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 392: Overdoing It; Statins, Side Effects, Anti-Inflammatory Alternatives

We talked about how it can be easy to overdo it when the weather gets nice all of a sudden. Make hay while the sun shines, right? We get really industrious and want to take care of our WHOLE yard. Or we go from riding one hour at a time on our indoor bike trainer to riding 62 MILES. And then we wonder why we're sore all over, hurt our back, or are super exhausted! It's OK to take it easy and ease into the outdoor joys of the season. 

We also continued our series on cardiovascular health. Today we focused on statin drugs: how they work, their side effects, and how to reduce inflammation in other ways. Cardiovascular health is a very rich topic so we'll be getting into this for a few more weeks!

Radio Naturopath Episode 362: Negative Ions, Best Magnesium Forms, Help for Statin Side Effects

This week I talked about a few topics! Not exactly a natural medicine thing, but I talked about how to preserve your fashion hair color if you like to go swimming, and what kind of shampoo to use! I also commended Dylan Dreyer on her piece on the Today Show where she made green pancakes containing SPINACH with her kids, and we talked about this and other things as a way to get your kids to eat vegetables. Then we talked about negative ions, how to access and why they're good for you, and why an indoor ionizer is NOT so good for you. We finished with Ron's current issue, muscle cramping from statins and how to help that.

Radio Naturopath Episode 327: Water: Alkaline and Cactus, Beta Blockers, Statins, Red Meat

Today we played Ask Dr. Fran! Ron asked me five questions:

1. What is alkaline water?

2. Is cactus water good for you?

3. Will I ever get off these beta blockers?

4. Why do statins make me sore?

5. Is meat REALLY bad for cardiovascular disease?

For answers to these important questions and more, listen to the show!

Radio Naturopath Episode 307: Statins: Pros and Cons, More Natural Help for Cardiovascular Disease

This week we have more discussion of cardiovascular health. We touch on how statins actually help to lower cardiovascular risk, but also the problems associated with them. We also suggest ways to mitigate these problems. We talk about supplements that help with healthy blood vessels and to keep plaque at bay. We also list some foods that can help with your heart health.

Radio Naturopath Episode 306: A Month After Bypass Surgery: Ron's Experience

This week, we talk to Ron at length about his progress, just one month past his coronary artery bypass graft surgery. We specifically ask him about his healing scars, healing bones, how he's doing with exercise, meds, and most importantly, his mental state. People who have undergone cardiac surgery can go through many varied feelings and psychiatric issues, and it's important to attend to those as they are occuring.