Pharm to Family Wellness Company

21/10/2020

Our pharmacist Kalli is wrapping up her yoga certification at the same time as her functional medicine certification! Pharm to Family hopes to be able to bring you a well rounded functional health program to fit your unique needs. This was programmed as a 60 min sequence, cut to 20 min, sped up to 3 min, to give you a quick glimpse of what Kalli has been working on. The beauty of yoga is it can be tailored to anyone’s needs and ability. If you are bound to a wheelchair, you can even participate in chair yoga! The sky is the limit. There is the potential for everyone to move their bodies, calm their nervous systems, and experience the healing powers of yoga and mindfulness. Make self care a priority today. If you’re unsure where to start, ask us!

10/08/2020

At Pharm to Family we strive to provide what support we can to as many people as possible. Though we know many of our followers may not be local to us, we hope we can find ways to connect online and through our social media platforms.
In a time that has been trying on the world mentally, emotionally, physically, we encourage everyone to take this for what it is- an opportunity to better our health starting with mindfulness and lifestyle changes.
After discussing what we can do to help the community on a broader scale as we continue to establish in person (and eventually virtual) consultations, we want to provide some self care and mindfulness tips.
Keep an eye out for these on our page, share with others, and continue to reach out to us should you need additional support!
We are all in this together, we will all navigate the ebbs and flows and we know that in the end, we will all be fitted with the knowledge to better future generations.

26/06/2020

26/06/2020

you can now schedule online with us! https://www.schedulicity.com/scheduling/PTF7PN

10/05/2020

What we eat affects our thinking, mood, and behavior. Food has been linked to changes in behavior and violence. Consider the following research:⁣
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Junk food makes kids act violently -- bullying, fighting -- and sugar causes more psychiatric distress, including worry, depression, confusion, insomnia, anxiety, aggression, and feelings of worthlessness. ⁣
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In the article “Impact of Nutrition on Social Decision Making,” scientists fed two groups different breakfasts. One group got a high carb breakfast, the other a high protein, low-carb breakfast. The high-carb group was more likely to engage in “social punishment” behavior such as negative comments and actions toward others in structured behavioral experiments. Now consider that most Americans eat dessert for breakfast, full of sugar and carbs -- cereal, muffins, bagels, sugared coffees, pancakes, French toast, oatmeal. This does not make for a very nice society.⁣
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Those who consume high levels of refined oils (currently more than 10% of our diet and found in all ultra-processed foods) and low levels of omega-3 fats from fish have higher rates of depression, su***de, and homicide. Our consumption of these refined oils (mostly soybean oil) went up to 248% from 1970 to 2010. ⁣

06/05/2020

03/05/2020

The medical definition of stress is, “the perception of a real or imagined threat to your body or your ego.” It could be a tiger chasing you or your belief that your spouse is mad at you (even if he or she is not). Whether it is real or imagined, when you perceive something as stressful, it creates the same response in the body.⁣
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A cascade of adrenaline, cortisol, and other stress hormones floods your system, raising your heart rate, increasing your blood pressure, making your blood more likely to clot, damaging your brain’s memory center, increasing belly fat storage, and generally wreaking havoc on your body.⁣
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The operative word here about stress is that it is a perception, also known as a thought or point of view. There are objective stressors, to be sure—war, death of loved ones, financial troubles, starvation, dental work. But how these affect us determines our body’s stress response. ⁣
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When things get out of control for me, I simply make a gentle U-turn. It’s like a GPS for my soul. Your GPS doesn’t yell at you and call you stupid or judge you for taking a wrong turn. In the sweetest voice imaginable, the GPS reminds you to take the next possible U-turn.⁣
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Each of us has to find out how to make our own U-turn.There are some wonderful ways I have discovered that work very well for me!⁣
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Here are some:⁣
Exercise⁣
Meditation⁣
Deep breathing⁣
Good quality sleep⁣

23/04/2020

Exercise, in whatever capacity you are able, is a key core to any wellness plan!

I always say, if exercise could be put in a pill, it would be the biggest blockbuster medication of all time. Here’s why:⁣
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Better insulin sensitivity. Exercise makes your cells and muscles more sensitive to insulin so you don’t need as much. Less insulin means less belly fat.⁣
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Reduced stress. I often hear patients say a good workout relieves excess stress. That’s because exercise reduces cortisol – the stress hormone. Too much cortisol and you become insulin resistant and store belly fat. Too much cortisol also makes you crave sugar and carbs and seek comfort food.⁣
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Improved brain health. Your brain on exercise performs so much better. Exercise improves memory, learning, and concentration. Vigorous exercise is a better antidepressant than Prozac. Exercise helps to improve your mood, boost your energy, and reduce overall stress in your body and mind.⁣
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Reduced risk for chronic disease. Exercise does this through several mechanisms. It protects your heart and reduces your risk of heart attack and stroke. It reduces inflammation (the cause of almost every disease of aging). And it balances hormones, therefore reducing breast and other common cancers.⁣
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Enhanced detoxification. Besides stimulating the colon, intense exercise allows your body to release toxins through your skin. It boosts the detoxification of environmental chemicals. Vigorous exercise will help you work up a sweat, but gentle exercise keeps your circulation going and flushes out all the toxic fluids that build up in your lymphatic system. Even just lying on your back and putting your legs straight up against the wall for 20 minutes can make a huge difference.
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Slowed aging process. If you want to turn back the clock figuratively, exercise becomes absolutely crucial. I will never forget a movie I saw in my 8th grade gym class about Larry Lewis. He would run five miles back and forth to work every day at (are you ready for this?) 105 years of age!⁣
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Improved s*xual function. Increased circulation and more energy are two of many reasons that consistent exercise can spark up your s*x life.

18/02/2020

Literally everything from acute illness to chronic disease can be traced back to two main culprits. 1. Gut health. 2. Environmental toxins.
I encourage people to take control of what they can in life. We can’t control all pollutants in the air we breathe, but we can control what is goes into our body and in our homes. Advocate for yourself, for your health, for your family.
I pray we can help the entire community, and even trickle into surrounding areas, spreading a wealth of information about health and wellness.
Though we are not fully rolled out yet, we are still open to accepting emails, messages, and helping how we can before we have our practice fully up and going ❤️

28/01/2020

Meals don’t have to be difficult! We are all about one pan/ pot dishes when possible.
And don’t be afraid to stray from the recipe! We will sub cauliflower rice in these recipes, and add some kale for some greens in the Greek lemon chicken dish, some carrots into the tomato soup.... lots of options to add good micronutrients back into your diet. Micronutrient deficiency can lead to a cascade of issues within the body. Many prescription medications compound these problems by leading to additional nutrient deficiencies as a side effect. Food is medicine! Heal your gut, heal your body 🌱

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23/01/2020

So what is this functional medicine that Kalli speaks of studying??
The foundation of functional medicine is digging deep into personal history. Something we are excited to bring to you is a full, well rounded assessment. Did you know, often times illness- whether acute, chronic, autoimmune, etc - is often brought on by a specific trigger? Sure genes play a role, but to a much lesser extent than people think.
There are environmental triggers: anything from parabens and formaldehyde found in personal care products, chemicals in foods, to house renovations such as replacing carpets, and exposure to other bugs and toxins.
There are stress triggers: from seemingly normal life events like job changes, children and marriage, or significant trauma and emotional distress.
There are food triggers: a majority of us have a laundry list of food allergens we may not even be aware of- for instance eczema is often due to a food allergen and easily cured without medication.

It’s sad to say that many of our ailments are given a bandaid, a quick medication, which may compound the problem further as it leads to side effects... think how often you rip off a bandaid and are left with a rash or some missing arm hairs? Yeah like that but worse 🤷🏻‍♀️ This is not to say that there is not a place and time for conventional medicine, but this is raising awareness that we should look at the FULL picture and find the ROOT cause. Treat the individual not the disease. Cure with lifestyle changes. Because lifestyle changes can lead to life long wellness.

21/01/2020

Hi! I am Samantha Coakley, a pharmacist and mom of 3 ! I just moved back to my hometown of Jefferson City, MO after graduating from Presbyterian College School of Pharmacy in May 2019. Before Pharmacy school I worked in banking, but after 5 years of that, I decided I’d had enough and wanted to help people with their health. My advanced studies in pharmacy school focused on diabetes management and self care, I love helping people understand what’s going on with their body and how to feel better. My favorite thing though is helping people get off of medications that they no longer need because they’ve made positive lifestyle changes! Nutrition and fitness is a huge part of my life and showing others how taking care of their body can change their life for the better is what keeps me going! I am passionate about prevention so having clean, quality products to help keep my family safe and healthy is important to me in addition to the healthy habits! I love my family and friends and want them to be and stay healthy, but mostly to feel great- that’s why we’re bringing you Pharm to Family! Let’s assess where you are and make goals together!

20/01/2020

I could talk for days about how our gut health greatly affects our overall health. And I hope to spread all the knowledge I’ve soaked up over time! But to touch on the basics- the standard American diet is slowly (or not so slowly) killing us. Acute illness, chronic illness, autoimmune diseases... did you know if you have eczema, or psoriasis, you may be able to cure yourself without medications JUST by looking into your diet. Food sensitivity tests and other labs can show us the underlying cause. Autoimmune disease- some hereditary predisposition sure, but more often than not, triggered by a stressor, whether environmental, mental trauma, or food allergy.
So what can we do about it?

Eat WHOLE FOODS!

Minimize the processed foods in your diet. That means if there’s an ingredient list, avoid it. Of course we are human but keep in mind the 80/20 rule. 80% strict with 20% flexibility.

Focus on nutrient dense meals. So high protein, high veggies, complex carbs.

Minimize dairy and gluten. Both of these contribute to inflammation.

Don’t be afraid to substitute! We often sub riced cauliflower for rice. Low carb and a veggie serving!

Make your meals colorful. Meaning add those green veggies! Every meal should have vegetables. Yes even breakfast.

Many people seem overwhelmed with “meal prep”. I don’t meal prep as in prepare all my foods in one day. I simply plan meals for the week, make the grocery list, and then we are set. 4 big meals will carry our family of 5 (ok there are a couple half people in this house, but some days they eat as much as us) the whole week, with a couple leftover days in there! So I wanted to give a preview of how we prep and what it looks like budget wise. Because that is also another misconception. That eating healthy is EXPENSIVE 👀 For 1. I ask what is of more value to you, cheap food or your health? What will cost you more in the long run medical bills or a grocery bill? But for 2. It doesn’t have to be expensive. There are many stores such as Aldi who have high quality foods with low cost, also programs such as Imperfect Foods and Misfits providing discount foods for delivery. Growing your own food...Local markets... Many options! Buy fresh and buy organic when you can (or at least soak your non organics).

Links to these recipes will be posted in the comments, as well as our cost breakdown for them! But in total, these 4 meals, a weeks worth of dinners for a family of 5, was $65 😱 under $20 each, less than $10 per day.

Happy Monday!

20/01/2020

We are working on your pharmacist bios this week, also starting up meal prep Monday! Keep an eye out for these regular posts on Mondays to help with ideas of affordable whole food, healthy recipes on a budget

20/01/2020

Hello!!! My name is Kalli Schulte and this is my crazy crew! My husband Cameron and I met in pharmacy school. We graduated and moved back to his hometown, taking over Tolson Drug and expanding our business rapidly. We then decided to grow our family, hence our three ring circus of kiddos! We have 3&1/2 year old twins and our one year old Christmas morning blessing! All our babies are IVF miracles, which is what inspired me to start digging deeper into natural medicine. I noticed it seems our generation suffers from a lot of hormone and autoimmune/chronic disease and this is something that terrifies me thinking to our children’s futures! Some may argue its due to better diagnostic technique but I along with many other practitioners beg to differ. I started investigating environmental factors, gut health, etc. Between the standard American diet, sedentary lifestyles, and abuse of Western medicine (particularly over prescribing antibiotics), we have created an epidemic amongst ourselves. I have always been passionate about healthy eating and exercise, but found many areas for improvement in my own diet and lifestyle, thus I love to learn more for both my family and to help educate others! I started studying homeopathy about a year and a half ago, and started studying functional medicine in the last several months. Natural medicine, nutrition counseling, fertility education, pre and post natal support... these are just a few of many things we at Pharm to Family are excited to be able to offer the community in the coming year. I am proud to see so many people seeking more natural alternatives and cannot wait to see a shift in the health of anyone who decides to entrust us with your health and well-being!!

20/01/2020

A one percent drop, doesn’t seem like a lot, but if a drug gets a .5% drop it’s seen as a raging success. The evidence of food as medicine has four times more success than medication. ⁣
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There are now some really powerful treatment models that are working in different communities all over the country. ⁣
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In Pennsylvania a real Food Farmacy tailored to families’ needs had dramatic effects; Virta Health has had a 60% reversal for poorly controlled diabetics using their digital platform; I also see patients thriving every day in the Functioning for Life group program at the Cleveland Clinic. There are solutions out there, we just have to keep pushing policymakers to support them and take action in our own communities. ⁣
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A few simple ways to take control of your blood sugar are: ⁣
Eating low glycemic⁣
Adding more healthy fats into your diet⁣
Having 75% of your plate be mostly vegetables⁣
Exercise⁣
Meditate⁣
Stay away from starches and refined carbohydrates⁣

05/12/2019

The forgotten third wheel to Calcium and Vitamin D.... K2.... today you take the spotlight.

Most people know that vitamin D is essential to pair with calcium. If you don’t... we will talk more on that next week! But for now let’s touch on what I’m almost positive you don’t think about. Vitamin K. Some people may immediately think- oh blood clotting, watch that close if you’re on Coumadin. But there’s so much more to vitamin K that is being uncovered.

There are proteins in the body that require vitamin K to activate them, setting into motion the ability to complete their specific role in the body.

A few to name include matrix gla protein, which ensures calcium is NOT deposited in arteries- crucial for our cardiovascular health. Glucose metabolism is also being looked into further, as a particular balance is shown to improve insulin sensitivity. Osteocalcin within bone cells are activated by vitamin K to make sure calcium is deposited in the bones. This is where we find the trifecta of calcium to vitamin D to vitamin K. Osteocalcin is made by osteoblasts, which are regulated by D3, and then the K comes into play to activate the calcium binding capacity of osteocalcin! As it is helping with bone mineralization and formation, vitamin K is also stimulating renal calcium reabsorption, keeping sufficient calcium in the blood and thus preventing calcium from leaving the bones, keeping them strong.

Where does vitamin K come from? There are several types of vitamin K, some we can obtain by diet others less likely and therefore from supplementation. K1 is what green leafy vegetables provide to our bodies. K2 however is primarily bacterial and only 10% or less consumed. K2 breaks further to MK7, which is from fermented foods, and MK4, which is produced by the body as it breaks down K1 and also from meats. To this point, not much is known about MK4 and studies show supplementation did not produce results as expected, therefore MK7 is the choice for supplementation as it produced more profound results and cannot be found in many dietary sources!

What about the risk with clotting? Studies have shown you could have enough vitamin K for sufficient blood clotting, but could still be deficient in vitamin K for other critical functions in the body. They show that you can still supplement vitamin K without over activating clotting proteins. But common sense logic here- if you are on blood thinners please converse with your doctor before making any supplement changes so labs can be monitored appropriately.

With that being said, aside from diet for K1, we can obtain K2 in the form of MK7 (preferably) via supplementation. We again have got you covered here at Pharm to Family! Especially in the winter months, it is important to load up on Vitamin D! An easy way to add both D3 and K2 is our liquid K2D3, available in our display at Tolson drug. Easy to give to adults and kids alike!

27/11/2019

If you take a look at animals, you’ll find they produce vitamin C naturally, with spikes in response to stress. Their baseline may be a few thousand milligrams, then when measured under stress, upwards of 10,000mg. No two individuals match the other exactly. It’s a natural defense mechanism of the body to support a healthy immune system as well as cardiovascular system!

In the immune system, vitamin C helps produce and support white blood cells, exhibiting antiviral and anti microbial activity. Antioxidant properties of vitamin C protect cells and the body from oxidative damage in response to stress.

The cardiovascular benefits of vitamin C were proven after studying the concept that humans are one of the only beings on the planet to lack the ability to produce vitamin C endogenously. Also noted, we are one of few to develop cardiovascular disease and have heart attacks. Oddly enough, studies found guinea pigs to lack vitamin C and also have heart attacks, further proving the association. One mechanism of helping the cardiovascular system is by collagen production. Vitamin C is essential for collagen production. Lack of vitamin C, thus lack of collagen production, contributes to weakness of blood vessels, which then triggers the body to “fix them” and form plaque.

Through antioxidant properties, collagen production, and aiding in the production of nitric oxide, vitamin C helps to support healthy blood vessels, vascular smooth muscle, helping to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, as well as aid in erectile dysfunction and improve libido, lowering cortisol and decreasing inflammation and aiding in wound healing (think collagen and repair!) in the process too!

Vitamin C can do some amazing things, but it’s unfortunate that humans have lost the natural mechanism to produce it! When it comes to dietary and supplemental sources, we have many options.

One may think primarily of citrus, which is correct, but red peppers actually have a higher concentration of vitamin C! One- half of a red pepper will average 100mg vitamin C. Green peppers, kiwi, strawberries, broccoli, Brussels, and cantaloupe are also high in vitamin C. A raw diet ALWAYS gives higher concentrations of vitamins and minerals. Cooking anything will significantly reduce the nutrient concentration. So throw those raw peppers into eggs and salads instead of sautéing!

As for amount of vitamin C needed, this has been greatly debated. Recent studies have debunked the theory that tissue saturation occurs at 200mg. When that study was looked into further, it was actually proven to support high daily intakes. Regardless, no two individuals require the same amount, thus putting a round number out as a suggestion is a moot point. Each individual has a different level of stress, a different level of activity, and therefore a different required level of vitamin C to support their unique body.

In general, it is suggested to ingest 2000mg daily in divided doses. If possible, test your daily requirement to bowel tolerance. As soon as you get a rumbly tummy, pull back on the vitamin C a bit. It is shown that children can tolerate 1000mg per year of age, capping at 10,000mg at 10 years of age (thus this is a good amount for adults too). In times of sickness, more can be tolerated. Remember this is in DIVIDED doses. The purpose of that is to avoid bowel issues as well as maintain a natural state of dynamic flow. Mimicking this natural flow of vitamin C allows the body to have a constant reservoir when extra vitamin C may be needed in times of stress.

When looking for vitamin C supplementation outside of diet, look for ascorbic acid. Finding it buffered with calcium and magnesium ascorbate as well as potassium bicarbonate will help alleviate any potential belly issues (look for an 80/20 ratio - 80% ascorbic acid, or higher) OR look for sodium ascorbate.

We now stock great options through Pharm to Family Wellness Company, which can be purchased at Tolson Drug!

Check back for more as we hope to help with tips to build your immune system through the rough winter season!

Also, never hesitate to email or message us with questions, concerns, or suggestions! pharmtofamilywellness@gmail.com