With Thanksgiving and the holidays on the horizon, there’s lots of focus this time of year on gratefulness, abundance, and sharing with others. As you donate your wealth, how confident are you that you are giving as tax-efficiently as possible? There are a variety of ways you can contribute to IRS-qualified charities and benefit from tax deductions: Donating stock that has grown significantly in value from its original purchase price (also known as highly appreciated stock). Contributing a portion of Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) from an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) Establishing Charitable Trusts Creating Foundations Setting up a Donor...

Welcome to Bourbon City! I was excited to find that Louisville, Kentucky is one of the most unique and authentic destinations in the US. Louisville is a city that combines heritage with innovation, authenticity with originality and quirkiness with friendliness in true Southern style. Bourbon literally made Louisville what it is today and there certainly is a Bourbon rage happening here in Kentucky and across the country. So much so that you can’t even get your hands on certain elusive bottles, even at the distilleries themselves. More on that later. We happened to be visiting the weekend after the...

The longer you’re out of school, the scarier the thought of going back becomes. Some people tend to think that grad programs are filled with traditional students who came directly out of their undergrad degree and are now pursuing their master’s. They assume these students will be smarter and are better prepared simply because they’re younger and that’s far from the truth. Today, more and more students who have been out of college for years, even decades, are flooding college admissions offices, eager to start their graduate degree. If you’re hesitant about going back to school for your master’s...

The first thing I noticed personally when I used a far-infrared (FIR) heating pad was the tingle. It was a familiar tingle since I had just returned from a trip to Iceland with my family. While there, we spent a good deal of time at “The Fontana,” a small, out-of-the-way spa that was completely powered by geothermal heat. When you entered their sauna or hot tub, you felt a distinctly pleasant tingle permeate your body. Within minutes you felt like all your muscle tension had dissolved away leaving both body and mind profoundly relaxed and refreshed. As an acupuncturist,...

Did you know that lifestyle habits that improve your overall health help to create a healthier brain? Growing evidence indicates that people can reduce their risk of cognitive decline by adopting key lifestyle habits that help reduce inflammation. Decreasing inflammation in the brain helps promote neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life. This allows the neurons (nerve cells) to compensate for injury and disease or adjust their activities in response to new situations or changes in their environment. What Causes Inflammation in Our Brains? It may not surprise you to learn that...

The Center for Functional Medicine is excited to offer effective, safe and painless Vaginal Rejuvenation services. As internationally known Functional Medicine educators and providers, we now offer the latest approach to the restoration of healthy vaginal anatomy, lubrication, and sexual function using the ThermiVa technique. ThermiVa treatments, which are painless, non-surgical and nonhormonal, are approved by the FDA (unlike some laser treatments) and are the perfect solution for women who want to revive and reinvigorate their sexual experience without the worry of surgical complications or hormone therapy. ThermiVa, performed in our office, uses a technology called radiofrequency to restore...

A team at Yale University has been working with people from the mediumship community in an effort to understand their experiences and apply what they learn to help people who hear voices that are distressing. Voice hearing is much more common than previously acknowledged, up to 20% of people might hear a voice when no-one is around at some point in their lives, between 3 and 10% have that experience more frequently. Hearing voices is not a sign of mental illness and, by working with people who identify as clairaudient, the team believes that they can help the 1%...

The question in the title is one that I have pondered over the course of my spiritual journey. The great spiritual masters have shared that Suffering is an Option and lately, I have discovered that Suffering is NOT an Option for those who are working diligently to reach the pinnacle of their spiritual journey. This sounds like a contradiction but in reality, it is not. Suffering is an Option means that you have a choice to suffer. Pain is Inevitable because you can struggle in your mind or body or spirit or emotions but suffering from the pain is...

Farm to Bath started with our daughter, Katie, who has severe cerebral palsy and is highly sensitive to chemicals in cleaning products. I used to buy organic soap for Katie at our local health food store, but when that went out of business I did some research and learned how to make soap using the herbs and flowers in our garden. What sets Farm to Bath apart from other businesses? I care deeply about my ingredients. I rely on plant-based materials that we grow whenever possible, without all of the “extra” stuff. My husband, Paul, and I try to...

Choosing the best natural therapies to combine safely with conventional treatments can be difficult and is vitally important to get right. Studies estimate that over 80% of people with cancer are using natural and supportive therapies along with their conventional treatments. Integrative oncology allows patients to combine traditional cancer treatments and natural therapies during various stages of treatment. Integrative oncology utilizes lifestyle medicine, evidence based supplements, botanical, and nutritional support to reduce side effects associated with treatment and to optimize response to conventional care. Generally, naturopathic doctors who specialize in integrative oncology believe it’s vital to support the whole...

“New research explores the relationship of what’s known as the “gut-skin axis”, and how food, gut infections, and conditions such as leaky gut can impact your skin health. That’s because your skin is one of your body’s major detoxifiers. Inflammation and toxins in your gut will inevitably penetrate into your bloodstream and show up as skin inflammation as your skin attempts to purge your body of its toxic burden. Repairing your gut is the first step to healthy, blemish-free skin.”   ~ Amy Meyers, MD https://www.amymyersmd.com/2018/10/10-tips-beautiful-hair-skin-and-nails/   A full, glossy head of hair; clear, unwrinkled skin; and long, strong...

In recent years, a number of studies describing an association between environmental toxins and adult heart disease, asthma, cancer, and other health conditions have made their way into the mainstream media. But how do toxins affect children? A study from the University of Alberta in Canada evaluated the effects of pollutants on children with congenital heart disease. Their study involved reviewing data from several metropolitan and rural areas between 2006 and 2011. The results of their research established an association between several toxins in air pollution and heart defects in children. Some of the pollutants studied included carbon monoxide,...

The most common food allergies in the population are peanuts, dairy, eggs, soy, shellfish and wheat. Food allergies typically begin in childhood, however food sensitivities often can occur over time as we age. Adults commonly have food allergies to peanuts and tree nuts, fish and shellfish in addition to fruit and vegetable pollen. Most common symptoms for food allergies include: hives; eczema; swelling of lips, face or tongue; difficulty breathing; abdominal pain; or dizziness. Food sensitivity symptoms are more delayed and common symptoms include migraines, stomach upset and bloating, headaches, runny nose, IBS and fatigue. Food sensitivities can develop...

When it comes to healing and self-care the most effective approach would be prevention, maintaining a proper balance of our physical, spiritual, emotional and intellectual state. Once past the point of prevention we may have to take more extreme measures of care. Anytime we are dealing with healing and self-care for humans we must consider bio-individuality and uniqueness of environment and circumstance before deciding a plan of action. Pain is never comfortable however it is an intelligent form of communication from the body that tells us something is off balance and needs attention. Too often people may run to...

IV therapy is a relatively new method of delivering medicine to patients, with its popularity taking off in the 1950s. It is a quick, effective way to administer fluids as well as medications and has helped saved lives by rapidly administering life-saving drugs, such as antibiotics. It has been utilized widely with cancer patients in the form of chemotherapy which can be very harsh on the body. While it attacks cancerous cells, chemo can affect healthy tissues such as hair follicles and the GI tract lining, causing its well-known side effects of hair loss, nausea, vomiting, and the list...

Every 21-to 35 days women bleed for 2-7 days in order to biologically bear children in a grand sacrifice of their body to perpetuate the human race. What does our period (aka menses) mean to us? How do we prepare for and manage this integral part of our nature? What influences “it’- does the moon? other women? How do we deal with and treat menstrual diseases? These are questions that can not be answered in one paper, however, they are worth a lively discussion that is long overdue to reclaim the “cur-sed” parts of ourselves that happen to make...

Cervical cancer is the 3rd most common gynecologic cancer and the 8th most common cancer among women in the US. Mean age at diagnosis is 50, but the cancer can occur as early as age 20. The American Cancer Society estimates that in the US, 13,170 new cases of invasive cervical cancer and 4,250 deaths from cervical cancer will occur in 2019, of those new cases 120 are estimated to occur in Connecticut based on past data. Cervical cancer results from cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), which appears to be caused by infection with human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is among...

Here in Connecticut, October is known for its transitions. As temperatures dip and the air becomes crisp, leaves on trees change colors from vibrant green to deep gold, brilliant orange, and fiery red. Like October weather in Connecticut, many professionals’ approach to their careers and expectations of their finances are changing. The notion that you go to school, work in one job, and retire at age 65 to enjoy a few years of blissful existence without financial concerns does not represent reality for many people today. Many people now live until their late 80s. Most people want to enjoy...