Firefly Health

https://www.fireflyhealthmd.com/blog/2021/8/19/hows-your-mthfr

How's your MTHFR? — FIREFLY HEALTH The MTHFR gene provides information for your body to make an enzyme called methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR). This enzyme enables our bodies to use the vitamin folate properly so that our methylation cycle can run. Biochemically, methylation is the process of transferring a methyl group (o

https://www.fireflyhealthmd.com/blog/2021/6/30/xenoestrogens

Xenoestrogens — FIREFLY HEALTH PMS? Irregular periods? Painful periods? Fertility issues? Maybe it’s time to think about xenoestrogens - chemicals that mimic the estrogen in our bodies and are part of a larger group of chemicals known as endocrine disrupting chemicals. They can lead to the symptoms of excess estrogen mentioned ...

https://www.fireflyhealthmd.com/blog/2021/5/31/menopause

Menopause — FIREFLY HEALTH Menopause is a scary word for many women—so scary, in fact, that few want to talk about it, even with each other. Given that every woman will go through menopause in her life, it’s time to take this transition out of the closet and bring it into the light. Let’s start by reframing menopause—...

https://www.fireflyhealthmd.com/blog/2021/4/29/acne-not-just-for-teenagers

Acne - not just for teenagers — FIREFLY HEALTH If you are in your 20s, 30s or even 40s and find yourself breaking out like a teenager, you’re not alone. Acne can surface well into the adult years—even for those who never experienced it as a teen—for many reasons. Fluctuating hormones, diet, gut health, and stress can all be culprits. By th...

https://www.fireflyhealthmd.com/blog/2021/3/30/the-highs-and-lows-of-perimenopause

The Highs and Lows of Perimenopause — FIREFLY HEALTH Sleepless and sweaty nights, irritable days, wacky periods? Aren’t hot flashes, night sweats and insomnia part of menopause? Unfortunately, the process, and very real physical and mental effects of menopause, take shape long before the last period stops. Welcome to perimenopause. This long lead up...

https://www.fireflyhealthmd.com/blog/2021/2/25/autoimmunity

Autoimmunity — FIREFLY HEALTH The immune system’s job is to protect us from foreign invaders like bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Sometimes, that system gets its signals crossed and we see autoimmune disease--that’s when our immune system perceives our own body as foreign and begins to attack our own cells and organs. Anti...

https://www.fireflyhealthmd.com/blog/2021/1/26/premenstrual-syndrome-pms

Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) — FIREFLY HEALTH A woman’s period acts like a monthly report card about the body: when all is well, it might arrive with little fanfare or warning, but when there are imbalances in the body it can come with the dreaded entourage of PMS symptoms like headaches, irritability, food cravings and so on. Oral contracept...

https://www.fireflyhealthmd.com/blog/2020/12/31/adaptogens

Adaptogens — FIREFLY HEALTH Feeling anxious, stressed, fatigued, or over it all? You’re far from alone. The pandemic, the “new” normal that’s anything but, our current political climate, along with everyday stressors have taken their toll in more ways than we could have imagined. As we head into the colder, darker days...

https://www.fireflyhealthmd.com/blog/2020/11/18/small-intestinal-bacterial-overgrowth-sibo

Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) — FIREFLY HEALTH Complain about ongoing gut issues like bloating, chronic constipation, diarrhea, or a seemingly unending cycle of gastrointestinal malaise, and after months of poking around without a definitive culprit, you’re likely to be told you have Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). You may be given medications...

https://www.fireflyhealthmd.com/blog/2020/10/31/what-is-a-healthy-diet

What is a Healthy Diet? — FIREFLY HEALTH Food is more than the thing we simply reach for when we are hungry. Food is information for our bodies. Every morsel we put into our mouths can turn on or off different genes that have an impact on health. For instance, apples and onions contain quercetin,  a substance that can activate a p

https://www.fireflyhealthmd.com/blog/2020/9/29/the-sunshine-vitamin

The Sunshine Vitamin — FIREFLY HEALTH Vitamin D, aka the Sunshine vitamin, is actually considered a hormone. Although it is well known for its positive effect on bone health by helping the intestine absorb calcium and promoting bone mineralization, it has many other roles in the body. It enhances the secretion and action of insulin, the

https://www.fireflyhealthmd.com/blog/2020/8/28/vitamin-c-the-nutrient-of-the-day

Vitamin C: the nutrient of the day — FIREFLY HEALTH Since COVID-19 hit back in March, Vitamin C has been flying off the shelves and production has been having a hard time keeping up with demand. People are tuned-in to the immune supporting aspects of Vitamin C. Although in high demand now, Vitamin C has been a key nutrient since it was first isolated