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Notes, facts, tips, and resources from Dr. Ann Shippy, MD,
Functional Medicine physician and one of the nation’s leading experts on mold and environmental toxicity.
When it comes to toxic mold it’s not JUST your environment that you need to get away from–you must discard of the contaminated possessions in the moldy home or office.
Mold persists on personal items in dust and as a toxin. Dust is made up of dormant spores and spore fragments. Toxins are chemicals made by the mold, known as mycotoxins, which are reactive and considered a "poison."
And unfortunately, killing mold doesn't solve all the issues. The fragments and toxins left behind can cause continuous issues in very sensitive individuals.
Nearly all experts on mold remediation agree that upholstered furniture and electronic items that recirculate air need to be disposed of. And mold can stick to a variety of other items, some difficult to clean which will also inhibit recovery. While there are no studies that discuss transfer of mold particles, many individuals affected by mold toxicity have reported recurrence of symptoms when exposed to personal belongings. I’ve seen it quite often in my practice over the years.
Listening and helping patients on this journey, some felt getting rid of possessions was liberating, for others it was quite emotional to depart with sentimental items, even traumatic. There is also a financial burden to remediate a moldy house, move out, AND replace many expensive possessions.
On top of all this, the symptoms of mold related illness, including anxiety, depression, fatigue, headaches, body aches, and more are often exacerbated because of the added stress, making the issues of losing some possessions even harder.
The good news, and what I remind people of, is that health is the most important thing, and you can get better. 🥰 I encourage you to find a healthcare professional who is knowledgeable and trained in dealing with toxic mold illness.
Here are a few possessions that fare the worst in a moldy environment...upholstery – furniture, drapery, bedding, beds, headboards, clothing, artwork, paper items, and as mentioned, electronic items that recirculate air.
For free mold resources visit my linker.ee.
Dr. Ann ❤️
#mold #toxicmold #moldillness #moldsickness #moldremediation #blackmold #moldy #rootcause
Does exercise keep you young? Yes, and there is significant research to support this.
We all want to live longer, healthier lives free from chronic disease.
But did you know that although lifespans are now longer, the average American spends the last 17 years of their lives in poor health?
In a study of men and women in their 70s, those who were lifelong exercisers had higher aerobic capacities, better metabolic health and were biologically around 30 years younger than their chronological age, when compared to their non-exercising peers.
Based on this study, and others like it, we also know that exercise throughout the lifespan increases bone density, protects against dementia and other diseases, and delays the shortening of telomeres. And we know that longer telomeres are associated with health and longevity, while shorter lengths are associated with aging, premature aging, and disease.
And athletes typically have longer telomeres than non-athletes of the same age, suggesting that exercise is an antidote to aging. However, most of the people in this study weren’t athletes or competitive in their exercise, they simply engaged in regular physical activity.
I don’t think any of us want to spend our final days in poor health.
If you aren’t exercising, hopefully this inspires you – it’s start never too late to get started. 🤩
I enjoy hiking, skiing, yoga, and Pilates. What’s your favorite way to exercise?
Dr. Ann ❤️
#aginggracefully #exercise #healthylifestyle #stayyoung #holistichealth #overallhealth #healthyliving #healthyme #healthyover50 #healthyover60 #telomeres #telomeresupport #livewell #youngatheart #walkingforhealth #workoutmotivation #running
Have you tried a low-carb paleo diet and experienced unwanted symptoms like poor sleep, gut distress, or metabolism issues?
Research shows that a Paleo style of eating supports a balanced weight, metabolic health and is anti-inflammatory.
But some paleo eaters focus so much on eating proteins that they end up over-restricting carbohydrates.
They may think carbohydrates will cause them to gain weight...but whole carbohydrate foods are incredibly important for the health of the microbiome, hormonal function, reproduction and even metabolic health.
Natural carbohydrate plant foods, such as fruits and starchy vegetables, provide immense benefits from the phytonutrients in these foods. They may even help improve insulin sensitivity in many cases.
It is true that by reducing carbohydrates, you can also reduce your blood sugar (and the symptoms that go along with elevated blood sugar), and in some cases, this is warranted and very helpful, but in other cases, as time goes on, a low carbohydrate diet may have some downsides.
Some people start experiencing unwanted symptoms like poor sleep, decreased metabolism, reduced thyroid hormone (cold hands and feet), cortisol and adrenal health, fertility issues and digestive symptoms.
If you are on a low carb diet and want to learn how more about how it could be impacting your health, read my new blog: Low Carb Paleo, Low Carb Diet Risks and Insulin Resistance - link in bio.
Dr. Ann
#lowcarb #paleo #rootcausemedicine #foodasmedicine #leakygut #integrativemedicine #lowcarb #chronicfatigue #healyourself #lowcarbdiet #healthycarbs #eattolive #chronicillness #diet #insulinresistance #insulinresistancediet #toxinfree #toxinfreeliving #toxinsout #wholefood #eatclean
Thinking about friends and the residents of Florida and the Carolinas and hoping for the best for anyone touched by the devastating hurricane Ian.
It’s a stressful time for anyone living there or for anyone who has loved ones in these areas.
Stress and anxiety are definitely on the rise in general in our society.
As a fun(tional medicine doctor, I always look for the most natural treatments to support the body and the mind to find balance and healing.
Glycine is one of the tools in my fu(tional medicine tool box that can help. It's one of my favorite amino acid supplements for its calming and relaxing benefits.
When we are unable to manage stress, it can lead to much greater health issues down the road including chronic diseases or even cancer.
The mechanism through which glycine relieves stress is its action as a neurotransmitter in the brain and spinal cord where it plays a critical role in neurotransmission.
And its very well studied. In fact studies show that elevating glycine concentrations in the brain can be an effective approach for treatment of schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and addiction.
More recently, research indicates that increasing levels of glycine may also provide neuroprotection, assist in the treatment of autism spectrum disorders, and alleviate symptoms associated with pain, Parkinson’s disease, and epilepsy.
I also like glycine because it is used by the body to make glutathione, the body’s chief antioxidant and a critical component of detoxification processes in the liver.
Patients also seem to notice benefits right away, and they don't have the side effects that they have when they try medication.
If you would like to learn more click the link in my bio to watch video on the Benefits of Glycine.
Dr. Ann ❤️
#toxins #detox #glycine #anxiety #naturopathicmedicine #holistichealth #detoxify #selfcare #healing #mentalhealth #stressrelief #naturalhealing #naturalrelief #anxity #aminoacids #naturalhealthcare #mentalwellness #toxicburden #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealthmatters #naturalsupplements #naturalsupport #naturalsupplementsthatwork
Telomeres are structures that help protect the DNA within each chromosome. Think of them as the plastic caps on the ends of your shoelaces that prevent the fabric from unraveling.
Telomeres are long when we are born and play an important role in DNA replication that allows us to grow and develop.
Telomeres get shorter with each DNA replication and, therefore, shorter as we age.
When telomeres get too short, they can no longer create the protective cap for the DNA.
While there isn’t an anti-aging magic pill that turns back the hands of time, telomeres may be an important biomarker of premature aging that reflects how our environment and lifestyle promotes, or slows, the aging process.
Shorter telomere lengths are associated with:
• Cancer
• Cardiovascular disease
• Obesity
• Diabetes
• Chronic pain
• Poor Stress response
• Hypertension
Longer telomeres are associated with health and longevity.
What can you do to help preserve telomeres?
Research indicates that telomere lengths are largely influenced by the same lifestyle factors that correlate with chronic disease.
See the carousel above for tips on how to help preserve and lengthen telomers.
Or for a deeper dive, read my latest 2 blogs on telomeres - see articles in my linktr.ee.
Dr. Ann
#telomeres #agingbackwards #aginggracefully #epigenetics #healthylifestyle #heathlylife #antiaging #toxinfreeliving #toxinfree #chronicillness #integrativemedicine #foodasmedicine #eattolive #livelonger #agewell #naturopathicmedicine #healing #livewellbewell #meditationforhealth #eatclean #healthylife #telomeresupport #telomere
Why it’s so important to eat the right kinds of fats.
We need a balance between the unsaturated fats and the saturated fats for cell integrity and communication.
Both omega-6 fats and omega-3 fats are PUFAs or polyunsaturated fats. Omega-6 fats are used to make communication messengers, that can send more inflammatory signals. Poultry, meat, eggs, nuts, seeds, and vegetable oils are sources of Omega-6 fats.
Omega-3 fats are also used in communication and send more anti-inflammatory signals. Fish, other seafood, seeds, and fish oils are sources of Omega-3 fats. Too much omega-6 may cause a more inflammatory state in the body and consequently predispose to or exacerbate many inflammatory diseases.
A normal omega-6 to omega-3 ratio is somewhere between 4:1 or 2:1, however, since the rapid increase of industrial foods, like high omega-6 vegetable oils, this ratio has increased to 16:1 or even higher in many people. Excessive consumption of high omega 6 PUFAs causes oxidative stress and damages cell membranes which can lead to mitochondria and DNA damage, diabetes, and heart disease.
You may see nutrition recommendations that suggest avoiding the high omega-6 vegetable oils such as corn, soy and safflower oils, but also and other PUFA sources in the diet. Proponents claim that wildly reducing PUFAs will improve diabetes and blood sugar balance, risk for heart disease and even boost thyroid health, leading to improved metabolic health. But is this true, or even necessary?
With personalized medicine we look at each individual and make health recommendations that consider food allergies, sensitivities and other factors. But generally, when it comes to PUFAs, I recommend consuming natural food sources, like fish oils, fish, nuts, and seeds – so that we get PUFAs the way nature intended, and we avoid the unnatural processed industrial oils like GMO industrial oils (corn, soy, canola, etc.).
To learn more read my blog What is Polyunsaturated Fat – PUFA Foods and Personalized Medicine - link in bio.
Dr. Ann ❤️
#goodfats #healthylifestyle #toxinsout #eatclean #integrativemedicine #chronicillness #toxicfood #naturopathicmedicine #foodasmedicine #heal
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