I. D. F. L. M.
When I read this acronym it was like a lightbulb went off in my brain, that’s it!
I. Don’t. Feel. Like. Myself.
I have seen doctors, had all the tests, for crying out loud I AM a doctor. I ran more tests and tried more diets, supplements. Nothing is working. All the things that used to work to get me back to a feel good baseline are not working. What is wrong with me?
Everyone says I am perfectly healthy. I must have cancer. And yet, I dont….I.D.F.L.M!
If this is resonating with you then you are in the right place!
When you have done all the things, seen all the doctors, Mayo clinic, all the tests, all the old go to’s and nothing is working and even worse(depending on how you look at it) no one can find anything wrong, but you are not right, then this is the place to start.
I categorize I. D. F. L. M. into two main categories: C.S.I. & Hmmmmm?
How do we find the Balance?
There is a lot of overlap between these two categories which I have only now discovered after being six years into menopause. Menopause, like most systemic hormone changes) is inflammatory! Naturopathic Medicine hinges its fundmentals of health on balancing inflammatory processes in the body. Whether it be infection, allergy, gastrointestinal, metabolic, hormonal or the list goes on inflammation is inflammation. If your body burden is overloaded the highly integrated systems in your body mechanics can not function properly and one by one systems( organs) begin to slow down or break down.
A safety mechanism for many of the toxins associated with or excreted by inflammatory processes is to store toxins in fat cells and tuck them away for safe keeping, out of the blood, into the blub!
This leads to weight gain for no reason, abdominal or visceral fat, joint pain, skin changes, gastrointestinal upset, hormone changes, nervous system dysregualtion, and to top it all off it makes it harder and harder to reduce inflammation so it starts to feel like a vicous cycle. It changes your liver metabolism of medication effectiveness or responses to drugs, alcohol. caffeine, glucose metabolism. Energy shifts. All the things that used to work to reset your system don’t work. It’s like your body is in a traffic jam and even if you find a few lanes that are moving faster for a few minutes, at the end of the day, you haven’t gotten anywhere.
Frustrating, right?!
I do “this” and expect “ this” to happen, and something else or the opposite happens( fill in the blank). This is systemic inflammation.
Tired, can’t sleep.
Barely eat, gain weight.
Irregular cycles
Hyper-Reactive skin( eczema, rashes, hives, rosacea)
Gastrointestinal distress
Hair loss or growth in the wrong places
Abnormal presentation of weight gain for your body type
Appetite changes, none or cant get satiated
Feel hungover
On waking I feel achy, am I 100 years old?
Brain fog or Over active looping. “monkey mind”
Anxiety or Depression, mixed mood, for no obvious reason
Histamine Intolerance/MCAS
Getting sick all the time, but no one else seems to get sick
FINDING THE BALANCE
Balance is the key. This is easier said than done since there is no one size fits all skeleton key to unlock this door.
C.S.I: Chronic Systemic Inflammation
C.S.I has taken years if not decades to develop in the body and unwinding the cause and effect of each immune response, infection or stressor takes time. This is a partnership between you and me. We sit down for two hours and talk through every system, what are you eating, how are you sleeping, look at all the labs old and new, unravel trauma in the nervous system and find your natural baseline. Then we move from there. I meet you where you are and then we decide what’s next:
Q&A: INVOLED INTAKE
PHYSICAL EXAM
LABS/TESTING
MEDICATION CHANGES
SUPPLEMENTS
DIET CHANGES
STRESS MANAGEMENT
BREATHWORK
EXERCISE
If you have chronic systemic inflammation that has taken years to develop it may take months to UN-Develop. Be prepared to work hard and expect to do things you have not already done. Doing the same old things over and over is obviously not working. You will be challenged and you may not like it! We are a team. I need your commitment to this process. My job ask the right questions so you can tell me what you need. Only you know you better than anyone else.
BE PREPARED!
Upload or bring all past and relevant labs or imaging studies
Write out a list of all medications, supplements brands and dosing.
Create a historical timeline of your health history.
Hmmmmmm: Hormones metabolism mood memory microbiome menopause maybe?
I put the question mark at the end of this acronym because there are too many symptoms to count that can mimic menopause or just plain old hormone changes. In 20 years I have seen it all and experienced most of it! Just because you have night sweats and weight gain does not mean you are in perimenopause or need HRT! Maybe?, but maybe not!
All major hormone fluctuations( menarche, pregnancy, post-partum, perimenopause to menopause, hysterectomy, birth control, HRT) experience some type of HMMMMMM! You have estrogen and progesterone receptors ALL over the body so these hormones influence your mood, your cognitive function, your metabolism, bowel movements, libido, blood vessel integrity, breathing and heart rate, everything! Sex hormones are beautifully integrated with your thyroid gland and your adrenal glands. This is why hormone changes can have such a huge effect on body temperature, metabolism/weight changes, cravings, glucose control, and stress or nervous system responses.
If you are wondering if your hormones are out balance or I.D.F.L.M. are the words coming out of your mouth on a regular basis then lets dive in!
Where have you been, where are you now, & where do you want to be?
Lets test hormones. Yes, we can do this with specific accuracy and get great results with urine testing, at home devices and blood work.
If the things you used to do aren’t working anymore we need to do new things! Get ready.
You have irregular cycles: PCOS, PMDD, Fertility Issues
Weight gain for absolutely no reason under the sun!
Feeling “Inflamed” for lack of a better way to express it.
You’re on birth control, hormones or medications and they are not helping
I am a smart, committed person dedicated to my health and no one can tell me why I.D.F.L.M!