Get Healthy - and Get Back to Your Life! Dr. Michael Ruscio, DC is a clinician & researcher Serving patients in the U.S. via Zoom.
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With his clinical and research teams, Dr. Ruscio, DC scours existing studies to inform his ongoing clinical research, patient care, and guidance for health seekers and fellow clinicians around the world. His primary focus is digestive health and its impact on other facets of health, including energy, sleep, mood, and thyroid function and optimization. Dr. Ruscio’s, DC research has been published i
n peer-reviewed medical journals, and he speaks at integrative medical conferences across the globe. While actively seeing patients in his clinic, he also runs an influential blog and podcast, as well as a newsletter for functional medicine practitioners. For more information on how to become a patient, please contact our office.
If you have any of these symptoms:
Excess burping
Heartburn
Reflux
Feeling full quickly
You may have wondered what you can do to get your stomach acid in check.
HCl (hydrochloric acid) is a great option, after implementing healthy dietary changes.
To learn more about:
What HCl is
How it works
Signs you need it
And how to take it
…check out today’s podcast.
https://www.drruscio.com/if-you-need-hcl
Muscle function changes with age but there’s a lot you can do
Staying active in any capacity is helpful to fight off unhealthy muscle aging.
And resistance training, in particular, is the number one type of exercise that supports aging muscles.
But the best routine is one that combines resistance training with mobility exercises and aerobic activity.
A great starting routine for older adults looks like exercising 3–5 days per week with:
20 minutes of aerobic activity
20 minutes of resistance training
20 minutes of flexibility/mobility training
From there, you can increase each type of training depending on what feels best to you.
To learn more about exercise for aging muscles, check out my article.
Learn about the best exercise for aging muscles and check out an example weekly exercise routine for older adults.
Don’t overlook the importance of mobility
For many of us, our day-to-day looks like sitting at a desk or moving through the same repetitive motions day in and day out.
But it’s important to take your joints through their full range of motion.
This is why mobility exercises are so important.
Mobility training helps you:
Maintain good posture & balance
Prevent muscle & joint pain
And reduce your risk of injury
But for those who can’t add something like yoga to their schedule (GREAT for mobility), there are exercises that achieve both strength-building AND mobility.
Read my article to learn why mobility is so crucial to overall health, and what adding it to your regimen looks like.
Learn how mobility exercises can improve your fitness and keep you feeling great as you age.
A recent article claimed that probiotics “may do the opposite of boosting your gut health”...
So you know I had to take a closer look.
And here’s what I think the article got right:
✅ Probiotic “supplements can reduce symptoms of [IBS and IBD]”
✅ Probiotics “can prevent traveler’s diarrhea”
✅ Probiotics can “reduce some side effects of antibiotic medications”
What it got wrong:
❌Probiotic “supplements offer little benefit”
On today’s podcast I’ll be focusing on one aspect of this article: using probiotics with antibiotics.
But if you need more proof that probiotics are beneficial, check out my recent podcast episode “New Probiotic Research You Might Want to Know”.
Think your hormones are a little out of whack?
If you’re experiencing symptoms of:
Irregular period timing
Irregular bleeding
Dense breast tissue
Mood issues, especially irritability, anger, or having a “short fuse”
…it could be a result of a hormonal imbalance.
Learn more about how to determine whether it’s high estrogen or estrogen dominance caused by low progesterone in today’s articles—and get started in getting your hormone levels back in check.
Estrogen dominance doesn’t always mean your estrogen levels are too high. Get to the bottom of your diagnosis.
If you have (or think you have) high estrogen
…you might want to know the culprit.
A number of things can contribute to high estrogen levels like:
Birth control
Too much alcohol
And stress
Or if you’re like most people, it’s often a combination of factors.
Fortunately, you may only need to make significant changes in one or two areas to relieve your symptoms.
Of course, it never hurts to address stress, alcohol consumption, and liver support as part of your treatment plan.
Check out today’s article to see if it really is high estrogen that’s causing your symptoms, and what you can do about it.
Many women see a functional medicine doctor believing they have high estrogen symptoms. But is this always the case?
A recent study put 32 pregnant women with SIBO and subclinical hypothyroidism on probiotics and prebiotics.
The results?
After 3 weeks of treatment, there were improvements in:
- TSH
- Methane SIBO
- Inflammatory markers
- GI symptoms
And you don’t need to take exactly what they took.
Check out images 5 & 6 for a simple probiotic and prebiotic protocol.
https://www.drruscio.com/reduce-methane-dominant-SIBO
Most of us have experienced something that could cause brain inflammation
But chronic inflammation most often occurs over time, from lifestyle habits that are pro-inflammatory such as:
- Eating a diet high in sugar, processed foods, and other inflammatory foods
- Not getting enough exercise through a combination of strength and cardio work
- Chronic stress
- Poor sleep hygiene
And if you want to reduce that inflammation, It can seem overwhelming to think about changing all of these things at once.
I suggest focusing on one thing until you get it down, then taking up the next, and so on.
Try starting with just one of these:
➡ An anti-inflammatory diet
➡ A daily probiotic
➡ Regular movement
➡ Meditation or cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
➡ Improving sleep
And see if you experience any reduction in neuroinflammation symptoms (see yesterday’s post!).
Read the article to learn more about what contributes to brain inflammation and how to integrate brain-healthy changes into your life.
Understanding how to reduce brain inflammation is key to aging well and maintaining memory and cognition.
Neuroinflammation = inflammation in the brain
While neuroinflammation is linked to:
Brain fog
Depression
Anxiety
…chronic neuroinflammation may actually start with gut inflammation and dysbiosis.
Which is why if you experience regular brain fog, migraines, and difficulty focusing, you might want to focus on your gut health.
Learn how to spot neuroinflammation and the ways you can target it with simple lifestyle choices.
Inflammation can play havoc with your mental health and mood, but an anti-inflammatory diet, probiotics, and lifestyle strategies can help.
A 2021 meta-analysis looked at the effects of discontinuing thyroid hormone replacement medication. What can we learn from the results?
To learn more about thyroid health and treatment, tune in to today’s full-length episode.
https://buff.ly/3PKYSRd
Get in the zone—Zone 2
Zone 2 training gets your heart rate in a low-to-moderate zone of effort, but still comes with many benefits like:
➕Lowering anxiety
➕Boosting mood
➕Building muscle
➕Reducing blood sugar
➕Improving body composition
➕And reducing the risk of death from all causes
Common zone 2 training exercises include:
🏃🏿♀️ Walking/jogging
🚲 Biking
🏊♀️ Swimming
Fortunately, it isn’t hard to gauge which zone you’re in.
A simple talk test will help you determine if you’re in zone 2 or not.
Read how you can incorporate this type of training into your routine.
Learn about zone 2 training and how to balance it with strength building for a holistic fitness routine.
Resistance training simply refers to training that requires your muscles to act against some kind of resistance.
So that could be pushing or pulling weight, stretching an exercise band, or even moving your own body weight.
The reason it’s important to integrate resistance training into your regimen is because it increases muscular strength, which in turn improves:
🫀 Heart health
🧠 Mood
🦠 Gut health
💥 Pain tolerance
🩸 Diabetes
🦵 Joint health
Fortunately, there are plenty of simple ways to incorporate resistance training into your weekly fitness routine, like:
🏋️ Doing squats & push-ups
💪🏽 Lifting weights
🪢 Stretching an exercise band
👟 Using the weight machines at your gym
🧗♀️ Doing CrossFit, rowing, or climbing
Which type you choose comes down to personal preference, equipment availability, cost, and convenience.
Which resistance training are you interested in? Or which do you already love?
Learn how to start doing resistance training to improve your health.
To answer the question of what resistance training is and why it's important for your health, we’ll dig into both research and practical tips.
How to make healthy habits stick 🎯
What habit you want to develop comes down to the health goals you want to achieve.
Some healthy habits include:
🏃🏿♀️ Exercising regularly
🍎 Eating healthier
🧠 Lowering stress levels
🍺 Cutting back on alcohol
💤 Prioritizing restful sleep
🚫 Quitting smoking
Evidence suggests that if you want to replace old habits with healthier ones, it’s worth trying one of these tools:
➡️ Self-regulating through episodic future thinking (EFT)
➡️ Setting SMART goals
➡️ Having someone hold you accountable
Learn more about what can help you become a healthier you.
Creating healthy habits that you can stick to in the long term is a challenging but doable feat. Get a better understanding of behavior change in this article.
Is it necessary to work out every single day? See the answer ⬇️
There is a difference between working out every day and moving every day.
Working out more than five times per week at a moderate-to-high intensity can increase your risk of over-exercising, causing:
🆘 Disrupted sleep and gut flora
🆘 Higher chance of injuries
🆘 Cardiac abnormalities
Instead, it’s best to:
➡️ Do daily low-intensity cardio exercises like yoga or a light jog/walk
➡️ Keep workouts to 3–5 days per week
➡️ Aim for 150 minutes of exercise per week
Read more about how to best exercise for your health.
Aim for daily movement over daily workouts to make exercise sustainable, safe, and fun.
There are many misconceptions around thyroid care, diagnoses, and medications. Here are the facts ⬇️
Having the correct information can help you navigate how to:
➡️ Interpret labs
➡️ Identify symptoms of thyroid conditions
➡️ Distinguish the differences between subclinical hypothyroidism, overt hypothyroidism, and hyperthyroidism
➡️ Know if thyroid medication is needed
➡️ Eat your way to a healthier thyroid
As a teaser, here are some basic thyroid management tactics:
*️⃣ Addressing your gut health can help with thyroid issues
*️⃣ Paying attention to more than one lab marker can help get you the right diagnosis
*️⃣ Working with a healthcare provider can help you know if thyroid medication is necessary
For more specific guidance about managing and assessing thyroid health, check out my article.
Unsure where to turn for thyroid help? Here’s how to assess and manage your thyroid health, without making it complicated.
It IS possible to heal your gut without lab tests
In fact, our clinic only uses labs as one-fourth of the data needed to treat a patient.
Our team looks at patient’s:
👉 Symptoms
👉 Response to treatment
👉 Medical history
When it comes to rebuilding gut health, the action plan to put into place is simple:
1️⃣ Focus on resetting your gut with an elemental diet or elimination diet
2️⃣ Take the right digestive supplements for support
3️⃣ Use antimicrobials to fight off pathogens
As you explore this process, it’s important to pay attention to your body along the way to see what does and doesn’t work for you.
Read my article to learn more about what you can do to rebuild your gut.
Interested in how to heal your gut without lab tests? Get the scoop on elimination diets, supplements, and low-cost healing.
The real reasons why some people struggle to lose weight
Weight loss is more complex than “calories in, calories out” or making simple behavior changes.
With 60+ years of studying metabolic disease,
Dr. Barbara Corkey–Professor of Medicine and Biochemistry at Boston University–provides answers on the podcast to:
🎙 Do low-carb diets aid in weight loss?
🎙 Is there proof behind the theory of a metabolic set point?
🎙 Are there pros associated with getting bariatric surgery?
🎙 How have people benefited from her CarboLight cookbook recipes?
🎙 What’s the link between food additives and insulin secretion?
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How to tell the difference between IBS and IBD
IBD is considered a long-term autoimmune disorder of the gut that can lead to:
🆘 GI bleeding
🆘 Rashes
🆘 Joint pain
🆘 A heightened risk of lung disease and colon cancer
IBS is a functional gastrointestinal condition that’s diagnosed by symptoms of frequent abdominal pain and alterations between diarrhea and constipation.
While they differ in diagnosis and symptom severity, they often have the same underlying triggers that cause inflammation.
Read my article to learn more about how to treat each with an elemental diet, elimination diet, and probiotics.
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With IBS being a syndrome, it means that we don’t know exactly what causes it.
But, what is suspected is that it could be caused by these three factors:
🆘 Genes
🆘 Environmental exposures such as chemicals and toxins
🆘 Stress
To combat IBS symptoms like abdominal pain, diarrhea, and constipation, take action by:
🍽 Eating a healthy whole-foods diet
🧘🏼♂️ Managing stress through yoga, meditation, and breath awareness
🦠 Supplementing with probiotics
Check out my article for more information about the genetic component of IBS and what you can do to counteract it.
Let’s get to the bottom of whether IBS is genetic. Some genes do increase the risk for IBS, but diet, environment, and psychological factors are also key.
My Monday motivation 💪🏼
Some days that can feel hard…
…but it’s important to realize it can be as simple as doing anything rather than nothing.
I know it helped me to know that not everyday will look the same, but making my health a non-negotiable in some way each day is a win.
What ways do you make health a non-negotiable for yourself?
Red light laser therapy IS promising for weight loss
Though, it’s important to know it’s not a standalone miracle cure.
When combined with eating a whole-foods diet and an exercise regimen, the therapy can be even more effective.
Besides weight loss, it has been shown to help with:
👍 Low back pain
👍 Tendon pain
👍 Knee osteoarthritis
👍 Plantar fasciitis
👍 Fibromyalgia pain
Read more about red light therapy and other weight loss methods in my article.
Many fat-burning therapies are overstated but is red light therapy for weight loss one of them?
Red light therapy has its pros and cons – could it be effective for you?
This type of therapy is growing in popularity since it can help with:
👍 Joint pain
👍 Nerve pain
👍 Wound healing
👍 Hair loss
👍 Cognition
👍 Mental health
While it has its pros, a few cons come with this therapy that uses red low-level wavelengths of light.
Read my article to see if red light therapy could be a beneficial technique for you.
Despite a lot of speculation, there may be real benefits to using red light therapy with minimal downsides.
How women over 50 can find success with intermittent fasting
In women over 50, intermittent fasting can help with:
📉 Promoting weight loss
📈 Improving metabolic health
🔄 Reversing mild cognitive decline
💪 Maintaining muscle mass
Since muscle mass is critical to overall health and decreases with age, women over 50 should prioritize:
🍳 Eating 40 to 50 grams of protein the first meal of the day
🍽 Following a Paleo or Mediterranean diet
💪 Adding resistance training
Read more about how to calculate protein needs and enhance intermittent fasting outcomes.
Learn why protein should be front and center when it comes to intermittent fasting for women over 50.
Just how effective is intermittent fasting for women?
Right now, the research shows it to be safe and helpful for most women, especially for:
✳️ Overweight and obese women
✳️ Women with issues regulating blood sugar levels and blood pressure
✳️ Menopausal and postmenopausal women
Ultimately, it’s important to pay attention to how your body responds to intermittent fasting.
If you want to give it a try, here are some tips to get the best results:
➡️ Prioritize getting enough protein
➡️ Make sure not to cut overall calories
➡️ Favor breakfast and lunch over dinner
In my article, I break down what intermittent fasting is and the benefits it offers. Give it a read. 📚
Does intermittent fasting work for women? It depends on several factors, including hormone status, age, and stress level.
The health benefits of sweating that you may not know about
Sweating may not be the most comfortable feeling, but it’s necessary to help keep your:
⚖️ Body temperature regulated
⚖️ Electrolytes and pH balanced
While more research needs to be completed, it may help with:
➕ Hydrating your skin
➕ Protecting against skin infections
➕ Flushing out toxins
Read my article to see how exercise and sauna therapy can help you safely get your sweat on and positively impact your health.
Are there any health benefits of sweating? Here’s what we do and don’t know from the research on sweating.
Waking up early has its benefits ➕
Adopting healthy lifestyle behaviors and shifting your circadian rhythm to awaken earlier can lead to better:
➕ Sleep quality
➕ Cognition
➕ Mood
➕ Athletic performance
That being said, it’s important to go by what feels good and natural for you.
If you feel that a later wake time and sleep time may be negatively affecting your health, consider:
😴 Getting 7–9 hours of sleep every night
💡 Limiting bright light exposure before bed
🏃🏿 Exercising in the morning instead of at night
Read more about how to become an early riser.
Want to learn how to become a morning person without making it complicated? Then you’re in the right place.
These diet and lifestyle choices can help regulate estrogen ⚖️
There are many causes behind high estrogen levels or estrogen dominance, including:
👉 Xenoestrogens like certain plastics and chemicals
👉 Stress
👉 Poor liver function
👉 Alcohol consumption
👉 Polycystic o***y syndrome
👉 A gut imbalance
If there is an excess of estrogen, hormones can be naturally balanced with the help of:
❌ An elimination diet
🥘 Healthy fats
🥗 Fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, and legumes
🏃🏿♀️ Exercise
🧠 Stress management techniques
😴 Adequate sleep
🦠 Probiotics
💊 Vitamins and minerals
🌿 Herbal supplements
Read how to achieve a healthy hormonal balance and discover if high estrogen levels or estrogen dominance is driving your symptoms.
Whether you’re estrogen-dominant or have high estrogen, these diet and lifestyle changes will help you balance your hormones naturally.
What you can do about low progesterone levels 📉
Low progesterone is linked to:
🆘 Fatigue
🆘 Premenstrual bloating and anxiety
🆘 Irregular menstrual cycles
🆘 Decreased fertility
Alleviating these symptoms comes down to restoring balance between progesterone and estrogen.
This can be achieved by:
🧠 Managing stress levels
🌿 Taking herbal supplements like chasteberry, licorice root extract, and peony root extract
🍽 Eating a whole-food, anti-inflammatory diet
Discover how to implement these natural remedies and when hormone replacement therapy is necessary.
Low progesterone symptoms may manifest as anxiety, reduced fertility, and estrogen dominance: here’s how to get this hormone back in balance.
Protein-packed snacks to boost your metabolism and more 💥
While you can obtain protein from everyday foods like:
🍗 Chicken
🍣 Fish
🥛 Dairy
🥜 Nuts and seeds
… it’s good to have protein on hand to keep you satiated while you’re on the go.
If you’re stuck on what to reach for, consider incorporating these high-protein snacks into your diet:
➡️ Hard-boiled eggs
➡️ Chickpeas
➡️ Pistachios
➡️ Parmesan cheese
➡️ Grass-fed beef jerky
➡️ Peanut butter
➡️ Greek yogurt
➡️ Pumpkin seeds
➡️ Cottage cheese with veggies
Learn more about how much protein you need daily and when is the best time to consume high-protein foods to meet your health goals.
High protein snacks can help you reach your target protein intake; follow our savvy snacking tips to achieve better metabolic health and healthier aging.
Having 30g of protein for breakfast can help set you up for better health 🥘
Beginning your day with protein has been linked to:
⚡️ Increased energy
📈 Better metabolism
⬇️ Fewer cravings throughout the day
I typically recommend incorporating both animal and plant protein sources to meet daily protein needs.
That means your breakfast combinations could look like:
🍳 Eggs, sausage, and toast with nut butter
🥣 Greek yogurt with berries and nut butter
🍲 Oatmeal with egg whites and collagen/protein powder
From leftover meats to meal replacement shakes, read more about the endless and easy ways to make a protein-packed breakfast.
A 30g protein breakfast can help set you up for sustained energy and brain power throughout the day. Learn the research-backed benefits and get recipe ideas.
There’s more to coffee than caffeine ☕️
When looking into the effects of coffee on gut health, I kept finding a positive trend in the data.
In fact, many studies showcase multiple benefits of coffee consumption like:
⬇️ Decreased risk of certain cancers
⬆️ Increase of beneficial gut bacteria
⬇️ Decreased risk of all-cause mortality
🆒 And anti-inflammatory effects
And also, keep in mind, this is regular, black coffee—milks and sweeteners are best in moderation.
Listen in to today’s episode for more health benefits and to hear the GI conditions you might want to heal before you regularly enjoy your cup (or two) of coffee a day.
And let me know, how does coffee affect you?
Despite claims otherwise, coffee can be beneficial for gut health for most people. However, people with certain underlying health conditions may want to decrease coffee consumption.
Get the dirt on this trending weight-loss targeted diet
The eager to motivate diet, or E2M diet, is an 8-week paid subscription plan that offers:
🍽️ Meal plans
🏋️♀️ Exercise routines
👍 Dietary motivation and counseling
While there isn’t enough research to back its claims, the E2M diet does reiterate the importance of these healthy habits you can do for free:
📋 Following a non-restrictive whole-food diet
🏃🏽♀️ Creating and implementing an exercise regimen
👭 Having someone there to hold us accountable
Learn more about the E2M diet and see if it could meet your health needs.
(Click on the link in my bio, then click “Blog” to access all articles.)
Find what the E2M diet, or its principles, can do for your health.
Just how gut-friendly are these diet trends?
At the clinic, we’ve found that there are four principles of a gut-healing, healthy diet:
1️⃣ Eat to quell inflammation
2️⃣ Eat to control and balance blood sugar
3️⃣ Identify your food allergies and intolerances
4️⃣ Find your ideal intake of carbs and prebiotics
Using these principles as measurements, I’ve ranked these popular diets based on how helpful they are for gut health:
✅ Low FODMAP
✅ Paleo
✅ Intermittent Fasting
✅ Mediterranean
✅ DASH
✅ Keto
✅ Eat Like a Bear
✅ E2M
✅ Carnivore
Remember, while these rankings are clinically backed, they may not align perfectly with your experience.
Read which one may be best for you.
Our analysis of the newest diet trends gives you a clear steer on how they could affect both your gut health and overall well-being.
You CAN get off thyroid medication naturally and safely 💊
But before doing so, it’s important to test your thyroid levels to determine if you’re a good candidate for coming off medication.
If your thyroid labs are within normal or subclinical hypothyroidism ranges, it’s worth connecting with your healthcare provider and working through these steps:
⬇️ Slowly wean off medication
📋 Monitor how you feel
🧪 Retest your thyroid levels
Read more about this process and how to support your gut health to help your thyroid.
Many people currently on thyroid medication don’t need it. Find out if you’re one of them and how to get off thyroid medication naturally.
Know what to eat and limit to keep hyperthyroidism symptoms at bay ✅ ❌
The most common form of hyperthyroidism is Grave’s disease, which is an autoimmune condition.
Therefore, it’s important to keep…
❌ Inflammatory foods like sugar and refined carbohydrates that may contribute to autoimmunity
❌ Foods you’re sensitive to
❌ Large amounts of iodine-rich foods such as seafood, beef, cereals, and dairy products (if high iodine is contributing to hyperthyroidism)
…to a minimum.
While there are limitations, there are many foods to enjoy with hyperthyroidism such as:
🌰 Brazil nuts
🥩 Meat
🍌 Bananas
🥑 Avocados
🐠 Fatty fish
🥦 Broccoli
Learn more about what to fill up your plate with to balance your thyroid health.
We are often told that iodine is the main food to avoid for hyperthyroidism, but research indicates that nutrient density is even more important.
Should you take a multivitamin or an individual vitamin? Here’s my take👇
Taking a multivitamin or an individual vitamin like B12, C, or D depends on what your overall health goals and needs are.
I would recommend multivitamins if you:
💊 Are unable to eat a balanced diet most of the time
💊 Have a gastrointestinal condition you’re working on healing
💊 Have increased nutrient needs during pregnancy
An individual vitamin may be more appropriate if you’re looking to target a nutrient deficiency.
In my article, I break down the pros and cons of these supplements and provide tips that can help you determine which one you may need.
Multivitamins vs. individual vitamins, which should you take? Our article provides the pros and cons of each.
There’s a right time and place to take multivitamins 💊
Like other supplements, they should only be taken on a short-term basis when you really need them.
Ultimately, the long-term solution should be getting vitamins and minerals from what you eat.
You can optimize your diet and nutrient levels by healing your gut with:
🍽 A Paleo-based elimination diet
🦠 Probiotics
💊 Betaine HCL
💊 Digestive enzymes
Read more about the use of multivitamins to address nutrient deficiencies and why having a healthy gut is important.
The best time to take multivitamins is when you truly need to. Find out when that is, and what you can do to increase your nutrient levels.
Paleo and intermittent fasting: a powerful combination for metabolism and gut health
The Paleo diet is an anti-inflammatory diet that our clinicians use to support our patients’ gut health.
Intermittent fasting (IF) has been shown to help:
➡️ Reduce IBS and leaky gut symptoms
➡️ Improve heart health
➡️ Lose weight
To reap the benefits of Paleo and IF, make sure to stay consistent with:
🗓 Following the Paleo diet for 3-4 weeks before introducing IF
🥩 Prioritizing protein and healthy fats
🥤 Drinking plenty of liquids
As with anything new, it’s important to ease into it slowly and listen to how your body responds.
Check out my article to see if IF is right for you and how it could be paired alongside the Paleo diet.
Are Paleo and intermittent fasting two peas in a healthy diet pod? Here’s what the research says.
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How do YOU support your gut every day? Achieving optimal gut health comes down to finding what’s right for YOU. And oftentimes, it may not be just one single thing, but rather a combination of things. For me, I’ve found that taking: 🦠 Triple Therapy Probiotics 💪 Gut Rebuild Nutrients … daily truly makes a difference. Are there foods, supplements, or lifestyle habits that help keep your gut healthy? Share your daily gut health routine in the comments. 🥘 💊 🦠 🏃♂️
How have you crossed your health goal off of your to-do list? >>> Achieving any kind of health goal usually entails making a certain dietary or lifestyle change for the better. Whether you’re on a mission to: ➡️ Reduce stress ➡️ Exercise daily ➡️ Eat healthier ➡️ Lose weight ➡️ Balance hormones … it can be challenging to break a habit. But it’s quite the feeling when you accomplish something you wanted for your health. When that’s happened, who or what has helped you get there? Share your answer in the comments section.
What helps YOU recharge? 🔋 >>> While: ➡️ Low blood sugar ➡️ Food allergies ➡️ Gut infections and imbalances ➡️ Nutrient deficiencies ➡️ Hypothyroidism …are common causes of fatigue, there’s one overlooked cause. Vitamin R deficiency. Vitamin R stands for: 🛏️ Rest 🌴 Relaxation 🏀 And recreation Whether it’s going for a hike or getting a massage, it’s important to have an activity that allows you to unwind and decompress. What’s the activity that helps you beat fatigue? Share your answers in the comments.
Is acupuncture helpful for YOU? While acupuncture–the insertion of thin needles through the skin at specific areas of the body–is most commonly used to treat pain… … it also has been shown to help manage the symptoms of health conditions like: 👉Arthritis 👉Endometriosis 👉Mast cell activation syndrome 👉Allergic rhinitis 👉Anxiety and depression With all the data showing its benefits, have you given acupuncture a try? Share your answers in the comment section below.
What do you do to put a stop to sugar cravings? 🛑 It’s no secret that sugar is best in moderation, and kicking the cravings for it can be challenging. But keep in mind that cravings are usually there to tell you that your body needs something else like more: 😴 Sleep 🥘 Nutrients in your diet 💧 Water 🦠 Good gut bacteria Exercise If you’re able to keep your sugar cravings in check, what works? Share your experience in the comments below.
Have you given probiotics a go or no? >>> Probiotics remain a popular buzzword in functional medicine and gut health conversations. And rightfully so. 👏 A large body of research shows that probiotics are beneficial for a surprisingly wide variety of conditions, including: 🦠 IBS and IBD 🦠 Depression 🦠 SIBO 🦠 Leaky gut syndrome 🦠 Vaginal and urinary tract infections 🦠 Anxiety Have you found them to be beneficial? And if so, what for? Share your answers in the comments.
What specific diet or foods fuel you? ⛽️ Since there is no one-size-fits-all approach to dieting… … it means that there’s not a specific way of eating that is going to work for everyone. What we do know is that eating foods that are: 👉 High in sugar 👉 Made from refined carbs 👉 Triggering to an allergic reaction or sensitivity … can contribute to fatigue. I’m curious… Is there a particular diet that provides you with good energy levels throughout the day? Or do you rely on eating specific foods for energy? Share your responses in the comments section.
Have you taken the plunge into an ice water bath or a cold shower? >>> Cold water therapy involves immersing your body in cold water that's below 58 degrees. I know it might sound crazy… … but cold water therapy has proven health benefits for your: 🧊 Metabolism 🧊 Immune system 🧊 Exercise recovery 🧊 Stress tolerance 🧊 And cardiovascular system Have you benefited from it? Share your answers in the comments.
Is CBD oil something YOU use? >>> From gas stations to grocery stores, CBD oil is everywhere… … and is widely promoted to help remedy a wide range of health concerns, such as: 🆘 Chronic pain 🆘 Headaches 🆘 Joint pain 🆘 Bloating 🆘 Appetite 🆘 Sleep 🆘 And diarrhea Does it help you relieve any of the symptoms listed above? Share your answer, along with what other remedies you found helpful.
Could an elemental diet help heal YOUR gut? >>> An elemental diet is a meal replacement liquid or powder formula that contains essential vitamins, minerals, and all macronutrients. Our clinic has three elemental diet formulas… 1️⃣ Elemental Heal (contains whey) 2️⃣ Elemental Heal Whey Free 3️⃣ Elemental Heal Low Carb … to ensure you can reap the benefits—all while adhering to any sensitivities you may have. Its benefits include the ability to: ➕ Improve IBD, IBS, SIBO, and other inflammatory conditions ➕ Decrease inflammation ➕ Reduce autoimmunity ➕ Prevent relapses Give your gut a chance to reset and heal. Shop now to add Elemental Heal into your regimen. https://buff.ly/3LWfujo
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Does limbic retraining benefit YOUR mind and body? >>> Almost any chronic physical or emotional stress can affect your limbic system. And when it gets stuck in a constant state of fight or flight 👊🏃… …it can lead to a host of issues. Limbic retraining has been shown to help reduce: ⛔️ Chemical and food sensitivities ⚠️ Chronic pain 🛌 GI and sleep disturbances 🆘 Anxiety 💤 Fatigue 🧠 Brain fog ❗️And stress If you have done limbic retraining, how has it helped you? Share your answers in the comments.
Brain fog is often caused by problems in the gut. Here I detail how the gut impacts the liver which then impacts toxins in the blood and eventually inflammation in the brain. This can lead to brain fog, word recall challenges, impaired memory, and the like. The good news is about two gut directed treatments have shown the ability to reduce cognitive impairment
What do you do to keep YOUR stress in check? ✅ >>> In moments of high stress, it may be easy to turn to caffeine, inflammatory foods, or other unhealthy habits to keep you going. But healthier options like: 🍱 Eating whole, fresh foods 🦠 Taking probiotics 🧘♀️ Meditating ⬇️ Reducing exposures to toxins like mold and mercury ⚖️ Addressing nutrient deficiencies 🏃 Exercising ... can benefit both your physical and mental health now AND in the long run. What helps you de-stress? Tell me your answer in the comments
How Elemental Heal helped HEAL Erin’s gut >>> Erin had SIBO and histamine intolerance and began using our Whey-Free version of Elemental Heal. And today, it still remains an instrumental item in her pantry. She uses it because: 💥It’s packed with essential vitamins and minerals 🥤It’s a convenient and delicious option (mix it with water, milk or put it in a smoothie and it’s good to go!) 👩👧It fits her busy lifestyle as a first-time mom and a business owner ✅ It helps give her gut a reset when symptoms flare up Could Elemental Heal be the next gut-healing product to add to YOUR pantry? Shop now for the Chocolate, Vanilla, or Whey-Free version. https://buff.ly/3soT8jW
How do YOU get creative in the kitchen with leafy green vegetables? 🥬 >>> You may hear the phrase, “eat more greens,” often… … and with good reason. 👍 Leafy green vegetables like kale, arugula, spinach, and chard are packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that help: ⚡️ Keep your energy up 👁 Protect your eyes and vision 🧠 Slow cognitive decline 🤛 Fight insulin sensitivity ⬇️ Reduce inflammation in the body So how do you get them in your diet? Are you a fan of them in your: 🥗 Salad? 🥤 Smoothie? 🍲 Soup? 🥪 Sandwich? 🥘 Stirfry? Let me know in the comments how you incorporate leafy greens into your diet.
What do YOU do to reduce sneezing and sniffling in the springtime? 🌼 >>> When seasonal allergies kick in, it may be easy to reach for the allergy pills, antihistamines, and eye drops… … But have you tried improving your gut health to relieve allergy symptoms? Here are gut-healing remedies that may provide significant allergy relief. 🥘 Eat an anti-inflammatory diet 🦠 Add in probiotics and fermented foods. ⬇️ Reduce stress levels. 💤 Get a good night’s sleep. What remedy works best for you during this time of year? Share your answer in the comments.
What’s next for YOU after you complete the elemental diet? >>> It’s important to continue supporting your gut, whether you need a quick reset or a healthy balance of bacteria. Erin Ryan from our team has three gut-support strategies for you: 1️⃣ Keep using Elemental Heal for 1 meal a day. 2️⃣ Take triple therapy probiotics. 3️⃣ Try out Gut Rebuild Nutrients. All are available right online. Shop now to give you and your gut the support it needs. https://store.drruscio.com/collections/all
What helps YOU concentrate? 🤔 >>> It’s challenging to get things done when you can’t think clearly and are mentally exhausted. Brain fog or “cloudy thinking” is a symptom that we see and treat often in the clinic. And the good news is that most patients resolve it quickly with improved gut health. Here are some other simple steps you can take to improve your mental clarity. 😴 Prioritize sleep 🏃🏻♀️ Get regular exercise 🧘 Practice stress management 🥘 Follow an anti-inflammatory diet What have you found most helpful? Share your answer in the comments.
Elemental diets can be a very powerful tool for IBS and SIBO ... including gas, abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, loose stools ... ... but also for joint pain and even for inflammatory bowel disease. And elemental diets, thankfully can be used in a variety of applications ... ... the simplest way may be to use these as a meal replacement. So on some mornings, or most mornings, if you're ... ... especially if you're on the go, you can sip on one of these shakes during breakfast. And that can give your gut a chance to rest, heal, and to starve some of these overgrowths ... ... Now, you could also do this as a mini gut reset, where you use these liquid diets exclusively for anywhere from two to four days. And all the way at the other end of the spectrum ... ... And this is what's been published in some of the peer-reviewed literature ... ... you could be exclusively on elemental diet nutrition for anywhere up to two weeks. So there's a lot of options at your disposal. It depends on you where you are, in your journey, how severe your symptoms are, how motivated you are ... ... But the good news here is if this is used at minimal as a meal replacement ... ... or all the way up as a kind of maximal approach for two weeks exclusively ... ... there are options and you should be able to find an option along this array here that fits for your motivation level and for your level of severity. And if you have not yet given this a trial, it's something that is certainly worth a shot because it can be quite helpful ... ... especially if you feel like you haven't been able to get your gut fully healed. This can, for some cases, be what gets you over the hump ... To learn more about Elemental Heal , click here: https://store.drruscio.com/pages/elementalheal Elemental Heal is a complete meal replacement shake that provides the essential proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and vitamins your body needs so it can be used more frequently and for longer periods
Does stepping into the sauna help YOU unwind? >>> 🧘Saunas have long been used as a place for reflection and relaxation… … but more recently, they’ve been studied for their potential health benefits. 💪 Research suggests that sauna therapy can help improve: ⬆️ Cardiovascular health ⬆️ Detoxification ⬆️ Autoimmune, chronic pain, and fatigue conditions ⬆️ Mental health ⬆️ Exercise and metabolism performance How has sauna therapy helped improve your physical and mental wellbeing? Tell me your experience in the comments.
The research about an elemental diet speaks for itself 🗣 >>> An elemental diet is a liquid meal replacement formula that is gut-friendly, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, AND nutrient-dense. Research shows that it can help decrease inflammation with the following GI disorders: ⛔️ Ulcerative colitis ⛔️ Crohn’s ⛔️ IBS ⛔️ SIBO If you’ve tried changing your diet and taking probiotics and still experience symptoms… … you may want to consider an elemental diet to reset and repair your gut. Shop now to begin your gut-healing journey today with our vanilla, chocolate, or whey-free Elemental Heal formula. https://buff.ly/3uf6MY4
What diet do YOU follow to keep your gut healthy? 🍽 >>> There are four basic principles of a healthy diet that apply to everyone: 1️⃣ Eat to control inflammation 2️⃣ Find your ideal intake of carbohydrates and prebiotics 3️⃣ Eat to control and balance blood sugar 4️⃣ Identify your food allergies and intolerances A few particular elimination diets meet these criteria and have been shown to improve digestive health and reduce inflammation: ↪️ Low FODMAP diet ↪️ Paleo diet ↪️ Elemental diet ↪️ Low-histamine diet ↪️ Autoimmune paleo diet Have any of these diets helped you feel better? Share your answers in the comments.
Does meditation help keep YOU relaxed? >>> It’s important to manage stress for better overall health and have helpful tools in your treatment toolbox. An often overlooked tool is meditation. Meditation has been shown to help: - reduce anxiety and stress - change gene expression in the genes that contribute to IBS and IBD - improve abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, and brain fog Have you found meditation to be helpful in your healing journey? Share your response in the comments.
How do YOU like to exercise outside? ☀️ Exercise is the golden bullet when it comes to: ⬆️Improving your mood and memory ⬇️Lowering your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and obesity Spring is right around the corner, which brings more opportunities to reap these benefits while being outside. So what kind of exercise will YOU be doing while soaking up the sun? 🏃🏻♀️Running/walking? 🏔 Hiking? 🚴♂️Biking? 🏊♂️Swimming? 🏋️♀️Strength or HIIT training? Please share in the comments!
🦠Meet our powerful soil-based probiotic blend!🦠 It contains certified Bacillus coagulans and B. subtilis species, which can help support your gut health and immune system. To date, over 20 quality studies have shown improvement with soil-based probiotics. Probiotics can help: ✳️ Diarrhea ✳️ Bloating ✳️ Stool consistency ✳️ And more Get a healthy gut AND a healthy you. Try soil-based probiotics today
What’s your healthy go-to fuel when you’re traveling? ✈️ Finding a healthy meal that isn’t loaded with additives, sugars, and refined carbs—and adheres to the specific diet you’re following—can be difficult when traveling. I have some tips to help make that process simpler so you can eat and feel well during your trip: ➡️ Meal prep snacks for the road to have healthy options readily available. ➡️ Consider a meal replacement shake to provide balanced nutrition. ➡️ Plan where and when you can safely eat in advance. Do any of these tips resonate with you? Or do you have a different strategy of your own? Share your experience in the comments.
🏹Do You Have a Sense of Purpose?✨ Purpose is what gives our lives meaning. It also enables us to be healthier, live longer, and recover more quickly from stress and trauma. I consider myself fortunate in that I have a strong sense of purpose. But this wasn’t always the case. When I was younger, I struggled with health issues from what I eventually discovered was an intestinal parasite. It seems to me now that those early health challenges were important developmental experiences. They also motivated me to go into medicine so that I could help others who suffered from the same issues. Now, as a functional medicine practitioner, I’m living my goals and dreams by giving people tools to heal from chronic illness, and in so doing enable them to live out their own dreams. So where do YOU derive your sense of purpose? 💼Career? 🏡Home and family? 🎨Creative pursuits? 🌟Inspiring others? 🤝Community involvement? 🌎Helping to make the world a better place? Please share in the comments!
Myra Nissen, Certified Homeopath
Quail Court
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