But you, dear reader, may not be playing with the same deck of cards they have. 

• Your ability to metabolize fats may not be the same as that ripped keto person. 
• You may be harboring infections in your gut that cause your cortisol to elevate at night and disrupt your sleep. 
• Maybe you feel terrible after you exercise and don't get that "elevated" feeling so many people speak of. 

As for "detox" programs- I can say that 70% of my patients are not in a physical position to handle any sort of "detox". A properly designed liver detox program will upregulate the functioning of both phase 1 and phase 2 liver pathways and is always the last step in any wellness program. Done too soon, on a body that is harboring latent infection, inflammation, high cortisol, poor sleep and it will make you feel worse, not better. 

We practice the Kalish Method of functional medicine. We test your Adrenal, GI, and Detox systems, and make a plan based on your personal circumstances. We correct the problems in the order that they occurred. We check to be sure that your endocrine system is balanced before we jump into a GI program, so that your body can maintain a balanced state on its own. We take the seemingly random chaos of symptoms and organize them into logical physiologic systems and address the problems systematically.  

Questions?  Book a complimentary consult with us, we're here t help!

​We know it is important that we be transparent about our choices. We realize that many people have concerns about the vaccine, so we want you to know how we made our decisions.

We, too, had concerns but we did our research and talked with each other and other health care providers. We weighed our concerns, our research, the enormous toll the pandemic is taking, and our commitment as healthcare practitioners to do no harm. We concluded that getting vaccinated as soon as we’re eligible is the right decision for us.  Here we are a few weeks later, feeling lucky to have gotten it. 
Jennifer and Elanita both received the Moderna vaccine and agree that the first dose was much easier to handle than the second dose.  While we experienced nausea, chills, mild fever, swollen lymph nodes, headaches, and fatigue about 12 hours after the second dose, symptoms had mostly resolved after 36-48 hours and we don't have one ounce of regret. We understood that our symptoms we're really side effects per say but an immune response which is what we wanted. 

Bone-Building Stock
(Makes 10 to 14 cups)
(Taken from "Ancient Wisdom Modern Kitchen: Recipes from the East for Health, Healing, and Long Life" by Yuan Wang, Warren Shier, and Mika Ono)

Once you have made the stock, simply add ingredients you prefer: veggies such as mushrooms, carrots, Chinese cabbage, or kale; and/or meat such as shrimp, chicken, beef, or pork. Season with salt or soy sauce to taste.  You can also make one large batch and freeze the broth to use later.
​
Ingredients:

• 2 pounds of cooked or raw beef, lamb, or pork bones (I strongly recommend buying organic, if available. You can often buy just bones at your local market.)
• 1/2 cup rice wine, white wine or vinegar (the acid is necessary to draw out the marrow)
• 16 cups of water
• 1 medium size carrot (optional) chopped into 1-inch pieces (Can also use broccoli stems, mushrooms, or leeks)
• 1 medium-size onion chopped into 1-inch pieces

Directions:

1.) Place the bones, wine, water, and vegetables (if using) in a large pot.  If the bones aren't covered with liquid, add water until they are.
2.) Bring to boil, lower the heat, and simmer, uncovered for 5 minutes.  Skim off and discard any froth that rises to the top of the stock.
3.) For beef bones, simmer, covered, for 8 to 10 hours; add more water if needed.  For pork or lamb bones, simmer, covered, for at least 2 1/2 hours.
4.) Remove the bones, vegetables, and ginger from the stock, using a slotted spoon, a strainer, or piece of cheesecloth.
5.) Skim off any excess fat.  Season the stock with salt if desired (or wait to add until you cook with the stock).
6.) If you aren't using the stock immediately, you can store it in the fridge for a few days or freeze it in small portions for later use.

After 10 plus years of being immersed in the world of natural health care, I can definitely say that the path to good health and happiness are simple. Not always "easy", but simple.

In the realm of health, getting back to the basics are always the most important:

1. focusing on your breath
2. moving enough and resting enough
3. eating well and savoring when you're not eating well
4. staying hydrated
5. focusing on the friendships and relationships that bring you joy and anchor you
   
6. ask for help when you need it 

And, yes, all of these can feel boring at times! Or like you are not “doing enough.”. They are not as sexy or cool as the latest fad or trend.

The basics will never fail you. They may not provide you with all the answers during various challenges, but they will always support you and help you find more ease along the path.

COVID-19 Holiday Travel Update: If traveling outside of the area during the winter holidays, especially if traveling by air or gathering with groups outside your household, we kindly request that you get tested 3-5 days post-trip before coming into the office.

STAFF AND PATIENT SCREENING
We send out pre-appointment screening questionnaires. These are mandatory and must be completed before entering Blue Ova. They include screening for COVID-19 symptoms as follows:

• New cough*
• New shortness of breath*
• New fever, or feel feverish (100.1 oF or greater)
• Fever within the past two days: Please do not consider yourself fever free unless your temperature has been normal for two days without the use of fever-reducing medication (e.g. Tylenol, Ibuprofen Advil, etc.)

• New chills, or repeated shaking with chills
• New fatigue*
• New sore throat*
• New loss of taste or smell
• New nasal congestion*
• New muscle aches that are not caused by specific activity such as exercise*
• New diarrhea*
• Close contact with someone suspected/known to have COVID-19 in the last 21 days.

• Air travel within the past 14 days (see COVID-19 Holiday Travel Update at top of page)

*cannot be attributed to another health condition

• We require anyone to wait two weeks from the onset of above symptoms, test negative, or until you have been symptom free for 72 hours before coming in for an appointment.

• All Staff is screened before coming in each shift with the same screening.
• Upon entry, we will be taking the temperature of all staff and patients with a no-touch thermometer. If temperature of 100.1 F or greater we will ask you to reschedule your appointment.
• All staff and patients are required to wash hands or use provided sanitizer when entering the center.

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE)
All patients are required to wear a mask at all times. If you do not have one, we will provide at cost.
All staff will wear medical grade KN95 masks at all times, scrubs, dedicated clinic footwear and hair tied back.
SANITIZATION AND DISINFECTION
We complete stringent sanitization and disinfection of every room after each patient. This includes using EPA-registered hospital grade disinfectant on tables, chairs and counters. We sanitize all high touch areas including door handles and light switches. At all times we have HEPA with UV light air filters and air nebulizers running. The HEPA filters are in each treatment room and the reception, and filter room air 4x per hour. 
ACUPUNCTURE SAFTEY
All of our acupuncturist have tested through and follow the Council of Colleges of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine’s (CCAOM) Clean Needle Technique (7th Edition -February 2020). This includes best practices for acupuncture needle safety and related procedures.
QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS
Safety is a cornerstone of our practice. If you have any questions you would like to discuss, please reach out to us

We could give you 100 and 1 tips and tricks (and we've got a few for you below) for reducing your covid-19 risk and staying healthy but this image says it all.  Its not one thing, its all the things. 
Luckily, each step is easy, cheap, and works when you use them all together. 

     Our digestive system is more than the part of our body that turns food into energy. Within our entire digestive system we have an entire ecosystem of billions of bacteria. What types of bacteria we host will have an affect on every aspect of our health: our adrenals, liver detox, inflammation, skin conditions, and even our emotions! Believe it or not, 90% of the serotonin is made in the gut. The neurotransmitter that spawned a whole industry of antidepressants is now available for free, if you feed the right microbes. 
     I have been seeing a lot of Hemorrhagic Ecoli showing up in gut tests this month. This bacteria is a pathogen that typically causes severe abdominal cramps and bloody diarrhea in its early stages and lasts for about a week. It produces a Shiga Toxin that damage the mucosal layer, the intestinal wall, and can cause bleeding outside the gut. (Now think about where are those serotonin producing bacteria gonna live when Ecoli is trashing the place??) 

But that is not where the story ends with this pathogen. The people I saw this month don't have any memory of terrible bloody diarrhea (who could forget that?) and they didn't even have diarrhea at all in the last few months. Really- their complaints were of occasional abdominal pain, some odd food sensitivities, and irregular bowel movements. 

Luckily our gut test detected this nasty little bug and we are able to treat it with natural medicines. Antibiotics are life saving medicine but in the case of Hemorrhagic Ecoli, the Biomedical standard of care is actually not antibiotics- as they do not alleviate symptoms or reduce the spread, and in some cases actually make the bleeding worse. With herbal medicine we use special "phages" which are specialized viruses that only attack bacteria. I know- sounds bananas, but its extremely safe to you, and effective at eliminating this pathogen. 

1. Don't ignore your abdominal symptoms. 
2. You shouldn't live with pain or irregular bowel movements. 
3. Get tested and feel better!

Below are office updates, our favorite fire season tips and an offer of support. 

Office Updates

• We are currently open Tuesday thru Saturday 
• With the new smoke in the air -  we are watching the air quality closely.  You can too by clicking here
• We follow strict CDC guidelines to keep you safe as well as running our air purifiers with UVC light on full blast 
• Tele-Med appointments are still available
• Acupuncture is a great way to boost your immune system and calm stress - click here to see our schedule.
• Curbside pick up for herbs and supplements is still available on Tues and Thursdays at 71 Ellis
• We will let you know right away if we need to reschedule appointments due to the fires and please do the same if you can't make your appointment 

Fire Season Tips 

• We all have masks this year but probably not the right kind.  We have N95 masks (FDA registered) available for $3 each.
• Take extra immune support as your body is recognizing the new stressors. Things like cough, sinus congestion, and dry, red or watery eyes are examples of ways our immune system lets us know it's under stress and trying to rid our body of the junk we're being exposed to. If you can't come into the office 
• Remain indoors. Yeah, you won’t hear us say that very often but it can be very important to avoid unnecessary exposure to more smoke.
• Don’t increase particulate matter in the air – This includes not lighting candles, cooking food at high temperatures on the stovetop, and not vacuuming. All of these activities either increase or create particulate density and circulation in the air.
• HEPA filters or even air conditioners with filters cut down on particulate matter in the air indoors. Do NOT use an air conditioner or swamp cooler if it doesn’t have air filters or it will only suck in smoke and make breathing conditions worse inside.
• Avoid unnecessarily exerting yourself. Heavy breathing means you’re going to suck in more smoke. Avoid it if possible.
• Stay hydrated. Detoxifying and cooling teas like dandelion or mint are especially helpful.
• If your system tends towards asthma, respiratory conditions, or you have a chronic health issue or weakened immune system please be extra careful

Top 6 Things You Can Do Now - available for pick up or shipping

• Taproot Medicinal Syrups - Our favorite is the Lung Support and Stabilizing syrups for $24
• Chinese Herbs: we love our Immune+ formula because it not only has immune system herbs but also Reishi and Cordyceps mushrooms. Perfect support for modern stressors. $25
• Vitamin C: Smoke causes inflammation via oxidative damage so antioxidants will be very helpful during this time. We carry Thorne Vitamin C for $23
• Vitamin D3: Supporting the immune system with vitamin D is especially important when dealing with smoke inhalation, and for those who have been diagnosed with a deficiency.
• Whenever the body is under stress it requires extra vitamins and minerals. This is an important time to choose high quality whole foods. Nutrient-dense foods such as brightly colored fruits and vegetables will provide a mixture of natural antioxidants and Polyphenols. Foods containing flavonoids have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory features that may provide additional lung protection.  These foods include: strawberries, green tea, black tea, brussels sprouts, beans, onions and apples.
• Eating pears (check out our recipe here) can calm a scratchy throat and dry cough, especially when boiled or sautéed with honey. When you cut one in half, notice how white and lung shaped they are!

Any questions - just let us know! We're here to help.

Best 
Elanita and Jennifer 


photo credit NPR

Why do this test?
Your results will end the guesswork about whether or not the root cause of your symptoms is due to adrenal fatigue (HPA-D). This can include any of the following symptoms:

1. Stress
2. Second wind late at night
3. Trouble sleeping soundly
4. Wake up in the morning feeling groggy, tired, or unrested
5. Difficulty recovering from exercise, exhausted from exercise of any type
6. Energy slumps throughout the day
7. Need caffeine throughout the day to function
8. Anxiety, worry
9. Chronic connective tissue problems that are slow to heal
10. Frequent colds and flus
11. Difficulty regulating blood sugar
12. Overweight
13. Infertility
14. Polycystic ovarian syndrome
15. Exhaustion since a trauma, including death of a loved one
16. Irregular menstrual cycle
17. Menopause symptoms
18. Hypothyroid symptoms or diagnosis
19. Inflammation

Why this urine test, and not blood or saliva?
This test reveals information about two adrenal hormones and how they metabolize: Cortisol and DHEA. Urine is the only way to see these metabolites. You also see your 24 hour cortisol rhythm, which is important in assessing adrenals. This test tells you:

• If you have adrenal fatigue (HPA-D)
• The type or stage you have – is cortisol too high or low? What about DHEA?
• What does your 24-hour diurnal cortisol rhythm look like? Is it low during the day (think fatigue)? High at night (wired at bedtime)?
• Do you have a problem metabolizing cortisol out of your system? Or keeping free cortisol at optimal levels?

Why test for adrenal fatigue at all?
You may have thought you have adrenal fatigue and tried various things to help. Unfortunately, with guessing rather than testing, often what you take is not on target with your specific HPA-D pattern. You may be wasting your money or you may be treating yourself inappropriately. For example:

• You may be taking something that lowers cortisol when you need more.
• You may need more or less cortisol during certain times of day, and not be gearing your treatment in the right direction, at the right time of day.
• Herbs that work on the HPA axis have different properties according to the herb. You don’t know if the herb matches your presentation. It may be too stimulating or too sedating.
• It’s possible you don’t have HPA-D at all, and your symptoms have a different root cause! I see this on a regular basis.

In essence, why do this test? 
​If your HPA axis is not online, it will affect all of your neuroendocrine systems: your thyroid, insulin metabolism, all sex hormones, your energy, and your brain. With the specific results of the test, you can fine-tune your treatment exactly according to your needs. You can find out what is needed for sleep intervention, daytime energy, stress, and more.