This or That: Adaptogens Edition

Adaptogens help your body handle stress and its effects.

Two popular adaptogens are Ashwagandha and Rhodiola—so let’s break down the differences:

🌱 Ashwagandha (think ‘calming’)

✔ Eases stress & anxiety

✔ Supports mood & relaxation

🌱 Rhodiola (think ‘energizing’)

✔ Boosts focus & stamina

✔ Supports mitochondria & resilience

Quality matters!

Herbal supplements aren’t tightly regulated, and not all brands contain what they claim.

Also keep in mind that there are potential interactions.If you take medications or have specific health conditions, talk with a practitioner before adding adaptogens.

👉🏽 If you’re looking for better ways to support stress, energy, and resilience, we’re here to help!

📲 Visit our website to get scheduled.

Ever Notice Food Affecting Your Stress Levels?

Stress is tricky.

It feels like it comes from the mind, but imbalances in your body can make you feel even more stressed. For example:

💥 Blood sugar swings.

Blood sugar crashes can spike cortisol, drain your energy, and disrupt your mood and sleep.

Some things you can do to keep your blood sugar stable for more stress resilience:

✔️ Start the day with protein & healthy fat (not just sugar!)

✔️ Avoid skipping meals (low blood sugar = cortisol trigger)

✔️ Pair carbs with protein or fiber to slow the glucose spike

✔️ Reduce ultra-processed foods that lead to energy crashes

You can’t control every stressor in life—but you can strengthen your body’s ability to handle stress better 💛

Have you ever noticed food affecting your stress levels?

Let me know in the comments ⤵️

#drelizabethcantrell #bloodsugar #bloodsugarbalance #protein #naturalmedicine #functionalmedicine #functionalmedicinetesting #columbusga #colga #naturopath #naturopathic #wholebodyhealth #rootcausemedicine #opelikaal #auburnal

Stress Affecting Your Health?

Most doctors don’t ask about stress.

Because they don’t have any way to “treat” it.

While we also don’t “treat” stress as a disease, we have a deep functional medicine toolkit to help your body become more resilient to stress.

If you suspect stress might be affecting your health—but aren’t sure where to start—here are some questions you could ask your practitioner👇

(Hint: you’ll get more helpful answers from a holistically minded practitioner 😉)

1️⃣ Do I need stress hormone testing?

Stress can disrupt cortisol and DHEA, leaving you feeling wired but tired, exhausted, or constantly on edge. Testing these hormones can show if you need extra support.

2️⃣ Could stress be affecting my gut?

The gut-brain connection is a two-way street. Stress can disrupt digestion, and poor gut health can make you less resilient to stress. Functional testing can uncover whether your gut needs targeted support.

3️⃣ What nutrients do I need when I’m stressed?

Stress burns through key nutrients like magnesium, B vitamins, and vitamin C, which can lead to brain fog, fatigue, and trouble sleeping. A practitioner trained in nutrition can help you figure out what your body needs.

4️⃣ Could stress be affecting my hormones?

Stress hormones interact with other hormonal systems and can worsen issues like PMS, cycle changes, mood swings, and blood sugar swings. A practitioner trained in functional medicine can help make sense of the bigger picture.

The point is:

Stress is not an isolated experience.

It affects your whole body.

If you’re looking for a comprehensive approach that looks at the WHOLE person, that’s what we do.

Schedule your first visit with Dr. Cantrell to begin your journey to wellness! 🌿

Myths You May Have Heard About Stress

Myths & Facts about Stress 👇

📍Myth 1: You just have to shift your mindset.

Stress is not just in your head—it’s in your body and nervous system. While mindset shifts can help, they will only stick if your body feels safe. Stress resilience comes with nourishing foods, breathwork, movement, and deep rest.

📍Myth 2: Intense exercise helps burn off stress.

Movement is amazing for releasing stress—just don’t overdo it. Intense workouts can worsen exhaustion from stress, especially if you’re already running on empty.

📍Myth 3: Coffee helps you power through stress.

Not everyone handles caffeine the same way. Too much can overstimulate your stress response and lead to burnout. If you’re relying on coffee to push through exhaustion, your body may be asking for real rest instead.

📍Myth 4: If you’re not anxious, you’re not stressed.

Stress can show up in all kinds of sneaky ways: things like low energy, brain fog, trouble concentrating, headaches, or digestive upset. Your mind is not necessarily the first place you’ll feel it.

📍Myth 5: Stress is always bad.

Stress is never fun, but it can be a driving force for personal growth and a motivation to take action on things you may otherwise ignore. Stressing that stress is bad will only make it worse.

🤔 Did you know that April is Stress Awareness Month?

Watch my posts for more on ways functional medicine can address stress.

And let me know in the comments:

Which of these myths have you been sucked into? ⤵️

#drelizabethcantrell #naturalmedicine #naturopath #naturopathicmedicine #functionalmedicine #functionalmedicinetesting #stressresilience #stresssupport #stressrelief #colga #columbusga

Let's Talk About Fiber!

Why is it that some people are more susceptible to infections or “food poisoning” than others?

A new study says it comes down to the gut microbiome—and how much fiber we eat!

This study is especially fascinating because it flips some old beliefs on their head.

Here’s what’s new:

1️⃣ Eating more fiber is probably more effective than taking probiotics.

Researchers found that the key to protecting against harmful bacteria like E.coli is eating more fiber to feed good bacteria. This boosts the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which create a healthier gut environment.

2️⃣ Trying to “starve out” harmful bacteria may be an outdated approach.

It used to be thought that good bacteria could crowd out harmful bugs by competing for nutrients. But this study found that’s not the case. The real solution is promoting SCFAs, which make the gut less hospitable to harmful microbes.

It’s tempting to think a pill (even a probiotic) is always the answer, but most of the time, it comes back to the basics.

Eating fiber-rich foods creates a healthy gut that is less susceptible to infections.

Want some simple ways to boost your fiber intake?

🥦 Add veggies to every meal.

🍓 Snack on fruits like berries.

🍞 Choose whole grains over refined ones.

What’s your favorite high-fiber food? Let us know in the comments 😋