Natural Solutions

5 Easy Steps to Invite Wellness Into Your Life

We could all use an extra dose of wellness in our lives. It can be hard to prioritize self-care in our hectic, multi-tasking lives. Here are five easy ways to start introducing wellness into your life. Morning gratitude. Start off each day with gratitude for all of the good things in your life. Do your best think positive thoughts. Positive thinking invites positivity into your life. Try it, and see what happens. Your whole day will change! Before bed, write down the 5 best things that happened during the day. Make this a new routine. You will find yourself looking for things to write about during the day. Discover your Inner Passion. Did you used to dance, write, draw, or sing but haven’t done it in years? Maybe it’s time to take a class...

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May 15, 2012

healthy living, karen morse, wellbeing

Herbs, Vitamin C, and Folate-Rich Foods Help Fight Spring Allergies

Spring allergies cause a host of symptoms that can range from mild to severe. Many resort to taking prescription or over-the-counter drugs such as antihistamines and steroids, which may not be completely safe or without side effects. A healthy alternative is to include foods in your diet known to be beneficial for reducing inflammation symptoms from allergies.

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May 06, 2012

allergies, spring, vitamin C

Natural Gifts For The Mama-To-Be

Expectant moms can be inundated with well-meaning advice and opinions, and while it can be very exciting, I am sure it can be overwhelming, too. It is important that an expectant mom feels special and taken care of. Providing her with the gift of natural products is one way her help her feel this way. Natural products can also help guide her on her pregnancy journey without overwhelming her with more advice. One of the first products an expectant mom may want is a stretch-mark product to facilitate the graceful growth of her belly. Make her feel special by thinking of the gift before she does. Look for butters like cocoa, and oils like almond, coconut, or olive. Check the ingredient list to ensure the product does not contain perfumes, dyes, or other synthetic chemicals. Remember, what...

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May 01, 2012

babies, mother's day, pregnant mothers

The Science of Sensation

Wow, what an incredible week this has been for me. I have been fortunate enough to spend the past week in Portland, Oregon, getting trained on how to teach the Nia Technique. Nia is a sensory-based movement practice that leads to health, wellness, and fitness. With much excitement for what lies ahead, I am happy to announce that I received my White Belt in Nia and am now a certified instructor. One of the things that I came to appreciate this week was how important it is to use sensation to understand what my body needs. It has always been very easy for me to doing things in a mindless fashion—eating quickly (often on the go), driving from destination to destination on autopilot, even moving to music via choreography versus having something in the music itself stirring movement in...

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April 04, 2012

self-awareness, sensation

Are You Sun Savvy Or Just Plain Confused?

When it comes to protecting your skin from damaging UV rays, what you don't know can really hurt you. Dull, blotchy skin; coarse skin texture; broken blood vessels; and premature wrinkling are among the top five skin damaging effects of daily exposure, not to mention the risk of melanoma and pre-cancerous lesions. In my clinic, I see clients every day that experience varying degrees of sun damage that could have been prevented with effective sun protection. Excessive exposure to UV rays and harsh environmental conditions rapidly accelerate the aging process and set you up for some major skin issues later in life if you are not careful. Simple, healthy options to prevent this damage do exist, if you know where to look—and in particular, what to look for. Sunscreens,...

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March 21, 2012

sunscreen, UVA, UVB

Creating Sexual Energy Through Yoga

The practice of yoga is beneficial in so many ways. From reducing stress, increasing strength and flexibility, and developing mind/body discipline to creating more peace in the world—there really are no negative aspects to studying yoga. In fact, yoga has been used through the centuries to harness sexual energy. By practicing specific asanas (postures) you can actually improve your own sex life. Each asana in yoga has corresponding physical benefits associated with it. All postures improve various systems of the body (circulation, digestion, immune system, etc.), and having those systems function properly can help you feel more sexual. Yoga allows you to connect with your body and breath—two important components of Tantric practice. The asanas below have specific sexual...

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Dr. Kat

Van Kirk

March 02, 2012

posture, sexual energy, yoga

The Safe Use of Herbs During Pregnancy

Before there was a neighborhood pharmacy with the Rx sign outside, there was nature. For eons women have relied on traditional knowledge of herbal remedies and plant medicine. This knowledge has been passed down from great-grandmother to grandmother to mother to daughter, as women have used herbs to comfort and support the common discomforts of pregnancy and childbirth. When combined with the safety and assurances of contemporary evidence-based research, traditional herbal medicine is a natural way to ease everything from morning sickness to swollen feet. Here are some safe herbal ways to nurture, comfort, and soothe yourself, whether you’re expecting a baby or not! Be sure to choose organic herbs whenever possible, both externally and internally, to help reduce exposure to...

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February 14, 2012

Insurance for Complementary and Alernative Medicine (CAM)

Complementary and alternative medicine—also known as CAM—has been gaining ground in the United States. In 2007, the National Health Interview Survey indicated approximately 38 percent of adult Americans used CAM. The definition of CAM is difficult, because it is a very broad field. Generally, CAM is any medical therapy that is not considered mainstream or conventional medicine. These boundaries are flexible; chiropractic care was once considered quackery by many conventionally trained doctors but has moved much closer to being considered mainstream. Alternative medicine includes therapies that most conventional practitioners regard as inappropriate or not supported by scientific research; herbal medications, dietary supplements, mind-body medicine, and energy medicine are...

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February 07, 2012

blog, CAM, insurance

The Science of Prevention

The key to living a healthy, balanced life is practicing prevention. Benjamin Franklin said, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” If you are not already well versed in your family medical history, I can’t stress the importance of having those conversations enough. If someone in your immediate family has a chronic illness like heart disease, high cholesterol, diabetes, or a history of cancer, this is something both you and your doctor should be aware of. There are basically two types of inherited disease: single gene inheritance and multifactorial (or complex) inheritance. Examples of single gene inheritance are diseases like cystic fibrosis and sickle cell anemia. In those instances, there are no changes that you can make to your...

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January 25, 2012

chronic illness, inherited disease, prevention

Rosacea: Understanding Inflammation and the pH Connection

Over the past decade, rosacea has become an increasingly common skin disorder seen in skincare clinics all across the country—almost daily. This has been a very difficult condition to treat aesthetically and medically, as well. Rosacea usually effects the nose, forehead and cheeks. It is associated with telangiectasia (dilation of the blood vessels under the skin). Acne pustules often accompany this condition, and skin around each pustule is rosy red. Frequent flushing that is often accompanied by a burning sensation may occur, particularly after using certain types of cosmetics. Sometimes the skin swells and feels warm. Persistent redness, papules, and pustules on the skin develop as a result of an inflammatory condition throughout the system. This inflammatory process is...

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January 04, 2012

redness, Rosacea, skincare

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