Most of us believe that sleep is essential for function and focus. Recent findings suggest that even afternoon naps can improve the quality of brain function throughout the day. Robert Stickgold, PhD conducted a study through the Center for Sleep and Cognition at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. His experiment required 99 college […]
The Neurobiology of Chronic Stress
While conducting research on Adrenal Fatigue, we ran across lots of studies documenting the effects of stress on the body. There were so many new studies that we had a hard time trying to choose one to blog on. So rather than try to narrow our options, we thought that we would share some of […]
The Neurologic Link between Stress, Diabetes and Obesity
Many of us know of people who under pressure resort to “stress eating.” Chocolate, French fries, and potato chips have all been implicated in stress overeating and while I’m sure that most junk foods have also been used for such purposes, I doubt the same could be said for foods like broccoli or blueberries. The […]
Take the Adrenal Fatigue Quiz
Do you know the symptoms of adrenal fatigue? Do your patients report any of the following: Tired for no reason? Trouble getting up in the morning? Need coffee or colas to keep going? Feel run down and stressed? Crave salty or sweet snacks? Struggling to keep up with life’s daily demands? Can’t bounce back from […]
Pain, Brain, and Depression: It isn’t all in your head…or in your body
Have you ever had an ache that’s barely noticeable, until you start to think about it? Then the ache intensified and suddenly, the pain seems unbearable. New studies have found that while pain isn’t “just all in your head,” the brain does have ways of influencing our perception of pain. In a new paper out […]
6 Facts about Chronic Pain
Here are some important things you may not know about chronic pain: According to the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, people who have fibromyalgia are 3.4 times more likely to develop major depression than individuals without fibromyalgia. Most people with fibromyalgia are women (Female: Male ratio 7:1). However, men and children […]
Chronic Pain and Mind-Body Medicine: A Classic Pairing?
Have you ever had pain that you couldn’t explain? As I’m getting (slightly) older, I have more random pain that just seems to appear on its own. And while I do expect some unexplained aches and pains, many people have pain that isn’t related to the aging process – yet their doctors are unable to […]
From Genetics to Environmental Toxins: Searching for the Causes of Autism
Autism – just the word causes panic in parents everywhere. When I was growing up, polio had a similar effect. But the vaccine for polio has been found, while work on the prevention and treatment of autism is still continuing feverously. To the horror of families with an autistic child, the scientific community can offer […]
How Qigong and Mind Body Therapy are Being Used to Treat Burnout
What do you think of when you hear the term “burnt out?” These days, everyone seems to be stressed. The strains of balancing work, relationships, family and recreation can be overwhelming and exhausting. But burnout is different – suffering from long-term fatigue, stress, and disinterest is life altering. In May, a new study was published […]
Stress, Obesity and Our Children: What Mind-Body Research Says
Our lifestyle choices can create direct routes to conditions like inflammation. Even more recently, information linking psychoneuroimmunology and depression with stress and obesity has surfaced.