Serotonin is an important brain chemical that relays messages in your brain, called a neurotransmitter. [1,2] Serotonin is also a hormone. Hormones are chemical messengers that travel through your body. Although serotonin has effects on your whole body, according to the Endocrine Society, serotonin is the key hormone that stabilizes … Read More
In an earlier post, we discussed the physiological effects on the body that can occur with long-term stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms. To get you started on the road to recovery, we have six tips to conquer stress and anxiety. Tip #1: Evaluate your adrenal gland function. In reality, there may actually be a … Read More
Instead of reaching for an unhealthy energy drink or soda, try one of the following eight energy-boosting foods. 1. Green Tea Caffeine (coffee, tea, chocolate, cola, energy drinks) is a drug, a strong stimulant that actually generates a stress reaction in the body. Try going for three weeks without caffeine. … Read More
Surprisingly, there is no universally agreed upon definition of fatigue. It has been described as “an overwhelming sustained sense of exhaustion” or “an overwhelming subjective sense of tiredness and lack of energy.” Fatigue’s nonspecific nature is part of what makes it so difficult to define and treat. Feeling tired much … Read More
It’s not surprising that nutrient deficiencies are causes for low energy and fatigue, given that your body’s trillions of cells rely on vitamins and minerals to generate energy. What is surprising is that few doctors recognize the fact that fatigue and lacking energy is often an early symptom of multiple … Read More
Hypersomnia is characterized by episodes of excessive daytime sleepiness, even with adequate nighttime sleep, or prolonged nighttime sleep. This condition is different from the daytime sleepiness and sleep episodes of narcolepsy or feeling tired due to occasional insomnia. People with hypersomnia feel driven to nap, often for long periods of … Read More
A relatively new classification of depression is known as persistent depressive disorder (PDD), or dysthymia. The dysthymia definition helps distinguish between people suffering from a single episode of major depressive disorder (MDD) and those whose depression lingers much longer. Dysthymia symptoms, while longer-lasting, are less intense than those associated with … Read More
At some point, you may have attended a yoga class with a close friend or family member, thinking it would be a fun way to spend quality time relaxing and releasing stress from a hectic work week. However, did you know practicing yoga can accomplish a lot more than that? … Read More
People with the digestive disease ulcerative colitis (UC) have learned the hard way that eating certain foods can make symptoms worse. “What you eat directly affects gut inflammation, your immune system, and your gut bacteria,” says Colleen Webb, RDN, a dietitian at Weill Cornell Medical Center’s Center for Inflammatory Bowel … Read More
The combination of that bulging muffin-top, those sore joints, and your lack of energy signals the pressing need to lose weight. Turning yourself into a calorie counter might help, but wouldn’t a respected weight-loss diet get you there more easily? So shouldn't you adopt one of those "best diet" plans? … Read More
