Author of "The PGE-2 Diet Program" for Pain
“Arthritis in my hands and knees is making me miserable. What should I take for my painful knees, tennis elbow, and arthritis in my hands? Glucosamine, Chondroitin, MSM, Bone Broth, Collagen, or Hyaluronic Acid?” Helen S. Scottsdale, AZ
Arthritis can be treated and prevented by taking the right joint building agents. Chondroitin, Collagen, Glucosamine, Bone Broth, MSM, and Hyaluronic Acid are great for joint health. I often use these in combination with each other and seldom see patients having adverse reactions to these supplements. Lets review the best options, the cheapest and most expensive natural arthritis formulas, as well as the actual side effects I see from prescribing them as a Naturopathic Doctor.
NATURAL TREATMENTS FOR JOINT PAIN AND ARTHRITIS
From painful knees, to tennis elbow, shoulder pain, arthritis in the hands, TMJ, Psoriatic Arthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, shoulder pain, and arthritis in the hip this is a MANDATORY natural treatment for my joint pain patients that they should not skip, and at the very least use the cheapest form I will discuss today.
Whenever my patients are severely suffering from arthritic bone on bone grinding I recommend they treat their joints to the very best option they can afford. Let’s start with the best and of course most expensive arthritis choice.
#1 ARTHRITIS SUPPLEMENT HYALURONIC ACID
Without a doubt in my mind as a doctor that relies on this for her own joint pain, as well as specializes in Autoimmunity and Natural Pain Management, the best joint support supplement for arthritis is Hyaluronic Acid. This is the #1 Cadillac choice that works the best and does the most “Extra Magic Tricks” for women. We are actually killing four birds with one stone. As we age our hair thins as does our skin, our nails become more brittle with hormone imbalance, aging, and menopause [1-3].
Hyaluronic Acid is not just for arthritis but also helps hair loss, skin, nails, facial sagging, skin sagging. Women actually pay a great deal of money in Scottsdale to shoot Hyaluronic Acid in their faces, knees, and arthritic joints. So taking Hyaluronic Acid internally can help not only with arthritis pain, and hair loss, but also thinning and sagging skin as we tend to lose the collagen behind our skin with the aging process and lack of female hormones, especially in menopause with lack of estrogen and testosterone.
HYALURONIC ACID DOSE FOR ARTHRITIS
Two caps twice daily of Hyaluronic Acid can be a game changer for arthritis and saggy skin [4, 5]. Once arthritis symptoms improve many of my patients taper the dose down to two caps once daily for cost reasons.
However, my female patients that can afford it like to stay on the 2 caps twice daily because their hair is suddenly growing like a weed. And for women it is all about their hair and skin! So this is my best anti-aging tip that is also good for your joint pain and arthritis. I personally buy the Pure Encapsulations brand in Fullscript. Be sure you are on a high quality form of this as cheap Hyaluronic Acid supplements are likely fake and therefore useless. When used correctly, I hear my patients telling me in 1-2 months their arthritis is improving or completely resolved.
SIDE EFFECTS OF JOINT SUPPORT FORMULAS FOR ARTHRITIS
After working four years in a health food store and over fifteen years as a Naturopathic Doctor I can pretty much tell you that I have heard it all when it comes to side effects. Rarely do I hear something new doing my job as a Naturopath. Since I prescribe these supplements to patients regularly I do hear occasional negative feedback about them, which means we need to switch to an alternative.
Generally stomach ache is the main side effect of arthritis supplements. Allergic reaction is always a possibility as well. While it is possible to have a food sensitivity to different joint support, I will be reviewing my favorite options today that are less expensive than our Arthritis Cadillac… Hyaluronic Acid.
If glucosamine causes digestive upset you should take it in divided doses. Although many of my patients can stomach taking 1500mg of glucosamine all at once.
Worsening joint pain with collagen is a common side effect I hear from my Hashimotos and Autoimmune patients, because their bodies are already attacking collagen. They also describe it as "Feeling heavy, sick, and gross."
So with autoimmune arthritis, I proceed with caution using collagen, and forewarn my Autoimmune patients, which I have a ton of as a Naturopathic Doctor with an Autoimmune condition. If stomach upset is the side effect then take it with food. Never take supplements on an empty stomach unless specifically recommended by your Naturopathic Doctor.
Personally some forms of collagen make me very sick and flared up my autoimmune arthritis to a 10/10 level of pain. I have heard this tale from many other Lupus and RA patients. So when a non-autoimmune patient describes this type of reaction, I immediately think to test them for autoimmune conditions such as Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, Scleroderma, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, Sjogren's, MCTC, and so forth.
Oddly I feel great on the Vital Proteins grape gummies and snack on these as my dessert after dinner in addition to taking 2 caps of Hyaluronic Acid twice daily. That is just the arthritis system that works for my body, and keeps me away from candy and desserts! Collagen is derived from different animal sources such as beef, eggs, and fish, so one form may be okay and another may not if you have food allergies.
With that being said many of my Rheumatoid Arthritis and autoimmune disease patients feel perfectly amazing on collagen, and instantly note improvement as they build their joints back up from autoimmune attacks and inflammation. Everyone is so unique!
For whatever reason collagen tends to have the most adverse side effects reported about it so ultimately women should be using the joint support that they feel the best on. Today we will review the best available arthritis options and the appropriate dosing as not taking enough joint support is the primary reason I see joint support supplements failing.
Glucosamine theoretically may worsen blood sugar in diabetes, but I have never seen this occur in over fifteen years of using glucosamine for my arthritic diabetic patients. But it is important to be aware that it is a potential phenomena….yet that I have never seen in over fifteen years of seeing my diabetic patients on their glucosamine.
HOW DO I KNOW MY NATURAL ARTHRITIS FORMULA IS WORKING?
Treating arthritis naturally is a marathon and not a sprint. We cannot expect to undo years of damage suddenly in a day. Most research studies cite improvement around 6-12 weeks of implementing an arthritis formula. This is also in alignment with what I generally hear from my patients. Younger women and those with mild arthritis generally feel better after three weeks of consistent use. It is important to note your pain level when you first start taking your arthritis supplement. Keep track of any changes, and make sure the number is going down and not up. We generally track patients on a scale of 0-10 with ten being the worst pain imaginable and zero being no pain at all.
RANT: WHY YOU SHOULD STOP ASPIRIN, IBUPROFEN, AND NAPROXEN FOR ARTHRITIS
We need to be building the joints for arthritis and not further deteriorating them with OTC pain meds. While I do rely on some of these medications for my Lupus arthritis pain at times, as well as prescribe pain medication to my patients, they are not the best long term solution for chronic pain management. First of all, I don’t want to shame anyone that takes them, we all need them at times and I feel grateful to know they exist. For many years when I was bedridden as I tell the story in my own Autoimmune Arthritis journey, I required a lot of different types of prescription medications until I discovered the correct anti-inflammatory nutrition my body needed and began researching, creating, testing, and following my PGE-2 Diet.
So, I would like to just start a brief tirade about the use of NSAIDS for Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and conditions with degenerative joints that chronic patients deserve to know. They need to know the truth: When used regularly NSAIDS are actually deteriorating the joint, and doing the opposite of what joint building formulas are doing for arthritis. So if you have to take one of these OTC pain medications PLEASE also take the joint formula that you can afford and works the best for you.
NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) otherwise known as the common pain relievers that we use to treat temporary pain such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen should be taken for arthritis flare ups, and a solid Naturopathic Pain Management program using arthritis supplements, herbal medicine, and my PGE-2 Diet should be the foundation of treating arthritic pain.
NSAIDS and heaven forbid cortisone injections (please only do this as a last resort as cortisone completely shuts down your joints ability to repair as does stress) are simply a quick fix for pain and not a great long term solution as they actually INHIBIT the synthesis of cartilage.
ARTHRITIS, ADRENALS, STRESS, AND CORTISOL CONTROL
As I explain in my Adrenal blog further about cortisol being a destructive "catabolic" hormone that destroys our joints and muscles in exchange for brief bursts of energy for emergencies. So the more stress, and rage we have the worse our arthritis is.
Isn’t that why we have arthritis in the first place? The meniscus (shock pad between joints) is made of cartilage right? As we age it gets worn down and our joint space naturally diminishes, loses lubrication and eventually as a result we are in severe pain because we have bone rubbing on bone. Ouch!
Now that everyone is hip to the fact that NSAIDS are not a great long term solution for joint pain, let’s talk about the things that are.
If Hyaluronic Acid is not within your budget, then some of the less expensive joint formulas may be the better choice. So which one is the best?
The answer to the question of “What is better glucosamine, bone broth, collage, chondroitin, or MSM?” is “all of the above”. A good student when in doubt always picks “all of the above” or “C."
Now you could effectively choose “C” for Chondroitin and that would not be a bad answer, but Chondroitin is also pretty pricey so most people buy it with Glucosamine and MSM. Glucosamine was shown to reduce arthritis symptoms in 80% of people after just three weeks at 1500mg daily. Now 80% is FANTASTIC for any drug in a research study. So you can’t go wrong with Glucosamine on its own.
Personally I am not convinced that Glucosamine is better than Chondroitin or vice versa. So in this case we can easily choose “all of the above” because great research studies support the efficacy and safety of all three. So why not use them all together for a nice synergistic effect? Especially a great option for those with severe arthritis. You want to make sure that you are constantly topping off these nutrients that help the joints regenerate [6-12].
MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) is typically the least helpful of the three in my experience, and this research study [13]. The good thing about MSM is that it is dirt cheap so if you take a high dose diligently over the long term you will see results. Most research studies do not allow enough time realistically for improvement, and conclude falsely that these supplements do not work. The truth is they take time.
So MSM is also super cheap so in a pinch is better than nothing, and it is great for irritable bladder and the skin.
This is why many of my patients like Naturopathic arthritis formulas that contain a blend of these ingredients. But if you tend to get stomach aches, skin problems, or food sensitivities I would recommend starting with just one at a time and watching for any side effects.
ARE HYALURONIC ACID INJECTIONS SAFE FOR ARTHRITIS?
Yes! I am a huge fan of these injections you can get at your local Orthopedic doctor or pain management doctor. My patients generally find these injections extremely helpful and notice immediate improvements. Also many insurance companies now cover these injections, so you may even be able to get a free “Jiffy Lube” or Hyaluronic Acid injection into your deteriorated joint [13].
ARTHRITIS IMPORTANT TIP!
Rebuilding arthritic joints takes patience! Most studies note improvement at three weeks, but I think patients should plan for three months before deciding the treatment will not work. Repairing painful deteriorated joints is truly something that is going to take time. We need to rebuild collagen that has been destroyed for decades in some of my patients so expecting it to improve in a few days is not in alignment with reality. These treatments also work to improve lubrication of the painful arthritic joints. I also always recommend my patients with arthritis take a high quality omega-3 fish oil to further aid lubrication of the joint and reduce inflammation as I discuss the science and why for arthritis on that blog.
BEST ARTHRITIS REMEDY BRANDS
Be sure to buy a Naturopathic Doctor approved brand like Thorne, Vital Nutrients, Douglas Labs, Pure Encapsulations, Jarrow, Twinlab, Enzymatic Therapy, etc in Fullscript. These are the brands I buy myself and prescribe regularly to my patients. There is some concern with poor quality brands using crab and shrimp sources of glucosamine and chondroitin that are contaminated with lead. Now something that arthritis patients take daily should not have lead in it! Remember that the FDA does not regulate supplements in America so if you want your natural substance to work you need to shop smart. Many chondroitin products do not contain nearly the amount of chondroitin that they purport on the label.
When I worked four years in a health food store in the 90’s my favorite brands were Jarrow, Twinlab, and Enzymatic Therapy if you need health food store options for your arthritis. Be sure to take the full dose by the manufacturer as many of my patients are taking 25-50% of the correct dose. Double check with your Naturopathic Doctor if you can take more. For collagen powders and bone broths I recommend adding these to your smoothies, lattes, and food at 1 scoop 2-3 times daily for the first month or two. Then once the joint pain has resolved continue one scoop daily for maintenance.
#1 NUTRITION AND HERBAL TREATMENTS FOR ARTHRITIS
In addition to joint support, fish oil, and herbal medicine such as curcumin, pine, cinnamon, and ginger for arthritis, I also recommend a solid anti-inflammatory Naturopathic nutrition plan. My PGE-2 Diet is chock full of recipes to reduce pain and is perfect for women that want to treat their pain at the "Root Cause" as our nutrition can be the biggest source of inflammation in our bodies. A great deal of inflammatory molecules can come from digestion. My program is designed specifically for women in pain, or with autoimmune arthritis and provides, eight weeks of meal plans, recipes, and grocery shopping lists so women have access to exactly how I eat to manage my own autoimmune pain as I discuss in my autoimmune blog about my own battle with chronic pain.
Many of my arthritis patients also have food triggers and food sensitivities. By testing for arthritis pain trigger foods, removing them, and replacing them with the anti-inflammatory diet in my PGE-2 Diet program, we can halt inflammation driving arthritis forward, and at minimum slow the progression of the arthritis.
Women can pick up my complete Mind/Body/Spirit Naturopathic program that includes gentle yoga stretching exercises for women in pain, in addition to easy exercise videos to help improve mobility.
You can pick up the program and watch my free webinar training on how it works to help women conquer their pain, hormones, and weight gain all right here: PGE-2.com.
If you need my help with treating your arthritis with herbal medicine, testing for trigger foods and learning how to manage your pain with natural medicine simply visit my SCHEDULE page. I would be happy to help!
Dr. Nicole Sundene
Naturopathic Medical Doctor
(480) 837-0900
Dr. Sundene is a Naturopathic Doctor in Scottsdale, Arizona, and is a Female Hormone Expert in Women's Health and Bioidentical Hormones. She specializes in Holistic Women's Health for Menopause, Thyroid, Hashimotos, PMS, Perimenopause, Autoimmune, Postpartum, Chronic Fatigue, Depression, Anxiety, Food Allergies, Digestion, Dermatology, Acne, Psoriasis, Eczema, and Adrenal Hormonal Conditions. In 1999 she began working for a Hormone Doctor prior to starting Naturopathic Medical School. With over 23 years of experience in both Prescription and Natural women's health and hormones, she presents to women the best-integrated health solutions for their Chronic Disease.
She has been an Herbalist for over 28 years and enjoys teaching women how to use herbs to balance their hormones, nutrition and optimize their health. Dr. Sundene relies on blood testing for her hormone metrics. The hormone testing is covered per the patient's insurance plan (not Medicaid) and conducted at certain points in the woman's menstrual cycle. To learn more about Hormone Testing for Women Visit: Bioidentical Hormones. Follow Dr. Sundene on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for more tips on Women's Health, Female Hormones, and Naturopathy!
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By Dr. Nicole Sundene, NMD
Scottsdale Naturopathic Doctor
Naturopathic Medicine is superior to prescription medicine when it comes to treating viruses. Whether we are treating HIV, Herpes, Epstein Bar Virus, Shingles, West Nile Virus, Influenza, C-19 or Rhinovirus also known as the Common Cold there was really not much the MD's I used to work for in Urgent Care could do for our patients when they were sick with something viral except to tell them to "Drink fluids, rest, take vitamin C, and tell people to be nice to you."
Patients would often leave angry demanding an antibiotic, "I need an antibiotic NOW because I am SO SICK and I have to get back to work or do X,Y,Z..." the patient would plead in frustration while my doctors would just shake their heads and explain for the 9999th time of their career as a frustrated broken doctor soul that, "When you have something viral an antibiotic will do more harm than good. First of all an antibiotic is completely useless to take when you have a virus as its mechanism of action works only on a bacteria. Second and most important the antibiotic is actually helping the virus proliferate by killing the "Good Bacteria" or probiotics in your microbiome which is an essential piece of your immune system. Finally, giving unnecessary antibiotics is causing antibiotic resistance so when you actually truly need an antibiotic we may not have one that will work."
Still so many patients would be angry the doctor would write them a Z-pak or 10 day course of amoxicillin out of sheer frustration full well knowing it was the very worst thing they could be doing for them, along with a Medrol Dose pack of steroids that can also do more harm than good by spiking blood sugar, raising blood pressure and causing weight gain. After one especially frustrating influenza season I made them a handout to pass out explaining all of this because they were simply too exhausted to continue to tell patients why they did not want to harm them by giving them the wrong medicine.
The reason I love being a Naturopathic Doctor is that I have so many more tools in my toolbox to help my patients when they are fighting a virus. Many of the medicines already sit right in your spice rack because plants have to naturally protect themselves from viruses in order to survive in the wild and are constantly upgrading their antiviral mechanisms so as not to become susceptible to the virus. The aromatic part of the plants that you know as the essential oils in our herbs, trees and spices are therefore potent antivirals that are necessary to repel viruses in nature!
Keep in mind I don't expect you to take ALL of the herbs and supplements listed below but many of you already have quite a few herbs and vitamins tucked away in your medicine cabinets. You can purchase your supplements on Fullscript. I recommend getting them ahead of time although many times when I have been sick I paid the extra $5 to have my herbs over-nighted to me and it saved me money in the long run as the sooner you can start your natural regime the better your immune system can kick the virus out. Studies show that the early implementation of Naturopathic Medicines can decrease disease severity and longevity by 50% so if you are self employed like I am that is extremely important!
The basic prevention list is what I take every day and when I fall ill I continue that list but stop the astragalus and swap it out for more potent herbs that are antiviral and designed to treat active infections. Astragalus is our best #1 herb for viral prevention. Some autoimmune patients do not do well on astragalus and it is technically a contraindication for us to take it but I believe rules were made to be broken and it works the best for me. Simply be warey if you have Rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, sjogren's, MCTD, etc that you may flare your condition with astragalus and certain immune boosting herbs.
Many foods and herbs we use for cooking are also potent Naturopathic immune boosting antivirals and can be added to chicken noodle soup, bone broth, butternut squash soup or bone broth like garlic, onions, thyme, rosemary, basil and oregano. Many times my friends will call me super sick and since they are too sick to go to the store I have them add a bunch of kitchen herbs to chicken soup and have them drink it every few hours. Their response is always "That was the nastiest thing I have ever drank, Doc, but I am feeling so much better!" So if you are a culinary artist that can help improve my herbal recipes I am always open to your feedback and help!
Cinnamon, ginger, cloves, star anise, turmeric, curry blends and aromatic spices can be added to warm apple juice or almond milk. Or saute up some garlic, onions, broccoli with coconut milk and add a ton of curry blend as the herbs in curry are all potent antivirals. Check out my Carrot Coconut Cough Syrup Recipe to get an idea of what you can do with the healing foods and herbs you already have on hand. You can check out my video on Facebook: "Elderberry Syrup Recipe" to learn how to make your own Elderberry syrup which is much more potent than any store bought syrup. Don't forget to like my page for my latest Naturopathic recipes!
If you don't have Elderberries on hand you can substitute with blackberries or blueberries. Raspberries are weak on proanthocyanidins and strawberries are basically useless. If you are too sick to leave your house you can doctor yourself with my antiviral kitchen herbs by using 1/2 tsp to a 1 full tsp of most cooking herbs like oregano, thyme, rosemary, basil and such every 2-3 hours. Personally I use a tablespoon because I am not messing around and can drink just about any nasty Naturopathic concoction, definitely decrease the dose if you are getting diarrhea. For children you will divide the weight of the child by 150 pounds and give them 1/2 , 1/3 or 1/4 of the adult dose. So if your child weighs 50 pounds they would get 1/3 of the adult dose but I hope you take them to a Naturopathic pediatrician or schedule a telemed visit for them with me so we are not harming them by not dosing them right.
Regardless of which antiviral herbs you use to work with none of them will work unless you are giving them to yourself three times a day at minimum or every 2-3 hours. "Consistency is Queen" when it comes to supporting our immune systems. If you are sick with C-19 I recommend treating your immune system for a full month past symptom resolution even if you have a mild case to prevent any chronic symptoms such as ongoing chronic fatigue, body pain, fevers, brain fog, hair loss, memory loss, chronic cough and shortness of breath.
Adult Doses For Daily Immune Boosting & Viral Prevention:
Lysine 2000mg 2-3 times daily
Vitamin C 500mg-1000mg 2-3 times daily: Decrease if diarrhea
Quercetin 500mg twice daily
Vitamin D 2000-5000 daily
Zinc 30mg for women daily with food, Men 50mg with food (You will puke if you take this on an empty stomach!)
Probiotic 1 cap daily with food (take with fruit as your "prebiotic" which is the food that helps the probiotic proliferate)
Fish oil 3000mg daily to prevent blood clots, decrease inflammation, and make your mucous membranes moist and more slippery so pathogens are less able to adhere. Or eat Walnuts, Chia Seeds and Flaxseeds for Omega-3's. Fish oil is the most potent blood thinner though so if you are worried about blood clots don't bother with the vegetarian sources of Omega 3's and go straight to fish oil as some people lack the enzymes that convert vegetarian sources of Omega-3's to the active forms found in fish especially if you are Scandinavian like I am and your ancestors relied on a high fish diet. I am not a normal Norwegian and hate fish so I will just pop a fish oil capsule. Otherwise salmon, mackerel, sardines and herring are the best high omega-3 low mercury fish to provide your omega-3's.
Astragalus Tea 2-3 cups daily or 2 caps twice daily is the “Shield” that prevents viruses from getting into the body. Once you are sick you will use the antiviral herbs listed below to kill the virus.
General Viral Treatment Plan When Sick:
If you have C-19 just have your doctor give you a Medrol Dose Pack (C-19 is an inflammatory condition and keeping inflammation down means preventing blood clots and a worse outcome. I believe a low dose steroid has the best evidence at this point when considering medications for C-19. You may not need to even take it if you have mild symptoms but I would get it and keep it on hand in the event you quickly deteriorate as some patients that are highly susceptible can go down hill quickly while the majority of my health patients have mild to moderate symptoms.)
Vitamin C 1000mg three times daily or every 2 hours unless causing diarrhea then decrease the dose to bowel tolerance.
Elderberry Syrup 2 oz every 2 hours (My Homemade "Elderberry Syrup Recipe" is way more potent than pre-made from my own experience and my patients have said they instantly feel better with this homemade recipe (Otherwise I personally buy the Gaia Brand in Fullscript account, as it is the best tasting brand in my opinion, no affiliation.)
Make an antiviral tea with whichever of these herbs you have in your kitchen: ginger, oregano, thyme, rosemary, basil, lavender, ginger or cinnamon. You can mix them all together or use individually. Add 1 tsp to 1 Tbl of herb per 8 oz boiling H2O and let steep covered for 15 minutes. Do not boil these herbs! You can also take chicken noodle soup, chicken broth or bone broth and add thyme, oregano, etc.
When I first heard about C-19 I bought five pounds of Organic Thyme because as an Herbalist it is my #1 Allstar Power Player when it comes to killing viruses and microbes. It also is very soothing to add to boiling water and do a steam inhalation if your lungs are irritated and you are coughing. Fast forward to February 2021 Carvacrol the medicinal monoterpene in oregano and thyme are now both under investigation by C-19 research scientists for in vitro and in vivo use against C-19, "The in vitro and in vivo studies have shown multiple pharmacological properties such as anticancer, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, vasorelaxant, hepatoprotective, and spasmolytic." Thyme essential oil is very soothing to irritated lungs as an antiviral and an antispasmodic so can help calm a bad pneumonia cough when inhaled in a steam or essential oil diffuser.
Because many C-19 patients get secondary fungal infections using herbal medicines that are good all around antimicrobials can be somewhat protective to preventing the formation of secondary infections. So I now feel validated and justified about my purchase of the five pounds of Organic Thyme and the great thing about this herb is almost every patient has it in their kitchen cupboard! Recently in July 2021 Thymus oil is being researched as a treatment for Feline Coronavirus. While this is not the same virus as C-19 I am always happy to read about herbal research science. Anyone that thinks herbs do not work should not gargle with LIsterine as Thyme was the original antiseptic used in this famous mouth wash!
Garlic is one of my favorite antiviral foods! If you care how you smell then it is not a good choice for you! My Norwegian Great Grandma Minnie always advised us to eat a raw garlic sandwich weekly to boost our immune systems. Growing up I was never really sure if garlic killed germs or if it just made you smell so bad that nobody would come close enough to get you sick. But in Naturopathic school at Bastyr University I learned about all the amazing research on garlic science. While I was in school I worked many urgent care shifts and would often get sick and began to rely on "Minnie's Magic Sandwich"As someone that has worked twenty three flu seasons interacting with 20-50 sick people a day.... I will admit that this is the #1 thing I do to kill whatever has infected me. I chop up several cloves of garlic and spread a lot of butter on white bread to get it down. If you have a weak stomach do NOT do this. You will also smell VERY VERY BAD or as my daughter said "Mom you smell like a Man Bun!" So only do this if you do not care how bad you will smell.
Hyperthermia, Sauna's, Sweating or a hot bath are also the best thing to help your body make a fever. Unless the fever is greater than 104F you do not want to suppress the fever with Tylenol. That is actually impeding your white blood cells from working harder. The fever is helping your immune system kill the virus. If you do not have access to a Sauna you can do my "Poor Man's Sauna" I always do after many years working in nasty germ filled urgent care setting....which is to take a very hot bath, as hot as you can stand, for as long as you can stand (an hour ideally) while sipping on water with electrolytes (be sure to have someone monitor you while you are in the bath so you don't get overheated, dizzy or pass out trying to get out of the bath...) Then you will put on your flannel pajamas, wrap yourself in a fleece bathrobe and pile several blankets on top of yourself until you are sweating. This is when I pop a Lifetime Movie on and sip my Emergen-C or Herbal Tea so I can sweat for at least 1-2 hours.
When you can no longer stand sweating or you start to become cold, it is then time to take a COLD shower and rinse all the sweat off. It is imperative that you end all sauna's and sweats on cold to properly boost your immune system! I do this several times a day at the initial onset of sickness and believe this works better than any herb, supplement or vitamin I can take to boost my immune system. Plus it is free so if you are broke and cannot even afford vitamins you can at least afford a hot bath...I hope! If you have high blood pressure or any heart issues you should NOT do this.
Alternatively if you are well enough to run that is also a great way to boost your immune system and get your temperature up. I have ran off many viruses from my days of working in urgent care and I believe exercise is one of the BEST things to boost your immune system and put it in to a killing state. Inactivity is bad for your immune system in general. Obviously if you are super sick do not do this it is best for when you first feel that tickle in your throat that you are getting sick with something. A fast run for 30-45 minutes is how I always stayed well even while I worked in urgent care for 8 years, never missing a day of work even while I worked in a constant petri dish of germs with sick people coughing on me while I tested them for strep throat, influenza and took their vitals. You can also ask my former Nursing Supervisor who cashed me out with four months of PTO sick leave that I never even used! So if anyone knows how to prevent getting super sick from whatever nasty virus is going around and keep their immune system boosted it is me, your #1 Favorite Naturopathic Doctor!
Please schedule an appointment to discuss individualized recommendations for treatment as I have zero free time to help patients outside of scheduled appointment right now. For prevention I recommend patients get the things they need ahead of time. If you are sick you can go to your Fullscript account under catalog to search for the herbs you need and have them overnight your supplements for a few extra dollars. Fullscript has been awesome during the Pandemic, your supplements are sent from Scottsdale with free shipping for all orders over $50. I paid $5 extra dollars and had my immune support arrive the next morning!
This worked very well for me when I was sick and didn't have enough of the antiviral support I needed on hand it was a lifesaver for me as the last thing you want to do is head down to your local health food store and infect everyone with your nasty virus! Please stick with high quality brands or the herbs may not work. My favorites are: Pure Encapsulations, Thorne, Integrative Therapeutics and Vital Nutrients. Do not buy the NOW brand in Fullscript as it is 100% GARBAGE in my opinion having worked in a health food store since 1994 and 27 years in the health industry....I do not believe you will get any benefit and may even be harmed by that garbage and recommend sticking with prescription grade products for effective natural solutions to colds, flus, viruses or whatever ails you. In America our supplements are poorly regulated by the government so you can pretty much put anything in a bottle and label it and sell it and nobody can stop you. That is why it is important to stick with organic products and trusted brands of vitamins, herbs and supplements especially when it is something as important as boosting your immune system!
Thank you to my readers for sending their questions in. Please put them on a post card and send them to my clinic address in Scottsdale below so I get to enjoy receiving something in the mail other than a bill. I love receiving your Naturopathic questions please keep in mind if they don't fit on a post card that you most likely need to pop on over to my SCHEDULE page and treat yourself to a Naturopathic consultation with me!
Dr. Nicole Sundene, NMD
Dr. Sundene is a Naturopathic Doctor in Scottsdale, Arizona, and is considered a Female Hormone Expert in Women's Health and Bioidentical Hormones. She specializes in Holistic Women's Health for Menopause, Thyroid, Hashimotos, PMS, Perimenopause, Autoimmune, Postpartum, Chronic Fatigue, Depression, Anxiety, Food Allergies, Digestion, Dermatology , Acne, Psoriasis, Eczema and Adrenal Hormonal Conditions. In 1999 she began working for a Hormone Doctor prior to starting Naturopathic Medical School. With over 22 years of experience in both Prescription and Natural women's health and hormones she presents to women the best integrated health solutions for their Chronic Disease. She has been an Herbalist for over 27 years and enjoys teaching women how to use herbs to balance their hormones, nutrition and optimize their health. Dr. Sundene relies on blood testing for her hormone metrics. The hormone testing is covered per the patient's insurance plan and conducted at certain points in the woman's menstrual cycle. To learn more about Hormone Testing for Women Visit: Bioidentical Hormones. Follow Dr. Sundene on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for more tips on Women's Health, Female Hormones and Naturopathy!
Dr. Nicole Sundene
Anemia is a complex Women’s Health chronic disease that requires a skilled women’s health doctor to assist with the proper nutrition testing and hormone testing needed to address and fully resolve the anemia. Oftentimes a complex myriad of hormone imbalance, malnutrition, and malabsorption are the underlying causes of chronic anemia. Deficiency in the vitamins and minerals needed to form red blood cells and hemoglobin such as iron, folate, copper, and B-12 can also be to blame.
WHAT CAUSES ANEMIA IN WOMEN?
Anemia for women is very different than anemia for men. Today we will focus on the most common cause of anemia for women, as this happens due to bleeding and although it is common, it is not healthy for women to have constant low iron. When men have anemia I am much more concerned because this is not normal. Men do not lose blood each month and therefore naturally have a higher iron store capacity upon testing than women.
The majority of women have anemia due to heavy menstrual bleeding. Women with heavy bleeding and periods that last longer than 5-7 days will suffer from chronic anemia until the cause of the heavy periods has been resolved. In Chinese Medicine we refer to this as “Blood Chi Deficiency” and prescribe foods that are known to help “build the blood.” Herbalists use “blood building herbs” such as Nettles, Dandelion, Cruciferous Vegetables, and Liver Support Foods. In Chinese Medicine a healthy liver builds healthy blood.
To build the blood in anemia for women we need to give proper foods rich in iron, b-12, folate, protein and good fats. I recommend incorporating the iron rich foods you like on my list below into your daily diet.
To properly address the anemia for most women we must correct the underlying hormone imbalance causing the heavy bleeding each month. Women with heavy periods that are constantly bleeding, or losing heavy amounts of blood daily will not be able to resolve their anemia nutritionally until the cause of the heavy bleeding is properly addressed and resolved with Naturopathic hormone balancing. We must conduct proper nutritional testing and hormone testing to properly resolve chronic anemia in women.
If the anemia is from an autoimmune disease such as in Hemolytic Anemia, Hashimotos, Lupus, Scleroderma, and Rheumatoid Arthritis, I generally incorporate foods and herbs that are anti-inflammatory to help slow the autoimmune reaction. Reducing inflammation is critical in autoimmune patients with anemia as well as those with malabsorption. Understanding why a woman is anemic is a complex process as the underlying ROOT CAUSE for most women is multi-factorial and a result of hormone imbalance causing heavy bleeding compounded by nutritional deficiencies or gastrointestinal issues from Heartburn, GERD, Bloating, IBS, Diarrhea, Food Allergies, Food Sensitivities, or Constipation causing an inability to absorb the needed nutrients to build red blood cells and hemoglobin.
WHAT ARE OPTIMAL IRON LEVELS FOR WOMEN?
While anemia labs can be very complex and confusing and involve running a CBC, Transferrin, TIBC, iron, b12, folate, and ferritin. Let me make it simple for you…. As a women’s health doctor the only number I really care about is the ferritin level, or "the iron storage." The ferritin number is the most important number to track as it is the actual amount of iron a woman has “in the bank.” If you are in the single digits with your ferritin you are essentially “bankrupt,” and at high risk of passing out from lack of proper oxygenation to your brain and tissues. This is serious and dangerous and should get corrected ASAP. For optimal energy, mood, skin, and mental health women should have ferritin stores above 75.
ANEMIA SYMPTOMS
Symptoms of anemia are various and vague including fatigue, depression, food cravings, anxiety, dry skin, pale mucous membranes, weakness, shortness of breath, dizziness, cold hands and feet, always feeling cold, dry skin, eczema, chapped lips, dry mucous membranes, vaginal dryness, painful intercourse, headaches, shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat or sudden change in heartbeat such as in POTS (Positional Orthostatic Tachycardia) and feeling easily fatigued especially upon standing up.
Less common anemia symptoms include increased cravings for food and non-nutritive items such as ice, dirt, and paint chips. “Pica” is the persistent eating of non-nutritive substances and is a hallmark symptom of anemia. When pregnant women constantly crave ice chips and have to munch on ice chips I am immediately checking their iron levels. Dermatology conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, and dyshidrotic eczema often are triggered by low iron stores as the body is not able to properly diffuse oxygen to the skin, causing dry skin that is more susceptible to these conditions.
WHAT IS ANEMIA?
Generally with anemia there are not enough red blood cells and/or not enough hemoglobin present in the red blood cells to carry oxygen molecules around the body. This results in tissues not perfusing oxygen properly and results in weak muscles, fatigue, dizziness, and is the common trigger behind POTS or Positional Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome which can cause women to feel dizzy and pass out or feel as if they will pass out.
TREATMENT FOR ANEMIA
Treatment for anemia involves replacing the lost iron every month with a better form of iron than iron sulfate or ferrous sulfate which is the most commonly prescribed form of iron at the pharmacy. If you have anemia that is not improving, or stomach pains, nausea, constipation or your levels remain low despite taking it regularly….please just throw your iron sulfate or ferrous sulfate into the garbage can. Ferrous bisglycinate or iron bisglycinate is the more gentle form of iron, that is better absorbed and women with anemia should be taking it at 25-30mg two to three times daily. Research shows women can absorb iron just as easily by taking 65mg every other day as taking it throughout the day. However, some women cannot always stomach high doses of iron even when taken with sufficient food. Women with anemia that cannot stomach iron should consider smaller doses of iron taken with meals. There are now iron patches available as an alternative that may be helpful. Many of my anemia patients see them helping and the numbers are coming up faster when we combine an iron patch with iron supplementation, and iron rich foods.
Black tea and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and zinc should be taken away from iron supplements and certain medications such as thyroid hormones and, other minerals that will compete for absorption. Minerals and thyroid hormone require a rich stomach acid, therefore less minerals will be absorbed when taken within 2-4 hours of each other.
Men do not lose their iron stores by bleeding each month and generally do not need as much iron as women do. When men develop anemia this is a very serious concern that should not be ignored, similar to menopausal women developing anemia when they are no longer losing blood each month.
#1 Problem for anemia is understanding “The Root Cause.” We should not blindly give every “anemic” patient iron when they may need B-12 or may have actual iron overload which can look like anemia in the red blood cells but the iron levels are actually too high from excessive dietary iron intake such as an all red meat diet, or hemochromatosis a genetic condition causing excessive iron absorption. Proper diagnosis for anemia is critical.
In a nutshell most women have anemia from hormone imbalances such as PCOS, Perimenopause, Hypothyroidism, and Hashimotos. Correcting the thyroid is essential to healthy red blood cell formation.
ANEMIA PREVENTION FOR WOMEN
A simple multivitamin or prenatal vitamin can prevent a host of annoying women’s health symptoms I see from anemia in my women’s health practice such as hair loss, fatigue, anxiety, depression, dry skin, eczema, and brittle weak nails.
As a women’s health doctor I do not find it realistic for women to go without a multivitamin or a prenatal if the bleeding is heavy. While it is important to pretend you are eating a healthy variety of foods in lieu of a multivitamin, I do not agree that women are fine without a multivitamin to replace their lost nutrients each month. Menstruating women lose too much blood and often cannot get enough nutrients from our nutrient-poor foods.
OTHER CAUSES OF ANEMIA
Aside from hormone imbalance causing heavy bleeding, women that are Vegetarian are often anemic due to lack of dietary B-12 and iron. Women with chronic anemia generally have issues with their gastrointestinal tract whether it be heartburn causing them to not produce enough acid to absorb iron, or inflammation in their digestive tract causing them to not be able to absorb the iron they are taking.
Sickle Cell Anemia, Aplastic Anemia, Thyroid Disease, Pernicious Anemia, Low B-12, Liver Disease, Cancer, Kidney Disease, and Autoimmune Disease also can cause anemia although I rarely see these. It is important we have a proper diagnosis and have ruled out some of these dangerous conditions with proper labs and never just ignore anemia. Especially since many women with untreated anemia end up with depression, chronic fatigue, hair loss, headaches, moodiness, heart palpitations, and cold intolerance.
When women with anemia are regularly taking iron and the ferritin store levels are not increasing then we have to investigate “The Root Cause” of the malabsorption.
TYPES OF ANEMIA
There are many types of anemia with iron deficiency anemia (IDA) being the most common type of anemia. Anemia is categorized as normocytic (normal-sized red blood cells often found in kidney disease and chronic disease) microcytic (red blood cells are too small such as in IDA) and macrocytic anemia (red blood cells are too large) The most common types of anemia aside from IDA include hemolytic anemia which is an autoimmune disease, pernicious anemia caused by an inability to absorb B-12. Kidney disease and disease of the gastrointestinal tract also cause anemia. Women that run can become anemic as the constant pounding of their feet on the ground can rapidly destroy red blood cells and thus should compensate for this inevitable loss of red blood cells.
Chronic infections also cause iron stores to be hidden from the body as a protective measure and should be investigated once other common causes of anemia are ruled out.
Treatment for anemia involves first investigating the Root Cause of the anemia as it is often different for women. Most women with anemia should take a high-quality women's multivitamin or prenatal vitamin every day in addition to eating lean red meat or the following foods that are rich in iron while avoiding the foods that block iron absorption:
FOODS RICH IN IRON WOMEN SHOULD EAT DAILY
Red meat, oysters, blackstrap molasses, swiss chard, dulse, lima beans, potatoes, soy beans, garbanzo beans, enriched rice, pinto beans, kidney beans, turkey dark meat, leeks, dandelion greens, apricots, cornflakes, enriched cereals, kale, pumpkin, squash, black beans, spinach (cooked is more absorbable) broccoli, almonds, cocoa powder, peas, beans, brewers yeast, quinoa, figs, sunflower seeds, raisins, beans, lamb, prunes, endive, cod, turkey, tofu, egg, parsley, kelp, oats, corn, peanuts, cashews, rice, pork chops, lettuce, almond butter, blueberries, bananas, and raspberries.
AVOID FOODS THAT BLOCK IRON ABSORPTION
Tannic acid from Black Tea (not Green Tea) has been shown to block iron absorption. Pectin and phytic acid from beans and citrus are traditionally thought to interfere with iron absorption, although the same 2015 study on female iron levels concluded neither actually interfered with iron absorption. Another iron study in 2015 found that beans and legumes did not interfere with iron absorption except for soy which was found to only slightly decrease iron absorption. Soy is also a natural source of iron.
Patients with anemia should not consume black tea or if they do, should definitely not consume black tea with their iron supplements or meals. Phenolic compounds in some green leafy vegetables may also block the absorption of iron. Cooking the greens can diminish this effect. I like to saute my greens with olive oil for better absorption of nutrients.
Important Anemia Final Note: Cooking vegetarian sources of iron generally improves absorption for anemia patients. Research indicates eating “Heme iron” or iron from meat will also help the iron supplement absorb better. Generally for most women simply taking an iron supplement each day is sufficient but for complex cases of anemia we should take these factors into consideration when treating anemia.
If you need help with your anemia treatment simply pop over to my SCHEDULE page, I would be happy to help you!
Dr. Nicole Sundene
(480) 837-0900
Dr. Sundene is a Naturopathic Doctor in Scottsdale, Arizona, and is a Female Hormone Expert in Women's Health and Bioidentical Hormones. She specializes in Holistic Women's Health for Menopause, Thyroid, Hashimotos, PMS, Perimenopause, Autoimmune, Postpartum, Chronic Fatigue, Depression, Anxiety, Food Allergies, Digestion, Dermatology, Acne, Psoriasis, Eczema, and Adrenal Hormonal Conditions. In 1999 she began working for a Hormone Doctor prior to starting Naturopathic Medical School. With over 23 years of experience in both Prescription and Natural women's health and hormones, she presents to women the best-integrated health solutions for their Chronic Disease.
She has been an Herbalist for over 28 years and enjoys teaching women how to use herbs to balance their hormones, nutrition and optimize their health. Dr. Sundene relies on blood testing for her hormone metrics. The hormone testing is covered per the patient's insurance plan (not Medicaid) and conducted at certain points in the woman's menstrual cycle. To learn more about Hormone Testing for Women Visit: Bioidentical Hormones. Follow Dr. Sundene on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for more tips on Women's Health, Female Hormones, and Naturopathy!
References:
Not being from Phoneix, I was very confused by the Ocotillo when we first met. Ocotillo is one of the STRANGEST plants in the desert. Just when we think it is completely dead and beyond hope it suddenly SPRINGS back to life and makes these GORGEOUS bright orange flowers!
Native Americans traditionally used Ocotillo tea from the bark and flowers to treat coughs, bladder infections, pelvic congestion, varicose veins, swelling and sore muscles. The long spiny branches were also used to make fences.
The flowers can be eaten raw in salads and taste somewhat like chamomile when made into tea. The long tube-like flowers are a favorite of hummingbirds which is what helps them proliferate in the desert.
Ocotillo flower essence is indicated for “The Wounded Healer” as it is an energetic protector that is thought to help us respond and not react. It is energetically healing for those that feel victimized. As with any herbal remedy please check with your Naturopathic Doctor before using any new herbs!
Dr. Nicole Sundene, NMD
Dr. Sundene is a Naturopathic Doctor in Scottsdale, Arizona, and is considered a Female Hormone Expert in Women's Health and Bioidentical Hormones. She specializes in Holistic Women's Health for Menopause, Thyroid, Hashimotos, PMS, Perimenopause, Autoimmune, Postpartum, Chronic Fatigue, Depression, Anxiety, Food Allergies, Digestion, Dermatology , Acne, Psoriasis, Eczema and Adrenal Hormonal Conditions. In 1999 she began working for a Hormone Doctor prior to starting Naturopathic Medical School. With over 22 years of experience in both Prescription and Natural women's health and hormones she presents to women the best integrated health solutions for their Chronic Disease. She has been an Herbalist for over 27 years and enjoys teaching women how to use herbs to balance their hormones, nutrition and optimize their health. Dr. Sundene relies on blood testing for her hormone metrics. The hormone testing is covered per the patient's insurance plan and conducted at certain points in the woman's menstrual cycle. To learn more about Hormone Testing for Women Visit: Bioidentical Hormones. Follow Dr. Sundene on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for more tips on Women's Health, Female Hormones and Naturopathy!
Dr. Nicole Sundene, NMD
"What natural treatments can I use to help my IBS symptoms?"
~Kelly T Scottsdale, AZ
Finding a good Gastroenetologist to treat IBS symptoms with lasting results, can be very challenging. While I am not a Gastroenterologist, I have helped a lot of women in my seventeen years as a Naturopathic Doctor achieve remission or at least much better control with my "Naturopathic IBS Process" I will review today.
Natural IBS Relief for my patients is very troubling and challenging to achieve. That is why helping with this is one of my favorite things to do, especially when I was younger I was SO EMBARRASSED to even tell my doctor about this. Also, as a child growing up I thought it was totally normal to feel like someone was stabbing me in the stomach with knives. Many days I would sit hunched over my desk holding my stomach in severe pain as a child at school, scared the teacher would not give me a bathroom past fast enough or at all...
So of course my IBS symptoms became MUCH WORSE when I went off to college as a seventeen year old. The stress was triggering me and I was convinced the school put sawdust in my food because my belly would swell up like a balloon after each dorm cafeteria meal.
The good news about this though, is that severe stomach pain no doctor or gastroenterolostic could solve, is what brought me into the Naturopathic Doctor profession. As I tell in more detail in my story about "Why I Became a Naturopathic Doctor."
Up until that point I was on track to be an OBgyn and studying biochemistry and premed. My professional pivot point happened because nobody in MD land could fix my female bloating. Why would I want to go to school to learn how to be ineffective?
The relief I found from Naturopathic Medicine was truly astonishing and much better than any prescription drug I had tried from the variety of specialists I visited with. Up until that point I had been on a very stressful loop of doctor appointments and scary tests.
Furthermore, the Naturopathic Doctor talked to me for an hour about my sleep, stress, period, diet, schedule, and alcohol consumption. Things nodody ever asked me about before and I suddenly realized as I ate more junk food and had greater stress and less sleep my IBS symptoms were flaring badly.
As a teenager away from my family at college, I was going to all these appointments for my IBS by myself, and it was my first time without my mom there to answer the doctors questions.
First the college campus doctor sent me to an internal medicine doctor who had no answers. The Internist then sent me to a GI Doctor. That GI Doctor did some tests, then sent me to a different Gastrogenterology specialist. I saw multiple Gastroenterologists to no avail and nobody could seem to ever help me with the alternating Female Bloating, and severe IBS pain I suffered with.
HOW IS NATURAL GASTROENTEROLOGY DIFFERENT THAN AN MD DERMATOLOGIST?
Finding a good Gastroenterologist that provides long term lasting solutions for IBS is very difficult is basically what I learned from my own heartburn, stomach pain, and female hormonal bloating. The pills I were prescribed were basically useless and my depression and anxiety worsened as I felt more nervous at school, and hopeless there were decent long term solutions.
If you have IBS you begin to develop anxiety because most of my patients with these unpredictable symptoms eventually develop anxiety over not having control of their schedule, event, or work day.
HOW DO YOU HELP WOMEN WITH THEIR FEMALE HORMONAL IBS AND BLOATING?
So today I would like to talk about how I address chronic upset stomach symptoms much differently than the average GI Doctor, or Gastroenterologist. Don't get me wrong, I am not "poo pooing" going to the MD Gastroenterologist at all. Honestly, I highly recommend and prefer you go to an MD Gastroenterology Specialist first to determine there is nothing actually wrong with you like cancer. They can perform a variety of tests to rule out cancer such as blood work, ultrasound, x-rays, Colonoscopies and Endoscopies.
When I worked in regular Gastroenterology as the hospital I worked at for eight years we would constantly scope patients, and if we found nothing wrong, then the doctor would give me a handout on IBS Foods to Avoid (Listed Below), and ask me to call and update our post surgical patients the "good news" that they are healthy and "Just have IBS."
Well as nice as that is to know that you don't have cancer, it certainly does not fix the IBS symptoms and patients would often call back complaining to me that their stomach was still getting worse and the doctor would want them to come back in for more testing. One patient at the hospital I worked at called me every single day about her IBS for nearly eight years!
While I am certain she is probably not still alive at >115 years... she will always be alive and well in my mind! I guess you can call it somewhat of a hazing process that I went through at the hospital I first worked at in 1999, I was a new grad, and twenty-four year old newbie so all the older doctor's and nurses in charge of me passed her off to me and only me as an "educational opportunity." What I learned working in a big clinic that managed IBS symptoms, is that after a while every doctor and nurse begins to lose empathy for IBS patients because they don't know what else to do. So eventually you may see your doctor hit this brick wall with your IBS symptoms and they then dismiss you with.... "Deal with your gas. The average person has gas fourteen times per day. This is all normal and fine." But it is not fine, and IBS patients do not feel fine.
So I got assigned this elderly IBS woman's chart routinely to call and triage her chronic constipation and IBS symptoms. Some days when it was bad she would call me three times a day. On her good days she would call me once a day. Every day my nursing supervisor would know exactly when I was talking to her and actually review other patients she needed me to call as we both listened to her review the same frustrating IBS symptoms each and every day.
For many days in a row we constantly reviewed her doctor's IBS plan I was to enforce of prunes, a long with increasing her hydration, her fiber intake, her magnesium, and to no avail, she was not any better. Every day she would tell me exactly the same thing and I would tell her doctor exactly the same thing.
No doctor or nurse could handle the poor elderly woman's confusion over her female bloating and constipation, and because I was the youngest there... all the doctor's and nurses literally dumped this patient they all knew they could not help on me as my personal project to manage. While I knew I was being somewhat hazed as a newbie, I was also convinced to care and listen and try to help her solve the constipation by adding in more hydrating fruits and not so many dried fruits which finally seem to work and eventually we would hear from her several times a week instead of several times per day.
It literally got to the point that she would call the nursing triage line and start with, "Nicole....." and if I answers the phone I knew it was her immediately, as did any nurse, assistant, or receptionist in our clinic. My support staff would tell her to hold a moment and instantly transfer her to my desk. We do learn and memorize our patients sometimes just by the sound of their voice. So my very first "Dear IBS Patient" and I basically became BFF's. Her doctor would scream at me any time I mentioned her name, would basically tell me to deal with it unless she was hemorrhaging internally with blood or black stools he did not want to hear about it.
The pressure was on me, and I am a stubborn competitive Scandinavian doctor that likes to see results. So it was all on me to help this patient feel "heard" about her painful stomach aches, gas and bloating. I learned instead of falling victim to it at exactly the wrong time each day ie: the early morning and late afternoon are the worst time to try to talk to your busy doctor or nursing staff, I became proactive and would wait to return her call every late morning, once my call button was off, and I no had any other patients to triage stressing me out wondering if it was a heart attack, stitches or a fracture I needed to triage.
So every day around 10am, I would grab a cup of tea, from the break room and do some stretching and gear up somewhat like a professional athlete, for my daily marathon constipation nursing call about her constipation and bloating. Often I could complete a full fifteen minutes yoga stretching routine while listening to her through my headset. She generally spoke at a rate that nobody could interrupt, and it was the exact same description of her stools I would listen to each day.
Every day for many years, I would eventually do yoga or just kick my legs up and listen to her complain to me about her ongoing IBS symptoms for a good fifteen minutes before reiterating the same advice her doctor always told me to tell her when we reviewed her case.... the same advice that still continued to fail her, and despite me being able to provide her empathy for her IBS, I did not have a long term lasting solutions to help reduce her female IBS and bloating symptoms. We were both frustrated.
Working many years as a telephone triage nurse for the Gastroenterologist, I was the person triaging his post surgical patients for emergencies while managing chronic patients through our portal. I learned a lot from sending all the different GI Doctor's messages about their patient's concerning IBS symptoms, and often their solution would be for me to call to the pharmacy another drug that did not seem to provide lasting relief, caused side effects, or even worse did not fix the IBS symptoms at all. Many patients would get worse with the prescription medicines, fiber, psyllium, and stool softeners they would recommend for female constipation.
This was in 1999 before I started Naturopathic school, and I was using the hospital based IBS management system, and at the time I will admit, I was frustrated too, because I did not know what I know now as a Naturopathic Women's Health Doctor. Thus the reason, I share my most common IBS patient's story. A story I have since heard many times, with the same failed treatments.
Let me help you learn from my past mistakes and lack of proper education about IBS symptoms and why we need to address them properly like a screaming toddler and expect if we cover their mouth with our hand.... they will stop screaming.
Every parent knows that when they try to stop a kid from crying they may even get violent and kick or even bite you, so it is best to "listen to why they are upset" in the first place. In order to do that we need to implement my IBS symptoms process that helps to understand why my IBS patient's gut is screaming at them that it is not happy.
The spoiler alert in my story of "Why I became a Women's Health Naturopathic Doctor," is that I had gone to a half dozen of them in college, had a battery of stressful tests conducted on me that seemed to just worsen my anxiety and fears I had cancer in college, and nothing they prescribed me ever seem to help my symptoms.
The real problem is that nobody was talking to me about my nutrition, and I had recently changed to the Vegan Diet my room mates in college were eating, and many of the new foods that were supposed "Healthy Foods for Women," were not a good choice for the "Nicole Diet."
This is where Naturopathic Medicine really shines, because we are tailoring the patient's nutrition, macronutrients, and micronutrients to what specifically worked for them. If one diet truly fit all, then we would not have IBS or Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and the food that is the right fuel for my body, is oftentimes not the right exact diet for my patients. While I give all my patients my Naturopathic Hormone Balancing Diet Program when they enroll which has the top fifteen allergens I most commonly see removed, nightshades are removed, and foods that specifically irritate the lining of the intestinal tract such as citrus and cashews are removed, I still have to work to adjust the meal plans and recipes to what works specifically for my patient.
HOW IS NATUROPATHIC GASTROENTEROLOGY DIFFERENT THAN MD GASTROENTEROLOGY?
Helping women manage their IBS naturally with nutritional changes, microbiome testing and management, hormone testing, and food trigger elimination, is one of my favorite things to do as a Naturopathic Doctor!
I know first hand how scary it feels to not know where the next bathroom will be or if I will make it through a long bathroom wait line with IBS symptoms. I know stress is a terrible IBS trigger because my stressful biochemistry track I was on in college is what started flaring my stomach pains. The less reliable my stomach became the greater my anxiety. Which then suddenly became a vicious IBS loop.
WHAT IS IRRITIABLE BOWEL SYNDROME? (IBS)
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) also known as chronic digestive issues resulting in diarrhea, constipation or alternating diarrhea and constipation is best improved with Naturopathy.
WHY DO MORE WOMEN HAVE IBS SYMPTOMS THAN MEN?
When women are noticing IBS symptoms flare with PMS, Perimenopause or Menopause that can indicate a hormonal Root Cause. Hashimotos Thyroiditis and Hypothyroidism can also impact digestion and cause constipation or diarrhea. Most hypothyroid patients struggle with constipation. With menopausal changes, your body becomes more dry and inflamed.
I hope any patients suffering with IBS symptoms feel comfortable talking to me about their embarrassing symptoms because back in the 90's I was terrified with anxiety to talk to my doctor about these very common Women's Health symptoms and that also was part of what delayed my ability to receive help for the IBS.
I was having massive stomach pain and problems and no MD I went to could ever help me. Each day in college I felt like a victim of IBS and never knew when it would strike. Would I have an episode during a test or a presentation? I felt terrified of the random pattern of the IBS and was never sure what to do, what to eat, or what medicine to take for my IBS.
Eventually, a friend recommended I see her Naturopathic Doctor who promptly tested me for Food Sensitivities and prescribed an IBS diet and Herbal Medicine supplements to help me finally get control of the IBS symptoms. The Naturopathic Doctor also talked to me about my stress levels as I was a college student that had just moved an hour from her parents for the first time and stressful life changes also seemed to be an underlying cause of my IBS. I had such a great experience with that Naturopathic Doctor that I decided to stop my pre-med plan to become an OBgyn and go to school instead to be a Women's Health Naturopathic Doctor.
WHAT CAUSES IBS SYMPTOMS?
The causes for IBS are not completely clear; physical and emotional issues, as well as dietary factors or irritants, have all been linked to this condition. Possible treatment considerations for IBS include increasing dietary fiber, eliminating allergic/intolerant foods, addressing the possible contribution of emotional components, and incorporating nutritional therapies. In many cases, IBS can be controlled by managing diet, lifestyle, and stress. From my experience as a Naturopathic Doctor treating a lot of digestive issues, I most commonly find there is a Food Sensitivity we can easily test for via a simple finger poke. Knowing which foods upset my stomach was a huge game-changer for me and explained why some meals I was fine when I was eating a small number of foods I was sensitive to, but it was the meals where I had unwittingly mixed ALL of my food sensitivities together that I would have a severe uncontrollable IBS flare! Mystery solved! Herbal medicine is then needed to heal the inflamed gut while we eliminate the triggers as in "Leaky Gut Syndrome." Eventually, the reactions to most of the foods on the Food Sensitivity test diminish and the patient can return to a normal diet rotating their allergens and continuing to watch for flares.
Nutrition Guidelines
Fiber acts like a sponge by attracting water into the digestive tract, softening stools and preventing constipation. On the flip side, fiber is also useful for adding bulk to the stool which is helpful when diarrhea is present.
Bitter foods can improve the whole upper digestive system’s function and enhance the absorption of nutrients. Try adding some bitters to meals, which include chicory, endive, radicchio, and dandelion greens.
WHAT IS THE "MAGICAL HERB" THAT WILL CURE MY IBS SYMPTOMS?
If there was a magical exotic herb from the rainforest that I could take to cure my IBS permanently, trust me I would be taking that IBS herb, and blogging about it. Many of my IBS patients expect I have some magical herb to cure their IBS. That is not a realistic expectation, and instead I am working the above IBS steps with my patients to understand what makes their specific IBS symptoms better or worse. Herbal medicine is best used to help manage symptoms and heal the lining of the digestive tract so it can make HCL and enzymes again.
Herbal and Nutritional Supplements have been shown in research studies to be helpful in the treatment of IBS.
HOW DO I KNOW WHAT MY IBS FOOD TRIGGERS ARE?
Food Allergies and Sensitivities have often been linked to the symptoms of IBS. Roughly two-thirds of patients have some type of food intolerance or allergy. I have never seen a patient in my practice that did not have some form of food sensitivity triggering their IBS. Therefore, it is imperative that patients address these causes and eliminate the offending agents. Talk to your Naturopathic Doctor about identifying potential food allergens through Food Sensitivity Testing.
Lifestyle Guidelines
Emotional Components such as depression, insomnia, fatigue, and anxiety are often associated with IBS sufferers. Increased contractions of the colon have been shown to occur in patients with IBS in response to stressful situations, which can lead to uncomfortable symptoms.
Various methods of treatment that may be helpful to reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and fatigue include biofeedback, individual counseling, guided imagery, and physical activity. If necessary, seek the help of a professional to manage stress or other emotional factors.
It is important to determine the cause of any intestinal complaint; therefore infectious or other causes of bowel symptoms must be ruled out prior to diagnosis of IBS. Once a diagnosis of IBS has been made, know that stress and emotional factors weigh heavily in the equation and should be addressed as part of treatment. Food Sensitivity Testing from a reputable lab company is mandatory for me to properly help IBS patients. Please make sure it is affordable to work with me as well as afford a Food Sensitivity Test as we will need a few visits together and the specialty test is not covered per insurance as the majority of the labs I order usually are such as Hormone Testing is covered per your insurance plan.
Thank you for your great Naturopathic questions! Please send them to me on a postcard to my address below as I love to get something in the mail that is not a bill. If your question cannot fit on a postcard that means you need to treat yourself to a Naturopathic visit with me. Pop over to my SCHEDULE page to get that set up!
Dr. Nicole Sundene, NMD
(480) 837-0900
Dr. Sundene is a Naturopathic Doctor in Scottsdale, Arizona, and is considered a Female Hormone Expert in Women's Health and Bioidentical Hormones. She specializes in Holistic Women's Health for Menopause, Thyroid, Hashimotos, PMS, Perimenopause, Autoimmune, Postpartum Depression, Chronic Fatigue, Holistic Psychiatry, Depression, Anxiety, Chronic Pain, Autoimmunity, Food Sensitivities, Digestion, Dermatology, Acne, Psoriasis, Eczema, and Adrenal Hormonal Conditions. In 1999 she began working for a Hormone Doctor prior to starting Naturopathic Medical School. With over 22 years of experience in both Prescription and Natural women's health and hormones, she presents to women the best-integrated health solutions for their Chronic Disease. She has been an Herbalist for over 27 years and enjoys teaching women how to use herbs to balance their hormones, nutrition and optimize their health. Dr. Sundene relies on blood testing for her hormone metrics. The hormone testing is covered per the patient's insurance plan and conducted at certain points in the woman's menstrual cycle. To learn more about Hormone Testing for Women Visit: Bioidentical Hormones. Follow Dr. Sundene on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for more tips on Women's Health, Female Hormones, and Naturopathy!
Dr. Nicole Sundene, NMD
“Insulin Resistance? Nobody cares about Insulin Resistance” was what one of my patients with severe insulin resistance told me she was told by her anesthesiologist when he asked if she was diabetic. She laughed as she told me that her Cardiologist was just as dumbfounded by these statements as I was! Her Cardiologist actually agreed with me on the insulin resistance causing her high blood pressure.
I asked my patient… “Is it okay that I am about to now go on an Insulin Resistance blogging rampage and tell this story?” She told me to go for it so please enjoy today’s rant about why doctors and patients need to stop ignoring insulin resistance! We must screen routinely for insulin resistance and implement the appropriate diet and supplements so patients can be successful with getting their “Fat Storage” hormone under control.
Because until they do the insulin resistance will cause them to just continue to gain more and more weight until they are type 2 diabetic and have high blood pressure.
Ignorance around Insulin Resistance is EXACTLY what is wrong with everyone in America! I have worked in women’s health for 23 years now and I am finding patients with severe insulin resistance in my practice every single day. Because I specialize in PCOS and hormone imbalance, I test for insulin on all of my routine hormone panels…and guess what?
It is actually the #1 most common cause that women to gain weight. While everyone is hiring me to figure out if they have a thyroid condition causing their metabolism to slow down, what I find more often than not in this scenario is that insulin resistance is causing them to gain weight and gumming up their metabolism. Insulin is the evil enemy that grabs every carb and fat you eat and slaps it into fat storage. Leaving my insulin-resistant patients with chronic fatigue because they are not able to burn carbs or fat properly for energy and are then left with protein as their main source of fuel.
Doctors should be checking every American’s insulin numbers to prevent diabetes, hypertension, weight gain, and PCOS the leading cause of hormone imbalance in women.
I am so SICK of the SICK care system that fails to focus on prevention, and instead just waits until you have a stroke from high blood pressure caused by insulin resistance and only then will insurance pay for you to have expensive physical therapy to teach you how to walk and talk again… yet it doesn’t care about screening for insulin resistance. Frankly, I don’t even know why we are so obsessed with cholesterol numbers while totally failing to test insulin levels, when the majority of my hormone patients are challenged more by the inflammation from insulin causing them high LDL, high triglycerides, high blood pressure, hormone imbalance, mood swings, headaches, and PCOS.
Patients with a fasting insulin number greater than 8 are on the fast track for diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and obesity. I see my patients with a fasting insulin >20 become Type 2 Diabetic within 5 years. Sometimes sooner. Oftentimes it is not possible for patients to get their insulin numbers under control merely with a low carb diet alone because wildly swinging blood sugar numbers trigger hypoglycemia which generally causes my patients to binge eat when they get too hungry.
I find every single day of my career that patients with fasting insulin above >10 are completely unable to lose weight until the insulin numbers are corrected with herbs and supplements. This process generally takes 6-12 months of diligent work. Most of my patients with insulin resistance cannot adhere to the reality that there is no quick fix to their weight gain, and also need to be in counseling about their disordered eating patterns because there is generally an emotional component and physical component impacting the patient’s eating pattern.
Instead of setting patients with weight gain and insulin resistance up for failure by telling them to simply follow a low to moderate carb diet that is low in saturated fat, we also must implement counseling along with herbs and supplements that help stabilize the blood sugar and improve sensitivity to insulin.
In a country full of obesity we do not have time for doctors that are ignorant about insulin and do not care about insulin resistance. Especially with viruses circling around us that are more likely to cause long-term effects and increased mortality in those with impaired immune systems from Type 2 Diabetes as one of the leading factors of death and long hauler symptoms!
In order to properly address insulin resistance, we must understand what it is, and why it is occurring.
What is Insulin Resistance?
Insulin resistance is an impaired body response to normal insulin levels in the body resulting in metabolic complications. The body cells fail to respond to insulin hormone stimulation, specifically in the muscles, adipose tissues, and liver.
Initially, the pancreas increases insulin hormone production and secretion, but eventually, pancreatic beta cells wear out, and insulin resistance worsens. The insulin no longer works efficiently, the insulin levels increase resulting in hyperinsulinemia. High cholesterol, high LDL, high triglycerides occur as the metabolism of saturated fats, lipids and glucose get disrupted [1]. Today we will discuss diet prevention and treatment of insulin resistance. It is important patients are under the care of a doctor that specializes in insulin resistance as low blood sugar can potentially be dangerous.
It is important to note that insulin resistance leads to prediabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Plus, other consequences of insulin resistance include metabolic complications such as high cholesterol, high uric acid level, endothelial dysfunction, visceral adiposity, and high blood pressure. However, there are many preventive and treatment strategies to overcome insulin resistance and reduce the risk of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes mellitus [1].
What Causes Insulin Resistance?
Like other endocrine dysfunctions, the common causes of insulin resistance include poor diet (such as a diet high in carbs), physical inactivity, family history, and obesity. Other risk factors of insulin resistance are smoking, gestational diabetes, high cholesterol level, ethnicity, high blood pressure, hormonal disorders (Cushing syndrome, etc.), autoimmune disease, age, prediabetes symptoms, sleep problems, and certain drugs such as steroids, HIV medications, and antipsychotics. Note that African, Latino, or Native American and older individuals (>45 Yrs.) are at high risk of insulin resistance [1, 2, 15].
Insulin Resistance Symptoms
Common skin and Dermatology signs of insulin resistance are hormonal acne, skin tags (small skin growth) and acanthosis nigricans (darkened skin in the neck, back, groin, and armpits) significantly indicate insulin resistance. Patients with insulin resistance commonly complain of headaches, fatigue, joint pain, and weight gain.
Lab Tests Indicating Insulin Resistance:
The following blood markers help determine the diagnosis of insulin resistance. These include:
Patients with the above symptoms and findings almost always have insulin resistance and are therefore at extremely high risk of requiring medication for Type 2 Diabetes if they are not already on it. [1, 2, 3].
Insulin Resistance Mechanisms
Insulin resistance is attributed to many factors and biochemical pathways. These include: hormonal disturbances (including the ratio of insulin to glucagon hormone, excess of catecholamines and glucocorticoid secretion), defects in insulin signaling at a cellular level, down-regulation of insulin, disturbed GLUT4 function, and also genetic polymorphism of insulin receptors [1, 2].
Insulin Resistance and Syndromes
Insulin resistance is highly associated with metabolic, clinical, and insulin resistance syndromes. Note that syndrome means a cluster of abnormalities that worsen the current condition and favors other chronic medical complications. The metabolic syndrome associated with insulin resistance involves high blood pressure, obesity, high fasting glucose level, and abnormal triglyceride and HDL cholesterol levels.
Metabolic syndrome associated with insulin resistance increases the risk of various clinical complications, including type 2 diabetes mellitus, stroke, cardiovascular dysfunction, PCOS, sleep apnea, liver disease, and “essential hypertension” aka high blood pressure.
Insulin resistance includes elevated pro-inflammatory markers, abnormal uric acid metabolism, endothelial dysfunction, glucose intolerance, and an increased testosterone secretion by the ovaries [2, 3].
Insulin Resistance and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM)
The most common medical consequence of uncontrolled Insulin resistance is Type 2 diabetes. Medical research studies reported that insulin resistance precedes T2DM development by 10-15 years. Initially, during insulin resistance, the pancreas increases insulin production and compensates for the tolerance to insulin. As a result, the pancreas elevates the insulin level that potentiates weight gain, aggravating insulin resistance condition.
This compensatory cycle can negatively affect or even destroy the pancreatic beta-cell function (insulin production) with time. Thus, the insulin level does not meet the body requirement resulting in an abnormal glucose level in the blood and eventually Type 2 diabetes mellitus [2, 15].
Insulin Resistance and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
In addition to T2DM, insulin resistance is significantly associated with the development of PCOS in women. Medical research studies reported a relationship between insulin resistance, the severity of genetic defects in insulin sensitivity, and PCOS pathogenesis (the most common endocrine dysfunction in women). Studies reported that PCOS, obesity, and growth spurts in adolescents also damage insulin sensitivity. During insulin resistance, the high insulin level (hyperinsulinemia) in the body increases luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion and androgen production by the pituitary gland that causes ovarian dysfunction.
Insulin resistance combined with obesity increases estrogen production that further disrupt the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. Further, the high insulin level suppresses sex hormone-binding globulin by the liver and increases the free androgen level in the body. As a result, the free androgen level further impacts insulin resistance and aggravates PCOS. Insulin resistance management can help ovarian function and improve PCOS symptoms [2].
Insulin Resistance and Hypertension
Essential hypertension or High blood pressure with no secondary causes is highly associated with insulin resistance. Medical research studies reported that hyperinsulinemia (during insulin resistance) increases sodium retention in the kidney and potentiates sympathetic nervous system activity causing high blood pressure. The further development of endothelial dysfunction due to insulin resistance and high blood pressure then cause a further elevation of blood pressure [2].
Insulin Resistance and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)
In insulin resistance, the muscle and adipose tissue enhance the free fatty acid delivery to the liver. In the liver, the synthesis of triglycerides increases except for the very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) triglycerides. High insulin increases the transport of VLDL triglycerides from the liver. As a result, insulin resistance increases the fat accumulation in the liver and significantly precedes NAFLD- Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, or liver failure that is caused by consuming too much sugar and saturated fat. NAFLD generally progresses to various liver failure conditions, including steatohepatitis, cirrhosis, and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis [2].
Insulin resistance and Migraines/Headache
There is a common association between insulin resistance, diabetes, and migraine. Guldiken et al. in 2009 reported a high prevalence of migraine in individuals with diabetes mellitus (DM), greater waist circumference, and high body mass index (BMI). As blood sugar drops because insulin take the sugar and puts it in to fat cell storage, the patient then gets a migraine or headache from the sudden drop in blood sugar. The higher the insulin the worse the headaches become.
Insulin resistance and High Cholesterol
Insulin resistance significantly affects and alters lipid metabolism resulting in dyslipidemia or lipid abnormalities. During insulin resistance, the level of plasma triglycerides and very-low-density lipoproteins (VLDL) increases, while the high-density lipoproteins level decreases and small dense LDL appears. As a result, combined with any endothelial dysfunction, the lipid abnormalities associated with insulin resistance potentially increase the risk of cardiovascular events [2, 4, 15].
Insulin Resistance Treatment
Insulin Resistance Lifestyle Modification Treatments
Lifestyle interventions play a significant role in the management of insulin resistance treatment. The most important lifestyle interventions are proper diet and regular physical activities. Diet must be optimized accordingly, as discussed in the Insulin Resistance Diet section. Regular exercise and physical activity improves calorie expenditure and insulin sensitivity. Patients should attend seminars, education programs, and anti-diabetic campaigns [1, 15].
Insulin Resistance Treatment Medications
In addition to lifestyle interventions, different type-2 diabetes mellitus medications also help insulin resistance management. However, note that they are not FDA-approved treatment options for insulin resistance. These therapeutic options include Metformin, Glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists, Sodium-glucose cotransporters-2 inhibitors, Thiazolidinediones, Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors, and Insulin therapy [1].
Side effects of these medications for insulin resistance most commonly include: Weight gain, fatigue, headaches, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, constipation, stomach upset, cough, hoarseness, fever, chills, general feeling of discomfort, lower back or side pain, muscle pain, muscle cramping, eye twitching, and painful bladder or urination. Because many patients experience these side effects they often seek a Naturopathic treatment plan for insulin resistance.
When using Naturopathic medicine for Insulin resistance we work with diet and supplements first to lower insulin, and then taper the patient off their medications gradually over a 3-12 month process. Patients with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes should never suddenly stop taking their medications for insulin resistance as this can be dangerous and result in death.
It is imperative to work with an experienced Naturopathic Hormone Doctor to reduce the need for medications for insulin resistance.
Insulin Resistance Diet
Insulin resistance patients will not improve on the Keto Diet. When I tell patients to eat a low carb diet they often interpret this as, “I am going to go Keto,” only to gain more weight and return with worsened insulin numbers. Absolutely under no circumstance should this diet be implemented for insulin resistance. The problem with Keto is that it contains way too much saturated fat which also worsens insulin resistance so it is imperative that patients use a low glycemic index diet of low to moderate carbs and HIGH PROTEIN, paired with HIGH FIBER! Good fats are allowed in moderation, but Saturated fat consumption should be <10g daily for the insulin resistant patient to be able to lose weight. Most patients report to me they are actually consuming 50-100g of saturated fat daily when they begin to track their macros. Sometimes even more than this which! Failing to track macros will result in failure with insulin resistance as this is the equivalent of writing as many checks from your checkbook as you want, simply because you have 100’s of checks. We must take into account the spending budget for insulin resistance patients.
Please do not sign up to work with me as your Naturopathic doctor if you are not willing to track your macros for insulin resistance. It will just be a waste of everyone’s time and I will not be able to help you at all.
Diet plays an important role in the prevention and management of various health complications. The same is true for endocrine disorders, including diabetes, prediabetes, and insulin resistance. It is important to note that there is no specific diet plan or single fit diet approach for insulin resistance management. However, research studies recommend using certain nutrients that help improve insulin resistance and reduce or delay the risk of insulin resistance complications.
Studies reported the beneficial effects of complex, low-glycemic-index carbohydrates consumption in insulin resistance [7-9]. Also, American Diabetes Association does not recommend using a high-fat and low carbohydrate diet as it worsens the insulin resistance condition.
Insulin resistance patients should add a fiber-rich diet (beans, peas, and lentils, whole grains, raw fruit (be careful with portions= ½ cup of fruit generally is one serving), and non-starchy vegetables to their diet. Further, research studies confirmed the benefits of using a high-energy and low-glycemic-index breakfast in patients as such a diet plan increases calorific intake in the first half of the day. Additionally, after a proper diet plan, a slow and mindful eating approach significantly benefits insulin resistance patients [7, 8].
Insulin resistance and PCOS are inflammatory conditions worsened by inflammatory foods. Please don’t use processed foods, minimize foods containing high sugar (such as sugary sweets), avoid high salt, don’t consume artificial Trans fats, use olive oil, consume more fibers, add non-starchy vegetables instead of refined grains or starchy vegetables and reduce calorie intake coming from carbohydrates.
Also, don’t eat starchy vegetables (unless used as a complex carb source), snacks, alcohol, beverages, dairy products, fried foods, chocolate, butter, and other items rich in saturated fats. Additionally, take certain nutrients, including magnesium, potassium, and calcium, to improve blood sugar levels [7-9].
Certain foods improve insulin resistance including dark leafy greens, vegetables, tomatoes, beans, peppers, citrus fruits, whole grains, broccoli, fish, soy, spinach, collards, asparagus, cabbage, carrots, kale, lean meats, omega-3s rich content, nuts, berries, and sweet potatoes. These healthy foods are demonstrated in research to improve insulin sensitivity and help insulin resistance patient [8, 9].
Natural Treatments for Insulin resistance: Medicinal Herbs, and Supplements
Various clinical trials are conducted on the beneficial effect of different herbs and supplements on insulin resistance. These trials reported positive effects of Cinnamon, Green Coffee Extract, Curcumin, Ginger, Berberine, Jinlida, Sancai Powder, Artemisia, Chamomile tea, Nigella sativa, Soybean leaf extracts (SLEs), Gymnema Sylvestre, Aloe Vera gel complex, and Fresh yellow onion [12].
Studies reported that Cinnamon significantly improves blood sugar level, total cholesterol, and triglyceride levels, helps liver enzymes, and decreases fasting blood glucose levels. Thus, cinnamon consumption helps insulin resistance and reduces the risk of NAFLD [10]. Additionally, Cinnamon contains flavonoids, terpenoids, coumarins, anthraquinones, glycosides, and tannins. Animal studies showed that optimal consumption of Cinnamon significantly suppresses post-meal blood glucose spikes and reduces the risk of diabetic complications. Besides, Cinnamon also helps reduce insulin levels in women and improve PCOS or reduce the aggravation of symptoms.
Regular use of ginger, curcumin, green coffee bean extract, and green tea extract reduces the fasting blood glucose level, helps abdominal obesity, decreases HbA1c, prevents atherogenic risks, and improves insulin resistance in type 2 diabetic patients.
The beneficial properties of these herbs not only help insulin resistance but also reduce the risk of metabolic and clinical syndromes linked with insulin resistance [12]. Animal studies showed that various extracts of medicinal herbs, including Nettles (Urtica dioica), Anacardium occidentale, Symplocos cochinchinesis, and Helicterus Angustifolia, can improve insulin resistance and reduce plasma glucose levels. Also, other herbs like Pleurotus Ostreatus, Afzelia Africana, and Uvaria chamae consumption may help insulin sensitivity, improve fasting blood glucose level, and support regeneration of Islet of Langerhans in the pancreas [13].
Taking chromium can also be beneficial, but mainly in deficiency. Well-controlled trials are lacking about the use of Chromium for insulin resistance. Those in favor are considered insufficient due to poor methodology and low-quality research. However, animal studies reported that Chromium improves insulin resistance, relieves lipid abnormalities, and helps glycemia in diabetic patients[14]. Since farmers are not required to replete our soil with chromium it does not hurt an insulin-resistant patient to take 500mcg of chromium picolinate twice daily with food. Never take any supplements or treatments for blood sugar away from food as it will cause nausea and vomiting from low blood sugar!
If you would like my help with your insulin resistance, PCOS, or Type 2 Diabetes, I would be happy to help. I cannot help any patients with Naturopathic Medicine that are not open to making diet changes and taking supplements. I understand if you need to make diet changes in steps and struggle with them as I do, but realistically I will not be able to help you at all if you are not willing to remain committed to achieving a long term plan towards managing your insulin resistance, as this is one of the most challenging hormone conditions that I treat as a hormone doctor. To set up your new patient visit simply pop over to the SCHEDULE page.
Dr. Nicole Sundene
(480) 837-0900
Dr. Sundene is a Naturopathic Doctor in Scottsdale, Arizona, and is a Female Hormone Expert in Women's Health and Bioidentical Hormones. She specializes in Holistic Women's Health for Menopause, Thyroid, Hashimotos, PMS, Perimenopause, Autoimmune, Postpartum, Chronic Fatigue, Depression, Anxiety, Food Allergies, Digestion, Dermatology, Acne, Psoriasis, Eczema, and Adrenal Hormonal Conditions. In 1999 she began working for a Hormone Doctor prior to starting Naturopathic Medical School. With over 23 years of experience in both Prescription and Natural women's health and hormones, she presents to women the best-integrated health solutions for their Chronic Disease.
She has been an Herbalist for over 28 years and enjoys teaching women how to use herbs to balance their hormones, nutrition and optimize their health. Dr. Sundene relies on blood testing for her hormone metrics. The hormone testing is covered per the patient's insurance plan (not Medicaid) and conducted at certain points in the woman's menstrual cycle. To learn more about Hormone Testing for Women Visit: Bioidentical Hormones. Follow Dr. Sundene on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for more tips on Women's Health, Female Hormones, and Naturopathy!
References
Dr. Nicole Sundene
Women's Health Naturopathic Doctor
Hypoglycemia is oftentimes caused by hormone imbalance such as Insulin Resistance, PMS, PCOS, or Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, and can result in dizziness, fainting, heart palpitations, anxiety, depression, screaming, crying, anger, agitation, and rage. Otherwise known as "Hangry."
Outsiders will notice that someone's behavior suddenly "flips on a dime" and they are no longer happy but tired and/or anxious and agitated.
HOW TO TREAT HYPOGLYCEMIA WITH NUTRITION
The main treatment of hypoglycemia is the use of properly "Stacking Macros" to stabilize blood sugar levels. All simple, processed, and concentrated carbohydrates must be avoided, while the consumption of complex-carbohydrate; high-fiber foods should be emphasized.
Legumes and other high fiber foods should be combined with protein, and good fats. These mini meals should then be consumed regularly ie: every three to four hours to avoid low blood sugar. Women with hypoglycemia have less fatigue, anxiety, and low blood sugar with frequent small meals are more effective in stabilizing blood sugar levels. Eat five to six small meals and snacks per day.
Include in your diet:
• whole grains (i.e. millet, brown rice, quinoa, wheat, amaranth, rye, barley and buckwheat)
• legumes
• fresh vegetables
• fresh raw seeds/nuts and their butters (i.e. flax, sesame, pumpkin, almonds, hazelnuts)
• garlic & onions
• avocados
• string beans
• Jerusalem artichokes
• fruit eaten in small amounts with protein or complex carbohydrates
• unprocessed soy products
Avoid consumption of:
• sugar in all it’s forms i.e. fructose, sucrose, cornsyrup, molasses, honey, rice syrup etc.
• soft drinks, fruit juices and carrot juice
• excessive protein, especially red meat
• excessive salt
• white flour and products made from it
• highly refined, processed and canned foods including t.v. dinners and breakfast cereals
• tobacco
• alcohol
• caffeine (coffee, tea, chocolate, cola, drinks, aspirin, bromo-seltzer and excedrin
• Read the labels, or ask for ingredients in restaurants.
Hypoglycemic women should avoid the above high sugar processed foods because they cause blood sugar to shoot up high, and then suddenly drop low. We do not want sudden peaks and valleys with blood sugar, this causes "Neverending Hunger" along with the hypoglycemia. Therefore working to eliminate these foods while learning to "Stack Macros" together in each meal and snack will prevent hypoglycemic episodes.
Other Helpful Ideas:
• Exercise as vigorously as you can on a daily basis
• If you struggle with weight loss talk to your Naturopathic Doctor about a weight loss diet .
• You MUST add protein to each of the six meals/snacks you are eating each day or you will never fully resolve hypoglycemia
• Other helpful ideas: learn visualization/affirmation or meditation techniques.
It is important to keep your hypoglycemia under control because most of my hypoglycemic patients have Insulin Resistance and/or Prediabetes, therefore unchecked hypoglycemia may exacerbate PMS, tax your adrenal glands and eventually lead to diabetes.
To set up your new patient visit to receive a lab order, please visit our SCHEDULE page.
Dr. Sundene is a Naturopathic Doctor in Scottsdale, Arizona, and is a Female Hormone Expert in Women's Health and Bioidentical Hormones. She specializes in Holistic Women's Health for Menopause, Thyroid, Hashimotos, PMS, Perimenopause, Autoimmune, Postpartum, Chronic Fatigue, Depression, Anxiety, Food Allergies, Digestion, Dermatology, Acne, Psoriasis, Eczema, and Adrenal Hormonal Conditions. In 1999 she began working for a Hormone Doctor prior to starting Naturopathic Medical School. With over 23 years of experience in both Prescription and Natural women's health and hormones, she presents to women the best-integrated health solutions for their Chronic Disease.
She has been an Herbalist for over 28 years and enjoys teaching women how to use herbs to balance their hormones, nutrition and optimize their health. Dr. Sundene relies on blood testing for her hormone metrics. The hormone testing is covered per the patient's insurance plan (not Medicaid) and conducted at certain points in the woman's menstrual cycle. To learn more about Hormone Testing for Women Visit: Bioidentical Hormones. Follow Dr. Sundene on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for more tips on Women's Health, Female Hormones, and Naturopathy!
Dr. Nicole Sundene, NMD
"What is the most common mineral deficiency for women?" Maria, Phoenix, AZ
The mineral I see women most commonly deficient in is magnesium. Even more so than calcium deficiency causing Osteoporosis. While women are often deficient in calcium and iron, magnesium deficiency can cause a host of annoying and preventable symptoms we will discuss today. With menopause the body will also need more magnesium.
If you guessed that I commonly find women deficient in, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, or chromium you may in fact be right, but I believe after working with many patients, that many common health problems are as simple as magnesium deficiency. In my article “10 Best Natural Medicines for Depression," I discuss the importance of magnesium for mental health, depression, and anxiety disorder.
All doctors are always checking in to make sure that their patients have enough calcium to prevent Osteoporosis, and iron for anemia, but they should also be checking women aren’t deficient in dietary sources of magnesium as well.
What is magnesium’s role in the body?
Magnesium helps SAMe donate methyl groups to form neurotransmitters, and is also needed for muscle relaxation. It is also needed for over 400 enzymatic processes in our body, including detoxification pathways, and is also beneficial for constipation, muscle cramping, torticollis, acute angina after myocardial infarction, stroke, asthma, kidney stone prevention, dysmenorrhea, premenstrual syndrome, IBS: Irritable Bowel Syndrome, acute gastrointestinal spasms or cramping, eclampisa, heart disease especially cardiomyopathy and high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, nocturnal muscle cramping, mitral valve prolapse, toxemia of pregnancy, fibromyalgia, migraine headaches, lead toxicity, and chronic fatigue.
The best sources of magnesium are leafy greens and whole grains. So it is no wonder so many people are magnesium deficient!
Think about it.
If you haven’t had a single serving of green veggies today, you likely are magnesium deficient.
Do you have eye or muscle twitches? Could be calcium or magnesium or both.
Taking a cal/mag supplement before bed is a great way to improve sleep, top off your minerals, and prevent those painful nighttime Charlie horses that occasionally happen. I always use calcium citrate vs calcium carbonate.
Keep in mind that too much magnesium can cause diarrhea and that athletes and those with certain chronic disease conditions may need more magnesium for muscle relaxation. Calcium and magnesium should be used at a 2:1 ratio.
Please check with your naturopathic doctor before using magnesium as a therapeutic above the 400-800mg range as long-term overuse of magnesium may cause Osteoporosis. If you need to take a higher amount of magnesium than a 2:1 ratio for chronic pain, at least make sure you take a 1:1 ratio to prevent calcium depletion.
If you need my Naturopathic Women's Health help with your nutrition, simply pop on over to my appointment SCHEDULE page and book a visit, would be happy to help. Thank you for mailing your Naturopathic Women's Health questions to me on a postcard.
I love to get something in the mail that is not a bill. Remember, if your question cannot fit on a postcard then you need to book a visit with me!
Dr. Nicole Sundene, NMD
Dr. Sundene is a Naturopathic Doctor in Scottsdale, Arizona, and is a Female Hormone Expert in Women's Health and Bioidentical Hormones. She specializes in Holistic Women's Health for Menopause, Thyroid, Hashimotos, PMS, Perimenopause, Autoimmune, Postpartum Depression, Chronic Fatigue, Depression, Anxiety, Food Allergies, Digestion, Dermatology , Acne, Psoriasis, Eczema and Adrenal Hormonal Conditions. In 1999 she began working for a Hormone Doctor prior to starting Naturopathic Medical School. With over 23 years of experience in both Prescription and Natural women's health and hormones, she presents to women the best integrated health solutions for their Chronic Disease. She has been an Herbalist for over 28 years and enjoys teaching women how to use herbs to balance their hormones, nutrition and optimize their health. Dr. Sundene relies on blood testing for her hormone metrics. The hormone testing is covered per the patient's insurance plan and conducted at certain points in the woman's menstrual cycle. To learn more about Hormone Testing for Women Visit: Bioidentical Hormones. Follow Dr. Sundene on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for more tips on Women's Health, Female Hormones, and Naturopathy!
By Dr. Nicole Sundene, NMD
Female Hormone Specialist
Hormones produced by the adrenal glands can commonly become imbalanced and create anxiety, depression, burnout and imbalances in other hormone pathways. Hormones from the adrenal glands actually turn off the production of female hormones and impact thyroid hormones. The adrenals are the “foundation for the thyroid” and often the ignored reasons behind why my thyroid and Hashimoto's patients are still exhausted with chronic fatigue and symptomatic despite “Normal Thyroid levels.” When patients work with a standard endocrinologist for their thyroid or an OBgyn for their menopause they often feel persistently imbalanced until the adrenal glands are addressed by a Holistic Hormone Doctor.
Battling chronic stress and anxiety can feel like constantly running from a bear. The adrenal glands are designed to help us in emergency situations so we can run as fast as possible for survival. When we feel under attack our adrenal glands secrete cortisol and adrenaline which shunts blood flow to our muscles and lungs so we can run as fast as possible from the bear. Our body does not care about digestion, immunity, repair, or reproduction when it thinks we are running from a bear for survival.
My adrenal hormone patients are struggling with stomach issues, digestive problems, psychiatry issues such as depression anxiety and ADHD, joint aches and pain and of course imbalanced female hormones. such as PMS and Menopause.
Eventually with chronic stress the body exhibits somewhat of an “Existential Crisis” and begins to question if we are actually running from a bear. Just like in the “Little Boy Who Cried Wolf” our adrenals question if this is a real emergency and begin to fail to continue to make the same amount of hormones properly. Our adrenals doubt we have yet another emergency; they just don’t respond and don’t make the hormones that make us feel GOOD and help us run from the bear.
Rarely patients come to see me when they are running high on stress hormones because they are basically on "Nature's Cocaine," it is when their adrenal glands as little hormone factories cease to make these adrenal gland hormones anymore that they feel burnt out, tired, achy and blah. Many have insomnia at night with daytime fatigue because their adrenals have gone on a backwards rhythm and instead of being active with high levels of cortisol their cortisol levels are low in the morning and they can barely get out of bed. They wake up un-refreshed tired, achy blah, unmotivated and stiff and it takes a while to get going.
My hormone patients with this backwards hormone rhythm often are “Night Owls” that activate in the evening and/or have panic attacks in the middle of the night as their adrenals finally make more hormones while they are no longer under the stress from their day and resting. The adrenal patient either can't sleep at all or falls asleep and then wakes up with a sudden panic attack or surge of energy in the middle of the night and cannot go back to sleep.
With initial chronic stress, cortisol levels are high, and patients feel invincible. As chronic stress persists such as with this Pandemic many of us are starting to feel “Burnt Out’ and sick of it. We are exhausted and tired. Fatigue is high and motivation and appetite are low. Because we are constantly under stress our digestion is not good, our mood is not good and our immune system is not good.
Symptoms of adrenal fatigue include fatigue, lethargy, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, blood sugar imbalance, immune dysfunction, arthritis, hypothyroidism, joint aches and changes to skin pigment. Joints that constantly crack and pop are a hallmark signature symptom of adrenal imbalance especially when coupled with fatigue.
The picture I most commonly see in patients is that they are feeling very blah and lifeless. Many patients struggling with burn out are lacking motivation, depressed and constantly fatigued. Their previous doctor or psychiatrist has “Given me everything for my depression and anxiety” but to no avail. The reason those medications do not help is because we are barking up the wrong tree of low neurotransmitters when the true issue is low adrenal hormones.
The good news is that with modern stress we now have modern adrenal labs to check your adrenal metrics via a simple blood test covered by your insurance plan. We can then identify which stage of adrenal fatigue you are in as there are different adrenal herbs for each of the three stages of adrenal fatigue or “Maladaptive Stress Syndrome.”
The other good news is that adrenal labs and hormone testing are generally covered per the patient’s insurance plan as long as they are at the correct lab that is contracted with their insurance (Naturopathic Doctors cannot order labs for AHCCSS patients in Arizona, but my Medicare patients are covered.) With a comprehensive set of hormone labs I can look at the patient’s adrenal glands and prescribe the proper supportive herbs and natural treatments that help fortify this very important hormone pathway. I refer to the adrenals as the “Mother of the Endocrine System,” because we all know that:
“When Mommy is not happy…. then ain’t nobody is happy!”
Please schedule a visit with me if this sounds like you and you need help with your adrenals. Simply pop over to my SCHEDULE page and treat yourself to a hormone consultation. I am available via telemedicine for those that are not in Arizona and for those that also prefer to stay at home.
I am always happy to help you reach optimal health and hormone balance!
Dr. Nicole Sundene
Female Hormone Specialist
(480) 837-0900
Dr. Sundene is a Naturopathic Doctor in Scottsdale, Arizona, and is considered a Female Hormone Expert in Women's Health and Bioidentical Hormones. She specializes in Holistic Women's Health for Menopause, Thyroid, Hashimotos, PMS, Perimenopause, Autoimmune, Postpartum, Chronic Fatigue, Depression, Anxiety, Food Allergies, Digestion, Dermatology , Acne, Psoriasis, Eczema and Adrenal Hormonal Conditions. In 1999 she began working for a Hormone Doctor prior to starting Naturopathic Medical School. With over 22 years of experience in both Prescription and Natural women's health and hormones she presents to women the best integrated health solutions for their Chronic Disease. She has been an Herbalist for over 27 years and enjoys teaching women how to use herbs to balance their hormones, nutrition and optimize their health. Dr. Sundene relies on blood testing for her hormone metrics. The hormone testing is covered per the patient's insurance plan and conducted at certain points in the woman's menstrual cycle. To learn more about Hormone Testing for Women Visit: Bioidentical Hormones. Follow Dr. Sundene on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for more tips on Women's Health, Female Hormones and Naturopathy!
"Why did I suddenly develop high cholesterol with menopause? I have never had high cholesterol before I had hormone imbalance. What is the connection?" Katrina, Scottsdale, AZ
High cholesterol for women can be different than men due to hormones, especially thyroid and female hormones.
Although high cholesterol can give my patients anxiety, and is never something women want to hear about, it is oftentimes a classic sign that a woman is experiencing hypothyroidism, perimenopause, or menopause related hormone imbalance known to slow metabolism, narrow arteries, boost inflammation and block the burning of fat and cholesterol.
Hormones absolutely can cause high cholesterol. You are correct for asking this question. Although most docs will just place you on a statin medication for high cholesterol and not bother to check much other than a TSH level to assess minimal thyroid function.
Here is the #1 best thing to do if you have high cholesterol aside from having me properly balance your female hormones and thyroid. Increase fiber.
Oftentimes patients are so focused on avoiding high cholesterol foods, that they forget to increase vegetarian fiber sources to help bind and excrete high cholesterol. Constipation is not helping my high cholesterol patients!
My High Cholesterol Diet most likely excludes many of your favorite foods….meat and fried foods to say the least!!
Women often argue with me about their "Full Fat Organic Cream" in their coffee, coconut fat consumption, and cheese addition, only for me to wave my white flag and state that I surrender to prescription drugs and that is what they should take if they cannot follow my nutrition rules.
Saturated Fat=Cholesterol
Yes, I have a few women in my practice that thrive on a high saturated fat diet, are thin, and have zero high cholesterol problems, but they are the exception to the rule, and everyone else needs to be following the rules.
Before we get started, let’s talk about why we even care about this thing called cholesterol…
High cholesterol levels over time deposit in the linings of your arteries and cause a condition known as “atherosclerosis” or hardening of the arteries. Hard arteries cause high blood pressure. Remember when you were a child and you would stick your thumb over the hose and watch how much further you can make the water shoot? Well this same principal is what causes your blood pressure to elevate from clogged arteries. The plaques that form can also be of concern as they can break off and close down blood supply to the heart or the brain and cause a “heart attack” or “stroke” respectively.
So, in the long term we are primarily concerned about this “high cholesterol” turning in to high blood pressure, heart attacks, stroke, erectile dysfunction, and other not so fun things.
Cholesterol levels become high as a result of increased dietary intake, or increased production in the liver. What your doctor is mostly concerned about is what is referred to as the “bad cholesterol” or “LDL cholesterol”. Contrary to popular belief, LDL is not actually a cholesterol, it is a protein that transports cholesterol molecules to be deposited in the arteries.
Yikes!!! No wonder this LDL thing is so bad!!!
So we want to decrease this LDL cholesterol while increasing the “good cholesterol” also known as the “HDL cholesterol”. HDL sucks up cholesterol from the arteries and brings it back to the liver for recycling. Hooray!! The more of this HDL cholesterol the better, right?
Aside from medications or natural supplements that should be instigated and monitored by your own Naturopathic Doctor (hopefully me! 😉 there are several things that can be done on your own to improve this LDL/HDL ratio.
First of all we want as many molecules of HDL cholesterol out there sucking up cholesterol from the arteries as possible. Guess what the best way to do that is?
Exercise is the best known way to increase your HDL levels.
Please check with your doctor and insure that you are healthy enough to start a new exercise routine.
Aside from exercise we obviously need to follow a low cholesterol diet to reduce the amount of intake from foods.
A great way to reduce the amount of cholesterol that is already circulating through our system is through a high fiber diet.
Fiber sucks up cholesterol like a sponge. When we eat, the liver secretes cholesterol rich bile in to the intestine to help break down our food, this bile will get re-absorbed back to the liver through a process known as “Entero-hepatic circulation”.
One way to circumvent this process is to eat tons of fiber to bind the bile and thus cholesterol and other toxins so that they can be eliminated properly from the body and not re-absorbed.
Fiber is fabulous because it will not only lower your cholesterol levels but it is the best thing you can do to detox your system.
Be sure to drink plenty of water when increasing your fiber levels.
Be sure to also increase your fiber levels gradually to 30g daily. You can add a Fitness tracking app to your phone to keep count.
The final key component that I will discuss to get you started on your cholesterol lowering program is the use of antioxidants.
Vitamins and minerals, and phytonutrients found in fresh fruits and vegetables such as vitamin C are very important anti-oxidants for the reduction of cardiovascular disease that develops from high cholesterol levels. The free radicals in fried foods for instance help create the “Glue” for holding these plaques of cholesterol down. An anti-oxidant such as vitamin C destroys the shark like free radical molecules wreaking havoc in your bloodstream.
By reducing the consumption of the amount of cholesterol that is allowed to be glued down to your arteries you are reducing the long term consequences of cardiovascular disease and other complications that typically result from high cholesterol.
A high fiber low cholesterol diet rich in anti-oxidants as well as exercise are the key to any cholesterol lowering program, if you are overwhelmed by making these changes all at once, simply pick one thing to work on each month. It takes a month to create a new healthy habit and feel rewarded from the benefits of your work.
Working hard on these foundations to a cholesterol lowering program should prevent having to increase your medication levels whether prescription or alternative in the future.
Remember that this is a long term issue that will not resolve in a few months. Most of my high cholesterol patients need to focus on their cholesterol lowering diet for a full year to achieve results with Naturopathic Medicine.
If the cholesterol is high from hormone imbalance, I do see it clear up much more quickly than that. Need my help achieving optimal Cardiovascular and hormone health? Simply visit my SCHEDULE page to treat yourself to a Naturopathic visit!
Dr. Nicole Sundene
(480) 837-0900
Dr. Sundene is a Naturopathic Doctor in Scottsdale, Arizona, and is considered a Female Hormone Specialist in Women's Health and Bioidentical Hormones. She specializes in Holistic Women's Health for Menopause, Thyroid, Hashimotos, PMS, Perimenopause, Autoimmune, Postpartum, Chronic Fatigue, Depression, Anxiety, Food Allergies, Digestion, Dermatology , Acne, Psoriasis, Eczema and Adrenal Hormonal Conditions. In 1999 she began working for a Hormone Doctor prior to starting Naturopathic Medical School. With over 22 years of experience in both Prescription and Natural women's health and hormones she presents to women the best integrated health solutions for their Chronic Disease. She has been an Herbalist for over 27 years and enjoys teaching women how to use herbs to balance their hormones, nutrition and optimize their health. Dr. Sundene relies on blood testing for her hormone metrics. The hormone testing is covered per the patient's insurance plan and conducted at certain points in the woman's menstrual cycle. To learn more about Hormone Testing for Women Visit: Bioidentical Hormones. Follow Dr. Sundene on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for more tips on Women's Health, Female Hormones and Naturopathy!
