Supplements and nutrient dense diets are great ways to help build immune resilience but one commonly overlooked way is to spend a few days in the forest! Forest bathing or in Japan "shinrin-yoku” there is a wealth of research showing how beneficial it is for the human body and mind. Natural Killer (NK) cells are an important part of our immune system that fights viruses and cancer cells. In one amazing study, a 3 day, 2 night trip to forest areas significantly increased NK cell activity that stayed elevated for nearly 30 days after the trip, "suggesting that a forest bathing trip once a month would enable individuals to maintain a higher level of NK activity." The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands! (Psalm 19:1)

I am beyond grateful to be celebrating 11 years of marriage with the love of my life today! Thank you God for teaching us how to celebrate each other’s differences and for growing us into deeper emotional intimacy. @lillie.duncan I love you.

It’s been a minute but I am back to this world of social media. I think we can all agree that this past year and a half has been disruptive, pushed us to our edges, invited deep growth and asked of us to rely on our God. In all praise, Stewarding Life Wellness has been thriving. Our office is now at @ourwellhouse . It’s an honor to work along so many like minded, Jesus loving practitioners that truly care about the mind, body, and soul. My family and I split time now between Texas and Arizona. You’ll see me back at Our Well House in October. In the meantime, @lillie.duncan and I have some things in the works for that beautiful space. Ways to support your health and immune system on a consistent basis. ⠀ Looking forward to the future, even in all it’s unknowns. If we haven’t connected yet, drop a comment below and tell me how you plan to rest this weekend.

I’ve had a hard time lately finding balance. Balance with being physically present with those I love. Balance with being socially present for those I serve. I’m here just naming this odd feeling. I’m here in this space learning how to do both. Thank you for growing alongside of me over the years. Seeking balance together. -Jake

There are thousands of things that could be purchased to help support balance within the nervous system and immune system. Being stuck in fight or flight (sympathetic dominance) is so harmful to our bodies but is so hard to avoid in our modern society that glorifies hustle and productivity. Constantly being bombarded with alerts and notifications can feel like a weight that is constantly growing on our shoulders every day we wake up. ⠀ One well- researched God-given way that can help us balance and even heal our overly triggered nervous systems is forest bathing. In the research, this term means to quite simply be in the forest for 2+ hours with no objective other than to be, to listen, to touch, taste, and smell the natural world. This sounds too simple to be that effective but if you contrast it with our normal insulated and hurried days, then you can see how impactful a few hours may be to our healing. One study even showed that a single forest bathing session of 2-3 hours could increase one component of our immune system that fights cancer and viruses by 50% and that it stays elevated for a full month afterward! That is miraculous and free. ⠀ Now for the hard part. How will you find or make time to get in and among the trees more frequently? Can you commit to once a week or once a month having some extended forest time? Do you need to start by finding some good options near you?  Calming the body and mind and strengthening the immune system is worth the effort. And for me, it also helps reconnect me with the God I love that created so much beauty in the world. How does nature affect how you feel? -Jake

It is easy to overlook the importance of healthy relationships in regards to our health. We want to jump to a dietary change, a new supplement, or exercise routine. These are all valid components to health but if there is relational discord or a lack of healthy relationships, a vital nutrient will be missing. My bride has gently helped me see the importance of what Dr. Townsend calls "People Fuel" and what Bill and Kristi Gaultierre call "Soul Talks." We were made to need each other. Without healthy relational attachments, we are not healthy. In our healing journey, God has designed people to be key in helping us heal. If you don't have someone in your life now that can help you process the losses and pains of life, make that a priority. It may be a friend, a counselor, therapist, spouse, or church leader. We ALL need people like this in our lives. It is a vital and essential nutrient that we can live healthy without. Thank you Lillie for being my person! You are a gift from God. -Jake

I love this quote highlighting the beauty of a playful heart. One of the most overlooked culprits of our health decline is our body getting stuck in the sympathetic (fight, flight, freeze) nervous system. This can happen from past trauma, living in fear or anxiety (watching the news that is focused on only reporting the negative news and sensationalizing them for viewers), working too much without rhythms of rest under deadlines and stress, and anything else that triggers our adrenaline response. Some call this losing Vagal Tone as the Vagus nerve helps balance this response (Google Polyvagal theory). There are many ways to try to get the body out of this rut so that it can "rest, digest, and heal" properly. One of the strongest healing tools is PLAY. When we stop playing and laughing, we are in trouble. When we get so serious and can't see the beautiful and playfulness of God even in creation, we are far from our original design and our bodies will suffer the effects of this. How can you foster more play into your days? Do you need to slow down first? Do you need to create time and space for this to happen? For my family, a weekly day of rest (Sabbath) is essential to our playfulness. Without a reboot and re-centering each week we can easily fall back into the grind and the hustle which is miserable! If you need help finding your playfulness again, watch kids. They are naturals at being playful! -Jake

Healthy boundaries aren’t just about saying no. They are about creating and defining space for yourself to thrive. Part of the wellness journey home to yourself involves a deep understanding of what it is you need daily to show up as your best self and then respecting and honoring yourself enough to say “yes” and “no” where needed. No one else gets to be your wellness gate keeper, that is your sacred job. Remember, mental and emotional wellness pave the path for physical wellness. ⠀ Ask yourself, what do you need most today? What healthy perimeters do you need in place for you to thrive? -Lillie

listening. unlearning. learning. I see you. I am for you. I believe you. #blackouttuesday ⠀ Link in profile is the Go Fund Me set up for George Floyd’s funeral costs. **Set up by his brother. ⠀ Resources to consider: @bethebridgerva @rachel.cargle @laylafsaad (Purchase her book ‘White Supremacy and Me’) @thegreatunlearn @austinchanning @bishopjakes @antiracismctr

We are still here. Still working hard behind the scenes every day as we navigate what seems to be the new normal in our world. ⠀ We have more information to share soon on ways we can support you and your health in this strange time but for now here is this: ⠀ Notice our name on top of our profile? We changed it to include mine and Lillie’s name. We added Trauma Care to the list of what “we do.” Here is the thing... we are better together. We are an amazing team. Lillie has always been the quiet voice in the background but I want her to have more of a voice here on this platform. We started this business together. We have grown this business together. By Gods Grace, we will make it through this shift in our world together. ⠀ We both have a heart for functional medicine and trauma care. Where functional medicine is part of my calling in life, grief and trauma care is undoubtedly Lillie’s calling in life. I see a lot of patients that have trauma in their past that they have not dealt with and it manifests itself in the body causing disruption to the immune system, hormones, and neurochemicals . So the intricate work we both do goes hand in hand. ⠀ Lillie has been learning and working under Dr. Dan Allender from The Seattle School. Her approach is to dig into the narrative stories held within a person that carry brokenness, shame, guilt, betrayal, trauma, and grief. As one works through their own formative stories, redemption not only happens in the persons heart and mind, but also in their body. ⠀ We are beyond excited to join hands in educating more on the importance of identifying past trauma and processing it well for deep healing to occur in our heart, mind, body, and soul. Behind the scenes we are working on a new platform to bring you deeper into conversation around all things related to Functional Medicine, Emotional Health and Intentional Living. Stay tuned! ⠀ Jake

COVID-19 has affected our world far greater than just the physical effects of the virus itself. Whether we realize it or not, we are in a time of collective trauma. Trauma ALWAYS has a profound effect on the body. This can show us itself in numerous physical and emotional symptoms that are often difficult to trace back to their root cause. This could show up in the body as digestive symptoms, anxiety, racing mind, sleep loss, heart palpitations, tremors, shortness of breath, fragmentation of the mind (forgetfulness), anger, irritability, abnormal tearfulness. All of these things have a direct impact on your immune system's ability to fight off pathogens including viruses like COVID-19. ⠀ The SLW team and I have been brainstorming how we can lessen this impact and come alongside you without actually being "beside you" (#socialdistancing). Telemedicine makes it possible to offer you quick guidance and recommendations based on your primary symptoms. Our E-Consult option is the quickest way to get functional medicine care without having to leave your house. Once the online form is filled out with your primary concern, you will receive personalized protocol within 24 hours. And the best part is you didn't have to have to get dressed and leave your home! For the next 2 weeks, we are going to discount our E-Consults to $100 (normal price $175) to lessen the financial burden of care on our community as a whole. ⠀ For more complex complaints, we also offer full remote consultations using a face-to-face online platform (Telemedicine). This option allows lab testing, diagnosing and prescriptions if needed. Please contact the office for more information or visit our website.

You need to ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life. - Dallas Willard ⠀ Several books have now been written in response to this strong quote by Dallas Willard spoken to several of those he mentored in his life. The prevalence of hustle and hurry has immense and far-reaching damaging effects on the soul. I have found hurry to nearly negate my ability to love well. For me to become a better husband, father, son, brother, and medical provider, the answer is almost always to slow down and be more present. Are you going faster than God wants you to? Looking at Jesus' life through this lens, I see a slow, deliberate and very interruptable presence. Oh how I desire to cultivate this more and more in my soul by His grace.