But what happens when there isn’t any danger around, and you still find yourself hypervigilant and activated, as if you’re unable to return to a baseline of relative security? Trauma may be the invisible factor stimulating those overwhelmingly intense feelings—and causing an overreliance on survival instincts, sometimes referred to as a trauma response. “When we experience something traumatic or have been exposed to prolonged stress, it causes part of our brain, the amygdala, to go into hyperdrive where we see and feel threats in nonthreatening situations,” licensed therapist Chioma Moronu, LCSW, tells mbg....

As a functional medicine practitioner and best-selling author, it is my job to work toward healing the body from the inside out through natural remedies. I am well-versed in not only discovering the underlying cause of a person’s health problems but also how to go about healing them naturally. One of my favorite gut-healing tools, which I talk about a lot, is bone broth. Rich in collagen and other nutrients, it is one of my go-to tools for anyone looking to rebuild gut function and heal themselves from leaky gut syndrome, candida overgrowth, SIBO, and other health problems....

The green burial movement seeks to change that through a more ecological, intentional, and community-minded approach to death and dying. Here’s what green burial scholars and practitioners have to say about the method’s benefits, logistics, and potential to redefine death care. This burial alternative has a lower environmental impact, and it allows the body to quite literally return to the earth. It also tends to be more affordable than conventional burials....

Your gut microbiome influences your digestion, metabolism, and immune function (among other things), and when bad bacteria are given the opportunity to thrive, it can contribute to everything from gastrointestinal upset to obesity to mood disorders. A gut healthy diet can help restore or maintain microbial balance, which can have a major impact on how you feel. If your gut is out of whack—meaning the ratio of good bacteria to bad is off—you’ll feel it....

For some people, it may be a busy shopping mall. For others, it’s the serenity of a beach. Think of it as that place you go to be fully present with yourself, and you can savor the experience. Having an emotional connection with nature can help reduce mental ailments such as anxiety, anger, and aggressiveness — not to mention the physical benefits of being in nature, like increased activity and exposure to vitamin D....

That said, collagen decline is a natural part of life. It will happen to all of us, and there’s no use in denying that fact. In fact, at some point in your late 20s, your collagen will start to decline at a rate of about 1% every year for every year thereafter1. This is why most folks start noticing signs of premature aging in their 30s—and why many people usually start focusing on preventive aging around this time....

But what wasn’t so evident was that we had a very unhealthy dynamic: he was addicted to power and I was addicted to giving mine away. He had opinions about everything I said or did, and insisted upon having the final say in our household. Once, for example, I disagreed with his decision to purchase an income property, and he told me that, until he made a bad choice financially, I had no say in how our money was spent....