Dear Steve,

DID YOU KNOW that your skin is often a sign of how your gastrointestinal tract and liver are functioning? We call it the gut-liver-skin axis.

Making sure we digest, absorb, detoxify, and excrete optimally allows our skin to thrive. When one or more of these functions are dysfunctional, eczema, psoriasis, and acne are among the skin maladies that may develop.

How can you help your skin by focusing on your gut and liver? Get a comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP) blood test to assess liver function and a comprehensive stool analysis (we love Diagnostic Solutions GI-Map) to give us a look at your gastrointestinal function.

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Steve: We're all zealous about getting sleep quality and quantity. It helps our immunity, cognition, stress, mood, weight, and more. Here's some of the latest research from the last five months.

GI Tract

Disturbed sleep adversely impacts gastrointestinal microbial composition. Conversely, an altered microbial community contributes to disrupted sleep patterns by releasing excitatory inflammatory molecules targeting pathogens, according to a study from Sleep Medicine. Thus, keeping your gut microbiome consistently balanced is important because according to research presented at Digestive Disease Week 2024, healthy sleep is associated with lower odds of digestive diseases.

"Catch Up" Sleep

New research presented at ESC Congress 2024 shows that people that "catch up" on their sleep by sleeping in at weekends may see their risk of heart disease fall by one-fifth. 

Valerian Root

With melatonin stealing most sleep headlines, we forget how impactful GABA-promoting valerian root can be, especially for those with anxiety and those who get up at night. A double-blind placebo controlled study from Advances in Therapy found valerian supplementation significantly improved sleep in young subjects with mild insomnia symptoms, such as overall sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep efficiency, and total sleep time. The researchers also observed decreased anxiety and daytime sleepiness, and improved feeling of being refreshed after waking up.

Social Media

Because neural emotion and reward networks mature earlier than inhibitory control and executive function networks, early adolescents are at a particularly high risk for mental health and sleep problems. According to a study presented at the SLEEP 2024 annual meeting, there was a significant correlation between shorter sleep duration and greater social media usage in kids with the average age of 12.

L-Theanine

Results from a Frontiers in Nutrition study suggest that L-theanine supplementation has a beneficial effect on maintaining sleep duration and an appropriate bedtime. Additionally, changes in the gut microbiota may be linked to changes in sleep patterns resulting from L-theanine. L-theanine is also a GABA-promoter.

Melatonin

REM sleep is crucial for dreaming, memory consolidation, and emotional regulation. In the brain, the melatonin MT1 receptor affects a type of neuron that synthesizes the neurotransmitter and hormone noradrenaline. During REM sleep, these neurons quiet down and stop their activity, but not without a properly functioning MT1 receptor, as reported in Journal of Neuroscience.

Antioxidants

Higher circulating antioxidant levels, especially carotenoids and vitamin C, were significantly associated with a lower risk of sleep disorders. The potential health risk of low circulating antioxidants levels was higher in the female population than in the male population, as reported in Food & Function.

Physical Activity

A study from BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine suggests that getting up for short bursts of light activity in the evening could help you sleep better. Simply put, getting up and doing some exercises during the commercial breaks could result in a better night of sleep.

Loneliness

A study presented at the SLEEP 2024 annual meeting found a link between quality sleep and lower levels of loneliness. The benefits were most helpful among younger adults.

CBD

A study from Nutrients showed that 8 weeks of supplementation with CBD significantly improved perceived quality of sleep compared to the control.

Several months ago, I asked Steve for guidance on eliminating Zoloft. I had needed the drug for about 18 months, but after managing through specific stressors, I wanted to stop taking the medication.

Steve’s insights into my lifestyle, eating, and body chemistry allowed he and my physician to guide my gradual Zoloft elimination by adding two supplements, GABA and L-Theanine.

I successfully eliminated Zoloft, which has significantly improved my overall well-being. Steve reached out over the process, giving me guidance and encouragement.

With his advice, over several years, I have eliminated inflammatory foods and stopped taking Lorazepam and Zoloft. I have emerged stronger and feel so much better.

Sincerely,

Appreciative Client

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Disclaimer: Case reports are not intended for self-healing. Case reports are for references purposes only and should be discussed with your health professional.

One of my patients hobbled into my office as she had gone out for a walk and then began to feel pain in her left outer knee. She had been having tightness in her thigh and kneecap before this happened.

I assessed the alignment of her hips and pelvis as she stand. The left hip was higher and forward, which can affect the upper knee. I then had her lay down to assess her ankle as that can affect the lower knee. 

I adjusted her hips, spine and ankle, then applied electrical stimulation and ultrasound with arnica oil all around the knee, shin and thigh. I recommended that she take arnica pellets every couple of hours for a few days. She returned for a follow up and was feeling 100% better. 

If you’re suffering from a sprain in one of your joints, consider getting adjusted for misalignments along with using arnica or other natural anti inflammatory remedies that are best for your body. 

Dr. Liselotte Schuster is a Holistic Family Chiropractor and has been in practice with Nutritional Concepts since 1989. She uses a variety of techniques to help children and adults reach their full potential, trusting in the healing powers of the body. Contact Dr. Schuster at (847) 509-9067 or drliloschuster@sbcglobal.net.

Pure Insight (formerly )Genomics harnesses the science of nutrigenomics so you can understand the relationship between your genes, nutrition, and wellness at the deepest level. Covering 72 genes in 11 trait categories, we've used Pure Insight since 2015 to help clients live longer with better quality of life.

How to Get Started

1. Order a genetic kit directly from 23andMe.com or Ancestry.com and send back your saliva specimen.
2. When your results are ready, request that we set up a Pure Insight account for you. We just need your full name, email address, and date of birth.
3. You will receive an email invitation from Pure Insight with a link to set up your account and instructions for how to upload 23andMe or Ancestry data.
4. You will receive a confirmation from Pure Insight when your report is ready and we can then set up an appointment to go over your results.

Bonnie, Steve, Lilo, Lori, Sharron, Cindy, Diana, Marisa and Carolyn