The Goal is Not to Always Feel Calm...

Having a regulated nervous system does not mean you will feel calm all the time.

What it means is that your nervous system can respond to any given situation in a healthy way:

To be resilient.

When your nervous system is regulated and resilient, you’re able to:

✨ experience emotions without letting them take over your life

✨ notice when you feel stressed and come back to center

✨ rest without feeling like you need to justify it

Not only that, but the nervous system connects your brain to every organ of your body.

So with a regulated nervous system, it becomes easier to heal your:

✨ gut

✨ skin

✨ hormones

✨ metabolism

✨ mood & more

In functional medicine, we are always looking for the root cause and removing obstacles getting in the way of healing.

Nervous system dysregulation can be one of those obstacles.

Like this post ❤️ if you want to be sure to see more on strategies to support your nervous system!

We Weren't Designed for This:

Human beings are not designed to be in a constant state of stress.

Whether you’re always rushed for time….

Stuck in a pattern of worry…

Skipping meals…

Overexercising…

Living on caffeine…

Or feeling unsafe in your surroundings.…

Your nervous system will pay the price.

The initial physiologic response to stress is activation of the sympathetic nervous system (“fight or flight”).

The secondary response is cortisol production.

One role of cortisol is to keep inflammation in check, but when our stress response is repeatedly triggered, it can become dysregulated and allow inflammation to go unchecked.

👉🏽 That means nervous system regulation is an essential step in addressing any condition driven by chronic inflammation.

Slow down.

Rest.

Breathe.

These things signal the body that it is safe to heal.

Stay tuned because I have a series of posts coming up with tips to support your nervous system 🙌🏽

#elementsnatmed #nervoussystem #dysregulatednervoussystem #nervoussystemregulation #naturalmedicine

New Way to Understand the Gut Microbiome 🦠

New research on the gut microbiome 🦠

If you’re interested in a root-cause approach to health, we’re inevitably going to have to talk about the gut microbiome!

Now researchers at Rutgers University have given us a new way to talk about this.

They call it the “Core Microbiome”—the crucial group of microbes that play a role in digestion, immune function, and even mental health.

Using advanced A.I., the researchers determined that the Core Microbiome consists of:

1️⃣ The Foundation Guild

Helpful bacteria that break down dietary fibers to produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and keep harmful bacteria in check.

2️⃣ The Pathobiont Guild

Needed in small amounts to “educate” the immune system, these microbes can drive disease if they become dominant.

This doesn’t change our root-cause approach to care, where gut health is always part of the conversation, but it does give us a new and creative way to describe it!

What do you think?

Does it help to think of the “Core Microbiome” as two guilds working together? 😊

REFERENCE:
Wu G, Xu T, Zhao N, et al. A core microbiome signature as an indicator of health. Cell. Published online October 7, 2024. [link]

Supplements for Seasonal Support ❄️

3 Supplements to Consider for ❄️Seasonal Immune Support

But first to be clear:

“Seasonal support” supplements are meant to strengthen immune function over weeks or months—not to be confused with “temporary support” products, which are best taken when you’re already feeling unwell.

Here they are!

1️⃣ Reishi

Reishi is a medicinal mushroom, traditionally used as an adaptogen to support stress resilience. It is rich in beta-glucans, which modulate immune function over time. Powdered reishi can be mixed into coffee or brewed as tea.

2️⃣ Probiotics

Since 70%-80% of the body’s immune cells reside in the gut, a healthy gut microbiome is essential for supporting immune defenses. Probiotics can be consumed as supplements or in fermented foods.

3️⃣ Vitamin D

Especially during darker months, consuming enough vitamin D is essential for immune function. Studies show that low vitamin D levels increase the risk and severity of infections. Vitamin D can be taken as pills. If you don’t know your vitamin D level, ask to get it checked!

📌Save this post for later!

References:

-Chen SN, Nan FH, Liu MW, Yang MF, Chang YC, Chen S. Evaluation of Immune Modulation by β-1,3; 1,6 D-Glucan Derived from Ganoderma lucidum in Healthy Adult Volunteers, A Randomized Controlled Trial. Foods. 2023;12(3):659. [link]

-Wimalawansa SJ. Infections and Autoimmunity-The Immune System and Vitamin D: A Systematic Review. Nutrients. 2023;15(17):3842. Published 2023 Sep 2. [link]

-Yuan C, He Y, Xie K, Feng L, Gao S, Cai L. Review of microbiota gut brain axis and innate immunity in inflammatory and infective diseases. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2023;13:1282431. [link]

Tiny Shifts for Big Energy ☀️

It comes down to 3 things ➡️

As the days get shorter and the weather gets colder, here are some things I do to keep my energy up!

☀️ LIGHT

Direct morning sunlight signals the body that it’s time to wake up! On the other end of the spectrum, I power down electronics at night to minimize blue light exposure before bed.

🏋️‍♀️ MOVEMENT

If the weather isn’t ideal, it can take more commitment to exercise every day. Time to try out some indoor options, like yoga or weights.

🥣 FOOD

It only makes sense to shift our eating patterns toward warmer, cooked, and nourishing foods for late fall. Time to pull out that stew pot!

If you’ve never thought about adjusting your routine to the seasons, I encourage you to think about what feels good for your body as the weather changes and tune in to what it’s asking for.