Holistic Nourishment

Stress management techniques like meditation, yoga, and deep breathing can enhance the body’s ability to handle and recover from stressors like chronic disease, work stress, or relationship stress. These practices bring the body in to a state of relaxation, dominated by the parasympathetic nervous system. New research is providing some insight into why yoga and these techniques are beneficial to our health. (more…)

Excess body weight, specifically adipose (fat) tissue, increases toxic storage and endotoxin production.  Adipose tissue is not metabolically active, in that it does not use and produce energy. However, in excess, adipose tissue is considered an endocrine organ because large amounts produce inflammatory cytokines and can wreak havoc on the body.

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Food has a Direct Effect on our Mental Health

The gut-brain connection is a very real and very active line of communication and analysis in the body.  There are over 100 million neurons in the digestive system that produce as many neurotransmitters as the brain (Holford, 2009, p.16)!  Our brain and gut are in constant communication, which is why foods have a direct effect on our moods and behaviors.

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Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease is a condition in which the body’s immune system dysfunctions and confuses “self” with “non-self.”  The immune system begins attacking the body’s own cells.  Any tissue or organ of the body can be targeted.  Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disorder that primarily effects synovial joints of the body (i.e. hands, shoulder, knee, elbow).  The disorder involves a deterioration of healthy synovial fluid in between bones, leading to a painful inflammatory response in the affected joint and can often lead to systemic inflammation over time (William C. Shiel Jr., 2011).

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How Important is My Gastrointestinal System?

Your gastrointestinal system has 4 functions.  The first three are related to nutrient intake: digestion, absorption, and excretion.  The 4^th function however, is related to protecting your body from the external environment.  The intestinal wall, along with your lungs, skin, eyes, ears, and nose, are barriers that defend your body from pathogens and toxic particles in the air we breathe, the objects we touch, and food we eat.  The lining of your intestinal tract, your tonsils, appendix and lymph nodes are collectively referred to as your Gut Associated Lymphoid Tissue (GALT). These tissues and associated processes comprise roughly 60-70% of your immune system! (more…)