A functional medicine approach to digestive health
By Dr. Lina Sakr Medical conversations about gut health often revolve around diet and food intake – a natural starting point when it comes to a complex digestive system that requires coordination among the esophagus, stomach, liver, gallbladder, pancreas and small and large intestines. More broadly, gut health plays a [...]
Easy Ginger Drink: Subtle, Yum, Inexpensive!
In water and ice, add a small container of sushi ginger. Stir in any sweetener of your choice from stevia, to monk fruit, to cane sugar, to maple syrup to Truvia to whatever else is your “jam”. Or… no sweetener at all. Put in fridge. Let sit for several hours. [...]
Six Foods to Boost Low Testosterone
From increased fatigue to reduced bone density, the symptoms of low testosterone markedly increase as men age. Here’s the good news: nutritionists, dieticians and other experts have identified foods in which key ingredients can boost low testosterone. Like most medical issues, it takes more than a narrow focus on one [...]
Pellet Hormone Replacement Therapy Now Available
Naples Center for Functional Medicine has expanded its Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) services to include bio-identical, plant-derived HRT administered by tiny pellets inserted under the skin. Hormone Replacement Therapy is a long-established procedure that helps balance testosterone levels in men and testosterone and estrogen levels in women, which help improve [...]
How to be a healthy human in a toxic health care system
By Dr. Devaki Lindsey Berkson In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic led to the largest decline in U.S. life expectancy since World War II. Yet, prior to the pandemic, the U.S. was already experiencing a decrease in life expectancy, unlike any of its peer nations with comparable Gross Domestic Product (GDP) [...]
Therapy Brief: Chelation therapy for heavy metal poisoning
The 70-year-old man, a patient with Parkinson’s disease, showed up at our office with a host of familiar symptoms of a central nervous system disorder: fatigue, poor balance, a droopy face and an inability to speak. As a functional, or precision, medicine specialist, I aim to prevent, diagnose and treat [...]
Forever Chemicals and Downstream Health Issues from Type 2 Diabetes to Resistant Weight Gain
I was just a speaker at the Environmental Health Symposium, the brain-child of the now deceased Walter Crinnion, ND. When I had breast cancer I spent a month at his detox clinic, at that time, in Washington. Last weekend the “mantra” being taught to the doctors present was that endocrine [...]
Dr. Lina Sakr joins Naples Center for Functional Medicine
Naples Center for Functional Medicine has added Dr. Lina Sakr, an internal medicine specialist, to its team of physicians. Sakr, who has nearly four decades of experience and is certified through the American Board of Internal Medicine, specializes in metabolic and nutritional medicine, anti-aging medicine and women’s health. Prior to [...]
Exposure to EMFs a growing concern in digital world
Surveys show the average American spends anywhere from seven to 12 hours in front of a screen every day. Computers. TVs. Cell phones. Tablets. Laptops. Negative impacts of excessive screen time have been well documented. According to the Mayo Clinic, impacts include difficulty sleeping, neck and back soreness, behavioral changes [...]
Hyperbaric Oxygen Might Improve Symptoms in Patients with “Long COVID”
Anthony L. Komaroff, MD, reviewing Zilberman-Itskovich S et al. Sci Rep 2022 Jul 12 This article is courtesy of the NEJM Journal Watch. In a randomized trial, 8 weeks of treatment were associated with improvement in cognition, mood, fatigue, and pain. Hyperbaric oxygen has a checkered history as a therapy [...]