Hormone Health Hub: Expert Insights on Testing, Balance & Better Living

By Dr Nina Silberstein, BA. Women who are in perimenopause, menopause or post-menopause sometimes feel like they’re living in a different body. Many have a hard time losing or controlling their weight—whether it’s due to shifting and declining hormones and a slowing down of metabolism combined with stress. We sat down with integrative physician, Jade Teta, to talk about the role of hormones and weight, why he thinks some women are having difficulty losing or controlling their weight, and what they can do about it. As a practitioner of naturopathic medicine, Dr. Teta is an expert in nutrition, exercise, and...

By Tracy Tranchitella, ZRT Laboratory.   Important research and safety context: This article describes laboratory experiments, animal studies and preliminary clinical research. These findings do not establish that iodine supplements prevent or treat cancer, COVID-19 or other infections. Experimental doses and concentrations below are not instructions for personal use. Do not ingest antiseptic iodine, prepare home-made nasal or mouth solutions, or use high-dose iodine based on this article. Excess iodine can disrupt thyroid function. People receiving cancer treatment should discuss any supplement with their oncology team and must not replace or delay established care. At the most fundamental level, the...

  By Nina Silberstain, BA The COVID-19 pandemic has only magnified what we already know: Working in health care can be stressful. A survey conducted by Mental Health America between June-September 2020 of 1,119 health care workers found that 93% were experiencing stress in addition to anxiety, frustration, exhaustion, burnout, and feeling overwhelmed. (1) Why Is Self-Care So Hard? Without a doubt, a large part of taking care of yourself is managing your stress levels. People attracted to the world of health care are often empathetic and caregivers by nature. Providing care can be rewarding but at the same time it...

By Nina Silberstain, BA.   Adequate sleep has long been known to be vital to good health but not getting enough sleep can be detrimental on many levels. Sleeplessness at night results in lack of alertness during the day, impairing your judgment and increasing the risk for accidents. Chronic sleeplessness can affect the appearance of your skin, reduce libido and overall vitality, decrease cognitive function, contribute to weight gain, and increase the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Your quality of sleep can be affected by many things including perimenopause (hot flashes, night sweats, sharp drop in melatonin over age...

Most people associate iodine exclusively with thyroid health — but this essential mineral plays a far broader role in the body. From breast tissue and ovarian function to fetal brain development and endometrial health, iodine is active in virtually every organ system. Deficiency is more widespread than commonly recognised, and standard thyroid blood tests cannot reliably detect it. This guide explores the extrathyroidal roles of iodine, the difference between iodide and molecular iodine, the controversy around dosing, and why testing urinary iodine is the most accurate way to assess your status.