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As a naturopathic physician I am trained in the conventional diagnosis and treatment of disease but my approach to treating my patients is different than a conventional physician. I look at the cause of symptoms rather than simply treating symptoms with a band-aid type of treatment approach. I also look at the body as a whole rather than chopping it up in unrelated pieces. For example, the reason a patient has headaches is not because there is necessarily a problem with their head. Headaches can be caused by digestive disturbances, muscle tightness, hormonal imbalances and the list goes on. My job is to investigate the underlying cause and address it.

Many common presenting symptoms can be caused by adrenal fatigue. As long as the patient’s symptoms and presentation fits the picture I will investigate the adrenal component to their distress. I have helped people with the following health concerns and symptoms through adrenal testing and treatments:

- Acne
- Allergies
- Anxiety
- Chronic infections such as sinusitis and colds
- Depression
- Diabetes
- Erectile dysfunction
- Fatigue
- Fibromylagia
- High cholesterol
- Hypertension
- Inability to lose weight
- Infertility
- Insomnia
- Libido problems
- Menopause
- Osteopenia / Osteoporosis
- PMS
- Thyroid disease

Adrenal imbalance can affect multiple physiological systems causing many distressing symptoms. Symptoms such as;
- Fatigue
- Weakness
- Depression
- Frustration
- Premenstrual tension
- Nervousness/ Anxiety
- Scanty perspiration
- Inability to concentrate
- Lightheadedness
- Sweet cravings
- Irritability
- Insomnia
- Allergies
- Headaches

Adrenal fatigue is more than a catchy phrase, it is a reality that must be adequately dealt with by taking the proper nutrients and herbs to balance the adrenal glands along with adopting lifestyle modifications to turn the pattern around. For this reason Good Elements will be continuing to educate you about how to combat adrenal fatigue.

Yours in health,

Dr. Britta Zimmer

Good Elements’ Chief Naturopathic Physician & Founder

For More Information on Good Elements’ Chill, which was specifically formulated to address Adrenal Fatigue, please click here.

Pillar II- The Mind-Body Connection / Stress reduction

Emotional processing, breathing fresh air, and movement all lend to reducing stress.

Emotional Processing-
Taking time to reflect on the physical manifestations of stress and imbalance will empower you to understand the way your body functions. Not being aware of the deleterious effects of stress on your body results in the suppression of symptoms and emotions which can lead to further chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and autoimmune diseases. In other words, the stuffing of emotions and denial causes dis-ease in the body which can lead to disease. Holistic / alternative medicine practitioners and therapists can facilitate the process of understanding the mind / body connection to prevent future disease.

Fresh Air-
Breathing fresh air reduces elevated cortisol levels in the body, cleanses the system, and activates the rest and digest nervous system (the parasympathetic nervous system). This relieves the body of stress and helps your body be more resilient against everyday stressors.

Movement-
Movement in any form; exercise, yoga, stretching, tai chi, sex, dancing, or walking, also decreases elevated stress cortisol levels, keeps your circulation healthy, and releases healthy endorphins.

Stay Tuned for Pillar III, Sleep.

Yours in health,
Dr. Britta Zimmer
Chief Naturopathic Physician & Founder

As you will read in our January newsletter adrenal fatigue is more than a catchy phrase to blame all of your symptoms on. Adrenal fatigue plays out in many of my patients’ lives and is intertwined in their chief complaints and presenting symptoms.
As a naturopathic physician I practice individualism, one of our many guiding principles. Each patient is an individual and a cook-book approach to their health does not address their individual underlying health issue. What I mean to convey is that I don’t blame adrenal fatigue for all of my patients’ symptoms however it is a common theme in many of our lives especially for high-achieving, busy, or responsibility-ridden individuals. Take the following case of mine as an example;
Case #1-
Patient information:
Jane is a 45 year old female with hypothyroidism (low thyroid function), she has been on the same thyroid medication for the past 10 years. In the past year, she has complained of worsening PMS symptoms such as irritability, breast tenderness, cramping and weight gain as well as bouts of depression and fatigue. She is a busy professional, mother and wife.
Labs:
I checked her adrenal hormones via salivary testing which showed high cortisol levels and low progesterone levels.
Her thyroid labs were also out of range.
Treatment:
Comprehensive adrenal vitamin and herbal formula- 2 capsules 2x daily
Exercise program- yoga 2x weekly, walking up hills x 45 minutes 3x weekly.
Diet advice- eliminate gluten from diet and increase protein intake.
Continue with the same thyroid medication dose
Return to my office in 6 weeks.
Follow-up:
At the 6 week follow-up we retested her thyroid function which resumed to normal and she reported 90% amelioration in all of her PMS symptoms, increased energy, no depression, and an 10 pound weight loss.
Why did Jane get better?
Cortisol and estrogen can compete for thyroid hormone receptor spots, therefore if cortisol and estrogen levels are high like in Jane’s case than thyroid hormone effectiveness is lessened leading to low thyroid symptoms such as fatigue, weight gain, and PMS. Decreasing cortisol levels to normal can help thyroid hormones act more effectively, avoid adrenal fatigue, and decrease the amount of circulating estrogen levels therefore normalizing progesterone levels.
The cortisol levels were decreased with the adrenal formula and the increased exercise and breathing program. Gluten avoidance aided cortisol balancing which leads to weight loss and lower estrogen levels because much of estrogen can be stored in fat cells.

Stay tuned for next weeks adrenal fatigue case.

Yours in health,

Dr. Britta Zimmer

Chief Naturopathic Physician & Founder

The Holiday Survival System, a combination of anxiety supplements and vitamins produced by goodelements.com, has been featured in the fine living section of justluxe.com as trendy gift idea to help others cope with holiday stress.

The article highlights products from goodelements.com that are “designed for gifting to others, including family, friends, colleagues, coaches, teachers or other health-minded acquaintances,” as they contain gentle anxiety supplements to help friends and relatives cope with the overall stress of the season or any time of year

This same article also features the Well Being Gift Set, which is designed to promote balanced nutrition, improved immunity and overall good health during the stressful and virus plagued holiday season. These products are not only great gifts for the Holidays but can also make great Valentines gifts.