Glutathione is one of the most important molecules you need to stay healthy and prevent disease. Glutathione is a powerful antioxidant in every cell of your body. It is often called the “master” antioxidant due to its important role in a number of processes

Optimizing your mitochondrial function means you are giving your body the advantage of efficient energy production. That means potential benefits for your brain, heart, muscles, and more. Here are some top nutrients known to support mitochondrial health.

CoQ10 is a nutrient that supports mitochondrial function for cellular energy production and also acts as an antioxidant. It can be synthesized in the body, but its production declines with age.

Other reasons that CoQ10 levels can decline in the body include an increased demand in certain tissues, other nutritional deficiencies, or the use of statin medications (common medications for cholesterol levels).

In my Integrative and Functional Medicine practice, I routinely measure essential fatty acid levels with nutritional testing and recommend omega-3 fatty acid supplementation to my patients for various reasons.

Fish Oil is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids - but not all Fish Oil supplements are created equal!

Stress is a fact of life. Short-term stress is normal and helps us deal with immediate challenges. Our stress response is managed by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the sympathetic nervous system, which release hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol when faced with stress. This response is vital for survival and maintaining balance in the body - however, chronic stress, lasting for a long time, can harm our health, affecting mental health, the heart, immune system, digestion, cognitive function, and energy levels.

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.

Selenium doesn’t often get the limelight, but it should! Selenium is a trace mineral that incorporates into body proteins (called selenoproteins) that play a role in immune function, thyroid hormones, reproductive health, and more.

If you have followed my blogs or social media for any period of time, you will already know that I am obsessed with Vitamin C. I take a Vitamin C supplement every day and use a Vitamin C serum on my skin. Vitamin C is AMAZING, and the reality is that we could not survive without it.

Nearly every chronic disease in the world today can be linked back to this same thing. Chronic Inflammation. We need our bodies to mount an inflammatory response to fight off infections or heal from injuries, but we don’t want to be stuck in a never-ending inflammatory cycle.

Foods can have a powerful effect on your mood - both good and bad. Some people grab foods they *think* make them feel good (ice cream anyone?) but end up feeling worse once the sugar rush wears off. Next time, think about reaching for science-backed foods to improve your mood and supplements for natural mood support.

Insulin resistance means that the cells in the body have become less responsive to insulin, which leads to elevated insulin and blood sugar levels. This leads to more belly fat, hunger/cravings, and fatigue - and if left unchecked, can lead to type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and even many cancers. That’s why it’s critical to take insulin resistance seriously.

Bringing hormones into balance requires a commitment to healthy habits, but we can support the process with targeted nutritional supplements. When considering nutritional supplements for estrogen dominance, there are 3 categories to consider: Gut Support - for proper estrogen elimination, Liver Support - for healthy estrogen metabolism, and Hormone Support - for estrogen-progesterone balance.

Seasonal allergies happen when the immune system reacts to a substance that should otherwise be harmless. It’s like an immune response gone rogue. What happens next is the release of histamine—a tiny chemical messenger released from mast cells that leads to a cascade of inflammation. Histamine is at the center of seasonal allergies and causes most of the irritating symptoms.

Every cell in your body contains magnesium and needs it to function. Magnesium often serves as a cofactor — a helper molecule — and is involved in more than 600 biochemical reactions in your body happening at any given moment.

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.