Both women and men suffer from a wide array of symptoms that occur when our hormone levels naturally fall as we age. Synthetic pharmaceuticals prescribed as “hormone replacement” therapy are among the most widely prescribed medications in the U.S. They are prescribed most commonly at menopause for symptoms, such as hot flashes and night sweats, but have been recommended as a preventive measure for osteoporosis and other health problems that occur with aging as well. There are side effects and concerns about the long-term safety of taking these synthetic hormone replacements, information that is readily available on the package...

It may seem paradoxical, but very often the patients I feel most confident working with are those for whom conventional interventions have not helped. As you might imagine, a lot of folks who find their way into acupuncture offices have pretty much exhausted all other options. And very often, with acupuncture, breakthroughs are made where before these patients only found disappointment and frustration. Therefore, when the first cases of COVID-19 “long-haulers” were reported last summer, my interest was piqued. What struck me about these cases was how similar the symptoms appeared to other issues for which acupuncture is often...

First discovered and researched a little over 100 years ago, hormones serve as communication messengers to initiate or terminate processes all over the body. Various organs make these hormones, and many bodily functions are controlled by them. When hormones are imbalanced (meaning not working correctly), many problems can occur—from temperature regulation to blood flow, digestion to skeletal maintenance. Hormones are the balancing regulators of your body. Hormone Imbalance and Herbal Remedies As we age, our organs experience the wear and tear of the life that we impose on them. The effects of modern living—eating chemicals and steroids in our...

Hi Dana: I’m divorced. Would you help me understand what social security benefits are available for divorced spouses, and any important considerations to be aware of? Navigating social security benefits if you are divorced—or thinking about divorce—can sometimes be confusing. Luckily, we have the perfect partner on our team who can review this for us. Lise Robinson, CFP®, is a CERTIFIED DIVORCE FINANCIAL ANALYST® and has extensive experience working with divorced clients as well as those considering the financial implications of getting a divorce. Hi Lise: What are some important social security highlights for divorced spouses that you would...

A few years ago, some friends asked my family to take care of their tomato plants while they went on vacation. While they were away we could eat ripened tomatoes, and when they returned my husband and I could keep one of the plants. This agreement is a very simplified example of how some trusts work. The following is an introduction to trusts and how clients use them, as well as an explanation for the tomato plants and trusts analogy from my perspective as a Private Wealth Advisor. Introduction to Trusts: A Financial Planner’s View As a Certified Financial...

Shortly after the documentary film The Secret, based in part on principles developed by Esther Hicks, came out in 2006, a mass of people were suddenly buying and creating vision boards. These same people, however, soon became terribly disappointed that their pot-of-gold visions didn’t magically appear on their front steps or show up in their bank accounts. They simply gave up and said, “this doesn’t work.” However, vision boards do work when you develop a vision or journal that is filled with images that make you feel good. The “secret” has always been about the way something or someone...

Over the past few years, I’ve noticed many more references to the Akashic Field, Akashic Records, The Book of Life, and more. I am now seeing the term akasha (akasha is Sanskrit for “sky,” “space,” or “ether”) being referred to in the five elements, so we now have earth, water, air, fire, and akasha (previously referred to as ether). What Is the Akashic Field and Records? The Akashic Field and Records are said to have existed since the beginning of time and act as a sort of library, recording everything in creation and containing memories of your past, present,...

Our skin is our largest organ, and it is often the first thing people notice when they meet us. Our skin takes a beating—it is exposed to all the external temperatures and substances we experience daily. It protects our muscles and organs, helps regulate our temperature, and is crucial for our survival. Our skin is always in a constant state of renewal. It renews itself every 28 days, and we are constantly shedding dead skin—we shed between 30,000–40,000 skin cells every minute. That is about nine pounds a year! Now you know where much of the dust in your...

We are social beings. Relationships to ourselves and to others are essential for our very survival. This last year of isolation during the pandemic, in which some of us have been alone and others more confined to home with partners, children, or relatives, has been a test of these relationships. Here, we offer a roadmap for navigating conflict that can arise in these important relationships. We are sustainable systems. We need all of who we are. A relationship starts to destroy itself when we throw out the parts of ourselves we judge to be unacceptable. Can you imagine how...

As we approach the spring season, we think of opening the windows to get fresh air, putting our winter clothes away, and doing a deep cleaning of our homes. Since the majority of us have been staying home far more than usual in the past year, the spring season can bring a chance to renew our spirits, both inside the home and out. Because we’ve been inside so much recently, it’s only natural to expect that on some days your home has been a place where arguments ensue, conflicts arise, and negative emotions run high. Our home can hold...

The spiritual world is full of mystics, those who have reached such a depth of spirituality and awakening that they serve as inspiration and teachers to us all. Many, centuries later, inspire the seeker through words and imagery: Rumi, St. Hildegarde, Buddha, Lao Tzu, and others have been recognized as individuals who have reached a state of union with the divine that so many seek. While some mystics are associated with religion, many are not and through their teachings, prose, and poetry, those mystics have left behind inspiring works for us all. The Mystic in All of Us While...

“To optimize your financial health, you don’t need to have a command of every detail of the stock market. However, you should understand generally what you own and why, and how the positions you own work together.” Do you check out the ingredients in your foods to make sure they meet your body’s unique needs? Whether it’s “nut free,” “gluten free,” or “organic,” many of us understand that what we put into our bodies impacts our physical health. In the same way, what we put into our investment portfolio affects our financial health. Recently, Sheila and Brian* accepted my...

Did you know that there are thousands of manufactured chemicals in the United States? These chemicals are found in numerous places; in food, water, cookware, cleaners, pesticides, furniture, cosmetic products, implants and more. We are even exposed to chemicals that are found in the air and in common household dust. Many of these chemicals are non-degradable and persist in the environment, bioaccumulating in people, and consequently impose numerous health consequences. Results of Toxin Exposure There are many toxic metals, some of which include cadmium, mercury, manganese, and nickel to name a few. When exposed to heavy metals, free radicals...

Research has shown that up to 90% of cancers including breast cancer are from lifestyle and environmental factors, which leaves 10% relating to genetic predisposition. Your genetics do not determine your destiny! Even if you have a genetic predisposition or carry a gene that gives you a higher risk for certain cancers or disease, YOU HAVE THE POWER to change your lifestyle habits and environment so those genes are not expressed. One way to implement this lifestyle habit is through detoxification practices. Most people have heard of detoxing the colon, liver, kidneys, or even a whole-body detox, but rarely...

Vitamin D is emerging as a good preventive measure for COVID-19 both to bolster immune response and to dampen the escalating inflammatory response, which can lead to Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). Vitamin D is one of four fat-soluble vitamins (the others being A, E and K) and it serves as a hormone precursor. Precursors are metabolically inactive. It undergoes two reactions in the body to become active and our kidney makes 1,25OH-D3, which is the biologically active form in the body that functions as a steroid hormone. How Active Vitamin D is Made in The Body UVB light...

For thousands of years, food therapy has been foundational in medicine. Growing up in an ethnically Greek household where food is vital, herbal teas, chicken broth with lemon, and cupping were used for most illnesses. It was surprising to me to learn as a pre-med student that most conventional medical schools did not teach nutrition. Because nutrition is essential, I chose a Naturopathic Medical School because they have the only accredited curriculum for primary care physicians that includes functional nutrition, personalized prescriptions of nutritional supplements, and a holistic (mind-body-spirit) approach to health, prevention and wellness. The World Health Organization’s...

Our pain and illness are not randomly created. We are all complex, multidimensional organisms. We know that a physical ailment affects us emotionally, but left unattended an emotional or spiritual wound can also manifest itself physically. All processes in this dynamic, multi-layered system occur at the same time, every event in every cell of our body is known to every other cell at the same time. Even our memories are stored not only in our brain, but in every cell. Biological Responses to Emotional Trauma Our biological responses to emotional trauma and stress are very sophisticated. At the same...

Chronic health issues can be a daily burden. Many are suffering with Post-COVID (or Long-COVID) syndrome, that includes fatigue, brain fog, and residual heart, lung, liver and kidney issues. Sadly, ongoing symptoms are often dismissed or inadequately addressed by mainstream medicine. Conventional medicine usually manages disease with pharmaceuticals that often cause debilitating side effects and compound the problem. Thus, while patients may have symptomatic relief, their underlying medical problems continue to progress. Alternatively, Functional Medicine addresses the root causes of health issues, helping patients heal from disease. Functional medicine optimizes health by addressing the disease processes, minimizing symptoms and...