Thrive Family Medicine

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Kalispell, MT
Thrive Family Medicine

Dedicated to offering personalized care.

As a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.), she understands the principles of western medicine but is also able to provide care from an evidence based holistic perspective, ensuring a balanced approach to care.

05/21/2025

Full scope primary care, I can even help you with your cattle 😂

05/17/2025

The last 2 habits are eating breakfast and developing an effective exercise program.

Morning eating habits is another way to influence your cortisol patterns. Studies show that a breakfast high in proteins, healthy fats and complex carbohydrates can help promote natural cortisol rhythms. Upon eating, hormones are triggered that help to reduce the cortisol peak that occurs during the awakening response. This process assists in maintaining the required natural decline in cortisol levels that should occur as our day moves on and helps to prevent chronically elevated cortisol levels. Breakfast optimizes our bodies ability to follow the balance it needs to achieve to healthy rise and falls in our cortisol response system.

The final daily habit is exercise. While many of us think of cardio as the main component, a truly effective exercise routine incorporates three key elements: stretching, cardio, and resistance training. It's easy to overlook the importance of stretching, but it offers significant benefits. Not only does it help prevent injuries, but it also enhances blood flow to your muscles, making your workouts more effective. Resistance training is another often underestimated aspect of health. It's not just about building muscle mass. Research has shown that resistance training provides numerous health advantages, including cognitive benefits that can play a role in preventing memory loss. If you are going to take the time to exercise be sure to make it effective!

To summarize, there are numerous strategies we can implement to support our bodies in reaching optimal health. Cultivating positive habits is truly an investment in our well-being, and there's no greater investment than our health.

05/16/2025

For optimal well-being, aim to get a minimum of 2-3 minutes of direct sunlight exposure each morning. Up to 30 minutes is ideal, but that not something most people have time for. Please ensure this is direct sunlight and not filtered through a window, and remember not to stare directly at the sun.

Regular morning sunlight plays a significant role in supporting mental health and promoting healthy hormone patterns. Our hormones naturally fluctuate throughout the day. Ideally, our bodies should exhibit what's known as the cortisol awakening response, characterized by a surge in cortisol levels in the morning followed by a gradual decline throughout the day. This morning cortisol surge is crucial for maintaining a healthy circadian rhythm.
Morning sunlight exposure assists this process by both supporting the cortisol surge and suppressing melatonin, the hormone that promotes sleep. Additionally, morning sunlight triggers the release of serotonin, a neurotransmitter known to help elevate mood.

05/15/2025

Here's your second daily habit: incorporate a daily fiber supplement into your routine. The general recommendation is to aim for 25-30 grams of fiber each day. Since modern diets often lack sufficient fiber, supplementation can be a helpful way to bridge this gap. There's substantial evidence highlighting the positive effects of fiber intake. One of the most beneficial being protection against the development of some of the most prevalent chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. Here are some other well-supported benefits to consider:
• Lower blood glucose levels
• Reduce insulin levels after eating
• Lower total or LDL cholesterol levels
• Lower blood pressure
• Decrease transit time
• Increase gastrointestinal mineral absorption
• Supporting healthy gut microbiota

05/13/2025

Have you ever paid attention to your very first thought in the morning? Was it negative? Positive? Do you even remember? Your morning thoughts are powerful. Oftentimes, they set the trajectory for the remainder of your day. They can shape how you feel, how you approach your daily tasks, and even how you interact with others throughout the day.

Begin to pay attention to your first thoughts of the day. Do you notice a tendency towards negativity, anxiety, or stress? Becoming aware of these initial thoughts is the first crucial step. We cannot fix a problem if we are not aware it exists.

If you notice your morning thoughts tend to be negative, I would encourage you to begin to reshape them. Reinforcing positive thought patterns will remove focus from negative ideas, promoting an optimistic mindset.

This is not something that will happen overnight, you have to consciously learn to identify the thought. If it is negative, replace it with a positive thought. Our brains can learn to rewire negative thought patterns. Each day you replace a negative thought with a positive one you are developing new neural pathways. Repeating this process daily helps to solidifying those pathways until ultimately, the positive though comes naturally.

Wishing you a mindful start to your days.

04/06/2025

The subject of nutrition can often appear complex due to the abundance of recommendations available through social media and the frequent introduction of new trends that claim to be effective. As a physician, I try to present nutrition to my patients in the simplest terms. My objective is to simplify nutritional guidance and provide attainable goals for lifelong health eating habits.
Over the course of the next week, I will be discussing fundamental steps that can be implemented to improve one's nutritional lifestyle. It is important to remember that our dietary choices have implications beyond just affecting our weight. Our diet influences our moods, our energy availability, and our experiences with pain. These are some of the most common things that people commonly consume that can contribute to not only weight gain, but a poor quality of life.

1. Processed coffee creamers.
INGREDIENTS: CORN SYRUP SOLIDS, HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OIL (COCONUT AND/OR PALM KERNEL AND/OR SOYBEAN), AND LESS THAN 2% OF SODIUM CASEINATE (A MILK DERIVATIVE)**, MONO-AND DIGLYCERIDES, DIPOTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, SODIUM ALUMINOSILICATE, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, ANNATTO COLOR.

Confused??? Me too! Simple advice: if you are purchasing food and cannot pronounce or understand what the ingredients are you should probably avoid it. Typically, these foods are highly processed. Anyone who has any sort of gut issues should be especially wary of these creamers. Animal studies support these ingredients causing a myriad of gut problems. Additionally, there are a number of ways these chemicals adversely effect our bodies.

03/08/2025

So excited!!

02/15/2025

Regular moisturization is essential for maintaining healthy skin, particularly during the dry winter months. It improves the appearance of the skin and helps slow the signs of aging. Here are some key ingredients to look for when selecting a moisturizer.

02/14/2025

Taking supplements is complex. Its not a matter of simply swallowing a pill and having it do what the label says. Understanding the metabolism of supplements in the body helps to determine if a supplement is actually doing what it claims to do. What supplements can you take for your skin? What are studies saying about oral collagen? Its exciting to see some promising outcomes with oral intake of collagen.

02/12/2025

While sunlight does offer certain health benefits, it's crucial to remember that overexposure to UV rays can be harmful. Sunscreen not only helps maintain a youthful appearance but also significantly reduces the risk of skin cancer. The statistics are alarming: one in five Americans will develop skin cancer during their lifetime and two people die from skin cancer every hour in the United States. In my 15 years of practice, I've treated hundreds of skin cancer cases. Protecting your skin from harmful UV rays is absolutely essential.
Also, excessive sun exposure potentially causes 80% of photoaging. In my opinion, mineral sunscreen and physical barriers offer the best UV protection.

02/11/2025

Day 2. Another component of achieving radiant skin? Exfoliation.

02/10/2025

Welcome to my skincare week. Helping patients navigate the confusing world of skin care products is one of my passions. This week, I will focus on some of my favorite skin care products and strategies I have found most beneficial in my skincare routine. Today, I will highlight the holy grail of skin care. Retinol was first used in 1943. Over 80 years later, it remains one of the most effective skin care products (with now many different versions of retinoids). This is one of my staples!

Address

1354 Airport Road
Kalispell, MT
59901

Telephone

+14062016299

Website

http://thrivefamilymed.com/

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