Exploring the Gut-Skin-Brain Connection

If you've ever noticed an influx of skin issues during times of stress or eating poorly, then you've experienced the gut-brain-skin axis at work! It turns out that there is a very strong connection between the health of your gut and the vitality of your skin! Studies have shown co-occurrence of skin conditions such as acne, rosacea, eczema, and psoriasis with increased gut permeability conditions such as celiacs, IBS, and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). Since the skin's main function is to exist as a physical, chemical, and anti-microbial barrier, stress to the immune system via the gut is likely to deplete the reserves of skin defense!  Join nurse practitioner, registered dietician, and IFM certified functional medicine practitioner Ashley Mannell in this talk about the fascinating connections between our body's systems and ways in which you may improve the health of multiple systems at once! ABOUT | Ashley Mannell, RD, NP, IFMCP As the only dual-credentialed psychiatric nurse practitioner and registered dietitian in Virginia – who is also a certified practitioner of Functional Medicine through the Institute of Functional Medicine – Ashley is uniquely qualified to provide a highly integrative and nutrition-centered treatment approach for people looking to achieve better mental health without relying solely on medications. She strongly believes that good physical, emotional, and mental health all starts with a healthy gut and that reducing inflammation in the body is key to improving physical and mental wellness. Ashley’s goal with every patient is not just to treat their symptoms, but to work together with them to identify the underlying causes of the symptoms (which can vary from poor gut health, a taxed adrenal system, poor liver detoxification processes, low-level systemic inflammation, a history of trauma, etc). Treating only the symptoms of depression or other mood disorders is not a long-term solution and should no longer be the standard of care. A functional medicine approach to mental health and psychiatry is proactive, dynamic, collaborative, and integrative. Learn more about Ashley & her practice at www.richmondfoodandmood.com. ABOUT | Amy Black, NP Amy's career as a nurse practitioner over the last 15 years has given her the opportunity to work in various specialties including neurology, pain management, and her biggest love– dermatology. She has been fascinated and intrigued about what she has learned about our body’s largest organ– the skin- over the last 11 years- and how it truly is a window into the state of our general health and wellness. She began her training in functional medicine through the Institute of Functional Medicine in 2015 so that she could learn how to treat her patients with serious skin issues without having to rely solely on toxic medications– and learn about the tools she needed to be able to dig deeper to uncover the root causes of their skin problems. By taking an “inside-out” approach–meaning addressing a person’s source of inflammation and healing their gut first– many skin issues such as eczema, acne, hives, and rashes resolve on their own.