Dragging a Weight...

Most of us get tired and run down on occasion, but are you one of the millions of people that have chronic fatigue?  Even first thing in the morning are you exhausted?  Do you feel like you are dragging around a 20 pound weight?  What causes it?

There are several possibilities - let's hit the obvious that I am not touching - not getting enough sleep, drinking two pots of coffee every day, drinking sodas and caffeinated drinks right before bed.  Those are the "DUH" reasons.  Dehydration, Hypothyroidism, Anxiety, Anemia, Adrenal Fatigue, Nutritional Deficiencies, Stress, Pharmaceutical Drugs, and several diseases all can cause chronic fatigue. 

You need to figure out what your issue is, and resolve it - otherwise, the problem will continue to manifest - possibly in more damaging ways.  Your body sends out warnings when things aren't right - when you need to FIX something (Mental, Diet, Exercise) and when you ignore the small warning signs, all that happens is that larger more pressing ones occur. 

In the meantime.... here are some suggestions for the warning sign of fatigue:
1. Get enough sleep - most people need about 8 hours of sleep every night.  If you have problems getting to sleep or staying asleep try 30 minutes of light exercise, yoga, or Pilate's.  Turn down your lights 2 hours or more before you want to go to bed.  Turn down music/tv volume same amount of time before bed.  Drink something warm 30 minutes before bed - stay away from sugary and/or caffeinated drinks. 
2. Light exercise / yoga / Pilate's first thing in the morning.  Wake 20 minutes before usual and spend the time to meditate and exercise your body before getting started.
3. Shower in the morning.  add some scented soap or bath salts that invigorate your senses.  Scent is a great way to wake up your mind as well.
4. Turn on all the lights in the room you begin your day in.  Light wakes the senses and mind.
5. Take your daily herbs and supplements.  Emergen-C is a great supplement that I take all winter long - it has both Vitamin C and Vitamin B in it and can be taken up to 4 packets a day... I recommend as a preventative only one a day - first thing in the morning.  Vitamin B is a mental booster and will help charge you up.
6. Ginkgo Biloba is a mental booster.  Will help give more of a positive outlook on the day. 
7. Goji is the "happy" fruit.  I don't like the flavor of the juice straight - but mixed with cherry (my favorite) it isn't bad.  you only need about 1/2 a cup to feel the effects.
8. Turn on some lively, bouncy music in the morning - make sure it is something with a positive beat and a positive message.

Wake up your senses...

Stressing over Anxiety...

I got a question about anxiety from my cousin last week.  I know several people - adults, teens, and adolescents that suffer from anxiety.  To a certain extent we all do - new situations, having to confess something we are guilty of doing, leaving behind an old life, etc.  And like a lot of things, different people call the same thing different names - anxiety, stress, depression, worry, fear... we are going to talk about real anxiety - the type that can cause phobias, panic attacks, and potentially some life threatening issues.

About 4m people suffer from the most common type of Anxiety - GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder) in any given year and more women are typically affected than men.  There isn't any one thing that causes anxiety most agree that genetics, brain chemistry, and life experiences all play a part.  While we can't change anything with genetics - we can make the most of our life experiences (mental attitude) and brain chemistry (diet/exercise).

You will find several things repeated in my blog over and over again.  The three premises of natural medicine are mental well being, diet, and exercise.  As you see, this is a prefect example of this.  Every facet of our lives contain all three of these aspects.  If one is out of whack, you are not well.  Make sense? 

Mental attitude.  Did you know that a positive attitude releases dopamine, tryptophan, and serotonin in the brain - these are "happy" chemicals.  A negative attitude breaks down cells and changes the body chemistry into a more acidic rather than alkaline - which is what you need it to be.  We have all heard that positive people live longer than negative ones.  Music can help with attitude too - too often we don't realize how much music affects us.  Next time you have some quiet, private time (I know - I am dreaming) listen to different types of music and pay attention to your reaction to it... how does it make you feel, what thoughts does it provoke, what colors do you think of, what do you smell... Scent also plays a huge part in a positive attitude.  My favorite scent is cinnamon, it makes me happy.  When I need a quick pick me up - I light some cinnamon candles and relax... it never fails to bring a smile to my face.  My favorite saying to my kids is, "What will be, will be" or "it is what it is."  When a stressful situation arises that I can't change, I repeat that to remind myself that there are things in life that I can't change, and that I have to let go.  It works.  Most people with anxiety disorders allow their every day stresses to manifest into larger issues.  Learning to let go, is very important.  When we get to exercise, we will have some additional help with "letting go."

Diet.  Let's start with the things NOT to eat - Caffeine, chocolate, sodas, processed foods, fried foods, junk food, and dairy.  These are pretty standard for everyone, not just those affected by anxiety - but they WILL exacerbate the situation more radically than for other people.  Everything is building blocks - so don't feel that you must remove all of these things on day one.  So... what should you be eating.  Foods rich in Vitamin B - Tuna, Salmon, Snapper, Scallops, Mushrooms, Sunflower Seeds, Black Beans and other legumes, Spinach and other dark green leafy vegetables, Bananas, Edamame, and Nuts,  And then our herbs - fresh Basil, Passion Flower, St. John's Wort, Ginkgo Biloba, Meadow Sweet, and Kava Kava.  Now, with herbs - if you are unfamiliar with the herb and how much to take, I urge you STRONGLY to get a book about herbs and understand potential allergies, interactions, etc... like pharmaceutical drugs, some herbs can be dangerous in large doses or when mixed with other herbs and drugs.  In addition, you will need to try them out and see what works best for you.

Exercise.  I am addicted to exercise.  As a child, I hated gym class and exercise in general.  My whole world changed when we moved to Hawaii and I was able to exercise every day.  We hiked, biked, bladed, swam and walked every day.  And then when I started studying martial arts... I couldn't believe how addicted I was.  I never realized that exercise was a natural high for me.  The more I did, the happier and healthier I was.  For people suffering from anxiety, you may just need some quiet time and not the full intense workouts that I am used to doing.  Yoga techniques.  Deep breathing techniques. Tai Chi.  These are FABULOUS helps for both stress and anxiety.  You need to really start changing your mental attitude - replace the "I can't" with "Let's see what we can do" and "I think I can."

I KNOW you can make a change... think positively! 

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

My family is plagued with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.  My aunt has had the surgery, my mother has had the surgery - both on both wrists, I have it, and now my daughter has it.  I can not have surgery because I scar VERY badly and they are afraid that it will cause more problems. But my daughter has it bad enough right now that she must choose what direction she wants to go. 

What is Carpal Tunnel?  Here is a link with pictures and the FORMAL definition for those that need all that... http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=2642.  You have tubes running from your arm through your wrist into your hand that "houses" all your nerves.  If you do repetitive things (type on a keyboard, run food over a scanner, etc) those tubes or "tunnels" swell and put pressure on your nerves - in extreme cases cause nerve damage and claw-like hands.  This pain can be felt running up the underside of your arm to your wrist, or across your shoulders... sometimes it appears to be completely unrelated to your wrists. 

In addition to repetitive motion, sleeping patterns (curling your hands under you while you sleep), and some diseases - hypothyroidism, obesity, diabetes, arthritis, pregnancy, and trauma (damage to the wrist or hand) can also be factors.  Dehydration can be a factor as well as not getting enough of your omegas (3-6-9) or B Complex - especially B6 / B12.  They really don't have any definitive answers as to why some people get it and others do not, but it does seem to run in certain families.

Simple changes for mild Carpal Tunnel, an ergonomic keyboard is probably the most important change you can make.  I was shocked at the difference.  I hated using it for the first week, but after I got used to it, I couldn't go back to the old style - within five minutes of typing on the old style, my wrists would throb.   Also, splints work great to stabilize your wrist to help reduce swelling and to stop you from curling your wrist when you sleep.  I must admit I was a wrist curler... and the splint helped a LOT.   Add more vitamin C and B complex foods to your diet.  These two vitamin combinations both affect your skin as well as your immune system and are very important to your physical well being.  I have said it before - and will say it again, I LOVE Emergen-C - hate that it is fizzy, hate that it gags me, but LOVE the affects and the energy I get back.  Emergen-C gives you both the Vitamin C and the B Complex you need.  You can take up to 3 - 4 a day, but once a day is enough unless you are sick.  I don't recommend them after lunch - B Complex helps you mentally and you may be too wired to sleep if you take later in the day.

Anti-Inflammatory foods will help reduce the swelling - kelp, wild salmon, turmeric, shitake mushrooms, green tea, papaya, blueberries, extra virgin olive oil, broccoli, and sweet potatoes are your best sources.  And several of these cover your higher vitamin C and B complex needs.

If there are anti-inflammatory foods, you can be well assured there are inflammatory foods as well.  These foods you should stay away from - eggs, organ meat, processed foods (fast food / frozen dinners), sweets (excluding dark chocolate), sodas, fried foods, caffeine, alcohol, corn and corn products, nightshade foods, and some dairy products.

You ALWAYS want to keep your diet Alkaline - this allows your body to fight cancer, tumors, and illnesses and win.  An Alkaline diet will also reduce the inflammation.

So... what to do.  As I said - keyboard and splint should be your first two investments.  Diet change would be next.  If you still suffer, there are simple exercises you can do along with yoga, acupuncture, acupressure (for those of us wimps that are afraid of needles), hot/cold compresses. 

A doctor can tell you definitively if you have it or not, they will do some "shocking" tests - which tests the nerve activity to see how severe your Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is.  Cortisone shots / Motrin / Splints are their first level for mild to moderate Carpal Tunnel.  Surgery is for severe.  Surgery has come a long way, but still requires 6 week recovery between each wrist.  There are endoscopic and laser options.  Everyone I talk to on the natural medicine side says to do as much as you can before you choose surgery.  Even with the best surgeons, you have no idea how your body will react and what the outcome can be.  But not addressing and solving your issue with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome can be just as debilitating. 

Good Luck!  E

Natural vs. Chemical

I had a question posed this morning about not feeling well, weight gain, illnesses, and what we eat.  It is a very simple answer, but also very complicated depending on how you look at it.  Simply put, the more organic the foods are that we eat, the healthier we are.

The US has the highest rate of obesity in the world.  We are also one of the highest for Cancer.  Why?  We are one of / if not the most powerful countries in the world.  We are one of / if not the most advanced country in the world.  The answer has everything to do with how fast we are living our lives and what shortcuts we take to make every moment count. 

Artificial Sweeteners - there are studies showing that consuming artificial sweeteners causes both MS-like and Alzheimer-like symptoms.  Once the artificial sweeteners have been removed from the diet and are out of the body, these symptoms go away.  Beyond that, they have been found to cause cancer, infertility, headaches, weight gain, depression, nervous system damage, permanent brain damage, hearing loss, gastrointestinal problems, and allergic reactions.  Also, there are studies showing that when heated artificial sweeteners degrade to formaldehyde which is deadly when ingested.  Where do your cases of soda reside before you buy them from the grocery store?  Warehouses.  How many warehouses do you know that maintain their sodas in air conditioned spaces?

Artificial Coloring - all of those pretty colors in our foods could be causing allergies and ADD.  There are more of them than you realize.  Turn over any frozen dinner, any box of cookies, your fruit snacks, cereal... even your fruit juices, vitamins and medication... it is crazy!  They are in almost everything you eat.  Some of these artificial colors have even been known to cause cancer, tumors, and death. 

Plastic - We have all been told to not put plastic in the microwave.  It degrades and gets into your food which can cause tumors, cellular breakdown, and cancer.  But just storing foods in plastic, drinking hot things from a plastic glass, or a hot meal on a plastic plate, or using a plastic fork to eat a hot meal... all do the same thing.  Recognize how much plastic our foods, and household needs are housed in plastic and remove as much usage as you can.  I have only glass and ceramic dishes / bowls / storage items. 

Chemicals for Cleaning - What was used to clean homes before all the available chemicals were created?  Vinegar has long been used as a household cleaner.  It kills germs, whitens clothes, cleans fresh produce, heals skin ailments / acne, reduces appetite, soothes mosquito / bug bites, clears drains when combined with baking soda.... the list goes on and on.  I go through at least gallons of vinegar each month.   Read the back of those harsh chemicals you use to clean your bathroom / kitchen.  Read the warnings.  We don't think about it, but we have months that our homes are closed up - what do you think happens to those chemicals?  They linger in your home, in your air.  You breathe them in daily. 

Ok... I can't take any more of the negative / scary stuff... let's talk about some positives...

Look for organic foods.  For foods to be certified as organic, they must be grown in soil that has not been sprayed with pesticides or herbicides, have no chemicals touch the soil for seven years.  No herbicides or pesticides can be used on any of the food grown in the soil. 

Enjoy trying new recipes with your family.  I love cooking with my girls and we love to experiment.  I used to spend all day Sunday cooking and then they would invite their friends over for dinner.  They would choose what type of food we were going to have, and then we shopped and they helped me prep the meal.  Both have grown to be good cooks that love to try new things.  This is a great way to get picky kids to try new foods too. 

Open up your house, even in the winter / summer months, for at least an hour every month.  This brings in fresh air and clears out the stagnant air.  Bring the sunshine in!  E

Thyroid or Iodine

I highly recommend that you do research before you go visit the doctor.  No one knows your body better than you do.  A doctor is trained to know how to put things together, but if you don't include the right symptoms, you have a high possibility of being diagnosed incorrectly.  Let me share an example..

Anemia, cold fingers and toes, weight gain, swollen fingers, hair loss, increased need for sugar.  Many people are diagnosed with either diabetes or hypothyroidism with these symptoms... yes tests come up positive.  BUT what questions should be asked? WHY.  What is causing these diseases?  Diabetes and Hypothyroidism are serious. 

I was really concerned when I started needing fruit several times a day and my hair started thinning.  I talked to several of my naturopathic contacts and they asked me the right questions.  Are your fingers and toes always cold?  Well, yes.  But I was raised in the north and got mild frostbite as a child - I thought that was the reason.  Are you gaining weight without adding food?  Uh huh... I am not as active as I was in Nebraska but it has been difficult to lose even with daily exercise.  Now I am curious... Why?

Iodine Deficiency.. wait, did you say IODINE?  Isn't that the reddish yellow stuff my mom put on cuts and scrapes as a kid?  Yes, one and the same.  And yes, iodine is an essential mineral.  I was SHOCKED by what I read.  Symptoms that I didn't even realize were symptoms were right there in front of me.  I am anemic have been for a very long time.  Once I started taking iodine supplements, my longtime symptoms started going away. 

So here are some statistics for you:
In the US, it’s estimated that one in seven women suffers from iodine deficiency.
— Caldwell, K., et al. 2005.
— Hollowell, J., et al. 1998.

1/3 of the world's population lives in iodine depleted locations

Women that are severely iodine deficient run the risk of having a child  born with "cretinism"

Breast cancer can be a result of iodine deficiency

Children that are iodine deficient run the risk of stunted growth, retardation, problems with speech, hearing, and movement

Iodine in the body helps regulate several major centers: thyroid, temperature, heart, breast, mental, and musculature

How do I know if I am iodine deficient?  There is a very quick and simple test that you can perform at home.  Go get that bottle of iodine for scrapes and cuts and put a 1" circle on the inside of your thigh or upper arm.  If the reddish yellow goes away w/in 30 minutes, you are iodine deficient.

The best foods that naturally contain iodine are saltwater fish, sea vegetables, and iodized sea salt.  Other foods with iodine include dairy products, eggs, radishes, onions, and watercress.  IF you are in an iodine deficient area (upper Midwest) your root vegetables will not be a viable option for you.  I always recommend consuming foods with the vitamins / minerals you need daily - but sometimes that isn't much of an option.  I take iodine supplements daily along with my omegas. 

For those of you taking Thyroid medication, if you are shown to be iodine deficient, I am told that you may be able to get off those meds within 30 days of going on the iodine supplements. 

Here are a couple good articles to read for more information:
http://www.womentowomen.com/hypothyroidism/iodinedeficiency-thyroidhealth.aspx
http://www.staytuned.ws/iodine.html
http://www.thyroid.org/patients/patient_brochures/iodine_deficiency.html

Happy healing!  E

You are my SUNSHINE!

Good Morning!
What a glorious day!!  I woke up this morning thinking about how much I love a sunny day... don't we all?  Do you get kinda blue on cloudy days?  Do you get cabin fever in the winter?  I know I do... that is why I moved south!  :)  I LOVE a sunny day. 

We NEED sunshine to prosper and flourish.  Not to survive... but to be happy and healthy, yes!  We hear all the time that we need to drink more milk to get our vitamin D, right?  WRONG!  The sun actually helps your body produce vitamin D.  It also reacts with our pineal glands behind the eyes helping to release our natural happy drug - serotonin.  So in reality, the sun DOES make us happy!

If you have a hard time sleeping, one thing to help is to change your lighting in the evenings.  If you are used to having all the lights on in your house, start to turn them off a couple hours before you want to sleep.  Turning down or off the lights will affect your internal clock.  It make take a couple days, but your body will eventually realign itself and you should start to feel sleepy earlier. 

We are told constantly that the sun will give us cancer.  If you are a person that goes into the sun and habitually gets burned, then my response would be... DUH.  However, if you are a person that is in the sun a LOT and uses sunscreen EVERY time you go out, you are JUST AS LIKELY to get skin cancer.  It isn't the sun, it is how you treat your body and what you put on your body.  Measure your time in the sun - don't over expose yourself.  Don't use sunscreen, have you ever read the ingredients?  How many people in Africa or the Middle East have skin cancer?  VERY FEW.  The US has the highest cases of skin cancer.  Ok... off my soap box again... sorry.

Back to the sun.  The sun and our food.  During one of my classes, I read that you should always eat your dark leafy greens at your mid-day meal and then to go walk for 30 minutes after.  The sun hitting your skin actually activates the phytosterols from the plants giving you more energy.  It also allows you to eat less, and absorb the vital nutrients better.

I like my greens combined with herbs for my lunch salad - I try to get as many different types and colors as I can... and the herbs not only smell and taste divine, they are healers as well... So grab a dark green salad for lunch and then go for a walk.  Expose as much skin as you can to absorb all the wonderful rays of the sun!  Be HAPPY!  E

The Most Important Thing

If you had to choose one thing that is most important to your physical and mental well being, what would you think it is? Sleep? Food? Exercise? Those are all good, but this is even more basic. It is around us every day, and we don't think twice about it. Water.

Yes, water. Let's start with the dry facts and then build from there.

1. There are ongoing tests but it is believed that a good percentage of what we call "aging" is actually the result of dehydration.

2. More than 60% of deaths over the age of 60 are directly related to dehydration.
3. ~75% of all people in developed countries are chronically dehydrated.
4. Proper hydration reduces your chances of getting arthritis, certain cancers (colon, bladder, & breast), joint related ailments, and heart attacks.
5. Just a 2% drop in hydration causes fuzzy memory, problems doing basic math calculations, and trouble focusing on the task at hand.
6. MILD dehydration can slow your metabolism by 3% or more.

Now that you are taking this a bit more seriously, what are the signs of dehydration? We all seem to think that "thirst" is the first sign of dehydration, it is NOT. By the time you are feeling "parched" you are more than mildly dehydrated. Your first symptoms are swelling of extremities and change in urine color. Here is a full listing for 2% water loss:

1. Thirst

2. Loss of appetite
3. Swelling of extremities
4. Dry skin
5. Skin flushing
6. Yellow urine (the darker the color the more severely dehydrated)
7. Dry mouth
8. Fatigue
9. Chills
10. Head rush
11. Migraine

How much water should we drink daily? There are a number of factors that have to be considered when calculating water intake. You should drink enough water that your urine is clear (unless you are taking something that would color your urine,like Iodine). Factors are environment (hot / cold, dry / humid), how much exercise you partake daily, how much you naturally sweat, and obviously how much you weigh. Here is the standard formula: 1/2 your body weight in ounces. About.com has a good calculator. http://nutrition.about.com/library/blwatercalculator.htm

"I don't like water. What can I take instead?" There is nothing that replaces water. I suggest you get a water filter for your tap and see if that helps. Some people are hypersensitive to tastes - my eldest daughter can tell you what brand of water you give her without seeing the brand. So, you may need to try several different types of filters before you find one that works. You can drink green tea too to help offset, but stay away from sodas, coffee, caffeinated drinks, or any of the "power" drinks. They are filled with either sugars or caffeine which are harmful and cause dehydration to occur faster.

A word of caution when choosing types of water. Plastic is bad for the body - stay away from bottled water unless it is in a glass container. Water in certain areas is heavy in metals and both chlorine and fluorine, I recommend everyone have their water tested, and make sure you get the filtration type needed for your water. Some metals and other particulates found in water are actually beneficial.

On the flip side... bathing tends to reduce stress and helps our bodies go back to a neutral state. Add a couple drops of your favorite scent, grab a book or turn on some soothing music, light those candles, and take 20 minutes for you today!