[bernadette]

Hi – I discuss electrolyte solutions in this video here in the Hydration pillar inside the Beginner’s Health Roadmap that you can consider.

But lightheadedness when standing up quickly can also point to a need for adrenal support since it the adrenals will increase blood pressure when going from sitting to standing to help push blood to the brain, so if there’s low adrenal function, this can lead to dizziness. I explain this further in this video in the Adrenal Balance course.

If adding in electrolytes as your doctor suggested does not help, you might want to consider adrenal support by addressing mental/emotional, physical and bio-chemical stressors.

[bernadette]

here are some recommendations which you can request from the support team:
• GI map plus zonulin (comprehensive stool test). Click here to view the sample report.
• DUTCH Plus (comprehensive hormones). Click here for the sample report.
• As for micronutrient testing, I have a meeting tomorrow with a new functional lab that offers the Spectracell Micronutrient test. I will let you know if this is available in Abu Dhabi after our meeting. In the meantime, I can suggest either Genova’s NutrEval (very comprehensive, but also very expensive) or an Organic Acids test which does test some nutritional markers (see p.4) but also fungal/microbial markers, detoxification and metabolic function.

For blood testing, depending on your insurance coverage, you might be able to get a full thyroid panel through a physician. Otherwise, you can get that through Valeo Health for affordable, at-home service. B Better members get a discount as well.

[bernadette]

 unfortunately they closed down the salmon operation for now (I heard they’re expanding), so I’m buying their seabream from retailers like Coop or Carrefour. You’ll see their “Organic/Fish Farm” logo on it.

[bernadette]

our support team has informed me that you’re looking to pursue some functional labs for your daughter. Which tests are you interested in pursuing so my team can help with that?

Here’s a handout which shows the different uses for various functional tests on pages 3 and 4 which might help you select the right tests for your daughter’s needs.

Otherwise, please let us know what symptoms your daughter is experiencing so we can suggest some functional tests for you.

[bernadette]

 I would not recommend groundnut or sesame oil for high heat cooking as they are predominantly polyunsaturated fatty acids which are prone to oxidative damage at high heat. Saturated fatty acids can withstand heat better and would be better choices. You can see our cooking oil handout here.

The exception to the rule is extra virgin olive oil and avocado oil. The high levels of antioxidants in olive oil can help offset the damage caused by heat, and avocado oil has a high heating point despite being unsaturated.

[bernadette]

Hi  – are you referring to a digital humidity reader? If moisture is above 60%, then yes, it’s the right environment for mold to grow. Step 1 would be to determine the source of the high moisture and stop it/reduce it. A dehumidifier can be helpful in the meantime.

In my mold course, I share resources for finding mold inspectors/remediators here.

[bernadette]

 that insulin looks pretty optimal actually. It would be interesting to see your HbA1c… this reflects the average levels of blood glucose in a 2-3 month period before the test.

If you’re generally a healthy eater and mindful of your refined carb/sugar intake, that elevation in fasting glucose is likely due to stress as you mentioned. But do keep an eye on it.

The year that I wrote my book UNJUNK had to be the most stressful and hardest time of my life. My HbA1C went from 5.3% to 5.6% in a span of 6 months… ALL FROM STRESS since I don’t eat sugar or refined carbs. At 5.7%, a person is considered pre-diabetic!!

That was a real wake-up call for me, and just goes to show how harmful stress can be all on its own; mental/emotional, physical or biochemical stress! …and the reason why I created a course on Adrenal health because it’s foundational.

Hopefully your stress level has also come back down now…

[bernadette]

Hi  – I agree with our members. Plenish and Rude Health offer 2 ingredient almond milk and they’re available in the UAE. I’ve tried Plenish (they come in many nut varieties too) and they’re available at Park ‘n Shop.

If you’d like to make your own, it’s really easy. I share a recipe for that in the resource library under Recipes>Beverages & Fermented Foods

What do you use your cooking oils for? Sauteeing? High heat cooking? Baking? Frying? 

[bernadette]

Hi  – lab values should always be considered with the clinical picture in mind as well. Are there any symptoms that would point to blood sugar dysregulation?

There are different phases of dysglycemia and I would encourage you to watch this video for an overview of Phase 1 and 2 (out of 5 phases) along with the signs and symptoms, and possible lab results.

We are usually suspicious of blood sugar dysregulation when we see fasting glucose levels above 90 mg/dl, especially if these were taking in a fasted state first thing in the morning. However, cortisol our stress hormone can also affect this value so if a person is fearful of needles, or was stressed before coming in, or was in a rush for example, this could skew the blood glucose results.

The fact that both fasting insulin is optimal and insulin resistance indicator is normal, there could be either early stage blood sugar dysregulation and/or stress. That’s where knowing more about this person’s situation, symptoms and history would be helpful in painting a clearer picture.

A 2-hour glucose tolerance test is usually the best way to measure for insulin resistance but it’s very inconvenient.

[bernadette]

 please fill in the 3-day food journal that I shared above so I can help guide you better with regards to your diet. Fill it in with the 3 days that are “most common” for you and attach it here.

What do you mean by going back to a whole food diet? If you’re implementing the VPF principle, yes, it should be whole foods and no sugar. With insulin resistance, reducing starchy carbs to no more than 1/2 cup of cooked grains per day, 1 cup of root vegetables per day, and 1-2 whole fruits only per day is a general guideline for the carb category. This makes it a lot more sustainable then cutting out carbs and sugar completely. Avoid anything made from flour and anything sweet, with the exception of fruits. You can find more dietary guidelines for managing blood sugar levels here.

You might need the help of some blood sugar balancing supplements as well. I really like the product by Designs for Health called Metabolic Synergy, as well as Biotics Research GlucoBalance. You can watch this video to better understand how they help.

Keep in mind that stress alone can lead to blood sugar dysregulation. I would encourage you to check out Dr. G’s schedule of virtual group or private emotional release sessions to help with your emotional stress and releasing it from the body. He will be our guest expert in September as well by the way!

Please prioritize your efforts on reducing stress and regulating blood sugar. So much will unravel and improve for you when you do.

If you have the time to watch the entire Blood Sugar Balance course, please do so. It will really help you understand all the other dynamics and symptoms you’re experiencing, and solutions.

[bernadette]

 ah yes, my bad! Still, ferritin and transferrin saturation are still better indicators of iron status.

[bernadette]

 hopefully you’ll feel some symptom relief with the new move, but if not, there is a chance that mold has colonized inside of you. Therefore, it’s still a good idea to test your body for mold. The organic acids test (OAT) and MycoTox tests can let us know the body burden. However, if budget does not allow for functional testing, then  taking action by detoxing from mold should be a priority. I discuss my 5-step strategy in the Mold course which can you watch here.

[bernadette]

Hi  – just wanted to check-in with you. Have you heard back from your insurance yet? Have you tried reaching out to Valentina or Omar to inspect your home for mold?

[bernadette]

 we can help facilitate access to functional tests like the GI Map with zonulin and the OAT for example. Just email support@bernadetteabraham.com with the tests you’d like to pursue, your full name, email address, date of birth, phone number, and billing/shipping address (if they’re different).

Iron on a hair elements is not a good reflection of iron status in the body. It’s best to test it in blood with ferritin and transferrin saturation.

I’m glad that your antibodies have come down. Removing dairy and gluten while working to address leaky gut will be helpful. Here’s the video on the triggers and causes of leaky gut (which I touch on as well in the previous video I sent you about thyroid autoimmunity), and here are some solutions from the Gut Health Masterclass course.

[bernadette]

 in addition to Daniel’s reply, I would like to direct you to the Adrenal Balance course where I provide many recommendations for the different stages of HPA axis dysfunction, and explain in detail the different patterns that can be found on the DUTCH test. 

With flat line cortisol, I usually find adrenal glandulars to be helpful while addressing the root cause of chronic stress. This remains a priority. Reducing stress! No amount of supplementation will help if lifestyle changes/therapies are not made to help the body feel “safe” on a daily basis. Working on regulating your nervous system is key.

I encourage you to watch the following videos:
• Reasons for Overall Low Cortisol
• Solutions to Increase Overall Low Cortisol
• Reasons for Low CAR + Solutions
• Healing Modalities

Let us know if you have any questions.