In another study, scientists found that burning frankincense resin (such as with incense) may have positive psychoactive effects5. Researchers investigated the impact of incensole acetate, purified from frankincense, on mice and found that it reduced their anxiety and caused antidepressive-like activity. Although frankincense shouldn’t replace a rescue inhaler or other prescribed asthma treatments, asthma sufferers may find that frankincense can help stave off bronchospasms, also known as an asthma attack. During an attack, mast cells release leukotrienes6, which then cause airways to constrict, making it hard to breathe....

By now, most of us are aware of signs like muscle tension, shallow breathing, fatigue, brain fog, or headaches, but we often neglect to connect the dots between unwelcome dullness, acne, redness, or sensitivity in the skin and the stress we’re feeling. Additionally, research shows that healing is slowed2 when you are under stress, so if you are normally prone to acne, rosacea, psoriasis, or skin irritation, you may notice more flare-ups than you’re used to, or they may be more persistent and stubborn....

Recent research reveals a significant connection between anxiety and stress, your brain chemistry, and your gut or gastrointestinal tract. You can boost your mood and decrease frazzle-brain1 by maintaining healthy habits that balance your gut. Research with adult subjects showed that those with a rich diversity of gut bacteria had better immune system health. Those with a less diverse microbiome were prone to pro-inflammatory bacteria. Inflammation in the gut can put you at risk for irritable bowel disease3 and other disorders4....

But caffeine is also a stimulant that influences neurotransmitters such as dopamine—which raises the question: Could ingesting caffeine in the form of coffee, tea, or any other source be a safe way to help alleviate ADHD symptoms, or would it just make things worse? And is combining caffeine with ADHD medication even OK, or is it potentially dangerous? Caffeine predominantly does this by acting as an adenosine receptor antagonist. Caffeine is similar in structure to adenosine, a chemical that binds to receptors in the brain and subsequently slows down the activity of neurons that produce attention-boosting neurotransmitters like dopamine....

Today, I wake up and my life just feels right. It was a process, and a journey to get from there to here, but the crucial factors in precipitating this shift were having the realization that I didn’t know who I was, and making the commitment to find out. Trying to please people might land you with vague acceptance from others, but it’s only the deep and vulnerable truth of you that can provoke deep, genuine attachment and love....

But, you may not be familiar with the concept of IFPC: intermittent fasting protein cycling, which I coined for my book, Glow15: A Science-Based Plan to Lose Weight, Revitalize Your Skin, and Invigorate Your Life. Let’s dive deeper into this. Yes, you read that right—when autophagy is working optimally, your cells eat away the junk, removing and recycling the waste that leads to the visible signs of aging. As we get older, autophagy becomes less efficient....

You probably don’t know the pH. As a little chemistry lesson, everything has a pH level that ranges from 0 to 14. When the pH is neutral, that means it’s right in the middle at 7; it’s acidic when it’s below that, and when it’s alkaline when it’s above. Your scalp, like the rest of your skin, runs at about 5.5. This is all important because your skin’s pH is and can be affected by the products you are putting on it....