By Dr. Karen Bender, ND, RN Have you ever had a gut feeling about something? What about having butterflies in your stomach when nervous or excited? These common experiences are examples of how the gut and the nervous system are connected. In the research, this connection is referred to as the gut-brain axis. In this article, we will explore the … Read More
Fatigue, Irritability, Fertility issues, and Weight Gain: Could Estrogen Dominance be the Cause?
By Dr. Karen Bender What is Estrogen Dominance? Estrogen dominance is a condition in which there is too much estrogen in the body. It results from a combination of factors that lead to an imbalance between its production, breakdown, and elimination. Obesity can contribute to excess production of estrogen because fat cells are an additional source of estrogen production. Factors … Read More
Cardiovascular Disease: Treating the Root Cause
By Dr. Karen Bender What is Cardiovascular Disease? Cardiovascular disease is a class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels. CVD includes coronary artery disease (CAD) such as angina (chest pain)and myocardial infarction(commonly known as a heart attack) and stroke. There are many other conditions that fall into the category of CVD but this article will focus on … Read More
Resolving Inflammation: A Key to Restoring Health
By Dr. Karen Bender What is inflammation? Inflammation is the body’s natural and protective healing response to injury and invasion. It occurs in response to infectious agents like viruses and bacteria, tissue trauma, and foreign substances such as environmental toxins. A healthy inflammatory response occurs in two phases. The first phase is the initiation phase that causes heat, pain, swelling, … Read More
Are Toxins Making You Sick? 10 Easy Steps to Detoxify Your Life
By Dr. Karen Bender Endocrine Disruptors: How environmental toxins contribute to disease It has become increasingly clear that many chemicals found in pesticides, some plastics, lotions, soaps, shampoo, laundry detergents, home cleaning products, ect. have been found to act as toxins and have disruptive effects on the body and its hormone system. More specifically, they interact with the endocrine system. … Read More
The Vagus Nerve: Learn to Reduce Inflammation and Improve your Stress Response
By Dr. Karen Bender Meet Your Vagus Nerve Have you heard of the “wandering nerve”? This important nerve is named the vagus nerve because it wanders throughout your body, connecting the brain to the rest of the body. It’s the longest nerve in the body, and it stretches from the brain to the large intestines. Why You Should Care Since … Read More
Reduce Stress with Your Breath
By Dr. Karen Bender What if I told you that there is a powerful way to improve your health that is free, always with you, requires no special equipment, and easy to do? Well, you are in luck. There is such a thing–it is your breath. Breathing is something most of us do without thinking, approximately 23,000 times a day. … Read More
What Your Gut is Telling You
What Your Gut is Telling You How Poor Gut Health Contributes to Anxiety and Depression By Dr. Karen Bender How is your digestion? Do you experience pain and indigestion after eating foods you once enjoyed? Have you started to accept gas and bloating as normal? Do you often go days without having a bowel movement? These are all signs that … Read More
Caregiver Fatigue Prevention
By Dr. Karen Bender Are You Experiencing Caregiver Fatigue? It is not uncommon for people who care for others to become fatigued and overwhelmed by their role in caring for another. It is not hard to see why. The role can be very demanding, and responsibility can seem endless. Parents, teachers, health care professionals, and caregivers to elderly family members … Read More
Mindfulness for Better Nutrition
By Dr. Karen Bender Slowing Down Improves Digestion Nutrition is not just about what you eat, but also about how you eat it. Studies have shown that the amount of absorption you get from the food is affected by how you eat it. If you are distracted or preoccupied when you are eating, you absorb less nutrients from the food … Read More