By Dr. Aylah Clark Inflammation comes up a lot in my practice. It promotes many chronic diseases and correlates with worsening signs and symptoms of many conditions, whether it be autoimmune disease, arthritis, cardiovascular disease, or others. Inflammation is also intrinsically tied to obesity.  How are inflammation and body weight related and what can we do about it? What is inflammation? Inflammation is your body’s attempt to protect itself. It involves complex biological processes that are activated by things like foreign invaders (bacteria and viruses for example) or damaged cells (injury). We need inflammation to protect ourselves from these harmful events and

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease where gluten consumption triggers an inflammatory response and damage to the intestines. It is caused by a complex interaction between genetic predisposition, intestinal microbiome, environment, and the immune system. Symptoms & Diagnosis Symptoms can vary widely but can include gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, bloating, and mouth sores, but can also lead to weight loss or failure to thrive, fatigue, dermatitis herpetiformis (a skin condition), neurological symptoms, hormone disruption such as irregular periods, infertility, early menopause, and nutrient deficiencies leading to osteopenia/osteoporosis (bone loss). Diagnosis is usually done by blood test but

Have you experienced weight gain, particularly in your legs or arms, and had significant difficulty losing it? It could be a condition called lipedema. Lipedema is a common condition that almost exclusively affects women. It involves accumulation of fat (adipose) tissue in the legs and sometimes arms. The affected area can often be painful to the touch, have a nodular texture, and easy bruising. Though many people have not heard of the condition, some estimate that as many as 11% of women may be affected. The weight typically comes on after a hormonal change, such as puberty, pregnancy, or menopause.

Today I had the opportunity to sit down with Allyson, the founder and farmer at Full Heart Farm. Full Heart Farm is a beautiful, sustainable farm in Ledyard, CT that uses the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) model to provide healthy farm-fresh food to members and local restaurants. Community supported agriculture describes a system where people pay a farmer in the spring to have a share in the harvest which means they receive a bag of fresh-picked vegetables each week.   Allyson loves her work and her connection with members.  She said “there is nothing more important to us than sharing