by Edison de Mello, MD, PhD

It probably comes as no surprise to you that the largest and second-largest organ in our bodies – the skin and gastrointestinal system respectively – are intrinsically connected and dependent on each other for optimal functioning. Studies investigating the so-called gut-brain-skin axis began in the early 1930’s. The hypothesis was then, and continues to be today, that stress by itself or combined with a poor diet decreases the good gut bacteria and causes ...

By Danél Lombard,MPT, MA, E-RYT

When it comes to injuries, we often think of the unfortunate accident. Whether it’s a car accident, or trip-and-fall accident, it seems to be something out of our control and a case of bad luck. But what if I tell you that injuries often occur slowly over time because of lifestyle choices and habits? When it comes to physical injuries, a lot can actually be done preventatively. Anything from knee injuries to back injuries can ...

By Bren Boston, MD

You know the feeling of your internal pressure cooker building up, when work demands, deadlines, financial burdens, and interpersonal conflicts conspire to send your stress level through the roof.  At those times, you want something QUICK and EASY to soothe your frayed nerves.  And for lots of people, that soother is sugary foods.  It makes sense from a medical perspective.  Sugar has a drug-like effect in the reward center of the brain. Sugar causes a surge of ...

Kevin Kunkel, MA, CMT, CYT, LMFT

Chronic stress can stay in your nervous system and affect your short- and long-term health.  It can impact every part of the body, leading to a weakened immune system, digestive disorders, heart and autoimmune diseases, chronic body tension or challenges healing from injuries, and more. We will always have stress, but we can learn to build internal resiliency to heal from past stressors and bounce back from current stress.

Normal path of stress

It is normal to ...

by Maggie Ney, ND

What is the Estrobolome?

Exciting new research is telling us that our gut microbiome regulates how much estrogen circulates in our body. The estrobolome is the collection of microbes in the gut which can produce beta-glucuronidase, an enzyme that takes the estrogen in our colon, en route to be excreted from our body, and changes it so that it is reabsorbed by the body. Gut dysbiosis can lead to either excess levels of beta-glucuronidase – leading to increased ...