From the Desk of Dr. Karl R.O.S. Johnson, DC.....

How Blood Sugar May Affect Low Thyroid Symptoms

If you have been told your thyroid levels are "normal" but you still deal with fatigue, weight gain, brain fog, headaches, or low energy, it may be time to take a closer look at another important piece of the puzzle: your blood sugar.

In my office, I often see people who are focused only on the thyroid gland, while an underlying blood sugar imbalance continues to put stress on the entire body. Let me explain.

Balanced blood sugar is important for overall health, but it may be especially important when you are struggling with low thyroid symptoms. When glucose levels swing too high or too low, your body can respond with inflammatory stress, hormonal disruption, and changes in how well tissues function. In some cases, those changes may make thyroid-related symptoms worse.

Why Blood Sugar Matters So Much

Learn how to evaluate supplement sellers, identify warning signs, and purchase products with greater confidence.

Amazon makes it easy to order vitamins, minerals, probiotics, herbal products, and other supplements. That convenience can be helpful, but it also creates an important question: Do you know exactly who made the product, who sold it, and how it was handled before it reached your home?

The National Association of Environmental Medicine (NAEM) reports that Amazon’s supplement category exceeded $12 billion in 2023. A market of that size can attract reputable manufacturers, but it can also attract unauthorized resellers and companies offering products with inaccurate labels, lower potency, contamination, or counterfeit packaging.

This is not a statement that every supplement sold on Amazon is counterfeit. It is a reminder that a familiar brand name, an attractive price, and hundreds of positive reviews do not always tell you what is inside the bottle.

Why supplement sourcing matters

Sleep is not separate from attention, mood, memory, or daily performance. Your brain and body depend on a reliable 24-hour rhythm, and even small disruptions can affect how you feel during the day.

A recent animal study raises an important question: Could changes in sleep and activity patterns continue after methylphenidate treatment has been discontinued?

What did the study investigate? 🔬

Researchers at California State University, San Bernardino studied 108 male and female Long-Evans rats. Some rats were adolescents, while others were adults. The animals received either a control solution or methylphenidate twice daily for 10 days.

The researchers then monitored activity and rest patterns at three points:

• On the final day of treatment
• During the first 24 hours after treatment stopped
• Ten days after discontinuation

The monitors recorded movement across the animals’ light and dark cycles. Because rats are nocturnal, they are generally active during the dark phase and rest during the light phase.

What did the researchers find? 🌙

Back-to-School Health Reset: Five Healthy Habits for a Healthy School Year

For many Michigan families, August marks the beginning of a new season. Back-to-school shopping fills carts with notebooks and backpacks, calendars quickly fill with activities, and families begin rebuilding routines after a summer of vacations, later bedtimes, and more relaxed schedules.

As exciting as a new school year may be, it also introduces new physical and mental demands. Students spend hours seated in classrooms, carrying backpacks, participating in sports, using digital devices, and adapting to busy schedules. These changes can influence posture, energy, concentration, and overall well-being.

The good news is that a few simple habits can help children feel their best from the first day of school and throughout the year.

To help your family begin the school year on a healthy note, Dr. Karl R.O.S. Johnson, DC, the Michigan Association of Chiropractors and the American Chiropractic Association share these five back-to-school health tips.

Why Standard Cholesterol Numbers Don't Tell the Whole Story

If you read my recent post, The Heart Risk a Calcium Score Can Miss, where I explain about the gentleman who was reassured by a calcium score of zero yet later discovered a 90 percent blockage in his “widow maker” artery, you’ll remember how striking that story was. It is a powerful example of how someone can pass routine screenings “with flying colors” while serious cardiovascular risk remains hidden—an illustration of why we so often need to look beyond what standard tests appear to show.

This is an important reminder that cardiovascular risk is more complex than a single screening number. A normal test result is not always the full story. Standard cholesterol panels measure total cholesterol, LDL, and HDL quantities, and often a cholesterol/HDL ratio, but these numbers don't tell you about the size, density, or behavior of the particles carrying cholesterol through your bloodstream. They also don't tell you about your genetic risk factors, Apolipoprotein B (ApoB) or Lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a). Two people can have identical LDL cholesterol numbers, yet one may be at significantly higher risk for heart disease based on particle characteristics that standard testing simply does not measure.

A Parent's Guide to Choosing, Packing, and Wearing a Backpack the Right Way

Back-to-school season is an exciting time for families. New teachers, new friends, new school supplies—and, of course, a new backpack.

While many parents spend time picking out the perfect backpack with their child, they may not realize that how a backpack fits and how it's worn can have a big impact on a child's comfort, posture, and overall well-being throughout the school year.

From heavy textbooks and laptops to sports equipment and musical instruments, today's students often carry more than ever before. An overloaded or poorly fitted backpack can place unnecessary stress on growing muscles and joints, leading to fatigue, discomfort, and poor posture.

The good news? A few simple habits can make a big difference.

A Story That Deserves Attention

A recent conversation highlighted a story that is difficult to forget.

A woman shared that her brother died from a heart attack in his 40s. What made the loss even more shocking was that he had previously been told his coronary calcium score was perfect, meaning his score was 0.

For many people, that kind of result sounds reassuring. It can create the impression that there is little or no cardiovascular risk.

But as this family learned far too late, a calcium score does not always tell the whole story.