Acupuncture/Traditional Chinese Medicine
- WELCOME TO WHOLEHEALTH CHICAGO! ANNGELA LEONE, LAc.Anngela Leone, LAc. Is a licensed and board certified acupuncturist and herbalist in the state of Illinois. Anngela offers minimally invasive healing modalities that allow your body to heal itself. … Read more
- Welcoming Sandra Subotich to WholeHealth ChicagoNormally, when I write a welcome Health Tip announcing a new WholeHealth Chicago practitioner, I go right to the person’s biography to illuminate why you might consider making an appointment. … Read more
- Hey Doc, When Are You Going to Write Up My Case?I hear this question virtually every time I see Alan, an extremely healthy, energetic man in his forties who could easily pass for someone in his twenties. He comes to … Read more
Aging
- Hydration and LongevitySometime in her eighties, my Aunt Hildy, who passed on at 94 or so, handed me a book, “Your Body’s Many Cries for Water”, by an Iranian physician with a totally unpronounceable name, Fereydoon Batmanghelidj, M.D. She told me it had changed her life. Dr. B. attributed virtually all chronic illnesses, premature death, and susceptibility to infections to the state of chronic dehydration we had allowed ourselves to endure by our insufficient intake of water. Because Dr. B. also felt that water had curative properties, his work was literally shredded by conventional physicians here in the U.S., where he was regarded as a “crank” and a “quack”. The Wikipedia entry is especially brutal since it’s written by Stephen Barrett of Quackwatch, which (if you bother to read it) seems to have a special loathing for Dr. B. because of his claims that good hydration promotes longevity. And so the years pass. Dr. B. dies at 74, although his books (he wrote seven more) all remain in print, apparently being read by the well-hydrated, healthy, and generally ignored by the desiccated conventional physicians.
- Updates On Anti-Aging Medicine And Dementia PreventionTaurine. Never heard of it, right? It’s an amino acid, one of the building blocks of protein, and helps digestive, cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, and nervous system functions. However, we require more … Read more
- NAD+: Getting Serious About Anti-Aging TherapyWe’re living in a time of major, worldwide breakthroughs when it comes to understanding how we age and also the steps we can take to not only slow down aging, … Read more
Allergies & Food Sensitivities
- This Health Tip Might Make You Anxious: Keep ReadingI scan all sorts of medical information sources to write these Health Tips. The usual ones that every doctor should be reading (JAMA, Medscape, etc.), but I don’t miss the … Read more
- Everything Begins In The GutI sometimes wonder if new patients to WholeHealth Chicago think we’re overly preoccupied with their digestion, gut health, nutrition, and even the consistency and quality of their stool when they … Read more
- Controversial Diagnosis #7: Mast Cell Activation SyndromeMast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS for short) is one of those annoying conditions in which a patient, after having read an article like this one and suffering similar symptoms, asks … Read more
Alternative Therapies
- “I’m Scared. So Many of My Relatives Have Alzheimer’s”Jeanette, sitting across from me, was genuinely frightened about her future. Yes, she did have several elderly relatives with what she was calling “Alzheimer’s”, but I quickly pointed out that … Read more
- How To Take Care Of Your GutI must admit being intrigued by a New York Times article earlier this month entitled, “How a Gastroenterologist Cares for Her Gut”, because, let’s face it, we do a lot … Read more
- Alternative Approaches For Your Depression, Anxiety, Insomnia, And Even A.D.D.Maybe the increases in these diagnoses began with the COVID pandemic but more likely we just weren’t paying attention. We’ll not really know until a few years from now when … Read more
Big Pharma Evils
- Issues with Endocrinologists: Thyroid Approaches and Big PharmaMy beefs with endocrinologists pretty much center on how they manage thyroid gland concerns, though they rarely win prizes for managing adrenal issues either. I don’t know any endocrinologists personally … Read more
- Paying A Lot More At Walgreens (and Sometimes CVS Too)At WholeHealth Chicago, we really do try to avoid prescribing prescription drugs whenever we can, opting instead for lifestyle changes that can keep you away from a chemical pill you … Read more
- Ten Drugs Doctors Should Consider De-PrescribingPhysicians use the word polypharmacy when a patient is taking five or more prescription drugs daily. A recent survey showed that half of women Medicare recipients were taking five or … Read more
Bone Health
- Quell The Fire of Menopause Hell With Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT)When it’s time, you can expect to transition through menopause in one of three ways. If you’re unlucky enough to land in Menopause Hell, give some serious thought to bioidentical … Read more
- LONGEVITY MEDICINE: TESTOSTERONE FOR MEN, AND, YES, FOR WOMEN,TOOIn middle age, men will begin very slowly to notice a group of symptoms attributable to the decline of their male hormone testosterone. The medical term for this is “andropause” … Read more
- Longevity Medicine: How We AgeGerontology is the scientific study of aging. It’s a relatively new field, pretty well dominated by research PhDs. Certainly it’s a science that was virtually nonexistent when I was in … Read more
Candida (yeast) & Parasites
- Root Causes of Chronic Fatigue, Part 12: Candida (Yeast) OvergrowthBack in 1993, several weeks before the opening of what would come to be called WholeHealth Chicago, I was summoned to the office of the chief of medicine at the … Read more
- Jonathan Toews, Covid-19, and CIRSPerhaps you’ve heard about the Chicago Blackhawks captain, his long illness, and the good news that he’s back on the ice. After saying in December that feeling drained and lethargic … Read more
- Conquering Candida: A Telemedicine ConsultationYou might be reading this Health Tip from a town 40 miles north of Mobile, Alabama, or somewhere west of Pecos, New Mexico, and you might be thinking, “Well, this … Read more
Cardiovascular Health
- Hydration and LongevitySometime in her eighties, my Aunt Hildy, who passed on at 94 or so, handed me a book, “Your Body’s Many Cries for Water”, by an Iranian physician with a totally unpronounceable name, Fereydoon Batmanghelidj, M.D. She told me it had changed her life. Dr. B. attributed virtually all chronic illnesses, premature death, and susceptibility to infections to the state of chronic dehydration we had allowed ourselves to endure by our insufficient intake of water. Because Dr. B. also felt that water had curative properties, his work was literally shredded by conventional physicians here in the U.S., where he was regarded as a “crank” and a “quack”. The Wikipedia entry is especially brutal since it’s written by Stephen Barrett of Quackwatch, which (if you bother to read it) seems to have a special loathing for Dr. B. because of his claims that good hydration promotes longevity. And so the years pass. Dr. B. dies at 74, although his books (he wrote seven more) all remain in print, apparently being read by the well-hydrated, healthy, and generally ignored by the desiccated conventional physicians.
- How Menopause Can Destroy Mental Health“Pretty dramatic title,” I thought, “especially for usually staid, Guardian newspaper.” But the writer had been collecting data from UK doctors, interviewing patients, and clearly was shocked at what she … Read more
- Water and Your LongevityYou’ll like this story. Sometime in her eighties, my Aunt Hildy, who passed on at 94 or so, handed me a book, “Your Body’s Many Cries for Water”, by an … Read more
Case Studies
- Hydration and LongevitySometime in her eighties, my Aunt Hildy, who passed on at 94 or so, handed me a book, “Your Body’s Many Cries for Water”, by an Iranian physician with a totally unpronounceable name, Fereydoon Batmanghelidj, M.D. She told me it had changed her life. Dr. B. attributed virtually all chronic illnesses, premature death, and susceptibility to infections to the state of chronic dehydration we had allowed ourselves to endure by our insufficient intake of water. Because Dr. B. also felt that water had curative properties, his work was literally shredded by conventional physicians here in the U.S., where he was regarded as a “crank” and a “quack”. The Wikipedia entry is especially brutal since it’s written by Stephen Barrett of Quackwatch, which (if you bother to read it) seems to have a special loathing for Dr. B. because of his claims that good hydration promotes longevity. And so the years pass. Dr. B. dies at 74, although his books (he wrote seven more) all remain in print, apparently being read by the well-hydrated, healthy, and generally ignored by the desiccated conventional physicians.
- Water and Your LongevityYou’ll like this story. Sometime in her eighties, my Aunt Hildy, who passed on at 94 or so, handed me a book, “Your Body’s Many Cries for Water”, by an … Read more
- “I Am So Bloated!”Susan wrote this on our WholeHealth Chicago form in the section marked “What’s the main problem?” She went on to tell me she’d been suffering for years, her stomach feeling … Read more
Chiropractic & Physical Medicine
- Wholehealth Chicago Partners With Chicago’s Finest Trigger Point Therapy TeamLet me tell you about Mary Biancalana and the value of myofascial trigger point therapy. A lifelong fitness expert and personal trainer, in her early thirties Mary found herself with … Read more
- Functional Telemedicine, Wherever You AreAll things considered, we’ve rather enjoyed our telemedicine interactions with patients. Doctoring this way also recently provided me with an Aha! moment. What I realized was that much of what … Read more
- Taking Care of Yourself while Staying HomeSeeing Your Chiropractic Physician via Telemedicine? Absolutely! I know what you’re thinking. ‘How can you possibly give me an adjustment during a video conference?’ The short answer is I can’t, … Read more
Dermatology
- Dandruff, Fungi, and Cancer of the PancreasIt’s an eye-catching title, I’ll admit. But the links are quite real and further research may guide medicine in new directions of cancer prevention and treatment. It all starts in … Read more
- Case Study: Tracy’s Eczema From HellShe had wisely trimmed her fingernails to avoid injuring her own skin, but as she sat in my office she continuously rubbed one part of her body or another with … Read more
- Case Study: French Irritability ExplainedPatti came to our offices with her daughter and she’d written “Everything hurts” on our patient intake form. As she rose from the waiting room chair, her face grimaced in … Read more
Digestion
- Why are we Getting Cancer When We’re Younger?Throughout my earlier years as a physician, cancer was considered a diagnosis of the elderly. A person survived infectious diseases of childhood, heart and lung issues of middle age, and … Read more
- LONGEVITY MEDICINE: Chronic Inflammation and CytokinesDid you ever wonder why some obese people, after decades of being badgered by their families and physicians to lose weight, out-live all of them and are healthy for decades? … Read more
- LONGEVITY MEDICINE: LONG TERM EXPOSURE TO LEADLead is always toxic in the human body. There are no “safe” levels of lead. An atom of lead enters your body, usually though your lungs or skin, then quickly … Read more
Diseases
- I Just Don’t Feel Right, and My Tests Are Normal.Readers of these Health Tips know the usual suspects we look for at WholeHealth Chicago: chronic Lyme disease, toxic mold, multiple chemical sensitivities, but to me, as a physician, the … Read more
- You Know It’s Time To Change Doctors When…Despite waiting weeks for an appointment and filling out all those forms, you can tell from the get-go, you’re being regarded as an inconvenience. Maybe, despite your persistent symptoms, you … Read more
- Commonly Missed Diagnosis: The Three Faces of Lyme Disease It’s midsummer and the tick population is exploding. They can latch onto your ankles and fall into your hair and when they bite (which you won’t even feel), they’ll attach themselves and empty their … Read more
Ear, Nose, & Throat
- The Ears Have ItI guess it’s because ears are basically such unattractive appendages, looking quite a lot like tree fungi attached to the sides of our heads, that we try not to think … Read more
- Covid Immunization: Facts, Not FictionIf you don’t feel like reading one more word about Covid-19, you’ve got my sympathy. However, if you’re inclined, scan this Health Tip and perhaps pick up a fact or … Read more
- The Chemical Swill Accumulating In Your BodyI was pleased with the election of Joe Biden, not least because we might end (and start reversing) the more than 100 pollution rollbacks that the Trump administration has initiated … Read more
Environmental Sensitivities
- LONGEVITY MEDICINE: Chronic Inflammation and CytokinesDid you ever wonder why some obese people, after decades of being badgered by their families and physicians to lose weight, out-live all of them and are healthy for decades? … Read more
- Longevity Medicine: How We AgeGerontology is the scientific study of aging. It’s a relatively new field, pretty well dominated by research PhDs. Certainly it’s a science that was virtually nonexistent when I was in … Read more
- Longevity Medicine: The Earlier You Start, The Longer You’ll LiveLeading an orchestra in Anton Bruckner’s Fourth Symphony is a real workout for any conductor. Tall and straight-backed, the very elegant Swedish Maestro Herbert Blomstedt stepped to the podium and … Read more
Eye Care
- Macular DegenerationIt’s likely that many of the 6 million Americans with macular degeneration first hear about it during a visit to an eye doctor where they’ve come complaining about their declining vision. Most of them leave the office in a very discouraged state of mind, with the phrase “nothing can be done” ringing in their ears. The macula is a tiny spot in the center of the retina that enables you to distinguish the fine detail in the center of your visual field. In other words, all the truly important stuff of looking at things: reading, watching TV, threading a needle, driving a car.
- CataractsCataract surgery is truly a wonder of modern medicine. Today, ophthalmologists remove cataracts and insert lens implants as skillfully (and, it appears, as effortlessly) as you tie your shoes. As a bonus, Medicare picks up the tab because almost all surgery is performed on people over age 65. At WholeHealth Chicago, we believe you don’t necessarily have to develop cataracts. They may be a normal part of aging (rather than a disease), but they’re not inevitable. While no medicine is available to reverse cataracts, plenty of evidence exists on how lifestyle changes and nutritional supplements can significantly lessen your chances of developing them in the first place. Even if you’ve developed the start of a cataract, you can keep it from worsening.
- Nutritional Health for Your EyesI was considerably cheered recently when I visited my ophthalmologist for a check-up and saw a shelf of vitamins in his lobby. Since I feel warm and fuzzy when I see a conventional physician recommending nutritional supplements, I had to ask.
Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue
- The Loneliest, Saddest Patients In AmericaImagine this: one night, you awaken from sleep feeling itchy all over. You scratch and scratch, eventually getting back to sleep. The next day, you feel like your skin is … Read more
- Three Paths To Great Looking Skin: Diet, Hormones, Your GutLet’s clear away what everybody knows about speeding up skin aging: cigarettes(click to yucky picture), too much sun exposure, junk foods. As a nutritionally oriented physician, a healthful diet is … Read more
- Quell The Fire of Menopause Hell With Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT)When it’s time, you can expect to transition through menopause in one of three ways. If you’re unlucky enough to land in Menopause Hell, give some serious thought to bioidentical … Read more
Fitness & Exercise
- Hydration and LongevitySometime in her eighties, my Aunt Hildy, who passed on at 94 or so, handed me a book, “Your Body’s Many Cries for Water”, by an Iranian physician with a totally unpronounceable name, Fereydoon Batmanghelidj, M.D. She told me it had changed her life. Dr. B. attributed virtually all chronic illnesses, premature death, and susceptibility to infections to the state of chronic dehydration we had allowed ourselves to endure by our insufficient intake of water. Because Dr. B. also felt that water had curative properties, his work was literally shredded by conventional physicians here in the U.S., where he was regarded as a “crank” and a “quack”. The Wikipedia entry is especially brutal since it’s written by Stephen Barrett of Quackwatch, which (if you bother to read it) seems to have a special loathing for Dr. B. because of his claims that good hydration promotes longevity. And so the years pass. Dr. B. dies at 74, although his books (he wrote seven more) all remain in print, apparently being read by the well-hydrated, healthy, and generally ignored by the desiccated conventional physicians.
- How To Take Care Of Your GutI must admit being intrigued by a New York Times article earlier this month entitled, “How a Gastroenterologist Cares for Her Gut”, because, let’s face it, we do a lot … Read more
- Alternative Approaches For Your Depression, Anxiety, Insomnia, And Even A.D.D.Maybe the increases in these diagnoses began with the COVID pandemic but more likely we just weren’t paying attention. We’ll not really know until a few years from now when … Read more
Health Insurance Issues
- Weight Loss Surgery: A Health Tip For The Seriously ObeseI know most of you reading these Health Tips are health oriented, possibly a little overweight, some post-pregnancy and others due to Covid inactivity, nothing too serious. But if you … Read more
- Introducing Our New WholeHealth Supplement PlansIf you’re a WholeHealth Chicago patient, you’ve likely noticed that we review your list of nutritional supplements during each appointment. Conventional doctors ask what prescription meds you’re taking (and of … Read more
- A Genuinely Useful Blood TestMany a time, in person or via phone, someone will say a variation of “Look, I’m taking all these vitamins and minerals but I really don’t know what I’m doing. … Read more
Healthy Lifestyle
- The Care and Feeding of Your Vaginal MicrobiomeIn our quest for well-being, we often overlook an unsung hero within us—the vaginal microbiome. While we commonly associate the term “microbiome” with our gut, it extends its influence to various corners of our body, including our skin and, yes, our vagina. This remarkable microbial community, consisting of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and even parasites, plays a pivotal role in maintaining our health. A balanced vaginal microbiome contributes to seamless digestion, a robust immune system, neurotransmitter production, and even longevity. Yet, in our well-intentioned efforts to care for our bodies, we may inadvertently disrupt this delicate ecosystem. From douching and smoking to antibiotics and unwashed sex toys, several factors can upset the harmonious balance of the vaginal microbiome. In the pages ahead, we will explore the intricacies of this often-overlooked aspect of women’s health, shedding light on the care and feeding of your vaginal microbiome, and offering insights into maintaining its delicate equilibrium.
- I Just Don’t Feel Right, and My Tests Are Normal.Readers of these Health Tips know the usual suspects we look for at WholeHealth Chicago: chronic Lyme disease, toxic mold, multiple chemical sensitivities, but to me, as a physician, the … Read more
- Why are we Getting Cancer When We’re Younger?Throughout my earlier years as a physician, cancer was considered a diagnosis of the elderly. A person survived infectious diseases of childhood, heart and lung issues of middle age, and … Read more
Immune System
- If You Play Your Cards Right, You’ll Live Longer Than You Think.If you make healthy choices, you can live longer than you think. Exercise, a balanced diet, and avoiding excess salt are key. Consider anti-aging supplements, like curcumin and green tea extract. Don’t forget basics like vitamin D and vitamin C. Stay healthy and enjoy a longer, happier life.
- The Predicted Covid Uptick is Back: Here’s What To Do.In response to the resurgence of COVID-19 cases, it’s imperative to remain vigilant and proactive. Recent events, including a busy Labor Day weekend with increased Paxlovid prescriptions and rising hospitalizations, signal the virus’s ongoing presence. Acting swiftly, even before a positive test result, is advised if you experience mild to moderate COVID symptoms within the first five days, especially if you’re at risk of severe complications. Regular self-testing and monitoring kit expiration dates are essential. Strengthening your immune system through supplements like Vitamin C, Vitamin D, and zinc is crucial. For maximum potency, consider the Immune Boost IV, which delivers nutrients directly to your cells. Stay informed about COVID booster recommendations and mask precautions while remaining vigilant in these challenging times. Be well and prioritize the health of yourself and your loved ones.
- LYME TIME…AGAIN!In H.G. Wells’ novel (and Steven Spielberg’s movie), War of the Worlds, aliens from Mars invade earth, fully intending to destroy it. Earthlings are losing against the Martians until suddenly … Read more
Inflammation
- Gluten Triggers Visible Brain Inflammation In MiceDon’t breathe a sigh of relief because you don’t have whiskers and a tail. Our digestive systems, and their immune response to gluten, happen to be very similar. If you’re … Read more
- I Just Don’t Feel Right, and My Tests Are Normal.Readers of these Health Tips know the usual suspects we look for at WholeHealth Chicago: chronic Lyme disease, toxic mold, multiple chemical sensitivities, but to me, as a physician, the … Read more
- Time-Crunched, Inattentive Physicians Working In SilosBack in 2011, I wrote a Health Tip entitled, “Physicians as Morons”, whose title over the years I have come to regret, the unpleasantness of name-calling and all. You can … Read more
Integrative Medicine
- Time-Crunched, Inattentive Physicians Working In SilosBack in 2011, I wrote a Health Tip entitled, “Physicians as Morons”, whose title over the years I have come to regret, the unpleasantness of name-calling and all. You can … Read more
- How To Take Care Of Your GutI must admit being intrigued by a New York Times article earlier this month entitled, “How a Gastroenterologist Cares for Her Gut”, because, let’s face it, we do a lot … Read more
- Alternative Approaches For Your Depression, Anxiety, Insomnia, And Even A.D.D.Maybe the increases in these diagnoses began with the COVID pandemic but more likely we just weren’t paying attention. We’ll not really know until a few years from now when … Read more
Lyme Disease & Morgellons
- The Loneliest, Saddest Patients In AmericaImagine this: one night, you awaken from sleep feeling itchy all over. You scratch and scratch, eventually getting back to sleep. The next day, you feel like your skin is … Read more
- Commonly Missed Diagnosis: The Three Faces of Lyme Disease It’s midsummer and the tick population is exploding. They can latch onto your ankles and fall into your hair and when they bite (which you won’t even feel), they’ll attach themselves and empty their … Read more
- May, June, July: Covid, Ticks, Long Haul, Chronic Lyme, What Next? Oh My!!COVID-19 is certainly still with us. Last week, the U.S. death toll crossed the one million mark. Suburban Evanston returned to the high-risk zone for COVID transmission, yet much of … Read more
Men’s Health
- Three Paths To Great Looking Skin: Diet, Hormones, Your GutLet’s clear away what everybody knows about speeding up skin aging: cigarettes(click to yucky picture), too much sun exposure, junk foods. As a nutritionally oriented physician, a healthful diet is … Read more
- When Your Thyroid Medication Isn’t WorkingTwo thyroid facts worth knowing: You’ve shown up for your usual ten minute, quick glance billed to your insurer as an in-depth primary care office visit. You’re allowed to talk … Read more
- Anti-Aging Medicine: Testosterone For Men, And Yes, It Really WorksIn middle age, you, as a man, or your sexual partner (keeping this observation to her/himself), will likely start to notice a group of symptoms due to a slow but … Read more
Mental Health
- How Menopause Can Destroy Mental Health“Pretty dramatic title,” I thought, “especially for usually staid, Guardian newspaper.” But the writer had been collecting data from UK doctors, interviewing patients, and clearly was shocked at what she … Read more
- LONGEVITY MEDICINE: TESTOSTERONE FOR MEN, AND, YES, FOR WOMEN,TOOIn middle age, men will begin very slowly to notice a group of symptoms attributable to the decline of their male hormone testosterone. The medical term for this is “andropause” … Read more
- May, June, July: Covid, Ticks, Long Haul, Chronic Lyme, What Next? Oh My!!COVID-19 is certainly still with us. Last week, the U.S. death toll crossed the one million mark. Suburban Evanston returned to the high-risk zone for COVID transmission, yet much of … Read more
Nutrition, Nutritional Supplements, Vitamins, & Herbal Remedies
- The Care and Feeding of Your Vaginal MicrobiomeIn our quest for well-being, we often overlook an unsung hero within us—the vaginal microbiome. While we commonly associate the term “microbiome” with our gut, it extends its influence to various corners of our body, including our skin and, yes, our vagina. This remarkable microbial community, consisting of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and even parasites, plays a pivotal role in maintaining our health. A balanced vaginal microbiome contributes to seamless digestion, a robust immune system, neurotransmitter production, and even longevity. Yet, in our well-intentioned efforts to care for our bodies, we may inadvertently disrupt this delicate ecosystem. From douching and smoking to antibiotics and unwashed sex toys, several factors can upset the harmonious balance of the vaginal microbiome. In the pages ahead, we will explore the intricacies of this often-overlooked aspect of women’s health, shedding light on the care and feeding of your vaginal microbiome, and offering insights into maintaining its delicate equilibrium.
- Peptides As Aphrodisiacs (Big Pharma Rescues Your Sex Life)It seems that men wanted to control female sexuality since the dawn of time. “Aphrodisiacs” (named after Aphrodite, Greek goddess of love and desire) appear in the medical writings of … Read more
- More Information on the New Weight Loss MedsIn last week’s Health Tip I introduced you to the semaglutides, the weekly injectable medications originally approved by the FDA for Type 2 diabetes, but when it was discovered how … Read more
Pain Management
- Wholehealth Chicago Partners With Chicago’s Finest Trigger Point Therapy TeamLet me tell you about Mary Biancalana and the value of myofascial trigger point therapy. A lifelong fitness expert and personal trainer, in her early thirties Mary found herself with … Read more
- What are the benefits of Low-Dose Naltrexone (LDN)?Ten years ago last April marks the anniversary of the first time I wrote about low-dose naltrexone (LDN). I described it as an orphan drug, meaning that its patent had … Read more
- Peripheral NeuropathiesMost neurologists and primary care doctors will tell you that one of the most frustrating groups of conditions to treat are the peripheral neuropathies. It’s estimated that somewhere on the … Read more
Sexual Health
- The Care and Feeding of Your Vaginal MicrobiomeIn our quest for well-being, we often overlook an unsung hero within us—the vaginal microbiome. While we commonly associate the term “microbiome” with our gut, it extends its influence to various corners of our body, including our skin and, yes, our vagina. This remarkable microbial community, consisting of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and even parasites, plays a pivotal role in maintaining our health. A balanced vaginal microbiome contributes to seamless digestion, a robust immune system, neurotransmitter production, and even longevity. Yet, in our well-intentioned efforts to care for our bodies, we may inadvertently disrupt this delicate ecosystem. From douching and smoking to antibiotics and unwashed sex toys, several factors can upset the harmonious balance of the vaginal microbiome. In the pages ahead, we will explore the intricacies of this often-overlooked aspect of women’s health, shedding light on the care and feeding of your vaginal microbiome, and offering insights into maintaining its delicate equilibrium.
- How Menopause Can Destroy Mental Health“Pretty dramatic title,” I thought, “especially for usually staid, Guardian newspaper.” But the writer had been collecting data from UK doctors, interviewing patients, and clearly was shocked at what she … Read more
- Quell The Fire of Menopause Hell With Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT)When it’s time, you can expect to transition through menopause in one of three ways. If you’re unlucky enough to land in Menopause Hell, give some serious thought to bioidentical … Read more
Thyroid, Adrenal, & Sex Hormone Issues
- When Your Thyroid Medication Isn’t WorkingTwo thyroid facts worth knowing: You’ve shown up for your usual ten minute, quick glance billed to your insurer as an in-depth primary care office visit. You’re allowed to talk … Read more
- LONGEVITY MEDICINE: TESTOSTERONE FOR MEN, AND, YES, FOR WOMEN,TOOIn middle age, men will begin very slowly to notice a group of symptoms attributable to the decline of their male hormone testosterone. The medical term for this is “andropause” … Read more
- Root Causes of Chronic Fatigue, Part 2: Minimally Underactive ThyroidI went to medical school in London for a while and truly it was great fun. This was the 1960s–Beatles, Stones, Carnaby Street–and if you were going to be anywhere … Read more
Weight Issues
- Weight Loss Surgery: A Health Tip For The Seriously ObeseI know most of you reading these Health Tips are health oriented, possibly a little overweight, some post-pregnancy and others due to Covid inactivity, nothing too serious. But if you … Read more
- Your Blue Poop: An Easy At-Home Test of Gut HealthAnyone who has ever visited a WholeHealth Chicago Functional Medicine practitioner knows that lots of questions focus on digestion. The reason for this goes all the way back to the … Read more
- Should You Try a Ketogenic Diet and Intermittent Fasting?Just about half the patients we see in our office classify themselves as overweight and wish they weren’t. Not many are in the obese range, likely because when you come … Read more
Women’s Health
- Updates On Anti-Aging Medicine And Dementia PreventionTaurine. Never heard of it, right? It’s an amino acid, one of the building blocks of protein, and helps digestive, cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, and nervous system functions. However, we require more … Read more
- Women and ADD: Part 2 of 2In my last Health Tip, we discussed Claire, a woman in her thirties with attention deficit disorder (ADD), reviewing lifestyle and non-medication approaches. This week, I’ll go over the conventional … Read more
- Women and ADD: Part 1Already ten minutes late for her first appointment, Claire phoned from her car that she’d be in the office in five minutes. Fifteen minutes later, she arrived flustered and embarrassed, and “Oh, my gosh, I left all the forms on my kitchen table, but I did fill them out,” and “My insurance card? I’m sure I had it, I can call my husband, he has one, I think,” and “Could you please put money in the meter for me, I just realized I forgot and I have s-o-o-o many tickets…”
Hello I read one of your blogs and you mention how you get rid of athlete’s foot. When I use over the counter my foot cracks. You mention that you use a combination of anti fungal and something else to prevent cracking. I can’t find it in the knowledge base. Could you please send me the link to that blog or tell me the combination that you use. Thank you
Regina Gately