Dangers of Prolonged Plastic Use Plastic. It’s everywhere. Yes, we rely on its value as far as convenience and cost. However, making our lives easier and cheaper is coming at a price. Did you know that prolonged plastic use comes with health risks? From hormone disruption to cancer, infertility, and now, cardiovascular damage. A new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, based on data from more than 200 people undergoing surgery due to stroke risk shows that nearly 60% had microplastics – or even smaller nanoplastics – in a main artery. Scarily, those 60% are “4.5 times more l ..read more

Funnily enough, someone asked me the other day about Magnesium, saying that during a visit to the neurologist, they were told to consider taking it as a supplement. Unfortunately, the doctor didn’t talk about any particular type of magnesium, just mentioned it as a suggestion for relaxation and anti-anxiety. What would have been even more helpful? Recommending Magnesium Glycinate as a supplement. Known among functional nutritionists as a particularly absorptive form of the essential nutrient, Magnesium Glycinate also doesn’t have the laxative effects that other types (oxide and citrate) can ..read more

As I talked about in my last post, magnesium deficiency is widespread. But there are many different types of magnesium, so you’ll want to choose the one that best suits your overall objectives for holistic health. In this post, I’m going to cover both topical and energizing forms of magnesium. Topical Magnesium: Magnesium Chloride & Sulfate Let’s start with one form of Magnesium that many of us are familiar with – Epsom Salts, aka Magnesium Sulfate. If you’ve been sore or achy, chances are someone’s suggested you soak in Epsom Salts. You may not know that its counterpart, Magnesium Chlori ..read more

Magnesium is a naturally occurring mineral in many everyday whole foods and snacks: pumpkin seeds, roasted almonds, brown rice, and spinach, to name just a few (more here on the National Institute of Health’s site). Overall, magnesium is heavily involved in cellular metabolic and biochemical processes. With it being so readily available, how is it that being magnesium deficient is so common? According to the NIH article cited above, as much as 75 percent of us in the US fall into the range of magnesium deficient. No surprise that processed foods are one of the culprits – refining and processi ..read more

Imagine a situation where you have a health concern – say digestive issues are causing extreme discomfort, brain fog is affecting your personal and work life, or anxiety and depression are taking their toll. Your doctor or other care provider looks at the symptoms, matches them to a pre-determined diagnostic code, then prescribes the protocol medication(s). Maybe they recommend minor adjustments to diet or exercise. Sound familiar? This is your health getting the same treatment that works (at least on the surface) for 80% of those with similar symptoms.  How – when each body is unique ..read more

Easy does it. But do it. January 2022. A brand-new year. Are you pressuring yourself to “change it all” in 2022? Get the mind-body health focus going? We tend to go a bit overboard – “I’m going to get fit, so I need to go to the gym (or do yoga, or run) every day for at least an hour.” If you’ve had a good habit of regular workouts and just want to increase your time, that’s probably less overwhelming than if you’ve had no exercise routine. Starting something new that’s completely foreign to your mind and body can be challenging. Sometimes, we tire ourselves out early on, or go too strong, too ..read more

“Health is Wealth.” I’ve always liked that quote because it’s true. As a Rolfer, and now as a certified Functional Nutrition Counselor, I’m really internalizing the concept. And a number of my Rolfing clients are asking a lot of questions about Functional Nutrition and want to dive in (thank you!). Let’s explore some of the essential framework, in hopes of driving more conversations with you – and potentially, counseling sessions in addition to our Rolfing work together. First, know that your story is original. Unique. How you’ve come to feel the way you do, whether occasionally not-so-good o ..read more

Functional Nutrition: It’s the next big thing for my practice. If you’re a Horan Rolfing client, over time we’ve probably talked about the right way to exercise (especially when trying to recover from an injury) and gut health. Hang out with me enough and you’ll quickly realize that overall health and healing is my passion. Building our natural immunity, understanding the power of our gut, the microbiome; these types of topics got me interested in functional nutrition. What do you know about functional nutrition? If you’ve been listening to buzz about the science behind functional nutrition ..read more

If the pain is gone, why keep up Rolfing treatments? Rolfing is a holistic approach to bodywork. It’s not only a treatment for pain relief, it’s also a whole-body method that restores balance. If you’re interested in not just treating the symptoms, but the cause, then consider that Rolfing may need to be part of your body’s  “health maintenance” plan. Think about the whole-body connection. Something going on in your foot can give you shoulder pain. Why? Because your body’s musculature, connective tissues, and nerves don’t exist in silos. Everything is connected. That’s not to say you don ..read more

Think you have CTS? (Carpal Tunnel) Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) tends to be the go-to self-diagnosis for anyone who’s feeling persistent pain, tingling, or numbness in their fingers. That’s unsurprising when you consider all of the attention on ergonomics, pain from bad computing habits, and so on. A true carpal tunnel syndrome diagnosis is a little more specific because it has to do with the median nerve. Your median nerve is also called the “laborer’s nerve.” While it’s only one of three main nerves that send and receive information up and down your arms, it’s the main nerve for the front o ..read more