Autoimmune diseases occur when the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s own tissues. These conditions can be particularly challenging for middle-aged women, as they often involve chronic inflammation and a wide range of symptoms. In this blog, we will explore how a functional medicine approach can help manage autoimmune diseases through personalized strategies and addressing underlying causes.

Understanding Autoimmune Diseases

Autoimmune diseases can affect various parts of the body, including joints, skin, and organs. Common autoimmune conditions include:

• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
• Lupus
• Multiple sclerosis
• Psoriasis

Common Causes of Autoimmune Diseases

1. Genetic Predisposition: A family history of autoimmune diseases can increase the risk.
2. Environmental Triggers: Exposure to toxins, infections, and other environmental factors can trigger autoimmune responses.
3. Hormonal Imbalances: Hormonal changes, particularly during perimenopause and...

Anxiety is a prevalent mental health issue that affects many middle-aged women. It can manifest as persistent worry, nervousness, and a range of physical symptoms that interfere with daily life. In this blog, we will explore how a functional medicine approach can help manage anxiety through personalized strategies and addressing underlying causes.

Understanding Anxiety

Anxiety is more than just occasional worry or stress. It can significantly impact various aspects of life, including:

• Emotional well-being
• Physical health
• Cognitive function
• Social interactions

Common Causes of Anxiety

1. Hormonal Imbalances: Hormonal fluctuations, particularly during perimenopause and menopause, can contribute to anxiety.
2. Nutrient Deficiencies: Lack of essential nutrients such as magnesium, vitamin D, and B vitamins can affect mood and brain function.
3. Chronic Stress: Ongoing stress can lead to hormonal imbalances and affect mental health.
4. Gut Health: Poor gut health can impact the production of...

Depression is a common mental health condition that affects many middle-aged women. It can manifest as persistent sadness, loss of interest in activities, and various physical and emotional challenges. In this blog, we will explore how a functional medicine approach can help address depression through personalized strategies and by addressing underlying causes.

Understanding Depression

Depression is more than just feeling sad. It is a complex condition that can impact various aspects of life, including:

• Mood and emotions
• Physical health
• Cognitive function
• Social interactions

Common Causes of Depression

1. Hormonal Imbalances: Fluctuations in hormones, particularly during perimenopause and menopause, can contribute to depression.
2. Nutrient Deficiencies: Lack of essential nutrients such as B vitamins, vitamin D, and omega-3 fatty acids can affect mood and brain function.
3. Chronic Stress: Ongoing stress can lead to hormonal imbalances and affect mental health.
4. Gut Health: Poor gut health...

Weight loss is a common concern for many middle-aged women. With the natural changes that occur with aging, including hormonal shifts and a slower metabolism, losing weight can become more challenging. In this blog, we will explore how a functional medicine approach can help you achieve and maintain a healthy weight through personalized strategies and addressing underlying issues.

The Challenge of Weight Loss for Middle-Aged Women

As women age, several factors can contribute to weight gain or difficulty losing weight:

• Hormonal Changes: Decreased levels of estrogen and other hormones can affect metabolism and fat distribution.
• Slower Metabolism: Metabolic rate naturally decreases with age, making it easier to gain weight.
• Muscle Loss: Age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia) can reduce the body's ability to burn calories.
• Lifestyle Factors: Stress, lack of sleep, and sedentary lifestyles can contribute to weight gain.

Functional Medicine Approach to Weight Loss

Functional medicine...

Understanding Thyroid Health: A Functional Medicine Approach

The thyroid gland, a small butterfly-shaped gland located in the neck, plays a crucial role in regulating various bodily functions through hormone production. For many middle-aged women, maintaining thyroid health becomes increasingly important as hormonal changes and other factors can affect its function. In this blog, we'll delve into the significance of thyroid health, common thyroid disorders, and how a functional medicine approach can help you achieve optimal wellness.

The Importance of Thyroid Health
The thyroid gland produces hormones that influence every cell, tissue, and organ in the body. These hormones regulate metabolism, energy levels, temperature, heart rate, and more. When the thyroid is not functioning properly, it can lead to a range of health issues that significantly impact quality of life.

Common Thyroid Disorders
1. **Hypothyroidism:** This condition occurs when the thyroid gland does not produce enough...

The following blog is about our previous Women's Retreat and our vision behind its inception. If you're interested, stay tuned in your emails about any retreats in the near future!

Over the course of my almost 25-year wellness career I’ve worked with patients individually, I’ve led workshops of fifty and I’ve lectured to hundreds in a corporate setting. I’ve discussed health with toddlers (thanks to Parker’s preschool), taught stretching to the elderly and infirmed and even worked with attorneys looking to live healthier, happier lives.  I have had the opportunity to work with clients from Chicagoland to Austria (unfortunately not in person - yet!). But something was missing…

For those of you that have had the chance to visit our clinic in the Chicago suburbs it was envisioned fifteen years ago while I was finishing up Chiropractic school. I wanted somewhere clients would feel comfortable. Somewhere that didn’t scream “doctors...

When I started this blog and typed in probiotics into Google, I was overwhelmed with how much information there was about probiotics. From the top 10 brands to warnings about probiotics. With all of that information out there how do you know what is right? Does it really matter which brand to get?

As a matter of fact; yes it does matter where you buy your probiotics. You can refer to a previous blog regarding tiers of vitamins as that applies to probiotics as well.  It is imperative that your probiotics along with any vitamins you take come not only from reputable sources, but that the manufacturers are at a bare minimum cGMP compliant.  At our office, we will only recommend physician grade supplements because they are the most highly regulated on the market.  The manufacturers that we utilize test every batch for quality, safety and effectiveness.  Not only that, but they are free of fillers and binders.  

The question we get asked the most often...

Although many people feel that Apple Cider Vinegar is something new on the health scene, it’s actually been around since 400 B.C.  Hippocrates, Father of Medicine, treated his patients with it!  Apple Cider Vinegar has been traced back to Egyptian urns and even Julius Caesar’s army used it to fight off disease.

Apple cider vinegar is made from fresh, crushed apples which are allowed to mature and ferment naturally in wooden barrels.  Natural ACV is brown in color, usually has a cobweb-like substance floating in it and never needs to be refrigerated.  It often has a very pungent odor and may even cause you pucker!  These are all good signs of a natural ACV!  That cobweb-like substance is called the “mother” and that is where all the benefits are found.

You may have noticed over the last few years it has become harder to find natural ACV.  Stores took some of them off their shelves because consumers buy based on...