Vogan Functional Medicine, 4850 E Baseline STE 107, Mesa, AZ (2025)

06/07/2025

🔍 What Is Sugar & Carb Addiction?
Sugar and refined carbohydrates (think white bread, pastries, soda, chips) stimulate the brain’s reward system, triggering a release of dopamine—your “feel good” hormone. This is the same neurochemical response involved in substance addictions. Over time, repeated stimulation can lead to cravings, loss of control, and withdrawal-like symptoms when trying to cut back.
This is more than just liking sweets. It’s a biochemical cycle that reinforces compulsive eating, making it very difficult to moderate intake—even with strong willpower.

⚠️ Why It Matters for Your Health
Chronic overconsumption of sugar and refined carbs is linked to:
* Insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes
* Weight gain and visceral fat accumulation
* Chronic inflammation
* Brain fog, fatigue, and mood instability
* Increased risk of cardiovascular disease
These foods also disrupt hunger hormones like leptin and ghrelin, making it harder to feel full and easier to overeat.

🧠 What You Can Do
The good news? Sugar and carb addiction is reversible. Here’s how we help patients regain control:
1. Remove triggers: Gradually reduce or eliminate refined sugars and processed carbs.
2. Balance blood sugar: Eat protein, healthy fats, and fiber with every meal.
3. Repair dopamine balance: Sleep well, move daily, and find non-food sources of pleasure.
4. Address root causes: Stress, gut health, and hormone imbalances often play a role.

You’re not “weak” if you crave sugar. These foods were designed to be addictive. But with the right strategy, you can take back control—and your health. If this resonates with you, we’re here to help with a personalized plan.

If you think you may have symptoms of sugar and carb addiction we provide an in-depth diagnostic assessment called SUGAR. This is a validated tool that can aid you in understanding the complex condition of sugar/carb addiction. Please contact us for questions about this evaluation or if you would like to set up an appointment.

05/02/2025

High cholesterol is not the enemy
In a recent study by Budoff et al. (2024), published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, researchers showed that in metabolically healthy individuals on a Keto diet DID NOT have an increase in coronary artery plaque compared to those with lower LDL.
Cholesterol and saturated fat are not the enemy. Inflammation, insulin resistance and oxidative stress is what is driving heart disease.

03/25/2025

Great news! We are expanding!!! We are now accepting clients living in Idaho. If you or someone you know is living in Idaho or Arizona and is looking for excellent personalized care, please make an appointment today. Visit our website at voganfm.com or give us a call at 480-908-9892.

03/25/2025

CGM’s are effective at reducing HbA1c.

In their recent Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of over 17 studies, Kong & Cho (2024) showed that individuals with Type 2 Diabetes who wore a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) had a significant decrease in their average blood sugar. Blood sugar control occurred due to improved self-management behaviors and real-time data interpretation.

Before the summer of 2024 you could only get a CGM with a doctor’s prescription. This has changed with the availability of two over-the-counter CGM’s: Dexcom Stelo and Lingo by Abbott.

Now anyone can get a CGM to monitor their blood sugar and see how the foods they are eating are impacting their glycemic control.

The benefits of a CGM include:

    ◦    Provides realtime date on how your food, stress, sleep and exercise impact blood sugar

    ◦    Pinpoint specific foods or meals that lead to significant glucose spikes for you

    ◦    Real time feedback can be a powerful tool for making positive, individualized lifestyle changes

    ◦    CGM’s can help detect pre-diabetes early allowing for early intervention

The Dexcom Stelo is $99/ mo for 2 sensors or $89/mo when you sign up for a subscription (you can cancel anytime)
https://www.stelo.com/en-us/buy-stelo-one-time
The Lingo by Abbott costs $49 for 2 weeks (1 sensor) or $89 for 4 weeks (2 sensors).
https://www.hellolingo.com/products

08/20/2024

Do you have any of these signs or symptoms? You may have insulin resistance.

Insulin resistance is when the cells in the body are no longer sensitive to the hormone insulin and no longer responds normally to its signals.

When this occurs the cells will not accept glucose from the blood and blood glucose remains high.

Insulin resistance is due to chronically (10-15 years) of elevated blood sugar and insulin levels.

Insulin resistance results in many chronic disease with the most well known being diabetes.

Often times doctors are not testing for insulin resistance but signs and symptoms can become obvious such as those listed above.

These signs and symptoms are the body’s way of warning you that there is something out of balance. If you notice you have any of the above signs or symptoms.

Ask your doctor to evaluate you for insulin resistance and metabolic disease.

07/22/2024

You likely already know that SWEETS AND TREATS such as candy, cookies, ice cream, sodas and donuts send your blood sugar through the roof, but other high-carb foods that may fall into the “healthy” category can do the exact same thing.
Many fruits, yogurts, “whole grains”, dairy, high carb nuts, rice, potatoes and other foods that may contain fiber can increase blood sugar just as much.

If your goal is to reverse or prevent diabetes and insulin resistance it’s best to avoid *all* foods that impact blood sugar significantly, and that includes some of the foods and drinks you’ve probably been told are good choices.

If you need help reversing or preventing diabetes and insulin resistance get an appointment with VFM today!!

07/15/2024

We are co-owners of Vogan Functional Medicine. Our practice focuses on Functional Medicine, Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement and Diabetes Reversal.

We are accepting new patients and would love to get you scheduled. If you are looking for a Health Care Provider that listens and really takes the time to know you please contact us to get scheduled.

04/15/2024

☀️Lets be very clear:

💯You can reverse your type 2 diabetes or pre diabetes by doing ONE thing……..

🛑 STOP EATING CARBOHYDRATES

This way of eating can be called:

🥩Therapeutic Carbohydrate Restriction

🥩The KETO DIet

🥩The Carnivore Diet

🥩The Lion Diet

You choose what you call it.

Plain and simple removing carbs from you diet reverses type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes

Make an appointment today

03/05/2024

How long do you get with your doctor? 15 minutes? Do they look at you when you are speaking or are they just typing on their computer?

Are appointment times getting shorter and shorter and you only get to talk about one concern per visit?

Want a different experience with a doctor that listens to your concerns and takes time to fully understand you and your history?

Book a new patient appointment with Dr. Vogan today and see the difference in personalized medicine.

At Vogan Functional Medicine we know there IS a better way.

Voganfm.com

02/07/2024

Thank you to all who joined us this Saturday . If you missed the presentation and would like to be updated on our next one please send us a message. If you have a group that you believe would benefit from the presentation we would love to get scheduled. Send us a message or comment below!

Vogan Functional Medicine

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