As the seasons begin to change, it's a great time to assess whether or not we're tending to our immune systems and keeping our bodies in tip top shape. 

Here are 3 things you can do to boost your immune health:

1. Establish and follow a regular exercise routine - inside or outside works, but outside increases the chance of also boosting vitamin D at the same time! Repeated studies show how beneficial moderate intensity exercise is for immune function. 
2. Vitamin D - Speaking of vitamin D - make sure you have enough onboard for immune health! Get a blood test if it has been longer than 2 years since your last test. If you're low, take a supplement and get retested! I typically recommend patients take a high dose for 3 months for a deficiency and then get rechecked. Vitamin D helps fight cancer, activates the immune system, helps with energy, mood and so much more. 
3. Warming Socks - have you heard about wearing wet stocks to bed when you're feeling ill? It's something I recommend to my patients all the time. It's easy and free to do - and can even be helpful when you're not sick to encourage restful sleep. The steps are simple: 1. Warm your entire body in a hot shower or bath. 2. Get 2 pairs of socks - one cotton and one thick, wool pair. 3. Wet the cotton socks, wring them out and put them on. 4. Cover the wet socks with wool socks. 5. Crawl into bed and look forward to feeling better in the morning!
   

Watch my video tutorial below!

So, you've scheduled your first visit with me, now what? You're in the right place because I wrote this post especially for you! 

There are a few things you can do which will make our time together most productive!

1. Complete your new patient questionnaires on Charm. There are 3 documents called "questionnaires" which are my new patient paperwork. These documents are best filled out and signed on a desktop computer rather than a phone. The answers to these questions help me get familiar with your case before we meet and allows me to legally treat you. Remember to complete each section as best as you can.
2. Leave your card information to hold your appointment. To ensure new patients show up for their appointments, I ask that you leave credit card information with my assistant. Please know I have a 24 hour cancellation policy which means if you cancel within 24 hours before your appt you will be charged a late cancellation fee of $50. 
3. Download the Spruce app if this is a telemedicine visit. Spruce is a HIPAA compliant (secure) video app which works on your phone or your computer. Download it to your phone to create an account first. Link to Spruce.
4. Upload labs from the last 12 months. If you upload the labs to Charm, be sure to also "share to" me so I may see them. 

I look forward to meeting you! Please call my office if you have any questions about any of this information or your appointment. 

To your health,
Dr. Katie

I cannot count the number of times a new patient has told me either (a) they have never had blood work run or (b) it has been 10+ years since they last had blood work done. The reasons for the gaps are all over the map - they may not trust healthcare providers due to past experiences, they may not have had access due to financial reasons, they may have grown up in a family who avoided mainstream medicine. Whatever the reason is, I try to approach the issue gingerly. Many people I see have needle phobia or, as previously mentioned, had adverse or negative experiences with medicine in the past and I don't want to worsen that. 

Running labs gives us a tremendously valuable peek inside of the body which can sometimes let us get on top of issues before they become worse. Sometimes when symptoms show up, as in the case of iron deficiency anemia for example, the condition is so severe it makes it more difficult to treat. As a bonus, when I run labs for my patients I have a different perspective on what "normal" is vs what the lab considers normal. In many cases, my "normal" might be much narrower than what the lab considers normal. This is extremely important when it comes to helping my patients reach optimal levels of health and well being. 

I always emphasize the importance of data when it comes to seeing my patients - it makes it easier to determine what needs help and easier to track their progress. The easiest way to collect that data is through a blood draw. Keep in mind, there are some needle-free options for lab work, but most folks do require a poke here and there.

I recommend basic panels get drawn at least every 2 years. Is that too frequent? No, I don't believe so because our labs can change quickly depending on many factors including stress levels, exercises, what we're eating, age and stage, and more! When patients come to me - something has changed and labs are a great way to see what might be going on below the surface. 

What are basic panels? In my practice, those panels include these:

• CBC to assess red and white blood cell health
• CMP to asses liver and kidney function and blood sugar
• Vitamin D
• Thyroid hormones
• Blood fats
• And more depending on who the patient is, their risk factors, family history, symptoms, etc. 

If you'd like to learn more, send me an email or call to schedule a free 15 minute discovery call with me. I can't wait to talk with you! -Dr. Katie 

Hey there!

When the temps start to rise, I get pretty thirsty. Here in Utah it's dry, it's hot and my skin and gut need more water! When I drink water, I want to get the most out of it  - meaning I want to make sure I'm getting hydrated by adding electrolytes. I came up with a little recipe for a naturally hydrating beverage I want to share with you. Follow the recipe below (or improvise your own version and let me know if it's a tasty one!) and see if you get a bit more out of your water...

Naturopathic Electrolyte Drink ("NED")
Enjoy NED on a warm day especially after sweating, before or during a workout or whenever you're thirsty. 

Ingredients

• 24 oz Filtered Water
  
• Electrolyte Drops (I like Concentrace from Trace Minerals)
• Liquid Stevia Drops
• 2 TBS Lemon or Lime Juice

Instructions
It's easy! I use a big mason jar to make my drink. Add in the filtered water, electrolyte drops (I use 2 droppers full- about 20 drops), stevia drops (about 20 drops, or to taste), lemon or lime juice. 

Sometimes I add ice, sometimes I add sparkling water... experiment and see what you come up with! 

​Enjoy.

The second in the series about what specialty tests offered in my practice is the TAP or Temporal Adrenal Profile from Diagnostechs. 

The TAP test is a saliva test which measures free levels of the stress hormone cortisol over the course of one day. I typically run the test in patients who complain of fatigue and sleep issues, but often in patients who have immune problems, gut complaints and skin and hair issues. Healthy levels of cortisol play an important role in many different systems of the body.

Indications for ordering the TAP test include:

• fatigue or tired a lot of the time
• insomnia
  
• poor immune health
  
• mood swings
• blood sugar issues
• difficulty with weight

The previous list is not exhaustive, but does give you a peek into certain situations where the test might be ordered. Although there are multiple ways cortisol may be measured, the TAP is my favorite way.

Advantages of the TAP test:

• convenient at home testing
• no needles, painless
• changes seen through the day
• only shows free cortisol levels 

If you'd like to learn more about the TAP test or you'd like to discuss ordering the test, schedule a visit with me!

Here are a few frequently asked questions for folks new to my practice.
If you need more information, please give my office a call, email or use my contact form. As always, the best way to get in contact with me is via message on charm if you are a current patient. 

• Does your practice accept insurance?
  • Because of the lack of coverage of insurance for Naturopathic services, I have chosen not to bill insurance. My practice is strictly fee for service. There may be the option for reimbursement for the fees you pay for my services. Contact your insurance company for more information. 
  • There are some laboratory services which can be billed to insurance. Often the more mainstream lab companies (ex. Quest and Labcorp) are easier to get insurance to cover. I run many functional and alternative lab panels which your insurance may or may not cover. Contact your insurance company for more information if you're curious.
• What are your fees?
  • 10 min Discovery Calls are complimentary and are conducted via phone.
  • My initial visit with a new patient (60 min) is $300.
  • My follow up visits with a returning patient (30 min) is $180.
  • Visits may be longer than the stated time length, in which case the price will differ.
  • Supplements, labs, etc are all in addition to those listed above.
• Do you see children in your practice?
  • I typically only see people who are 21 years and older. 
• ​Can you help me with _______ problem or diagnosis?
  • The fact is natural medicine can assist with essentially every chronic diagnosis. When the body is, overall, working better, typically folks feel better. That being said, I do tend to see folks who have hormone problems and digestive problems, mostly.
  • The main question I want to answer in a Discovery Call (free 15 min chat) is whether you and I (patient and doctor) are a good match. I believe that a strong and healthy doctor-patient relationship is as important as whether I'm a good at treating people with "x" diagnosis.
• What should I do to prepare for my first visit?
  • Note: 10 minute Discovery Calls are complimentary and conducted via phone.
  • Fill out the new patient paperwork (found on the Charm PHR). There are 3 documents which should be completed the day before your visit.
  • Collect any labs or imaging from the last 12 months and upload them to the Charm PHR and share them with me.
  • Pay the deposit fee to hold your appointment, which you will pay when you schedule your visit.
  • Determine whether your visit is in person or via telemedicine. If you prefer in person, be sure to schedule on a day when I'm in the office - otherwise, we can do the visit via Spruce Telehealth app.
• How do I find and get the supplements you prescribe?
  • The supplements I prescribe to my patients are found on a website called Fullscript. Prescriptions from Fullscript are emailed to patients using the email address associated with their Charm PHR account.
  • To browse my Fullscript dispensary or just learn more, click here.
• How do I pay for your services?
  • Payment for visits with me are done through an online payment processor called Square.
  • If we meet via telemedicine, expect to receive an invoice from Square in your email inbox shortly afterward.
• What should I know after my first visit?
  • ​After your first visit, I will create a Visit Summary for you and you will receive this document in Charm on your dashboard. 
  • The visit summary contains: Labs I'm ordering, prescriptions, dietary and lifestyle prescriptions/recommendations and any other pertinent information.
  • All communications and document sharing happens on Charm PHR.
  • The visit summary is your personalized treatment plan. 
  • It may take 1-2 days for me to create your visit summary.

A frequent conversation I have with my patients is why laboratory testing (of any kind) may be a good idea. I'm not one to order labs "just because". I think when I order a lab, I should have a pretty good reason and way to treat the patient based on the results.

One of the many specialty and functional medicine tests I offer is a stool test from Diagnostic Solutions Laboratory called the GI MAP (Gastrointestinal Microbial Assay Plus). This is a stool test (yes, it requires a poo sample!) uses cutting edge technology called PCR (polymerase chain reaction) which helps pick up tiny traces of gut bugs in the stool sample. GI MAP takes a look at what good bugs (normal bacteria), ok bugs, and not good bugs (bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites, worms, etc) might be lurking in the gastrointestinal tract. The test also assesses for inflammation, immune health, and digestive function.

I will quite frequently find infections on the GI MAP that other tests missed. The test will also gives us a sense of the level of dysbiosis (a condition where typically normal bacteria in the gut appear in abnormally low or high numbers) -- which is extremely helpful when it comes to recovering from many chronic conditions. 

I order this test for patients with digestive complaints, yes, but that's not all. Here's a short (but not exhaustive) list of patient conditions when I might order the GI MAP test:

• Fatigue
• Hair loss
• Anxiety or Depression
• Hormone imbalance of many kinds
• IBS
• Anemia/other nutrient deficiency
• Autoimmune diseases

If you have questions about whether the GI MAP is right for you, please reach out to me! I'd love to talk to you about your concerns.