Aura Functional Medicine

Aura Functional Medicine Dr. Alison Egeland is committed to providing highly personalized, holistic care that addresses the root cause of her patients' health concerns.

05/04/2026

Most medicine asks: what do we treat?

Naturopathic medicine asks: why is this happening?

There's a difference, and it changes everything.

At Aura Functional Medicine, Dr. Egeland doesn't just manage your symptoms. She digs deeper. Past the prescription pad. Past the surface-level diagnosis. All the way to the root cause of what's driving your health challenges.

This is Naturopathic Medicine Week, and this is what we stand for.
If you've been told your labs are normal but you still don't feel well, you're exactly who we're here for.


Schedule your complimentary discovery call, link in bio.

04/29/2026

Drinking plenty of water and still waking up with a headache?

This might be why.

Dehydration is one of the most common morning headache triggers, but it is not always about how much you are drinking. Some people are genuinely not getting enough fluids through the day. Others are drinking enough water but are missing the electrolytes and minerals their cells actually need to use it properly.

And then there is alcohol. Even a modest amount in the evening causes both dehydration and electrolyte depletion, which is a reliable recipe for waking up in pain.

If morning headaches are a pattern for you, hydration and mineral balance are worth looking at closely, and they are often one of the first things

Dr. Egeland evaluates. Full video covering all 10 root causes is linked in bio.

04/23/2026

If you wake up with a headache every morning, your cortisol levels might be to blame, and there are actually two separate ways that can happen.

The first is high blood pressure. Every morning your body goes through what is called the cortisol awakening response, a natural surge of stress hormones that helps you wake up and get going. In some people, that surge causes a spike in blood pressure that affects the blood vessels in the brain and triggers a headache before the day has even started.

The second is blood sugar dysregulation. If your blood sugar drops during the night, your body spikes cortisol to bring it back up. Layer that on top of the cortisol awakening response already happening in the morning and you get a double surge of stress hormones hitting the brain at the same time.

Both of these patterns are identifiable with the right testing. If this sounds familiar, Dr. Egeland covers all 10 root causes of morning headaches in the full video. Link in bio.

04/22/2026

Sleep apnea is one of the most underdiagnosed causes of morning headaches, and one of the most important to rule out.

When you stop breathing repeatedly through the night, your blood oxygen drops, your blood vessels dilate, and you wake up in pain. Beyond the headache, unaddressed sleep apnea is connected to cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, cognitive decline, anxiety, and chronic fatigue.
If you snore, wake up unrefreshed, or clench your teeth at night, it is worth getting it checked out.

04/16/2026

This is one of the most surprising things we share with patients.

The bacteria, yeast, and parasites that can overgrow in your gut are able to send chemical signals through the vagus nerve,
the same nerve that connects your gut to your brain.

For every one message your brain sends down to your gut, your gut sends roughly nine messages back up. Pathogens have figured out how to use that pathway to make you crave the sugar they need to survive.

If you have been struggling with relentless sugar cravings, it may not be a willpower problem. It may be a gut problem.

This is exactly the kind of root cause connection we look for at Aura Functional Medicine. Link in bio to schedule a free discovery call.

04/14/2026

I get asked all the time what to actually eat for gut health, and honestly, it does not have to be complicated.

Start with whole, minimally processed foods as your foundation. Your gut microbiome thrives on real food, and when you crowd out the processed stuff, you give your beneficial bacteria a chance to do what they are designed to do.

Fiber is one of the most powerful things you can add. Research is pointing to somewhere between 35 and 45 grams per day as the sweet spot for gut health. I know that sounds like a lot, but when you are eating plenty of vegetables, legumes, and whole grains, it adds up faster than you think. Those beneficial microbes in your gut feed on fiber, and when they are well fed, they take care of you in return.

When it comes to sweeteners, I always encourage patients to lean toward the more natural, minimally processed options. Raw honey, maple syrup, and coconut sugar used in moderation are going to be much gentler on your gut than refined sugar or artificial sweeteners. Stevia and monk fruit are also options I feel good about in moderation.

And the simplest habit I can give you is this. Read your labels. If an ingredient is difficult to pronounce, that is worth paying attention to. Your gut is worth the extra thirty seconds in the grocery store aisle.
If you are ready to take a deeper look at what is going on in your gut, I would love to connect.

Schedule a free discovery call through the link in my bio.

04/09/2026

Patient Win of the Week.

Hashimoto’s in remission. Insulin resistance cut in half. 12 pounds lost. Cycles normalized. And all of this without thyroid medication.

This is what six months of root cause medicine looked like for one of our patients. We addressed the gut, corrected nutrient deficiencies, and made strategic diet and lifestyle changes. Her body did the rest.

If you have been told your labs are normal but you still do not feel well, there may be more to the story. Link in bio to schedule a free discovery call.

03/31/2026

Most people have never heard of emulsifiers. But if you are eating packaged foods regularly, you are almost certainly consuming them.

Emulsifiers are additives used to improve the texture and extend the shelf life of processed foods. They are what make nut milks creamy, protein powders smooth, and salad dressings from separating on the shelf. On the surface, that sounds harmless. But what they do inside your gut is a different story.

Research shows that common emulsifiers like polysorbate 80, carboxymethyl cellulose, and carrageenan can thin and erode the protective mucus layer that lines your intestines. That mucus barrier exists for a reason. It keeps bacteria and food particles where they belong and out of your bloodstream. When it gets damaged, you create the conditions for leaky gut, chronic inflammation, and immune dysregulation.

What makes this particularly frustrating is where these ingredients show up. Not just in obvious junk food, but in the products people buy specifically because they are trying to eat well. Oat milk, almond milk, coconut milk, protein powders, salad dressings, and even some supplements.

The fix is not complicated, but it does require reading labels. Look for these names on ingredient lists:
Polysorbate 80, carrageenan, carboxymethyl cellulose, soy lecithin, guar gum, xanthan gum.

If you are dealing with bloating, irregular digestion, food sensitivities, skin issues, or fatigue that no one has been able to explain, the ingredients in your everyday foods may be part of the picture.

This is the kind of root cause detective work we do every day at Aura Functional Medicine.
Link in bio to schedule a free discovery call with Dr. Egeland.

03/18/2026

Is your thyroid swollen? There’s always a reason, and it’s not random.

Thyroid swelling (called a goiter) has 5 root causes, and knowing yours changes everything:

Autoimmunity , Hashimoto’s or Graves’ disease, where your immune system attacks your thyroid

Thyroid nodules , often linked to oxidative stress, inflammation, aging, or hormonal shifts

Inflammation , usually from a viral infection, or postpartum immune changes
Iodine imbalances , too little or too much can both cause swelling

Medications , a smaller but real cause

The most common? Autoimmune, especially here in the US.

At Aura Functional Medicine, we don’t just name the condition. We find your root cause with advanced testing so we can actually fix it.

Watch the full video. Then book your free discovery call if any of this sounds familiar.
Link in bio, aurafunctionalmed.com

03/04/2026

Did you know your stomach inflammation could be causing anxiety, heart palpitations, and sleep problems?

Most people don’t realize gastritis can trigger histamine reactions that show up far beyond digestion.

If you’re dealing with flushing, hives, headaches, sinus congestion, itching, or unexplained anxiety alongside your stomach issues, your inflamed stomach lining might be the missing link.

I’ve worked with patients who had minimal stomach pain but were struggling with profound fatigue, brain fog, and mysterious symptoms that no one could explain.

Their gastritis was silent, but it was stealing their vitality.

When we addressed the root cause of the inflammation, everything shifted. Not just their digestion, but their energy, mental clarity, and overall quality of life.

Your body isn’t broken. It’s sending you signals. We just need to learn what it’s trying to say.

Ready to connect the dots? Link in bio to schedule a discovery call.

02/25/2026

When your stomach is inflamed, it’s not broken, it’s communicating. Our job is to understand what it’s trying to say.

02/10/2026

If you’ve been told “it’s just gastritis, here’s a PPI” and sent on your way, I get it.

Because I’ve been that patient.

I’ve sat in doctor’s offices trying to explain the burning pain that wouldn’t stop. I’ve tried multiple PPIs that didn’t work. I’ve wondered if anyone would ever actually figure out what was wrong.

It wasn’t until someone looked at my body as a system, not just a stomach, that I finally healed.
That’s why I became a functional medicine doctor. And it’s why I’ll never dismiss what you’re going through.

Your stomach pain isn’t in your head. It’s not something you just have to live with. And you deserve someone who will actually listen and find the root cause.

If you’re ready to stop masking symptoms and start healing, link in bio to schedule a discovery call.

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1365 Forest Park Circle, Suite 102
Lafayette, CO
80026

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