Radio Naturopath Episode 455: Lyme and Bartonella and the Long Haul

This week, we talked about the long haul and Lyme disease. The idea is that you have to treat for a long time, some say at least a year, and definitely until you have been symptom free for 2 months. Treating for that long can be WEARING, but to successfully treat this sticky, insidious, difficult illness requires tenacity! It is understandable that people get treatment fatigue. To do it right, especially if you're trying to avoid or minimize the use of antibiotics, it seems you have to take a lot of stuff! But I'm going to stick it out until I figure it out, and hopefully can get back to riding my bike when I want, however I want. Not to mention enjoying the rest of my life!

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 440: Hypertension, Shilajit, Rhodiola, Low Dose Lithium

This week, we talked about Shilajit, this interesting, antioxidant-rich substance that comes from the HImalayas. It has a lot of fulvic acid in it which is detoxifying and free-radical quenching. And it's energizing and helps with hormone balance! We also talked about rhodiola, plant extraordinaire that is energizing, an immune tonic, and helps with altitude sickness. And LITHIUM, the nervous system's best friend! It can be helpful with simply improving anxiety to helping with dementia to preventing murder, suicide, and rape in towns where it's high in the water. I wonder if the US, Israel, Gaza, and the world need to microdose lithium?

Radio Naturopath Episode 396: Aging in Men, Health Goals, Enviro Toxins, Stress Reduction

This week was Part 3 of CNPA Conference Redux! This week, the featured speakers were Geo Espinosa who spoke about aging in men; Carissa Fioritto who discussed health goal-setting and used redirecting from weight loss as an example; Kira Halak who discussed the toxicity of PFAS and other environmental toxins; and Doni Wilson who talked about managing stress and even the benefits of ayahuasca! Fascinating stuff.

Radio Naturopath Episode 326: 2021 NHAND Highlights Part 2: Natural Help for Viruses, Senior Fitness, Brain Fog, Hiatal Hernia

This week, we did Part 2 of the highlights of the 2021 NHAND conference. We talked about natural help for viruses and summarized a talk about one doctor's use of natural medicine for COVID-19; about why fitness is important for seniors; about brain fog; and about hiatal hernias. We also filled in with a few tidbits about cherries for gout and the Mediterranean diet.

Radio Naturopath Episode 325: NHAND Highlights Part 1: Diabetes Meds, Alcohol and Food Addiction, Calming Herbs, Repro Microbiome

This week, I did a highlight episode for the New Hampshire Association of Naturopathic Doctors convention. There was so much great information that I have to do a Part 1 and Part 2! This week, the topics were about new drugs for Type 2 diabetes; herbs for anxiety, sleep, and relaxation; the reproductive microbiome, beneficial bacteria that live in the vagina, uterus, and ovaries; alcohol's effect on women's health and evidence for reducing intake, and The Science of Food Addiction! All really great speakers and topics and I'll highlight more next week!

Radio Naturopath Episode 283: Happy Hanukkah! Our COVID-19 Quarantine and Helpful Supplements, Pelvic Pain

Last Thursday, Ron had an acute GI bug, from which he recovered very quickly. However, unknown bugs are COVID-19 until proven otherwise. Here's how Ron and I handled it; it included getting tested and quarantining! I also answered a listener's questions about supplements to help to prevent or mitigate the illness.

Happy Hanukkah! I talked a little about that.

I also did a review of pelvic pain and natural treatment, as taken from Lise Alschuler's lecture at the NHAND conference.

Radio Naturopath Episode 278: Happy Halloween! COVID-19 Uptick in CT; Is It Allergies Or Is It COVID-19?

I talked a little about having a safer Halloween. I reminded people that sadly, there is an uptick in COVID-19 cases all over the country, even in Connecticut, although it's not as severe here as in the Midwest. I listed the 11 towns that are now considered hot spots, many in eastern CT, and one of them is WINDHAM, but not Mansfield, thankfully. The main topic was Is It Allergies or Is It COVID-19? Many people have fall allergies, and currently those are mostly dust and mold. There's really not much pollen to be had right now, so people are sneezing from being indoors, breathing in the dust and mold that was sitting in their heating ducts and is now blowing out, mold from interaction with firewood, and dust from putting on jackets, sweaters, and sweatshirts that have been sitting since April. Wash 'em! Use a HEPA filter! I gave a lot of good suggestions. 

Radio Naturopath Episode 223: More on Lyme and CT Incidence, Hashimoto's, and Babesiosis; Insect Repellants; How Stress Affects Your Health

MORE stuff about Ron and his Lyme and Hashimoto's, and also the incidence of Lyme in the state of CT by county. New London has the highest incidence, but we wonder if it's underreported elsewhere. Ron makes the point that there is a lot of effort put into West Nile Virus which has an incidence of 23 cases/year in Connecticut, and less effort into Lyme disease which has 1800+ reported cases! And remember that these are the properly REPORTED cases, where the doctors have been presented with a state reporting form AND have managed to fill them out and send them back in. I made sure to encourage everyone to use bug spray, whether natural with essential oils, Bio UD from tomatoes, or even DEET if you must! I also make the point that the danger of antibiotic resistance is far outweighed by the need to eradicate a tick borne disease from a person, which can go on to have lifelong consequences, especially musculoskeletal and neurological.

We also talked about how stress affects your health. It can, of course, affect every system in your body, from headaches to digestion to muscle pain! And some suggestions to help.