Here in the Pacific Northwest we have a large variety of choice wild edible mushrooms. Many of these mushrooms cannot be cultivated, making them rare delicacies that are only found if the soil, weather, elevation, trees, temperature, etc. are just right. After the rains fall, I head to the forests in search of delicious and nutritious edible fungi. Mushroom hunting is a hobby shared by…
Tags: Vitamin D, Nutrients, Iodine, Selenium, Essential Elements, Heavy Metals, Elements Testing
ZRT is a company made up mostly of women. It’s not that we don’t have men working here, but 80% of our employees happen to be women. A combination of a company mostly of women, working in the health field, and having gone to medical school which tends to take away that filter that says “perhaps certain topics are off limits,” can lead to hilarious conversations like our one today on the favorite…
Tags: Menstrual Cycle Mapping, Estrogen, Progesterone, Saliva Testing, Blood Spot Testing, Menstruation
The incidence of Alzheimer’s disease is growing, now affecting 10% of people aged 65 and older. Two-thirds of Americans with Alzheimer’s Disease are women, and African Americans and Hispanics are more likely to be affected than white Americans. Low serum BDNF levels have been observed in patients with Alzheimer’s disease, begging the question: what is the connection between BDNF and Alzheimer’s…
Tags: BDNF, Alzheimer's, Depression, Brain Health, Metabolic Health, Cardiovascular Disease, Hormone Balance, Mental Health
Delivery of the bioidentical hormones estradiol (E2), progesterone (Pg), and testosterone (T) through the skin as a cream or gel (topically) has become a mainstay of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) for women and men. A plethora of FDA-approved pharmaceuticals, compounded, and even over-the-counter topical BHRT products are available. The popularity of these products lies not only…
Tags: Bioidentical Hormones, Estrogen, Progesterone, Testosterone, Dried Urine Testing, Blood Spot Testing, Serum Testing, Saliva Testing
When I turned 12, all of a sudden all of my friends were getting their periods, and I just couldn’t wait to get mine! I was so ready to join the ranks of glamorous women who had the privilege of being initiated into the menstruating club. I wanted to belong with them - everything about periods was synonymous with femininity for me at the time. I had to endure witnessing so many of my classmates…
Tags: PMS and PMDD, Estrogen, Progesterone, Menstruation, Menstrual Cycle Mapping
In my previous blog I discussed how the psychoactive component of marijuana (cannabis), mainly tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), can have a negative impact on your hormones. In this blog, I will delve into the world of cannabidiol (CBD), which has been making quite a buzz lately as a therapeutic panacea.Although they are derived from the same plant and have quite similar molecular structures, CBD is…
Tags: Endocannabinoid System, Immune System, Anxiety, Depression, Alzheimer's, Menopause, BDNF, Estrogen
Here in the Pacific Northwest we love talking about the sun! We grumble about it being hidden away behind heavy rain clouds for months at a time in the winter; we delight in the first breakthrough rays in the spring, realizing our pagan longing for it, watching, as if for the first time, as everything around us wakes up from a deep slumber; we marvel at its delightful, almost intoxicating warmth…
Tags: Vitamin D, Sleep, Depression, PMS and PMDD, Metabolic Health, Melatonin, Blood Spot Testing
A symbol of femininity for so many women, our hair demands attention. Both deeply personal and superficially public, changes in the looks of our hair can inspire a range of emotions, driving us to willingly partake in its cutting, straightening, curling, bleaching, darkening, or other aggressive chemical treatments. Hair is part of who we are and how we present ourselves to the world. This is why…
Tags: Stress, Menopause, Cortisol, Progesterone, Estrogen, PCOS, Thyroid Health, Vitamin D, Vitamin B12
I was so tired. I needed a new word for tired. I felt exhausted and incapacitated, utterly drained and hollowed out. It was like my brain and body were fading. And yet, these words are still not descriptive enough to relate how I felt. Getting out of bed felt grueling, punishing. I was 24 at the time, in my 4th year of my PhD program at Purdue University. I was newly engaged and so in love with my…
Tags: Thyroid Health, Blood Spot Testing
While cannabis is being legalized in more and more states, both the adverse and beneficial effects of its use are starting to be better understood. The active compound in cannabis, THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is widely known to have effects on the brain, producing the “high” that many users are seeking. However, the other more adverse effects cannabis can have on the body are less widely known. In…
Tags: Endocannabinoid System, HPA Axis, HPT Axis, HPG Axis, Estrogen, Androgen, Adrenal and Cortisol, Thyroid Health
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