Radio Naturopath Episode 458: Cholesterol and Muscle, Shilajit/LIthium Orotate, Health Not Weight Loss!

This week, I talked to Ron about his muscle building efforts, which are still taking a long time. We talked about how the cholesterol-lowering drug he took didn't allow him to rebuild muscle, and may also have affected his nerves, He's eating a lot of oats, and the beta-glucan in them can help to lower cholesterol; he's also eating a lot of ground flaxseed to help to sweep extra cholesterol out. He's looking forward to his next cholesterol test! We answered a question about shilajit and lithium orotate from a listener in India! I tried a pea-sized amount of shilajit for the first time live on the air, and it give me a mild rush!  Then we went on to discuss my take on weight loss, and went through a Prevention article that is very much in line with my thinking, that weight loss, the numbers on the scale, and BMI are not nearly as important as more direct measures of health, like cholesterol, blood sugar, nutritional status, getting regular exercise and rest, and eating a healthy diet of whole fooods and avoiding processed, chemically laden foods and food intolerances.  There are studies that really do bear out Healthy at Any Size!

Radio Naturopath Episode 437: Lyme-Bartonella Fatigue and Tremors, Cholesterol and Athletes

This week, we continued our saga of treating chronic fatigue of tick borne illness, and Ron's detox from cholesterol-lowering medication. I have found some energizing herbs like cordyceps and eleuthero, and that low dose lithium and the herb sida acuta are good for tremors. I talked what I'm doing to manage all these symptoms. We talked about how to help Ron with his ongoing healing from medication-induced muscle damage and cramping, including protein, magnesium, antioxidants, and milk thistle. Then I started to discuss cordyceps for energy and immune support and will continue next week!

Radio Naturopath Episode 442: Muscle Repair, Hypertension, Respiratory Allergies

This week, we found that Ron is plugging along and had a not-so-good day because yesterday he dared to work in the yard. His poor muscles just don't want to be disturbed! We are hoping that this will just take time and he'll be back to his favorite activities soon. As for me, my tremors have been quiet, and I'm hoping that's in part due to the low dose lithium orotate, and that the herbs are working to clear any remnants of tick borne illness! However, I have to face that I have hereditary hypertension. All the supplements and stress-reducing activities are just not working to get my blood pressure into a safe zone. So, I'm going to try a low dose of an angiotensin receptor blocker. My mom and sister are both on blood pressure meds and they work well for them. My mom is also on an ARB but my sister is on a pair of diurectics. I am taking an ARB because they are safer for athletes, in that they don't dehydrate you nor reduce your cardiac output. More about hypertension next week!

It's SPRING, and that means beautiful flowers, trees, and POLLEN! So we did a nice review of what to do for your respiratory allergies. Neti pots, supplements, nasal sprays, foods, we've got it all! 

Radio Naturopath Episode 439: Statin-Induced Myopathy in Athletes, Post-Exertional Malaise

This week, we talked more specifically about statin- and cholesterol-lowering medication induced myopathy. Ron is only a tiny bit better but still can't ride his bike outdoors. We talked about studies showing that athletes and people of lower body habitus tend to have more bad reactions to cholesterol lowering medications. My hypothesis is that doctors often don't dial in lower doses for these people, that they're using the same doses they would for larger people. We're still helping Ron with various natural medicine supplements. We also talked about post-exertional malaise: how it's a feature of chronic fatigue syndrome and other illnesses like autoimmunity, long COVID, and tick borne illness, and how to circumvent it Adaptogen herbs help too! We got started on the use of shilajit and will pick up on that next week. 

Radio Naturopath Episode 438: Musculoskeletal Side Effects of Repatha, Cordyceps, Sida acuta

Poor Ron. He had to get off his bike after less than 2 miles on a gravel ride. The evolocumab is still exerting its effects. We're thinking critically about the mechanisms of action of his musculoskeletal distress and responding accordingly. We are reducing inflammation, helping him to rebuild muscle, offering items to reduce the risk of atherosclerotic buildup, and something to help to break down any leftover drug in his body based on the pharmacokinetic of the compound. We are hoping he will be back to riding happily in a few weeks! Meanwhile, we also continue on the health benefits of cordyceps and my new friend, the mallow Sida acuta. 

Radio Naturopath Episode 436: Cholesterol Meds Side Effects, Benefits of Eleuthero, Spirulina, Chlorella

This week, we continued to review my ups and downs with chronic tick borne illness, and some new things that I learned, like the benefits of spirulina, chlorella, eleuthero, and other adaptogens. We also talked about Ron and how his latest cholesterol meds have likely dropped his cholesterol too low for his health, and what other options he has. Then we went on to find out the specific health benefits of spirulina, eleuthero, and got started on chlorella. Blue green algae! Great antioxidants!

Radio Naturopath Episode 435: Ron's Cholesterol and Thyroid Labs, Bicycle Positioning and Sciatica

This week, Ron handed me his recent blood work and had me talk about it. We talked about his elevated TSH and how his doc needs to adjust his thyroid medicine. We talked about his target-low cholesterol numbers, and how his Repatha drug is starting to give him a lot of side effects. We talked about the mechanism of that. We also answered a question from a listener about whether cycling negatively impacts sciatica, and how it's necessary to get the position right on the bike and also do stretch and strengthening exercises. 

Radio Naturopath Episode 393: Statins, Ezetimibe, PCSK-9 Inhibitors, Cholesterol and Health

This week I continued with my series on cardiovascular health. We explored how statin drugs work to lower cholesterol and how they cause detrimental side effects. We talked about another commonly used drug that also has side effects, ezetimibe. And there's the somewhat newer PCSK-9 inhibitors, which lower cholesterol by an alternate mechanism. For some people, they have less side effects, but not necessarily. We also began to discuss some of the natural ways to lower cholesterol, and some cholesterol testing besides the common LDL, HDL, and triglyceride testing that can go deeper into helping the decision on whether to medicate.