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!

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. 

A few years ago I wrote a blog post called "Your Solar Rockstar: Vitamin D3" and I think it's time to revisit it. Below are my current feelings on the importance of vitamin D for your health and vitality...

Vitamin D is one of the most important nutrients you may be lacking in right now. Vitamin D3 (the active form of vitamin D) is actually considered a hormone which is produced naturally in your body through a complex process. UV rays interact with cholesterol in your skin to produce a compound which is then activated further by the liver and the kidneys - and, voila! Active vitamin D3 is born. Dietary sources of actual vitamin D3 are scarce, so our body's own production of this vitamin/hormone are key! The unfortunate thing, however, is that there are many risk factors for being vitamin D3 deficient.

Risk factors for Vitamin D3 deficiency:

• Living north of the 35th parallel (basically north of Southern California on the west coast and north of Georgia on the east coast)
• Living in a highly polluted environment
• Skin with high amounts of melanin
• Avoiding sun exposure (covering up, using sunscreen or spending most of your time indoors)
• Gut diseases that cause poor nutrient absorption (gallbladder disease, IBD, SIBO, Celiac disease, etc)
• Liver or kidney disease
• Taking some drugs (such as anticonvulsants and corticosteroids) which reduce vitamin D3 levels
• Older age
• Obesity

Do any of these risk factors apply to you? 

If we are low in Vitamin D3, what are the risks? In severe deficiency, a condition called rickets in kids and osteomalacia in adults may develop. In both of these conditions, there may be seriously debilitating issues with bones and muscles. In less severe deficiencies, the effects are undoubtedly more frequent, far-reaching and, frankly, unrecognized.

Here are just a few conditions which are linked to Vitamin D3 status:

• Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
• Fatigue
• Painful periods
• Diabetes
• Depression
• Cancer
• Osteoporosis
• Back pain
• Frequent colds and infections
• Eczema
• Vitiligo

Here's a list of the best ways to improve your vitamin D3 status naturally:

• Spend time in the sun - 5-15 minutes in the sun 2-3 x per week in short sleeves and t-shirt (without sunscreen).
• Improve your gut health - work on improving your ability to absorb nutrients through your gut overall.
• Get tested - the first step may be to get some data about where your levels are.
• Eat food rich in vitamin D - Mushrooms, salmon, sardines, cod liver oil.

In my practice most of my patients, when tested, come back with suboptimal vitamin D3 levels. What is optimal? I consider 60-80 ng/mL optimal - whereas many lab normal ranges are around 30-100 ng/mL. Many of my patients who were told they had "great" vitamin D3 levels were still at risk for some of the vitamin D3 deficiency-related diseases mentioned above.

If you're at all concerned about your Vitamin D3 level, talk to your healthcare provider about getting a blood test. The best way to avoid suboptimal vitamin D3 levels and the accompanying risks is to get tested.

If you have more questions, please reach out to me! I'd love to help you.

I was fortunate enough to get one of the Covid 19 vaccines just last week on Weds Jan 6. This vaccine is an mRNA vaccine - meaning it contains small amounts of genetic material which allows our own cells to make a harmless protein present on the outside of the virus we're fighting. 

I'd like to tell you about my experience getting the vaccine and give you some additional info about the shot:

• Got the Shot: I got the vaccine in my left shoulder and it felt less painful than other vaccines I've had. They had me wait for 15 minutes before leaving in case I had a bad reaction. I didn't, so I left!
• A Few Aches: I had a few mild muscle aches - in my legs, my arm, my neck. Sometimes I get these aches when I'm tired, when I worked out too hard or if I'm getting sick. It was nothing concerning and only happened on Wednesday after the shot.
• Fatigue: I was tired on Thursday (the next day) and Friday. I had to take a nap both days, but was able to work, do house work, do my workouts, etc. I was tired but not so tired I couldn't function.
• Sleep Interrupted: Because my left shoulder was a bit sore, it was hard to sleep as I typically sleep on my left side, but went away by Saturday.
• I didn't have to take any medications or supplements (natural or otherwise) for my symptoms and just took it easy. That was it!

Today, I feel great and am prepared to get my second dose, which is due early next month.

I am not a "pro-vaccine" or "anti-vaccine" person or physician. I am pro choosing what makes the most sense in each situation. For myself, it made the most sense for me to get a vaccination and for some people it doesn't make sense. Here are the reasons I was not worried and chose to opt for it: I have no history of allergies to vaccinations or any medications, I am overall healthy, I was feeling well on the day of the vaccination, and I have no desire to experience Covid-19 and its possible longterm side effect - Also, I don't want to spread it to my patients, family or friends. 

Here are some things about the vaccine that you should know:

• The mRNA is short-lived: The vaccine I got (Moderna Covid 19 vaccine) contains mRNA, as mentioned above. The small bit of genetic material may sound odd or concerning, but it is only enough material for our cells to make a small number of "spike proteins" which are unique to the virus. Once the spike proteins are created and the immune system has a chance to recognize them and create antibodies to them, they are digested by other cells in the immune system. 
• Side Effects: It's completely normal and common to have low grade symptoms after the vaccine like muscle aches, fever, chills, fatigue. These are signs the body has recognized the vaccine and your immune system is learning how to recognize it in the future. Serious or dangerous side effects are extremely uncommon, even in this new vaccine.
• Two Doses Needed: Both vaccines out right now need 2 doses to ensure the body creates lasting immunity to the virus. Although we don't yet know how long the immunity lasts, it's important that if you get one dose, you follow through with the second dose for maximum effect. 

For More: For further & more detailed reading from a Naturopathic perspective on the vaccine, one of the great doctors in my field, Dr. Paul Herscu wrote this letter. 

​Have you recently found yourself in bed for hours, surrounded by used tissues and realized-- wow I'm sick of being sick! It's never too soon to plan to get better. Once the haze of illness passes and you're convalescing, the first thought is always, "When will I feel back to my old self?" We need to make sure to take it easy for a little bit before doing everything at normal life speed again, but there are some things you can do to recover more quickly than the lady who coughs on you in line at Trader Joe's.

According to the CDC, 5-20% of Americans get the flu every year and even higher numbers get symptoms of the common cold, which means there's quite a bit of of interest in how to recover more quickly.

Here are three things besides a flu shot (most important for the young and immunocompromised folks) you can do today to get your energy back faster and be on your feet in no time.

1. Avoid dairy and sugar. Dairy and sugar are two "mucus-forming" foods which also slow your immune system's response -- which you need in tip top condition to stop new invaders and clear up the dead ones that need to be taken out. No milk, dairy, cheese or products made of these things. Nothing containing white sugar or cane juice and it can't hurt to limit your consumption of honey, maple syrup, etc. Plus, while you're getting better you probably won't want food that is terribly sweet or rich anyway, so this is probably not too hard to do.

2. Stretch your body. So, you've been basically glued to the mattress or the couch while you've been sick, right? Well, your body notices and the lack of physical activity can make you feel more tired than you should while recovering. Take some time to stretch your arms and your legs, your neck and shoulders. Do some gentle yoga if you can to get your body warmed up and your joints moving again. Gentle stretching can also help to wake up your brain and makes things like going out to the store or walking the dog seem much more appealing. You can even take it really easy and do the stretching in bed.

3. Water, water, water. Drinking fluids-- mostly water-- is essential for recovering from everything from a hangover, headache and yes the cold and flu. Your body is mostly water so if you skimp on this one ingredient, you will not recover as quickly. Drink filtered (but not bottled) water that is preferably room temperature. Some sources say that water that is too cold can be upsetting to the body, stunning it into flight or fight mode and it also takes energy to warm it up to body temperature. Also, I'm sure you've heard the controversy over bottled water, but it really is a complete waste of resources (yours and the Earth's), plus the plasticizers in the bottles leech into the water which is pretty counter-productive if you drink bottled to cut down on the chemicals that may be in tap water.

Remember: Don't over-do it. This can mean many different things depending on your lifestyle but I'm guessing you know what it is for you. The first two to three days you feel better continue to take care of yourself as you have while sick. Try to lay low, eat light and focus on feeling better. Your energy can come back quickly, but don't take as a green light for all the social functions on your calendar just yet.
I hope you feel better soon! Have you been sick recently? Leave me a comment and let me know how you're doing!

Be well,
Dr. Disharoon


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