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.

CoVID-19: Protect yourself using natural medicine

COVID-19: Is it hype or an emerging pandemic?

The news headlines has us on the edge of our seats.
Creating Worry or Nervousness...
Maybe creating false urgency?

Let's cut through the hype!

Here are some facts that might help ease your mind...

How would you know if you have it?

It looks like a classic flu or respiratory illnesses for this season — fever, aches, a dry cough and shortness of breath. Honestly you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a regular cold/flu  and a COVID infection.

Check in with your PCP or advice nurse if you have symptoms and are concerned.

There are 2 significant phases  to this respiratory illness- the first is the "influenza like phase" and the second is the pneumonia phase.  COVID sets off a fast inflammatory reaction in the lungs that leads to a fluid buildup and our immune system damaging us unintentionally in the effort to kill the virus.

Note that people ARE recovering from the infection. Just because you've been exposed doesn't mean you are going to die.  There are layers of treatment options given to lower the immune reaction and return the body to health.


Is this going to keep spreading?
We're right at the tail end of cold/flu season in California so naturally the viruses and bacteria are more likely to die in transit through airborne transmission. This is because of lower humidity, increased temps and us being outside instead of indoors. But the key is to stay warm!

There more you get outside in nature and avoid being in close proximity to others for long periods of time, the better. Balance your time indoor and outdoors.

Do what makes sense! Cover your mouth, wash hands, open windows at home and allow airflow. Clean surfaces of your home and office with bleach/ alcohol.  This includes cell phones, door handles, phones at work and  items that are touched by multiple people.


Who is susceptible?

The vast majority of the epidemiology who have been most affected are either elderly and/or have underlying pre-existing conditions with weakened immunity.  The communities affected in Italy are older, unlike the 1918 Influenza pandemic which was much more virulent and impacted folks younger than 18. It's important to know the clinical characteristics from a recent study just released.  


If you are a smoker/vaping (even cannabis), your lung immunity is more highly compromised.  Consider cutting back on the number of cigarettes you smoke per day.

Lower your susceptibility! Just because you are exposed  to someone who is coughing doesn't mean you've been infected.

In my next post , I'll cover what specifically you can do naturally to lower your susceptibility... stay tuned!

What to do when depression meds stop working?

Are you depressed, stressed, peri-menopausal or all of the above?

If you’ve noticed an increase in depression symptoms while taking an anti-depressant, chances are something else is causing your mood slump. Here’s what you might be missing…

#1) Exhausted and burned out adrenals: THE MOST COMMON mistake people make is assuming they are depressed and it’s often low levels of cortisol/epinephrine/norepinephrine. Ignoring this part of the problem is leaving a huge component of your healing on the table.

#2) Depending on Serotonin reuptake meds is also assuming you are producing enough serotonin to begin with.

You may not be producing enough serotonin if you have:

• Gut/ stomach issues, think you have IBS or leaky gut

• Issues with methylation or conversion

• Carrying too much fat around your belly

Sound familiar? All these issues, including getting your body to produce more happy hormones can be done through natural methods and requires an integrated approach.

I use a combination of methods in my hormone program for folks that desire to get off anti-depressants which includes improving your body’s own ability to produce ALL of the happy hormones.

The functional tests I use measures these hormones (which most doctors typically don’t order), the health of your digestion and uncovering what key vitamins are missing that are essential for hormone production.

Your body receives comprehensive support and…

you get to feel like yourself again.

Set up a free consult with me to talk about how to get started.

XO

Dr. Vera

Waking up at 3 am in the winter months? Here's how to fix it

The cold winter months is a great time to catch up on sleep, but if finding quality sleep is troublesome for you, check-in with these sneaky disruptive habits

• Build your sleep hormones naturally. If you are taking an SSRI or anti-depressant, it may actually deplete your levels of melatonin- a main hormone that initiates sleep. The fact is many people have no idea how to build sleep hormones. Not to worry, I’ll share with you in my next blog post on how to do just that.

• Avoid exciting or stimulating activities before bed especially those involving bright screens or electronics. Too much exposure to light at night can disrupt the timing of the sleep cycle. Also eliminating reading and responding to emails close to bedtime lowers the possibility of reading something urgent, which might make it harder to fall asleep.

• Don’t have caffeine after lunch and avoid alcohol near bedtime as both can disrupt sleep and wreck havoc on your blood sugar levels throughout the night. No bueno!

• Practice rituals that help you relax before bed such as taking a warm bath with Epsom salts, drinking nervine teas or journaling about your day

In the meantime, if you’ve tried everything but still having trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep, you likely need to build up sleep hormones. A huge ( but pesky) problem impacting good sleep quality. Curious about what this means? Book a free consult, let’s talk about it.

XO,

Dr. Vera

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

Key nutrients to support a Dry and Sugar-Free January

If you're one week into a sugar-free and dry January as your new year's resolution, YIPPEE AND CONGRATS, you've made it further than most. Here’s two quick tips to support long-term efforts and recruit your cells in supporting those big epic changes.

Start with a blend of Evening Primrose and Omega-3-6-9. Yes Both!  This powerhouse combination of healthy oils will toughen cells against the effects of long-term alcohol use on a microscopic level.

The other must is a Trace mineral complex. Be sure your trace mineral contains both chromium and manganese.  This will ramp up your detox capability 5- fold and help curb your cravings against sugar. But more importantly, they’ll give your cells the nutrient power to rebuild from 2019’s year-long exposure of the sugar contained within alcohol.  

Here’s a fun, but scary fact: Did you know that 4oz of red wine & donuts have the same # of calories? How many of us drink just 4oz… hmmm!

Both alcohol and sugar wreak havoc on cells you'll rely on most when the pressure is on.

Now is the time for a Stress Detox

Did you struggle towards the end of last year and miraculously hoped the date change would erase how you’d been feeling?

(Real Talk) let’s make a bigger impact for you.

If you were fed up with last years persistence of feeling moody, frustrated by hormones out of balance, fed up with sugar cravings, tired of your hair falling out or just plain sick & tired of being tired….

It time for a re-freshing start for 2020!

Join me on a 6 week Anti-Stress Detox starting next Thursday evening January 9th at 6:30pm and it's $21/class + you can powerfully join me from the comfort of your home. This is an online/ virtual class.

Click & Signup here!

What to expect?

This 6 week program will fuel your body to create the energy, strength and stamina you need to actually accomplish your health goals!

I know, stress sucks, but it’s a part of life.  When you are stress eating, wiped out, exhausted and tired consistently, your brain programs your physiology to support unconscious habits of not caring for yourself.

You just don’t feel like you…

Frustration stomps in when you do not have the energy to deal with your life, your kids, your work, or with accomplishing your ambitions like you dreamed.

So, let’s change the game! I’m inviting you to make a powerful shift with this Anti-Stress Detox

Our goals over the next 6 weeks:

·        Feel empowered starting off your new year

·        Find foods and nutrients to refuel your inner power

·        Get freedom from the 4 core areas blocking you in your life

·        Learn tools to deal with sabotage stressor habits as they arise

·        Carve the path to live in congruence with who you truly are and could be

Our health is not just defined by the foods we eat, it's a combination of our mindset, hormones, habits, and what we belief is true about our potential.

Click & Signup here!

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