Strengthening our immune defenses becomes paramount during these chilly months. In addition to good sleep, regular exercise, and improving gut health, one effective strategy for immune support is to incorporate targeted nutrients into our daily routines.

In my Integrative & Functional Medical practice, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to diet and nutritional supplement recommendations. Patients come to me following a variety of diet plans - everything from vegan to keto. I also prescribe a variety of food plans for my patients, and I customize nutraceutical supplement recommendations for each individual. To do this - I tend to dig deep with laboratory data to answer the question: Is your current diet and supplement plan meeting your nutritional needs?

The snow is melting, the temperatures are rising, and most of us are excited to start spending more time outdoors. For many, however, this transition to spring and summer weather also brings the unwanted symptoms of seasonal allergies, such as: Sneezing, itchy or Runny Nose, Itchy or Watery Eyes, Headache, Dry Cough, Fatigue and “Brain Fog”

Your gut, skin, nose, and airways are home to trillions of tiny bacteria and other microbes—some of which might help your immune system fight off unwanted infections. It’s called your microbiome.

In case you haven’t noticed yet, illnesses never affect two people in the exact same way. When infected with the exact same bacteria or virus, one person might get a slight cough for a week while the other person ends up with symptoms that linger for months. We see this with all infections, and right now we’re seeing this with COVID. Research is showing that our body’s response to the COVID infection is linked (at least in part) to…THE GUT MICROBIOME.