The following blog is about our previous Women's Retreat and our vision behind its inception. If you're interested, stay tuned in your emails about any retreats in the near future!

Over the course of my almost 25-year wellness career I’ve worked with patients individually, I’ve led workshops of fifty and I’ve lectured to hundreds in a corporate setting. I’ve discussed health with toddlers (thanks to Parker’s preschool), taught stretching to the elderly and infirmed and even worked with attorneys looking to live healthier, happier lives.  I have had the opportunity to work with clients from Chicagoland to Austria (unfortunately not in person - yet!). But something was missing…

For those of you that have had the chance to visit our clinic in the Chicago suburbs it was envisioned fifteen years ago while I was finishing up Chiropractic school. I wanted somewhere clients would feel comfortable. Somewhere that didn’t scream “doctors...

As the weather is changing and you are spending more time outdoors, you’ll be noticing those pesky critters biting your exposed skin. Especially after a nice rain, mosquitos are everywhere and it’s hard to find a good repellent that keeps them away!

If you are tired of putting chemicals all over day after day, you are in luck! There are some natural remedies out there that actually work!

If you are an essential oil pro, or novice, there are some great ways to use them to avoid bug bites. The first way to keep the mosquitos at bay is to create your own bug spray. Grab or buy any glass spray bottle, add witch hazel, water, and a tbsp of vodka as your base. Then you can add a combination of oils that not only smells great but that bugs hate! A good combination is Rosemary, Peppermint, Citronella, Lemongrass, and Cedarwood. 

If you currently use or have thought of using an essential oil diffuser at home, they are fantastic to take outside! You can diffuse the same oils...

Now that summer is wrapping up, lets talk exfoliation.  Skin is the largest organ of the human body and plays an important role in elimination.  Fall is a great time to set the refresh button and remove that dead skin, unblock pores due to sweating and sunscreen, and get in a little bit of self care. 

The best way to start is with a good dry brushing session. The mechanical action of dry brushing is wonderful for exfoliating dry winter skin. It also helps detoxify by increasing blood circulation and promoting lymph flow/drainage. Dry brushing unclogs pores in the exfoliation process. It also stimulates your nervous system, which can make you feel invigorated afterward. 

The best way to dry brush is to always move upwards and in towards your heart. This shouldn’t take long, a few minutes max. That’s when we get to move on to the fun part.  I love mixing up my own sugar/salt scrubs with some essential oils...

Working with a functional medicine professional can be exciting and rewarding. At the beginning of your journey, your doctor may start with a few simple tests to see what contributing factors are responsible for your current situation. Later on if you find that you have implemented lifestyle changes and you are not seeing the results your doctor expects, testing may be exactly just what the doctor orders!! Below are the four tests most frequently used by Dr. Jordan Leasure at her clinic in Illinois. If you’ve completed any of these please share your experiences below.

1. ORGANIC ACID TEST

This is one of Dr. Jordan’s favorite tests for a variety of reasons. It’s easy to complete - just pee in a cup at home! It gives a TON of information - Dr. Jordan calls it the “poop of the poop”. Essentially it measures metabolites - a fancy word for the end products of your metabolism - when you create energy and eliminate waste. It gives an overall look at your...

For many people the word detox sounds scary, depriving and unnecessary.  The reality is we are inundated with toxins on a daily basis and they are wreaking havoc on our systems.  Every second of every day our bodies work on eliminating toxins that we are exposed to and it is extremely effective in doing so.  Problems arise when we overload the system.  

We eat chemically laden, processed foods.  We use products in our homes and on our bodies which contain plenty of toxins.  We breathe in toxins, and follow it up with our alcoholic beverage of choice at night. All of these items independently of each other won’t cause a system crash, but when you combine them, over the months and years, your body is crying for help.

Many symptoms that are considered common or normal most likely are signs of toxic overload.  Headaches, fatigue, brain fog, gas, bloating, pain and even difficulty losing weight may all be due to an inability to detox...

Do you ever feel tired, run-down, or experience low energy and you’re not sure why?? Have you considered what you eat and drink on a daily basis? Because we are so busy, we don’t take the time to think about what goes into our bodies. I am guilty of all of the above. Since I work in the medical profession, I know what I should be doing to take care of my body, but as Salt N Pepa would say, “Girl’s what’s my weakness!! FOOD!” If you ask Dr. Jordan or Dr. Jade they will tell you that there might be some things I can change in my diet. My biggest weakness is drinking pop. I try to not drink it every day, but you can’t have pizza and water!! (I like to tell myself that so I don’t feel guilty.) However, if I’m going to start feeling better, I need to make some changes. Dr. Jade hosted a seminar called: To Detox or Not to Detox, so I decided to stay and learn a few new things, and boy did I ever. After the seminar, I decided...

According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2014, more than 2 in 3 American adults were overweight, and 1 in 13 were obese. (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
We can contribute those statistics to our overwhelming addiction to sugar. What does your daily consumption look like? You may be surprised to find how much sugar is hidden in the things you consume almost daily. That grande vanilla latte – 34 grams of sugar – that’s over 2 Tablespoons. Add a blueberry scone to the order and you’re passing 50 grams of sugar and it’s not even 9am!
Obviously there’s a considerable amount of sugar in things like doughnuts and candy bars – but most of us are consuming sugar hiding in our processed foods and condiments. Did you know ketchup has about 3g of sugar in each Tablespoon?

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), the maximum amount of added sugars you should eat in a...

Although many people feel that Apple Cider Vinegar is something new on the health scene, it’s actually been around since 400 B.C.  Hippocrates, Father of Medicine, treated his patients with it! Apple Cider Vinegar has been traced back to Egyptian urns and even Julius Caesar’s army used it to fight off disease.

Apple cider vinegar is made from fresh, crushed apples which are allowed to mature and ferment naturally in wooden barrels.  Natural ACV is brown in color, usually has a cobweb-like substance floating in it and never needs to be refrigerated. It often has a very pungent odor and may even cause you pucker!  These are all good signs of a natural ACV! That cobweb-like substance is called the “mother” and that is where all the health benefits are found.

You may have noticed over the last few years it has become harder to find natural ACV.  Stores took some of them off their shelves because consumers buy based on looks and natural ACV is...