You’ve heard the saying: “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.” Well, there’s a part of your body, the vagus (pronounced just like “Vegas”) nerve, whose functions do not stay within the limited lane of a random nerve in your body. What’s the vagus nerve ? The vagus (or vagal) nerve is the 10th of […]
Why is inflammation firing up your body?
Inflammation. Some call it the fire raging within that sparks a range of illnesses and diseases. Inflammation is part of the body’s natural defense system and is its first response to protect you from trauma and stress. Good inflammation brings healing, but negative, chronic inflammation harms and weakens the body, stoking a fire that feeds […]
Is your immune system resilient?
Now that we’re in winter, our immune system is far more vulnerable to colds and, now, to the “tripledemic”: the flu, Covid-19 and its variants, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Our immune system needs to be resilient to not only resist these respiratory conditions but also to bounce back when they do hit us. The […]
Remove yourself from the prediabetes zone
How did I become prediabetic? Imagine my shock when some routine bloodwork revealed some not-too-routine results regarding my blood sugar levels: I was prediabetic and, by extension, insulin resistant. My pancreas wasn’t making enough insulin, and my cells had become resistant to insulin and weren’t permitting sufficient sugar to enter them. As a result, instead […]
Leaky gut: Could you have it?
Photo by CDC on Unsplash Have you noticed the recent increased focus on gut health in the media? There’s more talk about the gut microbiome, fermented foods, prebiotics, probiotics, and the food sensitivities that can make our gastrointestinal tract struggle. I’m happy that there’s more emphasis on gut health; after all, the gut is known […]
Here’s to more guiltless eating!
When you embark on the journey to be healthier and happier, you usually commit to eating well as part of your wellness regimen. For some of us, what begins as an exciting journey can end up leaving us feeling trapped in very challenging and unproductive ways of eating. Experts say that restrictive eating programs can […]
Set up an at-home fitness routine you’ll love
How many times have you invested in a gym membership, only to have it lapse without getting your money’s worth from it? *raises hand* I cancelled my gym membership a few months ago when I realized that I hadn’t been in the gym for almost a year. Plus, with Covid-19 still around, I didn’t feel […]
How gratitude can improve your health
It’s no surprise that gratitude can improve your mental health and overall outlook on life, but were you aware of the many benefits of thankfulness when it comes to your physical health? In this blog post, I’ll take you through six ways in which gratitude improves your health. Plus, I’ll leave you with some simple, […]
Mindfulness: Does it really work?
Well…yes, mindfulness really does work! In fact, science shows clearly defined health benefits for individuals who make mindfulness and meditation a core part of their wellness routine. Before we dive into this topic, let’s make sure we’re on the same page when we refer to mindfulness and meditation. Meditation is the ancient practice of connecting […]
How stress messes with your health
Photo by Kevin Grieve on Unsplash We’re all experiencing some level of stress, aren’t we? Whether it’s temporary (acute), or long-term (chronic), stress seems to be an inevitable side-effect of 21st-century living. We become stressed when the events in our lives become too much for us to handle, whether that sense of overwhelm is real or perceived. Our […]
