Susan Merenstein, Pharmacist/Owner
April 23, 2024
We talk a lot about estrogen, especially in perimenopause and menopause. But there’s another hormone that’s equally important to women’s health (and sanity): progesterone. And honest…
April 1, 2022
When the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine released its FDA-funded report on cBHT in July 2020—which included a recommendation for across-the-board restrictions on compound…
March 2, 2022
What is the difference between natural and synthetic Progesterone? Progesterone was first crystallized in 1934, and today is available from plant sources. “Natural” micronized progesterone…
January 1, 2020
Dear Friends, Are YOU prepared for Menopause?! It doesn’t have to be a scary or traumatic experience with these helpful suggestions. You will need to be aware of your symptoms, educated on hormo…
June 4, 2024
Ascorbyl Palmitate is an ester derived from ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) and palmitic acid. Palmitic acid is the most ubiquitous saturated fatty acid found in living organisms, and binding it to ascorbic…
January 23, 2024
A randomized controlled clinical trial led by Prof. Iris Shai of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel, an adjunct Professor from the Harvard School of Public Health and an honorary professor at…
January 2, 2024
Magnesium deficiency is often misdiagnosed because it does not show up in blood tests – only 1% of the body's magnesium is stored in the blood. Most doctors and laboratories don't even include…
January 2, 2024
1) Grapes Many fruits are high in sugar and will produce blood sugar spikes (although whole fruit is always better than juice). Grapes have 15g–20g of sugar per cup and many people find they ra…
January 2, 2024
"Minerals such as magnesium, zinc and selenium all play essential roles in both innate and adaptive immune structures and processes.*" Click below to shop! Magnesium Selenomethionine Zinc…
January 2, 2024
Vitamin D the sunshine vitamin (hormone) Pittsburgh only gets 45% sun per year…this means a lack of Vitamin D. Read the study below to learn of Vitamin D’s link to cognitive decline prev…
January 2, 2024
Scientists and medical experts agree that the key to optimal health and vitality is a healthy immune system. Mother Nature’s singular goal is survival of the species. To the extent that we contr…
January 2, 2024
WHY WE NEED MAGNESIUM (ACTIONS/FUNCTION) Magnesium supplementation is actually crucial for everyone today but we have to pay special attention to the method of supplementation because this is critical…
November 14, 2023
While John R. Lee, M.D. was a leading expert on hormones such as progesterone, he also wrote and lectured widely on other substances that are essential to our health. One of those substances is Vitami…
October 17, 2023
My bedtime is fast approaching but before I go to sleep, I want to share a few thoughts about sleep from the book Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker PhD in Neurop…
September 19, 2023
Written By Ben Bikman, PhD Updated: 07/01/2023 The following article is an excerpt from Why We Get Sick by Levels advisor Ben Bikman, printed here with permission. Why We Get Sick is a ground-breakin…
April 18, 2023
By Mary Biles Menopause is finally getting its moment in the spotlight after being largely ignored by the medical profession or at best talked about in lowered voices and euphemisms. In the last coup…
April 11, 2023
Dr. Kate Placzek Thursday, July 25, 2019 A symbol of femininity for so many women, our hair demands attention. Both deeply personal and superficially public, changes in the looks of our hair can inspi…
March 28, 2023
A Mediterranean diet is a key recommendation for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and death. But current dietary advice is not sex-specific, and many Mediterranean dietary studi…
March 20, 2023
Dr. Anna Cabeca Experiencing Activities you Love Here are some of my favorites: walking on the beach, watching sunsets and sunrises, painting, horseback riding, cuddling up in your chair with a favori…
February 21, 2023
Timing Smoking Cessation Attempts with Women’s Hormone Levels Could Improve Success July 3, 2022 Summary: When a woman’s progesterone increases from a low level, the fewer cigarettes they…
February 14, 2023
Hello Friends, Last month we shared Dr. Michael Greger, MD’s thoughts on saturated fat and Type 2 Diabetes, but keep in mind that the Sad American Diet of most people is not the same as eating…
February 14, 2023
Source: Dr. Izabella Wentz For many of us women, hair loss can be a distressing symptom that we experience with Hashimoto’s. In many ways, our hair represents our femininity. When we experience…
February 14, 2023
What Are Bioidentical Hormones? The term bioidentical does not indicate the source of the hormone but rather the chemical structure. Bioidentical hormones are originally derived from a molecule called…
February 14, 2023
FDA is threatening cBHT restrictions. Urge your member of Congress to weigh in! In the wake of that flawed NASEM study (https://a4pc.org/NASEM-cBHT), FDA has said it will consider restricting compound…
February 14, 2023
A 2020 FDA-funded report published by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine on the safety and utility of compounded hormones is compromised by potential bias, conflicts of inter…
February 14, 2023
What is Rosacea and why does it need a month of awareness... no other inflammatory skin disorder like acne, psoriasis, eczema has an awareness month? Rosacea is a genetic-based inflammatory skin disor…
February 14, 2023
By Dr. Kate Placzek, ZRT labs A symbol of femininity for so many women, our hair demands attention. Both deeply personal and superficially public, changes in the looks of our hair can inspire a range…
December 29, 2022
The vast majority of breast cancers start out “hormone-dependent,” meaning the primary human estrogen, called “estradiol plays a crucial role in [breast cancer] development and progr…
November 10, 2022
By Dr.Casey Means, MD Food is information for your cells. That’s why every food and beverage you consume can support or undermine how well your body functions. For instance, foods made with adde…
August 8, 2022
Hey, If there’s anything I’ve learned in my decades of studying Functional Medicine, it’s that health is multidimensional. We need to approach health through many different channels…
March 21, 2022
Stress is part of everyday life-we can’t eliminate it, but we can control our response to it.. According to an annual market research study conducted in collaboration with the American Psycholog…
March 15, 2022
Perceived Stress Scale A more precise measure of personal stress can be determined by using a variety of instruments that have been designed to help measure individual stress levels. The first of thes…
March 12, 2022
The foundation of the 10 Day Reset program is real, whole food. This means that anyone can participate in the program even if they choose not to use the 10 Day Reset kit. Visit the link to learn more!…
March 11, 2022
This Ethical Eater’s Pocket Guide is your new go-to resource for becoming a conscious consumer. It will teach you which labels and claims to look for as your maneuver the grocery store, along w…
March 10, 2022
When people ask me, what is functional medicine? I say it is the science of creating health. Instead, what most of us experience today is conventional medicine, which focuses on diagnosis and treatmen…
March 8, 2022
Think about this. Insulin resistance contributes to most chronic disease in America, a country with world -renowned health care, yet 90 percent of people who have this condition have not been diagnos…
March 7, 2022
The Italian magazine Evolutamente recently published a well-researched article exploring the link between melatonin and COVID-19, pneumonia and inflammation. It’s a compelling article so let&rsq…
March 5, 2022
Women make one-tenth as much testosterone as males. Normal, healthy women make testosterone in ovaries (stimulated by LH from the pituitary), adrenal glands, skin, muscles, and body fat. Research has…
February 28, 2022
An excellent article by James E. Barker, ND details how hormones are the “fountain of youth” in the human body. Their job is to regulate the functions of different tissues and organs as w…
October 1, 2021
Menopause can be a confusing time for many women and their families, and as a society we tend to steer away from having open, honest conversations about this very important transition in a woman&rsquo…
September 1, 2021
Delivery of the bioidentical hormones estradiol (E2), progesterone (Pg), and testosterone (T) through the skin as a cream or gel (topically) has become a mainstay of bioidentical hormone replacement t…
July 30, 2021
Hormonal imbalances like those seen during peri-menopause and menopause may respond well to Gentle Hormone Restoration Therapy. Women utilizing any kind of hormonal therapy should not assume they are…
July 1, 2021
One of the most common signs associated with advancing age is wrinkling, thinning, and sagging of the skin. Several different internal and external processes can contribute to these signs. Winter cold…
June 1, 2021
You can cause or help prevent cardiovascular disease, depending on the hormone you choose. I'm about to give you a lot of seemingly discouraging statistics about women and heart disease, but stay with…
May 1, 2021
..researchers reported that vitamin D levels are associated with symptoms of pelvic floor disorders. The National Institutes of health state that pelvic floor disorders will affect one-fourth of all w…
May 1, 2021
Hormones are the basis of our behavior and personality. In most ways, they make us who we are. They impact everything from attraction to appetite - affecting our mood, our weight, our food-cravings, a…
April 1, 2021
Delivery of the bioidentical hormones estradiol (E2), progesterone (Pg), and testosterone (T) through the skin as a cream or gel (topically) has become a mainstay of bioidentical hormone replacement t…
March 1, 2021
1. If you take Synthroid/levothyroxine or have hypothyroidism, low thyroid levels, or a sluggish thyroid, you likely have Hashimoto’s. Hashimoto’s and hypothyroidism are NOT always the sam…
February 17, 2021
I have come to understand that: My health is my greatest asset. I can be happy in myself, irrespective of my relationships. I can live my life as an expression of myself, and not justify it to others.…
February 10, 2021
Remember that everything you put on the skin eventually ends up in the body! One of the most important skin care goals is improving the health and thus the appearance of the skin. This is done by impr…
February 1, 2021
The aging process is challenging enough without the fear of declining cognitive function. Studies have shown that there is a memory decline from age 25 to age 40 of 21%, and continues so that by age 7…
January 22, 2021
Research shows that impaired serotonin function has been associated with psychiatric disorders including depression, anxiety, compulsive behavior, aggression, substance abuse, seasonal affective disor…
January 15, 2021
Do you suffer with anxiety or depression? Do you struggle to fall asleep or stay asleep throughout the night? Men, has your libido fizzled? Women, do you dread the weeks before your period? If you ans…
January 8, 2021
Weight loss research shows that, because of shifting hormone production, the average person will add one to two pounds around their middle each year between the ages of thirty-five and fifty-five. As…
January 1, 2021
30 million adults suffer from thyroid imbalance. Don’t let dysfunction go undiagnosed. The thyroid is a small butterfly-shaped gland that sits behind and below the Adam’s apple. A wide ran…
December 1, 2020
The average person who can’t lose weight – despite eating right and exercising – is generally frustrated and frankly stumped. For many, diet and exercise have generally proven effect…
November 1, 2020
The Doctor's Farmacy with Mark Hyman, M.D. The Functional Medicine Approach To Hypothyroidism And Hashimoto’s Disease | This episode is sponsored by Athletic Greens and Rupa Health While thyroid…
October 1, 2020
Medically reviewed and written by Izabella Wentz, PharmD, FASCP on September 8, 2021 When I first started experiencing symptoms (before my Hashimoto’s diagnosis), and before I had started thinki…
September 1, 2020
Iodine is crucial for healthy breasts and thyroid function and every cell in the body. 72% of the world’s population is affected by iodine deficiency. Why Are We Deficient in Iodine? Fear of usi…
August 1, 2020
1. Difficulty Getting Up Each Morning, Even After A Long Sleep One of the major causes of Adrenal Dysfunction is getting insufficient sleep. Getting more rest is, therefore, one of the best ways to re…
July 1, 2020
You need rest. In fact, your survival literally depends on your ability to sleep. Cortisol, the substance we associate with stress, has a powerful influence on sleep and waking in the human body. Here…
June 1, 2020
Your adrenal glands sit on top of your kidneys, hence the word “Ad” (on top of) and Renal (kidneys). They regulate many critical hormonal jobs as well as make about 50 hormones in your bod…
May 1, 2020
A symbol of femininity for so many women, our hair demands attention. Both deeply personal and superficially public, changes in the looks of our hair can inspire a range of emotions, driving us to wil…
April 1, 2020
Estrogen Dominance is a state where a woman has too much estrogen compared with its counter hormone Progesterone. Estrogen Dominance puts you at significant risk for weight gain, breast cancer, predia…
March 1, 2020
Many of us know that maintaining an ideal weight is difficult despite all the best efforts with diet and exercise. What most don't know is that an undetected hormone imbalance can be the hidden culpri…
February 1, 2020
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 (tetrahydrocann…
August 14, 2015
ESTROGENS (ESTRADIOL AND ESTRIOL) Estrogen’s skin-enhancing effects are well known. It stimulates collagen production and a moisture factor known as hyaluronic acid. Aging decreases both estroge…
