http://rootedhealthandwell.com/

Rooted Health and Wellness-Indiana, Columbus, IN (2026)

02/14/2026

Valentine’s Day often focuses on romance.
But behind connection, bonding, and intimacy is a powerful hormone: oxytocin.

What Oxytocin Does in the Body:
❤️ Supports bonding & attachment
❤️ Reduces cortisol (stress hormone)
❤️ Lowers blood pressure
❤️ Supports parasympathetic (calming) nervous system activity
❤️ Enhances trust & emotional regulation
❤️ Plays a role in libido and s*xual response
❤️ Supports labor, breastfeeding, and maternal bonding

Oxytocin can be negitively impacted by chronic stress, burnout, isolation, trauma, and hormone imbalances.
Estrogen helps regulate oxytocin receptors. This means during perimenopause and menopause, women may experience changes in bonding, libido, and emotional sensitivity partly due to shifting hormone dynamics.
Connection is biological... not just emotional.

💌 This Valentine’s Day, remember that supporting your hormones isn’t just about symptoms. It’s about how you experience relationships, stress, and joy.

02/13/2026

A recent health study found that postmenopausal women taking tirzepatide while also using menopausal hormone therapy lost significantly more weight compared with those taking tirzepatide alone.

As estrogen levels decline after menopause, changes in fat distribution, metabolism, appetite regulation, and energy expenditure can make weight loss more difficult. Hormone therapy appears to enhance the metabolic response to tirzepatide - potentially because estrogen influences appetite, glucose regulation, and how the body responds to incretin-based treatments like tirzepatide.

Source: The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynecology, & Women's Health

02/05/2026

LDL cholesterol often gets all the attention when we talk about heart health, but it’s only one piece of a much bigger picture. 🧩

While LDL matters, research continues to show that the triglyceride-to-HDL ratio can be a stronger indicator of metabolic and cardiovascular risk. This ratio gives insight into how well your body handles fats, blood sugar, and inflammation (all key drivers of heart disease.)

High triglycerides paired with low HDL may signal insulin resistance, metabolic dysfunction, or chronic inflammation, even when LDL appears “acceptable.” On the flip side, balanced triglycerides and healthy HDL levels often reflect better cardiovascular resilience and metabolic health.

Heart health isn’t just about lowering one number, it’s about understanding how your body is functioning as a whole. That’s why we don’t focus on just one lab value, we look at trends, ratios, and the full picture, helping you understand your numbers and use them as tools for better long-term health.

❤️

02/04/2026

Estrogen plays a vital role in women’s health, because it supports brain function, bone density, cardiovascular health, skin elasticity, mood stability, sleep quality, and metabolic balance. When estrogen levels decline or fluctuate 📢 especially during perimenopause and menopause... many women feel the effects quickly.

When it comes to hormone therapy, how estrogen is delivered matters.

Oral estrogen must pass through the digestive system and liver before entering circulation. This process can alter hormone levels, impact liver enzymes, and increase variability in how much estrogen your body actually absorbs. For some women, this route works—but for many, it doesn’t provide consistent or optimal support.

Transdermal estrogen (applied through the skin) bypasses first-pass liver metabolism, allowing for more stable blood levels and individualized dosing. This method supports better absorption, fewer systemic effects, and easier dose adjustments based on symptoms, labs, and lifestyle factors.

Hormone therapy is far from one-size fits all. What works for one woman may be ineffective, or excessive, for another. Personalized dosing allows estrogen to support your body the way it’s meant to: restoring balance, not creating new imbalances.

02/03/2026

Energy isn’t just about how much sleep you got... or how much coffee you’ve had. Your daily energy patterns can offer valuable clues about what’s happening with your hormones behind the scenes.

⚠️You wake up tired, even after a full night’s sleep
This can point to cortisol being out of rhythm, low thyroid activity, or blood sugar instability overnight.

⚠️ You feel okay in the morning but crash hard in the afternoon
Often linked to blood sugar swings, insulin resistance, or adrenal stress (especially if energy depends on caffeine or sugar to rebound).

⚠️ You’re exhausted but wired at night
This is a classic sign of cortisol being elevated at the wrong time of day, making it harder to relax, fall asleep, or feel restored.

⚠️ Your energy drops right before your cycle (or fluctuates week to week)
Hormone shifts involving estrogen and progesterone can directly affect stamina, mood, and mental clarity, especially in perimenopause.

⚠️ You feel consistently low-energy, no matter what you do
This may reflect thyroid imbalance, low s*x hormones, nutrient depletion, or chronic inflammation.

This is a just another example of why annual lab testing matters - at any age. Whether you’re in your 20s, navigating perimenopause, postpartum, or well into midlife, knowing your baseline helps catch subtle shifts early and guide smarter decisions over time.

Energy is feedback. When you understand what your body is saying, you can respond in ways that actually move your health forward, instead of just masking the symptoms.

01/30/2026

With Valentine’s Day approaching, intimacy and connection tend to be on the mind, but for many men, stress may be quietly influencing libido more than they realize.

Ongoing stress increases cortisol, the body’s primary stress hormone. When cortisol remains elevated, it can interfere with testosterone production, blood flow, sleep quality, and overall energy. Over time, this can show up as reduced desire, lower stamina, or changes in performance (often without a clear explanation).

Libido isn’t just driven by hormones alone. Blood sugar balance, nutrient levels, thyroid function, nervous system health, and recovery all play a role. When the body is under constant strain, it prioritizes survival over reproduction, making intimacy harder to access.

❤️ Valentine’s Day can be a helpful reminder to check in with your health - not just for relationships, but for energy, confidence, and overall well-being. Supporting stress regulation and hormone balance can have a meaningful impact both physically and mentally.

If libido changes have been subtle but persistent, deeper lab testing and personalized guidance can help identify what’s happening beneath the surface and how to support it effectively.

01/29/2026

If your energy feels inconsistent throughout the day, the answer may not be more coffee... it may be better fuel. 🪫 Certain foods help stabilize blood sugar, support mitochondria (your energy producers), and prevent the crashes that leave you reaching for quick fixes.

Energy-boosting foods that actually help:
🥚 Eggs – Rich in B vitamins and protein to support sustained energy
🥑 Avocado – Healthy fats that stabilize blood sugar and prevent crashes
🥣 Steel-cut oats – Slow-digesting carbs that provide steady fuel
🍓 Berries – Antioxidants that support cellular energy and reduce inflammation
🥜 Nuts & seeds – Magnesium, zinc, and healthy fats for stamina and focus
🥬 Leafy greens – Iron, folate, and chlorophyll for oxygen delivery
🐟 Fatty fish – Omega-3s support brain energy and reduce fatigue
🍠 Sweet potatoes – Complex carbs + potassium for endurance
🧄 Garlic – Supports circulation and immune-driven energy

Pro tip: Pair protein + healthy fats with carbs to avoid the mid-day crash.

The goal with food isn't just to fill you up, it tells your body how to produce energy. Consistent nourishment throughout the day creates momentum your nervous system and metabolism can rely on.
Energy isn’t one-size-fits-all. If you’re still feeling fatigued despite “eating well,” personalized nutrition coaching can help identify what your body actually needs, whether that’s blood sugar support, nutrient repletion, or better meal timing. A guided plan can turn food into a consistent energy source, not a guessing game.
📞 812-297-8400

01/28/2026

Weight loss in the winter can feel harder and it’s not just about willpower. Shorter days, colder temperatures, hormonal shifts, and disrupted routines all impact metabolism, appetite, and energy levels. Understanding what your body needs during this season can help you work with it instead of against it.

Why winter weight loss can stall:
• Less sunlight can affect vitamin D, mood, and insulin sensitivity
• Colder temps increase comfort-food cravings
• Cortisol rises with holiday stress and poor sleep
• Movement often decreases without intentional planning

Winter isn’t the time for extremes, it’s the time for strategy. Small, consistent shifts now can make spring progress feel easier and more sustainable.

01/26/2026

In your 20s, your body is often resilient enough to “bounce back.”
In your 30s, 40s, and beyond? Subtle changes start happening quietly... long before symptoms feel obvious.

Annual lab work is so beneficial with tracking patterns over time: hormone shifts, nutrient depletion, blood sugar trends, inflammation markers, and metabolic changes that influence energy, weight, mood, sleep, and long-term health.

As we age, hormone production naturally declines, stress has a greater impact on the body, and nutrient needs change. Without consistent testing, these shifts can go unnoticed for years - until fatigue, weight gain, brain fog, or chronic symptoms start showing up.

Running the right labs annually allows you to:
• Catch imbalances early
• Adjust nutrition, lifestyle, or supplements proactively
• Support metabolism and hormones before symptoms escalate
• Make informed health decisions instead of guessing

The earlier you track your labs, the more control you have over how you feel ☀️ not just now, but years down the road as well!

01/24/2026

Diabetes doesn’t start with a diagnosis...it starts with subtle metabolic changes that often go unnoticed for years. Long before blood sugar rises, the body is already struggling with insulin signaling, inflammation, and energy regulation.

This is why diabetes is not simply a “blood sugar problem.” It’s a condition rooted in how your body produces, uses, and stores energy, influenced by hormones, stress, nutrients, gut health, and lifestyle factors.

Understanding these early shifts matters, especially for anyone experiencing fatigue, stubborn weight gain, cravings, brain fog, or a family history of metabolic disease.

The main goal is to understand what your body is doing beneath the surface. With the right testing and a personalized plan, it’s possible to spot metabolic imbalances early and support blood sugar, energy, and overall health long before they turn into bigger issues.

01/23/2026

When people think about “boosting metabolism,” they often picture extreme workouts or cutting calories. In reality, your metabolism responds best to support, balance, and consistency.

Your metabolic rate is influenced by hormones, muscle mass, nutrient status, sleep quality, blood sugar balance, and stress levels. If any of these are off, your body may hold onto energy instead of burning it efficiently.

Instead of chasing quick fixes, focus on strategies that optimize how your body functions at a cellular level. When metabolism is supported properly, energy improves, cravings stabilize, recovery feels easier, and weight management becomes more sustainable.

At Rooted Health & Wellness, we look at metabolism through a whole-body lens, combining lab testing, targeted nutrient support, hormone optimization, and recovery-based therapies to help your body work smarter, not harder.

If you’re feeling stuck, it may be time to support your metabolism differently.

01/19/2026

📢 A message we all want to hear? Drinking more water isn’t always the answer... especially in the winter.

Unfortunately that doesn't mean coffee only, we're talking about incorporating more electrolytes.

Electrolytes are minerals that help your body use the water you drink. Without them, hydration stays stuck in the digestive tract instead of reaching your cells, muscles, nerves, and brain where it’s needed most.

In colder months, we often feel less thirsty, sweat less visibly, and drink more caffeine, all of which can quietly deplete electrolytes. The result ➡️ Fatigue, headaches, muscle tension, brain fog, and dry skin (even if you’re “drinking enough water.”)

Proper electrolyte balance supports energy, circulation, nervous system function, blood sugar stability, and recovery. It’s not about drinking more- it’s about absorbing better.

Supporting electrolytes is one of the simplest ways to feel more energized, focused, and resilient through winter.

Rooted Health and Wellness-Indiana

02/14/2026

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