Perspectives on gut health, the microbiome, nervous system regulation, nutrition, and whole-person healing.
Understanding Gut Health What is Gut Health? Gut health refers to a well-functioning digestive system which is properly balanced in its inner workings. It allows for the proper digestion of food, with efficient absorption of nutrients and energy utilization. Gut health also includes proper excretion of wastes regularly with no delay or frequency. An […]
What is a Healthy Gut Microbiome? The microbiome is the complex system of “bugs” which live inside and outside of our bodies. Most of these organisms are in the large intestine. They are a vital part of what constitutes and created health in our bodies. A healthy gut microbiome is a balanced ecosystem of trillions […]
By Dr. Alexandra Shustina, DO In today’s times, food for many people has become the root of many diseases. The Standard American Diet (SAD) is inflammatory, nutritionally poor, and toxic. Many illnesses are triggered by an improper diet, and chronic disease is on the rise. Food is the fuel we put in our bodies. It […]
By Dr. Alexandra Shustina, DO Visceral manipulation (VM) is a type of Osteopthic Manipulative Therapy (OMT) targeting the internal organs of the body. It is a gentle manual therapy to realign the body and restore normal motion to the internal organs. VM was developed by a world renowned French physician and osteopath, Dr. Jean-Pierrre Barral. […]
The root cause of IBS By Dr. Alexandra Shustina, DO Irritable bowel syndrome or IBS is somewhat of a mystery in western medicine. Many have gone to doctors with symptoms of pain with bloating, diarrhea, or constipation and have not had a clear answer of what the problem is and how to treat it. Why […]
Put out the fire! By Dr. Alexandra Shustina, DO The feeling the chest is on fire after eating can be from Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease or GERD. This is affecting more and more Americans today. As our society becomes more obese and fast food oriented, GERD has increased. How do you know if you have GERD? […]
By Dr. Alexandra Shustina DO References
By Dr. Alexandra Shustina, DO Bloating, diarrhea, abdominal and discomfort have typically been associated with IBS or Irritable Bowel Syndrome. These are the same symptoms which can be attributed to Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth or SIBO. Did you know that there is a large overlap between Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth and IBS (1)? Many patients […]
Are we more human or bacteria? By Dr. Alexandra Shustina DO The microbiome is the population of organisms (bacteria, viruses, and fungi) which live inside and outside of our bodies. Did you know there are ten times more bacterial cells in and on our bodies than human cells? How can this be? Bacterial cells are […]
An integrative approach to Inflammatory Bowel Disease By Dr. Alexandra Shustina, DO Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis are both chronic, inflammatory, autoimmune disorders They can present with diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain, weight loss, rashes and joint pain. Crohn’s disease can occur anywhere in the digestive tract, while Ulcerative Colitis is localized to the colon. They can […]
By Dr. Alexandra Shustina, DO One of the most common things patients complain about in my office is fatigue and “brain fog.” They feel tired even after a good night sleep. Their concentration is not what it used to be. They do not have the energy to do what they were previously doing. Perhaps they […]
By Dr. Alexandra Shustina, DO “All disease begins in the gut” is a famous quote from Hippocrates, the father of western medicine. Heartburn, belly pain, and a change in bowel habits are clear indications that the gut needs attention. What about heart disease, chronic fatigue, muscle and joint pain, brain fog, depression, anxiety? These can […]
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