Raynaud’s Syndrome: The Vagus Nerve Connection – Part II
Raynaud’s Syndrome is a condition where blood vessels in a person’s extremities shut down when exposed to cold. It is caused by peripheral blood vessels overreacting to colder temperatures and can result in painful and discolored extremities. The Vagus Nerve New research suggests an alternative method for treating Raynaud’s symptoms indirectly via the vagus nerve….
Raynaud’s Phenomenon: An Aromatic Exploration – Part I
Raynaud’s Syndrome is a condition where blood vessels in a person’s extremities shut down when exposed to cold. It is caused by peripheral blood vessels overreacting to colder temperatures and can result in painful and discolored extremities. Raynaud’s syndrome was first identified by a French physician named Auguste Gabrielle Maurice Raynaud in 1862. It often…
Soothing Summer Sunburn Gel
Our second summer of COVID has been one of hope, and a return to fear. One thing that remains the same is the outdoors are a safer place to be. And in the sunlight, we get to remind ourselves that we are alive and can still feel joy in these trying times. Outdoor recreation is…
Aromatic Rituals: Caring for our Heart during Leo Season
You may be familiar with the proverb, “home is where the heart is,” first coined by the roman philosopher, Pliny the Elder (23-79 A.D.). Beyond the physical space, the notion of home speaks to the space where we may find respite and solace by turning inwards and dropping into our heart to find belonging and…
Adrenal Fatigue PART III: Promoting Resilience — Essential Oils for HPA Axis Support
HPA axis dysregulation is fundamentally caused by stress, which can take many forms: Psychosocial stress (relationships, finances, housing insecurity, discrimination, etc.) Inflammation (diet, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, infection, insulin resistance) High or low blood sugar Insufficient sleep (sleep apnea, poor sleep habits) Interventions should first and foremost target these root causes of stress in order…
Adrenal Fatigue PART II: Cortisol and the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) Axis – A Dip Into Physiology
“Adrenal fatigue” proponents are right about one thing: the stress of life can definitely be too much for the body to handle. It’s just not the adrenals that are the problem. Changes in cortisol production aren’t caused by a deficiency in the adrenal glands, but by regulatory mechanisms of the nervous system that protect against…
