Having Fun is Serious Business

Having Fun is Good for Your Health When it comes to health, having fun can be serious business. That's because having fun is associated with longevity, improved cognition, better brain function,improved heart health, and general well-being. To be happy, to play, to have fun, to engage in activities that bring you true joy will decrease blood pressure, improve sleep, aid memory, improve digestion, as well as your over-all outlook on life and lengthen your life span. Working with Nathan for You Recently, I participated in a rather entertaining experiment regarding the science of fun with the MTV…

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When Healing the Disenchanted: Helping My Patients Experience Enchantment in Their Lives

Enchant:  to  subject to magical influence ; bewitch: to  delight to a high degree dictionary.reference.com The Loss of Enchantment Nothing is more tragic than the loss of our ability to be enchanted. I see it in my friends, my patients, and even myself. That loss happens when we are no longer entranced by our lives and our dreams. This loss can happen slowly, such as when a person is forced to engage in a job or lifestyle that seems inauthentic, soulless, or disingenuous. Or tragedy may strike in an instant, changing the very foundation of a persons’…

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When You Are In Emotional Pain But You Don’t Know Why

"I am empty and aching and I don't know why"— Paul Simon Finding the Root Causes of Emotional Pain For many people who come to see me—due to depression and anxiety—I am often asked the same question, "why do I feel this way?" Perhaps worse than the emotional pain itself is—the inability to understand where our pain is coming from or how to treat it. One of the things I love most about being a naturopathic doctor is that naturopaths are dedicated to finding the root causes of disease. In the case of depression and anxiety: there…

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The Effects of Childhood Trauma Can Last for Years

The Trauma of Childhood Can Last for Many Years The ways in which childhood trauma and abuse can impact a person's health for years to come is a disturbing idea to contemplate. We would like to believe that once a child has left an abusive or stressful living situation, they can then begin to live a healthier and happier life. Unfortunately, the long-term effects of abuse can last long after it has ended. Child Abuse Can Have Long-Term Health Consequences Several studies, presented at a conference of the American Psychological Association, reported on by the BBC, examine…

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