Stress affects everything, including your brain, body, emotions, productivity, self-care, and even relationship interactions. Your gut is one area particularly vulnerable to stress and the connection is bidirectional. Emotional and physical triggers can impact the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and digestive distress can cause or perpetuate stress symptoms. Many have experienced a “nervous stomach” because...
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Why We Sleep: A Summary on Sleep Stages, Your Chronotype (Night Owls vs. Early Birds), and How to Optimize Sleep from a Neuroscientist
In my series on slumber so far, we have learned that staying busy at the expense of rest is a bad trade-of. Being underslept negatively impacts job performance, brain health, cognitive function, emotional balance, relationships, and general wellness. In fact, sleep is as vital for health as nutrition, movement, self-care, relationships, and socio-economic factors....
Stress, Hormonal Harmony, the Cortisol Cooldown with Essential Oils, and What’s Progesterone Got to Do with it?
When most people think of hormones, they likely think of the three main players: estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. Although it is true that these are first chairs regarding reproductive health, they are just part of a symphony of amazing players. Furthermore, besides fertility, they all have many other vital functions in both sexes. There...
Why Do You Want to Be Healthy?
Moving Beyond Diet Culture, in 2023: Access the Top 5 Naturopathic and Wellness Articles Resource Page
At the beginning of last year, I explored the concepts of health and wellness and how my viewpoint has expanded on them over the years. To me, health and wellness are comprehensive and dynamic concepts. They are inclusive of the body, mind, spirit, community, and socioeconomics. They are also personalized in that everyone’s goals...
Merging the Soul and Science of Medicine
Honoring the Spirituality of the Season with Ancient Healing Traditions and Essential Oils: Part I
As we continue to make our way through the hustle and bustle of preparing for the upcoming holiday celebrations, a sense of general overwhelm has set in. To offset the negative impact of this stress, I have aimed to offer information on how lifestyle shifts, mind-body modalities, and nature’s gifts (essential oils) can provide...
Balancing Stress, Holiday Hassles, Mental Health, Resiliency, and Mind-Body Harmony with Essential Oils
Essential Oils to Alleviate System-Wide Stress Attacks
A recent survey shockingly reported that over 80% of Americans’ are experiencing a rise in stress. Due to the compounded effect of everyday irritations, the holidays, and world events, it’s important to find ways to prevent the detrimental impacts these havocs can have on our minds and bodies. Beyond the memory robbing, focus stealing,...
5 Essential Oils to Enhance Happiness and Decrease Stress Over the Holidays (and Every Day)
Discover Nine Ways That Essential Oils Calm the Brain and Body
The busyness of the season can sometimes dim our holiday spirit. This is especially true today. The extra strain and stress of planning additional gatherings, financial concerns, and family triggers, on top of the turmoil of current world events, can lead to unwelcome physical and emotional havoc. Thankfully, we have some natural tools to...
What is Gratitude and Why Should We Care? Exploring the Wellness, Physical, and Mental Health Benefits of Feeling Thankful
The Science of Gratitude
‘Tis the Season for Gratitude Thanksgiving is a time to gather with loved ones to share our blessings. It signifies a day of appreciation for the gifts that we have received in the year passing. For some, the holiday season is a time of great joy. For others, it leads to feelings of anxiety,...
Can Hormones Mess with Your Gut? The Gut-Hormone (and Stress) Connection and How Your Monthly Cycle Impacts Your Digestion
Hormones have a widespread impact on many biological processes, so it makes sense that various issues can become more prominent when these powerful chemical messengers fluctuate in their levels. In fact, up to 90% of women report an aggravation of symptoms before and during their period, premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Interestingly, it is estimated that...
The 8 Most Common Digestive Issues That Occur with Aging: A Naturopathic and Functional Medicine Approach to Staying “Young at Gut”
Keeping Our Bodies and Minds Healthy Over Time… by Focusing on the Gut There are certain biological changes that occur and impact our body’s biological functioning over time. Some general wear and tear on the body is inevitable, but it can eventually lead to an accumulation of damage. This can result in lowered physical...