top of page
IVY Integrative / About IVY / Journal
Journal
Welcome to our integrative health journal, where our team of holistic practitioners shares their expertise to help you achieve optimal well-being. Each month, we delve into a new theme, providing you with insightful articles, practical tips, and the latest in holistic health trends. Whether you're interested in nutrition, natural remedies, mental health, or physical fitness, our diverse team of experts offers a wealth of knowledge to support your wellness journey. Join us as we explore the multifaceted world of holistic health and empower you to live your healthiest life.
Search
Hey Lady. Your Body Is Talking: 5 Simple Ways to Start Listening
One of the things I hear most often from women is, “I just don't feel like myself anymore.” Maybe your energy isn't what it used to be. You're sleeping, but don't feel rested. Your weight seems to be changing even though your habits haven't. Your digestion feels different. You're more anxious, your mood is unpredictable, or you simply feel like your body has become harder to understand. And often, the first thing a woman says is, “I guess this is just part of getting older.”
Dr. Katrina Robinson, NDM, PMNHP-MFT, CHN
10 hours ago4 min read
Could Your Gut Be Affecting Estrogen Balance? The Gut-Hormone Connection
If you deal with PMS, heavy or painful periods, breast tenderness, fibroids, or endometriosis, you've probably heard the term estrogen dominance. Most conversations about estrogen focus on the ovaries and hormone production. But there's another important player that doesn't always get mentioned: your gut. From a naturopathic perspective, hormones are never just about one organ. They're about the whole system—how hormones are made, how they're broken down, and how they leave t
Dr. Stephanie Hendershot, ND
7 days ago5 min read
10 Early Signs of Hormonal Imbalance in Women You Shouldn’t Ignore
Hormones influence nearly every system in a woman’s body, from the menstrual cycle and metabolism to energy, sleep, mood, digestion, skin, hair, and sexual health. When hormone patterns begin to shift, however, the first signs of hormonal imbalance aren’t always obvious. Many women simply notice that they don’t feel like themselves. Maybe your periods have changed, your energy has dropped, you’re suddenly having trouble sleeping, your skin is breaking out, your libido has cha
Dr. Megan Ding, ND
Oct 128 min read
GLP-1 Therapy: What It Actually Does to Your Hormones, Gut, and Metabolism
Why This Conversation Matters Right Now If you're considering or already taking a GLP-1 medication such as semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) or tirzepatide (Zepbound, Mounjaro), you've probably heard plenty about weight loss—and much less about everything else these medications affect. GLP-1 therapy interacts with multiple systems throughout the body, including the gut, muscle mass, micronutrient status, hormones, and metabolism. These effects matter whether you're a woman naviga
Dr. Marissa Boyd, ND
Sep 306 min read
10 Signs Your Nervous System Is Stuck in Survival Mode (And What Your Body Is Trying to Tell You)
Many people think stress only affects their mood, but chronic stress can impact nearly every system in the body. When your nervous system becomes stuck in "survival mode," it can influence your hormones, digestion, immune system, metabolism, sleep, skin, and overall well-being. Over time, your body may begin responding as though it's facing a constant threat—even when no immediate danger exists. At IVY Integrative, we often remind patients that your body isn't working against
Dr. Megan Ding, ND
Sep 2310 min read
ADHD, Autism & Perimenopause: Why Symptoms Can Surface in Midlife
The Pattern Clinicians Are Finally Naming If you’re a woman in your late 30s to 50s who suddenly can’t hold a thought, loses words mid-sentence, forgets why you walked into a room, or feels like your executive function has quietly dissolved, you are not imagining it—and you are not alone. A growing body of research and clinical observation suggests that ADHD symptoms in women can become more noticeable during perimenopause, including in women who functioned well or masked eff
Dr. Marissa Boyd, ND
Sep 116 min read
Why Acne Often Returns After Antibiotics: A Root-Cause Approach to Clearer Skin
Acne is often treated as a surface-level skin condition, but from a naturopathic and functional medicine perspective, acne is rarely just about the skin. While topical treatments, antibiotics, and skincare products may temporarily reduce breakouts, they often fail to address the deeper imbalances contributing to chronic inflammation, hormonal disruption, and immune dysfunction. As a result, many people experience acne that repeatedly returns despite trying multiple products a
Dr. Stephanie Hendershot, ND
Jun 13 min read
Postpartum Core & Pelvic Floor Recovery: What Every Woman Needs to Know
Why Postpartum Care Deserves More Attention As conversations around women’s health continue to evolve, one area still remains under-discussed: postpartum recovery. While access to information and care is improving, many women are still left navigating healing after childbirth without the support or guidance they truly need. After delivery, the body undergoes major hormonal, structural, and physiological changes. Two areas that experience the greatest impact are the abdominal
Dr. Mièka Bryan, PT, DPT
Apr 274 min read
The Whole Body Approach to Fertility
How to Optimize Fertility Naturally: A Whole-Body Approach to Hormone Balance When most people think about fertility, they imagine a narrow window for conception or focus on hitting specific hormone levels—like needing progesterone to reach a certain number to get pregnant. In reality, fertility is much more complex. It’s a reflection of your body’s overall health and its ability to adapt. From a naturopathic perspective, conception isn’t just about ovulation or perfectly ti
Dr. Stephanie Hendershot, ND
Apr 214 min read
The Surprising Link Between Bile Flow and Allergies
Struggling with allergies, histamine intolerance, or hormonal flares? Discover how bile flow, liver detoxification, and gut health influence histamine levels and systemic inflammation.
Dr. Stephanie Hendershot, ND
Mar 24 min read
How Nutrition Supports the Nervous System: Gut–Brain Health, Stress & Emotional Balance
In my clinical practice, one truth stands out: balance begins by nourishing the nervous system. Unlike diets focused solely on weight or macros, nutrition grounded in nervous system health considers how food directly influences our biology, emotions, stress resilience, and overall sense of safety—especially during times like the holidays, when food is tied to comfort, memory, and connection. Why the Nervous System Matters The nervous system is not just the seat of thought; it
Elena DiPerri, CNS, LN
Jan 264 min read
Nervous System Healing & Stress Recovery: Why Rest, Somatic Work, and Parasympathetic Balance Matter
Our nervous system has two main modes that often act like opposing pedals on a car: the accelerator and the brake. These are driven by the two branches of the autonomic nervous system: The Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) — our “fight, flight, or freeze” system The Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS) — our “rest, digest, repair, and restore” system What’s the Difference? When the SNS is activated: Heart rate increases, breathing speeds up, and muscles tense. Digestion and
Dr. Sarah Kingsley, PT, DPT, RYT
Jan 195 min read
How to Reset Your Nervous System: Lower Cortisol, Calm Stress, and Improve Vagal Tone
Recently, I’ve been running more cortisol tests on patients, and levels are consistently coming back elevated. Many patients’ nervous systems are persistently activated in a chronic “fight-or-flight” state. While short bursts of stress are a normal and adaptive evolutionary response, prolonged sympathetic dominance can contribute to anxiety, sleep disruption, digestive dysfunction, and an overall diminished quality of life. To understand why this happens, it helps to review t
Dr. Stephanie Hendershot, ND
Jan 123 min read
Hormonal Headaches: Understanding the Root Causes & Natural Relief Strategies
Headaches and hormones are closely interconnected, and many patients notice their headaches follow a pattern that aligns with their menstrual cycle, stress levels, or major hormonal transitions such as menopause. From a naturopathic perspective, understanding how hormones influence the nervous system and inflammation helps us get closer to the root cause rather than only treating symptoms as they arise. Hormones such as estrogen and progesterone affect the brain’s pain-regula
Dr. Stephanie Hendershot, ND
Dec 22, 20253 min read
Hangry Holidays: How Skipping Meals Triggers Headaches and Ruins Your Festive Fun
The only thing worse than the Grinch stealing Christmas? An uninvited headache from skipping breakfast and lunch just to overindulge at festive dinners. And nobody wants that! Let’s explore some common holiday habits we’re all guilty of, how skipping meals affects your brain, and practical tips to protect your holiday spirit. Because the best gift we can give ourselves is feeling good. WHAT you eat can also cause headaches. We recommend starting with vegetables, fats, and pro
Melanie Baughman, BS
Dec 8, 20253 min read
Why You Get Headaches at Work (and How to Make Them Stop)
It’s 3:24 PM. Your inbox is overflowing, your neck feels like a stone column, your eyes are dry and cranky, and your head is pulsing with that familiar, annoying ache. You’re tired, slightly grumpy, and secretly wondering, “Is my job trying to kill my brain?” If this sounds dramatic, that’s okay. Headaches have a way of making everything feel dramatic. And if you get them often at work, you are absolutely not alone. Office and screen-time headaches are incredibly common in pe
Dr. Marissa Boyd, ND
Dec 1, 20258 min read
The Root Cause of Anxiety: A Naturopathic Guide to Healing the Mind and Body Naturally
Anxiety isn’t just mental—it’s often a physiological reaction to an internal imbalance. In my clinical experience, addressing these imbalances is where true healing begins.
Dr. Marissa Boyd, ND
Oct 28, 20254 min read
Functional Medicine Approaches to Anxiety: Root Causes, Gut Health, and Nutritional Deficiencies
This is a quick read blog explaining objective tests that can uncover the roots of your anxiety.
Dr. Caitlan Readhead, ND
Oct 6, 20252 min read
How Protein Balances Blood Sugar for Better Sleep and Less Stress
Waking up at 2 a.m. feeling tired but wired? This blog explains how eating enough protein during the day helps balance blood sugar, reduce cortisol spikes, and support deep, restorative sleep.
Dr. Stephanie Hendershot, ND
Sep 22, 20253 min read
How Blood Sugar After Meals Impacts PCOS Symptoms, Hormones, and Health
If you’re living with PCOS, you’ve probably heard about insulin resistance. But what does that actually mean day to day? A big piece of the puzzle is how your body handles blood sugar after meals, also called postprandial glucose regulation.
Elena DiPerri, CNS, LN
Sep 15, 20253 min read
bottom of page