Metabolic Syndrome is an increasing health crisis around the globe. Approximately one-third of the US population has this condition.
Metabolic Syndrome refers to a collection of symptoms and characteristics.
If you only have one or two of the following, it does not mean you have the condition but have an increased risk of developing it or other health issues in the future.
Can be induced by poor lifestyle habits such as consuming excessive amounts of energy-dense foods such as high fat and sugars and lack of physical activity.
Other lifestyle habits that can contribute to metabolic syndrome include smoking, high amounts of stress, poor sleep, and alcohol consumption.
There are also genetic risks for developing metabolic syndrome. The combination of lifestyle and genetic factors can predispose people to be more at risk of developing future health problems.
Is similar to Metabolic Syndrome but the difference is that there are more cardiovascular symptoms seen with it compared to Metabolic Syndrome. People who are diagnosed with Syndrome X experience angina.
Angina is a condition where the tiny vessels of the heart are dysfunctional and are constricted and can cause chest pain and tightness.
There are no symptoms of Metabolic Syndrome, usually, there are clinical signs such as obesity, abdominal/belly fat, increased thirst and urination, fatigue, and blurred vision. It can easily be diagnosed at your doctor's office with standard blood tests and physical examinations.
Blood tests that will show Metabolic Syndrome include:
Physical Examinations that show Metabolic Syndrome:
Treatment for Metabolic Syndrome can vary anywhere from an allopathic medical approach to a naturopathic medical approach.
In allopathic/traditional Western Medicine, the emphasis is to use medications to manage symptoms. A naturopathic approach employs what is also known as an Integrative medicine or Functional medicine approach which places a heavy emphasis on lifestyle factors.
This approach believes that Metabolic Syndrome is reversible without medication, however, this requires complete patient compliance with the dedication to health so that the risks are managed through healthy eating, good sleep hygiene, regular physical exercise, and stress management.
Here are some basic naturopathic lifestyle recommendations that can help you with Metabolic Syndrome:
A 41 year old female presented to clinic with a history of hair loss, migraines, elevated prolactin, irregular menstrual cycles and infertility. She was on medication (Cabergoline) to lower her prolactin levels. We had her do labs and follow-up 3 weeks later. At that visit, I had her stop her Cabergoline and started her on a multivitamin, DHEA, and magnesium gel. Two months later, she reported that she got her period and was having a regular period. She also reported less hair shedding and no migraines. At that visit, we supplemented her with calcium and magnesium and said
Balancing the gastrointestinal system involves an understanding of the pH, microbiome, and intestinal permeability of the tissues.
If the GI system is not working properly, this can influence the absorption of key nutrients and minerals, detoxification, increase inflammation and cause changes in the blood-brain barrier.
Are you struggling with GI issues such as:
If so, there are ways to test to see what can be contributing to why you feel this way. Oftentimes, imaging is useful to help rule in or out certain medical conditions such as stones, lesions, or masses.
When it comes to finding out if your microbiome is in tip-top shape, a comprehensive stool analysis can provide us with clues to better understand your gastrointestinal system.
We refer to this as a bacterial selfie and can go deep in understanding factors that contribute to overall GI health.
Did you know that about 5lbs of your current body weight is made up of bacteria?
Are you curious to see what makes up your microbiome and if your Gut health is in optimal shape?
Do you want to get to know your internal roommates and make sure they are not creating havoc in your system?
The gut plays an integral part in your immune system and it is also where your diet and nutrients play a key role in your overall health.
If you are experiencing GI symptoms, this can affect you on many other health levels such as fatigue, depression, skin disorders such as eczema, inflammation, pain, and more.
It is essential to get your GI health in excellent health and to understand the world that lives inside you.
At your doctor's appointment, a take-home stool analysis kit will be recommended.
You will complete the testing kit in the comfort of your own home and it contains specific prepaid shipping instructions.
Once the data is received and processed, the physician will be notified and then you will be required to follow up on results at your next appointment.
Based on the results, an individualized treatment plan will be generated that can consist of medication and/or supplement protocol specific to your condition.
Imaging and appropriate referrals to specialists may also be recommended based on results. The goal is to complete the recommended protocol and retest in the appropriate time frame to see if your symptoms and markers have improved.
Heart disease is the number one killer in men and women. This condition actually begins in adolescence. It is important to understand the level of risk with this disease and it can be determined by a simple blood test that can show if it is genetic or lifestyle-induced.
Are you tired of doctors blaming your high cholesterol on your diet or lack of exercise or other lifestyle behaviors?
You may already do great in following lifestyle suggestions but are not seeing results. This is why it is important to search for reasons such as genetics, deficiencies, and imbalances to find out the root cause. Did you know that your endocrine system is related to your cardiovascular system?
Are you at risk or have a family history of heart disease? Hypothyroidism can be a cause of elevated cholesterol and hyperglycemia.
It is important to understand why you may have elevated metabolic inflammatory markers and how your body systems are connected.
This information is very helpful for creating a health plan as it treats underlying causes, not just treating symptoms.
At NES, we focus on treating the body naturally and finding relationships of how your body is connected. Our focus is strongly dedicated to disease prevention and using natural and integrative medical approaches to help you reverse, improve and optimize your health conditions.
Everyone is different and having an individualized plan is essential in order to get your goals met.
At your doctor's appointment, your doctor may decide to order comprehensive cardiovascular testing to look for the underlying genetic causes, inflammation, nutrient deficiencies such as Omega 3, hormone imbalances, and lifestyle.
This information is useful in order to generate treatment recommendations for you.
The treatments usually consist of diet and lifestyle recommendations, supplement recommendations, stress management recommendations, medications, possible imaging, referrals to specialists, future lab recommendations, and next steps for follow-up.
A 43 year old female presented to the clinic with a diagnosis of endometriosis and full hysterectomy that put her through early-onset menopause. She was put on hormone replacement therapy by her previous physician and her testosterone levels were extremely elevated in the 800s and elevated estrogen levels. She was experiencing acne, hirsutism, and voice changes. She also said that she was still gaining weight despite efforts to lose weight, elevated hematocrit levels and edema. She also had a history of hypothyroidism and significant stress.
We had her stop her testosterone and estrogen and noticed she lost 5 lb as soon as she discontinued testosterone therapy and a total of 10 lbs within 3.5 weeks. Once we were able to get her testosterone and estrogen levels back down, we initiated much smaller doses of hormone replacement therapy via injections. Despite normal hormone levels, the patient noticed that she would still experience “puffiness” several days after hormone injections. We decided to send her for a cardiovascular work-up to assess the patient's edema. The cardiologist noted an abnormal EKG for sent the patient to the ER for evaluation.
Patient will continue will be monitored by the Cardiologist and adjunctive care will allow the patient to feel optimal but also prevent any cardiovascular disease issues in the future.
This is the root cause of disease. Inflammation is a condition in which the immune system is being told to fix a problem. Not all inflammation is bad.
Some Inflammation is good such as in healing after a wound injury. Bad types of inflammation are seen in chronic conditions such as metabolic syndrome and autoimmune conditions. Some of this can be reversed.
The root cause of illness and disease is inflammation. It can cause a whole host of conditions such as heart disease, autoimmunity, joint pain, depression, obesity, hormone issues, cancer, and more.
At your doctor's appointment, your doctor may decide to order comprehensive inflammatory testing specific to your condition. Examples of inflammatory markers include:
These are generally proteins seen in the blood and can be elevated due to a wide range of things seen in acute and chronic conditions. This information is useful in order to generate treatment recommendations for you.
The treatments usually consist of diet and lifestyle recommendations, supplement recommendations, stress management recommendations, medications, possible imaging, referrals to specialists, future lab recommendations, and next steps for follow-up.
Have you been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes or struggle with pre-diabetes? Are you suffering from weight gain, excessive hunger, fatigue, increased urination, excessive thirst, or poor wound healing?
Type 2 Diabetes is a condition in which the body cannot break down sugars properly and causes your blood sugar to elevate.
This is a chronic condition and often develops in adulthood. Have you merely been prescribed diabetes medication but are curious to investigate other therapies to potentially reverse this diagnosis and improve your symptoms?
Fortunately, Naturopathic care provides many treatment options for patients with pre-diabetes or type-2 diabetes.
While medication may be necessary to help control your blood sugar, we at NES take a preventative and holistic approach to help you balance your blood sugar. We will utilize innovative diet approaches, lifestyle tools, herbs, and supplements that are unique to YOU to help you achieve optimal health.
At NES we will perform extensive blood tests and offer blood sugar monitoring so we can address the root cause of your blood sugar dysregulation.
After assessing your bloodwork, we will customize a personalized plan for you and help guide you in optimizing your diet, sleep, stress, and lifestyle to help control your blood sugar with a more natural approach.
Medication may be required but we will work with you to create an integrative, holistic approach to properly manage your blood sugar.
A 47 year old male presented to the clinic with obesity and type 2 diabetes. He weighed 256 lb on his first visit. When he first presented to the clinic, he said he’s been overweight since childhood and always had trouble losing weight. He also had a family history of diabetes, craving for sweets and a poor relationship with food.
He also had a stressful job that made it difficult to eat and sleep during normal hours. At the first visit, the patient was put on a continuing glucose monitor, liver detox program and berberine and ALA supplementation. When we first checked his Hemoglobin A1c, it was a 10.1%. The patient followed up two weeks later, and he reported feeling better and a 5 lb weight loss.
Two months later, his Hemoglobin A1c went down to 7.5% and his weight was down 10 lb. Within less than a year, his Hemoglobin A1c went down to a 5.9%, putting him in the pre-diabetic range and his weight went down from 256 lb to 238.5 lb. Patient was also tested for sleep apnea, as interrupted sleep can have a significant impact on blood sugar. Patient was put on a CPAP machine and noticed a difference in how he felt on the CPAP machine.
Do you have a family history of diabetes or struggle with weight gain, extreme hunger, cravings, fatigue, hormone imbalance, hair loss, dark skin patches, and belly fat?
Have you tried diet and exercise but still seen little to no results? Insulin resistance occurs when there is excess glucose in the blood, which reduces the ability of the cells in your muscles, body fat, and liver to absorb that glucose or sugar and utilize it for energy.
Insulin resistance is often prevalent in conditions like PCOS, often causing PCOS symptoms to be worse. Having insulin resistance can be extremely frustrating, especially when you feel like you're doing everything right.
At NES, we work with our patients through educating and empowering them and providing solutions to help them reach optimal health.
If you want to understand why you're struggling with stubborn weight gain despite all of your efforts, we can help you get to the root cause of your issues and help you finally see results.
At your doctor's appointment, your doctor may decide to order comprehensive blood tests to look for the underlying cause of your insulin resistance.
Some of these lab tests may include fasting glucose, HbA1c, insulin, and other specific tests including testosterone, sex-hormone binding globulin, estrogen, cortisol, and insulin-like growth-facing binding protein.
Other assessments such as daily glucose monitoring and sleep studies may also be ordered to get a better baseline of your insulin resistance. This information is useful in order to generate treatment recommendations for you.
The treatments usually consist of diet and lifestyle recommendations, supplement recommendations, stress management recommendations, medications, possible imaging, referrals to specialists, future lab recommendations, and next steps for follow-up.
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