Posts by Sara Szal MD
Covid-19: Comorbidities, Long-Haul Symptoms, and Immune Resilience
Vaccines are getting distributed at increasing rates. Researchers are testing 68 vaccines in human clinical trials, 20 are the final stage of testing, and two are approved for full use according to the New York Times vaccine tracker. However, depending on your risk category and the state in which you live, it could be months…
Read MoreBrain/Body Prebiotic Porridge
This porridge is what I eat when I want something warm and comforting in the morning—or the occasional dinner! It is packed with fiber, which plays an important part in gut health and healthy hormonal balance. Fiber also features in my Brain Body Diet detoxification protocols. Ingredients: 1 cup warm unsweetened almond or cashew milk…
Read MorePCOS: Natural Solutions for a Common Hormone Imbalance
What is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)? It is a complex endocrine disorder that affects 20 to 30 percent of women. In medicine, we use the term syndrome to describe a collection of signs and symptoms that don’t necessarily have a single identifiable cause or pathological process. PCOS causes the sex hormones in women to become…
Read MoreHot Flashes and Night Sweats: New Data That You Need to Know
The most classic symptoms of low estrogen are hot flashes and night sweats, collectively known as vasomotor symptoms. Vasomotor symptoms are an extreme thermoregulatory response associated with profuse sweating, flushing, and increased heart rate. Vasomotor symptoms can last for seconds to minutes, and frequency varies throughout the day and night.
Read MoreEndometriosis: Diet and Lifestyle Changes That Help
Endometriosis is an often undiagnosed problem that affects 10 to 15% of women.1 What happens with endometriosis is that the cells similar to the endometrium, or uterine lining, implant outside the uterus, usually on the ovaries or other pelvic organs, causing inflammation and sometimes extreme pain.
Read MoreCreamy Greens Soup: A Great Source of Calcium
The dairy industry would have us believe that milk is an indispensable source of calcium in our diet as calcium is necessary for healthy bones. What the milk advertisements don’t tell us is that there are many other sources of calcium besides dairy products, and that the mineral is only one of the building blocks…
Read MoreBioidentical Hormone Therapy, Part 1: What’s Safe? What’s Smart?
I’ve been prescribing bioidentical hormone therapy since 1994. In the 25+ years since that first prescription for bioidentical hormones, we have evidence for and against their use. This has led to confusion, misinformation, and even guidelines from mainstream medical societies that are not consistently evidence-based.1 Fortunately, a masterful new book sets the record straight: Tapestry…
Read MoreHormone Therapy for Women: What Are the Known Risks?
Discussion about hormone therapy for perimenopause and menopause is complex. Questions about safety, timing, and duration typically require a nuanced conversation about a person’s history, diet, lifestyle, risk factors, genetics, blood tests, and cognitive function. This article illustrates why the discussions are complicated and how I approach them. I practice Precision Medicine, which means that…
Read MoreHow Do We Create Antiracist Healthcare?
I take respectful care of my patients regardless of skin color, but in the past few years, I’ve realized that is not enough. There are many sources of information and inspiration that have influenced me. First is my grandfather, my lifelong mentor, a biracial White/Black man from Texas who played college football and rose through…
Read MoreRacism in Medicine: 5 Disparities That Point to Health Inequality
It’s time to acknowledge the role of racism in medicine in the United States. It’s not just the racism of George Floyd that we witnessed on video at the hands of police, it’s the daily traumatizing experiences of Black Americans at our hands as well in the US healthcare system. While most physicians and other…
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