St. Charles Functional Medicine

01/14/2026

I was honored to write an article for The Menopause Association about menopausal weight gain..if you've been ignored or weight loss is stalled in menopause, check it out!

Women walk into my practice after being told by their doctors that gaining 20 or 30 pounds during menopause is normal. They've been eating less. They& # ...

01/13/2026

You Don’t Have IBS , You Have Undiagnosed Infections

IBS is a label.
SIBO, parasites, fungal overgrowth, viral infections, bacterial infections, food sensitivities are causes.

You don’t have a mystery problem.
You have an uninvestigated problem.

01/09/2026

💊 Supplement Hot Seat: Fish Oil (Omega-3s)

Fish oil gets recommended for everything…
👉 But most people don’t understand what it actually fixes — and what it doesn’t.

Omega-3s are not a cholesterol drug.
They are anti-inflammatory signaling molecules.

⸻

Who Fish Oil Helps

✔️ Chronic inflammation
✔️ Joint pain & stiffness
✔️ High triglycerides
✔️ Brain fog
✔️ Mood disorders
✔️ Autoimmune patterns
✔️ Cardiovascular risk
✔️ Dry eyes / skin

⸻

Why It Works

🔥 Anti-inflammatory signaling
— EPA & DHA reduce inflammatory prostaglandins

🫀 Lipid metabolism
— lowers triglycerides (not primarily LDL)

🧠 Brain & mood support
— DHA stabilizes neuronal membranes

🩸 Vascular support
— improves endothelial function

⸻

Why It Sometimes “Does Nothing”

❌ Dose too low
❌ Oxidized / rancid oil
❌ Poor absorption
❌ Inflammation source not addressed

⸻

How to Take It

2–4 g combined EPA/DHA daily
Always take with food

⸻

Clinical Pearls

1️⃣ Triglycerides respond better than LDL
2️⃣ Liquid isn’t always better — quality matters
3️⃣ Fish burps = oxidation problem
4️⃣ Essential in autoimmune patterns
5️⃣ Pair with antioxidants (vit E)

🚫 Who Should Be Cautious

⚠️ Bleeding disorders
⚠️ On anticoagulants (high dose)

01/08/2026

🚨 DID YOU KNOW YOUR BODY CARE PRODUCTS MAY CONTAIN HORMONES?🚨

Read that again.

Your lotion.
Your shampoo.
Your deodorant.
Your perfume.

Many contain estrogen-mimicking chemicals called endocrine disruptors — and they don’t just sit on your skin.

They absorb.
They accumulate.
They interfere with your hormones.

These chemicals have been linked to:

• Estrogen dominance
• Thyroid suppression
• Weight gain
• Fatigue
• Fertility problems
• Mood swings
• Early puberty
• Hormone-driven cancers

And here’s the part nobody tells you:

Your skin is your largest absorption organ.
What you put on your body can matter just as much as what you put in your mouth.

If you’re struggling with:
Hormones
Weight
Fatigue
Brain fog
Anxiety
Fertility
Autoimmune issues

…this is a huge missing piece of your health puzzle.

⚠️ You cannot out-supplement daily chemical exposure.

Your hormones deserve better.

01/06/2026

If You’re Always Tired… Your Adrenals Are Already in Trouble

Fatigue is not normal.
Needing caffeine to function is not normal.
Crashing at 2–4pm is not normal.

These are early adrenal failure signs.

The body whispers before it screams.

01/02/2026

💊 Supplement Hot Seat: Vitamin D

Low vitamin D isn’t always a dosage issue…
👉 It’s often a cofactor issue.

Vitamin D doesn’t act alone.

⸻

Who Vitamin D Helps

✔️ Immune dysfunction
✔️ Bone loss
✔️ Hormone imbalance
✔️ Autoimmune patterns
✔️ Mood disorders
✔️ Chronic infections

⸻

Why It Works

🧬 Hormone-like signaling
— influences over 1,000 genes

🦴 Calcium regulation
— directs calcium into bone (not arteries)

🛡 Immune modulation
— balances inflammatory responses

⸻

Why It Sometimes Fails

❌ Low magnesium
❌ Low vitamin K2
❌ Poor fat absorption
❌ Chronic inflammation

⸻

How to Take It

2,000–5,000 IU daily
Always pair with magnesium + K2

⸻

Clinical Pearls

1️⃣ Low vitamin D = immune confusion
2️⃣ K2 prevents arterial calcification
3️⃣ Blood levels matter more than dose
4️⃣ Sunlight ≠ consistent year-round supply

🚫 Who Should Be Cautious

⚠️ High calcium
⚠️ Sarcoidosis
⚠️ Granulomatous disease

01/01/2026

12/31/2025

New Year. New Goals. New Choices.

There are many options for weight loss today.
Shots. Pills. Extreme diets. Fads. Programs promising fast results.

But fast results rarely mean lasting results.

At St. Charles Functional Medicine, we take a different approach.

We focus on natural, sustainable weight loss by working with your body — not against it.

✔️ Personalized nutrition
✔️ Metabolism-supporting lifestyle strategies
✔️ Root-cause hormone and blood sugar balance
✔️ Real habits that last beyond January

Because true weight loss isn’t about forcing your body into submission…
It’s about restoring the systems that allow your body to release weight naturally.

If you’re ready for long-term success instead of temporary fixes, we’d love to help.

12/30/2025

Hair Falling Out… But Your Thyroid Labs Are “Normal”?

If your doctor says your thyroid is “fine” but your hair is thinning, shedding, or falling out — something deeper is going on.

TSH alone does NOT show how thyroid hormones are actually working inside your cells.

Hidden issues like:
• poor T4 → T3 conversion
• high reverse T3 (metabolic brake pedal)
• low ferritin
• blood sugar crashes
• chronic stress hormones
can quietly shut hair growth down.

Hair loss is a metabolic signal — not just cosmetic

See the whole blog post here → https://stcharlesfunctionalmedicine.com/why-your-thyroid-labs-look-fine-but-your-hair-is-falling-out/

Get real answers at St. Charles Functional Medicine

12/26/2025

💊 Supplement Hot Seat: Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha is labeled “calming”…
👉 But for some people, it makes anxiety worse.

That’s not a failure — it’s physiology.

⸻

Who Ashwagandha Helps

✔️ Chronic stress
✔️ Burnout / adrenal fatigue patterns
✔️ Low morning cortisol
✔️ Poor stress resilience
✔️ Low thyroid output
✔️ Testosterone support (men & women)

⸻

Why It Works

🧬 Adaptogenic signaling
— doesn’t sedate; it modulates cortisol output

🧠 HPA axis regulation
— improves stress tolerance over time

🦠 Immune modulation
— balances inflammatory cytokines

🧪 Thyroid support
— can improve T4 → T3 conversion

⸻

Why It Can Backfire

❌ Raises cortisol before stabilizing it
❌ Can overstimulate sensitive nervous systems
❌ Not appropriate for panic-dominant anxiety

⸻

How to Take It

300–600 mg daily
Best taken earlier in the day

⸻

Clinical Pearls

1️⃣ Works better after stabilizing blood sugar
2️⃣ Avoid in acute anxiety/panic states
3️⃣ Stack with magnesium & phosphatidylserine
4️⃣ Not ideal for high nighttime cortisol
5️⃣ Great for long-term stress adaptation

🚫 Who Should Be Cautious

⚠️ Panic disorder
⚠️ Hyperthyroidism
⚠️ Severe anxiety early in treatment

12/19/2025

💊 Supplement Hot Seat: NAC

Everyone talks about antioxidants and glutathione…
👉 But NAC (N-Acetyl Cysteine) is the supplement that actually builds it.

Glutathione = the body’s master detox molecule.
NAC = the fuel that makes it.

Who NAC Helps

✔️ Chronic fatigue / “wired & tired”
✔️ Mold exposure / chemical sensitivity
✔️ Histamine issues
✔️ Persistent mucus / chronic sinus problems
✔️ PCOS + insulin resistance
✔️ Brain fog, anxiety during detox
✔️ Smokers / ex-smokers / poor lung function
✔️ Autoimmune or inflammatory patterns

Why It Works

🧬 Precursor to glutathione
— boosts phase II detox, clears oxidative stress

🫁 Mucolytic
— breaks disulfide bonds → thins thick mucus in lungs, sinuses

🧠 Neuro-protection
— modulates glutamate → reduces anxiety/compulsions
— supports mitochondrial resilience during stress

⚡️Improves insulin sensitivity
— reduces inflammatory/free radical damage to beta cells

🔥 Reduces cytokine storms
— huge in respiratory infections & chronic inflammation

🕒 How to Take It

600–1200 mg daily (split AM/PM)

For upper respiratory / sinus / lung support:
👉 600 mg 2–3x/day

For detox & antioxidant support:
👉 600 mg 1–2x/day

Take away from food if possible — better absorption.

🧠 Clinical Pearls

1️⃣ Pair NAC with glycine → makes glutathione production explode
2️⃣ Pair with B2, B6, selenium → cofactor support
3️⃣ NAC + PCOS → lowers insulin, improves ovulation
4️⃣ NAC + anxiety (esp. compulsive patterns) → game changer
5️⃣ NAC + mold → protects mitochondria from oxidative collapse

🚫 Who Should Avoid or Be Cautious

⚠️ Asthma (can paradoxically tighten airways in some)
⚠️ Active GI ulcers
⚠️ Taking nitroglycerin (can alter BP)
⚠️ Very low histamine tolerance → start low