Yoga
Cortisol & Cancer: How Lowering Stress Can Help Prevent Cancer
Every week on the news, online, in a magazine, we hear or read about the ever-elusive “cure for cancer.” So far, it’s still a far-off medical goal. While I think it’s important for us to keep researching treatment options for all the men and women affected by cancer, I also want people to focus on…
Read More5 FAQs about Yoga and Hormones: Yoga Changes Your Adrenaline, Cortisol, and Melatonin
After practicing for four decades, I believe yoga helps with that uncomfortable “rev” in the body. You probably know what I’m talking about – that sense that you don’t like something in the present moment, like your belly or butt or thighs, or the feeling that you should be doing more in your career, or that you deserve to be paid more than you are, or you somehow don’t measure up to an impossible standard.
Read MoreWhat Stress Does to Your Hormones, Plus 3 PROVEN Stress Management Strategies
Nothing wrecks your hormones faster than unmanaged stress. However, stress in and of itself is not a bad thing. A healthy dose of stress can motivate you to high levels of productivity and performance. The key is to manage your stress so that it doesn’t spiral out of control, and cause all sorts of health…
Read MoreBody Dissatisfaction: Do You Have It? Novel Interruptions to the Pattern
There’s something terribly wrong with this statistic: 80% of women are unhappy with their body. I believe female body dissatisfaction is at epidemic levels, and it’s a top driver of food addiction and its sidekicks: eating disorders, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, chronic stress, hormone misfires, accelerated aging, and obesity. Body image is how you perceive…
Read MoreGreen Your Hormones in 8 Easy Steps
Download my free Hormone Survival Guide below to get a jump start on greening your hormones. Are you feeling tired, moody or stressed? Did you know this could be a result of a hormonal imbalance? In my practice, thousands of patients have come to me with the same complaint: “I exercise. I eat lots of…
Read More12 Signs You Need to Detox
I didn’t learn about detox at medical school or residency; I learned about it first through yoga, particularly during my years at Kripalu in Western Massachusetts. My detox education began via the Ayurvedic principles of Panchakarma. I learned about detox from feeling sluggish and like my liver was overtaxed, and finally realizing a good detox…
Read More7 Essential Steps in Resetting Your Body’s Natural Clock
Are you 35 years old but sometimes feel like you’re 95? While age is just a number, we do associate certain feelings, symptoms and diseases with different ages, and I felt like I was 90 when I was just 36. I was burned out and exhausted. I had adult acne and belly fat that just…
Read MoreInjured? Stressed Out? Try Yin Yoga
I’m devoting this entire article to the joys of yoga. “Why?” you ask (as if you didn’t know that I’m a dedicated yoga teacher as well as a physician). There’s no better way to have more resilience, flexibility and healing power than with a yoga program. And besides, I believe in using yoga to cultivate your…
Read More5 Ways to Treat Hormonal Headaches Naturally
Whether it’s a debilitating migraine or the dull throbbing from a stressful day, headaches have the ability to zap your energy, ruin your focus and turn your otherwise centered self into a crabby mess. As one of the most common – and vague – health conditions, headaches are generally accepted as just part of being…
Read MoreFood Habits: Are You A Restrictor or a Permitter?
A Restrictor and a Permitter Share a Pot of Tea: 2 Girlfriends, 2 Kitchen Bookshelves, 5 Lessons Learned Dr. Jo Ilfeld is a favorite friend who came over to practice yoga with me last weekend. We’ve known each other since we met at a mom’s group about a decade ago. Jo was hanging out in my…
Read More