Simply Refined Health Blog

How's your sleep hustle?

Fri, 05 Jul 2024 22:43:30 GMT

Unlocking nutrition for sleep: Key nutrients to improve your rest.

In today's fast-paced world, getting quality sleep can feel like a distant dream. Tossing and turning, staring at the ceiling, and watching the clock can leave you feelin groggy and unrested. But did you know that what you eat can have a significantly impact on your sleep quality? Naturopathic medicine emphasizes the role of nutrition in promoting overall health, including restful sleep. Let's dive into the top nutrients for sleep and how you can easily add them to your diet. Remember, no food or food group is evil. I provide lots of options for various diets below. Also, if you would like healthy recipes and a meal plan to help you incorporate these nutrients into your diet, feel free to read to the end or click here to learn more!

Magnesium: The Relaxation Mineral

Magnesium is like a natural relaxant for your body. It helps calm the nervous system and relax muscles, setting the stage for deep, restful sleep. Plus, it supports GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), a neurotransmitter that promotes relaxation.

How to get more magnesium:

Leafy greens: Spinach, kale, and Swiss chard are packed with magnesium. Add them to salads, smoothies or as a side dish.
Nuts and seeds: Almonds, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds are magnesium-rich. Snack on a handful or sprinkle them over your meals.
Whole grains: Brown rice, quinoa, and whole wheat bread are great sources. Choose these over refined grains.
Fish: Fatty fish like salmon and mackerel also provide magnesium and other sleep-friendly nutrients.

Melatonin: The Sleep Hormone

Melatonin, often called the sleep hormone, regulates your sleep wake cycle. It's produced by your pineal gland in response to darkness, signaling to your body that it's time to sleep.

How to Boost Melatonin Naturally:

Tart Cherries: Tart cherry juice and dried tart cherries are natural sources. Enjoy a small glass of tart cherry juice in the evening.
Grapes: The skin of grapes contains melatonin. Snack on a handful of grapes before bed.
Tomatoes: Add tomatoes to your salads, sandwiches, or sauces.
Walnuts: These nuts offer melatonin and healthy fats. Have a few walnuts as a bedtime snack.

Tryptophan: The Serotonin Precursor

Tryptophan is an amino acid that your body converts into serotonin, which then turns into melatonin. This helps regulate your sleep patterns and mood.

How to get more tryptophan:

Turkey and Chicken: These are well-known sources of tryptophan. Include lean poultry in your dinners.
Milk and Dairy: A warm glass of milk before bed can be soothing and provides tryptophan.
Nuts and Seeds: Pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and almonds are loaded with tryptophan.
Legumes: Beans, lentils, and chickpeas are excellent plant-based sources. Add them to soups, stews, and salads.

Vitamin B6: The Enabler

Vitamin B6 is key for converting tryptophan to serotonin and melatonin, making it crucial for your sleep-wake cycle.

How to get more vitamin B6:

Chickpeas: Use these versatile legumes in salads, stews and hummus.
Tuna and Salmon: These fish are rich in B6 and also offer omega-3 fatty acids.
Bananas: Convenient and tasty, bananas are a great source of B6. Enjoy them as a snack or add to smoothies.
Chicken and Turkey: Lean poultry provides a good amount of B6. Include these in your regular meals.

Calcium: The Sleep Supporter

Calcium helps your brain use tryptophan to make melatonin, supporting the sleep process.

How to Get More Calcium:

Dairy Products: Milk, cheese, and yogurt are classic sources of calcium. Try a small serving of yogurt as an evening snack.
Leafy Greens: Kale, collard greens, and broccoli are rich in calcium. Add these to your meals regularly.
Almonds: A handful of almonds provides calcium and magnesium.
Tofu: This versatile soy product can be added to stir-fries, salads, and soups.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is associated with better sleep quality. While your skin makes it when exposed to sunlight, dietary sources are also important.

How to Get More Vitamin D:

Fatty Fish: Salmon, mackerel, and sardines are excellent sources.
Fortified Dairy Products: Milk and yogurt often have added Vitamin D.
Egg Yolks: Include eggs in your breakfast or meals.
Mushrooms: Certain mushrooms, like maitake and shiitake provide Vitamin D, especially when exposed to sunlight.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids: The Brain Boosters

Omega-3 fatty acids, particularly DHA, help with sleep by influencing melatonin production.

How to Get More Omega-3s:

Fatty Fish: Regularly include Salmon, mackerel, and sardines in your diet.
Flaxseeds: Add ground flaxseeds to your smoothies, oatmeal, or salads.
Chia Seeds: Use these in puddings, smoothies, or sprinkle on yogurt.
Walnuts: A convenient snack that provides omega-3s and melatonin.

Potassium: The Balancer

Potassium works with sodium to help regulate fluid balance and muscle function, impacting sleep quality.

How to Get More Potassium:

Bananas: An easy and Nutritious source of potassium.
Sweet potatoes: Roast them, mash them, or use them in soups.
Avocados: Add them to salads, toast or smoothies.
Spinach: Use fresh spinach in salads or cook it in various dishes.

Iron: The Literal Sleeper Mineral

Iron deficiency is linked to many conditions such as restless leg syndrome (RLS), for example, which can disrupt sleep. Consuming iron rich foods can help prevent these conditions.

How to Get More Iron

Red Meat: Beef and lamb are rich in iron. Opt for lean cuts and include them in your meals.
Spinach: Spinach is rich in iron and calcium. Add it to smoothies, salads, or cooked dishes.
Lentils: These legumes are an excellent plant-based source of iron. Use them in soups, stews, and salads.
Quinoa: A versatile grain that can be used in salads, as a side dish, or in breakfast bowls.

Zinc: The Immune Supporter

Zinc helps regulate sleep and produce melatonin.

How to Get More Zinc:

Oysters: One of the richest sources of zinc. Enjoy them as a special treat.
Beef and Pork: These meats provide substantial amounts of zinc.
Pumpkin seeds: Snack on these or add to salads and yogurt.
Lentils: Incorporate lentils into your meals for a plant-based zinc boost.

Conclusion: Nourishing your way to better rest.

Incorporating these sleep-supportive nutrients into your diet can make a huge difference in your sleep quality. Remember, a balanced diet that includes a variety of nutrient-rich foods is key. By focusing on these nutrients, you'll not only support your sleep but also boost your overall health and well-being. So, next time you find yourself struggling to drift off, consider reaching for a nutrient-rich snack or meal to help set the stage for a restful night's sleep.

By paying attention to what you eat, you can harness the power of food to improve your sleep and, ultimately, your quality of life.

Rest well!

P.S. I made a meal plan with a prep guide for you to incorporate these nutrients!

If you're feeling overwhelmed about how to start incorporating these sleep-boosting foods into your diet, I've got you covered! I've crafted a meal plan designed to help you effortlessly include all the essential nutrients discussed in this article.

With delicious recipes, easy-to-follow instructions, convenient grocery list, and a prep guide, you'll find it simple to nourish your body and improve your rest.

Click here to let me take the mental load and plan a week of meals for you!

Remember: This post in for informational purposes only and may not be the best fit for you and your personal situation. It shall not be construed as medical advice. The information and education provided here is not intended or implied to supplement or replace professional medical treatment, advice, and/or diagnosis. Always check with your own physician or medical professional before trying or implementing any information read here.

Does boosting my immune system mean I'll never get sick?

Fri, 24 Apr 2020 18:12:40 GMT

A quick response to some unvoiced implications and expectations.

The thought that if you are a "healthy person" you will never get sick is a myth.

In fact, i t’s perfectly normal to get sick every once in a while. This shows that our immune system is functioning the way that it was created to and defending us from unwanted invaders.

With the onset of the pandemic, boosting the immune system to fight off the coronavirus has been a massive topic. But I feel like sometimes this topic gets thrown out and sets unspoken expectations that if your immune system is “boosted” that it will keep you from getting sick. And honestly, it’s all a matter of semantics, but I feel the need to clarify in clear words what the goal is for a healthy immune response.

My true goal as a licensed physician and Naturopathic Doctor when I say “boosting the immune system” is to help your body correctly and effectively take care of bacteria and viruses (any unwanted microbe) that may enter your system. This does not mean that you will not get sick with the flu, cold, or whatever is going around. This means that your body is able to quickly identify and eliminate the intruder given the body’s natural elimination pathways. This often looks like producing mucus, coughing, healthy fever levels, etc. All the symptoms that people associate with being sick, is your body’s immune system functioning the way it is supposed to. The length of appropriate symptoms varies based on what the body may be fighting off. For example, colds and flus can last from 3 to 7 days. The key is that the body is able to react, recover and heal with support of the immune system and the person returns to normal quite quickly within a matter of days.

The goal of optimizing immune system function is avoiding the UNWANTED results of a dysfunctioning immune system. This can be one of two things. The dysfunctional immune system can be underfunctioning or overfunctioning.

Underfunctioning - This is where the body has a harder time identifying and overcoming the invader. The infection can then get a stronger hold and create worse symptoms, or take longer to eliminate and drag the symptoms out for a long time. This is often seen as being sick for weeks and having lingering symptoms that just don’t seem to go away, or getting sick frequently as if they keep getting “reinfected.” Many lifestyle, nutrition, medication factors can go into this. Suppression of symptoms and therefore suppression of the immune system reaction can also contribute to this. (That’s a whole other topic for discussion though.)

Overfunctioning - Where the immune system finds the intruder and then overreacts, creating worse symptoms than necessary to eliminate it. The most common manifestations of an overactive immune system are things like asthma, autoimmune diseases, and asthma. More short term manifestation can can sometimes be the picture that we see in regards to the acute respiratory distress caused by a cytokine storm in Covid-19 patients. The immune system is overreacting and actually causing unwanted effects in the person.

And it must be noted that the imbalance of the immune system can be a combination of both the under reaction and the overreaction. For example, the body can under react to an infection which can then later create an overreaction if the infection gets bad enough. So there is a huge spectrum and so many different ways dysfunction of the immune system can occur. The important thing to be able to recognize when there is dysfunction and how to manage that.

When creating a healthy and optimized immune system, the goal is NOT to never get sick.

The goal is to have an immune system that responds correctly and effectively toward pathogens, because sometimes... getting sick actually means that the immune system is functioning the way it should.

If you are looking for help optimizing your immune system. I am doing telehealth consults for those in the state of Arizona! Feel free to schedule your appointment by clicking the button at the top of your screen.

Sources:

Reyes-Silveyra J, Mikler AR. Modeling immune response and its effect on infectious disease outbreak dynamics. Theor Biol Med Model. 2016;13:10. Published 2016 Mar 5. doi:10.1186/s12976-016-0033-6

Zhao M. Cytokine storm and immunomodulatory therapy in COVID-19: role of chloroquine and anti-IL-6 monoclonal antibodies [published online ahead of print, 2020 Apr 16]. Int J Antimicrob Agents. 2020;105982. doi:10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2020.105982

D'Elia RV, Harrison K, Oyston PC, Lukaszewski RA, Clark GC. Targeting the "cytokine storm" for therapeutic benefit. Clin Vaccine Immunol. 2013;20(3):319–327. doi:10.1128/CVI.00636-12

Breakfast for Busy Women– Why It’s Important Not to Skip

Tue, 10 Dec 2019 04:57:56 GMT

Eating Breakfast can help you sustain physical and mental health.

The alarm goes off and you are rushing around preparing for a busy day ahead, whether you have children to get ready for school, a presentation to tweak before a morning meeting, by the time you’ve brushed your teeth and sorted your make-up, you are already exhausted – sound familiar?

So many busy women end up skipping breakfast and just grabbing an expensive coffee to drink in the car on the way. But there are many reasons why this habit is bad for our health.

Breakfast Provides Many Benefits to Our Health and Wellbeing

If you think about it properly, when you wake up in the morning, your body has had no fuel since your evening meal the night before – potentially 12 hours beforehand – so your body is in starvation. Think about the words – “break” “fast” – literally the meal which breaks the fast you have been on while sleeping. You need the energy to kick-start your system and get your body ready for the day ahead. This is also when your adrenal glands most need support, I will write more about this in another post.

According to nutritionists, a healthy breakfast should give you around 30% of your daily calorie requirements. It provides us with energy, protein, calcium, iron, fiber and B vitamins which are all needed to get you through the day. If your body doesn’t receive these first thing, studies have shown your body is less effective at taking them on during the rest of the day.

How Eating Breakfast Helps You Lose Weight

If you skip breakfast you are not providing your body with what it needs for energy and you will soon get hungry and are more likely to then reach for high sugar, high fat snacks, to compensate. People who skip breakfast tend to end up reaching for the snacks around 10am which doesn’t help if you are trying to lose weight.

In terms of time, breakfast really needs to be eaten within 20 to 30 minutes of waking up. This timing gives you the chance to put the needed fuel into your body to make sure your metabolism is balanced throughout the day. It is also the premium time for your body to absorb any of the carbohydrates you consume, which helps balance out your insulin levels. All of these aspects mean breakfast really sets your body up for the day and can help curb those mid-morning sugar cravings.

In a study it was revealed that people who not only ate breakfast, but made it their largest meal, lost almost 18 pounds over a three month period. The other people, who took part in the study, eating the same calories during the day but most of these for their evening meal, lost only around seven pounds. This study was published in Obesity.

Other Health Benefits Beyond Weight Loss

Breakfast brings a large number of health benefits, besides weight loss – providing more reasons why it really is important not to skip this particular meal.

Brain Function

Studies have proven that children who eat breakfast do better at school as they are better able to concentrate and behave well. If it has this benefit for our children, then it will do the same for us. Breakfast helps to restore the levels of glucose which help with our brain function. This helps to improve memory, concentration and mood and also lowers stress levels. We all know that feeling of anger that rises up through being hungry. Breakfast can help us avoid this.

Energy Supply

Breakfast is the first supply of energy your body receives when you wake up, making it part of your daily required calorie intake. A good nutritious breakfast will give you all the energy you need to take you through to lunchtime, and should be around 300 calories as a general rule. If you think about the energy you burn, you need the most in the morning and you need the least in the evening, when you are more likely to be sat on the sofa relaxing. Make breakfast your energy priority.

Diabetes

In the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a published study revealed that not eating breakfast could actually increase the risk of diabetes for women. The study showed that women who skip breakfast 1 - 7 days a week, were at higher risk of developing the disease than those who ate it daily.

Fab Ideas for Quick and Nutritious Breakfasts for Busy Women

So it’s all very well telling you as a busy woman, why you should eat breakfast, and why it’s good for you, but realistically you probably knew most of those things already and yet, you were still skipping? Knowing you need to eat breakfast, doesn’t mean you suddenly gain time in the morning to start preparing and making amazing morning meals does it? That’s why I have come up with some tips for tasty breakfasts that are super quick to make.

An Energy Bar and Fruit

The combination of a piece of fruit and energy bar creates a balanced breakfast, providing fiber and vitamins. What can be quicker than just peeling a wrapper and a piece of fruit and eating them straight away? Just doing this could make a big difference to your health.

Some of my favorite bars include:

RXBar

Vega Sport protein bar

Organic Food bar

Overnight Oatmeal

There are many recipes for overnight oatmeal around now – all you need to do is prep at the beginning of the week to have waiting for you and then you have a healthy breakfast each morning. If you can't eat oats, you can easily substitute buckwheat groats in the recipes. Here are some of my favorite recipes:

Peanut Butter Overnight Oats by Minimalist Baker
Apple Pie overnight Oats by Eating Bird Food
General guidelines of overnight oats by Cookie + Kate

Greek-Style Yoghurt

Go for natural plain Greek-style yoghurt and add in fresh fruit and a medley of raw nuts, for a nutritious, quick and healthy breakfast on the run. Again, this only takes a minute or so to prepare and can make a big difference to your health and wellbeing.

Smoothies

Smoothies can actually be satisfying and be a quick way to set you up for success for the day. Making sure you have some fruit, greens, healthy fats and add a great protein powder in the mix results in a well rounded breakfast that provides you with lasting energy. Here are some of my favorites. You can even prep the ingredients into "smoothie packs" that you have waiting for you in your freezer. Simply grab a pack, add your liquid, and blend. Voila! Breakfast in under 5 minutes!

Thick Frosty Peanut Butter Banana Cauliflower Smoothie by Blissful Basil
Sweet Potato Smoothie by Detoxinista
Pineapple Paradise Green Smoothie by Culinary Hill
My favorite protein powder is anything made by Orgain ( Use the code SIMPLYREFINEDHEALTH for 30% your first order!) It's affordable, nutritious, and comes with many different flavors and types to suite your dietary preference. Seriously, since finding this, it's rare that I recommend anything else.

For many women, a busy lifestyle means rushing in the morning and skipping breakfast is a common but bad habit to get into. Just because it has become our "normal," doesn't mean that it's best for us! Breakfast can make a big difference to our health and weight, reaping the benefits for us and there are many options which are quick and easy to make, from smoothies, to energy bars, from cereal to scrambled eggs, so no more excuses ladies!

References:

http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/most-important-meal#1

http://www.livescience.com/39598-reasons-never-skip-breakfast.html

http://www.shakeupyourwakeup.com/why-is-breakfast-important

http://imperfectwomen.com/healthy-on-the-go-four-breakfast-ideas-for-busy-women/

http://sexyfit.com/nutrition/quick-and-easy-breakfast/

Affiliate Disclosure

This website contains affiliate links, which means Dr. Julia may receive a percentage of any product or service you purchase using the links in the articles or advertisements. Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you. You will pay the same price for all products and services, and your purchase helps support Dr. Julia's ongoing research and work. Thanks for your support!

10 ways to Get Rid of Stress

Tue, 03 Dec 2019 22:04:27 GMT

Manage your stress like the powerful person you are!

When we are stressed, it’s quite easy to develop negative thinking patterns because we become frustrated by our challenges and frequent feelings of being overwhelmed. This negative outlook then makes it even harder for us to manage those challenges and move forward and break through the stress cycle.

Practicing positive thinking helps to focus on our strengths and accomplishments, which increases happiness and motivation. This, in turn, allows us to spend more time making progress, and less time feeling down and stuck. The following tips provide practical suggestions that you can use to help you shift into more positive thinking patterns:

1. Take Good Care of Yourself

It's much easier to be positive when you are eating well, exercising, and getting enough rest. Often in times of stress, these are the first to go, but these are also some of the most important keys to helping us decrease the effect stress has on the body. So, if you are feeling more irritable and anxious due to everything you are having to deal with, begin by checking in with these three things. One of the biggest things that I hear from patients is that they don't have time for these because of work, school, etc. However, you have to know. no one else is going to make time for these things, except for you. All of the demands of life will take up time until you c arve out time. Add them to your schedule to take care of yourself. This includes meal breaks at work.

2. Remind Yourself of the Things You Are Grateful For

Stresses and challenges don't seem quite as bad when you are constantly reminding yourself of the things that are right in life. Taking just 60 seconds a day to stop and appreciate the good things will make a huge difference. One way that I like to do this by gratitude journaling before bed. This can also improve sleep quality and set you up to handle stress better the next day.

3. Look for the Proof Instead of Making Assumptions

A fear of not being liked or accepted sometimes leads us to assume that we know what others are thinking, but our fears are usually not reality. If you have a fear that a friend or family member's bad mood is due to something you did, or that your co-workers are secretly gossiping about you when you turn your back, speak up and ask them. Don't waste time worrying that you did something wrong unless you have proof that there is something to worry about.

4. Refrain from Using Absolutes

Have you ever told a partner "You're ALWAYS late!" or complained to a friend "You NEVER call me!"? Thinking and speaking in absolutes like 'always' and 'never' makes the situation seem worse than it is, and programs your brain into believing that certain people are incapable of delivering. Instead of trying to use absolutes to communicate the error in the other person, focus on how you are feeling and how you will handle and communicate the feelings instead.

5. Detach From Negative Thoughts

Your thoughts can't hold any power over you if you don't judge them. If you notice yourself having a negative thought, detach from it, observe it, and don't react to it. A thought does not equal reality.

6. Squash the "ANTs"

In his book "Change Your Brain, Change Your Life," Dr. Daniel Amen talks about "ANTs" - Automatic Negative Thoughts. These are the bad thoughts that are usually reactionary, like "Those people are laughing, they must be talking about me," or "The boss wants to see me? It must be bad!" When you notice these thoughts, realize that they are nothing more than ANTs and squash them! This is a perfect time to combat negative thoughts with gratitude. Instead say, "I am grateful that humans can experience laughter and connection," or "I am thankful for a job that provides for me and my family."

7. Practice Lovin', Touchin' & Squeezin' (Your Friends and Family)

You don't have to be an expert to know the benefits of a good hug. Hugs can release endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin that will increase the mood and decrease tension in the body. Positive physical contact with friends, loved ones, and even pets, is an instant pick me-up. One research study on this subject had a waitress touch some of her customers on the arm as she handed them their checks. She received higher tips from these customers than from the ones she didn't touch!

8. Increase Your Social Activity

By increasing social activity, you decrease loneliness. Surround yourself with healthy, happy people, and their positive energy will affect you in a positive way! You can find these people at your work, school, church, meet-up groups, group fitness classes, farmer's markets and more! You can look in the paper or google events near you to get out into the community more.

9. Volunteer for an Organization, or Help another Person

Everyone feels good after helping. You can volunteer your time, your money, or your resources. This often gets our mind off of us and what is lacking and lets us shine with the good we do have to offer those around us. The more positive energy you put out into the world, the more you will receive in return.

10. Use Pattern Interrupts to Combat Rumination

If you find yourself ruminating, a great way to stop it is to interrupt the pattern and force yourself to do something completely different. Rumination is like hyper-focus on something negative. It's never productive, because it's not rational or solution-oriented, it's just excessive worry and stress. Try changing your physical environment - go for a walk or sit outside. Close your eyes and take 10 deep breaths, focusing on your breaths. Focus on things you are thankful for. You could also call a friend, pick up a book, or turn on some music.

It’s important to understand the signs of stress and react with a positive way of handling it such as these 10 tips. The key to managing stress is making sure that you look after YOU. As your happiness levels increase, your stress levels decrease. Have a look at your work life, your personal life and social life to see if there are any areas you can create more happiness. You might be surprised on what you find.

Does Disease Begin with Gut-Health? 3 basics to Prevent Disease.

Fri, 15 Nov 2019 16:53:22 GMT

What Is Gut-Health?What Is Gut-Health?

There has been lots of talk about what has become known as "gut-health.” Even the Johns Hopkins Medical Center website mentions it, one of
the most well-respected hospitals and Medical Schools in the United States, there is a good reason for this. Hidden within the walls of
your digestive system is a nervous system layer... what is known as “your second brain” and this “brain in your gut” is changing the way that we look at the links between mood, digestion, health and even the way that you think.

Does ALL Disease Begin with Gut-Health?

The short answer is “NO”. Not all the diseases start in the gut. For an example, it doesn’t apply to the genetic or inherited diseases. But,
there are evidences that lots of chronic and metabolic diseases do. They begin in the gut. We can prevent these diseases by following
some easy steps. And research has shown that a healthy gut microbiome can even help shift the expression of our genes by something called "epigenetics," allowing us to influence the expression of genetic and inherited diseases as well.

Step 1: Understand the Second Brain and Why It Matters

This “little brain” is called the “enteric nervous system” or ENS and it comprises 2 thin layers of over 100 million nerve cells that line your GI tract from your esophagus to your rectum. The role of the ENS is to control every aspect of digestion, from swallowing to releasing the enzymes that help break food down, to the control of blood flow, which aids with both nutrient absorption and elimination. The ENS communicates with our brain with significant results.

When you have an unhealthy gut, the symptoms of that can manifest themselves in other parts of your body, with things such as joint pain, rashes, headaches, brain fog, fatigue, and so much more. It’s your body trying to tell you that something is wrong or out of balance.

Studies have found that increasing your gut-health can lead to improvements in:

Immune function – 80% of our immune system is located in our guts
Brain function
Symptoms of anger, sadness, and depression
Obesity
Toxin levels in the body
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
Allergies
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

How does this affect you?

The ENS may sense things that our cerebral brain can’t. Evidence has been found that when the GI tract is irritated it sends signals to the our brain, which can trigger our mood and ultimately affect it. When you consider that between 30%-40% of the population has bowel problems of some kind and that a higher percentage of these individuals develop depression and/or anxiety it’s easy to see how there could be a connection.

One of the ways we can influence this communication, is by altering our gut bacteria. Our bodies are filled with bacteria – good and bad. There are more bacteria in a human body than there are cells and there are an estimated 100 trillion microorganisms living in our bowels alone ( http://www.naturallivingideas.com/ 13-ways-to-improve-gut-health/ .) The key here is to have more good than bad bacteria in your gut – the fancy name for the good microorganisms is probiotics.

Probiotics help us do things like:

Digest food;
Absorb nutrients;
Break down medications; and
Kill some of the bad bacteria that lead to infection.

Step 2: Get More Probiotics

There are quite a few ways to get probiotics, but one of the easiest is to take a supplement called a probiotic. You will find many different kinds under different brand names and it would be a good idea to talk to your physician or pharmacist to see which is the brand that they recommend.

There are foods that are also loaded in probiotics. These foods include:

Unpasteurized Cheese – Gouda, Cheddar, Provolone, and Gruyere are some examples
Buttermilk
Kefir
Kombucha
Miso
Sauerkraut
Apple Cider Vinegar
Yogurt – be sure and read the labels on the different yogurts (this can be dairy or non-dairy sources)

Generally speaking, getting more probiotics into your system is one of the best ways that you can improve your gut-health. However, there are always exceptions to this rule, such as if you have SIBO, IBS, etc, in which cases taking probiotics might make your symptoms worse. There might be strains that could address your condition better than others, so by speaking to a licensed professional could get your more bang for your buck when it comes to probiotic supplementation.

More Probiotics, What Else?

The ones we hate. The ones that almost seem impossible sometimes.

Stress Less.
Stress, especially long-term stress, not only affects our gut bacteria, but it also affects the productions of hormones and neurochemicals that communicate with our brain. When it is long-term stress these chemicals and hormones can change permanently (unless you specifically work to change them back). Long-term stress may also lead to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), stomach ulcers, IBD, IBS, and potentially food
allergies.

Laugh More.
Laughter really is the best medicine. It helps to reduce stress and floods your body with the happy hormones and chemicals that make the good overtake the bad. There was even a study conducted (you can read more about it by clicking the link, h ttps:// www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1954310 2 ) where researchers studied healthy people as well as those with atopic dermatitis – a
disease that is often associated with imbalances in gut bacteria. The researchers had the participants watch funny movies daily for one week. In only one week, the patients’ gut flora had changed and resembled the healthy participants.

Step 3: Play in The Dirt!

This is true both literally and figuratively.
Gardening is good for you because it gets you outside, gives you exercise, and putting your hands in soil introduces your body to the microorganisms that are found on the plants and in the ground.

In a more figurative way, stop killing all the bacteria. They have recently stopped putting anti-bacterial agents in things because humans are killing all the bacteria, the good and the bad. And what is happening? The bad bacteria are getting stronger and the good bacteria are dying.
Studies have shown that kids who grow up with a dog have both a lower risk of allergies and a healthier immune system. Dogs are associated with a type of house dust that actually exposes us to important strains of bacteria, L. johnsonii is one, which is essential within the digestive tract ( http://www.naturallivingideas.com/13-ways-to-improve-gut-health/. ) Dogs also work somewhat like a probiotic, helping develop healthy bacteria that boost your immune system, stopping you from getting ill, and possibly reducing allergies. Dogs also help you, or in some cases force you, to exercise more and help relieve stress in your life.

Simply stated.

It may well be that a large part of maintaining good health is maintaining good gut-health. There are many ways that you can do this,
including exercise, and learning to listen to your body; however, some of the easiest changes that you can make are to:

Get plenty of probiotics – through supplements and food
Laugh
Manage your stress better
Don’t over sterilize or try and kill all bacteria

Resources:
http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/healthy_aging/healthy_body/the-brain-gut-connection
http://www.naturallivingideas.com/13-ways-to-improve-gut-health/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1954310
http://www.menshealth.co.uk/healthy/how-dogs-boost-your-immune-system

Supporting your Nervous System during the Grieving Process

Thu, 14 Nov 2019 23:09:18 GMT

Grief comes in many ways. It can be part of a long drawn out illness, the loss of a loved one, the loss of the way life was, and the way you thought life was going to be in the future. No one ever looks forward to the sudden changes in life that bring on the grieving process, however, we will all feel it as part of the human experience.

During times of grief, your body experiences an increased amount of stress. One of the systems that takes a large portion of the load for the response is the nervous system. The body is put into sympathetic mode, which is our “fight or flight” response to the world around us. Our body has realized that things around us didn’t quite go as expected and believes it is going to need a lot of energy to overcome the change. This energy comes from Epinephrine, norepinephrine, and cortisol which are hormones produced by the adrenal glands. Epinephrine and norepinephrine are released more short term after the initial grief process has begun, and cortisol will be the hormone that is released more long term. These hormones will heighten awareness, allow a person to make hard decisions in times of difficulty, and numb emotions such as sadness, regret, depression, and anxiety in order to be able to cope with the difficulty of the situation. This a good and healthy response in the short term, and this often creates the symptoms of grief that most are familiar with.

Lack of appetite
Stomach pains
Change in sleep patterns
Headaches
Chest pain or heart palpitations
Sore muscles
Fatigue

If the increased sympathetic response goes on long term, we begin to see the negative effects in the body which will begin to affect every organ system including the heart, digestive tract, kidneys, liver, immune system, etc. Due to this, we must develop good coping skills and give the body what it needs to help support the nervous system, allowing your body to enter the parasympathetic mode or the “rest and digest” state. This is the state that allows our body to relax and heal, promotes digestion and nutrient absorption from our food, and where we will actually be able to process emotions that come from the grief. Because of this, I want to give you a few tips that naturopathic medicine can offer that will help support your nervous system and promote the parasympathetic state to help you heal and process through your grief more effectively.

Coping mechanisms

1. Alternate Nostril Breathing – Becoming aware of your breath is a great grounding technique to use to bring you back into the present moment. Racing thoughts, irritability, fear of the future, feeling “spacy” and lack of concentration, or your body feeling anxious without thinking about anything in particular are all examples of your body or brain not being in the present moment.

To practice alternate nostril breathing:
- Sit in a comfortable position with your legs crossed.
- Place your left hand on your left knee.
- Lift your right hand up toward your nose.
- Exhale completely and then use your right thumb to close your right nostril.
- Inhale through your left nostril and then close the left nostril with your fingers.
- Open the right nostril and exhale through this side.
- Inhale through the right nostril and then close this nostril.
- Open the left nostril and exhale through the left side.
- This is one cycle.
- Continue for up to 5 minutes.
- Always complete the practice by finishing with an exhale on the left side.

2. Journaling – This is an excellent tool to use in order to process emotions and say the things that you really want to say that you don’t feel like someone would understand. Processing anger, sadness, and guilt often require you to finish a process with someone. And if this process is not possible because of loss or simply because of relationship preservation, some people can find closure by simply writing down everything that they want to say on a piece of paper and burning it. Simply releasing the real thoughts and the real emotions from the mind and body can provide immense relief the effects that the emotions are having on the body.

3. Walking with meditation – A study showed that walking at a low-intensity while focusing on footsteps and counting “one, two, one, two…” with each step while visualizing the numbers in the mind resulted in dramatic decreases in stress and anxiety as well as increased positive emotions and decreased negative emotions. This can help boost the parasympathetic mode to help make the emotions manageable in the grief process.

Nutrient and supplement tips for supporting the nervous system

1. Complex Carbohydrates – Your nervous system uses a sugar called glucose as its energy source to operate. It is important to give the nervous system what it needs during times of increased demand, such as in the time of grief. Good sources of sustained glucose release are complex carbohydrates including:

brown rice
quinoa
beans
lentils
potatoes
fruits
vegetables

2. Avoid Caffeine and stimulants, simple sugars – These can cause your adrenals to produce more of the stress hormones causing additional stress to your already taxed out body. Avoiding these things promotes your body’s ability to enter the parasympathetic mode that we want. Things to avoid include the following:

Coffee
White sugar and baked goods
All breads
High fructose corn syrup
Most junk foods

3. Vitamin C – This is a nutrient that is important for supporting your adrenal glands which are being worked hard during the grieving process. It can also help boost your immune system, which can suppressed in times of extreme stress.

4. B complex – Another great support for the adrenal glands and helps support the increase of the body processes during times of stress. This can help contribute to increased energy.

5. Magnesium – During times of stress, increased demand from your body uses up magnesium and your levels can get low very quickly. Supplementing this vital mineral can prevent insufficiencies from happening.

6. Ashwagandha – Ashwagandha is an adaptogenic herb which helps support the body in times of stress. It is a very subtle effect and by taking herbs such as ashwagandha, you can start to feel your body increase in its ability to respond to stresses around it. They are effective at balancing your stress hormones to help bring balance to the body between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system. This can look like less foggy brain, more energy, less irritability. You can find Ashwagandha in the form of teas, tinctures, and supplement capsules.

7. Rhodiola – Another adaptogenic herb is Rhodiola. It is great for fatigue and exhaustion, decreased brain function, and mood changes that are commonly seen in grief. Tea and supplement capsules are common ways to find this herb.

8. Acupuncture – Acupuncture is a very personalized way of being able to address any imbalances that may be happening in the body. Not only does it address the physical symptoms that you may be having, but can also help with the emotions as well. I must warn you that it will release emotions and you must be ready to process the motions that will come up on the treatment table (it is not uncommon for people to laugh or cry while having the needles inserted) or between treatments. That being said, acupuncture is deeply effective, and you will see improvements in your body ailments and emotions.

These are just a few of the ways that naturopathic medicine can help manage grief. If you have been experiencing grief and would like to receive personalized treatments, please contact your local Naturopathic Doctor who has many tools in their tool belt to be able to assist you.

Resources

https://www.psychguides.com/guides/grief-symptoms-causes-and-effects/

https://www.healthline.com/health/alternate-nostril-breathing#how-to

https://www.prevention.com/fitness/a20464383/reduce-stress-with-walking-exercise/

https://blog.bulletproof.com/hack-your-stress-and-sex-with-these-7-adaptogens/

Thyroid Health - Hypothyroid & Hashimoto's

Thu, 14 Nov 2019 22:28:23 GMT

All that you need to know about the thyroid and its malfunction...

What is the thyroid and why is it important?

The thyroid is a small butterfly shaped gland at the bottom of of the neck. This gland is in charge of the "metabolism" or in other words, the energy of the body. Thyroid hormone plays a role on each cell of the body. The hormone enters the cell and activates the DNA to perform the job that the cell is made to do. If the cell is not getting the hormone it needs, then it won't function properly. This can be any cell in the body, which is why the symptoms of low thyroid can be so widespread throughout the body.

Symptoms of thyroid issues.

Most typically notice fatigue and weight gain to begin with, but then it can start manifesting itself in many other ways.

Fatigue
Cold intolerance
Dry skin
Constipation
Weight gain
Pale and puffy face
Hoarseness of the voice
Muscle weakness, aches, tenderness, stiff, pain
Cholesterol abnormalities
Joint pain, stiffness and swelling
Heavy or irregular periods
Hair loss
Slow heart rate
Low body temperature
Depression
Memory difficulties
Thyroid gland enlargement (goiter)

Typical Treatment.

Often labs run to evaluate the thyroid are TSH, and if you are lucky... T3 or T4, depending on your doctor.
Typical treatment, often consists of Levothyroxine, or another brand of T4, to replace the missing hormone that is demonstrated most clearly by your TSH level. TSH is what your brain releases to tell your thyroid to make thyroid hormone (T4 and T3). So the more TSH your body is making, the more your body is crying out for thyroid hormone, and the less hormone your thyroid is making.

So, if you go to the doctor and "everything," (meaning TSH, T3 or T4) are within normal range(even with the thyroid hormone prescription), then it is assumed that everything is normal with your thyroid and that your symptoms could not possibly causing your symptoms.

The problem with typical treatment.

It assumes that the thyroid is the problem.

What we need to do is look at the thyroid as part of a system... a whole pathway. It does start with the brain communicating to the thyroid and the thyroid in response making hormone. However, it doesn't stop there. T4 and T3 are then carried in the blood stream and this has to be done in the right balance. Your gut and your liver need to be healthy to convert the T4 to the more active T3. Your cells have to be producing healthy thyroid hormone receptors to be able to bring T3 into the cell and activate it and produce energy. If the immune system is involved, such as in Hashimoto's thyroiditis, then this adds another layer of why the thyroid pathway is malfunctioning.

You have to be able to evaluate correctly and understand where in the pathway things are going wrong to correctly treat and get rid of thyroid symptoms and this is exactly why your thyroid hormone may not be taking care of your symptoms. It's not just a replacement problem... it can also be a healing problem.

I made a video to tell you exactly how I approach thyroid conditions including the testing I run. In the video, I also talk about, not only how thorough testing can help address symptoms, but also how it is potentially saving one patient years of suffering through symptoms. My purpose for this video is not to instill fear about "everything that can go wrong," but instead empower you to understand more of the process of a thorough investigation and how knowing what is exactly going on with thorough testing can help you specifically target and overcome your symptoms that you may have been struggling with, or can potentially save a LOT of people from struggling with those symptoms in the future.

Leave a comment below if you have any questions!

Click here to watch the video!