Do you find yourself frequently tossing and turning, struggling to get the restful sleep you crave? It might feel like you’ve tried everything—cutting back on caffeine, creating a bedtime routine, limiting screen time. But some lesser-known approaches may make all the difference. Here are 6 underrated sleep hacks for better rest.
Give some of these more unconventional strategies a try:
As women enter perimenopause and menopause, the changes in their bodies can be both physically and emotionally challenging. Hormones like estrogen and progesterone receive a lot of attention in this season. Yet, there is another crucial hormone that plays a significant role in navigating perimenopause and beyond.
Known by many as the “love hormone,” oxytocin is not just about bonding and affection—it also has profound effects on stress management, mood regulation, and overall well-being.
My goal is to bring you information on how oxytocin impacts women during perimenopause and menopause, and how to boost it. I believe that understanding this hormone can lead to a more balanced and fulfilling experience during these transitional years.
Stress is recognized as a challenge to mental and physical health. The people we encounter each day have widely different stressors in their lives. Given the many ways that stress can hinder our bodies’ function, it is important to take steps to moderate stress and bring short moments of calm. For simplicity, try these 5 breathing techniques for inner calm.
When you recognize that your stress levels are rising, here are five powerful breathing techniques for inner calm. These methods are practical and easy to integrate into your busy schedule. Taking just a few minutes to practice, they offer an effective way to manage stress and restore peace in your daily life.
Do you view wellness as a challenge? In light of all the different messages you hear from the media, living in wellness could seem hard. Yet, from the functional perspective, seeking relief from symptoms or disease is relatively simple.
Now before you check out on me, let me clarify that reversing disease isn’t easy, but it is as simple as minimizing, maximizing, and prioritizing. Let me explain the functional approach to support the body’s healing process.
We all have a lot on our plates. You may work long hours in a business where you are responsible for the needs of your company, employees, and customers. Or you may work even longer hours in your home, raising a family.
It is all too easy to neglect your own health and self-care, which can be detrimental to your goals. There are several reasons you should consider beginning a yoga or meditation practice as part of your plan for success.
Most everyone is familiar with the cardiovascular system that helps to pump blood to the body’s tissues. Did you know there is another series of vessels that carry a clear liquid called lymph? It’s important to move your lymph to improve your health.
While nutrients and oxygen are delivered to the body through blood, lymph has the task of collecting waste, toxins, and debris while also distributing immune cells through the body. Keeping your lymph flowing smoothly is critical for your body’s wellbeing.
Your lymphatic system is a network of vessels and lymph nodes working together to carry fluids from your tissues to your blood. It is basically your body’s inner drainage system.
I see an increasing number of people with symptoms that they think are just part of getting old. But those nagging symptoms may be their body’s cry for support, no matter what their age.
When I was in school for integrative nutrition, I began to realize my body was sending me signals. I was cold no matter what the season, my hair was thinning as were the outer third of my eyebrows. And then there was the brain fog, low blood pressure, stubborn weight gain, dry skin, and history of PMS.
One area that is often overlooked is the small butterfly-shaped thyroid in your throat. This little gland is your body’s regulator. When it isn’t working well, many functions in your body can seem sluggish.
I suspected my thyroid and took the normal approach – making an appointment to see my doctor for lab work and physical. With those completed, my doctor’s conclusion was “you’re fine.” But I walked out of the office reviewing my symptoms, which had not been acknowledged and thinking there’s more to learn.
You see, the only thyroid-focused marker that had been run was Thyroid Stimulating Hormone. TSH is not actually a thyroid hormone but is released by the pituitary to signal the thyroid to release T4. It is not a reliable measure of thyroid hormone in your body.
From delicious, fancy dinners to spending quality time with loved ones, there’s nothing better than this time of year. However, it all seems to pass by so quickly, and before we know it, we’re back to work and feeling just as burnt out as before. What if we were to slow down the pace? Here are a number of ways to savor the season with practical tips for slowing down.
While some fences are effective even when you can see through them, others are only effective when they form a full barrier. This is the case for the junction between your small intestines and your bloodstream. When this internal fence isn’t tight, you have what is called “leaky gut” and this can lead to downstream dis-ease. Do you have leaky gut?
Our gut barrier has the job of letting nutrients into the body while keeping toxins, viruses, parasites and unfriendlies out. When its integrity is impaired, harmful organisms or substances can leak into the bloodstream. Hence the term leaky gut. Read more
These days it is nearly impossible to avoid stress. Many are looking for ways to manage their stress, yet you may find greater benefit if you increase your stress resistance with your vagus nerve.
What is the vagus nerve, you ask? The vagus nerve forms a bi-directional “super highway” between your brain and the majority of your internal organs. Vagus means “wandering” in Latin, an appropriate name for the longest nerve in the body that meanders around your chest and abdomen. Read more
