by Sara Gottfried, MD and Noelle Patno, PhD  Exercise. We all know we need it to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, improve mood, maintain a healthy weight, and support neurogenesis, among many other health benefits. We all know to counsel our patients about it. However, what many practitioners don’t realize is that exercise triggers a stress response in the body, impacting the gastrointestinal system as well as the overall body’s physiology, and may result in disruption of the delicate…

by Sara Gottfried, MD Behind closed doors, women bear all. Overwhelming fear, feelings of worry, irritability, and tension may plague them, yet the conversation around their anxiety has remained mostly unchanged for the past thirty years in mainstream medicine. Although anxiety is our nation’s most common mental disorder, there are lingering feelings of shame surrounding the condition. Women, who often feel pressured to live up to unrealistic expectations, may suffer silently and refrain from seeking the help they deserve. Anxiety…

Host: Deanna Minich, PhD, CNS, FACN, IFMCP Guest: Scott Bergman, DC, CTN, DAAIM “Exercise breaks the body down. If we keep breaking it down, we never have the opportunity to repair.” – Dr. Scott Bergman In this discussion, Drs. Scott Bergman and Deanna Minich explore factors that impact metabolic performance, not just for athletic gain but for the ultimate day-to-day game – life. Dr. Bergman shares his personal background as an athlete and the connection between autoimmunity and athletic performance he has…

by Bianca Garilli, ND, USMC Veteran Traumatic brain injury (TBI) has been shown to be a major cause of death and disability in the US, contributing to approximately 30% of all injury-related deaths.1 TBIs can be caused by myriad of events including motor vehicle crashes, falls, and sports-related injuries.1-2 In children and teens, 70% of concussions are related to sports related injuries, while in the elderly falls are the most common cause of concussions.2-3 Previous research has indicated an association…

by Bianca Garilli, ND Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is estimated to affect nearly 15 million adult women in the US.1 This chronic disease can lead to a host of medical concerns including detrimental effects on bone health, making T2D an independent risk factor for bone fractures.2 A study published in Menopause sought to assess the status of bone mass, bone microarchitecture, and factors associated with vertebral fracture in postmenopausal women with T2D.3 This is a particularly important research query to…

by Sara Gottfried, MD and Christopher Moulton, PhD We’ve been told that cognitive function in healthy individuals naturally declines with age. Or does it? Recent case series have brought this central tenet of the aging brain into question and suggest the hypothesis that cognitive decline may be more mutable than once believed. Dale Bredesen, MD, of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and collaborators have advanced a systems-based approach to address the factors that put the brain at…

by Bianca Garilli, ND, USMC Veteran Military ranks are full of healthy men and women participating in regular physical fitness routines comprised of cardiovascular fitness, strength training, and flexibility exercises all designed to keep the warfighter in tip top condition, ready to deploy and engage at a moment’s notice. In fact, due to the sharp focus on exercise and weight standards of the US Armed Forces, active duty troops are much healthier than their civilian counterparts. For example, rates of…

by Bianca Garilli, ND Globally, 39% of adults aged ≥18 years were classified as overweight and 13% obese in 2016, totaling a jaw-dropping 1.9 billion adults overall.1 With obesity rates soaring, tripling worldwide since 1975, most of the Earth’s population now lives in countries where overweight and obesity cause more morbidity and mortality than being underweight.1 Keeping pace with these gains in adiposity is the behemoth weight loss and weight management market, which consists of fitness centers, slimming centers, consulting…

by Melissa Blake, BSc, ND By 2020, more than 20% of the US population will be 65 and over.1 Healthy aging is and will continue to be an important focus in many Functional Medicine offices. Sarcopenia, the gradual loss of muscle mass that occurs in healthy adults as they age, begins after the age of 30 and accelerates after 60. The difference between the muscle mass of a 20-year-old vs. an 80-year-old is about 30%.2 Loss of muscle contributes to…

by Lewis Chang, PhD Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediated disease of the central nervous system (CNS) in which the immune system attacks and damages the myelin sheaths of nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord.1 Common symptoms include cognitive difficulties, vision problems, fatigue, pain, motor problems, bladder dysfunction, and sexual problems. However, symptoms and their severity vary greatly from patient to patient depending on the location of affected nerve fibers. What triggers MS is still unknown, but a…