It is one thing to be sick, but it is yet another to be sick and tired—and the two often go hand in hand. Not only is sleep important for waking up refreshed, but it is a key factor in health and well-being. Sleep is one of our most essential functions and a crucial element in many physiological processes, including development, energy conservation, brain waste clearance, immune modulation, cognition, performance, disease, and psychological state. Sleep deprivation can have significant impact on health and has been shown to affect pain, metabolism, and immunity. Thus, if sleep is compromised our immune...

Our modern society’s need to go–go–go is finally catching up with our body’s need to physically slow down. The ability to operate on the fewest hours of sleep has been praised as an accomplishment, as though compromising health for wealth is an admirable trait. Unfortunately, this go–go–go mentality does not help us achieve our best health. Overwork and lack of sleep has been linked to mental health issues such as anxiety and depression, as well as physical health issues, among other things effecting the function of our cardiovascular, immune, metabolic, and hormonal systems. Notably, this also includes fertility health....

Recently, someone I’m close to confided that they were having trouble sleeping. The reason was clear to them—it was due to the recent stock market volatility and risks they were seeing all over the news as well as seeing their account values come down from peak levels reached within the last year. When I learned that Natural Nutmeg’s topics for this issue revolved around sleep and peace of mind, I was inspired to share some helpful hints and personal observations from the last 15 years of advising private clients with their investments and overall financial well-being. Each of us...

When you think of abundance, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Is it money and financial wealth? Is it material possessions? Or is it something else? For many of us, abundance is an external phenomenon. It means having the money, belongings, and creature comforts that we require or desire in life. Unfortunately, this limited way of thinking about abundance may often lead to negative results. It does not help us solve our financial problems; rather, it may actually exacerbate them. It’s Time to Flip the Script What if, instead of thinking of abundance as external, we...

Why do we get up every morning? This is a question we all consider at certain points in our lives. We may have work, family, or other obligations, or we simply may feel rested and ready to start the day. But where is that passion in your gut, the fire in your heart, the sparkle in your eye, that brings you forward into the day? This is something I have always pondered but finally took as my life’s mission almost 10 years ago. Finding my purpose, or as the Japanese call it, my ikigai, consumed me as I searched...

Named after a small Connecticut town in which it was first identified in 1975, Lyme disease is transmitted to humans by the bite of ticks infected with the bacterial spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Lyme disease is one of the most rapidly emerging infectious diseases in North America and Europe. To worsen matters, there are several other species of Borrelia that cause Lyme disease and tick-borne relapsing fever—on the East coast, 50–60% of western black-legged ticks are infected with species of Borrelia that cause Lyme disease. When initially infected, typical signs and symptoms—including...

There are multiple factors that must be taken into consideration as we aim to achieve whole-body health, and one of the most important and often overlooked of these is hormones. Hormones are responsible for the regulation of many processes, including digestion, metabolism, respiration, sensory perception, sleep, lactation, growth and development, movement, reproduction, and mood. Specialized cells called endocrine glands produce chemical messengers that then travel to parts of the body where they regulate physiology and behavior; thus, they are important for optimal functioning and maintenance of the body. The body produces and circulates approximately 50 hormones in the major...

Spring is a time of rebirth and renewal. Buds explode everywhere and the bleakness of winter is washed away with warm spring rain. A spring cleanse can wash away the burden of toxins your body has endured and accumulated. Seen as a time of transition, spring is an ideal time to slough off the old and usher in a fresh new start for physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Cleansing for Body and Mind Cleansing (or detoxification) practices date back to 2000 BCE and are used around the world to prevent disease and improve overall health. Historic cleansing practices have...

Sleep does not get enough respect. Some wish they did not need so much of it—they see it as a nuisance, an interference in what they are trying to accomplish in their lives. Others force themselves to push through life with less-than-optimal sleep—due to stress, hormonal imbalances, digestive disorders, or multiple other factors (technology addiction, poor diet, social demands), their bodies will not allow them proper sleep. Conventional physicians frequently overlook their patients’ sleep quality and habits. When inadequate quality sleep results in health problems, they tend to focus on prescribing solutions for their symptoms rather than diagnosing a...

Though quantum healing hypnosis may be a term that is new to you, you are probably more familiar with the term “past-life regression,” and that is exactly how Dolores Cannon’s Quantum Healing Hypnosis (QHH) Technique started—with the exploration of past lives. From there, Candace Craw-Goldman’s Beyond Quantum Healing (BQH) Technique expands these healing realms to include an organic, individually driven healing platform. Today, with the expansion of human consciousness and technology, experiencing the exploration of past lives is achievable in a variety of ways—in-person sessions are no longer required. All around the world, people can experience future lives, parallel...

Every licensed practitioner of dentistry in the United States, whether a DDS or a DMD, has been trained in allopathic dentistry—the somewhat mechanical treatment of disease and dysfunction signs and symptoms (for example, cavities and bleeding gums) that affect the oral cavity (i.e., the mouth). But there is so much more to achieving a lifetime of oral health and overall well-being than merely filling or pulling teeth and scraping tartar. Ever since Robert Koch postulated the germ theory of disease back in the 1800s and dentistry became recognized as a profession separate from medicine and surgery, dental students have...

We are led to believe by most conventional doctors that the measurement of LDL and total blood cholesterol levels are the primary predictors for cardiovascular disease. If this were true, though, why is it that more than half the cases of patients having acute cardiovascular events have normal or even low cholesterol levels? The truth is, there is much, much more to cardiovascular disease than simply elevated cholesterol levels. The Patient There is a case that exemplifies this concept completely: The patient is a 72-year-old man with a history of repeated heart attacks and multiple bypass surgeries and arterial...

It’s the age-old conundrum—which came first, the chicken or the egg? Similarly, as a student of Rolfing forty-odd years ago, we debated the question, “does structure determine function or does function determine structure?” Just as you can’t separate the body from the mind and vice versa, it is difficult to resolve the function/structure debate. I have had many years of experiencing clients prove both sides during my time as a Rolfer. Which Comes First? Several years ago, a client thought his teenage son would benefit from what he was learning and experiencing in his own Rolfing series. I soon...

Many of the health benefits of massage therapy, such as decreased pain and stiffness and reduced stress and anxiety, are very well known. But did you know that receiving regular massage therapy is an effective way to boost your immune system? “Researchers working with patients with compromised immune systems have found massage therapy can improve how the immune system functions,” says Jeff Smoot, former President of the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA). “Those same benefits can translate to people seeking to fight off the common cold, flu, and other seasonal illnesses.” Clinical studies have demonstrated that in addition to...

It is rather well known that thermography is incredibly effective in screening for breast cancer—it does not expose the body to radiation, is painless, noninvasive, and aids in detecting inflammation, disease, and cancer. However, thermography can also be used as a naturopathic screening: a proactive, whole-body approach to wellness. The Science behind the Screenings Thermography measures the infrared radiation (heat) that emits from the surface of the body. Areas of abnormality, pathology, or disease will be observed as either hot or cold depending on the metabolic activity. An ultrasensitive thermal camera and a sophisticated computer are used to convert...

Many of my recent conversations have involved the question, “When will things return to normal?” I am incredibly interested in these conversations. I always find myself asking, “What do you mean by returning to ‘normal’”? Do you mean returning to the way things were before—familiar, desired, or natural? I recall an incident I encountered as a young therapist over 40 years ago. I was meeting with a patient diagnosed as bipolar whose doctor had requested that I meet with her to convince her to take her medication. I explained that lithium was a salt that would reduce the highs...

Deep into preparing for my “Love Your Inner Child” event on a bitterly cold, snowy weekend, I experienced one of those big “a-ha” moments. I had been working through a process of using childhood pictures of myself to connect with what I had been feeling at different points in my life. Why was I happy in this one, but sad in another? It started me journeying down the thread of my childhood. What emerged was the realization that I had built a fortress around myself, protecting my energy and learning how to survive, that had ultimately led to putting...

Are you struggling with getting rid of unwanted fat and building a stronger body? More people today are struggling with obesity and/or sarcopenia, an accelerated loss of muscle mass that puts you at high risk for falls, losing your independence and mortality from years of inactivity. No matter how much you improve your diet or exercise, it can be hard to shift stubborn pockets of fat or build muscle. For many people, these life-altering issues can lower confidence, destroy motivation, and lead to depression. Thankfully, a new treatment is available. Debuting in October of 2020, Emsculpt Neo is a...