Caplan Health Institute
Functional Medicine Practitioners
Still Sick Even When Your Labs Are Normal? Here’s Why When I ask my autoimmune patients whether they’ve had a particular lab test, they often say, “My doctor already checked that and it was normal.” But how can everything be fine if you’re having symptoms? How does that make any sense? In fact, when I …
Autoimmune Pain Relief: A Comprehensive Guide to Finding Natural Solutions Are you tired of living with chronic pain caused by autoimmune conditions? Pain is one of the most frustrating and debilitating autoimmune disease symptoms. It’s heartbreaking to see my patients endure this problem. The good news is that a functional medicine approach is highly effective …
Natural Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatments for Long-Term Relief Living with rheumatoid arthritis can be a daily struggle, with the constant pain and inflammation taking a toll on both physical and mental well-being. While traditional treatments such as medication and physical therapy can provide some relief, many individuals are seeking a more holistic approach to managing their …
8 Proven Sjogren’s Syndrome Natural Treatments If you are one of the millions of people living with Sjogren’s syndrome, you know how challenging it can be to manage the symptoms. From dry mouth and eyes to joint pain, gut problems, and fatigue, this autoimmune disorder can make everyday tasks feel overwhelming. While there is no …
6 Easy Ways To Detox for Autoimmune Disease Exposure to toxins is one of the root causes of autoimmune disease, but the best way to detox from these health-destroying chemicals doesn’t have to be difficult. I find that when my patients try these easy ways to detox, their autoimmune health dramatically improves. Here are six …
Common Nutrient Deficiencies as a Cause of Autoimmune Disease If you’re wondering what are the causes of autoimmune diseases, nutrient deficiencies are at the top of the list, but it’s not as simple as that. In some cases, the lack of key nutrients—either from not getting enough in the diet or absorption issues—doesn’t outright cause …
Is Insulin Resistance Causing Your Autoimmune Joint Pain, Belly Fat, and More? Many conventional doctors ignore insulin resistance. And yet, being insulin resistant is to blame for symptoms like autoimmune joint pain, belly fat, hair loss, and brain fog—to name just a few. Insulin resistance often gets missed in testing. Instead, the doctor only orders …
Histamine intolerance, or the inability to effectively break down histamine, is a condition that affects hundreds of thousands of people worldwide. Histamine plays an important role in our immune system health, but when too much is circulating throughout our bodies, it can cause a slew of unwanted symptoms. It is commonly thought that histamine reactions …
Sourdough bread is becoming popular across the nation for more reasons than one. It is not only arguably more nutritious than conventional breads, it is also easier to digest and has a unique flavor profile many prefer. Sourdough refers to exactly what it sounds like- “sour” or fermented dough shaped and baked just like other …
EBV and Autoimmune Disease: Symptoms, Tests, and Treatments There are many chronic infections that are linked to the development or worsening of autoimmune diseases. These infections include Lyme disease, fungal overgrowth in the sinuses, and cytomegalovirus (CMV). But one of the most common chronic infections I see in clinical practice is Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). This …
When we think of health, we tend to associate this term with nutrition, exercise, and stress management, but what if there was a crucial piece of the wellness puzzle that we were missing? Research has begun to reveal the unfortunate truth that the average individual is exposed to numerous toxic chemicals each day. Chemical and …
You’ve probably heard about electromagnetic fields (EMFs) and know that they’re usually very damaging to your health. But did you know there are good EMFs and bad EMFs? These good EMFs are called pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs), and PEMF therapy can be used together with other natural autoimmune disease treatments. In this blog post I’ll …
Tasty Autoimmune Recipes for a Lupus Diet Plan One of the most common complaints I hear from my lupus patients and autoimmune patients in general is: “What am I supposed to eat?” When I tell them what foods make lupus worse, they feel very restricted. The good news is that there are plenty of lupus …
Some foods can trigger an autoimmune reaction that can produce several symptoms depending on the person. Frequently, these are gastrointestinal symptoms like constipation and bloating. However, aside from gut symptoms, food sensitivities can cause joint, skin, and brain symptoms, to name just a few. What Are Food Sensitivities? Sometimes it is challenging to discover a …
What Causes Autoimmune Diseases Part 2 It’s a great mystery why some people develop autoimmune disease and others don’t, even when they share the same genes and the same home environment. But I am cracking the case today in this article and in part one. I have seen both external factors and internal factors set …
In our first article on this topic, we explained why digestion is so important. You can thank digestion for giving your body all of the nutrition and energy it needs. Optimum digestion sets you up for a healthy immune response. It is one of the 4 pillars of gut health, meaning it leads the way …
Digestion starts before you put that first mouthful of food in your mouth. It begins when you’re preparing your food, smelling the pleasant aromas, and salivating as you imagine what it will taste like. In fact, digestion happens in phases. Why is digestion important? You need to eat to live, but why is digestion so …
The Autoimmune Equation Part 1 – Why Some People Develop Autoimmunity and Others Don’t Autoimmunity is when the immune system forms antibodies to your own tissue. But why does this happen? What causes autoimmune diseases in the first place? Why doesn’t everyone develop an autoimmune issue? There are both external and internal reasons why your …
You may have heard about lectins lately. They’ve received more attention in the media for their possible adverse effects on health. For some people, lectins can cause issues, especially with digestion. That’s why some people benefit from reducing or eliminating lectins from their diet. What are lectins? So what exactly are lectins, and what is …
Yes, You Have Autoimmunity. But Is It Really Caused By Leaky Gut? Over and over again, autoimmunity patients arrive at our clinic for the first time with stories of frustration. There are two reasons for their frustration. First, their doctor ordered tests, but when the results came back, they were told everything was normal and …
Have you ever felt like your autoimmune disease came on suddenly, almost overnight? For many of my patients, it seemed like everything was fine, and then one day – poof! – they were given an autoimmune diagnosis. While it may seem like an autoimmune disease appears suddenly out of nowhere, it actually can be brewing …
How Autoimmune Patients Can Stay Healthy in the Sun, Water, and on Summer Vacation Summer brings with it time spent outdoors, vacations that tempt us to eat foods that aren’t good for us, and exposure to chlorine in swimming pools—to name just a few seasonal threats. People with autoimmune diseases need to be especially careful …
A patriotic treat that’s sure to be a hit at the 4th of July party or the next BBQ. Made with lower glycemic ingredients it’s a perfect light treat for summer! Bar Ingredients:* 1 1/2 cups of blanched almond flour* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda * 1/4 teaspoon sea salt* 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted* 1 1/2 tablespoons …
What Do Food Sensitivities Have to Do With Autoimmunity? Actually, a lot. You will discover that the two have much to do with each other. Let’s explore what food sensitivities are and how they are connected to autoimmune disorders. In functional medicine, food is medicine, but what happens when the foods you eat trigger a …
Did you know that there are over 100 autoimmune conditions? Autoimmune conditions have become more prevalent, are often misdiagnosed, and each needs to be looked at differently. Functional medicine is different from conventional or standard medicine and looks for the root cause of an autoimmune disorder rather than just the symptoms. Regardless of the tissue …
Mental health has gained national awareness over the last few years as people struggle with conditions affecting brain health including anxiety, depression, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, autism, multiple sclerosis, and brain fog. These can all be attributed to many root causes and often are related to autoimmune diseases as well. As I discussed in an earlier blog, …
Part 1 If you’re struggling with brain fog, it can be very tough and discouraging. Some people may tell you it’s all in your head. But there’s great news for people with brain fog: it’s a real thing and there are functional medicine solutions to help you get your brain function back. In fact, brain …
Four Key Nutrients That Can Help Turn Off the Autoimmune Process If you are struggling with an autoimmune disease, then you have an overreactive immune system that is mistakenly attacking your (self) tissues. Since we work with patients with a broad spectrum of autoimmune conditions, we have noticed that there are a few key nutrients …
A Different Perspective on Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis If you have received a Hashimoto’s diagnosis, then you were probably told that you have a problem with your thyroid gland and the solution is to take a thyroid pill— for life. We look at this differently. Using a functional medicine perspective, we see Hashimoto’s not as a thyroid gland …
Your microbiome can be your best friend or your worst enemy when it comes to your health. It’s a world that we’ve known for thousands of years plays a critical role in our health, yet we knew almost nothing about it until recently. Thanks to scientific discoveries, we now have a much clearer picture of …
Urgent vs. Important is the question we are discussing today. Let’s start with a universal fact. We know that change is not easy. As doctors, we see how much people suffer because they believe they aren’t able to change. We want you to know something. You are ALL capable of change. The Urgent or Important …
As women, we get so caught up in all the busy-ness and responsibilities of life that we neglect ourselves. We put ourselves last. Responsible self-care is putting yourself first! Remember how they instruct passengers on an airplane? Put on your own oxygen mask before helping your children put on their masks. Put your health and …
Autoimmune Recipes: Avocado Burger with Sweet Potato Bun INGREDIENTS For the Buns 2–3 large, round sweet potatoes 1 Tablespoon coconut oil 1/4 Teaspoon sea salt For the Burgers 1 lb. ground beef 1 Teaspoon sea salt One Teaspoon garlic powder 1 Teaspoon onion powder Toppings 1 Medium avocado, sliced Sliced red onion Arugula INSTRUCTIONS For …
Eating the right foods to reduce inflammation over a holiday weekend isn’t always easy. The burgers and hot dogs are everywhere, along with tons of unhealthy fats hidden in dips and sauces. And unhealthy fats can be a huge trigger for autoimmunity, because they store up toxicity in a big way. It’s easy to get …
We are so excited to share our newest podcast with Ashley Harris, founder of LoveBug Probiotics. Dr. Tiffany and Baby Audrey are personal fans of LoveBug, and she had such a great time picking Ashley’s brain on all things probiotics and gut health. Interested in purchasing some LoveBug Probiotics? Click here! Take a look at …
Hi everyone, This weeks podcast features Dr. Tiffany Caplan interviewing Michael Collins, CEO of SugarAddiction.com, to talk about sugar addiction and his story behind getting rid of sugar in his life. [00:00] Introduction[03:10] Addiction: drugs, alcohol, and sugar[09:57] Accountability, withdrawal, and mindset change[12:15] The future of sugar consumption[17:40] Inflammatory nature of sugar consumption[18:25] Is sugar addiction real?[23:22] Recommendations …
Hello everyone, Recently, Tiffany spoke with Dr. David Jockers at the Fasting Transformation Summit. For a more in-depth interview, click here. With an autoimmune disease, which you’re often told it’s going to be lifelong, many people are going to be on medications for the rest of their life. There’s nothing they can do for it, …
Hello everyone, This week, we talked to Maya Sheatreat, who is a neurologist, herbalist, urban farmer, and author of “The Dirt Cure”. We discussed topics such as the microbiome, growing food, and microbes we’re exposed to on a daily basis. We hope you enjoy watching or listening as much as we liked speaking with her. …
No one can live in a bubble. We are exposed daily to a plethora of potentially harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites, and yeast. They are in our food, our air, water, and living on and in us. This can lead to many problems including chronic infections. We exist in a symbiotic relationship with these natural organisms. …
When it comes to crisis – whether it’s the global crisis running in the news feed 24/7 – or your personal health situations… We think it’s time to full stop. Whatever we have done in the past adds up to more stress, more illness, endless time lost, doctor’s bills, medication (that poisons us on other …
A question we get asked a lot is “What is the best diet for autoimmune disease?” Paleo? AIP? Vegan? Keto? Truthfully, there is no simple answer. Both the question and the answer are very individual. A better place to start is with the subject of personalization. Personalization is key in determining the best diet for …
