Glossary: Integrative Medicine & Nutrition

Transference

The redirection of feelings and desires and especially of those unconsciously retained from childhood toward an authority figure.

Trigger

An act or event that initiates or precipitates a reaction or series of reactions.

Ultradian Rhythm

Refers to the process in which brain hemispheric dominance switches from left brain to right brain about every 90 minutes in a repeated cycle.

Vagus Nerve

The tenth cranial nerve, which supplies the throat, voice box, windpipe, lungs, heart, and gastrointestinal organs.

Vegan Diet

A strictly plant-based diet that eliminates all animal-based products and by-products, including meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy, honey, and gelatin.

Vegetarian Diet

A diet excluding meat of any kind, including seafood, poultry, and red meat.

Volition

The power of choosing or determining; an act of making a choice or decision; also a choice or decision made.

Yin and Yang

Opposites or forces that fluctuate and interact in the natural world, giving rise to each other in turn.

Zeus

The father of the sky and the god of thunder who ruled the Olympian gods; known as Jupiter in Roman mythology.

Anti-Inflammatory

An agent that regulates a proper inflammatory response in the body. It is also taken to reduce pain, heat and other symptoms of inflammation. Common anti-inflammatory herbs include Boswellia (Boswellia spp.), Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) and White Willow Bark (Salix alba L.).

Anti-Inflammatory Diet

A diet with a reduced intake of inflammatory foods such as wheat, corn, soy, dairy, nightshade vegetables, sugar, margarine, partially hydrogenated oils, alcohol, and peanuts. Consists of 40-50% carbohydrates, 30% fat, and 20-30% protein.

Caduceus (Staff of Hermes)

A universal image of change and transformation that is the modern symbol of medicine.

Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis (HPA Axis)

A major part of the neuroendocrine system that regulates reactions to stress and other metabolic function. It involves the interactions of the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland, and the adrenal glands.

Mindful Awareness in Body-Oriented Therapy (MABT)

Combines manual and psycho-educational approaches with mindfulness.