A fascinating line of research suggests that even modest amounts of non-planned vigorous activity embedded within our daily routines can deliver tremendous benefits. This concept is known as VILPA, which stands for Vigorous Intermittent Lifestyle Physical Activity. The emerging evidence around VILPA shows that it may provide a way to gain some of the benefits of exercise, even when there is no time to commit to regular planned physical activity.

Herbal infusions are highly concentrated herbal tea - made with more herbs and steeped longer than your typical cup of tea. They occupy the space between food and medicine. Unlike traditional teas, which steep for just a few minutes, herbal infusions require a longer steeping time, allowing for a more profound extraction of nutrients from the herbs.

While many people look forward to the start of summer, for some of us, the summer can be a time when we do not feel our best. Do you or someone you know experience increased anxiety, low mood, or sleep disturbances in the summer months? There are several potential reasons. I will review some of them and how you might assess and address them to support your mood and sleep this summer.

The functional medicine model is still wildly incomplete. Some passing acknowledgment is given to the need to address non-physical aspects of health and healing - the psychological, emotional, and spiritual. As it is elaborated and practiced, though, functional medicine is still primarily medicine of the physical body. It is still based mainly on the same underlying (materialist) paradigm that assumes that disease happens and is cured as a matter of inputs or subtractions - what one is doing or not doing and exposed to or not exposed to in the environment.

Darkness is a biological imperative for the balanced coordination of many of our hormonal and metabolic functions. Bright light exposure, especially at night, can wreak havoc. Here are some things you can do to ensure an adequate exposure to darkness.

Sankofa Healing Arts offers a variety of tools that can support individuals and communities in their path to improved health and well-being.