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Sara Gottfried MD
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Sara Gottfried MD
  • Home
  • About Dr Sara
    • Media
    • Contact
  • Books
    • Women, Food, and Hormones
    • Younger
    • Brain Body Diet
    • Hormone Reset Diet
    • The Hormone Cure
  • Upcoming Events
  • Blog
    • Recipes
    • Women’s Health
    • Hormones
    • Weight Loss
    • Cleanse
    • Stress Management

Balance

I’m a Doctor. Here’s What I Eat On a Typical Day.

By Sara Gottfried, MD | May 9, 2016

I’m a board-certified gynecologist who practices functional medicine for women but I’m also a regular gal – busy working mom, constant chauffeur for my daughters, devoted wife, and spiritual seeker.…

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Dial in the Carbs: Choosing the Right Dose for You in 3 Easy Steps

By Sara Gottfried, MD | January 18, 2016

Confused about carbs? You’re not alone. There’s a lot of conflicting information out there. Maybe you’ve been Paleo for a while, or perhaps you’ve just started to ditch carbs in…

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Kale and Coffee? Interview with My Favorite Health Renegade

By Sara Gottfried, MD | July 19, 2015

Hi Everyone—today we have a special treat for you . . . my friend Kevin Gianni, author of the new book Kale and Coffee agreed to answer some of my…

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Detox, Retox, Detox: My #1 Recommendation to Upgrade Your Health

By Sara Gottfried, MD | March 13, 2015

One of the top questions I get asked is what I recommend to help the body fix itself, at a foundational level. Perhaps you are craving this knowledge, and want nothing…

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Part-Time Paleo: How to Go Paleo Without Going Crazy – Dr. Sara’s Book Club #18

By Sara Gottfried, MD | September 23, 2014

In a culture where the “all-or-nothing” attitude prevails, it’s refreshing to give ourselves a little break — especially when it comes to how we eat. I’ve always been a big…

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Fitting into Your Skinny Jeans: Why This Second Set of Genes May Be Making It Difficult

By Sara Gottfried, MD | August 23, 2014
Concept of Diet and Lose Weight

“I’m nowhere near the finish line,” my patient said during our fifth consultation, sighing vacantly as she stared at the floor. With a waist circumference of 38 inches, triglycerides of…

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Balance Your Hormones, Balance Your Life: Dr. Sara’s Book Club #16

By Sara Gottfried, MD | July 26, 2014
Hormonal Balance, Balance Your Life: Dr. Sara’s Book Club #16

It’s not every day I meet another female doctor who loves talking about hormones as much as I do.  But when I chatted recently with Dr. Claudia Welch, author of…

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Dr. Sara’s Genius Bar: My Favorite Healthy Recipe Blogs

By Sara Gottfried, MD | July 24, 2014
Dr Sara’s Genius Bar: My Favorite Clean Recipe Blogs

Is there anything better than stumbling upon a recipe that’s both healthy and makes you drool over the thought of eating it?  Like Hippocrates said, food is medicine – and…

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The 7-Day Allergy Makeover – Dr. Sara’s Book Club #14

By Sara Gottfried, MD | May 17, 2014
The 7-Day Allergy Makeover - Dr. Sara’s Book Club #14

Allergies rank high on the health misery scale. They affect about 50 million people in the United States. Even mild allergy symptoms can bring about fatigue, congestion, bloating and brain fog.…

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Dr. Sara’s Genius Bar: Top 4 Podcasts in Health

By Sara Gottfried, MD | May 1, 2014
Dr Sara’s Genius Bar Top 4 Podcasts in Health

Still trying to get through that stack of self-help books you have sitting on your nightstand? In today’s article, Dr. Sara Gottfried shares her favorite free health podcasts by Dr.…

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Older Posts »

PRAISE

“For the first time in my adult life I feel that I have gained control over food. I feel healthier, look better and have gained an interest in making sure that what I am putting into my body is the best it can be. And I lost 10 pounds in all the right places.”

– Janice Lunde, Dr. Sara’s Detox Challenge Participant

“Dr. Sara is the height of excellence! She is incredibly knowledgeable and gives very generously of her time. I feel so blessed to have been able to work with her.”

– Yvonne Varah

“You don’t have to settle for being stressed out, binging on sugar and chocolate, and aging prematurely. Stop blaming yourself and step into sacred action. It’s your birthright. You can have the joyous, mission-driven life you want, and Dr. Sara is here to show us how.”

– Marci Shimoff, New York Times Bestselling Author of Happy for No Reason and Love for No Reason

“Dr. Gottfried offers powerful and effective tools for addressing the most difficult health issues facing women and men today. She is warm and kind and has so much experience to draw upon, it’s inspiring. Thank you Dr. S!”

– Cassandra Mick

“Dr. Sara Gottfried is a modern-day healer goddess if ever there was one, and she also happens to be a Harvard Medical School graduate and rigorous physician-scientist.”

– Christiane Northrup MD, author of Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom

“Dr. Gottfried’s book and detox came at a time when I was ready to give in to old age. Hot flashes, low energy and libido, weight gain, increasing blood pressure and cholesterol levels were unacceptable to me. I now know that hormone levels and what I eat are a huge influence on how I feel and look. To now be able to control something that was out of control is empowering…”

Cheryl V., Dr. Sara’s Detox Challenge Participant

“My health coach told me about your book and I took the [hormone] test, and lo and behold, I found I was a mess, hormonally speaking. Now I’m getting on track and I love your videos and your book. I feel like I’m getting my life back again, when not long ago I truly thought I was losing it!”

-Tracy, Registered Nurse

“You don’t have to accept the hormonal hell of being tired, stressed, overweight, and never in the mood for sex as you grow older. In her fabulous new book, the brilliant Dr. Gottfried gives you an effective, easy-to-follow plan to balance your hormones and become lean, energetic, and loving life again. Stop settling and reclaim your sexy!”

–JJ Virgin, Author of Six Weeks to Sleeveless and Sexy and The Virgin Diet

“I lost 10 lbs., reset my hormones and metabolism and eliminated my sugar cravings! I have also found that I respond to stress much differently, I feel it, notice it and move on from it. Stress no longer has a grip on me. Dr. Sara’s conference calls and detox information was invaluable. I am so grateful for this program. Thank you Dr. Sara!”

–Sophia, Dr. Sara’s Detox Challenge Participant

“The Hormone Cure is the playbook for your mojo, your mind, and your bootie. With every chapter I thought, ‘So THAT’s how that works.’ I wanted to call every girlfriend and give them the goods on how to glow… now and always.”

-Danielle LaPorte, Author of The Fire Starter Sessions and The Desire Map

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When you have low thyroid function, you make more When you have low thyroid function, you make more thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). TSH is not made in your thyroid, it’s made in your pituitary gland in your brain. When your thyroid gland is not making enough thyroid hormone, your brain senses it. Your hypothalamus tells the pituitary to crank out more TSH and whip that thyroid into shape by stimulating greater production of thyroid hormones. As a result, the hormone factory in the thyroid manufactures more thyroid hormones, which are then sensed by the brain. Often the thyroid will adjust sufficiently, and TSH settles back down to normal. If not, your TSH levels will climb correlating with the severity of the problem. Mainstream medicine usually defines thyroid problems as: 🟤Overt hypothyroidism: TSH levels are high, but total and free T3 and T4 are below normal Or 🟤Subclinical hypothyroidism: TSH levels are high, above 2.5, but total and free T3 and T4 are in the normal range. In my years of practice, I’ve observed gradations of thyroid IMBALANCE. More people, particularly women, brave thyroid imbalance because of old reference ranges for the thyroid. That’s a lot of sluggish, uncomfortable, and unhappy people. I recommend a full hormone panel to my patients, including TSH, free T3, free T4, reverse T3, thyroid peroxidase antibodies, and anti-thyroglobulin antibodies. Your mainstream doc will probably only check TSH, maybe free T4. In 2002, the AACC lowered the normal range for TSH to 0.3-2.5 mIU/L. Your doc may not know this and still use the old range. Don’t forget that if you purchased my book WOMEN, FOOD, AND HORMONES, you can still access the bonus gifts for your purchase. These include optimal lab ranges (including thyroid labs) as well as a bonus hour-long webinar on Thyroid Disorders: Integrative Assessment and Treatment. Click on the main link on my profile page and you will see the Bonus Gift link. Save this post to refer back to as we continue with the thyroid. Next, I will dive deeper into free T3 & T4 and reverse T3. Is this post helpful? #thyroidproblems #thyroidawareness #hypothyroidism #hyperthyroid #hashimotosdisease #thehormonecure #womenfoodhormones
You cannot realize your full potential in the worl You cannot realize your full potential in the world if your thyroid is working against you. Your thyroid is a major endocrine gland in the front of your neck, and its main job is to produce and store hormones that regulate weight, energy, and metabolism (the rate at which you burn calories). Just like the drummer in a band, if your thyroid doesn’t set the right pace for your cell’s metabolic activity, you may feel slow—physically and cognitively—and gain weight. People with low thyroid function (hypothyroidism) may experience blood sugar problems and inflammation. ☑️When your thyroid is working properly, you feel energetic, think clearly, and are upbeat. ☑️Your weight is easier to manage. ☑️Your bowel moves food along at a normal pace. ☑️You don’t wear socks to bed or need to outline your eyebrows. ☑️Your cholesterol is normal. ☑️Your hair stays on your head, your skin is moist and your nails aren’t dried out. ☑️Your sex drive is strong, and your memory is crystal clear. Conventional physicians often respond with skepticism and derision to people who earnestly ask for thyroid help so I want to help you understand your thyroid. This week, I’ll cover: ◾Causes of thyroid dysfunction, including toxins, food, and genetics ◾Testing your thyroid and the numbers you need to look at, including T3/T4 and reverse T3+ ◾Why you need carbs for your thyroid function ◾Steps to boost your thyroid function Like, save, and share😍 . . . #thyroid #thyroidhealing #thyroidproblems #thyroidhealth #thyroidweightloss #thyroiddisease #thyroidawareness #hypothyroidism #hyperthyroid #hashimoto #hashimotosdisease #hashimotothyroiditis #hormonebalance #hormoneimbalance
Best diet for glucose control? 100% plant-based w Best diet for glucose control? 100% plant-based whole foods (with zero processed fake food) is probably the most effective according to the scientific literature but it leaves me too hungry. Even hangry! Mediterranean and ketogenic diet are next best in terms of proof. But I gain weight on the Mediterranean Diet. Maybe it’s because of past trauma—all those grains, beans, and fruits spike my blood sugar unnecessarily. I find that after 35, plant-rich #keto helps me the most with blood sugar stabilization though it took me years to refine it for myself. I didn’t burn fat when I ate too much saturated fat but high plant-based fat (olives, avocados, coconut, nuts, seeds, EVOO, etc.) together with moderate lean protein (mostly fish, eggs, wild game, pastured meat), and low-ish carb (just slightly less than my carb limit) truly helped me become metabolically flexible, i.e., able to switch between burning carbs and fat as needed. Mostly plant-based keto combined with intermittent fasting (the back door to ketosis) brought my mean glucose to <90 mg/dL with minimal variability (<15 mg/dL per day). Want to learn more? Pick up my latest book—link in bio! I provide the 3-step process to create blood sugar stability and heal insulin resistance. It’s what I’ve used to reverse my #prediabetes and decrease my metabolic age. Food is a primary driver of blood sugar regulation and dysregulation along with genetics and lifestyle—and as I covered in a previous reel, trauma (big T and probably little t types of trauma). What’s your experience with best food plan for blood sugar? #metabolism #nutrition #metabolicflexibility #metabolichealth #autoimmune #trauma #plantbased #ketogenicdiet #mediterranean #mediterraneandiet #health #stress #lifestyle
Natural solutions for PMS. I am careful not to o Natural solutions for PMS. I am careful not to overpathologize PMS because often women who are people-pleasers—who overprovide, overfunction, overaccommodate—may speak their truth during the luteal phase when they say things they wouldn’t normally during the rest of their cycle. However, when patients come to me saying they are suffering because of their PMS, then this is what I advise. Here’s what works for PMS: ◾Calcium, as calcium carbonate or citrate, reduces PMS by 50% Dose: 600 mg 2x/day taken orally ◾Magnesium helps with bloating Dose: 200 mg/day ◾Vitamin B6 also helps with bloating Dose: 50 to 100 mg/day. Taken with magnesium, B6 reduces PMS-related anxiety. B6 is involved in the production of many neurotransmitters, including serotonin, which controls mood, sleep, and appetite, and dopamine, which controls pleasure and satisfaction. Recently, vitamins B1 and B2 were shown to be lower during PMS, and low vitamin D was also associated with PMS, but we do not yet have randomized trials supporting their use for treatment. ◾Regular exercise like brisk walking helps. It’s the frequency not the intensity that is shown to help. ◾Acupuncture, homeopathy and guided visualization have all been shown in randomized trials to help PMS. 🌿Botanicals: Chasteberry (vitex) has 5 randomized trials showing effectiveness for PMS. Dose: 500 to 1,000 mg/day raises progesterone levels St. John’s wort: a randomized trial showed that the combination of this botanical and chasteberry was effective for PMS in perimenopausal women. But consult with your doctor if you already are taking an antidepressant or antipsychotic medication before trying St. John’s wort You can find the full Gottfried protocol for PMS in my book THE HORMONE CURE What’s worked for you? . . . #hormone #hormonehealth #hormonebalance #hormoneimbalance #hormones #hormonesupport #hormonebalancing #hormonereplacementtherapy #hormonetherapy #hormonereplacement #hormonehealing #hormonereset #healthyhormones #hormonen #hormoneoptimization #hormonal #hormonalimbalance #hormonalhealth #hormonalbalance #progesterone #progesteronedeficiency
Progesterone resistance and its effect in the body Progesterone resistance and its effect in the body. Progesterone resistance can be seen in women with endometriosis and may contribute to its development in some cases. Estrogen and progesterone are in balance with one another but if progesterone is low, then estrogen dominates because the levels are relatively high compared to its partner hormone, progesterone. In one study, nearly half of the women with endometriosis had either low blood progesterone or a short luteal phase. Women with endometriosis don’t make enough progesterone receptors, particularly in the endometriosis growths, or cells become numb to progesterone. That makes it difficult to shut down estrogen activity, so estrogen levels rise, especially around the aberrant growths, thus worsening the symptoms of endometriosis. For some women who suffer from PMS, a form of progesterone resistance may be the cause. Progesterone stimulates GABA receptors, and GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) has sedative qualities. In certain women with PMS, progesterone after ovulation changes the GABA receptor so that it is no longer able to respond to progesterone and other neurosteroids. This creates a form of “progesterone resistance” because the neurosteroid receptor is unresponsive. It’s like a complicated key that fits snugly into a lock and opens a door. Progesterone is the key to the lock (in this analogy, the receptor for GABA). Since the progesterone is supposed to unlock the door, and the lock is jammed, there’s no calm for you in the luteal phase. Enter PMS. All bets are off—and more progesterone doesn’t open the door. Would you like some integrative strategies for PMS? Drop a 🙋‍♀️below and I’ll share those next. . . . #thehormonecure #hormonebalance #hormoneimbalance #perimenopause #menopause #estrogen #estrogendominance #endometriosis #estrogenos #estrogenoverload #estrogenbalance #progesterone #perimenopausesymptoms #perimenopauserelief #menopauserelief #naltrexone #menopausesupport #menopausesymptoms #menopausehealth #estradiol #microbiome #microbiomehealth #estrobolome
How can you increase your body’s progesterone le How can you increase your body’s progesterone level? When you’re premenopausal, your ovaries still may be able to produce progesterone, but they may need a nudge. 🟤Vitamin C: It’s an OTC nutraceutical treatment for low progesterone proven to be effective + works in surprisingly low doses. Doses 750-1000 mg/day have been shown to raise progesterone levels in women. 🟤Chasteberry aka Vitex: Dose 500-1,000 mg/day. We don't fully understand how it works but we do know this botanical has a good safety profile with >60 years of clinical research behind it including 5 randomized trials. 🟤Reduce caffeine: High cortisol can block progesterone receptors and your daily dose of caffeine may be decreasing the ability of your progesterone to bind to its receptor and do its job. Start by switching from regular coffee to yerba mate or green tea, and from yerba mate or green tea to decaffeinated green tea, and then to flavorful herbal teas, such as rooibos and fruit teas. Once you’ve had your final period and a year passes (the definition of menopause), bioidentical topical or oral progesterone is a good choice. Bioidentical progesterone is biochemically the same as the progesterone you make in your ovaries. In most over-the-counter creams, 20 mg equals about ¼ teaspoon. Rubbing ¼ teaspoon (about the size of a dime) into your arms where they’re hairless and the skin is thin, for 14 to 25 nights per month, is often enough to relieve symptoms of low progesterone. See pages 144/145 in THE HORMONE CURE for more on bioidentical progesterone. Any decision to use bioidentical hormones should be made together with your doctor based on symptoms and only after a careful review of all of the risk factors. And don’t forget, men need progesterone too esp for sleep! #hormone #hormonehealth #hormonebalance #hormoneimbalance #hormones #hormonesupport #hormonebalancing #hormonereplacementtherapy #hormonetherapy #hormonereplacement #hormonehealing #hormonereset #healthyhormones #hormonen #hormoneoptimization #hormonal #hormonalimbalance #hormonalhealth #hormonalbalance #progesterone #progesteronedeficiency #estrogendominance #perimenopause #menopause
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