Diabetes is a chronic health condition that affects millions of people worldwide, with a significant number of cases occurring in middle-aged women. It is characterized by high blood sugar levels due to the body’s inability to produce or effectively use insulin. In this blog, we will explore how a functional medicine approach can help manage diabetes through personalized strategies and addressing underlying causes.

Understanding Diabetes

There are two main types of diabetes:

• Type 1 Diabetes: An autoimmune condition where the body attacks insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, leading to little or no insulin production.
• Type 2 Diabetes: A condition where the body becomes resistant to insulin or the pancreas does not produce enough insulin. It is the most common form of diabetes.

Common Risk Factors for Diabetes

1. Genetics: A family history of diabetes can increase the risk.
2. Obesity: Excess body fat, particularly around the abdomen, is a major risk factor.
3. Sedentary...

“A condition in which different elements are equal or in the correct proportions.”

I was reminded of balance today from the owner of The Dailey Method in Lake Forest where I work out.  She was discussing the importance of finding the time for yourself, regardless of the obstacles and joys in your life.  

Balance has a different meaning for everyone, but I want to focus on the importance of health in your life and how that plays a huge role in feeling centered.  We’ve all been in a place where we ate whatever was convenient, didn’t have the time to work out and went to bed still answering emails. More than likely this caused a need for more coffee in the morning and the entire cycle started over.  Not only will this decrease your energy and your mental focus, but this will start to increase pain in your entire body.

How do we find balance in a world where we are pulled in multiple directions everyday?  It comes...

After an extremely trying day, one of the first thoughts you may have is how great it will feel to get under the covers for some shut eye.  Can the type of mattress you have really be impacting the health of your back?  Studies are saying YES!

In a published review from Medscape General Medicine, they found that up to 50% of people with back pain also suffer from sleep disturbances.  They also concluded that poor sleep can be used to predict delayed healing after an injury.  Furthermore, sleep is one of the key components to healing, regardless if an injury or illness.

The Journal of Chiropractic Medicine found significant improvements in subjects pain levels, sleep quality and stress-related symptoms when they replaced their mattresses.  We all know how stress can affect not only our quantity of sleep, but the quality as well.  What the study goes on to say is that the reverse is also true.  A lack of sleep will actually cause your...

Over the years we’ve seen numerous women throughout and following their pregnancy.  Many of these women bring their newborns in for treatment as well.  As we check in with mom we always check in to see how their babies are doing.  Are they sleeping enough?  Are their cries satisfied with changing or being fed? Are they pooping enough or too much?

As simple as these questions are, there are many times the answers are no to more than one of the above questions.  When a baby is struggling, the first question has to lead to diet of baby and mom.  If our patient is breast feeding, then we need to address her diet to find out where the babies distress is coming from.  

There are many foods that infants prove to be sensitive to causing symptoms such as colic, sleeping difficulties, diarrhea, constipation, digestive distress and gas.  Every patient is different, but the first foods to remove from the diet include:

• Beans
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• ...