Claudia Arregoytia, MD, ND, IFMCP

Claudia Arregoytia, MD, ND, IFMCP Functional Medicine Doctor. Personalized Solutions for Optimal Metabolic Health and Longevity.

💃 If you’re a nonpregnant woman or teen, listen up. A study just published in JAMA found 40% of US females between the ...
04/24/2026

💃 If you’re a nonpregnant woman or teen, listen up.

A study just published in JAMA found 40% of US females between the ages of 12 and 21 were deficient in iron 🩸

Why should you care?

Because screening for iron deficiency is not routine for this age group!

Guidelines in the US recommend screening for iron-deficient anemia every 5-10 years, but this recent study found that only 6% of the participants actually had anemia, compared with the 40% with iron deficiency.

⚠️ That means iron deficiency can exist WITHOUT anemia and can easily be missed by routine screenings.

What can we do?

The best way to test for iron deficiency is with a blood test for ferritin 🩸It’s a simple thing, but your provider needs to be proactive to order it and know how to interpret it.

In functional medicine, we aim for optimal levels on blood tests, which are not always the same as what’s considered “normal.” If ferritin levels are low, this can usually be corrected through dietary changes and supplementation.

Do you know what the most common symptom of iron deficiency is? Drop your guess in the comments and I’ll let you know.

Book your free discovery call with me! Link in my bio!


04/23/2026

📲 3 ways to combat text neck!!

Now that we’re all back to work and school after summer vacations, many of us are looking at our screens even more.

If your head is forward or shoulders slouched, it could be “text neck” and could create even worse problems (like headaches or back pain) over time.

Try these things:

1️⃣Bring Phone to Eye-Level
If you’re sitting at a desk while looking at your phone, prop it up on a stand. If you’re sitting on a couch or chair, prop your elbows on your stomach area so that your phone is in front of your face. Walking while looking at your phone? Your arms may just need to get tired.

2️⃣ Take Stretch Breaks
Take breaks to do some neck rolls, shoulder stretches, or just stare off into the distance. These breaks will not only benefit your posture but also help relax your vision and refresh your brain.

3️⃣ Open an App!
Ironically, the solution could be the same as the problem: an app! There are several apps that will guide you through exercises to improve posture, and most can be done in just 5 minutes a day.

Share this post with someone you think could benefit!

Book your free discovery call with me! Link in my bio!


The sun is finally dipping below the horizon as I close my chart notes, leaving the Bastyr Center for Natural Health fee...
04/23/2026

The sun is finally dipping below the horizon as I close my chart notes, leaving the Bastyr Center for Natural Health feeling much quieter than it was just an hour ago.

It’s been a long, whirlwind of a day—the kind where you’re constantly moving, thinking, and solving puzzles. But as I pack up, I’m not feeling the weight of the fatigue; I’m feeling a deep, quiet sense of gratitude. 🌿✨

Today, as I watched my students navigate the complexities of patient care, I was reminded of why I do this. Functional medicine isn’t just about a checklist of symptoms; it’s about peeling back the layers to find the root cause, listening to the story beneath the illness, and honoring the body’s innate ability to heal.

Watching that “lightbulb moment” happen for a student—when they stop looking at the lab result and start seeing the person—is the greatest privilege of my career.

To the new generation of practitioners I get to mentor: your curiosity gives me so much hope. You are entering a field that demands patience, humility, and a relentless commitment to the truth. Seeing your drive to learn, your empathy for our patients, and your dedication to the future of healthcare makes me incredibly proud.

We are not just training doctors; we are cultivating healers. And I can’t wait to see the impact you will all make on the world.

Another shift down, another step closer to a more integrative future. Here’s to the next generation of changemakers. 🩺🤍

5 Daily Neuroplasticity Practices 👇Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to respond to a changing environment, reorgani...
04/22/2026

5 Daily Neuroplasticity Practices 👇

Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to respond to a changing environment, reorganize pathways, and improve function.

Better neuroplasticity can help with creating fresh habits, learning new skills, releasing unneeded anxiety, and pretty much anything else involving the brain 🧠

There are lots of ways to improve neuroplasticity. Depending on your goals, you can choose practices to help reach them.

For example:

1️⃣ Brain Games
If your goals revolve around improving your focus, concentration, reaction time, and memory, you might try blocking off 15 minutes a day to do something like Sudoku, chess, or a brain-training app.

2️⃣Art & Music
If your goals include improving your mood and processing your emotions, you can retrain your brain through creative expression like drawing, painting, or singing.

3️⃣Meditation
If your goals include becoming more mindful and present while improving your mood, meditation reinforces neural pathways related to positive emotions.

4️⃣Deep Breathing
Whether it’s better concentration, focus, mood, or stress resilience you’re aiming for, deep breathing activates the vagus nerve to tell your nervous system to reset.

5️⃣ Yoga
Similar to meditation and deep breathing, yoga activates the vagus nerve and sends a message of calm to the nervous system.

Our brains are forever changing. If we make it a habit to do some sort of neuroplasticity training every day (like one of these things ☝️) , we program the brain to be resilient, malleable, and strong.

Remember:

🗝️ The key with all neuroplasticity practices is to do them often.

Do you practice any of these things?

What benefits do you notice?

Book your free discovery call with me! Link in my bio!


04/21/2026

Quickly reset your nervous system with these yoga poses 🧘

Did you know you can benefit from yoga—even without committing long hours to the practice?

Our nervous systems are extremely resilient and responsive. Even taking just a few moments out of your day can help you focus your mind, relax your body, and better handle stress.

Try these!

1️⃣ Downward Facing Dog
Start on your hands and knees, with your wrists directly below your shoulders. Push up and back so that your legs and arms are straight and you are in an inverted “V.” Press your heels down toward the floor.

Benefits: Downward Facing Dog stretches the hamstrings and calves, releases tension in the back, and brings blood flow to the brain.

2️⃣ Cat-Cow
Start on your hands and knees in a table-top position. Inhale and tilt your pelvis back and head up for cow pose. Exhale, round your back, and tuck your tailbone and neck for cat. Repeat.

Benefits: Cat-Cow improves circulation to your back (to counteract sitting) and links the breath with movement to relieve stress.

3️⃣ Child’s Pose
From your hands and knees, sit back on your ankles while spreading your knees out wide. Allow your hands to extend out in front of your head. Let your belly rest between your thighs and your forehead touch the floor.

Benefits: Child’s Pose gently stretches the back and shoulders while calming the mind.

Whether or not you go to yoga classes or have a practice of your own, these exercises are available to you anytime anywhere.

Will you add them into your daily routine?

Book your free discovery call with me! Link in my bio!


🚴‍♀️ Good news for Weekend Warriors!A new study in JAMA found that more physical activity—even if concentrated into 1-2 ...
04/20/2026

🚴‍♀️ Good news for Weekend Warriors!

A new study in JAMA found that more physical activity—even if concentrated into 1-2 days per week—benefits cardiovascular health ❤️

Researchers looked at data from nearly 90,000 adults (average age 62) in the UK Biobank.

When looking at cardiovascular outcomes, including heart attacks and strokes, physical activity concentrated into 1-2 days per week was equally beneficial as the same amount of exercise spread throughout the week.

The takeaway?

👉 Regardless of your schedule, everyone can find ways to benefit from exercise!

Find what pattern works for you. Trust you’re doing a good thing for your health.

When do you like to exercise? Are you a Weekend Warrior—yes or no?

Book your free discovery call with me! Link in my bio!


04/19/2026

The real sign of success is living with joy!

Because once you have that, you can:

✔️ Lose weight
✔️ Gain energy
✔️ Reduce inflammation
✔️ Live with joy

I’ll help you get there.

Book your free discovery call with me! Link in my bio!

04/18/2026

The real sign of success is living with joy!

Because once you have that, you can:

✔️ Lose weight
✔️ Gain energy
✔️ Reduce inflammation
✔️ Live with joy

I’ll help you get there.

Book your free discovery call with me! Link in my bio!

3 more ways to improve neuroplasticity 🧠In case you’ve missed my recent posts about neuroplasticity, a quick refresher: ...
04/17/2026

3 more ways to improve neuroplasticity 🧠

In case you’ve missed my recent posts about neuroplasticity, a quick refresher:

Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to create new connections and strengthen existing neural pathways.

Because of neuroplasticity, we’re able to:

✅ Release Anxieties
✅ Improve Mood
✅ Respond Better to Stress
✅ Break Unwanted Habits
✅ Create Helpful Habits
✅ Think More Clearly
✅ Stay Focused
✅ Remember More Easily
✅ Learn New Skills

Neuroplasticity explains why things like brain games, meditation, and yoga work. But here’s where it really gets fun:

Everyday healthy habits that we so often recommend in functional medicine ALSO improve the brain’s plasticity—meaning all of your efforts to retrain your brain will work better.

Like this:

🏋️‍♀️ Exercise triggers the release of a chemical called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which improves neuroplasticity.

🥦 Fruits & vegetables are rich in antioxidants called polyphenols that protect nerves to support neuroplasticity.

💤 Restorative sleep is also a necessary ingredient for neuroplasticity.

The conventional medical paradigm likes to isolate the parts of the body, the treatments, and the outcomes.

But in functional medicine, we know all the parts work together.

And everything works better when our brains are on board 🙌

If you’re interested in a whole-body and root-cause approach to improving your health, Book your free discovery call with me! Link in my bio!



04/16/2026

Brain Hack to Boost Memory 🧠

If you were to guess—how much of your day is your brain feeling urgent vs. curious?

Most people go through their days in a constant state of urgency.

✖️ The pressure to perform.
✖️ The need to get things done.
✖️ The worry about what might happen next.

But here’s the thing:

That urgency might just be affecting your memory.

A new study out of Duke University that analyzed people’s memory of a video game after setting them up to feel either urgent or curious…

…found that people in a curious state of mind remembered things better the next day than those in an urgent state of mind.

This is amazing because we have the power to shift our mindset!

What if next time you sat down (or showed up) to work, you first took a few minutes to…

💞 Take a deep breath.
💞 Set a positive intention.
💞 Wonder.

Will you try it?

Comment with your thoughts. Share to inspire others. Message me for more help.

Book your free discovery call with me! Link in my bio!

Forget the "Smart Pills"—Try This Biological "Miracle-Gro" Instead 🧠🌱Most people think memory loss is just an inevitable...
04/15/2026

Forget the "Smart Pills"—Try This Biological "Miracle-Gro" Instead 🧠🌱

Most people think memory loss is just an inevitable part of aging (or a side effect of not having enough coffee). In functional medicine, we look deeper at the signaling molecules that actually build your brain.

Enter: BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor).

Think of BDNF as "Miracle-Gro" for your neurons. It’s a protein that helps your brain repair existing cells, grow new ones, and—most importantly—strengthen the connections (synapses) that turn information into long-term memories.

The Functional Memory Hack: The 10-Minute "Post-Load" Move 🏃‍♀️

Here’s the science: Research shows that a short burst of moderate exercise immediately after learning something new significantly increases your BDNF levels and helps "lock in" that data.

The Protocol:

Learn: Spend 30 minutes focusing on that new skill, presentation, or book.

Spike: Immediately go for a 10-minute brisk walk, do some air squats, or have a quick kitchen dance party.

Settle: Let the increased blood flow and BDNF do the heavy lifting of consolidating those memories while you cool down.

Why it works from a functional perspective:
It’s not just about "fitness." It’s about oxygenating the hippocampus (your brain's memory center), managing blood sugar spikes that cause "brain fog," and triggering the neuroplasticity required to keep your mind sharp.

Stop guessing with your brain health and start working with your biology. 🧬

Are you team "morning walk" or "afternoon gym session" to keep your brain sharp? Let me know below! 👇

Book your free discovery call with me! Link in my bio!


Address

Kirkland, WA

Telephone

+14255532937

Website

https://linkin.bio/drclaudiaarregoytia

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Claudia Arregoytia, MD, ND, IFMCP posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to Claudia Arregoytia, MD, ND, IFMCP:

Shortcuts

Share

Category