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The importance of gut health goes far beyond digestion. Research has increasingly shown that the health of our gut plays a significant role in our mental well-being. In this article, we will explore the fascinating intricacies of the gut-brain connection and how improving our gut health can lead to better mood and mental health.

Mental health has become a growing concern worldwide, with an estimated 700 million people suffering from mental disorders. While traditional psychiatric interventions such as medication and talk therapy have been the go-to methods for addressing mental health concerns, the limitations of these treatments have become more evident. With the rise of integrative and holistic approaches to healthcare, a new innovation, functional medicine, has emerged. By combining functional medicine with mind-body medicine, holistic approaches to mental health can provide individuals with a more comprehensive approach to mental wellness.

Yoga has been a source of physical and mental health for thousands of years. A practise that originated in ancient India, yoga has evolved into a popular practise around the world. Many people practise yoga for the physical benefits of flexibility and strength, but yoga also offers emotional and mental benefits. In this article, we will explore how yoga can help cultivate inner harmony and promote emotional wellbeing and mental clarity.

There are several great techniques to consider when healing your leaky gut! Getting your gut health under control is all about looking at the bigger picture, and taking a holistic approach. We are complex creatures, but we all have the same basic needs.

This is part 4 of 4 about leaky gut. In this series of articles, I have answered the questions, among others:

I've written about it before and I can never get enough of thinking about and experimenting with how to make the time last...

A while ago I read a very interesting article written by William Hertling. According to Hertling, in order to accomplish almost anything with the time available, a combination of having a goal, making an effort to achieve that goal and getting maximum benefit from the effort made. There are many useful principles for achieving this, and Hertling shares the following in his article (translated, slightly interpreted and abridged version):

There has been so much going on in the world lately, that I am worried about the future of humanity on this planet. I am thinking of IS, Ebola, the Ukraine crisis, the election results in Sweden with the increasing xenophobia, Russian submarines and planes going missing, school murders in Seattle and the attack on the Prime Minister of Canada etc etc. This article was written at the end of 2014, but is still very relevant!

Each day has 24 hours.

We all know that. It's not news. To feel good, we need to prioritise between the basic needs we all have and our other interests, so that these 24 hours are enough. The problem we all face, however, is that these 24 hours never seem to be enough. There is so much we must do and there is so much we want do. So what do we do?

Happiness can be described as a set of experiences - small or large daily events, which together lead you to a happier life! Some are so small that you may think they are insignificant, but it is actually the small events in life that provide that joy that we all need and have the right to experience and feel - no matter who we are or where we belong!

When I write the word yoga, many of you probably think of the physical form of exercise - Hatha yoga. However, Hatha yoga is only a small part of yoga and is relatively new compared to the philosophy behind it. Hatha yoga was primarily designed to help people understand and control their body, mind and spirit - themselves - through movement.

I type the word "flow" into google translate, but can't find a good translation in Swedish. Flow, river, outflow... Well, for me the word means more to find a pace, a content, a level of energy that gives me a feeling of balance and well-being. Every day I aim to be one with that feeling. Some days everything just flows and it feels so damn good, these days I don't even have to think about whether I should do anything different, these days I just flow with it. I don't have to look for it, because the feeling is there all the time. I'm in balance. I'm experiencing everyday flow in the hamster wheel.

The biological evolution is going on all the time, albeit at a very slow pace. We humans, like all other living things, change over time by natural selection whether we like it or not.

Another type of evolution that is more evident in today's society is the cultural one, how we learn new things and how we use our bodies and interact with each other based on learned information. This is also a type of evolution that affects us greatly.

This is part 4 of 6 in my blog series on the 6 basic principles for a healthy lifestyle - the following articles are also included in the series: Introduction (1/6), Diet and Hydration (2/6), Sleep (3/6), Movement and Breathing Techniques (5/6) and Discussion (6/6).

We all have our own set of values that we live by, even if we are not always good at describing them clearly. Values represent the needs we have that must be met in order to live a meaningful life - they define how we want to live our lives. It is only when our lifestyle is in line with our values that we can be truly happy. So take the time and opportunity to question whether you are living your life in a way that makes you happy.

I wish for time.

Time is like an endangered flower, an endangered species. At least if you are a parent and especially if you are the parent of a baby. Being there for a new little person all the time is absolutely wonderful, but at the same time so incredibly time-consuming and binding. In my case, I am available 24 hours a day, and should I have the occasional time to do something else, then I'll also have the energy to do those things I dream about when I'm with my baby all the time, like taking a shower in peace, going shopping, sitting down undisturbed and drinking a cup of tea or, like tonight, getting a whole 2 hours to produce something (writing and working on my website gives me energy, as long as I don't make it a must).

Have you ever felt butterflies in your stomach or a lump in your throat? Do you ever get a special feeling in your stomach when you meet someone you like or don't like? Has your stomach told you whether something is right or wrong for you?

The stomach can be seen as a source of your intuition. Gut feeling is actually not just nonsense! There are now scientists who insist that we humans have two brains, one of which is located in the stomach (you probably know where the other one is located)! The "brain" of the stomach is located under the outer lining and between the muscular layers of the oesophagus, stomach lining and intestines and is better known as the enteric nervous system (ENS).

A ship arrives loaded - with helpful people and cheerful shouts!

A week ago I came back home to California after spending a month of my summer in Sweden with family and friends. I don't know if it's like Sweden is going through a big change and/or if it's just me that has changed. This article was written in 2015.

Doesn't it sound great to have a world full of efficient adults and happy children? But how would it work?

I myself have always tried to please everyone else, tried to meet other people's expectations of me even as a small child, and then when I had children of my own, I thought that the children must be first in line for my attention, maybe I can develop my dreams and have more time when the children are older. But my thinking didn't work for very long, prioritising yourself for someone else and constantly trying to please others is not very sustainable. I disappeared as Johanna and only parts of me remained. Imagine if I had learned as a child the reverse way of looking at things; that I am actually highly responsible for my own life and my visions and that I can go as far as I want as long as I put myself first and when I learn to take care of myself and live according to my visions and goals, I can also take care of others in a much better way. That's how I think now and I know that my children and husband are so grateful to have a strong, determined mother and wife respectively.

A few weeks ago, our youngest child started complaining that she had a sore throat and my first thought was: "Oh, no, not now!" I really didn't feel like everyone in the family was going to get sick and in the event of a sore throat also have to take antibiotics!

So instead of taking her to the doctor, I used my knowledge and compiled a list of what we did to boost her immune system, so that the healing process could begin.