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 297: St. Patrick's Day, Women in Naturopathic Medicine, Protein Calculators and Shakes

Today we talked about the origin of St. Patrick's Day. Apparently, good ol' Maewyn did NOT physically chase the snakes OR the pagans out of Ireland, but he DID promote and spread the practice of Christianity there. But he wasn't born in Ireland, likely in Wales or Scotland, to a Briton of Roman descent! Who knew. In the US, anywhere where there's lots of Irish (I'm looking at you, Boston, MA) there's a lot of drinkin', partyin', and the wearin' o' the green. In Chicago they dye the Chicago River green, and in New York and lots of other places they have a parade. Everyone is Irish for a day! Many pagans believe that St. Patrick at least sought to replace paganism with Christianity, so don't observe or wear snake jewelry for the day.

In continued celebration of International Women's Month, we profiled another celebrated naturopathic physician, Lise Alschuler, N.D. She is the premier woman naturopathic oncologist in the world!

We got out a protein calculator and figured out that a lot of folks, likely peri- and post-menopausal women, don't eat enough protein, and that may be why they're getting symptoms! Lots of women, especially in this age category, don't eat enough protein, which would likely help them with fat loss. So I recommending mixing animal and vegetable sources to get the right amount of protein. One way to do this is with protein shakes. If you're not dairy intolerant, the best one is whey, but if you are, we discussed alternatives, both animal and vegetable.