COVID-19 March 31, 2020 Update Keeping the immune system healthy is on most people’s minds during the current COVID-19 pandemic. According to epidemiological data, smoking increases susceptibility and severity of flu caused by the influenza virus.1 And experimental data have shown that cigarette smoke directly inhibits epithelial antiviral pathways and increases replication of influenza virus.2 There are also data showing higher mortality among smokers in the 2012 outbreak caused by a coronavirus known as MERS-CoV.3 However, as SARS-CoV-2 is a…

COVID-19 March 30, 2020 Update Most of us are exercising physical distancing, avoiding running unnecessary errands, and other control measures in order to minimize person-to-person transmission of COVID-19. The goal is to “flatten the curve,” to delay the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus, thereby reducing the surge of illnesses in a very short time and allowing the healthcare system to breathe, to accommodate, to provide proper patient care. However, how long can (or should) schools remain closed, businesses shut,…

The elimination diet gives specific experiential evidence about reactions to foods that can motivate people to make changes. As with most protocols, the challenge is compliance. Join us as Deanna Minich, PhD, CNS, FACN, IFMCP provides the three key principles to share with patients before starting them on an elimination diet.

by Mark Houston, MD and Sara Gottfried, MD The top five cardiovascular risk factors are hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, obesity and smoking. Numerous clinical trials suggest that we have reached  a limit in our ability to lower the incidence of coronary heart disease with conventional diagnostic evaluation, prevention and treatment strategies for these risk factors. About 80% of heart disease (heart attacks, angina, coronary heart disease and congestive heart failure) can be prevented by optimal nutrition, optimal exercise, optimal weight…

Alan Christianson, NMD specializes in natural endocrinology with a focus on thyroid disorders. In this episode, Dr. Christianson explores a 28-day approach to weight management designed to reset the metabolism.  

Host: Deanna Minich, PhD Guest: Erik Lundquist, MD In this discussion, Erik Lundquist, MD and Deanna Minich, PhD explore thyroid physiology, assessment, and clinical pearls for treating patients with thyroid dysfunction or disorders. The crux of the discussion is treating the individual patient, not the labs. You will learn valuable insights and effective clinical strategies that Dr. Lundquist utilizes every day in his clinic to provide personalized support to patients with thyroid disorders. Dr. Lundquist shares that in his medical school…

by Sara Gottfried, MD and Melissa Blake, BSc, ND Hormones drive the many functions of our body and mind. For example, hormones and their receptors influence metabolic function, heart rate, appetite, tissue growth, and development. Ultimately, the body relies on the hormonal signals of a strikingly choreographed endocrine system. Most of the endocrine system is regulated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal-thyroid-gonadal (HPATG) axis, which is instrumental in regulating mood, reproductive health, and general homeostasis.1 Unfortunately, the HPATG axis is remarkably sensitive to…

by Nikky Contractor, PhD, and Sara Gottfried, MD Cannabis is a booming growth industry. As cultural attitudes evolve, prevalence of consumption is rising exponentially. You may wonder if our knowledgebase regarding cannabis is based on best evidence or interest-driven pseudoscience. Meanwhile, many medical conferences now offer a cannabis track, as education channels scramble to catch up to demand. Perhaps you are curious about the emerging role of the endocannabinoid system and if it is safe to recommend hemp oil, or…

by Sara Gottfried, MD Physician burnout and suicide rates are alarmingly high.1 Some blame the two hours of charting in an electronic health record (EHR) for every hour of patient care.2-3 Others cite the rushed 7.5-minute patient appointment that limits the delivery of high-quality care.4 Numerous challenges coexist: an aging population, the rising burden of chronic disease, billing requirements, workforce shortages (particularly in primary care), increasing health disparities, and shifting healthcare policies. Many physicians feel disempowered and hopeless about the…

by Sara Gottfried, MD and Bianca Garilli, ND, IFMCP Introduction We’re just starting to understand the full spectrum of toxic threats to the human body, including obesity. What’s clear is that the body doesn’t know what to do with our myriad exposures to toxins. They clog the liver, then get stored in fat, and ultimately back up into the brain. Since the brain is almost two-thirds fat (the fattiest organ in the body), it makes sense that it’s likely the…