Harnessing the Best of Japanese Lifestyle

While Dr. Singleton is out of the office on a bucket-list trip to Japan, let’s dive into some advancements Japan has brought to the world of functional medicine. 

Japan’s mix of ancient wisdom and cutting-edge science has been shaking things up, especially when it comes to gut health, anti-aging, and hormonal balance.

 Let’s take a look at the latest updates, it may just inspire your next health upgrade!

1. Calming Bloating: 

If your gut’s been giving you trouble, Japanese-inspired foods might have the answer. Over there, microflora supportive foods & supplements are a big deal when it comes to calming IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome). 

By tackling inflammation and boosting gut health, these supplements not only calm digestive symptoms but also improve immunity and even mental well-being. It’s gut bliss, Japanese style! Here are examples of Japanese food-based probiotics you may not be aware of. If you haven’t tried Natto beans, you may want to read this first.

2. Consistency in Skin Health: The Secret to Getting the Glow

Japanese women are known for their flawless, radiant skin, and it’s no accident. Their skincare routine is all about simplicity and effectiveness.

Their mantra? Purify, Polish, Plump, and Nourish. It’s not just about slathering on 15 different serums; it’s about sticking to a routine that works, day in and day out. 

Cleanse to purify, exfoliate to polish, hydrate to plump, and feed your skin with nourishing ingredients. The result? Skin that ages like fine wine—slowly and gracefully. 

We’ve found that defensins in our new product line Defenage is based on Japanese technology of skin stem cell regeneration.  Check out this very technical article!

In Japan, diet is a huge part of skincare. They believe that what you put into your body is just as important as what you put on it. Antioxidant-rich green tea, vitamin-packed seaweed, and fresh fish loaded with Omega-3s keep skin smooth, hydrated, and glowing from the inside out. And don’t forget that healthy dose of collagen-rich bone broths, which helps keep the skin firm and youthful.

3. The Japanese Diet's Superpower

Here’s a fun fact: Japanese women have significantly lower rates of breast cancer than women in other parts of the world, and a lot of that comes down to diet. Soy, especially in its fermented forms like miso and tofu, contains isoflavones that mimic estrogen and help balance hormones—protecting against hormone-dependent cancers like breast cancer.

Seaweed, packed with iodine, keeps the thyroid happy, while anti-inflammatory foods like fish, veggies, and green tea fight off hormonal havoc. In Japan, food isn’t just about satisfying hunger; it’s a weapon in the fight against disease and hormonal imbalance.

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We hope this blog has helped you learn more about how Japan has influenced many aspects of functional medicine here in the US. If you have more questions about gut, skin or using hormone therapy, we’d love to hear from you. Schedule a consultation with our team of experts at Potentia MedSpa in Lafayette, California or call us at 510 230 2282. We are the only Functional Aesthetics Medspa in the San Francisco Bay Area offering a combination of medical expertise, innovative technology in skin care and holistic support.

2 Unique and Delicious Breakfast Ideas for Fall

Are you tired of the same old breakfast routine? Oatmeal, toast or just plain skipping it?

Here are 2 flavorful shake-ups to start your day! They do require pre-prep so it’s a great idea to meal plan on the weekend.

Breakfast Buddha Bowls: Fuel Your Morning with Bliss

Picture a bowl loaded with high-fiber complex carbohydrates, protein-packed goodies, and a rainbow of fresh veggies. That's your Breakfast Buddha Bowl!

Start with a base of quinoa, brown or cauliflower rice, add your favorite veggies (spinach, avocado, roasted sweet potatoes - you name it), and top it off with a poached egg or a sprinkle of nuts. Drizzle with your favorite sauce - tahini or my favorite avocado dressing.

Simple.

Breakfast Salads: Greens Galore to Kickstart Your Day

Who says salads are only for lunch and dinner?

Pile on leafy greens, throw in some berries, sliced apples, and a handful of nuts. Top it off with a hard-boiled egg, Just Egg (if you can’t eat eggs) or other protein sources like sausage or a scoop of plain Greek yogurt.

Many of these items can be pre-cooked or purchased ready-to-eat from your favorite grocery store: Berkeley Bowl, TraderJoes, Whole foods, Safeway and Diablo foods.

Why Breakfast Matters: Mood, Focus, and Clarity

But here's the real advantage: Your morning meal plays a huge role in blood sugar regulation. By choosing complex carbs and protein at the first meal of the day, you're giving your body the right fuel to keep your blood sugar levels steady.

And when your blood sugar behaves, you're rewarded with mood stability, focus, and crystal-clear thinking throughout the day. No more 2 pm energy slumps or brain fog!

Try these two non-traditional breakfast ideas and feel the difference.

XO

Dr. V

Got IBS? The 5 myths to breakthrough when you need a cure

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can be difficult to treat!

Here are 5 common myths you may have read about online and how my Digestion & Gut Program works to breakthrough:

1. The exact cause of IBS is not fully understood.

FALSE! IBS is well-studied. It involves a combination of factors such as abnormal gut motility, visceral hypersensitivity, gut-brain axis dysfunction, changes in gut microbiota, and emotional factors. This complexity makes it challenging to develop targeted and effective treatments in the traditional pill + condition model.

2. IBS is the same in everyone.

FALSE!

IBS symptoms can vary greatly among individuals. Some people experience predominantly diarrhea (IBS-D), while others have constipation (IBS-C), and some may alternate between the two (IBS-Mixed ). Additionally, symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating, gas, and urgency are common. Treat the individual!

3. Currently, there are no specific biomarkers or diagnostic tests for IBS.

FALSE! In the world of functional medicine, diagnosis is typically based on symptoms and key objective markers in stool testing. If you know what markers to look for in the GI tract, the answer is quite obvious.

4. Treating IBS is a silver bullet approach with Rifaximin.

FALSE! You must take into account the specific symptoms, triggers, and coexisting conditions of each person. What works for one individual may not work for another. Many clients have still sought my protocol after Rifaximin didn’t work.

5. There are limited treatment options for IBS.

The combination approach works best for treating IBS. Most of my clients are on a cocktail therapy of herbs, amino acids, and motility modifiers. This includes dietary modifications, herbal anti-biotics, pre/probiotics, and most importantly targeted restoration of the floral microbiome.

HOW I GET RESULTS FOR MY CLIENTS WITH IBS?

I use a specific approach to shift the microenvironment in IBS.

What I have discovered is: If you don’t correct all of the areas below, symptoms return over time.

• Gastrointestinal motility dysfunctions

• Malabsorption of bile acid

• Gut microbiota modulation

• Altered gut barrier function ( leaky gut)

• Intestinal immunological modulation

This functional approach is unique to my practice I have developed over the years. All of my clients in the Digestion & Gut program get massive results using this protocol.

This works for all ages!

XO

Dr. Vera

The Leaky Gut Solution: When nothing else is working...

FACT: Most people put up with digestion symptoms on average for 1-2 years longer than most conditions..

FACT: Leaky Gut is actually a combination of 3 or more gut issues colliding all at once!

MYTH: There is nothing more you can do to test for, or to heal Leaky Gut. This is something you have to deal with forever!

I put together a quick AMA (ask me anything) video to show you my step-by-step approach.

Sharing with you my secret sauce to success and this approach is why I get referrals from other doctors and practitioners to help breakthrough difficult cases.

Check this out! and if you have more specific question related to your symptoms, you can always book a free consult.

Ramadan: What Iftar can teach you about your digestion.

The most important lesson you should know besides what to eat, is…"How to listen to your body and eat according to its needs."

Fasting is a great time to learn about what your body likes and doesn't like.

 The most common problem many of my patients notice is with their digestion and energy with Iftar and even after Ramadan is over.

• If you feel tired and drained after eating alot of carbs and breads or fall asleep after eating, then you likely have issues with blood sugar management.

• If you feel bloated, full and find that your stomach doesn't get flat, you probably have a bacterial/yeast balance problem in your gut

• If your energy is low, even after you eat again, then you are not balancing enough macronutrients ( protein/carbs/fats)

 Here’s an case study of a patient I treated last year…

M. K. was a woman in her late 40's.  She was always tired, had trouble with her memory and her energy was low before Ramadan began. The fasting period helped, however, as the months went on she began to feel worse.

She had extreme pain in her stomach, heartburn, gas and to even touch her belly- it was very hard and painful. She went from constipation to diarrhea within one week. It was just too much to handle. It was affecting her life at home and she felt sick all the time.

Before we met, she asked her Gastroenterologist to run tests for her. But, all the tests came back negative and she still didn’t feel better even after they gave her an acid blocker.

When I met her, I ran this test for her immediately. All of the bacteria in the red section was causing her problems + she has Candida.

This is a classic test result of someone that experiences her symptoms.

If your digestive system is functioning optimally, you should notice:

• Stomach & belly should be pain-free, and free from gas and bloating,

• Nutrients should be well-absorbed

• Bowel movements should be regular and easy to pass everyday

• Skin should be clear and free from acne and pimples

• Your tongue is slightly pink, thin and doesn't have a yellow, or thick white coating on it

After working together for 8 months in my Digestion & Gut program, her test results looked like this:

A huge difference! We were able to get rid of the bad bacteria & yeast and now focus on restoring her good flora back to normal.

She was able to change her diet significantly and I treated her infections naturally, with herbs! No prescription medication was needed.

I checked in with her earlier this month and she is doing much better overall and even with Iftar, she doesn’t notice the pain and bloating anymore even though she is having bread, or dates/honey.

What you can do next?

If you are having digestion trouble and this story sounds familiar to you, please don’t suffer. I can help you get back to feeling normal again.

Reach out to me and let’s talk about what can be done. The Quick Start or the more comprehensive Digestion & Gut Program can help you too.

If you're over 40, you need functional medicine. Here's why

A large majority of my patients over 40 are happy with their docs.  Well sort of...

Insurance dictates medical care. We know that.  So according to this model there’s no need for looking beyond the surface. But what about what lies underneath? Standard labs and check-ins every two to three years should keep you from the major emergencies- RIGHT?

But what if you don’t feel fine right now? 

After 40, your body is not the same.  You feel it, but your doc is telling you “ to get over it, it’s just part of getting older or it’s just stress.”  

I don’t know about you, but SCREW ACCEPTING THAT as normal. 

You are pushing your body like never before, juggling more, taking on more responsibilities, rising to your peak and holding it all together for you and your family.  Thank goodness your body is rising to the occasion, but it also means you are burning through your reserves.

The Functional medicine I practice is about finding health nuggets that have fallen through the cracks allowing your body to shift into high gear and nourish & support you in this time of your life.

Countless times I have seen walking definitions of hypothyroid, peri-menopause, IBS or burnout symptoms being ignored, because...well, it’s complex and not so straightforward.

More complicated/complex issues means you need a game plan to iron out the layers of symptoms piling on top of each other.  On average most of my clients have been living with feeling crappy for 2-3 years. TOO LONG!

As a functional doc, my goal is to help your body not just as a collection of symptoms that needs another pill, but examining the common threads that link symptoms together and create a global solution.

Your body is screaming for support, for the right nutrients, the right diet for living in our stressed environment,  the right fatty acids, and for balancing the key stress hormones.

Traditional medicine isn’t very good at supporting this.

My health programs are designed to help the the working moms, the multi-tasking dads and the high achievers.  I work to nourish your cells and help eliminate the problems that arise in a 40+ yo old body. You’re in this life to win!

So, if your body is showing increasing signs of stress or burnout, my burnout program is top-notch for regenerating you. If your fatigue is getting out of control, check out the hormone program and if your brain fog is affecting your clarity and creativity, my digestion program will easily re-balance your system.

If you are over 40 and your NYs resolution is to get healthy, then set up a free consult with me to talk about your game plan to get there!

XO 

Dr. Vera

Why Viome and Ubiome is useless if you have IBS!

Many clients seek my help because they’ve seen multiple doctors + colonoscopies, endoscopy reports+ endless tests, but haven’t found relief from their symptoms. 

You’ve read about “leaky gut or IBS or SIBO” but not sure exactly what the heck it is?? 

So how do you find out? 

No matter if you think you have Leaky gut or IBS the source is the same:  

Aggressive bacteria is growing out of control! 

We are learning more about our gut flora everyday. We know it impacts hormone levels, mood and skin health and so much more.

The balance of friendly helpful bacteria in your digestive tract is disrupted by taking antibiotics even for a short time, eating a diet high in processed foods and the impact of long-term stress. 

Aggressive bacteria spew their endotoxin and compromise your immune system which is heavily based in the digestive tract. This leads to leaking gut proteins that bind tight junctions, increasing levels of gut serotonin, dopamine and inflammation. 

Testing for the genetic fingerprint of what organisms are living in your gut won’t give you the critical info of: HOW THE FLORA IS IMPACTING YOUR GUT FUNCTION RIGHT NOW! 

Stool culture is superior to genetic analysis to uncover the true impact of your immune system’s contribution to IBS and Leaky Gut.  

I can’t tell you how many people are confused by this and spend hundreds of dollars buying tests that won’t make a difference in resolving symptoms. 

I get great results with clients who book my Digestion & Gut Program because I test using stool culture, I don’t guess.  I get objective data about which organism is living inside of you NOW—> so you can kill it off —> and get back to being symptom free.   

Curious and want help? Reach out to me and let’s talk about your symptoms!

510-230-2282 or https://live.vcita.com/site/drvera 

So you think you have food allergies, How can you be sure?

There’s a ton of confusion about what you could be allergic to and what is the right way to test for it. 

Your doctor may have given you the scratch test or even checked your blood for it.  

OR perhaps you’ve had muscle testing, elimination testing by another holistic provider or ordered a test kit you found online?  OR is it glyphosates, pesticides, gluten intolerance, overload? 

If you’ve avoided foods you’ve found on tests before and haven’t noticed changes, AND If you can’t eat like you used too and not sure why these changes are happening, listen up! I’ve got a new idea for you that’ll give you a fresh perspective on what to do next.  

Allergies can be driven by histamine overproduction, endotoxin overload and a compromised IgA immune reaction.  That’s just the surface. 

No matter what or how you identify what your food allergies are, the most important thing to do in addition to your allergy test is test your gut flora. 

The balance of friendly bacteria in your digestive tract is disrupted by stress, taking antibiotics even for a short time or eating a diet high in processed foods. 

The overgrowth of unwanted bacteria actually compromises your intestinal barrier, which allows metabolic waste & toxins to spill into your bloodstream, triggering allergic responses. YIKES! 

So if you’ve got foggy brain, poor concentration, and difficulty focusing, it’s not just because you didn’t sleep well... 

I offer multiple ways of testing for food allergies, because one test won’t cut it. We are all unique individuals and our bodies react differently to these allergic responses.  

Finding the right allergy test + bacterial floral assessment will nail down the root of the problem.  

Are you curious about food allergies? Want a second opinion?

My Digestion & Gut Program is what you need to get started... 

Reach out to me today and let’s talk about it! 510-230-2282 or https://live.vcita.com/site/drvera