Proactive Health: a Naturopathic Clinic

Proactive Health: a Naturopathic Clinic Proactive Health redefines the meaning of health, and provides a refreshing and whole person approach to wellness.

Proactive Health was designed to help people reach optimal health and performance by using the best of traditional and conventional medicine. We specialize in pain management and nutrition, and also help our clients manage the daily stress of life. Our approach involves looking at the whole person and offering a tailored approach to health.

Ashwaghanda is in almost every testosterone support supplement, but can it actually do more harm?Many supplement formula...
04/26/2026

Ashwaghanda is in almost every testosterone support supplement, but can it actually do more harm?

Many supplement formulas include it to “increase” testosterone, but in reality that’s not what it does:

-Doesn’t raise T in women but can increase estradiol
-Can lower cortisol too much and cause fatigue, flat mood
-Can impact Serotonin and some women will feel emotionally blunted, unmotivated

Unless you have a hormone baseline, including s*x hormones and cortisol, I would not use it. Because you won’t know what’s actually changing and if you’re getting the benefits or not.

If you are looking for a more natural way to improve testosterone availability (free testosterone), consider Fenugreek:

-Supports free testosterone + libido
-Helps with glucose/insulin balance (key for SHBG)
-Actually researched for its benefits on testosterone and libido in women

Because Fenugreek can also increase estradiol along with testosterone, I would use this herb in the context of a hormone baseline—especially because women in perimenopause can have a huge spike in estrogen before it completely tanks.

Dose (based on research):

-500–600 mg/day of a standardized extract (often 50% saponins)

Ashwagandha can shift mood + estrogen in ways that don’t serve perimenopausal women and can actually make things worse.

Fenugreek is known to actually increase Free T and have a positive impact on libido in women. But just like with any other herb, proceed with caution while monitoring estradiol levels.

If you know your testosterone is low and your estradiol is low, then Fenugreek is a better choice. It just ends up being a nightmare when it is included in supplements with a kitchen sink of ingredients.

I only use specific herbs once I know my patient’s symptoms and lab results.

Final say:

Many supplements targeted for hormone balance or support have herbs that can backfire with mixed mechanisms. As I am in the process of creating my own formula for women, I am purposely avoiding herbs with unpredictable impact on hormones. Because you’re supposed to feel better, not worse!

Research on Fenugreek here: PMC10054907

I wouldn’t be able to play tennis after taking a 20 year break from playing competitively, especially with RA! And now I...
04/24/2026

I wouldn’t be able to play tennis after taking a 20 year break from playing competitively, especially with RA! And now I’m training for tournaments 🫶

What I’m sharing is based on 10+ years of personal and professional experience, and fine tuning. So I hope I can save many of you some time ☺️.

Anyone with RA knows that sometimes even doing yoga is painful 😅. Running or lifting heavy weights is sometimes out of the question—but it doesn’t have to be!

I had to help myself (and it took a medical degree!) because conventional medicine would just push Tylenol, ibuprofen, and hard-core medications.

And I am blessed to be able to share this with you, because many of the tools have I relied on, have helped thousands of women.

A bonus peptide for those struggling with ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s: Larazotide. A fantastic peptide known for its benefits in autoimmune gut conditions, Celiac, and leaky gut.

I don’t want you to think I never had to take Tylenol or ibuprofen. In the beginning when it hit me like a freight train, there were days where I couldn’t get through my day without taking these things.

But these are not long-term solutions—because they don’t fix the underlying inflammatory, runaway train that’s driving the symptoms and can jeopardize health when used consistently.

Wherever you are on your autoimmune journey, I hope this helps you navigate with a more comprehensive toolbox that can help you live your life to the fullest!

I’ve always done well with cream form and then a colleague convinced me to try pellets 😢.I know for some women it works ...
04/21/2026

I’ve always done well with cream form and then a colleague convinced me to try pellets 😢.

I know for some women it works great. For me, I lost hair that I worked so hard to gain back postpartum.

It’s not fun when you’re breaking out like a teenager and have a bald spot. Not a good look!

Unfortunately SO many women are not given the right support to help keep the benefits of testosterone and minimize the pesky side effects.

For me, and many of my patients, I was able to bounce back with the right support in place.

And I am surprised how many women are told “hair loss is just part of it,” or it’s not explained how this can be managed.

Hair loss is an emergency in my practice. I don’t want to lose hair, if anything I want more of it! And same goes for my patients.

Instead of taking a bunch of pills and meds to counter hair loss, I’m excited to share something that truly works based on science, results and 10+ years of seeing patients.

Every hair strand counts, and what’s good for the hair, is good for the whole body 🫶.

The diagnosis is not the root cause.I’ve helped women postpartum with autoimmme conditions and the triggers are both uni...
04/15/2026

The diagnosis is not the root cause.

I’ve helped women postpartum with autoimmme conditions and the triggers are both unique and similar at the same time.

There is 100% hormonal component for women and autoimmunity. Whether adrenal, thyroid or s*x hormones.

Because hormones including thyroid, estrogen and progesterone are key to immune system regulation.

The rest is very individual—for me personally gut and mold were two big triggers.

For anyone struggling with autoimmune conditions, I would recommend starting with hormones and gut health, and then adding on additional testing as needed, and depending on your response/progress.

On the health journey, it can be overwhelming to do all of the testing at once. Not only does it make the protocol complicated and unsustainable, but it can be hard to connect the dots.

Layer by layer we get to the root cause!

Photo credit: hubby 😅

My estradiol looked good on paper, but as physician who is used to working with women who have “normal levels”, I know b...
04/12/2026

My estradiol looked good on paper, but as physician who is used to working with women who have “normal levels”, I know better.

You know your body and when things just feel different.

Having experienced two autoimmune conditions: I know when I feel brain fog due to a flare or lack of sleep. I know what joint pain feels like and what I felt was different—a shift along with symptoms many of you experienced yourself:

-that all-over achy, inflamed feeling
-random runny nose (for some it can be itchy ears)
-new headaches showing up at different times (not just pre-cycle). And they were pretty much gone with progesterone.
-and hello brain fog 😶‍🌫️…

Negotiating with my kiddo before bed became the ultimate challenge. 😅

I felt it before my labs showed it and I wasn’t about to wait for labs to change to feel validation.

This is the part most doctors and women miss.

We’ve been taught to wait for labs to “prove” something is wrong.

But hormones don’t decline in predictable ways.

And here’s where precision matters: because it’s not just hormones levels are changing, hormone receptors change as well. This is completely left out of the conversation.

My estradiol wasn’t that low. So going straight to a patch or gel would be an overkill for this phase of my life.

I needed gentle support.

That’s why I started with a biest cream. Not so much to move my estradiol levels substanitially, but enough to make a difference.

If you missed it, I broke down why estriol + estradiol matters in perimenopause. If you’re confused why we use estriol, this is a great read:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12072814/

And just because our levels fluctuate, I would never put myself or anyone else on a hormone cream, no matter how low of a dose without testing hormone levels.

Yes, hormones fluctuate. So does your bank account and you still check it (hopefully).Perimenopause can be unpredictable...
04/08/2026

Yes, hormones fluctuate. So does your bank account and you still check it (hopefully).

Perimenopause can be unpredictable, but testing helps you identify patterns and change course or pivot as needed.

I listen to my patients and use labs as guidance. I will always treat the patient and not the lab number and I’ve said this for years.

Especially as more and more healthcare providers are entering the HRT space and as more telemedicine companies are prescribing HRT for women without testing—I want to make sure women are aware just how important it is to test hormone levels.

With testing we can clarify:

-Is it low progesterone driving anxiety and sleep issues?
-High estrogen causing heavy cycles and irritability?
-Low testosterone behind brain fog and loss of drive?
-Thyroid or cortisol making everything worse?
-Nutrient depletions contributing to symptoms?

Most women are either told “everything is normal” or put on birth control or HRT without a full workup. Yikes.

Testing isn’t about chasing a single number. It’s about understanding: trends over time + how hormones interact with each other. Because hormones don’t work in isolation.

And if you don’t test: you risk treating the wrong hormone
…or missing the real root cause entirely.

Not testing hormones in perimenopause a) doesn’t make sense and b) is an outdated way of thinking.

If a guy complains of low libido, ED, or depression—ohh he gets his T checked asap. But for women? We have to beg and provide a good enough reason to test our hormones.

I’ve seen breastfeeding women have higher estrogen levels and super low progesterone, post menopausal women with sky high estrogen, women placed on HRT without even a hormone baseline 🤦‍♀️ and everything in between.

Assuming that a woman is in a certain stage of life and should or shouldn’t have X amount of hormones while not checking her levels can lead to poor decisions and unnecessary side effects.

It’s a mistake to ignore patient story and just look at the lab range. It’s an equally significant mistake to deny testing and risk not getting the full picture.

Hormones are not supplements. Test and don’t guess.

Anytime I post about testosterone cream, it causes an emotional response in people, clinicians included.…as if it’s the ...
04/01/2026

Anytime I post about testosterone cream, it causes an emotional response in people, clinicians included.

…as if it’s the only tool in my toolbox.

I practice based on what my patients need. And if my patients respond very well to a minimal intervention, why wouldn’t I use it?

I am not married to any therapy. If the testosterone cream works, it’s a keeper. If it doesn’t do it’s job, we switch. It’s that simple.

For those who want to argue that testosterone cream causes hair loss while other therapies are superior: I’m sorry, I just have too much data to prove that all forms of testosterone can increase hair loss, and that the dose, the frequency, and individual physiology matter more than what we learn in textbooks.

Having said that, you can clearly see in this post from patient lab results (as an example) when the cream works, and when it doesn’t.

Note regarding optimal ranges:

Many women feel their best outside of the standard range. I’m not concerned that the total testosterone is outside of the optimal range (it usually will be much higher once we start supplementing with testosterone), unless it is causing negative side effects knowing that most of the benefits are coming from free testosterone.

One patient has been on the testosterone cream for years and is doing well. And another patient was on a testosterone cream and we didn’t have great results with it. We switched to an injection and she’s thriving.

Practicing personalized medicine means we give patients options, start with minimal intervention, test and check-in, and pivot as needed.

I’ve had patients who have transferred to me on a testosterone cream and it clearly was not working. Their total testosterone was in the 200 range and their free testosterone was nonexistent. But because the healthcare provider did not believe in any other form of testosterone therapy, they did not provide the patient with any other options.

Our job as clinicians is to do what’s right for the patient. Our job as patients is to do our research and come prepared to the doctor’s visit knowing our options and being able to advocate for ourselves.

So many more to add including HRT doesn’t cause cancer, start low and go slow when it comes to HRT, and there’s no one-s...
03/25/2026

So many more to add including HRT doesn’t cause cancer, start low and go slow when it comes to HRT, and there’s no one-size-fits all approach. Many therapies have pros and cons and it’s important to communicate this to our patients in terms of short term and long term goals.

I have both a personal and professional experience with HRT. Not only did I start postpartum, but I also have been using HRT in my practice well before the online boom.

Oof. There are many online hormone replacement services popping up left and right or hormone replacement products that should require a prescription but do not.

There are three big issues with this.

One you’re not getting the total body approach that hormone replacement and you deserve.

Two, if you’re buying a hormone replacement cream online and you’re not having your levels tested, you don’t know what you’re changing, what’s working and if levels are optimal.

And three, many nationwide, TeleMed companies have very little wiggle room to provide personalized care. Meaning, the doses that they use are relatively fixed as they’re limited to which pharmacies they use and the forms of hormone replacement available to their clinicians.

My plan evolves as does my body and the demands of life.I am simply sharing this because many of you have asked me to sh...
03/09/2026

My plan evolves as does my body and the demands of life.

I am simply sharing this because many of you have asked me to share and also complain about negative side effects from hormone replacement…this is super avoidable and even in my clinical practice my patients know to reach out to me if they ever do experience negative side effects because it’s never ok.

The biggest problem in women’s health currently is not lack of hormone replacement or lab test testing (hard to believe it) but lack of personalized and whole body approach.

Do I believe everyone needs to be on a plan like this? No.

For me personally—I run a very busy clinical practice and digest copious amounts of information every day, I have a very busy family and we are very active, and I have multiple projects I’m working on to help improve women’s health.

This works for me and my mental and physical needs.

The goal is to create a personalized plan to help you meet your health goals and your life goals. There’s no one size fits all approach here. Some of my patients have very simple plans, and they’re thriving. Others are managing chronic inflammation or other issues and need more support.

I’ve never created the same treatment plan.

What this doesn’t show is the exercise, the dietary component, the spiritual practice that I stick to daily, and the various gadgets I use to help me wake up and maintain my energy during the day, and then fall asleep.

It’s not just about HRT— it is about supporting the whole body inside and out in the way that suits you best. But you should at least have the knowledge about the tools that are available to you so that you can make the best decision.

This phase of life isn’t the time for “kitchen-sink” supplements. Hormones are already shifting. The goal is clean found...
02/13/2026

This phase of life isn’t the time for “kitchen-sink” supplements. Hormones are already shifting. The goal is clean foundations that stabilize your body: with or without HRT.

Here’s where I start 👇

✨ B-Complex:

B-vitamins support energy, mood, stress response, liver detox, and hormone processing.

☀️ Vitamin D3 + K2:

Bone, immune, mood, insulin sensitivity, and hormone receptor support. K helps direct calcium where it belongs.

🧠 Magnesium (L-threonate or glycinate):

Sleep, anxiety, muscle tension, headaches, and brain health. Perimenopause burns through magnesium fast.

🐟 Fish Oil (EPA/DHA):

Inflammation control, brain health, joints, lipids, and cleaner hormone signaling.

I don’t like algae oil as a vegan option because to get adequate amount of EPA and DHA you would need to take a lot of capsules.

💪 Creatine:

Preserves muscle, supports cognition, mood, and metabolic health: it’s critical as hormones decline.

🥦 Sulforaphane:

Supports liver detox, estrogen metabolism, mitochondrial and cellular health. Essential to improve estrogen dominance.

Why I usually avoid herbs that many supplements are filled with including ashwagandha, maca, and vitex: some women benefit from this, others don’t. I like to take supplements that don’t add to the chaos.

HRT replaces hormones. These supplements support the systems hormones act on and they work better together.

These are just the basics, and from here we built on top of that with more targeted interventions. Coming up next is part two.

My favorite brands: Thorne, Metagenics, Seeking Health, Jarrow, Vital Nutrients, Designs For Health. Not Costco supplements. I’m not affiliated with any of these companies, just sharing what I like and have used for years with my patients and with my own health.

I didn’t wait for the hormones to crash or for labs to signal something was wrong.I started hormone replacement a decade...
01/21/2026

I didn’t wait for the hormones to crash or for labs to signal something was wrong.

I started hormone replacement a decade ago — in my early 30s.

Something many women are not told:

✨ You don’t wait for hormones to crash before supporting them.

After postpartum, I started with progesterone —
to help with sleep, acne, hair loss, nervous system regulation, and recovery after pregnancy.

In my late 30s, as my testosterone naturally dipped without changing anything, I added a low-dose testosterone cream —
to support energy, focus, motivation, and muscle.

And in my 40s, I introduced a very low-dose estrogen cream—not because I was in menopause, but because even though my labs were normal, I felt the classical signs of an estrogen dip during some parts of the month.

Note—low dose—0.5 mg testosterone cream, 0.016 estradiol cream (only a few times per week), progesterone was started at 25 mg and over a decade slowly raised to 100 mg as needed.

We don’t have to wait until FSH and LH are obviously high
cycles disappear, or symptoms become unbearable
before we’re “allowed” to take action.

For me, starting hormone replacement in my 30s was — and still is — part of my longevity plan.

It helps me be a better wife.
A more present parent.
And it supports my mission in this world — helping other women stop feeling dismissed, confused, and exhausted in their own bodies.

I’ll share my favorite am and pm supplements shortly that I find work well, as they are key for cellular health. And peptides for inflammation control, brain health, repair and recovery.

This isn’t about vanity, it’s about vitality. And you don’t have to wait until things fall apart to protect it.

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Bellevue, WA

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Monday 10am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 10am - 4:30pm
Thursday 10am - 4:30pm
Friday 10am - 4:30pm

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+12066072708

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Proactive Health was designed to help people reach optimal health and performance by using the best of traditional and conventional medicine. We specialize in pain management and nutrition, and also help our clients manage the daily stress of life. Our approach involves looking at the whole person and offering a tailored approach to health.