A major focus of my training in Naturopathic Medicine school was in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), and one of the very well-known principles of TCM is the balance of Yin and Yang energies. When that balance is lost, health is lost. Today, my reflection is on how that translates in our lives, as women, in the society we live in and how this could contribute to some common health issues we run into.

Addictions are very prevalent in our society, and some of those addictions severely punished, while others are totally socially acceptable or even praised. An addiction can be to a substance, thing, or activity. This could be a drug, alcohol, nicotine, shopping, gambling, sex, work, food, control, adrenaline, etc.

Brain health and mental health is directly related to our diet. I am a strong advocate for mental health through nutrition as I’ve read the research, seen it in patients and experienced it myself. This is true for general health through nutrition, actually. Food gives us the building blocks to produce our much needed neurotransmitters, keep inflammation low and support stable blood sugar, which are all needed for good brain function and mental health.

A healthy gut lays the foundation for a healthy mind and body. It’s been shown time after time that the digestive system can be a source of inflammation which is manifested anywhere in the body. Enjoy this gut healing smoothie to help decrease inflammation and heal your body.

One of the most difficult things about sadness and chronic illness is the isolation they bring. I’ve felt it before. You feel like you bring everyone down when you talk about how you’re feeling and what you’re going through, but it’s too hard to just smile and pretend like everything is ok. Or maybe it’s the really obvious elephant in the room that no one dares to bring up. So it’s easier to just avoid interacting with others in order to avoid having to bring it up.