What does Wellness mean to you this year?

While some may only focus on diet or exercise-based New Year Resolutions, wellness can mean so much more than this.

Perhaps it might mean increasing energy, improving digestion, or reducing stress. For some, it may include feeling less pain, doing more of the activities you enjoy, or taking fewer sick days off.

When it comes to ways to improve your overall quality of life as well as prevent health issues down the road, holistic types of medicine such as functional nutrition, acupuncture, and craniosacral therapy can often best address these more systemic goals.

So which of these goals sticks out as being most important to you?

While wellness goals can vary greatly amongst different individuals, based on a quick poll among patients and friends, here are a few that stand out:

Immune Health

As winter continues, so does our exposure to a wide variety of viruses and respiratory illnesses. According to data from the CDC, Viruses tend to reach their peak each year between the months of December and February. So what can be done? Thankfully, good nutrition and natural therapies can address quite a bit.

Strengthening the gut barrier is essential to immune function, as it is estimated that up to 70% of our immune system resides in Gut Associated Lymphoid Tissue (or GALT).

Engaging in stress-relieving practices such as meditation, regular exercise, and sufficient sleep can allow for the regeneration of tissues and immune cells.

Taking immune-supportive herbs (Astragalus, Elderberry, Medicinal Mushrooms) and holistic therapies such as Acupuncture or Craniosacral Therapy may also help reduce overall stress levels.

In a functional nutritional office visit, we can discuss dietary and lifestyle changes and if further testing might be helpful to support your immune system and overall health.

Energy Levels

A wide variety of factors can contribute to low energy levels, ranging from physiological to lifestyle to nutrition.

Checking for nutritional deficiencies via routine bloodwork or specialized testing such as the Vibrant Labs Micronutrient Panel can help provide clarity into specific causes for low energy.

Gut health, Thyroid health, and hormonal health can all impact not only metabolism but the way in which the body processes energy. In an office visit, I check for signs and symptoms of these imbalances and recommend solutions, further testing, or a referral if necessary.

Cardiovascular Health

Along with routine lipid panels which are best done annually, additional lab testing might include checking for important factors such as inflammation, oxidative stress, genetic factors, and lipoprotein particle size.

And not unlike the other aspects of wellness mentioned above, supporting cardiovascular health in a naturopathic setting would include dietary choices and supplements that have been traditionally used to support heart health in particular a Mediterranean diet and herbs like Hawthorn, Garlic, and Hibiscus.

Stay tuned for more, and my inbox is always open!