Glossary of Terms
RestoreHER Health Glossary
Definitions for the spirit, soul/mind, and body terms used throughout our whole woman approach to care. Have a question about a term you don't see here? Reach out through our Contact page.
Whole Woman Care
An approach to health that recognizes that a woman is more than her physical body. RestoreHER Health considers the spirit, soul/mind, and body and how each area may influence her overall health and well-being.
Whole Woman Restoration
The intentional process of identifying areas of dysfunction, imbalance, distress, or increased health risk across the spirit, soul/mind, and body, then developing individualized strategies that support restoration, prevention, and long-term health.
Spiritual Stewardship
The intentional care of a woman's spiritual well-being. This may include examining her relationship with God, spiritual peace or distress, identity, meaning, purpose, prayer, Scripture, worship, rest, and spiritual community according to her beliefs.
Soul Stewardship
The intentional care of the mind, will, and emotions. Soul Stewardship includes emotional awareness, thought patterns, identity, boundaries, relationships, trauma history, emotional processing, stress, and practices that support psychological and emotional well-being.
Body Stewardship
The intentional care of the physical body through prevention, appropriate medical care, nutrition, movement, sleep, stress reduction, health screenings, laboratory evaluation, and other evidence-informed practices.
Soul Hygiene
Regular practices that support emotional and mental well-being and prevent unresolved stress from continually accumulating. This may include journaling, reflection, healthy boundaries, emotional processing, recreation, supportive relationships, counseling when appropriate, and intentional rest.
Nervous System Stewardship
Intentional lifestyle practices that support healthy autonomic nervous system regulation and recovery from chronic stress. Practices may include adequate sleep, slow breathing, movement, reducing overstimulation, healthy routines, emotional care, and periods of intentional rest.
Stress Physiology
The biological processes that occur when the body perceives a demand or threat. These responses involve systems such as the autonomic nervous system and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and influence heart rate, blood pressure, cortisol, glucose metabolism, immune function, and inflammation.
Sympathetic Nervous System
The part of the autonomic nervous system that helps prepare the body to respond to challenge or threat. It increases alertness, heart rate, blood pressure, and energy availability when needed.
Parasympathetic Nervous System
The part of the autonomic nervous system that supports functions associated with rest, digestion, recovery, and energy conservation.
HPA Axis
The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, a communication system between the brain and adrenal glands that plays an important role in the body's response to stress and regulation of cortisol.
Cortisol
A hormone produced by the adrenal glands that helps regulate the stress response, blood glucose, metabolism, immune activity, and the sleep-wake cycle. Cortisol naturally changes throughout the day.
Chronic Stress
Stress that continues over an extended period without adequate recovery. Persistent stress can affect sleep, blood pressure, glucose regulation, emotional health, immune function, and inflammatory signaling.
Trauma
An experience or series of experiences that overwhelms an individual's ability to cope and may continue to influence emotional, psychological, behavioral, relational, or physiological functioning after the event has ended.
Trauma-Informed Care
Healthcare that recognizes the potential effects of trauma and prioritizes safety, trust, choice, collaboration, empowerment, and avoidance of retraumatization.
Emotional Regulation
The ability to recognize, understand, experience, and respond to emotions in healthy and appropriate ways rather than consistently suppressing them or becoming overwhelmed by them.
Rumination
Repeatedly thinking about distressing events, problems, fears, or experiences without reaching resolution. Persistent rumination may prolong psychological stress.
Systemic Inflammation
Inflammatory activity occurring throughout the body rather than being limited to one specific location. Persistent low-grade systemic inflammation is associated with several chronic health conditions.
Chronic Low-Grade Inflammation
Persistent, relatively mild activation of inflammatory pathways that may occur with conditions such as obesity, insulin resistance, chronic stress, poor sleep, certain dietary patterns, and other metabolic or health conditions.
C-Reactive Protein (CRP)
A protein produced primarily by the liver that increases in response to inflammation. CRP can rise because of infection, injury, chronic inflammatory conditions, and other causes.
High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hs-CRP)
A more sensitive measurement of CRP commonly used as one component of cardiovascular risk assessment. It can detect lower levels of systemic inflammatory activity.
Fibrinogen
A protein produced by the liver that plays an essential role in blood clot formation. Elevated levels may also occur with inflammation and can be associated with increased cardiovascular risk.
Anti-Inflammatory Nutrition
A dietary approach emphasizing minimally processed, nutrient-dense foods associated with healthier inflammatory and cardiometabolic profiles. It commonly includes vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds, olive oil, herbs, spices, and omega-3-rich foods.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Essential polyunsaturated fatty acids involved in cardiovascular, neurological, and inflammatory processes. Important omega-3s include EPA, DHA, and ALA.
EPA
Eicosapentaenoic acid, a marine omega-3 fatty acid involved in cardiovascular health and the production of molecules that participate in inflammatory regulation and resolution.
DHA
Docosahexaenoic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid particularly important for brain, nervous system, eye, and cardiovascular health.
Arachidonic Acid/EPA Ratio
A comparison between arachidonic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid involved in inflammatory signaling, and EPA, an omega-3 fatty acid involved in inflammation-regulating pathways. The ratio provides information about fatty-acid balance but should be interpreted within the larger clinical picture.
Curcumin
The primary bioactive compound found in turmeric. Curcumin has been studied for antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and may be used as an adjunctive nutritional supplement when clinically appropriate.
Gut Microbiome
The community of microorganisms living primarily within the gastrointestinal tract. These organisms participate in digestion, metabolism, immune regulation, production of certain metabolites, and maintenance of the intestinal environment.
Gut Dysbiosis
A disruption in the composition or function of the gut microbial community. Dysbiosis has been associated with several gastrointestinal, metabolic, and inflammatory conditions, although there is no single microbiome pattern that defines dysbiosis in every person.
Intestinal Barrier
The physical and biological barrier lining the gastrointestinal tract that helps regulate what passes from the intestine into the bloodstream while interacting with the immune system and gut microbiome.
Intestinal Permeability
The degree to which substances can pass through the intestinal barrier. Increased intestinal permeability can occur in certain diseases and physiologic conditions.
Probiotic
Live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, may provide a health benefit. Benefits are often strain-specific, meaning different probiotics may have different effects.
Prebiotic
A substance, often a specific type of dietary fiber, that is selectively used by beneficial microorganisms and can support a healthier gut environment.
Fermented Foods
Foods produced through controlled microbial fermentation. Examples include kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir, and yogurt containing live cultures. Some fermented foods may support microbial diversity and gut health.
Short-Chain Fatty Acids (SCFAs)
Compounds produced when certain gut bacteria ferment dietary fiber. Important SCFAs include butyrate, acetate, and propionate, which participate in intestinal, metabolic, and immune functions.
Metabolic Health
How effectively the body regulates processes involving glucose, insulin, lipids, energy utilization, blood pressure, and body composition.
Insulin
A hormone produced by pancreatic beta cells that helps move glucose from the bloodstream into cells where it can be used or stored.
Insulin Resistance
A condition in which cells become less responsive to insulin. The pancreas may compensate by producing more insulin to maintain normal blood glucose. Insulin resistance can precede prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.
Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c)
A blood test estimating average blood glucose over approximately the previous two to three months. It is commonly used to screen for and monitor prediabetes and diabetes.
Prediabetes
A metabolic state in which blood glucose levels are higher than normal but do not meet diagnostic criteria for diabetes. Prediabetes represents an important opportunity for early lifestyle and medical intervention.
Berberine
A plant-derived bioactive compound studied for effects on glucose and lipid metabolism. It may improve some metabolic markers in certain populations but can interact with medications and is not appropriate for everyone.
Cinnamon
A culinary spice containing bioactive compounds studied for potential effects on glucose metabolism. Evidence suggests modest benefits in some populations, but cinnamon should be considered an adjunct rather than a replacement for established diabetes treatment.
Cardiovascular Health
The health and function of the heart and blood vessels. RestoreHER evaluates cardiovascular health within the broader context of blood pressure, vascular function, lipids, inflammation, glucose regulation, movement, nutrition, stress, sleep, and hormonal transitions.
Endothelial Function
How effectively the inner lining of blood vessels, called the endothelium, regulates blood-vessel relaxation, blood flow, clotting, and other vascular processes.
Nitric Oxide
A signaling molecule produced within the body that helps blood vessels relax and supports healthy circulation and endothelial function.
Blood Pressure
The force of circulating blood against arterial walls. Systolic pressure represents pressure during heart contraction, while diastolic pressure represents pressure between contractions.
Lipids
Fat-like substances in the bloodstream, including cholesterol and triglycerides. Lipid evaluation can provide information about cardiovascular and metabolic risk.
Triglycerides
A form of fat carried in the bloodstream and stored for energy. Elevated triglycerides may be associated with insulin resistance and increased cardiometabolic risk.
Endocrine System
The network of glands and organs that produce hormones regulating metabolism, reproduction, growth, stress responses, sleep, and numerous other physiological processes.
Hormone Stewardship
RestoreHER's approach to supporting endocrine health by considering factors that can influence the hormonal environment, including metabolic health, nutrition, movement, sleep, stress, inflammation, life stage, and underlying endocrine conditions.
Menopause
The permanent cessation of menstrual periods resulting from loss of ovarian follicular activity. Clinically, natural menopause is recognized after 12 consecutive months without menstruation when another cause is not responsible.
Perimenopause
The transition leading up to menopause during which ovarian hormone production becomes increasingly variable. Women may experience changes in menstrual patterns, sleep, mood, temperature regulation, and other symptoms.
PCOS
Polycystic ovary syndrome, a complex endocrine and metabolic disorder commonly characterized by combinations of ovulatory dysfunction, androgen excess, and polycystic ovarian morphology. Insulin resistance is common but not present in every woman with PCOS.
Lifestyle Medicine
An evidence-based approach using health behaviors such as nutrition, physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, healthy relationships, and avoidance of harmful substances to prevent, treat, or improve chronic disease alongside appropriate medical care.
Health Optimization
Moving beyond identifying whether a value is simply inside or outside a laboratory reference range to evaluating opportunities to improve health, reduce modifiable risk, and support long-term well-being. Optimization targets should be evidence-informed and individualized rather than based on arbitrary "ideal" laboratory values.
Prevention
Actions taken to reduce disease risk, identify health concerns early, and prevent or delay disease progression.
Restoration
Within the RestoreHER framework, restoration refers to supporting a woman as she improves health, function, resilience, and well-being across her spirit, soul/mind, and body. Restoration does not imply that every disease or condition can be reversed.
Whole Woman Assessment
RestoreHER Health's comprehensive evaluation of a woman's health across the spirit, soul/mind, and body, including her current concerns, health history, lifestyle, emotional and spiritual well-being, relevant risk factors, and appropriate clinical data.
Whole Woman Restoration Plan
An individualized plan developed from the Whole Woman Assessment that identifies priorities and evidence-informed recommendations across spirit, soul/mind, and body to support prevention, healing, restoration, and appropriate referral or medical treatment when needed.
Self-Stewardship
The intentional responsibility of caring for what has been entrusted to you, including your spiritual health, soul/mind, physical body, relationships, time, and resources. Within RestoreHER Health, self-stewardship reframes self-care as consistent responsibility rather than occasional indulgence.
Dis-ease
A RestoreHER educational term used to describe a state in which a woman recognizes distress, lack of peace, dysfunction, or imbalance within her spirit, soul/mind, or body. It is not used as a medical diagnosis and should not be confused with clinically diagnosed disease.
Whole Woman Health
A state in which attention is given to the health and functioning of the entire woman, recognizing her spirit, soul/mind, and body as distinct yet interconnected dimensions of her well-being.