Dr Karen Health Show

A Mind of Your Own

A Mind of Your Own outlines a new paradigm of depression as a lifestyle crisis. Dr Kelly Brogan, MD  has written a book based on her clinical experience as a board certified psychiatrist and her interpretation of published medical findings.  Dr. Brogan illuminates the true cause of depression as not simply a chemical imbalance but a lifestyle crisis that demands a reset. It is a signal that the interconnected systems in the body are out of balance - from blood sugar to gut health to thyroid function -and inflammation is at the root. This podcast will open your eyes to recognize the links between various body systems and our connectedness to the environmental ecosystem around us!

Testing for Adrenal Fatigue

Testing for Adrenal Fatigue correctly requires using a combination of lab testing and feedback from the patient (questionnaires can also play a useful role). The major lab test used to diagnose Adrenal Fatigue is, as you might have guessed, the cortisol test. But there is more than one type of cortisol testing, and the correct interpretation of results is also important.

Your doctor may order a saliva, blood or urine test to measure your cortisol. These days it is generally accepted that saliva cortisol testing is the most accurate, as it gives a better estimate of the cortisol levels within your cells, where the hormone reactions are actually taking place. Remember that it is important to be well-hydrated before you do your saliva test – dehydration can skew the results.

Here’s another important thing to know about cortisol testing. Taking a single measurement, or even a 24-hour average, is not enough. The best cortisol tests take 4 individual samples at various points of the day and then map your cortisol levels over the course of a 24 hour cycle. Our cortisol levels vary dramatically, starting high when we wake up and then tapering off until they reach their lowest point late at night. Your health care professional needs to see not just your average cortisol level, but also the size of the morning spike and how sharply it drops off afterwards.

If you are looking for discounted lab testing CLICK HERE: https://drkarenwolfe.org/yourlabtest/ 

For my free eBook titled Lab Tests You Need to Know About CLICK HERE: https://drkarenwolfe.org/labtests/ 

DISCLAIMER –The information on this site is for general educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, prevent, cure or treat any medical condition. It is not medical advice or intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a doctor or health care professional. You must consult with your health care provider about medical questions, do your own research and make your own health care decisions based upon your own research and judgment in partnership with a qualified health care professional.

Sugar Sensitivity and Cravings

If sugar were put on the market for the first time today, it would be difficult to get it past the FDA. Eating sweets can give us a temporary emotional boost, which leads to a craving for still more sweets. Many people who suffer from sugar sensitivity don't even know it; they continue to consume large quantities of sweets, breads, pasta or alcohol. These foods can trigger feelings of exhaustion and low self-esteem, yet their biochemical impact makes sugar-sensitive people crave them even more. This vicious cycle can continue for years, leaving sufferers overweight, fatigued and depressed. Using the self -test from the book Potatoes Not Prozac by Dr. Kathleen Des Maisons, Dr Karen gives you the tool to determine your sugar sensitivity and guides you on the path to no longer living in secret shame because you will understand these behaviors are part of addiction.

Pure, White and Deadly PART 1

Why don’t we hear much about the dangers of sugar? Forty years ago, renowned physician John Yudkin sounded the alarm that sugar is bad for our health – he was ignored by the medical community. Now with current science and nutrition and the fall of the low-fat hypothesis, this “old” book is “new” again. I will share in this Podcast series how we can improve our health by paying attention to the book “Pure, White and Deadly – How Sugar Is Killing US and What We Can Do to Stop It"

4 R’s For Gut-Brain Care

Your digestion is important for absorption of nutrients, elimination of wastes and a vital component of our immune system. When things go wrong with our digestive tract it can cause widespread symptoms throughout our body and BRAIN like brain fog, fatigue, aches and pains, skin problems, mood problems and increase your risk of autoimmune conditions. Listen to this podcast to learn the 4 R’s for your Gut/Brain Care!

Biomarkers You Need To Know

The next time you go for lab work, consider requesting these biomarkers that are often not ordered. They are a good indication of inflammation in your body! These tests are economical, and generally covered by most insurance plans. Bring this list to your next doctor’s visit.  

Let Your Life Speak

Learning to ”Let Your life speak” means "living the life that wants to live in you." It involves creating the kind of quiet, trusting conditions that allow your soul to speak its truth. It also means tuning out the noisy preconceived ideas about what a vocation should and shouldn't be so that we can better hear the call of our wild souls.

Have you heard about Nutrigenomics?

Have you heard about Nutrigenomics? In this episode of Dr Karen Health Talks, I explain how we are not victims of our genes. In fact with the human genome project showing that humans have the same number of genes as worms, there is a whole new understanding of the cause of human variation. I use the specific example of Alzheimer’s Disease and the ApoE4 SNP and how this marker is more likely to be expressed with a diet high in saturated fat and sugar. You may want to  listen to this podcast many times to get an understanding of the future of personalized health and wellness interventions. There will be more episodes on this topic!

Have you heard about Lipoprotein A?

Lab Testing for Better Health