WOMEN'S HEALTH COLLABORATIVE FOR 2025 is comprised of a major expansion program for public education, research, publishing and clinical care. We support global exchange of ideas and sharing concepts that advancing the dial when it comes to improving the state of health for women. In support of this, our executive team has expanded our group's core (general) function to offer specific interest branches. In the case of Ms. Jessica Connell, we are launching the WOMEN'S MENTAL HEALTH- which unites professionals in this dedicated field of study. Furthermore, (as with all health studies), there will be overlaps into other interests that align with mental health and we encourage the hybrid thinking. This is the core of collaboration.
Written by: Roberta Kline, MD
Stress is part of life, and comes in many forms including physical, emotional, mental and environmental. Foods we eat, unhealthy relationships, difficulties at work, toxins in our environment, even poor posture or lack of sunshine can all create stress on our bodies. But when stress is catastrophic or becomes chronic, it creates imbalances in this functioning that are much more likely to promote disease while at the same time preventing healing from taking place. [1]
But how does this work? And is meditation the answer to reversing this trend? Science is revealing some interesting clues.
THE NERVOUS SYSTEM
One big connection is our nervous system. Our nervous system is our superconductor network of information exchange throughout our bodies, and consists of two main parts. The first is the central nervous system (CNS). As it sounds, it’s our command center where all data comes to be processed, and is made up of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves. The second is called the peripheral nervous system (PNS) and it connects every part of our body to our CNS through individual nerve cells called neurons and clusters of neurons known as ganglia.
The ANS is further divided into two parts: the Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS), which regulates our “fight or flight” response, and the Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS), which controls our “rest and digest” response. They work closely together in a complex dance, maintaining our bodily functions and ensuring our survival every second of our lives.
Many health issues, including most chronic diseases such as heart disease, autoimmune disease, diabetes, depression and anxiety, and cancer, are related to an imbalance of our autonomic nervous system. Most typically, it is too much of the “fight or flight” and not enough of the “rest and digest” that leads us into this imbalance. [4]
FLIGHT OR FLIGHT
• Blood flow diverted to the heart, lungs and skeletal muscle
• Increased heart rate, blood pressure and respiratory rate
• Enlargement of bronchioles (in lungs)
• Dilation of pupils
• Rapid conversion of glycogen to glucose for fuel
• Activation of immune system
But our bodies are not designed to be in this activated high-alert state for long periods of time. Once the immediate threat is gone, we are supposed to go back to our normal state of relaxation. This is the job of the Parasympathetic Nervous System.
REST AND DIGEST
Parasympathetic activation results in production of tears, saliva, and constriction of the pupils; lower and more variable heart rate, lower blood pressure and respiratory rate. It enables creative and critical thinking, normal kidney function and urination, improves immune function, enables sleep, sexual arousal and replenishment of fuel stores in organs; plus everything involved in digesting and utilizing our food including elimination and insulin production. Even mood and social bonding and connection are linked.
HOW THERAPISTS DIAGNOSE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES By: Jessica Connell, LCSW |
HOW STRESS IMPACTS HEALTH AND HEALING
Healing requires coordination of a complex array of biological functional and systems. Research is rapidly expanding our understanding of the importance of the parasympathetic response, and how meditation helps to restore balance. While this impacts every biological system, here are some key areas:
Digestion
Nutrients must be properly digested to extract them from our food and into our cells, where they are critical to every function our bodies must carry out. From vitamins and minerals that are needed in every biochemical reaction, to energy production in our mitochondria, to building blocks of our proteins that form our enzymes, neurotransmitters, hormones, even our DNA - all of our cells need these basic materials to function. Stress shuts down our digestion, and if it goes on long enough our cells become depleted of the very nutrients needed to function and repair.
Immunity
Mitochondria
These tiny structures exist within every cell in the body, and as the “power plants” of the cell they are responsible for producing all of the energy needed for every single function. This energy is produced as ATP and to make it requires key nutrients from food to be digested and absorbed from the gut. But producing this energy also creates toxic molecules, which are neutralized by antioxidants which also come from our diet. If the demand for energy is too great for too long, the mitochondria – and its cell – become damaged. Without healthy mitochondria, cells become damaged, dysfunctional and even die.
Brain
Serotonin, a major neurotransmitter impacting mood, is mostly produced in the gut. When the stress response is prolonged, this depletes the brain’s capacity for creative and critical thinking and mood regulation, often further impairing the ability to deal with stress.
MEDITATION AND HEALTH
Default Mode Network:
One mechanism by which meditation works is by altering connectivity in the brain – the so-called Default Mode Network, or DMN. This is a network of brain regions that is active when the brain is restful but awake. Meditation seems to decrease this DMN activity, leading to increased cortical connectivity [5] - in other words, there is activity connecting areas of the brain that aren’t normally part of this network that enables us to take a different, more detached perspective on things in our life. When we aren’t so attached to events, the sympathetic response is less likely to be triggered, or if it is triggered it is to a lower extent that is easier to recover from.
Meditation has been shown to increase vagal nerve activity, or tone, and restore normal functioning of these many systems including digestion, immune response, and brain neuroplasticity/resilience. [6] It is thought that one way this occurs is through deep breathing, although there may be other mechanisms in play. As we learn more about how meditation works and how it influences our biology, we can develop more targeted and personalized approaches to maximize its potential – while making it easy and accessible for people to integrate into their daily lives.
EPILOGUE
Academically, the appeal in assessing this specific product is partly due to the diverse and multiple points of wellness that the device was designed to target. A wide range of brain and mental health-related specialists alike may truly enjoy conducting their own independent case study of this device, each using their specific level of science to assess its array of claimed benefits. Areas like the parasympathetic nervous system, brain optimizing and stress & anxiety are just some of the key points of interest worth exploring. If the device in fact aligns and supports Dr. Kline’s multi-layered physiological roadmap to wellness and the user’s reaction(s) in the meditation state, a fair and comprehensive tech review of this device should be best achieved under multiple streams of evaluators. Reporting on its assessed benefits would then be a matter of the collective team trading notes for all areas of common ground.
 THE CRITICAL ROLE OF DIAGNOSTICS IN HEALTH AND WELLNESS By: Dr. Jess Sabrowsky DNP, RN, FNP-BC  We need to use technology, diagnostics, and assessment techniques to gather real data. Data that can guide each patient on their unique health journey. Diagnostics help us understand the true state of a person’s health, even when they may not feel “sick.” This is where the rubber meets the road: when you find a PCP who truly understands the importance of these tools and works with you to achieve your wellness goals and who also has skills beyond the transitional medical model to help you live your best life. Having difficult conversations is uncomfortable, but it is necessary for growth. If you want a healthcare provider who will partner with you—someone who creates a safe space, builds trust, and encourages honest dialogue to support long-term growth—then you must also be willing to put in the effort. Finding a provider who matches your commitment to your health, and one who uses diagnostics to empower you, is key to achieving your goals.  In short, diagnostics are essential because they offer concrete, actionable insights into your health that go beyond surface-level symptoms. They help uncover hidden health risks and enable early intervention, which can be the difference between preventing a chronic condition or managing it effectively. Diagnostics allow for personalized care tailoring interventions to meet the specific needs of the individual based on real, measurable data. I also would add that as a provider I prefer to reference functional lab ranges when reviewing results as I find that I can make small preventative recommendations and also challenge individuals and providers to think outside the box when looking to help resolve health conditions, like in the case of my daughter who otherwise would still be suffering. Let’s aim to stop the suffering and optimize wellness for all who seek it. |
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