A well-functioning digestive system is essential for overall well-being, as it breaks down food into vital nutrients that fuel energy, growth, cellular repair, and more! When your digestion is functioning optimally, you may not even think twice about it. However, when issues arise, they can have widespread effects on your overall well-being. Poor digestion can manifest through signs such as persistent digestive discomfort, irregular bowel movements, nutrient deficiencies, food sensitivities, and unexplained weight fluctuations. Recognizing these indicators is crucial for addressing underlying ..read more

Your hormones play a crucial role in maintaining the delicate balance that keeps your body functioning at its best. From regulating metabolism and mood to influencing reproductive health and immune function, these chemical messengers orchestrate various aspects of your well-being. However, achieving hormonal harmony can be a delicate dance, and numerous factors in our daily lives can tip the scales in unfavorable directions. In the pursuit of optimum health, it’s essential to recognize that your efforts might be sabotaged by common culprits known as hormone disruptors. These disruptors, often ..read more

The vagus nerve doesn’t typically get a lot of attention in conventional medicine, but it actually plays a vital role in orchestrating your body’s response to stress and inflammation. And it doesn’t stop there: The vagus nerve also influences gut health,  immune function and more! Poor vagus nerve tone can influence your overall quality of life, but it is difficult to diagnose a problem without proper knowledge of how this vital nerve functions. Let’s take a look at the role of the vagus nerve and how you can optimize your vagus nerve response. Stress Response and the Vagus Nerve To unde ..read more

It’s no surprise that maintaining heart health is vital for overall well-being and longevity. When your heart is working well, you have a significantly lower risk of cardiovascular events like heart attacks and strokes – the two leading causes of death worldwide. A healthy heart also contributes to your quality of life. It plays an important role in how well you age, your overall energy levels, and disease prevention. One recent study found that the overall physiological age of adults with good cardiovascular health is much younger than that of people with cardiovascular disease. As you age, i ..read more

Many of us are making plans for a happy, healthy, and fulfilling year and investing in the tools to make that happen. However, January’s shorter days, colder temperatures, and reduced time outside put many people at risk for seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Studies show that people who experience SAD have lower levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin – one of our happy hormones! Chronic depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and social anxiety are also linked to lower levels of serotonin. In addition to supporting a positive mood, serotonin also plays an important role in nutri ..read more

The holidays are the perfect time to unwind and spend some much-needed time with friends and family, but they also happen to be loaded with sugar. From homemade baking to treats at the office, it is easy to overindulge. Thankfully, the new year is a perfect opportunity to start fresh and take a break from the sugar rush! While the occasional holiday treat is fine, consistently overdoing it on sugar can have negative impacts on your overall health. Especially our gut and immune health! Studies have found that high-sugar diets can lead to poor gut health and lower the immune system (roughly 70 ..read more

The holidays are a busy time of year, and because of that, we all tend to change our typical schedules. With ample opportunities to eat sugary, festive foods and skip workouts for holiday activities, maintaining a healthy routine can sometimes be challenging! While many struggle to find balance during this season, it is entirely possible to enjoy the festivities while also maintaining your goals. Here are some simple strategies that will help keep you on track so that you can enjoy a happy and healthy holiday season. Mindful Nutrition During the Holidays From family dinners to cocktail partie ..read more

Despite all the joys of the holiday season, for many of us, it’s also a stressful time. Between family obligations, financial strain, and the pressure to create a “perfect” holiday season, the majority of people report increases in stress levels at this time of year. But it doesn’t have to be that way! Let’s make this the year you get back in touch with the reasons for the season. The Benefits of Giving Back “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” – Mahatma Gandhi. Numerous studies prove that the benefits of helping others are far-reaching. Simply put, wh ..read more

If you constantly feel tired, you are not alone. Many health practitioners report tiredness as one of the most common patient complaints, with around 45% of people in the US experiencing constant fatigue. Getting to the root cause of fatigue can be tricky – it is usually not enough to simply “get more sleep.” We are here to help you understand three possible conditions that could be contributing to your fatigue, and what you can do about them. Three Hidden Health Conditions That Are Making You Tired 1 – Adrenal Fatigue Adrenal fatigue describes a condition in which chronic stress levels have ..read more

Did you shudder a bit when you read the word “parasites” in the title? It’s not a pleasant topic! However, intestinal parasites are more common than many people realize. Parasites are living organisms that live off of their human hosts. There are a number of possible types of parasites, and many can have a negative impact on your health. Although parasites are a bigger problem in developing countries, parasitic infections occur surprisingly often in North America. Consider these stats: In the U.S. alone, over 60 million people are infected with the parasite toxoplasma gondi. Over 1,000 people ..read more