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

At 24, Dr. Kate Placzek was sleeping 16 hours a day and barely functioning — yet her standard blood tests came back normal. It took a TSH result in the mid-thirties to finally explain her debilitating fatigue. In this candid personal account, she shares her thyroid diagnosis, what she learned about optimal TSH levels, and why testing beyond TSH alone can make all the difference.

In this blog, I want to focus mainly on how cannabis can affect your hormones, primarily through the pituitary, thyroid, and adrenal glands, and the reproductive system.   While cannabis is being legalized in more and more states, both the adverse and beneficial effects of its use are starting to be better understood. The active compound in cannabis, THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is widely known to have effects on the brain, producing the “high” that many users are seeking. However, the other more adverse effects cannabis can have on the body are less widely known. The Endocannabinoid System (ECS) and How It...

That shiny bracelet or pair of earrings may look harmless — but it could contain cadmium, a toxic heavy metal ranked the 7th most significant threat to human health. With a half-life of 10–30 years in the body and no safe level of exposure, understanding where cadmium comes from and testing your levels is a smart step for long-term health.

Iodine is an essential trace element required for thyroid hormone production, yet many people are unknowingly deficient. While iodised salt and seafood are well-known sources, dairy products, eggs, and seaweed also contribute significantly to daily intake. Changing dietary habits — including reduced milk consumption and the replacement of iodine with bromine in bread production — are quietly lowering iodine intake across the population. This article explains where dietary iodine comes from, why the body needs it, how it is absorbed and excreted, and how at-home urine testing can confirm whether your intake is adequate.

Low testosterone in older men, often referred to as “male menopause” or even “andropause” is fairly well known — and testosterone replacement therapy in this age group has not been without its share of controversy, particularly with respect to heart health. Proper testing and dosing are all-important, as well as understanding a man’s physiology and all the factors that affect testosterone levels. For example, when giving testosterone transdermally it is critical to use testing methods such as dried blood spot or saliva to properly assess absorption of testosterone into the body, avoiding the problem of overdosing to achieve “normal” serum levels. But while...