April is Stress Awareness Month, and I am incredibly passionate about this subject. Stress touches all of our lives, especially in the past 2 years and I want to bring awareness to the important role it plays in our health issues. Did you know that hating your job could be tied to your chronic gut issues? Or that the constant pace of busyness in your day could be causing or worsening your autoimmunity? It’s estimated that 75–90% of doctor’s visits are for stress related ailments.

Something I’ve been thinking about is taking the essence of spring cleaning, and applying it to other areas of your life. We’ve all cleaned out the closet, but what about addressing the emotions you’ve been ignoring? What if you decided to reduce the “junk” food in your diet? There are so many ways we can fall into poor habits during the winter, and so many ways we can work to clean them up! Personally, I find myself getting outside and spending time in nature less during the cold months. And those comfort foods are just so comforting!

This month, I’m going to focus on cleaning up my habits. If you’d like to join me, I’ve made a list of the different ways you can “spring clean” your mind and body. 

“Dementia is reversible” is probably not a phrase you have heard, or expect to hear in a conversation about dementia or Alzheimer’s. But using the principles of functional medicine, it is. And yes – there is hope!

A diagnosis of Alzheimer’s is terrifying to patients and their loved ones alike. It often means an uncontrollable and inevitable memory loss, loss of independence, and declining quality of life. And the prospect of living in a nursing home is something I think we would all like to avoid. There are 55 million people worldwide affected by dementia and the number is growing rapidly.

Did you know…

That the average American Adult carries over 700 chemicals in their body?

That there are an average of 200 chemicals and pollutants in the umbilical cord blood at the time of a baby’s birth?

That there are more than 80,000 chemicals registered for use today, few of which have been tested for safety?

And that there are about 2,000 more chemicals introduced EACH year?

By now, most of us are amateur immune experts. We know more about viruses and antibodies than ever before. We’ve been on high alert for a certain virus for so long now that we’ve forgotten about the seasonal cold and flu season. Well, it didn’t forget about us! Everyone hates getting sick. So let’s be prepared for all that’s going around this winter. 

The fasting mimicking diet is a new form of an age-old practice, fasting. But you get to eat! So, what the heck is this diet and why would you want to mimic fasting? Well, let’s step back into the Paleolithic times to understand better.

The health and wellbeing benefits around ditching alcohol for a few weeks or a month or even longer are really compelling. This is what is driving this movement, even so far as new “sober bars” opening in select places around the country. In places like New Orleans, Portland, New York, Austin and LA to name a few. This doesn’t have to be a forever abstinence with alcohol but you might just realize that life is better without after trying it.

Do you find yourself multitasking to the point of forgetting one of the tasks? Do you fill every minute of downtime with a chore or task from your endless to-do list? Do you feel a continual sense of urgency and that you’re always behind? Then you might suffer from hurry sickness.

Do I need vitamins or supplements? I eat a healthy diet, shouldn’t that cover everything I need?”

The answer is most likely yes. A combination of factors - depleted soils, genetic modification of foods, the storage and transportation of our food and the increased stress and nutritional demands of living in a toxic environment make it impossible for us to get all the vitamins and minerals we need from the food that we eat. Scientific research is showing us the importance of vitamins and minerals as helpers n our biochemistry and metabolism. Plus, many Americans are deficient in some of the essentials - including iron, magnesium, vitamin D, folate and Omega-3 fats.

By: Karen Bush MA NBC-HWC

Do you want to know how to save money and get faster results while working with Dr. Emily? Well, you can do that by working with a health coach! Dr. Emily has found this to be so beneficial to her patients that she is requiring health coaching for a few months prior to working with her. Let me explain some of those benefits.

I often ask new clients what they feel they would like to get out of the coaching relationship as we start to work together. The answers I hear may not surprise you… accountability, help with what foods are best for me, a partner to help with an exercise plan. All of these things are part of the work that is done with a health coach and much more as we discussed in our previous blog post. However, many of the values and benefits of coaching are not obvious.

Health coaching has become quite a newsworthy term these days. If you Google search “health coach,” you will find at least 50 health coaching programs that are new in the last few years looking to sign you up.

Contrary to what you might think, health coaching is much more than making sure you are eating your vegetables, taking your supplements, and getting out for some exercise. At the core of what makes health coaching so powerful is the work that goes into creating lasting behavior change. Without this, taking supplements and doing functional testing won’t really make a difference in your health.

Have you ever panicked when you were separated from your phone? Do you know how many hours a day you spend on your digital devices? Do you feel your online activities have a positive effect on your overall well being?

Those are all important questions. And another to consider: Does doing a digital detox feel like a good idea for your health? Or does it simply sound impossible?

Are you happy?

It might be a simple question, but for many people, happiness feels like an impossible goal to reach. In fact, studies show that only about one in three people consistently identify as “happy.”

If that seems a bit depressing, don’t worry. The steps to living a happier life are easier than you think.

One of the best indicators that you’re having a great day is the feeling that your energy is high, steady, and that you feel good and can enjoy accomplishing the tasks at hand. Maybe it’s that you bounced out of bed that morning or sang in the shower. It could be that you didn’t need that extra cup of coffee, or that you were able to play games with the kids after dinner.