Archive for the ‘Women’s Interest’ Category

28
Apr

Stress Reduction Techniques – Breathe or Die and I’m Dead Serious

   Posted by: Dr. Tonia Mitchell ND Tags: , , , , ,

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This is the third in a three-article series about stress.  First, we looked at the sources and symptoms of stress then we looked at the physiology of stress.  Now we will explore ways to help your body cope with stress reduction techniques.

As I discussed in the previous two articles, our adrenal glands are in charge of producing hormones that help us cope with stress.  With chronic or repeated stress the adrenal glands can become quite worn out and will not be able to produce these hormones any longer.  The other outcome of chronic stress is elevated levels of hormones in your system that are only meant to be elevated for short periods of time.  In the long run, these hormones make you sick.  The best way to support the adrenal glands is maintaining a daily routine.  The adrenal glands LOVE this like you love your morning coffee.  Try to eat, sleep, exercise, work and study at the same time every day – even on the weekends.  I know!  Even on the weekends!

Stress reduction techniques to decrease your exposure to stress:

  • Blood Sugar: Keeping blood sugar levels steady is very important.  Any internal fluctuation is a stress.  Any stress requires work from your adrenal glands.  Any work from your adrenal glands puts out hormones that if elevated for long periods of time can make you sick.  Have I mentioned this? Choose foods rich in fiber such as (a rainbow of) vegetables along with lean protein (poultry, deep-water, wild fish), and healthy fats (nuts, seeds, avocados, olive oil) at each meal to delay stomach emptying .  Try to eat every couple of hours.
  • Stimulants: Sugar, coffee, caffeine and energy drinks are best avoided.  They act like little hijackers that try to take over your physiology.  The constant ups and downs are… guess what?  A big stress to your body as it tries to keep everything in balance.  So the things we do to give us energy actually create more work for our bodies and our poor, little, neglected adrenal glands. Once you improve the health of your adrenal glands you’ll never need another self-medicated pick-me-up.
  • Food Allergies: Food allergies, in fact, any allergy is a stress to the body.  Ask your Naturopathic Doctor or licensed health practitioner to help you figure out what you’re allergic to so you can work towards better health.
  • No: Learn to say it.  Practice with me.  “No”.  See?  That wasn’t so hard now was it?  Learn what your limits are.  Know when your plate is too full and practice graceful ways of saying no.  Your health is more important.
  • Breaks: Take relaxation breaks.  Take personal health days off from work (whether you’re “sick” or are trying to prevent being so).

Stress reduction techniques to increase your stress threshold:

  • Exercise Regularly: We all know we should do it and I can’t emphasize this enough.  Our bodies were designed to move.  Get active; pretend you’re running away from a saber-tooth tiger… otherwise the stress might eat you up!  Get your friends and family involved.  Exercise releases endorphins which are natural pain killers while it also improves your blood sugar control and your mood.
  • Deep Breathing: Another thing we all know, however, most of us don’t breathe properly.  Since it happens automatically we don’t ever think about it.  Put a hand on your abdomen just above the navel and when you breathe in count to four and think about pushing the hand on your belly out with your breath.  Take four counts to breathe out.  Breathe this way 100 times per day – do it when you’re stuck in traffic, waiting at the bank or watching the ads at the theatre before the movie begins.  This is a simple fact: you don’t breathe, you die, and I’m dead serious about that.
  • Play: Do something fun and try to laugh every day.  If it isn’t exercise (always try to get your exercise) then watch a funny movie, have a herbal tea date with a friend, stroll along the beach (if you’re lucky to live by one) or walk your dog.  Take time for yourself because you’ll never “find it.”
  • Delta wave sleep/state: This is a very important state that your brain goes into when you are in deep, non-dreaming sleep.  It recharges our batteries by increasing a hormone called DHEA which helps us grow, detoxify, rejuvenate and restore our energy.  This is part of the reason sleep is so important.  There are even cd’s you can buy that help you get into a delta wave state.  Learn more about DHEA in my article on menopause relief.

The stress reduction techniques listed above are ideas of things you can do to help you decrease your exposure to stress and to help your body cope with the stress that it can’t avoid.  There are several herbs, vitamins and minerals that can help as well.  Talk to a health professional about specifics for you.

Naturopathic medicine is a safe, effective and natural approach to you and your family’s health.  Naturopathic doctors can and will empower you to live a healthy lifestyle while treating and preventing disease.  Find more information on the services I offer at Arbour Wellness Centre at Nanaimo Naturopathic Doctor.

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17
Mar

Menopause Relief – Could It Really Be About Stress Relief?

   Posted by: Dr. Tonia Mitchell ND Tags: , , , , , ,

We’ve all heard about menopause.  We’ve all heard about the symptoms that some women experience: hot flashes, dry mucous membranes, insomnia, anxiety, depression, decreased libido.  We typically associate these symptoms with decreasing levels of hormones: mainly estrogen and progesterone.  While this is true, it is not the whole story.  Our hormonal system is complex, and while we usually think of “hormones” as our reproductive hormones there are several others, all of which have important functions in the body.  When we are thinking of menopause relief we have to look at hormones beyond those of the reproductive system.

The main hormonal system I want to bring to your attention is that of the adrenal glands.  These small glands sit above our kidneys and are comprised of two main sections.  The outer section produces two main hormones important to this discussion: cortisol (2, in figure) and DHEA (3), both are derived from cholesterol (1).  In general, cortisol is active during stress and DHEA is active during relaxation.  More specifically cortisol increases our blood sugar, stores fat around the belly, suppresses the immune system, decreases inflammation and inhibits proper thyroid function.  DHEA, on the other hand, regenerates tissue, restores our energy, improves our mood, increases immune function and builds bone and muscle.

As you can see in the figure, DHEA leads to the production of sex hormones (4).  During and after menopause (5), when the ovaries stop producing estrogen and progesterone, the adrenal glands step up to take on this job.  BUT, when we are chronically stressed (which is common in our fast-paced, North American society), our adrenal glands are too busy producing cortisol. In fact, your body will choose to produce cortisol over DHEA in the face of chronic stress! This is compounded by a natural decrease in DHEA with age.  Don’t get me wrong, cortisol is an important hormone.  However, when it is chronically elevated at the expense of DHEA then it becomes a problem.  Without DHEA, we cannot produce our reproductive hormones after menopause.  Our menopausal-induced reproductive hormone deficiency is made even worse by our chronic stress!

What does all this jargon mean for your menopausal symptoms? I hope I have made it clear that stress relief is an important part of menopause relief.  Give your adrenal glands a chance to support the normal hormonal pathways. The adrenal glands LOVE routine and the best ways to support them include:

  • maintain steady blood sugar levels.  Eat a small meal containing fiber and protein every 2-3 hours.
  • get adequate sleep at the right time – go to bed at 10 pm in a completely dark room.
  • exercise regularly.
  • avoid stimulants, including sugar and coffee.
  • practice deep breathing, meditation or yoga.
  • consume adequate essential fatty acids, minerals and protein.
  • see your local Naturopathic Doctor for the perfect treatment plan to suit your menopause relief needs.

It is important to support our adrenal glands all the time as they have a big job to perform.  However, it is especially important to support them as we age because their job gets even bigger!

Naturopathic medicine is a safe, effective and natural approach to you and your family’s health.  Naturopathic doctors can and will empower you to live a healthy lifestyle while treating and preventing disease.  Find more information on the services I offer at Arbour Wellness Centre at Nanaimo Naturopathic Doctor.

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18
Nov

MARTIAL ARTS IS A LIFE SKILL

   Posted by: Lita Tags: , ,

Just as we were taught to read and write and all about fire and water safety so it should be that we must learn to protect ourselves.  I consider my Martial Arts training a real life skill.  It seems inconceivable and foolish to me that my woman friends have no clue how to protect themselves in the event of an attack nor do they think it’s important enough to learn how.   This is a skill, in my opinion, that should be taught to every child and in particular to girls. 

When I was pregnant with my daughter I remember thinking how am I going to let this beloved child of mine out of my site.  I wondered how I was ever going to let go and let my child walk to the bus stop or go to the park with friends or do any of the many things that young teens want to do without parental supervision.  How could I allow these things without worrying frantically about safety?  I know anything can happen these days but the fact that she was trained in Martial Arts allowed me to breathe far more easily than I would have otherwise. 

I am so thrilled that my daughter, also trained in Martial Arts, was brought up with this skill.  She has never known any different than being able to protect herself.  It is second nature to her.  When she reached the age where her and her friends wanted to walk to a park or to a store her friend’s parents would always ask if she was going.  If the answer was yes then they were allowed.  If not, they were not allowed to go.  It amazed me that these parents relied on my daughter to exhibit common sense and the ability to protect while they never considered ensuring their kids learned these skills.  These parents were always generous in their compliments on my daughter’s common sense and her Martial Arts abilities but somehow they never considered this for their own kids.

A comment that I hear over and over at the dojo (karate school) is in regard to the teenage karate students.  The comment is inevitably what great kids they are.  Not only are they keeping physically active while they are learning to protect and defend themselves but they are learning life lessons in respect, morals and self discipline. How many of our children have positive real life role models?  The Sensei (teacher) and the instructors at the dojo are terrific role models for kids.  The kids meet with these role models on average 3 to 4 times per week.  What better place could they be spending time?

For adults, there is no better way to keep in shape while we learn to protect ourselves.  Many of the adults that I know at my dojo joined the program because their children were already students.  For me this was also the case.  In fact, my husband was feeling so left out while my daughter and I continually discussed and practiced our Martial Arts training that he too became a student.  Shotokan Karate has proved to be an incredible bond between ourselves and our daughter.  We are a Martial Arts family and I wouldn’t want it any other way.  Watch for my blog on Adults Avoiding Injury In Martial Arts.

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