October 2026 Newsletter | Winter Weight Plans, Flu Season, Counseling, and Ketamine Retreat

OCTOBER AT VITAE

Fall is here, bringing cooler temperatures, shorter days, travel, and the beginning of cold and flu season. October is a great time to be intentional about your physical and emotional health before winter settles in.

We Took a Retreat

In September, we did something we have never done before: we closed the clinic and went on retreat together.

Our intention was connection, restoration, learning, and remembering our why.

Healthcare moves quickly, and our team spends every day caring for others. Our retreat gave us time to slow down, learn from one another, share meals, laugh, reflect, and connect. 

We returned with a renewed appreciation for the unique gifts each person brings to Vitae and an important reminder: rest, connection, reflection, movement, and time away from our routines are part of health, too.

We are grateful for our team and excited to bring that renewed energy back to our patients.

Flu Season Is Starting Early

Alaska is experiencing an early start to flu season, with Influenza A circulating, including the H3N2 strain.

Now is the time to support your immune system—especially with holiday gatherings and winter travel approaching.

Start with the basics: adequate sleep, hydration, protein and nutrient-dense foods, movement, stress management, and good hand hygiene.

We also carry elderberry and immune-support products at Vitae. For those interested in an individualized naturopathic approach, Dr. Natalie Wiggins is available to discuss immune support and naturopathic antiviral options.

Feeling sick or want to prepare for the season? Book your appointment online.

Traveling This Winter? Prepare Your Immune System

Airports, airplanes, crowds, disrupted sleep, stress, alcohol, and changing time zones can all take a toll.

Don't wait until you're sick to think about your health. Before traveling, consider your sleep, hydration, nutrition, supplements, medications, and what you will do if you become ill away from home.

A little preparation can make a big difference.

Have a Winter Weight Plan

Winter in Alaska changes our routines. We spend more time indoors, move less, experience less daylight, and navigate months of holidays and comfort foods. For many people, weight gradually creeps up.

Prioritize protein, keep moving, protect your sleep, get outside when you can, and create a strategy for the holidays. If maintaining or losing weight has been difficult, our providers can help you build an individualized plan.

Counseling at Vitae

Your mental health is an essential part of whole-person health.

Stephanie Rogers, LPC, is seeing counseling patients right here at Vitae.

Whether you are navigating stress, relationships, anxiety, transitions, or simply want support becoming a healthier version of yourself, counseling can provide a dedicated space to do that work.

Appointments with Stephanie are available to book online.

Maybe You Need a Retreat, Too

Our own retreat reinforced something we already believed: people need intentional time away.

EVOLV still has openings for our upcoming two-night local retreat in Palmer.

Vitae counselors Sunny McKellar and Stephanie Rogers, along with two additional healers, will be present to hold space and support integration. We'll also welcome a local guest for a special evening sound bath.

You don't have to travel across the world to step away, reset, and reconnect with yourself.  More information: www.evolvretreats.com

Vitae clients receive 10% off the local EVOLV retreat.

As we head into another Alaska winter, remember: health isn't only what we do when something goes wrong. It's what we practice along the way.

Restore. Prepare. Connect. Take care of yourself- and let us help you do it.

With gratitude,

The Vitae Team

Partners in Healing

** Schedules are filling in the last quarter. Make your end-of-year appointments now.