Six Morning Habits to Beat the Blues
Depression is a common and serious neurological disorder that negatively affects how one feels and behaves. Some symptoms associated with depression include increased sadness, anxiety, loss of appetite, dejected mood, and a loss of interest in pleasurable activities.
On a global scale, 350 million people are affected by depression. The Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) states depression is the leading cause of disability in America among people ages 15 to 44 years old
Boost Vagal Function to Improve Chronic and Autoimmune Conditions
Did you know that your stamina, gut health, blood sugar levels, heart rate variability, inflammation, emotional well-being, and even your ability to create lasting positive social connections, are all directly influenced by your vagus nerve?
The Vagus Nerve
The vagus nerve is the longest nerve in the body. It is either one of two cranial nerves which extend from the brain stem all the way to the intestines. It connects the brain to many important organs including the heart, lungs, stomach, intestines, liver, and gallbladder. It’s involved in controlling the immune, cardiovascular, respiratory, and endocrine systems.
A Spoonful of Sugar Makes the Medicine (and Your Health) Go Down
Let’s face it — we could all probably use a little assistance in the sugar department.
The U.S. ranks number one worldwide with the highest sugar consumption per person, currently at 126 grams (that’s 29 teaspoons!) of sugar per person per day. All this extra added sugar is extremely detrimental for your health.
Nearly 75 percent of adults in the U.S. get approximately 10 percent of their daily calories from added sugar
Eat Your Way to Calm & Inner Peace: How to Overcome Anxiety with Diet
The term–Watch what you eat!—is commonly in reference to weight gain and physical fitness, but what about in connection to the brain? Reality is, your diet has a direct affect on your brain and how it performs. While healthy foods promote beneficial reactions such as mental clarity and alertness, unhealthy foods can alter your mood, impair your thinking, and even trigger anxiety.
Why You Should Remove Gluten from Your Diet
Thinking about eliminating gluten from your diet? You’re not alone. According to a survey conducted in 2013, one in every three Americans claimed to cut down or avoid gluten in their diet. But if you’re still on the fence about adjusting your eating habits, here are some facts about why and how nixing gluten can improve your health.
What is gluten?
Gluten is a complex two-part protein—consisting of gliadin and glutenin. It is the gliadin component that causes the negative reaction within the body. Gluten is found in wheat, rye, barley, etc. The word gluten has a Latin origin and means glue. Fittingly so, because gluten helps food maintain its shape, acting as a glue that holds food together.
The Healing Power of Touch
Most people still view massage as a luxury item. They place it on their wish rather than todo list. But massage should be considered as a necessity just like eating healthy and working out.
Massage therapy has been employed to promote physical and emotional health since the earliest human civilizations. The earliest indication of massage was between 3,000 and 2,500 BC in Egypt and China.
In recent years, a wave of studies has documented some incredible emotional and physical health benefits of this ancient healing practice. Here are a few reasons to pick up the phone and schedule your next massage:
Eat Your Way Out of Depression
In many ways, the brain acts like a computer. It serves as a memory bank, an information database, and the central control station for the rest of the body. Just like the files downloaded on a computer can affect its performance, the foods partaken can alter the function of the mind.
Food affects your mood!
It’s important to be aware that your daily diet has a direct correlation to your brain and how it operates. Some foods are harmful and can even trigger mood disorders such as depression.
What is depression?
Depression is a common and serious neurological disorder that negatively affects how one feels and behaves. Some symptoms associated with depression include increased sadness, anxiety, loss of appetite, dejected mood, and a loss of interest in pleasurable activities.
Science News: How Your Gut Influences Your Brain, Mood, Behavior, and More
Did you ever consider there is more in your gut than your latest meal?
Gut flora, or microbiota, is the microbe population which is found in the digestive tract. The complex ecosystem that harbors these microbes is called the microbiome.
The microbiome is composed of numerous species of bacteria, fostering both good and bad. Good bacteria are vital for daily health by assisting in digestion, creating vitamins, and protecting the body’s system against infection.
Science News: Stress and Depression Shown to Alter Organ Function
Neuroscientists at the University of Pittsburgh have identified the neural networks that connect the cerebral cortex to the adrenal medulla, which is responsible for the body’s rapid response in stressful situations. These findings, reported in the online Early Edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), provide evidence for the neural basis of a mind-body connection.
We all accept that stress is terrible for us, and that when our mental health suffers, the rest of our health follows suit. And yet the branch of medicine that’s devoted to this integral relationship—psychosomatic medicine—is often written off as pseudoscience.
Your Gut – The Epicenter of Your Mental and Physical Wellbeing
The gut is literally the gateway to health.
There is no part of the body, no disease, no organ system – that the gut does not directly or indirectly affect. Studies have confirmed that not only does the gut transfer food to vital organs, but it plays a role in our physical health, mental health, emotional stability, immunology, neurology, endocrinology, and pathology.
Our Microbiome Are As Unique As Our Fingerprints
Our body is, in fact, a complex ecosystem made up of more than 100 trillion microbes (10 times the number of human cells!) that must be properly balanced and cared for if we are to be healthy.