The Benefits of Eating Dirt

We live in a sterile world of hand sanitizers and processed food. Parents have forgotten the five second rule where if a food falls onto the floor, it is safe to eat if picked up within five seconds. Children have their hands washed before they eat, after they eat, after they play outside. The result […]

Back To Work Brain Blues

Saying goodbye to the sun, sea and freedom after a relaxing holiday drenched in wine and chocolate, may be a little depressing. There’s nothing like a dose of the post-holiday blues to make you wish you’d chucked it all in and opened that yoga school in the Mediterranean… Nevertheless, its back to the normal routine, […]

You are only as young as your Mitochondria

Theories of Aging One of the current ideas on aging is the free radical theory. Excess free radicals primarily from reactive oxygen species damage DNA, protein, and lipids. This ongoing free radical damage is called oxidative stress which is linked to mitochondrial dysfunction and ongoing inflammation. These three cellular mechanisms are involved not only in […]

Inflamm-Obesity: Obesity is more than a Caloric Imbalance

Obesity rates have escalated in all populations over the past decades. According to NHANES data from 2014, one in three American adults and one in six American children are obese. An additional one in three adults in the U.S. are overweight. Since obesity is associated with seven out of ten leading causes of death including […]

Metabolic and Immune Effects of Strenuous Exercise

Everyone knows the benefits of exercise. It fosters a healthy lean body and a positive outlook on life. With the ever-increasing threat of obesity and its subsequent health consequences, everyone is encouraged to exercise.  Recommended exercise is 30 to 60 minutes of activity daily and unfortunately many people are unable to meet this goal. While […]

Methylation

What is Methylation? Methylation is a vital metabolic process that happens in every cell and every organ of the human body, taking place a million times a second. Life would simply not exist without it. Think of billions of little on/off switches inside your body that control everything from your stress response and how your […]

Beyond the Th1-Th2 paradigm for Immune System Balance

Introduction: Th1-Th2 theory: Allergies and autoimmune disease paradigm The reigning theory for T helper cells in the immune system has been differentiation into Th1 and Th2 cells. This change was thought to be permanent and irreversible. Cytokines signal naïve CD4 cells to form one specific type of T cell. Following differentiation, the T helper cells release specific […]

Why are Allergies and Autoimmune Diseases increasing in developed countries?

For the past several decades there has been a significant increase in allergies ranging from food reactions to asthma along with an increase in autoimmune diseases such as Type 1 Diabetes and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. This rise has been especially noticeable to parents and pediatricians as the number of children suffering with these issues has increased. […]

Maintaining Women’s Health – across all stages of life

Treating the whole patient is the pillar of functional and integrative medicine. What makes women unique is not solely a matter of anatomy and hormones, but rather the complex interplay of hormones, their receptors, and dietary, lifestyle and environmental factors that converge on every organ system in a woman’s body. There are major differences in […]

Nourishing Mind Spring Broth

Nourishing Mind Spring™ Broth TOTAL PREP TIME: 60 MINUTES Created with the stressed and over-worked in mind. During the end of the year, our mind can use as much support as possible. This richly nutrient-dense mineral broth incorporates Gaia Herbs Mind Spring™ powder to form a deliciously nourishing, whole body supporting broth that’s just like […]

An Ayurvedic perspective on Menopause

Menopause is the golden age for women. It is the time when the body has yet another transformation into a powerful state. It is a natural process that occurs in women around the age of 50, though it may occur as early as 40 years or as late as 60 years old. Many women ease […]

Improved wellness through self-care

Self-care is often the first thing that gets sacrificed when life is stressful, and people often think that taking time for themselves seems indulgent. But, looking after your own wellbeing will help you get through this challenging time, and will help you to better care for others. What is self-care? Self-care refers to the activities […]

Why we are more prone to getting sick in the winter?

Tech Support Team Colds appear more prevalent when it is cold out. However, in terms of infectious illnesses, it is the germs that make us sick, not cold weather itself. We have to come in contact with rhinoviruses to catch a cold and we need to be infected with influenza viruses to contract the flu. Rhinoviruses […]

Neuroinflammation: The Brain is on fire in a Cytokine Storm

The term for inflammation in the brain is encephalitis. Any practitioner hearing the term encephalitis knows immediate intervention is required. Yet we do not treat diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Autism with urgency even though both illnesses have documented neuroinflammation. Education about existing safe treatment and neuroprotective options is critical for practitioners. Systemic inflammation in the body can trigger inflammation in […]

Winter Blues or Depression?

All people, at some point, experience one or more of the symptoms of depression. It is normal for our moods to cycle moderately while we balance demands at work and at home, while coping with short- or long-term illness or when dealing with loss of a loved one. Mood fluctuations are more pronounced during the […]