Fascia is one of the most fascinating—and often overlooked—tissues in the human body. It’s not just a “muscle wrapping” as it was once thought to be. It’s a complex, intelligent, and responsive web of connective tissue that supports and connects every structure in the body—muscles, bones, nerves, blood vessels, lymphatic vessels, and organs.

Problems with our fascia can not only affect us in the sense of stiffness, flexibility and pain, but it has broader impacts, impacting circulation, lymphatic health and more.

What is fascia?
Fascia is a a connective tissue that holds our muscles, bones and ligaments together. It is so often dismissed, but it’s role is big. When originally thought of as just a wrapper for our muscles, we know that this tissue weaves into every part of our being. Imagine it like a 3D, sponge-like network that compresses and expands, enabling fluid movement and support. It weaves through and wraps around everything, functioning like an internal scaffolding system. It’s a common thought that our bones hold us up. True, but without fascia this wouldn’t be possible. This connective tissue doesn’t just hold things together—it communicates between systems, distributing tension, force, and information.

The interconnection
Fascia allows for communication between all our body systems. While a muscle or bone may be isolated to a particular part of our body, fascia is usually seen as a continual expanse of tissue that exists from one end of our body to another. there are many different types of fascia, but some that exist on the outer layers of our muscles can be seen to run whole lengths of the body, crossing over itself into different pathways, connecting our muscles vertically, diagonally, horizontally. This challenges the reductionist view that treats our organs, muscles, and systems in isolation. In naturopathic medicine, we often emphasize the interconnectedness of health—fascia is one of the physical ways this interconnectedness is expressed.

Types of fascia
There are different types of fascia, including:

• Superficial fascia (under the skin, rich in fat and nerves)

• Deep fascia (surrounding muscles, tendons, bones)

• Visceral fascia (supporting internal organs)
  Each has a unique function, but all work in concert to keep us structurally sound and functionally integrated.

Fascia adapts to movement, pressure, and hydration
Like many aspects of our health, stagnancy leads to dis-ease. This is especially so with the fascia, as it can be seen to be constricted in those who have a lack of movement. Movement keeps fascia hydrated and elastic, like squeezing and releasing a sponge underwater it moves fluid through the tissues and helps to keep it pliable. Fascia also responds to pressure—so manual therapies like massage, myofascial release, or cupping can work beautifully alongside movement. And let’s not forget hydration: fascia needs fluid to glide and slide.

What happens when fascia becomes restricted?

• Reduced blood and lymph flow

• Tightness, discomfort, pain

• Impaired organ mobility (yes, fascia wraps around and affects internal organs too!)

• Restricted range of motion

• Increased risk of injuries

• A sense of physical or even emotional “stuckness”

Because fascia envelops nerves, organs, lymphatic and blood vessels, restrictions can lead to a range of systemic effects—from chronic tension and fatigue to digestive or hormonal imbalances.

Fascia and the nervous system
Fascia is richly innervated—it plays a huge role in proprioception (your sense of body awareness in space) and responds to changes in stress, trauma, and the autonomic nervous system. Relaxed, parasympathetic states support fascial healing, which is why rest and nervous system regulation matter. Our fascia doesn’t just reflect our physical habits—it responds to our emotional landscape, too. Tension in the fascia can also feed into the nervous system, so for those with nervous system imbalance it may be helpful to release fascial constriction.

Fascia and energy pathways
Fascial lines appear to align with Traditional Chinese medicine meridians, the same energy channels used in acupuncture. This anatomical overlap raises big questions about fascia’s role in energy flow, emotion, and perhaps even memory.

Some researchers, like Dr. Jean-Claude Guimberteau in Strolling Under the Skin, have beautifully captured fascia on film—alive with motion, shimmering, interconnected. Watching his work was a moment of awe for me. It confirmed what I see every day in clinic: the body is not mechanical, but organic, intelligent, and deeply interconnected. You can watch this fascinating video here

Supporting your fascia in everyday life

• Move daily. Walking, stretching, yoga, or dancing all nourish fascia. Ballistic exercises can be especially helpful in strengthening and toning fascia.

• Stay hydrated—think of water as lubrication for your internal networks.

• Rest well. Deep sleep is when tissue repair is most active.

• Try fascial therapies like massage, cupping, dry brushing, or somatic movement.

• Breathe deeply and slowly—breath supports fascial mobility through the diaphragm.

• Keep inflammatory foods to a minimum.

• Be patient. Fascia adapts slowly but meaningfully over time.

In short: fascia is vital, vibrant, and deserves your attention. Move it, hydrate it, nurture it—and it will support you back in ways that go far beyond flexibility.

The post Fascia: The Body’s Hidden Super Network appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

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Health and Wellbeing Podcast #12 with Guest Kellie Holland from Tonik Health

In the first of two sections on a Naturopathic approach to pregnancy, Kellie Holland from Tonik Health and I chat about some of the most common issues that pregnant women deal with including morning sickness, stretch marks, gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia and fluid retention. We also discuss some things it’s important to start doing with as soon as possible during pregnancy, and go into detail about the nutrients we need most during pregnancy.

Podcast Breakdown: 

0:00 Intro and disclaimer
0:59 Meet Kellie, and I talk a bit about what we will cover in these pregnancy episodes
3:10 Morning sickness, nausea in pregnancy and hyperemesis gravidarum.
4:06 Ginger for nausea: doses and the different forms you can take it in
5:15 Vitamin B6 for morning sickness
5:48 Keeping your blood sugar levels stable can help reduce morning sickness
6:59 Other factors which can contribute to morning sickness, stress and digestive problems, and dealing with these issues before you conceive.
9:42 Stretch marks
10:39 The oil I’ve been using: Vanessa Megan Mummy’s Tummy Pregnancy Oil 
11:29 Nutrients needed to reduce/prevent stretch marks
13:00 Gotu kola and diet for stretch marks
13:33 Exercise during pregnancy
15:00 Things to get started with early during pregnancy : yoga, flossing, nutrition, probiotics
17:35 Probiotics in pregnancy in helping prevent eczema, management of Group B Strep, digestive health, candida
19:01 Folate (folic acid, folinic acid) – important before conception as well as during pregnancy
19:50 Other essential nutrients for pregnancy
21:31 Iodine
22:05 Vitamin B12
22:51 The different forms of folate (vitamin B9/folic acid/folinic acid)
23:50 Iron
26:49 Selenium
27:19 Calcium
28:52 Vitamin K2
29:29 Vitamin D
32:31 Magnesium
33:46 Pre-eclampsia
35:16 Stress
36:30 Gestational diabetes
41:08 Fluid retention

Click here to subscribe on youtube 

Connect with Kellie

Kellie is a naturopath, clinical nutritionist and medical herbalist based on the Central Coast of NSW where she lives with her husband and daughter. She runs a successful blog on her website at www.tonikhealth.com.au where she also has free healthy and delicious recipes available.

Website: http://www.tonikhealth.com.au/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tonikhealth
Instagram: http://instagram.com/tonik_health#
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tonikhealth

See other videos and podcasts I’ve done with Kellie :

Kid’s Immunity

The post Naturopathic Approach to Pregnancy (Video) – Part 1 appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

PMS stands for Pass My Shotgun, Pardon My Sobbing, Perpetual Munching Spree, Pimples May Surface…

PMS jokes are everywhere, as it is probably the most common female hormonal disorder. Many women accept monthly changes to their mood, appetite, energy and sleep patterns as an annoying but inescapable part of life, and yet PMS is a treatable condition. In Australia, it is estimated that up to 75% of women experience PMS at some time in their lives, with 18% of women suffering the more severe form – premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). PMS and PMDD are often poorly recognised, let alone diagnosed or treated.¹ These conditions can have a severely detrimental effect women’s lives, but PMS can be easily and effectively treated with diet, exercise and Natural Medicines.

What causes Premenstrual Syndrome?

As you would expect, most of this havoc is due to hormonal imbalance, however very commonly it is existing nutritional deficiencies, as well as diet, stress and exercise combined, that really tips you over the edge.

Studies have shown that women who experience PMS have excessive amounts of oestrogen which causes relatively lower levels of progesterone compared to women who don’t². Not everyone is the same of course, and some women may have low progesterone but not necessarily excess oestrogen.

The psychological symptoms

Progesterone has a metabolite called allopregnanolone, which acts in the Central Nervous System  by interacting with the sedating GABA A receptors to positively affect mood and behaviour, whilst improving stress response and cognitive function.³

When progesterone and its metabolites are low, less of the calming effect from the GABA receptors are experienced so you can experience all sorts of mood imbalances such as irritability, anxiety or depression. On top of this, oestrogen has excitatory effects in the CNS by acting on the glutamate system, so women with excess oestrogen often feel wound up and irritable. ⁴

The physical symptoms

A common complaint with PMS is fluid retention. High prolactin (another reproductive hormone) is associated with cyclic breast tenderness and fluid retention. Prolactin naturally elevates during the second half of your cycle and may be further increased by stress, low blood sugar and high oestrogen. Aldosterone (a hormone produced by the adrenal glands) also contributes to symptoms of fluid retention, contributing to weight gain and bloating. Stress is the key driver of high aldosterone. Interestingly, stress may also reduce your sensitivity to progesterone.⁵ Another relatively common symptom accompanying this time is latent virus activation e.g. getting cold sores at that time of the month.

What can we do about it?

The specific treatment varies on the woman as everyone experiences PMS differently. The core focus is to use nutritional supplements and herbal medicine which can help to balance hormones, support stress levels and reduce unpleasant symptoms. In clinic I use high strength herbal medicines which includes use both liquid and tablet forms, all of which are stringently tested for quality, safety and the strength of the active parts. Working towards a healthy eating (diet) and balancing lifestyle factors (e.g. reducing stress) is important as well.

One of the main herbs Naturopaths use for treating PMS is Vitex (Vitex agnus castus, also known as Chaste tree). It is best taken first thing in the morning for two or three months to see results. Various studies have demonstrated that Vitex supplementation significantly improves the spectrum of premenstrual symptoms over a period of three months. One study showed that symptoms of irritability, breast fullness and bloating were improved by 50%,⁶ whilst another found that 93% of 1634 participants reported an improvement or complete remission of symptoms monitored, including depression, anxiety, food cravings and fluid retention.⁷ Furthermore, by normalising the luteal phase, Vitex has been shown to improve fertility in women with luteal phase defect.⁸ In a study on infertile women with pathologically low progesterone levels, a dose of 36 mg of dried fruit daily improved fertility rates by approximately 15% within three months.⁹

Peony (Paeonia lactiflora) and Dong quai (Angelica sinensis) are also great hormonal regulators specific for PMS and menstrual irregularities.¹⁰

To support mood and stress levels there are herbs that calm the nervous system and balance GABA levels such as Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata), herbs to support adrenal gland function such as Rehmannia (Rehmannia glutinosa) and Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra); and adaptogens – herbs that help you ‘adapt’ to stress such as Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus) and Withania (Withania somnifera).

To further support your nervous system it’s important to ensure you don’t have nutritional deficiencies that will leave your nervous system frazzled. For example, B vitamins and magnesium are crucial for combating stress and so many people are deficient these days. Your body uses more of these when you’re stressed so if you lead a stressful, busy lifestyle at times then you most likely need top up with some supplements to get you back on track.

As well as having a diet that is high in protein, fibre and good fats (these are all crucial!), there are key nutrients that are needed for blood sugar regulation, such as chromium and magnesium, to improve carbohydrate metabolism and blood sugar control.

Vitamin B6 – for production of neurotransmitters, essential fatty acid metabolism, oestrogen metabolism, and progesterone support.

Magnesium – to reduce cramps, to support mood, for blood sugar control, to reduce aldosterone, and support energy production. Intracellular (but not plasma) magnesium levels have been found to be lower in women with PMS, so women who are deficient in magnesium are more likely to suffer from PMS.

Calcium – this is also important for nervous system support, and to regulate the control of muscular contraction and relaxation. Interestingly, symptoms of calcium deficiency are similar to many PMS symptoms and in some women PMS may be due to underlying calcium dysregulation which may be driven by vitamin D deficiency.

Chromium – essential for blood sugar level control, insulin production and pancreatic health. Chromium deficiency can lead to more sugar cravings and blood sugar fluctuations.

Omega fatty acids – Omega 3 is important for healthy prostaglandin levels, and a deficiency of Omega 3 can cause a variety of symptoms such as menstrual and premenstrual cramps, depression, irritability, dry/rough skin, acne and cravings for oily and fried foods.

If you’re someone who really suffers in the lead up to your period each month, it’s certainly worth getting some professional advice from a naturopath about the key elements of treatment for you. It’s something that many women seem to think they just have to endure and put up with, without looking into ways they could reduce their symptoms. If you’re one of those people – now you know there are things you can do, so why not give naturopathy treatment a try?

READY TO DISCUSS YOUR HEALTH NEEDS?

CONTACT ME TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT

1. Halbreich U, Borenstein J, Pearlstein T, Kahn LS. The prevalence, impairment, impact and burden of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMS/PMDD). Psychoneuroendocrinology 2003; 28(3): 1-23.
2. Wang M et al. Relationship between symptom severity and steroid variation in women with premenstrual syndrome: study on serum pregnenolone, pregnenolone sulfate, 5a-pragnane-3,20-dione and 3a-hydroxy-5a-pregnan-20-one. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1996; 81: 1076-1082.
3. Monteleone P et al. Allopregnanolone concentrations and premenstrual syndrome. Eur J Endocrinol 2000; 142: 269-273.
4. Backstrom I et al. Pathogenesis in the menstrual cycle-linked CNS disorders. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2003; 1007: 42-53.
5. Kumar S, Mansel RE, Scanlon MF, Hughes LE, Edwards CA, Woodhead JS, Newcombe RG. Altered responses of prolactin, luteinizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone secretion to thyrotrophin releasing hormone/gonadotrophin releasing hormone stimulation in cyclical mastalgia. Br J Surg 1984; 71(11):870-3.
6. Loch EG et al. Treatment of premenstrual syndrome with a phytopharmaceutical formulation containing Vitex agnus castus. J Womens Health Gend 2000;9(3):315-20.
7. Berger et al. Efficacy of Vitex agnus castus L. extract Ze440 in patients with premenstrual syndrome. Arch Gynecol Obstet 2000; 264 (3): 150-3.
8. Wuttke W et al. Chaste tree (Vitex agnus-castus)- pharmacology and clinical indications. Phytomedicine 2003; 10(4): 348-57.
9. Bone K. Clinical Guide to blending liquid herbs. Churchhill Livingstone 2003, p 145.
10. Sakamoto S et al. Pharmacotherapeutic effects of kuei-chih-fu-ling-wan on human uterine myomas. Am J Chin Med 1992; 20 (3-4): 313-7.

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(not zucchini with pasta, zucchini AS pasta!)

Ingredients

• 2 zucchinis
• juice of half a lemon
• olive oil
• 1 tbsp capers
• 1 garlic clove

Method

1. Using a vegetable peeler, peel  your zucchini into long strips.

2. Saute the garlic, then add the zucchini.  You really don’t need to cook the zucchini for long, maybe 20 seconds.

3. Take off the heat and add the capers ( you can roughly chop them or add them whole), lemon juice and then season to taste. You can serve this as an accompaniment to a meal.

Tips

This is really taste and low carb. 

You could add some chilli or even chop an anchovy finely and cook it with the garlic for a bit of a different flavour. 

Add fresh herbs if you like!

Zucchini and summer squash have cooling properties, and according to principles of Chinese Medicine are good to overcome summer heat.  They also have a diuretic property, making it useful for fluid retention.

The post Zucchini pasta appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.