Blog: Three Pillars of Health

Multiple Sclerosis

 in Autoimmune & Inflammatory Disease / Functional Medicine / Immune System by

  #MS is an autoimmune condition effecting the myelin sheath. The immune system attacks the myelin sheath, an important sheath surrounding nerves/neurons that both protects the nerve and functions in nervous system communication. – triggers/causes may include: immune system imbalances/inflammation, environmental factors and infections, trauma, and there is some evidence of a genetic component. Two Stages of MS: 1) inflammation allows immune components to penetrate the blood brain barrier through a complex series of actions 2) degeneration of the myelin occurs as the immune system attacks the myelin sheath Types of MS: 1) Relapsing-Remitting MS (RRMS). – most common – characterized […]

Mental and Emotional Wellness…

 in Chronic Pain / mental health  tagged Acupunture / mental health by

    “Mental health is often missing from public health debates even though it’s critical to wellbeing.”⁠ – Diane Abbott⁠ ⁠ It is impossible to separate mental health from wellness, and we failed to do this all too often – from the stigma, fear surrounding mental illness, or even the difficulties and challenges surrounding successful treatment…⁠ ⁠ The Three Pillars of health are body, mind, and spirit. These are inextricably intertwined. They all impact each other, and we all to often ignore the mind and spirit in favor of the body. The irony is that our mind and spirit are […]

Weight loss: what is your “ideal” for health and wellbeing?

 in Functional Medicine / nutrition / weight loss  tagged Acupunture / fitness / nutrition / weight loss by

    BMI is a useless number for the most part. In fact, the scale is often not the best way to measure your health.⁠ ⁠ I get people coming in for help with weight loss, and I certainly would never judge anyone for that. However, I try to gently remind people that while we might see a good number on the scale, it does not mean we’re healthy. There are many different reasons we might not be at our “ideal” weight. Some have to do with lifestyle, some may be metabolic dysfunction, other health concerns, endocrine imbalances, or even […]

Kawasaki Disease and COVID-19…

 in Autoimmune & Inflammatory Disease / Medicine / Public Health  tagged autoimmune / coronavirus / COVID-19 by

    “Kawasaki disease is a rare form of vasculitis. Children, usually under the age of 5, have a high fever and red eyes, lips, mouth, a rash and swollen lymph nodes. The disease also affects the heart and the wall of blood vessels. Kawasaki is the leading cause of acquired heart disease in children. Immediate treatment is necessary to avoid permanent damage to the heart and to the coronary arteries and a full recovery may be expected.” (source: https://www.aarda.org/diseaseinfo/kawasaki-disease/)⁠ ⁠ We are now seeing a similar syndrome in children after being infected with COVID-19, and this is likely one […]

Mycotoxins (Mold Toxins)…

 in Mold / Toxic Exposure / toxicity by

    Mycotoxins are toxic substances produced by mold. When some of us are exposed to mold it can colonize in our bodies: the nose, gut, in our cells, and more. Sometimes symptoms may not appear for years or decades after exposure. Sometimes symptoms appear to be another condition entirely. Mold toxicity may be one of the most insidious conditions I have ever seen in clinical practice… Mold exposure/toxicity is quickly becoming one of the most significant health problems we face. It effects multiple systems, is complex and can be difficult to treat, can force you from your home and […]

Empathy

 in mental health  tagged empathy / mental health by

    “Empathy is really the opposite of spiritual meanness. It’s the capacity to understand that every war is both won and lost. And that someone else’s pain is as meaningful as your own.”⁠ ⁠ – Barbara Kingsolver⁠ ⁠ Here’s the thing… we all struggle with something. Often more than one thing, and that’s okay. Whether there is a war inside us or we’re in conflict with another person or group, there is pain and loss. Usually for both “sides.”⁠ ⁠ What I’ve found is that having empathy is like getting a gift from someone and being gracious in receiving […]

Traditional Chinese Medicine in the Treatment of Patients Infected with 2019-New Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2): A Review and Perspective⁠

 in Acupuncture Research / TCM Research / Traditional Chinese Medicine  tagged Chinese Medicine / coronavirus / COVID-19 / Natural Medicine / TCM Research by

    “TCM has accumulated thousand-of-year’s experiences in the treatment of pandemic and endemic diseases. Providing complementary and alternative treatments are still urgently needed for the management of patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection, experiences in TCM is certainly worth learning. Fighting against current epidemics also provide an opportunity to test the true value of TCM in treating emerging contagious diseases.”⁠

T-cell inhibition in Tolerance and Autoimmunity…

 in Autoimmune & Inflammatory Disease / Functional Medicine / Immune System / Medicine  tagged autoimmune / Functional Medicine by

    “Co-inhibitory receptors are important regulators of T-cell function that define the balance between tolerance and autoimmunity…. Later on, co-inhibitory receptors on lymphocytes have also been found to influence outcomes in tumor and chronic viral infection settings. These receptors suppress T-cell function in the tumor microenvironment (TME), thereby making the T cells dysfunctional. “⁠ ⁠ There are co-stimulatory receptors on our immune cells that help up-regulate the activation of T-Cells. An example of this stimulatory response leads to the production of IL-2, an inflammatory cytokine.⁠ ⁠ Other regulatory receptors (CTLA-4 and PD-1) stimulate Treg cells to help maintain a […]

Checkpoint Inhibitors: A Cancer Treatment and its Side Effects

 in Chemotherapy Side Effects / Medicine / toxicity  tagged chemo / Functional Medicine by

    Checkpoint inhibitors are a class of drugs used to treat cancer. They work by blocking the inhibitory receptors on T-cells in the area of tumors to promote immune attacks on tumors to suppress growth.⁠ ⁠ The risk with these drugs is autoimmune response – in particular the following study examines immune checkpoint inhibitor induced colitis – a side effect common with PD-1, CTLA-4 inhibitors: https://www.healio.com/news/hematology-oncology/20200622/vitamin-d-may-reduce-risk-for-immune-checkpoint-inhibitorinduced-colitis⁠ ⁠ What they’ve found was that Vitamin D supplementation seems to mitigate immune checkpoint inhibitor induced colitis and should be explored further…⁠ ⁠ Learn how Functional Medicine, acupuncture, natural medicines, and a good […]

“Traditional Chinese Medicine in the Treatment of Patients Infected with 2019-New Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2): A Review and Perspective⁠.”

 in Public Health / TCM Research / Traditional Chinese Medicine  tagged Chinese Medicine / coronavirus / COVID-19 / natural antiviral medicine / TCM Research by

    Traditional Chinese Medicine in the Treatment of Patients Infected with 2019-New Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2): A Review and Perspective⁠ ⁠ ⁠ Highlights from the review:⁠ – Isatis indigotica/Ban Lan Gen: Inhibits the cleavage activity of *SARS-3CLpro enzyme⁠ – Houttuynia cordata/Yu Xing Cao: Inhibits the viral *SARS-3CLpro activity and⁠ Blocks viral RNA‑dependent RNA polymerase activity (RdRp)⁠ Immunomodulation⁠ – Galla chinensis/Wu Bei Zi: Avidly binds with surface spike protein of SARS-CoV⁠ – extracts from Lycoris radiata, Artemisia annua, Pyrrosia lingua, and Lindera aggregate possessed the anti-SARS‑CoV activity, although further research is needed in identifying the MOA⁠ ⁠ * 3- chymotrypsin-like protease (3CLpro) […]