The Pattern Library

⁠Mood and stress are not mutually exclusive. Symptoms can overlap and can look different from person-to-person. ⁠ If a stress in your life dissolves but you still feel stressed/exhausted/fried, that's a signal it could be something deeper. Think adrenal health! Our adrenals are small little glands that sit on top of our kidneys. They are responsible for how we respond to stress. I almost always enjoy finding ways to cure health ailments with diet, and there are a few foods

With the holidays in full swing, it’s easy to get caught up in the stress of the season. With this stress, our minds can get frazzled,...

The gut-brain connection has been present since the beginning of humankind, but the research on this connection has expanded significantly in the past decade. Though the research is showing us more and more ways the gut and the brain communicate with each other, we still have unanswered questions: how does the microbiome affect a person’s mood? Can we modify the microbiome to support mental health? Where do probiotics come into play? This is what we’ll focus on today: probi

Glutamine is one of the most popular supplements for gut healing, and for good reason! Glutamine is an amino acid, and it is extremely versatile for supporting digestive and whole body health. Here are 4 ways that glutamine can support a healthy gut and healthy body. I N T E S T I N A L H E A L T H - within the digestive tract, glutamine is a primary nutrient for the intestinal cells and intestinal mucosa. Intestinal cells have such a high metabolism, so it’s important

"Self-care does not necessarily involve time; it's a way of being" - Christine Hassler Self-care is a daily choice of prioritizing...

I know this isn't the most glamorous topic, but it's an important one and more prevalent that you might think. Candida albicans is fungus that is part of normal flora. That means some Candida is suppose to be in the body, genitals, GI tract, and skin. The problem is when there is too much, yeast overgrowth occurs, which leads to pesky symptoms. Since Candida is part of normal flora, overgrowth symptoms can occur in many places. It may manifest as an itchy rash, diarrhea, f

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is the most commonly diagnosed gastrointestinal disorder. It acts as a catch-all diagnosis for symptoms of abdominal pain, cramping, bloating, gas, diarrhea, and constipation. IBS is defined by having abdominal pain or discomfort at least 1 day per week for the past 3 months. Symptoms improve after having a bowel movement and are often associated with a change in stool frequency or appearance. Looking at this list of symptoms, its no wonder th

"You know what I could really go for after a stressful day...a fat, juicy carrot." - Said no one ever! When the body undergoes a stress response, the natural instinct is to turn on survival mode. Survival mode typically means that digestion is not the first priority. The hierarchy of survival goes: heart --> lungs --> muscles (necessities to run from a tiger) --> digestion --> reproduction --> psycho-spiritual. If the body wants food at all, it wants things that are easy t

New Year, New You! As promised in last week's AKA last year's blog post, I'll be sharing my recipe for an Emotional Health Cocktail. 1. Cross Crawl -- cross crawl is a way of moving the body that coordinates opposite sides of the body to work together. Examples include walking, running, swimming, and crawling. Cross crawl movement helps build a bridge between the right and left hemispheres of the brain, which in turn re-organizes the mind-body connection. Studies show the em

The gut-brain connection is all about nourishing the microbiome to keep the GI tract happy and the mind at ease. The GI tract is made up of 100 million nerve cells, which is why it affectionately earns the title of "the 2nd brain". This is evidenced by the familiar feelings of "an anxious belly", "a gut feeling", "butterflies in the stomach". The mind is powerful and so is the gut! Here are 4 ways to nourish both: Set the stage -- in an earlier blog post, I talked about the

With the holidays in full swing, it’s easy to get caught up in the stress of the season. With this stress, our minds can get frazzled,...

Having gas or an irregular bowel movement here and there are normal and a part of life. But having GI symptoms regularly can mean chronic inflammation, which can be harmful to your long-term health. The good news is that there are simple solutions to help you regain normal bowel function and reverse chronic GI issues. Meet the 4 Pillars of a Healthy Gut. Sleep Exercise Stress Reduction Nutrition Maybe you're thinking 'Great..I already knew those.' So let's dive a little deep

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is the most commonly diagnosed gastrointestinal disorder, likely because it acts as a catch-all diagnosis. Symptoms of IBS can include abdominal pain, cramping, bloating, gas, diarrhea, constipation, or both. IBS is defined by having abdominal pain or discomfort at least 1 day per week for the past 3 months. Symptoms improve after having a bowel movement and are often associated with a change in stool frequency or appearance. There are many pos

I'm sure you've heard it hundreds of times: eating a healthy, well-balanced diet is a key ticket to wellness. Yes, this is true, and I...

Have you ever heard the term "anxious belly"? It's more than just a turn of phrase! Our emotions are connected to our GI health in ways...