Collaborative Medicine

This week's topic: HDL Cholesterol Mainstream medicine often simplifies cholesterol as "good" (HDL) and "bad" (LDL); but HDL isn't always beneficial. Overview of today's email: Overview of HDL cholesterol Considerations for increasing levels Practical clinical tips on addressing high HDL 1. HDL cholesterol Some basic physiology: HDL half life is around 5 days Main functions of HDL (when functioning properly) include: Reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) (aka remove peripheral cholesterol to be...

This week's topic: LDL Cholesterol Hyperlipidemia is still one of the primary factors that influences the #1 killer in America: heart disease. Functional medicine recognizes the role of LDL in heart disease (and we will use statins if indicated!), but considers other factors when interpreting test results. Overview of today's email: LDL cholesterol Other testing considerations Practical clinical tips 1. LDL cholesterol Cholesterol is necessary for many processes in the body, but when...

ANNOUNCEMENT: The Functional Medicine Collective Mentorship opens THIS WEDNESDAY, May 21st! Click the button below to learn more and apply! I Want to Learn More! This week's topic: EBV Reactivation EBV reactivation is a condition (or concept) that is prevalent in the integrative/functional medicine space, but no one agrees on how to best evaluate and treat this...or if it even is a true condition! I have spent a lot of time researching this and trying out various treatments and testing in...

COMING SOON: The Functional Medicine Collective...a mentorship and co-working space for clinicians who want more support! The launch kicks off with a free 2-day workshop on May 8th and 9th...click the button below to get notified when registration opens! I Want to Learn More! This week's topic: Mycotoxin-Induced Illness Mold-illness or mycotoxin-induced-illness is another diagnosis that mainstream medicine is either unfamiliar with, or considers to be made up. An overview of today's email:...

COMING SOON: The Functional Medicine Collective...a mentorship and co-working space for clinicians who want more support! The launch kicks off with a free 2-day workshop followed by an "ask-me-anything" - click the button below to get notified when registration opens! I Want to Learn More! This week's topic: Detox Detox is another term that mainstream medicine considers more "woo" and unnecessary. An overview of today's email: What is detox? What tests can we use to assess "detox"? Practical...

COMING SOON! The Functional Medicine Collective (a mentorship for clinicians who want more guidance on a "practical" approach to functional medicine). The launch kicks off with a 2-day workshop followed by an "ask-me-anything" - click the button below to get notified when registration opens! I Want to Learn More! This week's topic: Adrenal Fatigue An overview of today's email: What is Adrenal Fatigue? Can we test for Adrenal Fatigue? Practical clinical tips 1. What is Adrenal Fatigue?...

Candida overgrowth as a trigger of various common symptoms and conditions is another topic that is controversial in mainstream medicine, but frequently addressed in integrative and functional medicine. Overview of today's email: What is candida overgrowth? Can we test for candida overgrowth? Practical clinical tips 1. What is candida overgrowth? Candida is a common commensal yeast found in the GI tract of humans. It is normal to find this in the gut, but when the environment in which candida...

Mainstream medicine does not recognize "leaky gut" but in functional and integrative medicine, it is one of the top contributing pathophysiological processes that we consider in many disease processes. Overview of today's email: What is leaky gut Can we test for leaky gut? Practical clinical tips Bonus: Some references to review 1. What is leaky gut Spoiler: Leaky gut is a misnomer. Everyone has intestinal permeability - it is how we absorb nutrients! But the leaky gut that we are referencing...

The next set of newsletters are going to focus on common functional medicine topics that are not-so-common in mainstream medicine (many are controversial). Today's topic: Why functional medicine practitioners often recommend a gluten free diet. Overview of today's email: The purpose of recommending a gluten-free diet Interesting facts about gluten Practical clinical tips 1. The purpose of recommending a gluten-free diet I doubt a clinical day goes by in a functional medicine office where the...

Autoimmune conditions definitely require a more advanced functional medicine approach, and there are no tools or testing that tell us EXACTLY WHY autoimmunity occurs. However, since many of you reached out to ask about how to approach autoimmunity, I am sharing a few clinical pearls on this today. Overview of today’s email: The 7 primary contributing root causes to autoimmunity Elaborating on 2 of the contributing factors Some resources 1. 7 Contributing Root Causes of Autoimmunity The...