All Posts From Dr. Amy...

L-5MTHF is the active form of folate, but ironically, it is far less studied than the synthetic (inactive) form folic acid. Because of that, the safe upper limit of L-5MTHF...

Detoxifying is incredible for your body, so why does it feel like you're being pulled backward through a meat grinder? The truth is some of those feelings are par for...

Obviously, humans need oxygen, that fact isn't lost on us, but often, the factors that get in the way of getting good oxygen are overlooked. A few well-known causes of...

Toxins are and have been a part of the human situation forever. Even before the industrial era, toxins came from bacteria, yeast, and fungii in food, minerals and biological products...

Detox is easy to get wrong - even for practitioners. So here are some of the basic foundations to good, effective, ongoing detoxification.

Sex hormones influence your energy, sleep, motivation and drive. Estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone are all big factors in how you feel on a daily basis.

Staying asleep comes down to managing everything that would wake you up, like blood sugar, nighttime cortisol spikes, histamine, hormones, and pain. Let’s talk about those things with the exception...

Falling asleep should be as natural and easy as letting gravity pull you down a slide, but sometimes it isn't. In these cases, the first step in fixing the problem...

MTHFR and sleep are intertwined, so here are some of the most important things you can do to get the best sleep moving forward.

Sleep anxiety is the nightmare scenario where fearing that you won't get good sleep causes you to not get good sleep.

Methylation is a very small, foundational chemical function in your body. It involves the moving of a methyl group, which is a carbon with three hydrogens that you can picture...

Sleep problems can be divided into four main categories based on the pattern of sleep disturbance that you experience. These patterns can help you narrow down some of the contributing...

These two complex symptoms have a terrifyingly circular relationship, often blending seamlessly into each other, making it impossible to tell where one ends and the other begins

Castor oil sounds like something your grandmother might have had in her cupboard, and frankly, it probably was. Castor oil has, in fact, been used for thousands of years and...

Sleep is one of our basic biological functions. We'll talk about what it is, what it's for, and also 8 keys to a healthy sleep cycle.

Understanding fatigue means understanding what gives you the feeling of having energy in the first place.

There are some very obvious causes of fatigue that can be fixed directly as long as you go looking for them and figure out if any of them apply to...

Fatigue, which is a feeling of extreme tiredness, weakness, or exhaustion is the first symptom of almost every medical problem, including MTHFR. It can be linked to almost every body...

As with so many other conditions, the research shows that people with the MTHFR gene mutation are more likely to have migraines. Especially classic migraines with an aura, and especially...

MTHFR mutations change the efficiency with which your body activates folate, so it makes sense to test folate levels, right? Right? Sadly, folate tests have one big fatal flaw, making...

Blood sugar matters for everyone because it is linked to or at the root of the top three killers in the US. Balanced blood sugar matters even more for people...

The glycemic index is a way of rating foods on a scale from 0 to 100 based on how much that food raises blood sugar 2 hours after eating. This...

It is important to recognize stroke symptoms and seek treatment as soon as possible. Facial drooping, weakness or paralysis, and slurred speech are some of the symptoms that can appear...

Unstable blood sugar is embedded deep within the foundation of so many modern problems. Obesity, metabolic syndrome, pre-diabetes, diabetes. I’m guessing you knew all of that, but what about the...

What is Alzheimer’s Disease? Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that primarily affects the brain and leads to a decline in cognitive abilities, including memory, thinking, and reasoning. It...

We blame neurotransmitters for everything mental health, but should we? We blame neurotransmitters for everything, and try to fix all mental health disorders with neurotransmitters. Depression must be low serotonin,...

Stress is a natural response to challenging or threatening situations. It can be classified into two main types: acute stress, meaning short-term,  and chronic stress, meaning long lasting. Acute stress...

Chronic stress can have a significant impact on your physical and mental health, but it is important not to be discouraged by a list of possible consequences. Chronic stress is...

Treatment of chronic stress typically involves a comprehensive approach that addresses the underlying causes of stress, as well as its physical and emotional symptoms. There is no one-size-fits-all approach and...

Chronic stress has many physical symptoms, which we discussed here “Chronic Stress: The Complete Guide“. It also has deep and significant affects on emotions, moods, thought patterns, and even behavior....

Chronic stress, which is a prolonged and often overwhelming feeling of tension, expectations, or anxiety, negatively impacts those who suffer from it. Stress is a regular part of daily life,...

Overview Chronic illness refers to a disease process or set of symptoms that persist over a long period of time.  Cold, flu, ulcers, or other short-term conditions are called acute...

MTHFR is a genetic variant or SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) that can have significant health implications. OF course we all know you can’t change your genes, but thanks to the...

Iron levels are obviously important in pregnancy and in pre-conception because a big part of creating a a healthy baby, is being able to create a lot of new iron-rich...

MTHFR and fertility and MTHFR and pregnancy are incredibly big topics because MTHFR does change risk parameters for both women and men. Of course, balancing methylation is key for this...

Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative neurological condition meaning parts of your brain deteriorate. There is no one cause of Parkinson’s disease, but factors include aging, brain injury, toxin exposure, and...

Amnesia: What is it? Amnesia, as seen commonly in every daytime soap opera and high-drama TV show possible,  is a condition characterized by the inability to remember information that is...

Stress Stres kick-starts physical, emotional, and intellectual change in your body. Stress management training can help your body to manage these changes and reduce the impact of stress on your...

What Is Dementia? Dementia is a term used to describe a range of progressive neurological disorders that cause a decline in cognitive function, including memory loss, reasoning, and communication skills....

What is Memory Loss ? Memory loss refers to a decline in one’s ability to recall information and past experiences. It is a normal part of aging, but can also...

Dehydration happens when you lose or use more fluid than you consume via urine, sweat, and your breath. Your body is roughly 60% water and your brain is approximately 70%...

It is common for people to feel unmotivated occasionally in their lives. Everybody gets into slumps from time to time, whether it’s finding motivation to do your everyday tasks  or...

Stress, sleep changes, medications, and other factors can cause brain fog. As a result, you may experience confusion, memory problems, and difficulty concentrating. What is brain fog? Brain fog is...

There is no need to feel alone if you and your partner are having trouble having a baby. It is estimated that 10% to 15% of couples in the United...

Fatigue refers to a feeling of tiredness or lack of energy. This is distinct from the feeling of being drowsy or sleepy. Motivation and mental energy are often impaired in...

Cardiovascular Disease Cardiovascular disease (CVD) refers to a group of disorders of the heart and blood vessels, including coronary artery disease, heart attacks, heart failure, and stroke. It is a...

What is hypertension? Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is a medical condition in which the blood pressure in the arteries is persistently elevated. Blood pressure is a measure...

MTHFR (methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase) is a gene that provides instructions for making an enzyme of the same name. The MTHFR enzyme plays a role in activating folate and processing amino acids,...

Overview of Panic Attack A panic attack is a sudden and intense episode of fear or discomfort that occurs without a clear trigger or out of proportion to the activity...

What is Unstable Angina ? Angina is another name for heart-related chest pain. This type of pain can also be felt in nearby areas including: In this condition, your heart...

Can you tell me what a heart attack is? A heart attack, also known as a myocardial infarction, is a serious medical emergency that occurs when the blood supply to...

What is stable angina? Stable angina, also known as angina pectoris, is a type of chest pain or discomfort that occurs when the heart muscle doesn’t get enough oxygen-rich blood....

Chest pain can have many causes, and some of them can be serious. It’s important to see a doctor for an accurate diagnosis. However, some common causes of left-sided chest...

Let’s talk about a simple and  basic step every woman should take on her fertility journey, and that is charting your cycle.  It can be as simple or as complex...

The Best Way to Optimize Your Genes with a Healthy Diet In this article, we will look at some of the primary nutrients that help bolster the MTHFR gene and...

Yes, folate (also known as vitamin B9) is an important nutrient that plays a key role in many different processes in the body. Here are some key things to know...

This week, let’s talk about folic acid vs. 5-LMTHF in women and men with and without the MTHFR polymorphism, and in the show notes you can find research resources to...

This week, I want to talk about one of my favorite tools for hormone balance, which is seed cycling. This is an all-natural, nutritive way to nudge your body closer...

  This week, let’s talk about some of the things that women tend to accept as “normal” but that could be indicators of something more serious. For all that we...

This week, let’s talk about the hidden tool in women’s fertility arsenals that goes mostly overlooked. It’s your annual exam. A thorough well woman exam should include a pap smear,...

Preconception supplements are generally great for everyone who is trying to get pregnant and wants to give their baby the healthiest start possible. Last week, we talked about the best...

This week, let’s talk about basic health parameters, or measurable issues, that it is best to normalize or improve before trying for a pregnancy. This is vital for both sperm...

This week, let’s talk about an often overlooked step in the fertility journey, which is the preconception phase.  Of course many pregnancies happen by accident or through happy surprise, but...

Female hormones are nothing if not complicated (as anyone who has ever met a woman can affirm). First – a conversation about the relativity of hormones, vs. their absolute levels....

Spermatogenesis in men is the process by which sperm is made. It is constantly happening and doesn’t follow a cycle like female fertility. The entire process takes about four months,...

Women are cyclic creatures, and understanding your cycle can help you understand your moods, body, and head-space. This monthly rhythm will define your life during your reproductive years as a...

Fertility is an area that many people are scared to really look into very deeply. Many of us pass our most fertile years in higher education, in an intense career,...

This is probably not a question you’ve ever thought to ask yourself, but the answer might surprise you – especially if you’re a little bit older or if you’re dealing...

B12 matters a lot for everyone. We’ve spoken about it before in terms of the best B12 for MTHFR mutants, and in general the link between B12 and MTHFR in...

This is a subject I get questions about almost daily, and the internet is filled with opinions, threatening pieces, and loud voices. But what is the truth? General Thoughts about...

People with the MTHFR polymorphism often have a more challenging time detoxifying and eliminating chemicals, and so we’re always on the hunt for clean, natural skincare that we don’t have...

Emotional eating doesn’t sound like the typical MTHFR topic, but sadly it is one of the behaviors that can plague people with MTHFR, COMT fast, or MAO-A fast. Especially those...

PEMT is an amazing gene that is a cornerstone of healthy functioning, literally of your whole body. Here’s why. Your body is made of cells – you have neurons that...

MAO-A is an enzyme that has the power to determine a lot of who you are, and the gene SNPs that change its activity have additive effects, just like the...

MAO-A is an enzyme of singular importance, and the gene SNPs that alter its activity have additive effects, just like the COMT gene SNP that we spoke about some months...

Low histamine is generally not recognized as a problem within the medical community or even in the media, but histamine is emerging as a research target for conditions like cancer,...

Like everything else we talk about, MTHFR and vitamin D have a curious relationship. Vitamin D doesn’t link into the folate cycle, the methylation cycle, or the BH4 pathway so...

I love it when listeners leave questions – the questions are always interesting and thought provoking and it helps me to understand what you’re interested in, so if you have...

Histamine and MTHFR are bound together for so many reasons. One, is because just like MTHFR, histamine has its fingers in so much more than just allergies. Histamine is involved...

MTHFR is well known for causing heart health issues. It’s directly responsible for raising homocysteine levels, it’s implicated in troublesome blood clotting, and it’s indirectly responsible for making it harder...

Last week we reviewed glutathione and its absolutely crucial importance in the body. We also spoke about it in S1E14: MTHFR and Glutathione that details some of the symptoms and...

We haven’t discussed glutathione in a while, but MTHFR’s effects on glutathione production are of major consequence in the health of all of us MTHFR folks. While a sluggish methylation...

The COMT fast picture, as you can imagine, is the flip-side of COMT slow. This enzyme works too well, eliminating crucial substances before they have the chance to act. The...

This week, let’s talk about our first of two COMT pictures. COMT slow. Remember, this means the COMT enzyme is less efficient than normal so the catecholamines it is supposed...

To kick off our series on other polymorphisms, I’m starting with another heavy-hitter that is deeply entwined with MTHFR.  This polymorphism is also in a gene that codes for an...

This week I want to start a mini-series of talks  about other gene SNPs with or without MTHFR. I actually want to start it out with a disclaimer, and this...

Basic state is something that we’ve talked about before, but I want to dive a little bit deeper into why I feel it’s important when other fantastic practitioners, like Dr....

MTHFR and depression are intimately linked. We’ve spoken about this before, and if you want to brush up, take a look at Season 1 Episode 8 where we explored the...

This week, I’d like to get to some questions that listeners have been kind enough to leave on the website and within the community. The first comes from Liana O...

Let’s check in with what is going on so far. If you’ve been following the process this season, you will have noticed that I haven’t really addressed what we’re doing...

UMFA or unmetabolized folic acid is something that has been popping up on research radars more and more frequently in recent years. The combination of food fortifed with folic acid,...

This week I wanted to diverge on subjects a bit just because a very relevant question came up in the MTHFR community, This is such an important issue that I want...

We’ve talked about how MTHFR and Anxiety are linked a couple of times and had an interview with anxiety expert Jennifer Bronsnick, but all of that still doesn’t answer one...

This week on the podcast we’re trying something new. An interview with an anxiety expert who has also gone through her own recovery process with anxiety. The interview was clipped...

MTHFR and anxiety are intimately linked, mostly, we presume, because your body needs folate to make serotonin, dopamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine. Those are most of the major neurotransmitters that affect...

I mention the MTHFR Lifestyle a lot, but don’t always clarify what I’m talking about, and at this phase of the journey, it matters a lot. If you’re following along...

First and foremost I want to say happy holidays this week. Spend time with loved ones if you can, and if you aren’t able to be with the people who...

Water is so talked about that it’s incredibly easy to ignore. Like everyone knows we need a ton of water, so that can’t be the key to anything, it’s just...

Two weeks ago we talked about some of the symptom patterns that can arise as you’re working with MTHFR. Honestly, they can show up for lots of people, but detox...

Most supplements are a piece of cake. You start them and the worst part is swallowing a pill or choking down some kind of liquid concoction. Not so with methylfolate....

A couple of weeks ago we talked about two different dealbreaker scenarios where you did everything right with the methylfolate start, but you just couldn’t tolerate it. So let’s talk...

I know, I know. I can hear you rolling your eyes at me already, but symptom tracking is a huge and valuable part of this journey, so just get used...

I want to give you a big congratulations – if you’re doing all of this with me, then you’re one week into your methylfolate start. Now, this could mean that...

This is it! The big methylfolate start. You’ve got all of your preliminaries done – folic acid is out of your diet, or at least 80% out. It’s out of...

I love it when listeners leave me questions so here is this month’s roundup! I don’t have a doctor that advises me about MTHFR. A mental health provider suspected the...

This week you’re continuing to symptom track and continuing to have patience because right now you are laying the foundation for a good methylfolate start. This phase, what I like...

If you’re following along with what we’re doing, last week you added in B vitamins as a group. Typically this goes well for MTHFR folks because other B vitamins help...

If you’re following along with our step-by-step process, then you’re well ahead of most people who start their MTHFR journey with Dr. Google. Congratulations. This week we’re going to talk...

I’m pretty sure that this is the most frustrating part of the whole MTHFR shebang. Not the crazy symptoms, the issues if we take too much methylfolate, the dietary changes,...

Food sources of folate (natural folate, not foods enriched with folic acid) are some of the best foods out there, so with MTHFR we truly are blessed that our healthy...