Let’s Talk About Sex

Sex drive

Dr. Mack’s Top 5 for Addressing Low Sex Drive:

By Dr. Mckenzie Mescon

#1. Sex and Hormones:

Hormones – Testosterone is the hormone in both men and women that supports sex drive, and it can definitely be low!  The best way to determine testosterone levels is with a blood test. Interestingly, testosterone is diurnal, meaning that it is higher in the morning than in the evening.  This means that patients need to have a morning blood draw to get an accurate testosterone reading. There are MANY herbs and nutrients we use to support the body’s natural testosterone production before we consider exogenous testosterone hormone therapy. 

#2. Thyroid:

Thyroid – Thyroid dysfunction can make you tired.  It you’re tired, you probably aren’t all that excited about sex.  Again, with a little herbal and nutrient support, patients can see improvements in thyroid function and an increase in their sex drive. I always test thyroid health when considering a case of low libido. 

#3. Comfort:

Comfort – One major aspect of low sex drive, especially in female patients, is pain or discomfort with intercourse (also know as dyspareunia.)  As women age, their estrogen levels decrease and estrogen-sensitive tissues become less supple. Vaginal tissues are sensitive to estrogen, and vaginal dryness on account of falling estrogen levels is very common.  This can happen after pregnancy, too (not just with age!) Vaginal suppositories or creams can be supremely useful in making sex less uncomfortable which usually makes it much more appealing! I can’t tell you how many patients I’ve treated for low libido who have adequate testosterone and thyroid function, but discomfort with intercourse.  As soon as we address the underlying cause and it doesn’t hurt anymore, their sex drive improves!  

#4. Physical Touch:

Physical Touch – Fostering connection with your partner outside of sex is so important for making sex comfortable, enjoyable, and desirable.  Holding hands, cuddling, and hugging are all lovely ways to nurture intimacy without having actual intercourse. Sometimes, we need to start with more caring touch, and build the physical connection back into a relationship before getting into to the more sexy stuff.  

#5. Sex and Herbs:

Favorite Herb – My favorite herbal medicine to support sex drive is Lepidium meyenii, also known as Maca. This herb has seen recent rise in popularity, and many of my patients report adding powdered maca to their morning smoothies.  I caution my patients that too much Maca can cause elevated blood pressure, so please always consult your physician before taking an herbal medicine. Also, herbs tend to work better, longer, when taken in combination, so I rarely use this herb alone. Studies have shown that patients on SSRI antidepressant medication (which has caused low libido), experience increased sexual desire when supplementing with Maca. In my clinical practice, I have seen an increase in serum testosterone levels in both men and women in whom I have prescribed Maca (among other things.)

 

Have questions about sex drive, libido, hormones, or other aspects of how to have a healthy, happy sex life?  Send me a message, or call Spring to schedule a consult! 406-586-2626.

Dr. Mckenzie Mescoj

Healing the Heart: Physical and Emotional Healing

Healing the Heart Spring Integrative Health Dr. Krieger

By Dr. Jennifer Krieger

Healing the Physical Heart

Healing the Heart Hibiscus Tea

Hibiscus Tea for Healing the Heart

Hibiscus tea is my favorite tea to drink.  It tastes tart and zippy and is such a beautiful magenta color, which makes me feel super hip none-the-less while I’m sipping on it.  It steeps superbly well in both hot and cold water, which in turn, makes it lovely to enjoy all year round. BUT did you know that this flavorful, antioxidant packed, herbal tea actually supports a healthy cardiovascular system?  It’s true! By drinking 1-2 cups daily you may lower your blood pressure and support healthy cholesterol levels. If those aren’t enough reasons to make hibiscus tea part of your daily tea routine, I don’t know what is!

Healing the Emotional Heart

Healing the Heart Homeopathics

Homeopathics for Healing the Heart

Homeopathy is one of my most treasured modalities to practice as a naturopathic physician. What I love most about homeopathy is its ability to heal the emotional imbalances commonly seen in my patients, which in turn allows me to focus on treating the whole person.

With Valentine’s Day in February we often focus on the ones starstruck with love.  But let’s not forget about the broken-hearted. Whether dealing with loss, tragic news, carrying the stress of caregiving for a loved one or ailing from disappointed love or a failed relationship – the correctly chosen homeopathic remedy will often take the edge off and help facilitate emotional healing. Homeopathics shine at treating the energy of the heart or shen energy. If you or someone you know is struggling with emotional stress and discontent, consider scheduling a visit with any of the naturopathic doctors at Spring to discuss if homeopathy is right for you.

To contact us through our website please click here!

Or Call 406-586-2626

Healing Naturally with Constitutional Hydrotherapy

By Dr. McKenzie Mescon

This time of year, around the holidays, I get a lot of questions from my patients about how they can best support their immune system.  The naturopathic toolbox for immune support is vast! However, nothing is quite so fundamentally supportive of the immune system as Constitutional Hydrotherapy.

The History of Constitutional Hydrotherapy

Healing naturally with Constitutional Hydrotherapy is a time-tested naturopathic healing therapy that involves alternating an application of hot and cold towels to the chest and back.  The inspiration for naturopathic hydrotherapy is Father Kneipp, a Bavarian herbalist and priest who lived and practiced his “water cure” in the late 1800s. The entire treatment takes about 60-75 minutes and cultivates the ultimate parasympathetic, rest-and-digest, immune-boosting relaxation.  

If I could receive this treatment once weekly, I would! But I do make a point to block out my schedule for a Constitutional Hydrotherapy treatment at least once every 2-3 months (and more often if I’m feeling unwell.)  

What Hydro Therapy Does for the Body

Constitutional Hydrotherapy is not only an opportunity for your body and mind to rest and reset, it “pumps” the blood and lymph through contraction and dilation of the blood and lymph vessels.  The contrast of hot towels and cold towels increases blood flow to the vital organs in your abdomen and chest (such as your heart, liver, lungs, and digestive tract), and stimulates movement of lymph in the body. 

Immune System and Lymphatic Tissue

Your immune system lives in your lymphatic tissue, and by promoting movement of the lymph, the immune system can, in a sense, expand its reach and recycle itself. (Other ways to move your lymph include massage, yoga and stretching, breathing exercises, walking and hot/cold plunges at a hot springs). Lymph nodes are an example of where your immune system lives. You know how your neck may get swollen with tender lymph nodes when you’re fighting a cold, sinus infection, or other illness?  Constitutional Hydrotherapy helps to move that congested lymph and reinvigorate your immune system to fight off infection. 

Treatment

In addition to hot and cold towels, we apply gentle electrical stimulation to your chest and back and low abdomen during treatment. This provides an energetic boost to the cells to encourage detoxification, elimination and movement of waste products and nutrients.  

When I feel like I’m coming down with something, or when I feel worn out from playing and working too hard, I make sure to carve out time for a Constitutional Hydrotherapy treatment. In some special circumstances, we are able to administer IV therapy at the same time as you lie swaddled in hot towels and wrapped in a warm blanket. Sounds divine, doesn’t it?  

Questions?

If you have questions regarding Constitutional Hydrotherapy please give us a call 406-586-2626 or Click Here to request a treatment online!

For more on Dr. McKenzie Mescon click the image below.

Constitutional Hydrotherapy

Top Three Tips to Maintain Healthy Breast Tissue

By Dr. Jennifer Krieger

Hey there, it’s Dr. Krieger here!  I am the integrative cancer provider at Spring. Did you know that October is Breast Cancer Awareness month?  I thought it would be appropriate to discuss a few quick tips to help keep your breast tissue in tip-top shape. Here are my Top Three Tips to Maintain Healthy Breast Tissue:

Healthy Breast Tissue Tip #1: Get regular exercise

Click Image for more on Cancer and Exercise info!
Exercise to prevent cancer

Healthy Breast Tissue Tip #2: Eat cruciferous vegetables

    • Cruciferous vegetables are part of the Brassica plant family.  They include the following vegetables, to name a few: broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, radishes, turnips, watercress, Brussel sprouts, bok choy, arugula, collard greens and rutabaga.
    • Cruciferous vegetables contain phytochemicals (Indole-3-Carbinol, glucosinolates, sulforaphanes) that have been shown in research studies to slow cancer growth and development.  These foods may lower your risk of breast cancer by 40 percent.  So eat up, folks!
    • https://www.aicr.org/foods-that-fight-cancer/broccoli-cruciferous.html

Top Three Tips for Healthy Breast Tissue

Healthy Breast Tissue Tip #3: Stop using antiperspirant deodorant

    • I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you’re supposed to sweat.  Especially underneath our arms. Sweating through the axillary region (armpits) is a great way to help detox the breast tissue as well as keep us cool and regulate our body temperature.  Antiperspirant deodorant contains aluminum and stops and suppresses this action. Therefore when this happens we can’t move toxins out through our skin. If you’re using an antiperspirant deodorant, try only to use this with intense exercise (if needed). Or switch to a completely natural deodorant instead.  We have a couple of great options at the clinic if you’re interested, just ask!
    • If you want to take it a step further, check out this armpit detox protocol: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319624.php

Click the image below for information on Natural Deodorants!
Healthy Breast Tissue

Avoid Summer Burnout

Summer Stress Summer Burnout Healthy Summer

 

By Emily Potter FDNP

It’s that time of year… mid-July when we have the brief window of long summer days and shorts and T-shirt weather! If you anything like me, then you try to PACK in the fun while the weather is so beautiful. With this, comes the possibility of ‘summer burnout.’ Think back to back camp trips, finishing those hikes or races you have wanted to do for six months, long days on the river, family reunions, travel and the list goes on! How can we avoid summer burnout?

Balance is key and this is something I teach my clients about on a daily basis. I call it the 80/20 balance. 80 percent of the time do the best you can when it comes to your diet and lifestyle. Eat foods you know will nourish your body and the other 20 percent of the time give yourself the grace to enjoy life! Have the glass of wine, the dark chocolate, the BBQ foods your neighbor cooked up for you etc.

Keep reading to learn my top 5 tips to avoid summer burnout!

1) Plan your week.
Look ahead in your calendar and see what you have coming up. If your social calendar is full be sure to build in space for some downtime. If your calendar includes a lot of dining out, ask to pick the restaurant so you can enjoy your social time out but are still nourishing your body for your 80% balance. And, if you are a Bozeman local, here are four amazing restaurants for healthy, real food in Bozeman.

Little Star Diner
Saffron Table
Blackbird Kitchen
Farmers Daughter Cafe

2) Prioritize hydration.
It’s so easy to start the day with coffee, but I challenge you to drink a 16 oz glass of lemon water upon waking FIRST. And for extra credit, you can follow that with an ancient Ayurvedic recipe that will support the body’s natural detoxification process. This tea is made from cumin, coriander and fennel seeds. Simply take ½ tsp of each spice and steep in hot water to make a tea. 20 oz daily.

3) Make a to-don’t list.
This might sound strange but it’s a really effective strategy to help you keep a balance throughout the summer. You don’t have to say yes to every social engagement, to every family member, to every farmer’s market, live music or festive event. Giving yourself permission to say no can be profoundly helpful!

4) Don’t derail yourself when out of your normal routine. Traveling, playing or camping can be harder to balance since you are out of your normal routine. We have all been there… sitting by the campfire and indulging in a few s’mores when that isn’t something you would ever typically eat. And of course, by eating a little sugar it starts the intense cravings for more more more. Eating healthy while camping can be easier than you think! I suggest always prioritizing veggies while camping. This can mean raw chopped veggies with some fun dips like hummus or my ultimate favorite cilantro almond hummus dip. I also love making ‘veggie packs’ in tin foil to throw on the campfire. Simply chop up your favorite veggies and drizzle with avocado oil, salt, and pepper. Wrap in two layers of foil and you have a delicious and nutritious side to go with your camp meal.

5) Try this delicious ‘Summer Dreaming’ Recipe. This can easily be made in a high powered blender. Click here for Recipe!

Antioxidant Smoothie Healthy Foods Diet and Nutrition

If you have more questions about Emily Potter FDNP please click here to learn more!

Nutrition Consultant Emily Potter FDNP Diet

Skin-Brain Connection?

By Doctor Holly Thompson

Eastern medicine has always considered skin conditions to be external indicators of internal conditions, and recognized the importance of the gut in all aspects of health. All Chinese herbal formulas for skin problems are based on resolving the internal disharmony that is behind the outbreak.

The long and very successful history of Chinese herbal medicine for dermatological issues speaks to the efficacy of this approach. Like all problems in Chinese medicine, the signs and symptoms and details of the whole person are taken into account to determine a particular pattern that is at the root of the problem. Treatment is designed to address the problem at both the level of the root and the symptom. Typically, this is done with both internal (herbal formula) and external (topical medicine and/or acupuncture) treatment.

Western medicine has traditionally looked to resolve skin issues with topical medications or steroids, and not looked for internal reasons for conditions such as acne.

But, it wasn’t always this way.

Seventy years ago, two dermatologists, John Stokes and Donald Pillsbury, proposed a gastro-intestinal mechanism for overlapping anxiety, depression, and skin conditions such as acne. Stokes and Pillsbury hypothesized that emotional states might alter the normal intestinal microflora, increase intestinal permeability and contribute to systemic inflammation. They experimented with probiotics to correct the microbiome.

For whatever reasons, Stokes and Pillsbury’s work fell by the wayside.

Until recently.

The microbiome (mostly gut flora-the good and not-so-good bugs that live in our intestines) and all its possible influences are currently amongst the most researched areas in medicine. As part of  that research, the gut-brain-skin connection is again being studied. There have been a number of studies in Europe that indicate probiotics can be effective in the treatment of acne. Studies done in Russia and Italy found that giving the probiotic bacteria L. acidophilus and B. bifidum to acne sufferers improved outcomes and accelerated the time needed for standard therapies to work.

Another study found that giving a lactobacillus-fermented dairy drink improved acne over the course of 12 weeks. While all this research is wonderful and confirms what we have known in both Chinese medicine for some time, the problem is that it will be years until this knowledge will be put into use in standard conventional medicine. We have the ability, today, to use  time-tested Chinse Medicine Dermatolgy to treat skin problems at the root for lasting results.

If you are suffering from acne, or other skin conditions such as rosacea, eczema, or unexplained rashes and want to deal with it at the root cause level, give the office a call or send me a message today!

Dr. Holly Thompson

 

 

The Whole Life Cleanse: The Dirty Truth about Poisons Hiding in Your Laundry Room

By: Lindsay Herron, Co-Founder, Buckaroo Organics

One of the best parts about The Whole Life Cleanse is getting RID of the things we don’t need.  Less is better in my opinion; less clutter, less garbage (more recycling!), less stress, AND LESS TOXIC EXPOSURES.  We all want less toxins in our household products for ourselves, our kids, and our planet. So, I recruited a home-chemical expert, the owner of Buckaroo Organics, to write this edition of The Whole Life Cleanse, and give us the down and dirty on laundry chemicals. Take a look…

 

The Dirty Truth about Poisons Potentially Hiding in Your Laundry Room

Laundry is not what I would call a glamorous chore but one done out of necessity. So whether you are folding that monstrous weekly mound of clothes or are on-top of it–folding just as the buzzer rings– you expect the clothes you’re folding to be clean, right? One look at them and we are pretty confident that the dirt is gone, but what about the things we can’t see? What about the residues left behind by synthetic chemicals and fragrances that irritate our skin and are harmful to our health? Or what about the water waste that exits our houses and pollutes ground water? As a mom, the more I learned about common products being used daily, the more I became concerned with the findings.

I feel like I’m always digging out of the never ending mound of laundry, so I wasn’t too shocked to learn that the average family washes approximately 80 pounds of laundry per week. But when I stepped back and widened my perspective, I have to say, I was a little surprised to learn that in the U.S., alone, roughly 35 billion loads of laundry are done each year. I had to stop and think about this for a minute (and break out my calculator). Wow, that is 17.5 billion cups of laundry detergent….if you’re using the recommended amount.   That is A LOT of detergent moving through OUR homes! Some is still clinging to our favorite jeans and bed sheets and the rest is being discharged into our water systems and eventually finding its way into our ecosystem. When I looked at it from this perspective I was deeply troubled. Could the detergent that I was using really be thatharmful? …well, here is a snippet of what I found. The following are the 4 worst compounds commonly found in leading brand detergents (very common, check yours).

 

Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) & sodium laureth sulfate (SLES): are both inexpensive and very effective foaming agents, which is why they are used in many leading brands. They work great as a detergents, but are both also known skin and eye irritants, especially when used for extended amounts of time (…like every week when you do your laundry). They’re present in most shampoos, cleaners, hair coloring products, liquid hand soaps and cosmetics so surely both have been thoroughly tested….and they’re safe, right? Well, not so much. SLS was proved not to be carcinogenic when tested on animals during short-term studies (1). However, a large amount of documented studies (16,000) claim it to be extremely hazardous to our health. According to the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep: Cosmetic Safety Reviews, research studies on SLS have shown links to irritation of the skin and eyes, organ toxicity, developmental/reproductive toxicity, neurotoxicity, endocrine disruption, ecotoxicology, and biochemical or cellular changes along with possible mutations and cancers.

 

SLES was tested by the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association (CTFA) and the American Cancer Society and was deemed non-carcinogenic. However, another little known and much more harmful chemical, 1, 4-diaoxan, often accompanies it, 1,4-dioxane.

 

1, 4-dioxane, is a known carcinogen(2). It’s known to cause cancer and has been found to be potentially toxic to your brain and central nervous system, kidneys, liver and respiratory system, according to the CDC.  Two-thirds of all laundry detergent contain some level of 1, 4-dioxane. The FDA encourages manufactures to remove it, but they are not required to by law. 1,4-dioxane is nasty stuff, water filters can’t remove it and it resists natural biodegradable processes. It’s harmful to people and pollutes our water supplies; very harmful to the ecosystem.

 

NPE (nonylphenol ethoxylate ) Like SLS and SLES, NPE is an inexpensive nonionic surfactant frequently used in laundry detergents. NPE is an endocrine disruptor due to its ability to mimic estrogen and disrupt the body’s natural hormonal balance. When your body absorbs NPE, it can’t tell the difference between NPE and estrogen. The body can absorb up to 60% of what is put onto the skin or what residue is left in your fabrics. Exposure to NPE has also been associated with increased levels of breast cancers(3).

 

Phosphates, these guys are everywhere! Phosphates tend to be the principle cleaning ingredient in many detergents and household cleaners. They are designed to break down dirt particles and remove stains by softening the water and allowing it to penetrate the grime and lift it away. However, they create environmental hazards when discharged in great volumes into our water supplies (remember the 17.5 billion cups of detergent being used annually in the U.S.). Phosphates are difficult to remove from wastewater and often end up in rivers and lakes, where they increase algae growth and choke off waterways. This suffocates fish and other aquatic life by literally starving them of oxygen.

 

And as if the four compounds listed above weren’t enough of a concern, there are others that add to our laundry list of harmful ingredients found in leading brand detergents:

  • Linear alkyl sodium sulfonates (LAS), a.k.a. anionic surfactants
  • Petroleum distillates (a.k.a. naphthas), which have been linked to cancer
  • Phenols, which can cause toxicity throughout the entire body
  • Optical brighteners, which cause bacterial mutations and allergic reactions, and can be toxic to fish
  • Sodium hypochlorite (bleach)
  • EDTA (ethylene-diamino-tetra-acetate), a persistent organic pollutant
  • Artificial fragrances, which have been linked to various toxic effects on fish and animals, as well as allergic reactions in humans

 

I know most of us don’t think of laundry detergent much past adding it to our shopping lists and looking for a jug that is on sale. I didn’t until recently. But for me, as a mom of three and someone who loves our planet, the more I read and learn, the more the data proves. Many of the ingredients are KNOWN irritants, highly likely carcinogens and pollute and damage our water systems.   It’s a mission for me to create a safe environment for the ones I hold dear, and is why we developed Soapberry Suds; a laundry detergent families can trust.

 

Our laundry detergent, Soapberry Suds, uses certified organic soap nuts, or soapberries as the surfactant. It truly is nature’s soap. No synthetic chemicals, not phosphates, sulfates, or dyes. It is scent free and risk free. All biodegradable, even the packaging is compostable or recyclable. Better for you and better for Mother Nature! It is hypoallergenic, meaning it won’t cause skin irritations, because we only source the best ingredients to get the job done. I invite you to learn more about Soapberry Suds at http://buckaroo-organics.com
(1) CIR publication (1983). “Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate”. International Journal of Toxicology 2 (7): 127–181

(2) 1,4-Dioxane (1,4-Diethyleneoxide). Hazard Summary. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Created in April 1992; Revised in January 2000

(3) Soares, A., B. Guieysse, B. Jefferson, E. Cartmell, and J.n. Lester. “Nonylphenol in the Environment: A Critical Review on Occurrence, Fate, Toxicity and Treatment in Wastewaters.” Environment International 34.7 (2008)

The Whole Life Cleanse: A Family Approach to Balance and Detox

By Dr. Alisun Bonville

The Whole Life Cleanse: A Family Approach to Detoxification and Balance

Creating balance in your life may seem impossible at times. We are all busy with a multitude of tasks such as walking the dog, making lunches, grocery shopping, laundry, work projects, dishes….the list goes on!  Balance is about increasing the “good stuff” in life and managing the things that cause physical or mental stress.    But who has time for cultivating serenity, clean living, and balance?

In my experience, balance is something that has to be woven into the fabric of daily living or it will simply not happen.

This blog series is about the approach my husband, my kiddos, and I have taken to create balance in our lives and to create a healthy home. Life is happening to all of us…illness, work, school, stress. The Whole Life Cleanse is about changing our perspective and increasing our resources so that when times get tough we have enough stamina, reserve, and balance to weather the journey.

The Whole Life Cleanse is also about keeping our day-to-day activities fulfilling and non-toxic. This is not always easy and I admit we are not always perfect at my house. We have days we eat donuts, the kids watch too much TV or I skip my work-outs.   Being perfect is something I try NOT to do–It stresses me out. So, I live by the 80-20 rule…if I can take a healthy approach to life 80% of the time, then the 20% of donut-eating days are okay. I always tell my patients, “you have to live in this world,” and for our family that means eating a donut or two.

But for the other 80% of the time, I will outline strategies we use for balance. Tips on how to reduce home chemical exposure and healthy dietary suggestions that the whole family will like.  I will also give you tips for reducing toxic relationships, cutting back on the technology “drain” and some key tips for stress management.   So stay tuned…

~Dr. B

 

Read more from this series:

The Whole Life Cleanse: Family Approach to Detox

The Whole Life Cleanse: The Dirty Truth about Poisons Hiding in Your Laundry Room

The Whole Life Cleanse: What is Up with Plastics?

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