I just feel really sluggish and am craving sweets. This started after Valentine’s Day and has worsened since Easter. I need to get back on track on before things worsen.

High consumption of sugar can trigger yeast or fungal overgrowth and may manifest very insidiously with “non-descript” symptoms of fatigue, blah-ness, and sluggishness along with craving more and more sweets. Some of the best nutrients to help with this issue are LeptiSlim, Gluco Plus, GI & Muscle Helper, GI Soother, Noni Plus, Monolaurin, Pantethine, Daily Balancer and Daily Protein Plus. Each product targets different mechanisms in the gut where fungal overgrowth frequently starts. Use enough nutrients to get the energy turned back on, no cravings, and no gut symptoms, etc.

I am enjoying the added daylight and warmer temps, but it seems like every year, I get a short bout of depression during March and April. Can you help?

Springtime depression may be related with mold sensitivities/allergies, thyroid dysfunction, or other types of allergies but is frequently not a sign of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). SAD is quite rare in the spring and tends to happen with winter or summer seasons. If it is related to molds and allergies, you may want to try Oregano Oil, Daily Energy Multiple Vitamin, Pantethine, Quercetin, and Activator Plus. If is related to thyroid difficulties, use Daily Energy, Thyroid Helper, Iosol Iodine and DHA.

I get terrible spring allergies and am looking for natural relief without all the steroids, inhalers and other junk. Do you have any suggestions?

The basic place to start with allergies is Quercetin, which acts as a natural antihistamine. General dosages range from 2-8 per day. You also want to make sure that you have proper nutrient support for the immune system and the adrenal glands as without the support allergies are frequently worse. Nutrients that help support healthy function in this area include Daily Protector, Immune Plus, Vitamin C, Pantethine, and Activator Plus.

I have noticed since the snow has melted, that my sinuses are more congested and I have more mucous in the morning. Why is this happening and what can I do about it?

You may be experiencing a sinus fungal infection or mold sensitivity/allergy. Mold counts increase with exposure to last fall’s debris and degradation of leaves, plants, and grasses. The two best products for this are Immune Plus and Oregano Oil. Use enough of a dose to keep sinuses fully open and mucous congestion gone.

I don’t have the sinus congestion issue, but I find that my energy just is not very good some days and it seems to be seasonal.

Seasonal transitions can frequently produce a stress response with the thyroid gland. Additional symptoms of thyroid stress include dry skin, poor motivation, weight gain without a change in diet, a hoarse voice, constipation and feeling cold. If you are experiencing any combination of these symptoms, start with the Daily Energy Multiple Vitamin, Iosol Iodine, and Thyroid Helper. If you are also having trouble getting going first thing in the morning, also add in Pantethine.

My doctor recently diagnosed me with osteopenia? What can I do?

Bone health depends on mineral intake and the level of wear and tear the body has to deal with. Find some combination of Daily Bone Xcel, Daily Builder, Bone Helper and Hyaluronic Acid to get adequate mineral intake and prevent excessive wear and tear.

I am underweight. What can I do to achieve a healthier weight level?

Underweight issues may be related to imbalanced leptin hormone signaling. It may also commonly be related to adrenal stress or malabsorption issues in the gut or other issues. It is important to determine what the underlying cause is. Nutrients to help include Leptinal for the leptin signaling, Stress Helper or Pantethine for adrenal stress or GI Soother, Noni Plus, Super Dophilus, Digestive Enzymes and Sulfur Plus. Daily Energy may be used along with any of the above products for any situation.

I hear so much about eating every three hours to maintain my body’s metabolism. Why do you recommend eating only every 5-6 hours?

Proper insulin and leptin signaling requires that the food taken in be properly burned or utilized. When a person continues to eat either every 3 hours or grazes, then these signals do not get to work properly because the timing is too short to burn the food stores. This causes various states of hormone resistance to develop, i.e. insulin and leptin resistance, thus contributing to the obesity epidemic. Byron explains this in easy to understand detail, along with his 5 Rules for Healthy Eating and Leptin balance in his Leptin Diet. If you have not read it, you really need to do so, it is great!

My doctor seemed irritated when I said that I’d been doing research about some symptoms that I’d been experiencing. I even had some treatment suggestions and that didn’t go over very well. Was I overstepping my bounds as a patient?

As you are learning more about your health do not be intimidated by attempts to keep you passive. Some doctors may feel threatened if their patients begin to read, research and study about their own health and they might respond to you in a negative way, perhaps even saying, “you read too much"! Don’t let such statements keep you from learning more. Find a doctor who will work with you and understand you as a patient. Knowledge is power. You must be fully informed about your body’s upkeep. You can’t turn it in for a newer model after it has been used up, abused and neglected, so treat it right and as safely as possible. Your body will thank you for that!