[bernadette]

 I buy my raw milk and butter from them. I didn’t like their eggs.

[bernadette]

 the company I recommend in Dubai is called “Fish Farm”. Currently they only sell organic seabream  and you can buy directly from them or from Union Coop/Carrefour. You can look for their tag in the fresh fish section. 

They used to sell on-land organic salmon but they closed their salmon facility recently. I heard they are looking to expand and I’m hoping this is true because it was delicious, clean salmon, free of sea lice and heavy metals.

So now I can’t really recommend a good one with confidence.

As for chickens, the Al Dahra brand offers local organic chickens. They are kept in coops, but they are very large and they have plenty of roaming access. (I’ve personally visited the farm in Al Ain)

[bernadette]

Hi  – the color of your urine can help give you a clue about the level of your hydration. It should be a very pale, light yellow. B vitamins however will cause the color to become bright, fluorescent yellow so that might make it difficult to use the color guideline if supplementing.

In general fruits and vegetables are a good source of hydration. Salt helps replenish electrolytes, and there are many electrolyte options to choose from. It’s really just a matter of preference.

I encourage you to watch this video in the Hydration pillar inside the Beginner’s Health Roadmap, which discusses all of this in more detail.

[bernadette]

Hi  – you can read my comment about air fryers with brand recommendations in this previous post here.

[bernadette]

 I can’t personally comment as I don’t have one. However many of my colleagues and bio-hacking friends do, and they all seem to really enjoy it, especially for tracking the quality of the sleep.

 did you end up getting one?
 do you happen to have one? I know you’re in the biohacking group so thought you might have one…

[bernadette]

Hello , it’s actually good to see that your ferritin has increased despite the fact that you’re still having heavy periods. And yes, heavy periods can cause low iron/ferritin despite iron supplementation so I wouldn’t be concerned about malabsorption at this stage. So I’m glad to hear that you’re considering removing your copper IUD and supplementing with progesterone. Please double check to make sure it’s bio-identical progesterone from a compounding pharmacy.

Also keep in mind that iron, in general, is also much harder and takes longer to replenish.

I trust a lot will change for you in that regard once you address the heavy blood loss each month.

Please do keep us posted!

[bernadette]

 you can store your kefir grains by placing them in a large amount of milk in your fridge for a month+. For longer storage (2 months+), I place them in a small glass jar filled with milk and freeze.

Putting them in colder temperature will slow down/stop the fermentation process. When you return, you’ll need to discard the first batch of fermented milk.

Safe travels!

[bernadette]

 the type of water filter you choose really depends on where you live and I discuss that in more detail in this video here inside the “Hydration” pillar of the Beginner’s Health Roadmap. 

I chose the one in my stories because when I travelled to Canada a few years ago, I checked the municipal water report to see what contaminants are left after it’s treated by the city. I was concerned about the level of chlorine and chloramine left, and so set off to find a filter that eliminated those chemicals specifically (plus many others).

If you’re anxious about your water or whether or not your water gets properly filtered, then just get it tested. I discuss how to do that in the same video above.

Hope that helps.

[bernadette]

Hi  – thank you for sharing your DUTCH test. Lots of hidden pearls and also lots to discuss!

First things first. What day in your cycle did you take this test? I’m asking because if it’s not between days 19-21 in a typical 28-day menstrual cycle or 5 to 7 days after ovulation, there is a chance that we’re not looking at the luteal phase, and therefore the interpretation of the sex hormones estrogen and progesterone will change. So please let us know! You mentioned above that you have longer cycles so what day in your cycle was it when you tested? Day 1 is your first day of menstruation.

If in fact you did test during days 19-21, this would be considered a classic picture of “estrogen dominance” where estrogens E1 and E2 are clearly much higher relative to progesterone. A normal value would be between the 2 stars on the dial which represent the normal reference ranges, but as you can see, yours fall outside of the stars to the right which is the higher end.

The good news is that your Phase 1 and 2 detox seem to both be effectively metabolizing estrogen. However, your body is converting a lot of the estrogen down the “red” pathway which is more prone to DNA damage. If you read the handout on Estrogen Dominance, this will make more sense to you. DIM is often recommended in these types of situations to help push estrogen down the “green” pathway and lower estrogen.

Now while DIM will be helpful in reducing estrogen dominant symptoms, it’s important to investigate the reason for higher estrogen production, which could be the following factors:
• Obesity
• Peri-menopause with surges of estrogen (typically between 40 to 50 years)
• Diabetes/high insulin
• PCOS
• Estrogen supplements
• Steroid medication
• Poor Phase 1 and/or 2 detox
• Gut dysbiosis
• Over-aromatization (this is where testosterone gets converted to estrogen)
• Environmental estrogens (worsen symptoms but won’t necessarily show up in testing)
• Alcohol
• Ovarian cysts

From this list, what do you think fits your picture as possible root cause factors?

Now from what you’ve shared, I’d be curious to know if you’ve ever tested your blood sugar levels and insulin before. The reason is because you have a flat-line cortisol and overall low cortisol production. This usually happens as a result of chronic stress!! And stress all by itself can lead to higher blood sugar levels and insulin production, which can cause over-aromatization and higher estrogen. We need to discuss this more as it could be the root cause of everything going on.

Another factor that pushes aromatization is licorice root, and you mentioned supplementing with licorice. Is this something you’ve recently started or been taking for a while? Why are you taking it? It may be contributing to your symptoms.

Another reason for estrogen dominant symptoms is lower progesterone production. Cortisol is made from progesterone, therefore with chronic stress, there will be less progesterone available for sex hormone balance.

Your melatonin seems be on the upper end as well. Did you supplement or by any chance eat bananas, pineapple, citrus fruit, tart sour cherries, walnuts, corn, rice, or peanuts in the 2 days before taking the DUTCH test?

If you can please answer all of the above questions, we can help you out even more. I summarized them below and numbered them so you can answer them 1 by 1:

1. What day in your cycle did you test?
2. What root cause factor(s) for higher estrogen do you suspect are at play?
3. Would you say there’s chronic stress? If so, is it physical stress, mental/emotional stress or suspected bio-chemical stress (toxicity, high blood sugar, overgrowths, etc)?
4. Have you tested blood sugar (fasting glucose, fasting insulin, HbA1C)?
5. Why are you taking licorice? Is it licorice root? How long have you been taking it for?
6. Did you eat any foods that would increase melatonin or do you supplement with melatonin?

[bernadette]

 did any of your naturopaths have you run any functional tests other than the heavy metal test? I would have loved to see a GI Map with Zonulin in that list of tests and an OAT test given your complaints with fatigue, brain fog, and digestive issues.

I’m still suspicious of H Pylori and possibly other microbial overgrowths (yeast is notorious for brain fog) and parasitic infections, despite the negative breath test and parasitology they ran for you. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve seen false readings.

I’m glad to hear that your severe anxiety has lessened. If your first naturopath did chelation therapy, I’m assuming there were high levels of heavy metals? This can lead to severe anxiety in people. The toxic elements test you attached doesn’t show the result bars for some reason… was this test done before or after your chelation therapy?

Can you please share what your doctors prescribed for you in terms of supplements/diet and what you’ve implemented from their guidance. For example, selenium which is critical for thyroid health was low. Did you supplement to correct this deficiency? What else have you been doing? This will help us guide you better.

Your thyroid antibodies are elevated. What type of diet are you following? As a minimum, when there is autoimmune activation, dairy and gluten should be eliminated 100% for a minimum of 4 months as a way to help calm the immune system. Due to molecular mimicry and cross reactivity, these proteins resemble thyroid tissue, and would be best avoided while working on healing the gut lining. Leaky gut is always at play in autoimmunity.

In the meantime, please watch this video on recommendations for autoimmune thyroiditis if you haven’t already done so.  And this video shares facts on what contributes to autoimmune disease to help you start thinking about possible root cause factors in your life.

[bernadette]

Hi  – welcome to the UAE!

There are a few different options. Is it to monitor diabetes or are you simply looking for one that tracks glucose for preventative/lifestyle reasons?

The reason I ask is because the sensitivity of the sensors really varies between the different devices on the market.

Someone who needs to monitor their blood glucose very precisely for diabetes, I would recommend the Dexcom brand. They are available in pharmacies.

If someone wants to track their glucose to optimize their metabolic health by understanding how certain foods and exercise affects their health, then I’d go with Ultrahuman. We have a discount code for members: (code BBETTER10 for 10% discount)

In terms of functional labs in the UAE, we can also assist with giving members access. Just email support@bernadetteabraham.com and let them know which tests you’re interested in pursuing, along with her full name, date of birth, email address, shipping/billing address (if different). You’ll then get sent an email directly from the lab with instructions to pay for the kit(s). They mail out the kits within 2-3 business days.

If you need any blood testing, we teamed up with Valeo Health who are competitively priced, easy to book, and send a nurse to your house, if you wish to pay out of pocket. Members also receive a discount on their packages.

Hope this helps.

[bernadette]

the Histamine DAO test by Nordic Labs is $199. Here’s a sample report. It only shows the histamine degradation capacity.

[bernadette]

Another excellent write-up – thank you!

[bernadette]

also remember that you want to “decongest” before increasing/stimulating bile flow. Have you been able to increase your D-limonene to 1000mg per day? This has shown to be effective at breaking up biliary sludge when taken for 30-90 days.

[bernadette]

bitters can be taken after food as well. That might help ease the burn and help with bloating.