By Ramneek S. Bhogal DC, DABCI

Fertility rates, as well as U.S. birth rates, are at an all-time low.¹ While many women may feel a sense of hopelessness or urgency from such statistics, the truth is that pregnancy is individualistic.

Topics: Supplements, Women's Health, functional medicine, hormones, egg health, fertility, Hormone Support

 

By Stephanie O'Neill Bhogal DC, DICCP

In the U.S., fertility rates have hit an all-time low for the 4th year running, with the general fertility rate averaging out at 59 births per 1,000 women.

Topics: Women's Health, Reproductive Health, functional medicine, egg health, fertility, Prenatal

What do central obesity, high blood pressure, and low testosterone have in common?

These are all characteristics of metabolic syndrome.

Presenting with these issues puts people on a slippery slope toward cardiovascular disease and Type II Diabetes. The diagnostic criteria for metabolic syndrome include high insulin and high blood sugar, increased body mass, high triglycerides, high blood pressure, and low high-density lipoprotein (HDL).

Topics: Supplements, Women's Health, Weight Management

Hormones are the body’s chemical messengers.

Long understood as the catalyst of acne, fatigue, and insomnia during the body’s periods of transition such as puberty and the various stages of menopause, more and more practitioners are recognizing hormonal imbalances as the root cause of many health concerns among women.

These concerns can manifest in a number of ways.

Topics: General Health Topics, Supplements, Women's Health, Hormone Support

Helping female patients determine the best natural care plan for supporting their reproductive health can be an uphill battle for functional medicine practitioners.

It’s rare that your female patients will see you for the same reason they might schedule an appointment with their gynecologist.  

Patients sometimes draw a line between natural medicine and traditional medicine in this context, and it’s up to you to create a space where you can partner with your patients to create holistic treatment plans that demonstrate how natural remedies can complement the regular health regimen established by their gynecologist.

Topics: Supplements, Women's Health, Reproductive Health, Prenatal

Topics: Women's Health, Reproductive Health, Prenatal

A healthy pregnancy starts with a healthy diet. However, proper nutrition is difficult to achieve through diet alone for many pregnant women. That’s why it’s essential for expectant mothers to take a daily prenatal multivitamin to meet the nutritional needs of her and her baby.

Topics: Supplements, Women's Health, Reproductive Health, Prenatal

 

When a person feels stressed, they may reach for comfort foods that contain carbohydrates and sugars and proclaim that they’re “eating their feelings.”

Many patients have a sense that stress, metabolism, and sugar are related to one another. They often can make the connection between eating poorly and feeling sluggish. What they may not know is that changes in diet and other lifestyle behaviors that lead to alterations in coping skills can impact cortisol, insulin, and thyroid levels, which can result in fatigue and slowed metabolism.

Topics: General Health Topics, Supplements, Women's Health

Egg health plays a key role in healthy fertility. Poor egg quality can be the determining factor in whether you or your patient can get pregnant.

Poor egg health can be the result of numerous factors including age, diet, lifestyle, high stress levels or a hormonal imbalance. These issues can disrupt the ovulation cycle and restrict a woman’s ability to conceive. In many of these cases, women are presented with alternatives such as in vitro fertilization (IVF), an egg donor or even adoption. 

Topics: Supplements, Women's Health, Prenatal

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome is one of the most common, yet least understood conditions affecting women today.

Also known as PCOS, the condition is often misdiagnosed in traditional medicine because the symptoms are often associated with other disorders.

Topics: Women's Health, Reproductive Health, Prenatal