Radio Naturopath Episode 466: Managing Fatigue, Intermittent Claudication, Peripheral Artery Disease, Chromium

This week, I talked a bit about how I manage intermittent fatigue, mostly with taking breaks and getting enough sleep! Like a lot of us, I'm guilty of pushing myself to get stuff done until I drop, and I need to learn to rest more. 

Then we discussed the possibility that Ron has intermittent claudication, a form of peripheral artery disease. He certainly has symptoms that could fit. We discussed the mechanics of intermittent claudication, the pain, cramping, and burning that are worse with exertion and better with rest. Then we discussed how it's diagnosed and treated, both conventionally and naturally. And then, a little piece on chromium for food cravings! 

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.

Radio Naturopath Episode 354: What's Good and Bad For Your Skin, Bursitis Part 1

Today we finished up on why some things are bad for your skin, and things to eat to improve your skin. Turns out, those things are good for your general health, and the skin is a window into the rest of your health! Don't exfoliate too much, drink you water, eat your produce. We also began a discussion of bursitis, a painful condition that affects a lot of people, and can be helped by natural medicine. We'll get more in depth next week!

Radio Naturopath Episode 353: More Natural Skin Care, Especially Shea Butter

So we started off talking about Convoy Day. And then moved on to something people might REALLY be interested in, more natural skin care! I think the hands, and legs, and feet, and arms down winner is shea butter. It's anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, moisturizing, imparts moisture without making you greasy, helps with normal cell differentiation, and contains Vitamins A, E, and folic acid. What CAN'T it do? I talk about a lot of other items but I think shea butter is the all-around winner! Listen for lots more. Next week we'll talk about a few things that are BAD for your skin, and how to eat to promote healthy skin. And then we'll move on to bursitis!

Radio Naturopath Episode 201: New Blood Test for Alzheimer's Plus Natural Treatments; Get Rid Of That 4 Week Cough and Cold

I was inspired today by none other than Maria Shriver on the Today Show, who talked about a new blood test for Alzheimer's disease. She didn't go into as much detail as the article I found, so when I looked it up I found that it's the NFL test. Very appropriate for the upcoming sporting events! But it stands for NeuroFilament Light chains. I went to look in Quest Diagnostics where I order my labs, and it's not offered there. There's definitely a couple of companies that do it but I don't know if I have access to them. Quanterix does it but I don't know who has access to it. Anyway, it's a breakdown product of neuronal tissue. The more you have, the more likely you are to have brain neurodegeneration! If you have the genetic, early onset Alzheimer's, your levels will rise over time. If you have the non-genetic, they'll stay about the same. There are natural ways to head off the development of Alzheimer's, so I went through a bunch of them. One of them is EAT YOUR COCONUT OIL. It makes you smart!

Also, so many people have that cold or cough that just won't go away, so I gave out advice to help with that. Eucalyptus! Echinacea and goldenseal! Vitamins A, C, E, Zinc! Thin your mucus with guaifenesin, NAC, and bromelain!