Kara Fitzgerald, ND, received her doctor of naturopathic medicine degree from the National University of Natural Medicine in Portland, Oregon. She completed the first Counsel on Naturopathic Medicine-accredited post-doctorate position in nutritional biochemistry and laboratory science at Metametrix Clinical Laboratory under the direction of Richard Lord, PhD. Her residency was completed at Progressive Medical Center, a large, integrative medical practice in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Fitzgerald is the lead author and editor of Case Studies in Integrative and Functional Medicine and is a contributing author to Laboratory Evaluations for Integrative and Functional Medicine and the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM)’s Textbook for Functional Medicine. With the Helfgott Research Institute, Dr. Fitzgerald is actively engaged in clinical research on the DNA methylome using a diet and lifestyle intervention developed in her practice. The first publication from the study focuses on reversal of biological aging and was published 04-12-2021 in the journal Aging. She has published a consumer book titled Younger You as well as a companion cookbook, Better Broths and Healing Tonics and has an application-based Younger You Program, based on the study. Dr. Fitzgerald is on the faculty at IFM, is an IFM Certified Practitioner and lectures globally on functional medicine. She runs a Functional Nutrition Residency program, and maintains a podcast series, New Frontiers in Functional Medicine and an active blog on her website, www.drkarafitzgerald.com. Her clinical practice is in Sandy Hook, Connecticut. Additional publications

Ancient Dukkah Spice Blend

Ancient Dukkah Spice Blend

From Nutrition resident: Jacquelyn Lombari Adapted from: Cannelle et Vanille   The nutritional importance of spices can often be overlooked; however, they are a great way to add both flavor and medicinal benefits to your home cooking regime. Dukkah (derived from the Arabic word “to crush”) is a versatile spice blend originating from ancient Egypt…

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Managing Chronic Stress in Patient Care with Dr. Susan Blum

Let’s face it, folks – we are all grappling with various levels of stress right now. As if chronic stress wasn’t already a top contributor to general health ailments and chronic disease, now add stress from social isolation, the pandemic, and political strife to the list. That’s why we are so grateful to welcome Dr. Susan Blum MD to New Frontiers. Dr. Blum has worked in preventative medicine as a chronic disease specialist for nearly two decades and is the founder and director of Blum Center for Health.

Autoimmune

Autoantibodies Caused by COVID-19 Increase Risk of Severe Early COVID & Long COVID

A new report suggests that COVID-19 patients have increased autoantibodies, resulting in an increased risk of severe early and long COVID-19 symptoms.  Autoantibodies represent a misdirection of our natural immune response towards “self” tissue.  Researchers from Yale School of Medicine tested 194 SARS-CoV-2 infected patients for autoantibodies and found a dramatic increase in autoimmune reactivity compared to…

Cake that looks like a brain

Your Brain Remembers Where High-Calorie Food Is Located: Don’t Bring it into Your Home

People appear to subconsciously remember the location of high-calorie foods better than other, healthier foods, suggesting that bringing these foods into your home may sabotage even the best intentions and strongest will for healthy eating or weight loss.   A study published in Nature investigated “high-calorie spatial memory bias” to better understand whether human memory is biased toward…

Woman having painful stomach ache during working from home,Female suffering from abdominal pain,Period cramps,Hands squeezing belly,Stomach pain

Uterine Fibroids: Mechanisms, Treatment Challenges and the Power of Embracing a Functional Approach

Uterine fibroids are a huge, underappreciated issue. They are the most common gynecological disorder, affecting nearly half of women younger than 40 years old, and far more (~80%) for those older. Frankly, I don’t think we are doing enough to help these patients. Fibroids are the leading indication for hysterectomy in the US, accounting for 39% of all hysterectomies each year, and while some are asymptomatic, symptoms include heavy and prolonged periods, difficulty with intercourse, bowel dysfunction, non-cyclic pelvic pain, low back pain, urinary frequency and urgency, and constipation. Because not all fibroids cause heavy bleeding, their impact can be missed, think: refractory constipation or incontinence. Conventional treatments include pharmacotherapy, surgical interventions, and uterine artery embolization, however, these treatments leave much to be desired. Oral contraceptives are used to manage bleeding, and even after myomectomy, fibroids often recur and 10% of women will undergo hysterectomy within 5 – 10 years.

gene-expression

Epigenetic Reprogramming Restores Age-Related Vision Loss in Mice

Intriguing new research shows that it is possible to reverse age-related cellular dysfunction in vivo, specifically age-related vision loss. This suggests that modifying epigenetic expression is a powerful tool to counteract the damage of aging. The study published in Nature sought to reset the epigenome and DNA methylation patterns by expressing transcription factors, which help…

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The Future of Healthcare Policies & Advocating for Reform with John Weeks

I had the honor to sit down and chat with a leader in our field regarding public health policy and advocacy, John Weeks. What a tremendous force behind the movement of bringing integrative and functional medicine to the forefront of healthcare – and with his 40 years of insight, it was a gift to get a sit-down to discuss where we are, and where we’re going – and how we can get there together. Listen in as we discuss how to create a collaborative and unified vision to light the path for the future of medicine – which will help patients, clinicians, and our entire community. The conversation left me invigorated and inspired and I’m confident it’ll do the same for you. Listen in, and let us know what you think by leaving a comment, review, or shooting us an email. Thanks as always, for the gift of your time. ~DrKF