeginningsFMC.com.

Is Low Thyroid Affecting Your Health?

Fri, 18 Oct 2019 03:29:58 GMT

Common symptoms experienced from an underactive or low thyroid are:

Weight gain or difficulty losing weight
Fatigue
Constipation
Brain fog
Mood swings, depression and/or anxiety
Infertility
Joint pain
Feeling cold constantly
Hair loss
Dry skin

Why can a low thyroid cause so many problems?

The Thyroid gland is:

Part of the endocrine system that plays a huge role in how our bodies function from heart rate to metabolism by producing hormones that can interact with every cell in our bodies.
Like a car engine—it sets the pace at which our bodies operate.
Vital to our bodies overall wellbeing.

Where is the thyroid located?

It is a small, butterfly shaped gland that is located at the base of the neck. It is small, yet powerful!

Underactive or low thyroid is also called hypothyroidism:

Hypothyroidism is defined as the thyroid gland not making enough thyroid hormone to keep the body working normally.

One of the most common causes of hypothyroidism is Hashimoto’s. Hashimoto’s is an autoimmune disease that affects more women than men. The immune system makes antibodies that attack the thyroid gland—which damages the thyroid & if left untreated can lead to a decrease in thyroid hormones.

Other causes are surgical removal of the thyroid gland, radiation treatment, medicines, too much or too little iodine.

Other factors that can negatively influence our thyroid:

Inflammation
Stress
Infection
Toxins
Autoimmune disease
Vitamin/mineral deficiencies

How do you find out if low thyroid or an underactive thyroid is affecting your health?

First step would be checking a thyroid panel with blood work: TSH, free T4, free T3, reverse T3 and thyroid antibodies.
Most people only get their TSH checked with lab work, which does not tell your whole story about how your thyroid is working.

Knowing that your thyroid is under active is only the first step. Figuring out with your doctor what the root cause of your low thyroid is and addressing the root cause is MOST important!

Concerned about hypothyroidism or already have a diagnosis of hypothyroidism and continue to have symptoms? Schedule a FREE 15 minute consult with New Beginnings Functional Medicine Clinic @ 970-305-0101 or email Staff@NewBeginningsFMC.com .

References:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279388/

https://www.endocrineweb.com/conditions/thyroid/how-your-thyroid-works

https://www.thyroid.org/hypothyroidism/

Food Sensitivities

Tue, 03 Sep 2019 16:36:44 GMT

What are food sensitivities and how do they affect our health?

Food sensitivities are an abnormal response to food that is triggered by an IgG response from the immune system. It can take up to 72 hours to have a response and for symptoms to be present. This makes it difficult to figure out what food or foods are causing a delayed response—since a lot of different foods have already been ingested before experiencing symptoms.

What is the difference between food sensitivities and food allergies?

Food allergies are an acute or immediate reaction triggered by an IgE response from the immune system. It is usually much easier to tell when you have a food allergy due to the symptoms occurring quickly.

Some typical symptoms are hives, tongue swelling, throat swelling, trouble swallowing, difficulty breathing, itchy skin, wheezing or abdominal pain. If any of these symptoms occur after ingesting food, this is a medical emergency!

Is there a difference between food sensitivities and food intolerances?

Food intolerances are undesirable reactions to food that do not involve the immune system. An example is lactose intolerance. Lactose intolerance causes loose stools, gas & nausea.

What is the gut’s role in food sensitivities?

If the gut is not functioning properly and the lining of the gut becomes more permeable or leaky this creates conditions for food sensitivities to occur.

Leaky gut or intestinal hyperpermeability occurs when the physical barrier between the digestive tract and the blood stream is broken down—making it easy for intestinal contents to enter the blood stream. Breakdown of this barrier allows the immune system to see things it does not normally see such as big food particle. When this happens, the immune system reacts—which can lead to food sensitivities.

What are some causes of leaky gut?

NSAIDS—ibuprofen, Aleve, steroids
Viral, bacterial or protozoan infections
Gluten
Inflammation
Stress
Cytotoxic drugs
Glyphosate
Antibiotics
Standard American Diet

What are some symptoms of food sensitivities?

Gut issues: gas, bloating, pain, diarrhea or constipation
Migraines, other types of headaches, brain fog, depression or anxiety
Fatigue
Joint pain or stiffness
Recurrent infections such as sinusitis or ear infections
Chronic mucous or chronic stuffy nose
Rashes, hives or other skin changes

How do you figure out if you have food sensitivities?

An elimination diet can be helpful to find out food sensitivities. Also a food sensitivity test can also be helpful. I have found that for the best results—performing a food sensitivity test and then personalizing an elimination diet for patients works the best.

The goal of the elimination diet is to eat foods that don’t cause inflammation, are non-processed, preservative free with no added sugar. Most people do well with being on an elimination diet for 30 days and then slowly adding in food—one food at a time to see how the body responds.

There are several different types of food sensitivity tests on the market that your doctor can order. Food sensitivity tests measure IgG responses via your blood. I currently use KBMO Diagnostics, which checks 132 foods and additives and not only checks IgG responses, but also looks for immune complexes.

Food sensitivities play a role in symptoms and disease. If you are concerned about food sensitivities playing a role in your health and would like to know more schedule a FREE 15 minute consultation with New Beginnings. Email at Staff@NewBeginningsFMC.com or call 970-305-0101.

References:

Choosing the Best Supplements...

Thu, 01 Aug 2019 18:15:23 GMT

Supplements have been gaining popularity over the years in the quest to achieve optimal health. The use of dietary supplements among U.S. adults has increased 10 percent over the last decade. A 2018 survey concluded that 75% of U.S. adults are on a dietary supplement.

Supplements can be defined as vitamins, minerals, herbals, botanicals, amino acids, enzymes ect. Supplements can be helpful, but it is important to know all the facts before just diving in and starting on a supplement. I recommend discussing supplements with your doctor before starting one.

Some questions to ponder and ask your doctor:

How is this supplement going to help me?
What does the current research say about the benefits for this supplement?
Is lab work needed before before starting this supplement, and after starting this supplement, will a follow up lab be needed?
If I do take this supplement, how much do I need to take and for how long should I take it?
Are there any possible side effects or contraindications to taking this supplement?
What time of day works best to take this supplement and do I need to take the supplement with food or on an empty stomach?
Does the supplement interact with other supplements, medications or foods?
If surgery is needed, should this supplement be stopped?

How do you choose which brand to buy?

Safety:

The FDA regulations for supplements are different from over the counter medications or prescription medications. Medications must be approved by the FDA before being marketed or sold. Supplements do not require premarket approval by the FDA. Supplement companies are responsible for providing evidence that their products are safe and the label is not misleading. If the FDA finds that a supplement is unsafe—the FDA can enforce action to remove it or recall the supplement from the marketplace.

Where you buy your supplements is important. Amazon recently released information that a certain probiotic was probably counterfeit and not the real thing: https://www.wired.com/story/amazon-fake-supplements/?verso=true . Four top selling retail stores were also investigated and the investigation showed that the supplements did not contain any of the herbs listed and unlisted fillers were also present: https://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/news/20150203/retailers-fake-supplements . Know the company you are getting your supplements from—you are taking supplements to be healthier, not to cause yourself harm! Some reputable companies to buy supplements from are Xymogen, OrthoMolecular, Fullscript to name a few.

Quality:

Is the supplement GMP registered? GMP stands for Good Manufacturing Practices. GMP provides a system of processes, procedures & documentation to assure a supplement has the identity, quality, strength, and purity that is listed on the label.

There are also other independent organizations that offer quality testing and put a seal of approval on supplements that pass their tests such as: U.S. Pharmacopeia, Consumer Lab and NSF International

Where is the product manufactured? Is the product made in the U.S.A? Not all countries have regulations on supplements and they may actually contain toxic ingredients.

If you are not eating a healthy, clean diet; adding a supplement may not be that beneficial. Starting with the foundation of a healthy, clean diet and eating foods that do not cause inflammation is key.

“The food you eat can be either the safest & most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison.” Ann Wigmore

If you need help figuring out what diet is right for you or what supplement would be beneficial to you contact your doctor or schedule an appointment with Dr. Shannon Evans, DO, IFMCP @ New Beginnings Functional Medicine Clinic at 970-305-0101 or email @ DrShannon@NewBeginningsFMC.com

Resources:

https://www.webmd.com/diet/how-to-evaluate-vitamins-supplements#3

https://ods.od.nih.gov/HealthInformation/DS_WhatYouNeedToKnow.aspx

https://www.wired.com/story/amazon-fake-supplements/?verso=true

http://www.nsf.org/services/by-industry/nutritional-products/dietary-supplements-gmp-registration

https://www.statista.com/statistics/235801/retail-sales-of-vitamins-and-nutritional-supplements-in-the-us/

https://www.crnusa.org/CRNConsumerSurvey

Gut Health

Wed, 03 Jul 2019 18:11:06 GMT

Are digestive issues stopping you from achieving optimal health?

How important is gut health?

The gut is the primary gateway to how the external environment interacts with the rest of the body. The gut determines what gets in and what stays out.

The gut has a lot of tasks: such as breaking down food, killing pathogens, absorbing nutrients to supply the rest of the body, and making neurotransmitters (chemicals that make it possible to communicate with the nervous system).

Your gut also contains ~70% of your immune system (gut-associated lymphoid tissue) and plays an important role in regulating your immune system.

The gut also has a microbiome (collection of living organisms) that is important in regulating bowel movements, synthesizing certain vitamins, aiding in digestion, balancing mood, protecting against infections and so much more!

What are some symptoms if your gut is not functioning properly?

Nausea
Acid reflux
Abdominal bloating
Excessive gas
Constipation
Diarrhea
Foul-smelling stools
Undigested food in stools
Fatigue
Joint pain
Symptoms of environmental allergies
Rash
Acne
Headaches
Decreased mood or anxious

What are some reasons for digestive issues?

Low stomach acid . Most common symptoms are bloating and belching right after eating a meal. Gastric acid is important for killing potentially harmful pathogens and breaking down proteins.

Lack of digestive enzymes . Symptoms usually include gas, bloating, abdominal pain or diarrhea. Digestive enzymes are important in the digestive process to break down proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

Food allergies . Affects 6-8 percent of children under age 3 and up to 3% of adults. Usually a reaction happens quickly within minutes of ingesting a food allergy and triggers the immune systems IgE response. Symptoms can present as digestive problems, but symptoms can also present as hives, trouble swallowing or breathing—which is an emergency! Symptoms can be very severe and life threatening, so if someone is experiencing life threatening symptoms call 911 and/or go to the ER immediately!

Food sensitivities . These are a delayed IgG immune response and can take hours to days to cause symptoms, making it difficult to notice if a certain food is causing symptoms. An elimination diet and/or food sensitivity test can identify foods that are causing symptoms. Food sensitivities can cause all kinds of issues such as migraine headaches, gastrointestinal symptoms, rashes, fatigue or joint pain.

Medications . Chronic use of medications such as PPI’s, NSAIDS, antibiotics and steroids can affect the gut and how it functions. If you are taking PPI’s (proton pump inhibitors) for an extended period of time, they decrease stomach acid leading to trouble digesting proteins and killing potentially harmful pathogens. NSAIDs can cause small intestinal inflammation, lead to a leaky gut and have a negative affect on the gut microbiome. NSAIDs can also cause upper gastrointestinal ulcers.

Dysbiosis . When there is a loss of helpful microbes, more pathogenic microbes and loss of diversity of the gut microbiome dysbiosis occurs. This can cause inflammation and lead to the gut not functioning normally. Comprehensive stool testing can be helpful to determine if dysbiosis is contributing to a patients symptoms or conditions.

Heavy metals or other toxins . Heavy metal accumulation can occur in any part of the body. When heavy metals are present in the gut, it can cause poor digestion. Heavy metals are also commonly associated with dysbiosis. Studies such as urine and hair are obtained to evaluate for heavy metals or other toxins.

Poor diet . What you put into your gut affects your gut! If you are eating poor quality food that is causing inflammation rather than nourishing your body, it is going to cause poor gut health and affect your overall health!

Are you are having digestive issues and not able to get any answers about the cause of your gut issues? Take a FREE Health Assessement @ www.NewBeginningsFMC.com and then schedule a FREE 15 minute consultation with New Beginnings . Dr. Shannon is passionate about partnering with you to find the root cause of your symptoms or conditions!

References:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5772764/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK10957/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2515351/

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/food-allergy/symptoms-causes/syc-20355095

http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/linuspaulinginstitute/2015/08/14/microbiome-and-diet/

http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/microbiome/

https://www.ifm.org

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1727292/

http://agaperspectives.gastro.org/nsaids-and-the-gut-what-do-i-need-to-know-now/#.XRvG6S3MzRY

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4143175/

National Women's Health Month

Thu, 30 May 2019 00:58:24 GMT

Learn about Additional Steps to Optimal Wellness

May is National Women’s Health Month. In celebration, let’s talk about some steps you can take to optimize your health. Women know about the importance of self-care, sleep, staying hydrated, performing regular movement & eating healthy. Let’s dig deeper and discuss why it is important to know what is in your beauty products, hygiene products and sunscreen.

Beauty Products…

What you put on your skin matters! The skin is your largest organ and what is applied to your skin gets absorbed into the rest of your body. It is important to read the ingredients list of your facial products including soaps, moisturizer, anti-aging creams/serums, make up, and nail polish. In general, if the ingredient listed is a big long word that is hard to pronounce it is likely not safe to be applied to your skin. If you are unsure about a product, you can go to www.EWG.org and look it up. A good rule of thumb—Put on your skin what you are willing to eat!

Hygiene Products…

Shampoo, conditioner, body soap and toothpaste can also have chemicals and harmful ingredients.

Did you know that you also have to be careful what dental floss you are using? Certain dental flosses contain PFASs (per- and polyfluoroalkyl), which are chemicals used in lots of consumer products that are linked to kidney & testicular cancer, behavior changes, thyroid disease, ulcerative colitis, decreased semen quality in men, lowered sex & growth hormone in kids. You can also see how your dental floss rates on www.EWG.org .

Menstruating women…What type of tampons and/or pads are you using? Are you using organic products? Tampons and pads contain cotton and if you are not buying organic products, you are likely getting products that contain glyphosate. Especially, if you are using tampons, it is important to buy organic, due to vaginal absorption. This is why certain drugs are placed vaginally due to the effectiveness of absorption vaginally.

Skin Protection from the Sun…

First of all, the sun is a great way of getting your vitamin D! Based on the UV index and your skin type is what is recommended for how much sun you need daily without any sunscreen and/or other protection: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK321117/ .

If you are going to be out in the sun for an extended period of time or beyond what is recommended for the UV index and your skin type: Sunscreen is important to think about. Have you looked to see what ingredients are in the sunscreen you are using? As an example of one of the chemicals used in sunscreen is oxybenzone. Oxybenzone can be irritating to the skin, cause serious eye irritation or respiratory irritation. Oxybenzone also is toxic to aquatic life, which is why a lot of places by the ocean have banned using products with oxybenzone. If it is toxic to aquatic life, think about what other possible ways it could be harming us! If you need some sunscreen check out www.EWG.org to see what are some safe sunscreens to use for you and your family.

You can also protect yourself by seeking shade from 10 AM to 2 PM, wear a sun hat, hang out under an umbrella, and wear UV protective clothing.

Wishing all Women Optimal Wellness! If you are having trouble achieving optimal wellness, take our FREE Health Assessment at www.NewBeginningsFMC.com and then schedule a FREE 15 minute strategy call with Sara or Stephanie at 970-305-0101.

References:

https://www.aad.org/public/kids/skin

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41370-018-0109-y

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5484035/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15236978

https://www.ewg.org/sunscreen/report/the-trouble-with-sunscreen-chemicals/

https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Oxybenzone#section=Antidote-and-Emergency-Treatment

https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/news/sunscreen-corals.html

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK321117/

Say Goodbye to Chronic Stress

Sun, 28 Apr 2019 19:50:02 GMT

April is National Stress Awareness Month

What is Stress?

Stress is a normal reaction our bodies undergo when change occurs either emotionally, physically or mentally.

Stress is our bodies reaction to change that requires a response or adjustment either physically, emotionally or mentally. Everyone always thinks of stress as negative, but even positive changes in our lives cause stress such as getting married or receiving a promotion at work.

How Does Stress Affect Us?

Our bodies have mechanisms to handle stress. Stress can be positive by keeping us awake, aware & ready to avoid danger. Stress becomes a negative aspect in our lives, when our bodies are in constant, ongoing & “chronic” stress.

This ongoing, chronic stress state causes “wear & tear” on our bodies physically, emotionally and mentally. In essence, our bodies are not able to rest and recover.

With chronic or ongoing stress, this can lead to fatigue, headaches, stomach issues, elevated blood pressure, chest pain, problems sleeping, depression, anxiety, worry, heart disease, cancer and other chronic diseases. As you know, everyone is unique, so how one person responds to stress may be completely different than another person.

What are some Tips to Decreasing Stress?

- Taking care of yourself! It is so easy to say and sometimes so hard to do!

- Eating healthy, well balanced meals. What you put into your body is either medicine or poison.

- S taying well hydrated with water. In general, most people need 1/2 their body weight in ounces. For example, a 150 pound person needs ~75 ounces of water daily.

- Taking time to enjoy your hobbies or interests. Also, spend time with people you enjoy hanging out with.

- Exercising —although if your cortisol is low from adrenal fatigue—you need to be taking it easy and not be performing strenuous exercise. Please consult with your doctor to see what exercise is best for you.

- Rest —make sure you are getting enough quality sleep every night.

-If you are overwhelmed and don’t know how to decrease your stress, a life coach or counselor may be helpful.

If you have tried all of these tips and continue to have symptoms associated with stress, please schedule a FREE 15 minute Consult with New Beginnings Functional Medicine Clinic and see how Functional Medicine can benefit you! Contact New Beginnings Functional Medicine Clinic by email @ Staff@NewBeginningsFMC.com or call 970-305-0101 .

References:

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/11874-stress

Heart Disease Risks Original Post 2/5/19

Tue, 02 Apr 2019 22:20:53 GMT

Why is heart disease such a big deal?

Unfortunately, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US for both men & women. 1 in every 4 adult deaths is caused by heart disease. The good news is that it can mostly be prevented!

Most of you know the common risk factors for heart disease include: smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, genetics, being physically inactivity, unhealthy eating, being overweight and women who are in menopause—who’s estrogen has decreased (estrogen is cardio protective). What about the people who have died of a heart attack that were eating healthy, exercising and did not seem to have any of these risk factors? What about them? Why did they have a heart attack? Obviously, there is more to learn about what other risks there are to developing heart disease or having a heart attack.

Dental Health

Your dental health is important to your heart health. Several studies have correlated a relationship associated with periodontal disease and heart disease. The conclusion of several studies indicate that periodontal disease increases the risk for heart disease. Are you taking the time to brush and floss regularly? Are you going routinely to your dentist/hygienist? Are you staying away from tobacco? Are you eating a clean, unprocessed and healthy diet?

Comprehensive Cholesterol Panel

Does your generic cholesterol panel look ok? Guess what? This is not the whole story! Do you know if your LDL (“bad cholesterol”) is big & fluffy or small & sticky? You can have a normal LDL level on a regular, generic cholesterol panel, but if the majority of your LDL is small and sticky this is a risk factor for heart disease. Small & sticky LDL can easily get into your arteries causing plaque that could rupture, causing a heart attack or stroke. Do you know if your HDL (“good cholesterol”) is large or small? Your HDL is like a garbage truck that goes around and picks up the LDL you don’t need or that is left over. How helpful is a small garbage truck? Wouldn’t it be important to know what kind of help your HDL is offering? Depending on the comprehensive cholesterol panel that you and your doctor choose, you can also learn more about your genetics, if you absorb too much cholesterol, if you make too much cholesterol; other markers are also available to help in determining your risk factor and treatment plan.

Inflammation

Acute or short term inflammation is a part of your body’s appropriate immune system response to an acute injury or illness that is helpful to heal your body. However, long term or chronic inflammation is not helpful to your body! Chronic inflammation can cause constant irritation to your arteries, promote growth of plaques in your arteries, and trigger blood clots leading to heart attacks.

Certain blood tests can help to evaluate if inflammation may be an issue for you. One blood test that can be obtained is a hs-CRP. High sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) is a protein that your liver produces in response to injury or illness. A high or elevated CRP tells you that you have inflammation, but does not give you specifics on where the inflammation is coming from. Elevated hs-CRP is a risk factor for heart disease. Other labs can also be helpful in determining if you have chronic inflammation.

Insulin Resistance

First of all what is insulin resistance? Insulin resistance is when your muscles, fat & liver don’t respond normally to insulin and don’t take up glucose (otherwise known as sugar) from the blood stream like it is suppose to. Insulin functions as a messenger to talk with your muscles, fat & liver. When a person has insulin resistance there is a breakdown in the communication with insulin and your muscles/fat/liver. The pancreas, which produces insulin, notices that the sugar is not being taken care of appropriately and that the sugar is still hanging out in the blood stream and thinks that if it sends more messages (produces more insulin)—the rest of the body will finally listen and take care of this sugar in the blood stream. As a result, people with insulin resistance have a higher than normal insulin level. High insulin levels can cause an increase in skin tags and/or darkened skin in the armpits or neck. Insulin resistance is associated with heart disease. A healthy diet and exercise can help to decrease insulin resistance.

Anger

Yes, can you believe it? Researchers at Harvard Medical School performed a 7 year study involving 3,886 patients that showed your risk for having a heart attack is higher following an episode involving anger. The more intense the anger, the higher the risk for a heart attack! What happens when you become angry? Anger triggers a rise in stress hormones, these stress hormones cause biochemical changes in our bodies leading to an elevation in blood pressure & blood vessel constriction putting strain on our hearts. Finding ways to be happy and not letting things build up in anger is something to strive for. Meditation, prayer and taking quiet time for yourself daily helps to decrease your stress, anxiety and anger.

All of these risk factors: dental health, cholesterol, inflammation and anger are mostly modifiable! Self care is a must! It is so important to put yourself first!

Talk to your doctor or schedule an appointment with Dr. Shannon at New Beginnings Functional Medicine Clinic to find out your risks and how you can modify your risks.

References:

https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/education-and-awareness/heart-truth/listen-to-your-heart

https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/ischemic-heart-disease

https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/education-and-awareness/heart-truth/listen-to-your-heart

https://www.perio.org/consumer/gum-disease-and-heart-disease

https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts.htm

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/healthy_heart/know_your_risks/fight-inflammation-to-help-prevent-heart-disease

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/in-depth/heart-disease/art-20049357

https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/what-is-diabetes/prediabetes-insulin-resistance

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4472609/

https://academic.oup.com/edrv/article/27/3/242/2355180

https://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20161010/anger-heavy-exertion-fast-track-to-a-heart-attack#2

https://hms.harvard.edu/news/study-anger-heart-attacks-strongly-linked

https://www.ajconline.org/article/S0002-9149(13)00896-5/fulltext

New Year-New Beginning For A Healthier You! Original Post 1/11/19

Tue, 02 Apr 2019 22:00:45 GMT

Are you working on a healthier you this New Year?

Sleep:

Are you giving your body enough time to rest and reset? The recommended amount of sleep for adults per night is 7-8 hours. Current research shows that persistent lack of sleep can be linked to heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and certain cancers. Some ways to ensure you are getting enough sleep are: sticking to a schedule—go to bed at the same time every night, make your bedroom an atmosphere that is conducive to sleep, don’t exercise a few hours before you plan to go to bed, and stay away from caffeine in the evenings.

Water:

Did you know that roughly 60% of the adult body is water? Water is key to so many important functions of our bodies! Water is the first building material to the life of every cell, acts as a shock absorber for the brain & spinal cord, and helps deliver oxygen all over the body, to name just a few important roles of water. In general, most individuals need to drink half their weight in ounces of water per day (for example an 150 lb. person needs to drink 75 oz of water per day). Drinking clean water is also key!

Diet:

Are you eating a healthy, non-processed diet? Food can be your medicine or poison. Food is also information. Is the food that you are eating giving your body excellent nourishment, or confusing your body and causing inflammation? If you are eating things that have an ingredient label, the front label may say organic or all natural, but what are the ingredients listed on the back? Is there added sugar or chemicals to the foods that you are eating?

Soda Habit:

You are eating better, but can’t get rid of drinking that soda or diet soda? I encourage you to get rid of the soda! Have you ever looked at the ingredients label on a soda? Have you ever looked at the sugar content of a regular soda? One soda label I looked at contained 39 grams of sugar in just 12 ounces! Ingredients for most sodas contain high fructose corn syrup, coloring, dyes and chemicals. Diet sodas contain more chemicals such as aspartame. Also some sodas contain GMOs. You can learn about how individual ingredients affect your overall health at www.EWG.org . One study, I will mention, shows that there is a link between individuals drinking soda (regular or diet) and diabetes. If you need carbonation try a sparking mineral water and add some fruit if desired.

Movement:

Are you performing regular, physical activity? What is fun and enjoyable to you? It is important to move your body in a way that does not create pain and is enjoyable for you! Some of the benefits of physical activity are: better heart health, improved mood, increased energy level, improved sleep and weight loss. You may need to talk with your doctor or Dr. Shannon about what types of physical activity would be best for you!

Partner in Health:

Do you have a partner in your journey to optimal health? Are you doing all these steps and still having symptoms or trouble losing weight? If you need someone to partner with you in your journey, New Beginnings is here to help! Call 970-305-0101 or email us at Staff@NewBeginningsFMC.com to learn more about how Dr. Shannon will partner with you on your journey to optimal health!

New Beginnings wishes you the best on your journey to optimal health in 2019!

References:

https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/news/2018/sweet-dreams-researchers-explore-link-between-sleep-

and-health https://water.usgs.gov/edu/propertyyou.html https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23364017 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30564198

https://www.coca-colaproductfacts.com/en/products/coca-cola-zero-sugar/original/12-oz/ ? gclsrc=aw.ds&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIkf7Dz__j3wIVhSBpCh3F7QJYEAAYASABEgI1F_D_BwE&gc lsrc=aw.ds--diet

https://www.coca-colaproductfacts.com/en/products/coca-cola/origina/12-oz/ https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/exercise/art-20048389

Environmental Toxins: Unfortunately they are Everywhere! Original Post 12/17/18

Tue, 02 Apr 2019 21:47:04 GMT

How can we limit our environmental toxic load & get rid of the toxins we do have in our body?

Beauty/Personal Hygiene Products…

A lot of beauty/personal hygiene products contain toxins that can harm our bodies. Have you ever looked at the ingredients in your soap, shampoo, makeup or lotions? Are you wondering what the heck these ingredients are? Did you know that what you put on your skin can absorb into your body? If you want to see how safe the products you are using are check out: www.EWG.org . The Environmental Working group rates products based on what they contain and current research on how these chemicals affect our bodies.

What is another way to know if products are safe? Look at the ingredients label, are the ingredients something you are willing to eat?
You can also make your own beauty/personal hygiene products

Household Cleaning Supplies…

Cleaning with non-toxic products: If you look at most of the products on the market to clean your home and laundry, you will also be surprised to see all the chemicals that are listed in the ingredients list. There are very simple, safe ways to clean your home that you can make yourself such as vinegar and water. You can also buy safe products to clean your home and your clothes. The Environmental Working Group is a great website to also find safe cleaning products for your home and laundry.

Cookware/Bakeware…

How you cook and store your food is also important to avoid toxic exposure. Cooking with cast-iron, glass, stainless steel or ceramic is ideal to decrease toxin exposure. Cast-iron is one of the cheaper options and there are a few companies in the U.S.A. that manufacture cast-iron cookware. Although, If you have someone in the home that has hemochromatosis and/or iron stores in the body that are elevated, then cast-iron is not the ideal cookware. Glass needs to be lead and cadmium free. There are also a few glass cookware/bakeware companies that manufacture in the U.S.A. Non-toxic ceramic and stainless steel are also great for cooking, but can be expensive. It is important to know where and how your cook/bakeware is manufactured.

Food Storage Containers…

Try to stay away from plastic for storing and heating up food. Plastic is not good for our bodies or the environment. Most plastics release BPA when the plastic is heated. Storing food in glass, stainless steel or ceramic is ideal.

Pesticides & Herbicides…

Avoid Pesticides & Herbicides. Toxic chemicals used to kill rodents, insects, weeds, mold etc. can also affect your health. Nowadays, there are also safe alternatives to deter or kill rodents, insects, weeds, mold ect. There are also businesses that specialize in using non-toxic chemicals.

Flame-Retardant Free Furniture…

Look for Flame-Retardant Free products. Did you know that a lot of couches, mattresses and even crib mattresses have flame-retardant chemicals? Research has shown that these chemicals can be harmful to us. Finding flame-retardant free furniture can sometimes be a challenge. There are online retailers who do specialize in flame-retardant free furniture.

Home Improvement Supplies…

Home Improvement Products can also contain toxins. Paints, flooring materials, glues etc. can release VOCs (volatile organic compounds) long after they are first introduced to your home.

Many home improvement stores now offer low VOC or VOC free products.

More Helpful Tips…

Here are some other tips for keeping your home non-toxic:

If you are dry cleaning your clothes, make sure you are taking your clothes to a business that does not use toxic chemicals.
Removing your shoes inside is an easy way to limit you and your family’s toxin exposure. The shoes you wear outdoors can carry chemicals into your home.
Dusting and mopping frequently can also help to decrease your toxin exposure. Toxins can be present in dust inside your home. Cleaning floors and flat surfaces regularly cuts down on toxin exposure.

These are just a few things that can significantly help to limit your toxin exposure. Eating a healthy, well balanced, non-processed diet, and getting all the proper nutrients including vitamins and minerals is ideal to help your body detox from our environment.

At New Beginnings Functional Medicine Clinic , we are excited to announce that we now have a Far Infrared Sauna , that is helpful in detoxification! Please see our website at www.NewBeginningsFMC.com for more information on our Far Infrared Sauna!

References:

https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jeph/2012/184745/

https://hms.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/assets/OCER/files/Taking%20It%20All%20In%20Reading%20Materials%20Web.pdf

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1253722/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2966478/

https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2017/06/407416/toxic-exposure-chemicals-are-our-water-food-air-and-furnitu...

Preventing Colds & Flu Original Post 11/16/18

Tue, 02 Apr 2019 21:35:58 GMT

It's that time of year again, when colds & flu are most common!

Cost of Colds & Flu…

Did you know that the annual direct cost of influenza in the U.S. is estimated at $4.6 billion in hospital visits, doctor’s visits, and medication? Flu also causes employees to miss approximately 17 million workdays, with an estimated $7 billion per year in sick days & lost productivity!

In 2003 the cost of the common cold wasn’t cheap either. It was estimated at $40 billion a year to the cost of the U.S economy. Just think how much it likely costs the U.S. economy now!

Prevention is Key…

Are you wondering how to prevent a cold or flu? Here are some tips to help:

Wash your hands frequently and throughly. Scrub your hands and fingers throughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Also try not to touch your eyes, nose, or mouth until you wash your hands.
If at all possible, stay away from people that have a cold or the flu.
Keep your gut healthy. Your gut is your gateway to health. Most of your immune system is in your gut. Eating a healthy, non-processed, organic diet will help. Having a healthy microbiome is also a very important part of having a health gut.
Stay Hydrated with water. Make sure you are drinking clean water! Are you drinking filtered water? As a general rule, it is recommended that adults drink half their body weight (pounds) in ounces. For an example, if you weigh 150 lbs, you should be drinking ~75 ounces in water daily. Now if you are more active or exercise, you may need more water daily!
Rest. It is so important to get enough sleep to let your body rest and reset.
De-stress. Take some time for self care. Find ways that help you destress. What is your favorite hobby? Do you enjoy exercising, walking, hiking, praying, or meditating?
Checking your Vitamin D level. Did you know that having a normal vitamin D level is important for fighting off cold & flu viruses? Most individuals do not have optimal vitamin D levels, especially in the colder months. I recommend having your doctor check your vitamin D level.

If you are interested in improving your gut health and/or overall health at New Beginnings Functional Medicine, Dr. Shannon can partner with you to help improve your overall health. To learn more about how Functional Medicine can partner with you for optimal health—take your FREE health assessment online at www.NewBeginningsFMC.com and then schedule your FREE 15 minute consult with Dr. Shannon .

References:

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/habits/index.htm

https://www.utmedicalcenter.org/news/370/5-ways-nutrition-can-prevent-cold-flu-and-treat-them/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3166406/

https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2017/02/study-confirms-vitamin-d-protects-against-cold-and-flu/

https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/flu/activities.html

https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/news/20030224/cost-of-common-cold-40-billion#1

Healthy Eating on a Budget Original Post 11/2/18

Tue, 02 Apr 2019 21:21:15 GMT

Here are some tips & tricks to eat healthy & not blow your budget...

Plan Ahead...

Make a list of the meals you are planning to prepare in the next week or two
Write a shopping list of the ingredients needed for your meals
Check fliers for sales and coupons for items on your list at nearby grocery stores. Some

grocery stores have apps with coupons and sales for the week
When choosing which organic foods to buy, prioritize by using these references: The Dirty

Dozen and Clean 15 at www.EWG.org

Buy Local...

• Consider going to your local farmer’s market or become part of a co-op in your area• Go to your local rancher to purchase meat in bulk (1/4 beef, 1/2 pig, 1/4 bison, etc.)

Buy in Bulk...

Vegetables, fruits, beans, meats, oils, seeds, nuts, nut butter, coconut milk or water
Warehouse stores such as Costco now carry more healthy food options and buying in bulk

can save you money
When buying frozen fruit & vegetables in bulk, check the ingredients label and make sure

you are not buying anything that contains added sugar or preservatives
An advantage to buying frozen fruits & vegetables is that they will last for months

At the Store...

• Avoid pre-made, packaged foods. Preparing your own hummus, coconut milk or almond milk will save you money.

• When buying fresh produce, stay away from the pre-cut produce. Save yourself the cost and cut your own fruits and vegetables.

At home...

Batch cooking is a time saver. Time is Money! Making large batches of a recipe and then placing the food in individual serving size containers will help you to be prepared for the week. Most of us make bad eating decisions when we are in a hurry and hungry! Batch cooking saves you from being hungry and making bad food decisions.
Being prepared for the week, prevents the need for quick, pre-packaged food choices.

Dr. Shannon at New Beginnings Functional Medicine Clinic is passionate about teaching patients how to eat healthy and the importance of eating a healthy diet especially those who suffer from chronic symptoms or illness/diseases such as hypothyroidism, autoimmune diseases, allergies, digestive disorders and diabetes. If you are interested in learning more about Functional Medicine and what it can do for you, schedule your FREE 15 minute consult with New Beginnings.

Hello Fall! Original Post 10/12/18

Fri, 29 Mar 2019 20:53:14 GMT

Are you as crazy & excited about pumpkin as I am?

Pumpkin actually has some great health benefits!

PUMPKIN contains :

Beta carotene, which is important to keep your eyes and skin healthy
Beta carotene can also be converted to vitamin A by your body, which is important to help your body fight off infection.
Fiber, which aids in digestion and helps you to have regular, soft bowel movements
Vitamin C, which is needed for the growth & repair of all your tissues in your body. Heals wounds. Helps your body absorb iron. And so much more…

Don’t throw away the seeds… Pumpkin seeds are delicious & also have great nutritional benefits:

Magnesium, which participates in several important functions in your body including making energy, helping your heart pump, formation of your bones, helping your digestive tract function and so much more…
Zinc, which supports your immune system, helps with your sleep, mood, sense of smell, sense of taste, eye and skin health
Tryptophan, which is an amino acid (protein building block), may help you to sleep better

There are so many ways to enjoy pumpkin: lattes, puddings, pizza crust, pumpkin butter, gluten free bread & smoothies to name a few…I enjoy eating pumpkin as a pudding.

Here is a link to a Pumpkin Chia Pudding Recipe: http://www.nakedavocado.com/2013/10/pumpkin-chia-pudding/

Share with us on our Facebook page @NewBeginningsFunctionalMedicine your favorite way you enjoy eating pumpkin.

Did you know that research shows us that nutritional deficiencies are connected with the onset and progression of many chronic diseases?

If you have a chronic disease/illness and would like to know how Functional Medicine can help, schedule your FREE 15 minute consultation with New Beginnings by contacting New Beginnings via phone at 970-305-0101 or email at Staff@NewBeginningsFMC.com .

Resources:

https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/6-surprising-health-benefits-of-pumpkin#2

https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002404.htm

https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/09/30/pumpkin-seed-benefits.aspx

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5440113/