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Parasites live off their host (you) and have the potential to cause damage such as inflammation and leaky gut. Parasites are passed around through contaminated food and water, day care centres, foreign travel, mosquitoes, pests, pets, and sexual interactions. If there are symptoms, they are usually diarrhea, mucus, blood in the stool, fever, irregular bowel movement, and stomach pain. Parasites can also cause joint pain, skin rashes, allergic reactions, a weakened immune system, and fatigue.

The Microbiome’s Role in Endometriosis
By Dr. Laura M. Brown, ND

Endometriosis is a chronic and often painful condition in which tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside of the uterus. It affects approximately 10% of women of reproductive age and is a significant contributor to infertility.

Symptoms and Impact
Common symptoms of endometriosis include pelvic pain, painful menstruation, pain during intercourse, pain during bowel movements, painful urination, fatigue, depression, and gastroin…

By Dr. Laura M. Brown, ND

Your nails can be a surprising window into your overall health. Changes in their shape, color, texture, or strength can often reflect nutrient deficiencies, infections, or even internal health issues. Here’s what to watch for:

White Spots on the Nails

White spots are usually harmless and often caused by minor trauma (like bumping your nail). However, frequent spots could mean a deficiency in zinc, calcium, or selenium, possibly due to poor diet, leaky gut, or digestive iss…

Seasonal Allergies, the Microbiome, and the Power of Postbiotics
How Your Gut Health Might Influence Your Allergy Symptoms

Seasonal allergies—also known as allergic rhinitis (AR) or hay fever—are one of the most common chronic conditions worldwide. These allergies are caused by an immune system response to airborne allergens like pollen from trees, grasses, or weeds. The symptoms of AR—such as sneezing, nasal congestion, and itchy eyes—affect millions of people, with over 500 million individuals s…

Histamine release is part of the immune response to a foreign protein. Symptoms are usually confined to one area of the body and include itchy skin, low blood pressure, increased heart rate, changes in blood vessel wall permeability, flushing, pain, and difficulty breathing. Some of these bodily changes result in sneezing, nasal congestion and runny nose.  If the immune reaction is severe, it causes anaphylaxis, which is a body wide, life threatening over production of histamine.

1. Some people d…

H.Pylori speaks for itself! Approximately 90% to 100% of patients with duodenal ulcers, 70% of patients with gastric ulcers, and about 50% of people older than 50 years test positive for H. Pylori. Signs are often bad breath, bloating, belching and burning.

Helicobacter pylori (H. Pylori) is a type of bacteria that infects your stomach and can cause ulcers, inflammation, or even stomach cancer. It produces urease and carbonic anhydrase, which cooperatively function to achieve a detrimental neutra…

Botanical Medicine and the Microbiome: A Path to Better Metabolism

Research shows that obesity, insulin resistance, and diabetes are often linked to an imbalance in the gut microbiome—specifically, a decrease in beneficial bacteria and an overgrowth of opportunistic pathogens.

One major consequence of this imbalance is an overgrowth of Gram-negative bacteria, which increases levels of lipopolysaccharides (LPS). LPS triggers inflammation, contributing to gut permeability (often referred to as …

Check how toxic you are by answering the following questions below. The more questions you answer “yes” to, the more toxic you are likely to be, and the more likely you are to benefit from a professionally supervised detox.

1. Are you constantly tired?



2. Is your skin spotty or dull?



3. Do you miss days of passing stool?



4. Is your stool irregular?



5. Do you have dark circles under your eyes?



6. Do you have aches and pains in your joints?



7. Do you suffer from high levels of phlegm or sinus congestion?



8. Do…

Liver overload and disrupted sleep are not new concepts. Each organ has specific times when its function peaks, and according to Traditional Chinese Medicine, the liver's peak hours are between 1-3 a.m. If the liver is overloaded, you may wake up during this time. Similarly, around 1-3 p.m., it's common to feel groggy—another indication of liver strain. While improving sleep hygiene is essential, it's equally important to reduce factors like alcohol and sugar that burden the liver. Chronic sle…