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Probiotics and Your Microbiome: Benefits of High Quality Probiotics

The health of your gastrointestinal tract (GI tract) affects your entire body. One of the main supplements that I recommend to my patients is a good quality high-dose probiotic. Why you ask? Let me tell you… Your gastrointestinal tract is a complex ecosystem containing thousands of species of bacteria. These bacteria can be found in your stomach and small intestines, but the majority are found in your colon. Collectively these areas make up your “microbiome.” These intestinal flora aid in digestion, synthesize vitamins and nutrients, metabolize some medications, support the development and functioning of the gut, and enhance the immune system. There are times when this balance of beneficial bacteria gets out of balance such as with the extended or recurrent use of antibiotics, poor dietary habits, or recent infection. This is where the use of a probiotic becomes advantageous. A good multi-strain probiotic can help to recolonize the GI tract to the proper balance of beneficial bacteria. But how do you recognize a high-quality probiotic? Here’s how: It is multi-strain. This means that it has more than one type of bacteria in each capsule. The one I recommend the most contains Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus plantarum, Bifidobacterium longum, & Bifidobacterium

Dr. Melissa Miskell August 14, 2018

Bone Health 101: Bone Cannot Survive on Calcium Alone

Bone Health 101 I have quite a few patients that are concerned about their bone health, and the first question they normally ask is “how much calcium should I be taking?” The answer is that amounts vary according to the patient, and you should not be taking calcium alone. The first question you should ask is what is bone made of? Bone is composed of several calcium-based minerals and collagen. This means that if you are going to take a supplement to support your bones, you need to take multiple supplements. Here’s the basics of bone health: 1. Calcium is still a necessity. However, not all calcium supplements are created equal. My preference is for what is called MCHC (Microcrystalline Hydroxyapatite Concentrate). This is a standardized, and safe-source bone extract from New Zealand bovine, that contains a crystalline calcium and phosphorus matrix. It is also what your bones are made of. 2. Vitamin D3. Yes, you need Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) to support bone health as well. Vitamin D’s best-known role is to keep bones healthy by increasing the intestinal absorption of calcium. 3. Collagen. This is supported through a silicon based supplement (specifically orthosilicic acid). Collagen helps bone withstand sudden

Dr. Melissa Miskell August 8, 2018

A Brief Introduction to Inflammation

A brief introduction… When most practitioners talk about “anti-inflammatory” they are generally referring to prescriptions that mask swelling such as NSAIDs like ibuprofen or naproxen. When functional medicine practitioners talk about anti-inflammatory we are referring to the foods and supplements that prevent the cause of inflammation in the body. Inflammation is the beginning of all disease states whether acute or chronic. Obviously acute inflammation is necessary for the body to start repairing damage from some harm inflicted recently such as a sprained ankle or a cut finger. Chronic inflammation is what you never want your body to experience. First, how do I know if I have chronic inflammation? Chronic inflammation manifests itself in many different ways. The most common are: Joint swelling & tenderness Muscle aches (not muscle soreness from exercise) Abdominal pain & bloating Chronic headaches Constipation Constant fatigue Any autoimmune disorder If you have one or more of these symptoms, you are experiencing chronic inflammation. So I have chronic inflammation, what do I do now? Step number one when working to combat chronic inflammation is to look at your diet. I firmly believe that “you are what you eat.” However, making healthy choices can be confusing. The media and the

Dr. Melissa Miskell July 27, 2018

Antioxidants vs. Free Radicals and The Role It Plays in Women’s Health

Every so often a patient asks me, “What are antioxidants and why do I need them?” My answer is always the same. To understand what antioxidants are, you need to understand what a free radical is. Let’s Start from the Top Free radicals consist of harmful molecules that are missing electrons. Electrons typically come in pairs. This lack of electrons cause the molecule to be highly reactive and cause damage by attacking the most basic parts of our healthy cells causing what is considered “oxidation”. Oxidation can set off an entire cascade of chemical reactions causing damage. Free radicals can even cause cancer. Ways we encounter free radicals every day: Cigarette smoking Airborne emissions/pollution Chlorination Ultraviolet radiation Herbicides & pesticides Free radicals aren’t entirely bad. There are some body systems that require free radicals to complete their processes. They actually play a role in the immune response to fight off viruses and bacteria and they start the process of inflammation that helps to repair injuries. However free radicals obtained from the sources above definitely cause premature aging and disease, so we fight these with antioxidants. What Antioxidants Do Antioxidants basically have the ability to “render harmless” free radicals. They provide

Dr. Melissa Miskell July 21, 2018

The Symptoms of Menopausal Women

Although almost every woman learned about her menstrual cycle from other women in her life or in health class, menopause is rarely discussed even among the closest friends. With over 25 million search results for “symptoms of menopause” in Google, it is clear that most women seek information about menopause on the internet before turning to a doctor for confirmation. For many women, the traits of menopause come as a gradual onset of slight body changes. Other women experience menopause like the last scene of “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” with brilliant hot flashes or night sweats. The most common signs reported by women in perimenopause are night sweats and hot flashes, but other physical warning signs can be hard to connect to menopause because most women experience these maladies throughout their lifetime. Some of these menopause indicators include: Fatigue: As mothers, wives and professionals, all women know fatigue as their friend every day, but the fatigue that comes with menopause is sometimes accompanied by a depression that makes the simple act of getting out of bed too much to accomplish. Suddenly, a woman can go from tired at the end of the day to completely without strength before the

Dr. Melissa Miskell April 5, 2018

What are Bio-Identical Hormones?

The term “bio-identical hormones” has been bantered about by alternative medicine physicians for years. Suzanne Sommers brought the concept to millions of women through her multiple publications. It can be quite confusing, however. You do not have to be 50ish to be symptomatic. Many people begin to have symptoms such as insomnia, mood swings, decreased sex drive, apathy, and foggy thinking as early as 35. Women make estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. Progesterone and estrogen are the primary female hormones. They are made in the ovaries and are the reason that women have a monthly cycle, become pregnant (well, not the reason, but they allow it to happen), and feel like a woman. The decrease in these hormones marks the onset of menopause. For women, progesterone is the first hormone to start to decline in concentration. The reason for this is because progesterone is only produced in the ovaries, whereas estrogen and testosterone are also made in the adrenal glands and fat cells. The production of hormone from the ovaries begins to decline after the age of 30. This is why peak bone mass occurs at age 31 and then declines. Since progesterone is only made in the ovaries, women may

Dr. Melissa Miskell February 22, 2018

Precision Hormone and Thyroid Balancing Serving All of Texas and Arizona

all blog posts from hormones by design

News and Knowledge

Probiotics and Your Microbiome: Benefits of High Quality Probiotics

Bone Health 101: Bone Cannot Survive on Calcium Alone

A Brief Introduction to Inflammation

Antioxidants vs. Free Radicals and The Role It Plays in Women’s Health

The Symptoms of Menopausal Women

What are Bio-Identical Hormones?

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