Institute for Health & Healing

"We’re so often told that art can’t really change anything. But I think it can. It shapes our ethical landscapes; it opens us to the interior lives of others. It is a training ground for possibility. It makes plain inequalities, and it offers other ways of living."

Integrative chiropractor Scott Larsen, DC, says strength training is an essential part of an effective exercise program -- just as important as cardiovascular, balance and flexibility work. And don't believe what you hear about moves like dead lifts, squats, and chest or shoulder presses -- they are safe and effective when you do them right, and Scott tells you how. These are the exercises that are going to help build lean muscle, boost your mitochondrial levels, and support blood sugar metabolism, which means more energy and better all around well being. #strengthtraining #flexibility #metabolism

"Emerging evidence tells us that the health threats from postponing some tests and exams including those for cancer and heart disease, but other crucial appointments too outweigh the risk of running into the coronavirus at a doctor's visit, even if the virus is prevalent in your community."

"At the heart of Nhat Hanh’s teachings is the idea that understanding is love’s other name that to love another means to fully understand his or her suffering."

"She and her colleagues found that certain foods were especially likely to elicit 'addictive-like' eating behaviors, such as intense cravings, a loss of control, and an inability to cut back despite experiencing harmful consequences and a strong desire to stop eating them."

Watch Sharon deliver a powerful lecture about the role nutrition plays in optimal brain function. Have you noticed better brain performance after changing your diet?

IHH Chinese medicine practitioner Carina Wagner, LAc, tackles cold and flu season through the lens of Chinese medicine, which emphasizes supporting and nourishing the organs in the meridian complexes to strengthen natural defenses against infection. Carina shares the tools, in and out of the clinic, that can be used to sustain and restore health during this challenging season.

Healing in a Pandemic We asked IHH Medical Director Jeff Draisin, MD, about his experience of the pandemic as a doctor and human. An excerpt from his response: It has been possible to think very broadly about how human beings are healing each other, how we are using the moments and the demands of this time to have a one-world concept, a ‘we're all in this together’ perspective. ... I'm sharing with patients the human experience of the work of this time. This has always been the foundation of my work as a practitioner. I'm another human being in the room. I merge influences that include my technical scientific knowledge, my broader integrative perspectives, my mind body perspectives, with my humanness. I’m a father, I’m a brother, I’m a son. Somehow, all of those parts come out in my practice, all these parts of life are finding their way into the room. If the root of healing is to make something whole, then I think, surprisingly, that during this time I feel new level of wholeness about who I am and what I do in the world. In some ways, I’m feeling an even more expansive framework in which to be a human being with healing intention. I am a companion in life doing my best to fulfill my sanctioned role as a practitioner, trying to make sense of everything and do the right medicine.

Mindfulness and Breath: Finding space in transitions By Holly Anton, PhD IHH Integrative Psychotherapist Work can feel like a long series of tasks, one after another after another. Ideally, we are able to give our full attention to the task at hand. More often, we’re dealing with the task at hand while thinking about something else the next task, the last task or what we're going to have for lunch. ...Continue reading

Integrative physician Akil Palanisamy, says yes to moderation in food choices, including healthy fats.

All of us are exhausted. This conversation with author Katherine May may help.

Sharon’s Immune Boosters: Prebiotics and Probiotics Because gut bacteria play such an important role in immunity, we need to be supportive of their balance and feeding. This is where prebiotics and probiotics are helpful. Probiotics, found in dairy products or supplements, support immunity by reducing inflammation. Prebiotics may help change substrates or increase families of bacteria in the gut. They are fiber foods that bacteria will convert or ferment to produce short chain fatty acids, which can be helpful to support immunity and reduce inflammation.

Integrative medicine physician Maxine Barish-Wreden, MD, gives a short, sharp definition of integrative medicine.

Even though Thanksgiving often conjures up pictures of big happy reunions, how safe is it to make them a reality?

IHH integrative psychotherapist Michelle Baumgartner, LCSW, ORT/L leads a mindfulness practice to help us get in touch with our essential, expansive selves as we struggle with stress, challenges and anxiety. The idea is to find a way out of limiting patterns of thought -- "It is always going to be this way," "I'll never get through this" -- and get in touch with the part of us feel more present, alive and hopeful.

Sharon's Immune Boosters: Curcumin Curcumin is the main active ingredient in turmeric. It has powerful anti-inflammatory effects and is a very strong antioxidant. Rather than ingest it as a supplement, I recommend you get your turmeric in food, accompanied by some pepper and fats, which will enhance its bioavailability. My colleague, Ayurvedic specialist and integrative physician Aparna Dandekar, often suggests curry as a tasty way to get your curcumin. I agree.

Some health tips for casting your vote in person.

Don't be afraid of eggs, says IHH integrative nutritionist Sharon Meyer, CNC. In a favorite word of the practitioner's, they are "juicy!"

IHH integrative nutritionist Sharon Meyer, CNC, describes the connection between hormones and diet, zeroing in on the foods we need to maintain hormonal balance, which is essential to metabolic health and weight management.

Relax and Detoxify Taking a bath with Epsom salts is great for relaxation and detoxification. If you don’t have a bathtub you can sprinkle Epsom salts on a warm washcloth and use it to exfoliate your body just before you shower. The magnesium in the salts helps with detoxification. You could also dry brush your skin before bathing, which will wake up your lymphatic system, a key role player in detoxification.

"Relying on mouthwash or a nasal rinse to rid the body of infectious virus would be about as futile as trimming the top of a cluster of weeds, paying the roots little mind, and expecting the garden pests to disappear."

IHH integrative nutritionist Sharon Meyer from the Institute for Health & Healing gets real about "you are what you eat."

IHH integrative psychologist Holly Anton, PhD, combines a meditative practice with tips, ideas and strategies for making sleep more restful. She also shares some ideas for managing different types of problems that people often have with sleep and feeling rested.

Some help with mounting confusion about safe socializing as winter approaches.

Dr. Akil Palanisamy breaks down a recent study regarding the gut and heart connection. It found that Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) can negatively impact many aspects of one's health, and according to this study, it can lead to a higher risk of heart disease.