It is finally SPRING and in Northern Michigan (where I am based) the snow is starting to melt and the sidewalks are starting to clear. It’s time to get outside and start WALKING! I speak with patients every day about walking as a key part of overall fitness and well-being. Walking is fundamental to general fitness, helps to lower stress hormones (cortisol), and can even lower the blood sugar impact of a meal!

Dreaming of Summer? I am! It’s that time of year when many of us are looking forward to emerging from the isolation of winter to spend time outdoors with friends and family. This is also a great time to focus on a healthy skin routine! In addition to a proper diet and adequate hydration, a routine of clean skincare products can get you ready to emerge this Spring with fresh glowing skin!

February in Northern Michigan is often synonymous with low vitamin D (often referred to as “the sunshine vitamin”). Vitamin D (technically really a hormone) is made in our skin when we’re exposed to sunshine. We need it to absorb calcium for our bones and to keep our immune systems strong.

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.

Do you ever feel like you just aren’t a healthy person or can never become one? It might be guided by some set of beliefs that has formed over the years—completely beyond your control. I like to call it your mindset.

I am excited to announce that our office is transitioning to an all-virtual format. We’ve closed the doors to our Downtown Petoskey building for the winter and taken our office 100% online.

Thyroid health is one of the most common reasons why patients seek my care - and for good reason! Optimal thyroid function is an essential component of your health and well-being. Your thyroid gland is part of your hormone system (also referred to as your endocrine system). The thyroid gland is shaped like a butterfly and is located inside your neck over your windpipe.

Our skin has a natural ability to exfoliate dead skin cells and does so daily. Unfortunately, this process slows down with age, which can lead to an accumulation of dead skin cells, leaving skin appearing dull and uneven. AHAs dissolve the upper layer of skin cells by weakening the cellular “glue” that holds dead skin cells together, encouraging exfoliation and triggering skin repair.

Mycotoxin Illness is not something I learned about in medical school and something that I was initially hesitant to explore with patients. Yet as is often the case when you have a medical practice like mine, you tend to see patients with multiple symptoms who have consulted with multiple providers and have not been given an explanation, diagnosis, or clear treatment plan.

Mycotoxin Illness is not something I learned about in medical school. In fact, even in my early years of practicing Integrative and Functional Medicine, I was reluctant to explore the concept of Mycotoxin Illness with my patients. Similar to conditions like Lyme disease (which I also now treat frequently), Mycotoxin Illness seemed “taboo” and dismissed by traditional Western Medicine. Yet as is often the case when you have a medical practice like mine, you tend to see patients with multiple symptoms who have consulted with multiple providers and have not been given an explanation, diagnosis, or clear treatment plan.

Are you tired of feeling sluggish and foggy only to be told that your thyroid tests “look normal”? You are not alone! Thyroid health is one of the most common reasons why patients seek my care - and for good reason! Optimal thyroid function is an essential component of your health and well-being, as thyroid hormones play a major role in regulating many bodily functions.