Vitamin D

The winter months have arrived and I do a lot of patient education regarding Vitamin D. Here are some highlights:

• Checking your vitamin D levels every year is crucial to supporting overall health and wellness. 

• Unfortunately many providers fail to order this test and patients are left wondering what their levels are. 

• We make vitamin D in our skin from sunlight exposure but this depends on many factors - our skin tone, the time of day and the season. In northern latitudes even if you go outside naked on a sunny day in the winter, it is thought that the sun is too low in the sky and its rays are too weak to produce sufficient vitamin D in your skin.

• Going into the winter months is a perfect time to test vitamin D so that we can determine if supplementation is necessary and how much  to take. 

• Vitamin D is an essential nutrient that affects many different systems in the body - the immune system, gut health, bone health as well as mood. Low levels of vitamin D are linked to more severe Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). 

• Many patients are unaware that there is an "optimal level" of vitamin D and even if your numbers are considered "normal," they may not be "optimal."

• Vitamin D is a fat-soluble nutrient which means it needs to be taken with food for optimal absorption. 

• Make sure you are taking the active form of vitamin D which is D3. The inactive form, D2, requires conversion to D3 before the body can use it.

• Blood testing for vitamin D is the only way to know for sure if you are deficient or not.

• Vitamin D does not require fasting before the blood draw but you should not take a vitamin D supplement before you get your blood drawn.

• Vitamin D dosage should be based on your blood work, where you live and how much time you spend outdoors. Make sure you always get an individualized recommendation that takes into account these factors. 

• Vitamin D is found in food but not in a lot of them and not in high amounts. Vitamin D is found in fortified milk and juice, mushrooms, swordfish, salmon, cod liver oil, beef liver and egg yolks.

Happy World Breastfeeding Week

Head over to Instagram to see my latest video about all things breastfeeding @drjesskeating or check it out on Facebook here.

Quick tips:

1. Keep taking your prenatal vitamin after you give birth.

2. Stay hydrated. Drink 50% more water than before you gave birth. (60 oz = 90 oz. 100 oz = 150 oz, etc).

3. Get support. Lean on friends, family and professional help from Lactation Consultants.

4. Try out a breast pump. Having someone else feed baby is good for you and baby.

5. Eat enough healthy foods. Increased caloric intake is important. Emphasize fruits, vegetables, complex carbs, protein and healthy fats.

Breastfeeding can be very hard. It can take time for you and your baby to really figure it out. Having lots of support is essential. Support can come from your workplace, Lactation Consultants, friends, family and your moon network. It is an amazing journey and it is so worth it but it is important to know that it can be very challenging.

Do not hesitate to reach out to friends, family or professionals for help so that your breastfeeding journey can succeed!

Research shows that the majority of new moms want to breastfeed but most of them stop earlier than they intended to due to a variety of challenges. Things that can hinder your breastfeeding journey include going back to work (time away from baby and lack of adequate time or pumping areas), supply issues (over or under), poor latch, exhaustion/sleep deprivation, sore nipples and balancing breastfeeding with caring for older children.

Get all the right gear. It can help to have a good breast pump so that your baby can take a bottle from someone else and you can get a break. There are electric pumps, manual pumps and basic suction pumps or shells. Get a good nipple cream to take care of your nipples (I’m a big fan of Motherlove.) Breast pads to keep your bra and shirt dry. Healthy snacks and hydration are also essential.

I am here to help! I am a naturopathic doctor and a chiropractor. I work with patients to optimize their health. Feel free to reach out with any questions. I offer free 15 minute consultation calls.

Share your breastfeeding stories, questions or favorite breastfeeding supplies below!

#naturalmedicine #naturopathicmedicine #healing #drjesskeating #willowclinic #telehealth #holisticmedicine #healthjourney #foodismedicine #pregnancy #babybump #momjourney #babytime #parenthood #chicagoland #momlife #sheisyoumag #glenellyn #motherhoodishard #glenellynmomsvillage #breastfeeding #thistooshallpass #momstrength #worldbreastfeedingweek2022 #HappyBreastfeedingWeek #SpectraBreastPump #breastpump #medela #haakaabreastpump

The Imitation Meat Movement

Here is a new article at She Is You where I wade into the controversy regarding meat vs. imitation meat products.

Basically, like all things, the proof is in the pudding. There are plenty of ways to make healthy meat alternatives and plenty of unhealthy Franken-meats. Some animal products are beneficial for health and some are detrimental. Sorry to disappoint anyone looking for an extreme argument here but health usually lives in the details.

I am an unashamed carnivore but I understand that not everyone needs or wants to eat meat. My issue is when either side tries to demonize the other. You can be a vegan and still be healthy but there are unique things you need to be aware of with this dietary approach. The same goes for vegetarians and omnivores - folks who eat a varied diet (which most of us are).

“You are what you eat.” Yes, very much so. But you are also whatever you are eating has eaten. I know, it’s a mouthful. If the burger you are consuming was fed grass, as cows are evolutionarily designed to eat, it will be higher quality meat than a cow fed grains. Just like with humans, grains tend to be more inflammatory, greens tend to be anti-inflammatory. So, chickens, pigs, turkey, bison, beef, venison, seafood, etc. that is eating the diet they are designed to consume and living in favorable conditions are better than animals that are eating junk or living in terrible conditions. Even some farm-raised fish are fed grains and this is not what they were meant to eat.

The same principle applies to imitation meats. Some of these Franken-meats contain upwards of 15-18 ingredients! We have all heard that eating food with fewer ingredients tends to mean less industrial processing of our food, which is a good thing. This is very different from a home-made black bean patty that might be made only with oil, egg, beans, breadcrumbs and spices. 5 ingredients, much better. As with so much in health, there are healthy versions, in-between options and downright junk food.

My final point about comparing meat and non-meat options is the nutritional comparison is often not perfect. Meat is the absolute best source for iron, B12 and cholesterol and also a great source of folate and protein. Vegans in particular have to be very conscientious about consuming enough cholesterol, iron, and B12 because non-meat sources of these ingredients are much rarer and the form of iron in plants is not as readily useable by the body compared to the form found in animals.

So if you love the occasional Beyond or Impossible Burger, it’s probably not going to derail your health journey. But just swapping a Whopper for an Impossible Whopper does not necessarily make you healthier. Always consider the health of the food you are consuming as well as the level of processing, read ingredient labels and strive to be an informed consumer.

THE LONG TERM EFFECTS OF HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP ON YOUR LIVER

New She is You article dropped on June 10th!

High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is a cheap sweetener that has serious ramifications for our health. It contains a higher amount of fructose than occurs naturally in foods. This influx of fructose taxes the liver as it is the only tissue that can process fructose. This can lead to fatty liver, obesity, heart disease, diabetes and metabolic dysfunction according to the National Institutes of Health.

A previous article of mine reported that Americans consume too much sugar. This article discusses that we also consume too much HFCS. According to the Illinois Farm Bureau: “In 2009, the average American consumed about 35.7 pounds of high-fructose corn syrup.”

Fatty liver is a serious disease whose major causes are alcohol consumption and consuming excess sugars. An article from Harvard Health discusses that early fatty liver can be reversed with lifestyle changes but if left to progress, can result in scarring (cirrhosis) of the liver.

If you want to see the specific biochemical process that occurs in the liver when you consume HFCS, check it out here. But the takeaway remains - avoiding HFCS is a great decision for your health!

Hidden forms of sugar

Sugar is everywhere! It is added to a wide variety of foods because it is highly prized by the American palate. How big is the problem? The CDC estimates that the average American adult consumes 57 pounds of sugar in a year.

Surprising high-sugar foods include: salad dressing, ketchup, BBQ sauce, yogurt, beef jerky, energy drinks, breakfast cereal and packaged fruits. A popular brand of yogurt (5 oz cup) contained 22 grams of sugar! And the average soda (12 oz) has about 40 grams of the sweet stuff. That is almost your entire daily allowance of sugar in one drink.

Georgetown university provided this article which details 65 alternative names for added sugars. Arm yourself with this knowledge because reading labels is basically the only way to be sure of what you are consuming. This Healthline article also contains solid and syrup names of hidden sugars.

If sugar is everywhere, what can you do? Be an informed consumer. Thankfully, the FDA now requires labels to differentiate total sugar and added sugar. This allows you to see if the food has been additionally sweetened or if the sweetness is intrinsic to the natural ingredients. Try to get your sweet fix from whole foods - fresh fruits and vegetables like beets and carrots are high in naturally-occurring sugar. Eating real food means that the sugar is paired with other nutrients like vitamins, micronutrients and fiber which helps your body process the sugar more slowly. Avoid juices, soda and read labels to find products without large amounts of added sugars.

Read my full article published on June 1st at She is You.

Why choose telehealth?

Put simply, telehealth is here to stay. What explains its sudden popularity and seeming staying power?

Most important is convenience. It benefits both the patient and the doctor to schedule appointments around your own schedule. This system actually works well for both parties! Schedule at home, at work, on a lunch break, wherever, whenever.

Efficiency. Utilizing telehealth helps save time! You can do a visit from the comfort of your own home and save time lost traveling to an office. What a great concept! Plus, you can rest assured that you are not losing quality in these visits. For a majority of cases, the details you provide and the facts of your case are sufficient to reach an accurate diagnosis. Plus if lab work is needed, then all the preliminary information is gathered and labs can be ordered.

Safety. During COVID-19, safety was a paramount concern. Now even though the pandemic has largely begun to wane, we all still value safety. Perhaps you have a sick kid and would rather not bring those germs into the doctor’s office. Perhaps the doctor doesn’t feel 100% and is working from home. All of these factors combine to ensure that telehealth will stay around for the foreseeable future.

If you are ready to start or revitalize your health journey, you are in the right spot! Check out my website or bio to get in touch. I offer 15-minute complimentary consultation calls to answer your initial questions. Convenient telehealth appointments are available from the comfort of your own home.

#naturalmedicine #naturopathicmedicine #healing #drjesskeating #willowclinic #telehealth #holisticmedicine #healthjourney #foodismedicine #healthylife #health #chicagoland

Golf Tournament Outreach

Last week, I was able to partner with Christopher Wood from Cedar Oak Massage to represent house-call natural medicine and in-home massage at the Naperville Country Club. We had a table with educational materials and provided some free massage (Christopher) and low-level laser therapy (me) to the golfers before tee time. Congratulations to all the wonderful women golfers who participated in last week’s tournament!

#naturalmedicine #naturopathicmedicine #healing #drjesskeating #willowclinic #telehealth #holisticmedicine #healthjourney #foodismedicine #healthylife #health

Determinants of Health #9 Mental-Emotional

Specializing in women’s health has given me a huge appreciation for the connections between what we consider separate aspects of health: physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, relational, etc. 2020 has given us all a crash course in how these facets interact.

Being able to speak openly about mental health is a shift that we are still making as a culture. It is important to not only de-stigmatize mental health challenges but also open up and welcome these (sometimes tough) conversations. A 2015 study from the journal “Current Psychiatry Reports” states that “Of those dying by suicide, approximately 45% will have seen their primary care provider within the month before their death, while only 20% will have seen a mental health professional in that period.”

This is a tragic statistic because it highlights how we medical professionals need to be asking the right questions. When someone sees me I always inquire as to their mental-emotional wellness. I also strive to create an open and non-judgmental environment where patients feel they can open up about their inner feelings. Great growth can come from the dark times we face if we are able to reach out for help to work through them.

I am here to have those tough conversations. I am here to help you decipher the symptoms you are experiencing. Many women are deeply in touch with the connection between their mental health and their physical well-being. Trust your gut and always seek out a practitioner who is going to partner with you to get the answers you need.

Naturopathic doctors take a comprehensive look at your health. We ask about the many factors that influence health, which we term “The determinants of health.” Taking a patient-centered approach lets us build a comprehensive plan to help patients achieve their health goals.

Are you looking for a new kind of partnership with your primary care provider? If you are ready to start or revitalize your health journey, you are in the right spot! Check out my bio to get in touch. I offer free 15-minute consultation calls to answer your initial questions. Convenient telehealth appointments are available from the comfort of your own home.

#naturalmedicine #naturopathicmedicine #healing #drjesskeating  #willowclinic #telehealth #holisticmedicine #healthjourney #foodismedicine #healthylife #health #mentalhealth #womenshealth

Determinants of Health #3 Nutrition

I could probably talk about food and digestion for hours! Obviously what we put into our body all day every day has an impact on our overall health.

This determinant includes what we ingest as well as how well we digest. If you have severely compromised digestion, it does not matter how well you eat if your body cannot absorb and utilize it.

This topic is so dense that I will stick to a few basic points.

1.    What you eat matters. Period.

2.    Diet is everything you put into your mouth. I approach food in terms of sustainable lifestyle changes instead of fad, temporary or crash “diets.”

3.    There is no “best diet” for everyone – I work with patients to optimize their diet based on their individual health needs, age, activity level, cultural background and food preferences.

4.    Changing what you eat is a gradual and challenging process. Food is intertwined with our history, memories, convenience, access, knowledge and means. Be patient with the process.

5.    Keep an open mind and you may be astonished at the changes you notice. I have used dietary changes to benefit a wide array of conditions – gut health, headaches, sinus/allergy issues, menstrual pain, migraines, sleep issues, anxiety, depression, arthritis and more!

Naturopathic doctors take a comprehensive look at your health. We ask about the many factors that influence health, which we term “The determinants of health.” Taking a patient-centered approach lets us build a comprehensive plan to help patients achieve their health goals.

Are you looking for a new kind of partnership with your primary care provider? If you are ready to start or revitalize your health journey, you are in the right spot! Check out my bio to get in touch. I offer free 15-minute consultation calls to answer your initial questions. Convenient telehealth appointments are available from the comfort of your own home.

#naturalmedicine #naturopathicmedicine #healing #drjesskeating#willowclinic #telehealth #holisticmedicine #healthjourney #foodismedicine #healthylife #health #goodfood #nodiets

Naturopathic Principles #6 Prevention

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. I know, it’s corny but so true! I can’t resist a good adage especially when it conveys wisdom.  

Natural medicine seeks to optimize health and wellness by preventing disease whenever possible. This includes taking into account personal risk factors, family history, genetic predisposition and lifestyle factors. This principle also encompasses the idea of reversing a disease course before it gets too entrenched.

Many chronic diseases have precursor states. You may have heard of pre-diabetes or pre-hypertension (high blood pressure). These early disease states are the best time to use dietary, lifestyle and targeted supplementation to reverse early physiological changes. Unfortunately, conventional medical providers usually do not have the training or the ability to offer longer visit times to provide the necessary patient education.  

A lot of medical doctors are now adding continuing education courses in functional medicine to try to get a better grasp of highly effective diet and lifestyle modification. But a weekend seminar is no match for spending four long years steeped in these principles. Functional medicine is basically a re-boot of naturopathic medicine.

Does this principle resonate with your own health beliefs? Are you looking for a new kind of partnership with your primary care provider? If you are ready to start or revitalize your health journey, you are in the right spot! Check out my bio to get in touch. I offer free 15-minute consultation calls to answer your initial questions. Convenient telehealth appointments are available from the comfort of your own home.

#naturalmedicine #naturopathicmedicine #healing #drjesskeating  #willowclinic #telehealth #holisticmedicine #healthjourney #foodismedicine #healthylife #health #prevention