Nebraska Functional Medicine

07/25/2025

I'm a big sports fan. If ESPN called today and said, "We need you on Gameday", I would ask where to sign! Baseball runs deep in my family and will always have my heart, though.

I use sports analogies often in my practice, as it helps to simplify really complex physiology. But I thought I would simplify it even further. What if your health is as simple as playing offense or defense?

The choices we make daily are doing one of two things - either healing or hurting.

The food on the end of your fork. What you're putting on your skin. Going to bed on time. The liquids you're consuming. Your cleaning supplies. Supplements you take. Time in the sunshine, ideally barefoot. Toxic relationships. A moldy home. The list goes on!

And as daunting as it may all seem, it is pivotal to your health. Those consistent, positive choices, are like making the most perfect offensive play calls during a football game. Or throwing an untouchable pitch every time. You're in control. You're on offense. And winning is easy!

But what if that wasn't the case? If you slip up here and there.

A weekend of poor eating, because you're with friends having fun. Toxic makeup and skincare on your teenager because "that's what's in." Going to bed after midnight, because "life is busy." Ignoring the mold in your home. Another round of antibiotics for a viral infection. Candles and fragrance in your home because you like the smell. Hardly any water intake because you're living on caffeine. Concession stand food because you're living in a gym.

All of these choices add up. And you can justify literally anything if you really want to. Think of it this way - every slip up is like a wild pitch. And the other team steals a base. Eventually the score is going to get out of hand. And you have to play big time defense.

High blood pressure. Blood sugar imbalance. Hormone issues. Anxiety. Autoimmune disease. Those may not seem like a big deal. And sadly that's because it's now "normal" in America to have a chronic disease. But in time those things become big things. Your body has been whispering to you that something is wrong. Your pitcher keeps throwing wild pitches. And now things are out of hand. Your body is screaming. You have cancer. Or Parkinson's. Or some other very debilitating disease.

And if you've ever played a game and been down by several points, it is hard to come back. It can definitely happen. But it takes a whole lot more work.

We walk alongside really sick people every day. And I can tell you if they had the choice, they'd all go back and play offense. Because defense is definitely not fun.

So put the work in now. Make consistently healthy choices. Get regular IVs and ozone treatments. Give you lymph some love. Detox in a sauna. Drink Kaqun water and sit in our tub. Take quality supplements personalized for you. Treat your body the way God designed.

In time you'll find it's the top of the 9th inning and you're up by 12 runs. 💙

07/23/2025

You may have seen our article in the Grand Island Independent today about our Kaqun tub and its tremendous benefits. 🩵

But we are also aware that for some of you it isn’t feasible to get here to soak in the tub. This is where Kaqun water comes in!

While it is not as beneficial as doing the baths, it is still incredibly valuable. Drinking it consistently is the key! Great for both adults and kids. Stop by and grab yours or have us ship it to you.

07/23/2025

Honored to be featured in The Grand Island Independent!

Kaqun water therapy has been shown to be effective against cancer and chronic disease, owner Keri Anania said.

07/09/2025

If you’re a patient of ours, you’ve likely been on a binder: GI Detox or Charcoal Plus are our two favorites. We use these during the gut healing process to help bind up the endotoxins and organisms that we are attempting to eliminate. I describe it to my patients as a “mop” going in there and cleaning up the mess.

This is important because without use of a binder, gram-negative bacteria have lipopolysaccharide (LPS) endotoxins on their outer membrane. If this is not bound up and eliminated during detoxification, it can lead to very serious complications, especially with the liver. In severe cases, it can get into the bloodstream and cause septic shock! Not only is it involved in cases of sepsis, but is a factor in obesity, type II diabetes, and neurodegenerative diseases.

Binders also help mitigate any “herx” or “die off” reactions you may experience while healing. Don’t let all of this scare you. BUT it is important to work with a practitioner who knows what they are doing, and a reminder to not just jump on the next detox bandwagon and do things yourself!

But what else can we use binders for? I tell my patients to always keep some on hand, as there are many uses for them, beyond gut healing.

We are exposed to toxins daily. And if our detoxification pathways are not optimal and open, there will be issues. In walks a binder to save the day. Here are some ways in which we use a binder at our house:

👉 Stomach Flu: Game changer to bind up the organisms causing the disease to minimize symptoms and shorten the duration you are sick
👉 Food Poisoning: Same concept as the stomach flu
👉 Travelers Diarrhea: Or any diarrhea of unknown reason for that matter
👉 Fragrance: Ever rode in a heavily fragranced uber? It’s awful! Or your AirBnb or hotel reeks of chemicals? Perfect time to take some!
👉 Air Travel: The air on planes is not clean to say the least. And you’re surrounded by hundreds of other people in close proximity
👉 Swimming: Chlorinated pools, parasite filled lakes and rivers, or chemicals in a hot tub. Another great time to take a binder.
👉 Salons: Had your nails done recently? Again, so many chemicals! Take your binder.
👉 Alcohol: Did you overdo it last night? Take your binder.
👉 Fertilizer: If you’re in Nebraska, we are surrounded by heavily sprayed fields. And the wind blows all the time. We all need binders just for this reason alone!
👉 Dental work: Cleanings and procedures stir up biofilms (plaque) which are full of organisms. Bind those up!
👉 Eating: Did something at a restaurant not sit well? Or did you consume dairy and you know it causes you gut issues? Have your binder on hand.
👉 Sauna: Sweat is the primary way we detox when we use a sauna, but taking a binder is important to help grab the rest.
👉 Mold: Live or work in a moldy environment? This is a must!

These are just a few of the many reasons it’s important to have a binder on hand! They are safe for children and adults. If your child cannot swallow pills, our GI Detox capsules can be opened and put in water for them to drink. Zero taste. We call it “magic black water” at our house.

GI Detox is a blend of ingredients helpful for binding almost everything, mold included. Charcoal Plus is our other binder that has a less comprehensive ingredient list, but it does include chlorella which is important if heavy metal binding is a priority.

Like everything we do, each case is individualized to each patient. Our team would be happy to help you decide which one is best for you and yours! 🩵

06/23/2025

Simple. Clean. Effective.

We choose OSEA Skincare for its non-toxic, science-backed formulas. Crafted with the finest sustainably harvested seaweed and bioavailable botanicals, each formula is a testament to OSEA’s commitment to non-toxic, results-driven skincare. No harsh chemicals. No synthetic fragrance. Just skincare that works — and feels good to use.

Pure ingredients. Real results. 🌿💧

Stop by to test it out for yourself!

06/10/2025

Hormonal imbalances are quite the norm these days. But accurate testing is not. ☹️

You’ve likely had your blood drawn to evaluate Estrogen or Progesterone. Or maybe a saliva test. But if you haven’t had urine testing, you are missing the whole picture entirely.

That’s right, urine. It is the “gold” standard, literally.

Serum (blood) testing is a quick and easy way to check Progesterone, Testosterone, and DHEA-S accurately. Saliva testing is generally used to check cortisol levels – but if you’re having to spit in a tube until it is full, it’s not accurate. But aside from that, hormone evaluation needs to be done with urine.

Let me explain.

I tell patients all the time – I can make a pretty good estimate of where your hormone levels are based off your symptoms. But what I cannot tell you, is how your body is metabolizing those hormones. And that is generally where issues come from!

Basically, it is not the level of your hormones causing problems. It is what your body is (or isn’t) doing with them, that creates a mess. And all of this applies to women AND men!

We make hormones. Use them. And then have to get rid of them. This is called hormone metabolism. The majority of this process takes place in the liver, and which pathways are involved and by how much, are determined by how you were made. But it is also why we must always address the liver and make sure it is functioning optimally!

Same with the gut. The third phase of Estrogen metabolism takes place in the gut. And if there is dysbiosis (imbalances), Estrogen will accumulate and contribute to Estrogen dominance. Which makes Estrogen levels in blood inaccurate for this reason!

So step one is to always make sure detox pathways are open and optimal. (Pooping once a week is NOT considered optimal, by the way.)

Let’s go into more detail with each hormone and its metabolites.

Pregnenolone is the precursor for all of our hormones, and comes directly from cholesterol. Which is why women MUST be eating healthy fats for hormone health! And also why women on statins can end up with significant hormonal issues.

Pregnenolone then turns into DHEA. DHEA must be sulfated (activated) for use. You can take all the DHEA in the world, but if your body isn’t activating it, it’s pointless. Sulfation is impaired because of genetics, inflammation, or gut dysbiosis.

Next we make Testosterone, with DHEA as its precursor. Testosterone works on a negative feedback loop (like most hormones) and if you are getting too much, it shuts down your body’s natural production. (Cough, cough—women with pellets, this one is for you!)

When Testosterone breaks down, there is a 5β and 5⍺ pathway. Depending on which one you favor, you will be more symptomatic from Testosterone, experiencing things like dark, coarse hair, acne, greasy hair, oily skin, and mood rages. And while we can’t change how God made you, we can shift that Testosterone over to the more favorable pathway with specific supplements.

It’s the same thing with Progesterone. It also has 5β and 5⍺ metabolites. Progesterone is supposed to be our calm, cool, everything is right in the world hormone. If you happen to favor one pathway over the other though, you will be the woman that suffers from irritability and maybe even PMDD before your cycle. It is also important to know which path, as it influences how well you will sleep in menopause and how to appropriately dose your bio-identical Progesterone.

And then there’s Estrogen. It metabolizes in three phases. 1 and 2 take place in the liver. And 3 takes place in the gut. (We have a great blog on this specifically, ​linked here​.) This is arguably the most important hormone to fully understand from a metabolism standpoint.

In phase 1, Estrogen (all three types) can metabolize down one of three pathways in the liver. Which pathway is preferred can be the reason you struggle with acne, fibroids, endometriosis, heavy periods, large clots, migraines, autoimmune disease, or even breast cancer.

Phase 2 is also in the liver and directly influenced by your MTHFR and COMT genes. Along with magnesium. If those are mutated, it can lead to Estrogen getting “stuck” and therefore Estrogen dominance and increased risk for lifetime accumulation of Estrogens, potentially causing major issues.

Cortisol and its metabolites give us insight into how the thyroid is functioning, if your body is storing most of your cortisol as cortisone for reserve, or if your lack of energy, motivation, brain fog, irritability, and weight gain is from a cortisol issue.

NONE of this can be evaluated with blood or saliva testing. See why urine is the ultimate way to test?

When I review a DUTCH (dried urine test for comprehensive hormones) test, patients are amazed. They had no idea hormones were so complex and intricate. And I will tell you, NONE of us are the same. Which is why your hormone treatment plan must be individualized for you. Not a standardized dose they give to everyone of just Estrogen, Progesterone, or Testosterone.

Now before you call us and insist we test your hormones, we MUST start with the gut! Your hormones will not stay balanced, if we do not fix your microbiome first. In fact, 68% of hormones improve by fixing the gut alone! 👏

And remember my analogy–your hormones are the thermostat in the house. If we keep adjusting the thermostat without addressing the roof that is pouring in rain, the walls caving in, and the cracked foundation–the thermostat will not stay where we set it!

At Nebraska Functional Medicine, we take a whole-person approach to your health. And this means doing things in the right order for the very best outcomes! 🩵

05/22/2025

I’ve been asked often lately why I am so excited about the Kaqun tub for my children. The truth is, they are ultimately WHY I ordered the tub.

I remember saying to my husband, “Heaven forbid our child was facing an awful diagnosis or had a terrible brain, or other, injury—we would do absolutely anything to help them. And the Kaqun tub is the very best.” He agreed. And here we are! 🩵

Our bodies were not meant to fail. But all of the exposures we face daily, slowly destroy our mitochondria. These powerhouses of our cells produce all the energy for our body to function. Every single cell must have a robust mitochondria for the cell to work. When the mitochondrial function is impacted, it leads to disease. What prevents this? Oxygen.

By bathing in a tub of supersaturated oxygen (the tiny bubbles you can see in the lights of the tub), our largest organ (our skin) absorbs the oxygen. And then it’s basically the law of physics—if something goes in, something must go out. The pressure of all the oxygen causes our cells to dump the toxins destroying their mitochondria.

And let me finish by saying, it is SO much easier to prevent disease, versus address things once you have a diagnosis. Now is the best time to soak consistently, to prevent mitochondrial dysfunction and disease. This applies to children, too! In fact, I just had our one month old in the tub with me. Our girls know that a couple times a month, they will be in the Kaqun tub as well. And what a simple (and fun!) way to protect their little bodies.

Give us a call at 308-390-2663 to book starting in June!

05/20/2025

It’s such an honor to walk the journey of health with patients and their families! 💙

05/18/2025

We highly recommend Deliboardsgi for your events! They did an incredible job.

05/01/2025

We’ve been keeping a big secret… and it’s finally time to let it out. All the way from Hungary, something revolutionary has arrived – and we are the first in the Midwest to have it.

Introducing the KAQUN Tub! 🩵 (Pronounced “ka-koon”)

One of only five locations in the entire U.S. offering this breakthrough wellness experience. What makes this so special? If you understand hypoxia – you’ll understand why KAQUN Water is unlike anything else on the planet.

💙 Oxygen: The Ultimate Healer
Let’s break it down. Hypoxia is the lack of oxygen. And oxygen is essential to all bodily functions. And not just the lungs. Hypoxia impacts all tissues, the brain, heart, skin, muscles, etc.

Every single cell in the body requires oxygen to function. In fact, our body can only survive a few minutes without it. About 90% of the energy our body generates is because of oxygen. And since the day we are born, we are fighting the battle of hypoxia.

We ALL are hypoxic. Some of us more than others. Those with cancer or chronic disease are significantly depleted in oxygen. Cancer and other illnesses thrive in low oxygen environments. But even something as simple as a headache is the result of hypoxia.

💙 How KAQUN Water Reverses Hypoxia
KAQUN water helps the body recover from hypoxia and energizes from within, while detoxing your body of all unnecessary toxins at the same time.

Oxygen rich KAQUN water supports mitochondrial function. Because of a generous supply of oxygen from KAQUN water, the mitochondria then can produce ATP (energy). From there our body can produce natural killer cells, B cells, T cells. etc. Your cellular immune system will then be ready to take action and function optimally.

Many who have experienced consistent KAQUN Water Therapy have repeatedly celebrated their results to have:
🙌 Reduced side effects of chemo and radiation therapies
🙌 Significantly reduced healing time of wounds and injuries
🙌 Minimized and even healed chronic skin conditions
🙌 Enhanced skin texture and radiance, reducing signs of aging
🙌 Maximized effects/results of athletic work-outs/competitions

As Gary Brecka simply says: “The presence of oxygen is the absence of disease.” In fact, there was not one disease or pathological pathway in 22 years of their research that did not have its origin in a state of hypoxia.

Similar to how ozone or a hyperbaric chamber work, KAQUN takes things to an even deeper level. We offer the KAQUN drinking water to sip on daily for optimal health. And now the KAQUN tub for soaking.

Soaking in the water offers a much higher oxygen-concentrated form of KAQUN water, allowing rapid absorption of oxygen through the skin and directly to the cells. Each session is 50 minutes of pure relaxation, increasing your tissue-oxygen level, and allowing your body to detox, release toxins, and heal.

💙 Real Stories. Real Results.
Don’t just take our word for it—check out two powerful interviews with KAQUN’s founder, Dr. Robert Lyons:

Click to Listen: Dr. Peter Reznik’s Podcast​ https://drpeterreznikstoolbox.podbean.com/e/dr-peter-reznik-s-toolbox-32525/

Click to View: YouTube: Brad Lea Interviews Dr. Lyons​
https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&t=7s&v=GYvoiIwXl6s

Spoiler alert: Two people completely regrew a severed finger. Bone and all. Yes, really. But the story that hits closest to home? It’s Dr. Lyons’ own daughter, Aniko.

💙 Aniko’s Journey: From Stage 4 Cancer to Thriving Mom of 2
Dr. Lyons has worked with and researched Kaqun Water since 2004. Research drastically sped up in 2009 when his own daughter, Aniko, was diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Tests and scans found a 10 cm long aggressive tumor in her pancreas, an organ that is only 12 cm long. It was too big to be operated on, and doctors gave her only 4 months to live – chemo and radiation were not even an option.

Dr. Lyons brought Aniko back to Hungary, where for 3 months she took daily baths and drank the Kaqun water. Then, she returned to UCLA. New scans were conducted and now showed a 5 cm tumor. The doctors told Dr. Lyons to continue whatever he was doing since it was working.

Hopeful, they returned to Hungary and Aniko repeated the three baths (Kaqun Water Therapy) per day protocol. Three months later, scans at the same hospital showed a 2.5cm BENIGN tumor. (Absolutely no evidence of cancer anymore.)

Aniko was able to undergo surgery, in which the rest of the tumor was successfully removed. She has been well ever since, giving birth to two healthy babies over the years. In 2016, she opened her own Kaqun Center in Las Vegas!

Dr. Lyons and many doctors around the world have since continued researching Kaqun water. Extensive independent in-vitro and human trials were conducted that uniformly confirmed the results.

💙 Book your session!
We’re honored and thrilled to bring this revolutionary therapy to our community. Consultations open June 2025 – and sessions begin soon after. Give our office a call at 308-390-2663 beginning in June to book a session.

What can you expect each session? 50 minutes of pure relaxation in a warm bath with LED lights – more details coming soon!

A full round = 3 baths a day for 14 days. But our team will work with you to create a personalized plan. Consultations are required and absolutely free.

KAQUN is more than a bath – it’s a reset button for your entire body. 🥰 Come see what oxygen can really do!

04/01/2025

It's that time of year again — the sneezing, itchy eyes, and stuffy noses that come with seasonal allergies. 🤧

Many of us reach for the usual over-the-counter medications to help us power through. But here's a twist you might not know: while these medications lower histamine (the culprit behind allergy symptoms), they can also do something unexpected... they interfere with your DAO enzyme.

Wait, what’s DAO?

DAO (diamine oxidase) is an enzyme that plays a vital role in breaking down histamine naturally. When you block DAO with traditional allergy meds, you’re essentially making your body less effective at handling histamine in the long run. The result? You may find yourself needing more and more of those meds to feel the same relief.

So, what’s the solution?

You don’t have to rely on endless antihistamines that only mask the symptoms. Consider a more holistic approach that supports your body’s natural ability to fight allergens. It’s about treating the root cause — not just the symptoms. Natural D-Hist and HistaGest DAO enter the chat! 🙌

💙 Natural D-Hist & D-Hist Jr reduces histamine production and supports healthy respiratory function, making it a great option for those struggling with seasonal allergies.

💙 HistaGest DAO supports histamine breakdown with its blend of DAO enzyme, quercetin, and vitamin C, which helps manage histamine levels and promotes digestive health, especially for those with histamine intolerance.

These solutions help you feel great year-round while supporting your body's natural ability to handle allergens. Stop on by and grab some for yourself!

03/27/2025

UPDATE!! Baby GIRL Anania joined us on April 8th weighing 6 pounds. 🎀💞 Mom and baby are doing great!

To celebrate, we’re having a little contest. Guess in the comments what day Keri delivers + baby’s gender and weight. The closest will win a $50 gift card!

(Hint: anytime in the next two weeks is a safe bet!) 😉