As women, we have intricately complex bodies and minds, that when cared for appropriately, make us powerful leaders.

We can also hold ourselves back from greater opportunities and experiences when we put self-care last. As I tell my 12-year-old daughter, “Every morning, when you look in the mirror, you’re the first person you have to like.”

To achieve bigger things in life, we must believe in ourselves first. It is so easy to sacrifice our health or overlook the value of our friendships and networks because we prioritize one aspect of our wellness, often our careers or families.

However, for us to truly be at our best, we need to have a holistic strategy. I’m a big advocate for big-picture health. To me that means finding balance in all of the different areas of your life that make you whole … nutrition, rest, healing, love, fitness … all of it!

As a woman, unsurprisingly, it takes a bit extra—not only because we have pregnancy, or periods or extra hormonal health, but because our worth and our integrity are often under constant scrutiny from within and without. We must realize our own worth is inextricably linked to the strength of our own self-love.

It takes strong women to help lift others, which is why I’m so excited about this issue centered on Women’s Health! Our all-star lineup includes the feature article “Solving Stress - Holistic Tips from Lifestyle Doctors.” Discover how medicine is changing as a new class of doctors endeavor to treat the whole person rather than the symptoms of disease, helping their patients achieve optimal health with lifestyle changes, medicine, herbs, supplements and modalities tailored to the individual.

We have an incredible story on “Taking Control of Our Hormones - Nutritional Tips to Support the Delicate Balance.” We learn how keeping hormones in proper balance is critical for good health and why hormonal imbalances can lead to a wide range of negative effects.

“First Signs of Menopause - How to Resolve Vaginal Dryness” shows us how today’s integrative and functional doctors, researchers and continuing-education instructors are leading the charge to provide innovative and customized answers for women experiencing vaginal dryness and other hormone-related symptoms.

“The Divine Messiness of Motherhood” looks at why the pitter-patter of little feet is one of life’s most beautiful blessings. Yet, it also examines why motherhood has always been a challenging role. In today’s world, the calling is more complicated than ever before, and the average Mama Bear has a lot on her many plates.

So, blessed mother of the moon, sister of the stars, child of the light, let’s stand together in gentle power and ancient wisdom loving ourselves and each other … always.

Shae