The Optimal Health Blog
The Low Fodmap Diet Reintroduction from Start to Finish
What is The Low Fodmap Diet? Written by Erica Gittleson, RD, medically reviewed and edited by Dr. Bojana Jankovic Weatherly. FODMAP stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols. These are short-chain carbohydrates (sugars)...
Lifestyle interventions for PCOS
Following a PCOS diagnosis, individuals can integrate various medical, supplemental, and nutritional modalities into their lives. After comprehensive testing is done to identify specific areas of concern and to formulate a specialized treatment plan, it is essential...
How to Determine Your Cardiovascular Risk
In my clinical practice, one of the main areas of focus is healthspan – supporting my patients to have longevity and a higher quality of life with evidence-informed tools, personalized to their needs and goals. Given that cardiovascular disease is the number one cause...
Supplemental Recommendations for Individuals with PCOS
Both nutritional and supplemental interventions can have a significant impact on the symptoms associated with PCOS. Women with PCOS are commonly deficient in vitamins and minerals. 1 2 Gathering and assessing blood work as well as discussing specific symptoms with...
The Surprising Controversy of Blastocystis
Written by Jonah Udall; Select sections of article researched, written by, and reviewed by Dr. Bojana Jankovic Weatherly. If you’re like most people, the mention of parasites probably gives you the ick. You may think of severe gut infections from contaminated water,...
How to Create a Plan for Reducing Cholesterol and Cardiovascular Risk
Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of mortality globally. Heart disease is responsible for a third of all deaths in the world. In this article we discuss how to reduce the cardiovascular risk by reducing cholesterol levels. What type of nutritional...
Cocoa Flavanols for ❤️ Health
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgjAOjXlIlY
Healing Habits During Difficult Times
We all go through tough times. Whether it’s a breakup, stress at work, health issues, or the loss of a loved one, stress is part of life. Recognizing our stressors and providing ourselves with the time and space to implement coping strategies is one of the...
What Is Lp(a) and Why Is It Important?
Lipoprotein “little a”, or Lp(a), is a genetically inherited independent cardiovascular disease risk factor. It is composed of an LDL-like particle in which apolipoprotein B100 (ApoB) is linked to Apolipoprotein A (ApoA). Elevated Lp(a) increases the risk of a heart...