Tag Archives: holiday stress

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Healing in the Holidays Series Part 3

Happy Monday Warriors!

I hope you all have been enjoying this month’s topics all centered around the holidays.  We’ve previously talked about nervous system and brain health, and nutrition pointers to remain healthy.  This week we are going to go into more of the stress related issues that come up during the holidays and how to remain in balance and come out stronger!

Also, last week on my instagram, I gave some healthy gift giving options if you still need some pointers!

Check it out here:https://www.instagram.com/p/B58BvSkn6sz/

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There will be no blog next week as it is Christmas Week, so you all enjoy your family and loved ones and we will be back in action for the first of the year!There are many way to help prepare your emotional system for increased stress loads.  The best thing is to really do that.. prepare. 

Just as we have prepared our body in the previous weeks, we don’t really think to “prepare” for the holidays.

However, for some with increased things to do, gifts to get, family drama, parties, maybe financial stress, it can come as a little stressful time.  You also may neglect yourself through the process as to take care of everyone else. 

Although we can’t control our family or their reactions, we can however control our own and how we “choose” to respond.  We can also “choose” to change our mindset for other stressful situations if we recognize a pattern.

Here are some tips to help you get out of a specific mindset:

1. Be Realistic.  The holidays don’t have to be perfect . As families change and grow, traditions and rituals often change as well. Choose a few to hold on to, and be open to creating new ones. For example, if your adult children can’t come to your house, find new ways to celebrate together, such as sharing pictures, emails or videos.

2. Set aside differences that may be in the family. Try to accept family members and friends as they are, even if they don’t live up to all of your expectations. Set aside grievances until a more appropriate time for discussion. And be understanding if others get upset or distressed when something goes awry. Chances are they’re feeling the effects of holiday stress too.

Although there’s some heavy topics going on right now in our healthcare system, finding the right time to speak your truth is key.  I wouldn’t say don’t speak your truth because we must must keep sharing about the corruption, but don’t feel like you have to say it at every turn.  Trust me, as being a health disruptor I have no fear speaking the truth, but what I’ve learned is that certain people need different approaches.  The holidays as all times should be about showing love, so spreading the truth in a way that is loving is key.

If you need information about topics like vaccines and how to approach it, I suggest the website learntherisk.org.  She has wonderful research and info to help!

3. Stick to a budget!  Before you go gift and food shopping, decide how much money you can afford to spend. Then stick to your budget. Don’t try to buy happiness with an avalanche of gifts.

Try these alternatives:

  • Donate to a charity in someone’s name.
  • Give homemade gifts.
  • Start a family gift exchange.

4. Plan ahead. Set aside specific days for shopping, baking, visiting friends and other activities. Plan your menus and then make your shopping list. That’ll help prevent last-minute scrambling to buy forgotten ingredients. And make sure to line up help for party prep and cleanup.  Goal setting is HUGE!!

Don’t try to make HUGE yearly goals or set new goals to try to get done in December.  Set your goals for earlier in the year to celebrate during the holidays!

5. Learn to say no. Saying yes when you should say no can leave you feeling resentful and overwhelmed. Friends and colleagues will understand if you can’t participate in every project or activity. If it’s not possible to say no when your boss asks you to work overtime, try to remove something else from your agenda to make up for the lost time.

6. Take A Breather.. Spending just 15 minutes alone, without distractions, may refresh you enough to handle everything you need to do. Find something that reduces stress by clearing your mind, slowing your breathing and restoring inner calm.

  1. Some options may include:
    • Taking a walk at night and stargazing.
    • Prayer
    • Listening to soothing music.
    • Getting a massage or CHIRO!
    • Reading a book.

7.  Neuro Emotional Technique.  Come in and get some NET if you know things are going to be stressful and you already are feeling it!  Let’s change that mindset so you can go into your holiday with ease! This Technique is extremely successful for stress reduction.

8.  Essential Oils.  Essential Oils by DoTerra are amazing to diffuse in your home to help with emotional overwhelm, to carry with you or to take as a daily supplement to help calm the system.  Frankincense is a great oil for emotional stability as well as Balance and Melissa for anxiety.  I also like diffusing On Guard to protect against negative energies:)

9. Nutrition.  I love using specific herbals to help if you know you are going to be in a stressful situation.  These will help you not go off track and handle the stress with ease once your stress organs are supported.  Some of my favorites are withania complex and adrenal complex by mediherb.  Of course, as we talked about last week, getting your genetic nutrition protocols in order will cause you to need less support, but these herbs are great to have in a pinch.

That’s all for this week!  Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!!! Thank you for such a wonderful year in San Diego!  I am truly blessed by all of you.

That is all for now.

 

Have a happy and healthy week!

 

DR. Hamel

 

 

OIL OF THE WEEK

On the spotlight this week is DoTerra’s Adaptiv Blend.

When stress and tension seem to be relentless, Adaptiv Calming Blend is the precise solution. Use Adaptiv to help get comfortable with new surroundings or situations. When a big meeting is coming up, or for other important events, keep Adaptiv Calming Blend on hand. In preliminary studies, the scent of Lavender, a main ingredient of Adaptiv, has been found to contribute to an environment conducive to performing tasks requiring sustained attention. Lavender, Magnolia, Neroli, and Sweetgum provide stress-relieving effects while Wild Orange and Spearmint energize and uplift. Copaiba and Rosemary soothe anxious feelings to round out the calming blend. Whether you’re feeling fatigued or restless, indecisive or irritable, Adaptiv Calming Blend is part of the toolbox to help the body and mind to stay balanced. Use Adaptiv Calming Blend in combination with the Adaptiv capsules for synergistic results.

Uses

  • Soak in a relaxing Epsom Salt bath by adding three to four drops to bath water.
  • Mix three drops with Fractionated Coconut Oil for soothing massage.
  • Diffuse the oil in a room diffuser to promote a centered and calm mindset.
  • Apply one drop to hands, rub together, and inhale deeply as needed throughout the day.

Healing in the Holidays Series

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Happy Monday Warriors!

It is the holiday season!!! This month we will going over various ways to help increase your body’s armor to keep the stress down.  We know the holidays are a happy time where families and loved ones come together, but it can also be a time of increased stress, trying to get things done, finances, family drama, traveling, ect.

I’m hoping that by posting these tips earlier, you all will be more prepared to handle and fight it off like a superhero! We are always striving to make the body more resilient right? We will be starting off talking about stress in the nervous system, and then following up in a couple weeks with tips for nutrition, traveling and exercise to keep you on track. So stay tuned!

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For a start, it has been shown in research that chiropractic adjustments boost the immune system. 

What happens with increased stress?  Your immune system goes down.  That’s why college students always experience getting sick after finals or on their breaks.  Once the adrenaline wears off, the effects kick in.

January is also the month of resolutions and goals (hopefully you have goals all year:)), but regardless, maybe a certain goal is saying: you’d like to workout more or eat better, you have to make sure your body can handle it. 

Just like how you would prep your notes for a presentation, or making a meal plan.  You need some sort of preparation for the body.

The prep phase so to speak.  In order to prep, you need to make sure your pain levels are down, and your brain and nervous system are communicating with one another.  When you do this, it makes less stress on the body, so that when those periods of increased stress come, your body can handle it and not go completely off course.

Cranial work in general is an amazing tool we have to help with the stress response. 

In research done specifically using cranial work for anxiety, depression and sleep, a study in 2011 testing over 100 patients,  found that using cranial based osteopathy (which i do) showed improvements in anxiety, increase in physical function, significant improvement in sleep function.  This is great!  A main reason in this study was improving sleep, and overall physical function.

When you are able to move pain free, and sleep (deep and rested), your body can heal and isn’t burdened by the littlest of things that come its way.

Which brings me to this point.  If you are in chronic pain, or aren’t sleeping, or you are already stressed, it is literally like typing into the computer all the keys at the same time.  Your brain can’t handle it.  Any little disruption, even a little stress can throw you off at that point.

So, our goal with the cranial care is to create that optimal environment for the brain, to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, and make sure the network of nerves are effectively communicating. 

It’s also important to note that stress isn’t always in your HEAD, but in your NERVOUS system. 

Have you ever been told when you’re stressed to stop and just relax? That it’s all in your head? It would be nice if it were that simple. But it’s not.
“Physiology research shows that the stress response memory lives in your nervous system. Take for example exposure to a stressful event. One in which you felt helpless, hopeless, and lacked control. In this case your autonomic nervous system (ANS) is engaged. This is the part of the nervous system responsible for controlling unconscious bodily actions like breathing. To be more specific, it was the sympathetic branch (fight or flight) of the ANS that kicked in while you were strained. In addition, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis of the midbrain began firing. In which a signal from your hypothalamus sends a hormonal message to your pituitary gland that stimulates to your adrenal glands.To activate this fight or flight response, stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline are released from your adrenal glands. They help our body suddenly mobilize to flee danger. According to Peter A. Levine, trauma expert in the field of psychotherapy, trauma occurs when this biological process is overwhelmed and a person is unable to release and process the stressful event. It is possible to avoid a traumatic response by discharging the energy generated. For example, shaking, crying, and screaming can allow the individual to physically process the stress.However, if the stress response is not processed, it remains in the tissues of the body. When a subsequent stressful event that does not pose a serious threat occurs, the traumatic memory is recalled. A large amount of stress hormones are released. Blood rushes to extremities, pupils dilate, muscle tone increases presenting as tension, breathing rate increases, the heartbeats faster, and sweating occurs. Hence, the nervous system responds as if this small incident is life threatening.

This biological response is clearly beyond the ability to rationally control. You can’t think your way out of it. 

Chronic stress leads to dissociation or immobility, a state of sympathetic charge and hormonal release, which is health damaging. The brainstem (the primitive part of the brain) governs emotional experience and biological response. When the brainstem is activated by fight or flight, it trumps the more developed front of the brain, the prefrontal cortex. It is therefore not possible to be in the primitive state of fight or flight and also to think rationally and critically (as the prefrontal cortex would have us do).

The work is then to re-train the body. These are tools to deactivate the sympathetic response and activate the opposing parasympathetic response, called the rest and digest mechanism. The goal is to feel safe. To regulate breathing, slow the heartbeat, and circulate blood back to the vital organs.

The next time someone suggests it’s all in your head, you will have a different response. ”
-Melody Walford.

Re-training the body through calming certain nerves down or reflexes or while stimulating others like the parasympathetic nerves in the brain is key here.  You need the nervous system to RECOGNIZE the problems and course correct.

We need to clear the stress out of the nervous system first!! This will prep the body to be able to handle things that come up!

A lot of people don’t think much about the nervous system.  But, the  nervous system controls EVERYTHING!  It is isn’t working or mis-firing, it will cause problems in your entire body.
Nerves have memory.  Sometimes just breathing, using products, meditating, exercise isn’t enough to de-stress your body.  The reason lies within your nervous system.

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BONUS TIPS:

Here are some tips to help you get out of a specific mindset:

1. Be Realistic.  The holidays don’t have to be perfect . As families change and grow, traditions and rituals often change as well. Choose a few to hold on to, and be open to creating new ones. For example, if your adult children can’t come to your house, find new ways to celebrate together, such as sharing pictures, emails or videos.

2. Set aside differences that may be in the family. Try to accept family members and friends as they are, even if they don’t live up to all of your expectations. Set aside grievances until a more appropriate time for discussion. And be understanding if others get upset or distressed when something goes awry. Chances are they’re feeling the effects of holiday stress and depression too.

3. Stick to a budget!  Before you go gift and food shopping, decide how much money you can afford to spend. Then stick to your budget. Don’t try to buy happiness with an avalanche of gifts.

Try these alternatives:

  • Donate to a charity in someone’s name.
  • Give homemade gifts.
  • Start a family gift exchange.

4. Plan ahead. Set aside specific days for shopping, baking, visiting friends and other activities. Plan your menus and then make your shopping list. That’ll help prevent last-minute scrambling to buy forgotten ingredients. And make sure to line up help for party prep and cleanup.  Goal setting is HUGE!!

Don’t try to make HUGE yearly goals or set new goals to try to get done in December.  Set your goals for earlier in the year to celebrate during the holidays!

5. Learn to say no. Saying yes when you should say no can leave you feeling resentful and overwhelmed. Friends and colleagues will understand if you can’t participate in every project or activity. If it’s not possible to say no when your boss asks you to work overtime, try to remove something else from your agenda to make up for the lost time.

6. Take A Breather.. Spending just 15 minutes alone, without distractions, may refresh you enough to handle everything you need to do. Find something that reduces stress by clearing your mind, slowing your breathing and restoring inner calm.

  1. Some options may include:
    • Taking a walk at night and stargazing.
    • Listening to soothing music.
    • Getting a massage or CHIRO!
    • Reading a book.

7.  Neuro Emotional Technique.  Come in and get some NET if you know things are going to be stressful and you already are feeling it!  Let’s change that mindset so you can go into your holiday with ease! This Technique is extremely successful for stress reduction.

8.  Essential Oils.  Essential Oils by DoTerra are amazing to diffuse in your home to help with emotional overwhelm, to carry with you or to take as a daily supplement to help calm the system.  Frankincense is a great oil for emotional stability as well as others.  Come learn more in my FREE essential oils class this wednesday. SEE BELOW

We will talk about nutritional help next time!

 

 

 

That’s all for this week.

 

Wishing you a happy and healthy Thanksgiving.

 

 

Nutritional Tips for prepping your body for the Holidays and Travel 

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Happy Monday folks!  This month we are talking all about holiday stress, how to deal with it or avoid it, and really how to just prep your body so you don’t have a big crash come January! 

Last week we went over prepping your brain and nervous system by getting regular cranial chiropractic care.   A lot of people just see chiropractors when they are in pain or have an injury, but really we want to practice preventative medicine.  So getting regular care can help overall take the stress down in your body.  So get some maintenance cranial chiro care!!

This week we are moving into some nutritional tips to help you survive the holiday season stress free. 

This is a hard topic.  The holidays can be a time where you are literally surrounded by temptations.  From work parties, to holiday parties to christmas cookies, ect.  Everything is always in moderation, but sometimes you can ruin your whole progress in a year with going crazy all month!  So, just like we need to prep our brain and nervous system, we also need to help prep our gut or (second brain).  

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1.  Prep your gut.
With all the bad holiday choices of food, something you can do NOW is prep!
Prepare your digestive system to be more efficient so it can digest quickly all the toxins you will be consuming!

I suggest three different supplements to take to re-acidify the gut so that it can digest things quickly and effectively, and gallbladder support to help break down your food better!  ( If you read on down below about traveling I also recommend this triad as well! )

If we have stagnation within our gut and elimination pattern, you will constantly be reabsorbing what you are trying to get out, which includes toxins.

2. Food Prep.

One thing you can do is also to prep your own food! There are so many keto and paleo friendly food choices out there that taste the same or better than traditional holiday sweets and carbs.

Here is a great resource for many different holiday recipes.

https://www.healthfulpursuit.com/roundup/keto-holiday-recipes/

3.  Portion Control.  Try and keep your portions small.  Believe it or not if you can eat smaller meals more frequently, you will do a lot better than eating ginormous meals all holiday season.
TIP: If you eat a little too much, grab some Doterra DigestZen to help soothe and break down your food a little easier.

4.  Liver Support.     During the holidays you will probably end up consuming a few beverages as well, which puts a stress on your liver. Thinking ahead and supporting your liver with milk thistle will make it handle the alcohol stress way better and you will bounce back easier.

Which brings me to my next point.

WHY DIETS DON’T WORK!

Maybe people will experience with diets that they DO end up losing weight for a certain period of time.  But generally what happens is that individual can no longer take such restrictions, falls off and ends up gaining it back quickly.  This is the time of year where new years resolutions will come up as well, so it’s important to prep your mind for what’s ahead.

A lot of people need to really make a lifestyle change.  It’s not about dieting.  And one HUGE factor many don’t address is toxins.  If you have ANY plans to lose weight, then you need to detoxify your body FIRST.  FAT holds on to toxins so it will make losing weight impossible when you are loaded with them.  I always do a 21 day purification program at the beginning of every year to start the year right with a clean body!

This is the MOST effective cleanse and purification of the entire body that I’ve found in my practice.  Time and time again, story after story it proves to be effective.  What i’ve found is most generally lose about 5-10 pounds over 21 days, and continue after with creating a new lifestyle of eating.

I will be doing a group cleanse in January that will have a private facebook group as well as videos and tips for you to be successful!  Getting toxins out and then making better lifestyle decisions will put you on such a greater path than dieting.  Trust me!  We will start this group cleanse on January 7th, so if you are interested please let me know and we will get the cleanse to you beforehand!

This is a fun group challenge.  So, invite your loved ones and friends to join you.  I guarantee you won’t regret it with how great you will feel!

5. Probiotics.  Not the pill kind.  Pill probiotics don’t actually re-populate the bacteria.  I will say that again.  In research, it’s shown that probiotics (the pill kind) don’t actually repopulate the gut.  But, they DO create an immune response, which is good.  Taking probiotics in a pill is transitory, meaning they go right through your gut.  A better way to help support those bacteria is to actually feed the good ones you got!  Increase your fiber, eat fermented foods with lactic acid (which they eat)!  This will strengthen the gut, and your immune system!

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Traveling!

If you are one of the lucky ones that get to travel somewhere tropical for the holidays, I also have some tips to help prep you!!  

1. Skin!

In the winter we don’t see as much sun (Well some of us!).  Back in the 1940s there was documentation that calcium is needed by the skin and needs a fatty acid to shuttle it.
When there is sufficient calcium in the skin, the skin can withstand the stress of the sun, and not get damaged i.e. sunburn!!

So if you want that nice tan, and to not burn and damage the skin you need a GOOD source of calcium and a fatty acid to take with you!

The ones I like are whole food sources.  You CANNOT just use any calcium.  Most on the market are INSOLUBLE and are Toxic!

You have use calcium lactate and cataplex F!

Calcium lactate is the form of calcium that the body prefers in the bloodstream.  It is extremely bioavailable.  it converts only once in the stomach, and once this happens it’s in a form that the body can pick up and use.  But you always want to take it on an empty stomach!!

You also want to take a fatty acid to shuttle it to the skin!!  Cataplex F or flax seed works really well for this.

Take a dosage in between meals 8-10 calcium lactate and 5 cataplex F, every 4 hours you are in the sun!  

Calcium is water soluble, so you can’t overdo it, you will be using it up while you are in the sun.  So you have to keep replenishing it.  You literally won’t burn!!  

*These are products you can only get through my care.

2.  Digestive Support.  These are ones you should always take with you!

You hear of people always getting sick in Mexico, or some island so always make sure you have Hydrochloric acid, it’s your best protector against food poisoning.

Digest forte, zypan and AF betafood.  Are three digestive supports I HIGHYL recommend and take every meal I eat while traveling.

3.  Alcohol. When you’re in the sun you aren’t as hungry, but the third thing to bring is liver support.  You might have an alcoholic beverage right?
But your liver will take a hit when you do that!  Take some milk thistle to protect the liver.

Oil of the WEEK.

On the spotlight this week is DoTerra’s DigestZEN.

This one is wonderful to have on the go, in case you overeat, feel bloated, diarrhea, constipation, nausea.  IT will HELP and does!  It will sooth the stomach and intestines and take the discomfrt away naturally.

DigestZen Uses and Benefits

  1. If you are looking for a healthy and natural way to assist your digestive system, the DigestZen essential oil blend is an ideal option.* DigestZen contains a blend of essential oils that will naturally aid the body in the digestion of food.* To easily obtain these digestion benefits, add one drop of DigestZen oil to 4 fluid ounces of liquid, and drink.*
  2. The unpredictability and discomfort of occasional stomach upsets can often put a damper on the day. When issues like these arise, apply one to two drops of DigestZen to the desired areas of your skin. DigestZen will also work to soothe occasional stomach upset when taken internally, and can get you feeling ready to take on the day again.*
  3. Bloating and gas can make your stomach feel tight and full, often leaving you feeling sluggish and unappealing. If you’re experiencing these difficulties, use DigestZen oil.* DigestZen will help reduce bloating and gas so that you can feel your best at any time of the day.*
  4. Does flying or driving long distances make you a little nervous? Next time you’re planning on traveling for an extended period of time, rub DigestZen oil on your stomach before you take your trip. The sweet, minty smell of DigestZen will provide a calming aroma. You can also add a few drops of DigestZen to water and take it internally to keep stomach jitters at bay.*
  5. Holidays, vacations, birthdays, and family get-togethers often have something in common: food. And lots of it. Make sure to have DigestZen on hand for these occasions. The DigestZen essential oil blend can be used during these events to promote digestion when eating heavier meals.*
  6. Whether trying the cuisines of Italy or enjoying the tastes of India, introducing foreign food to the body has the potential to disrupt the stomach’s normal digestion. When you are traveling or exploring new foods, use DigestZen to soothe occasional stomach upset and to promote healthy digestion.*
  7. For a simple way to incorporate DigestZen into your regular routine, add DigestZen to your water or tea. This will help your body maintain a healthy gastrointestinal tract.*
  8. The DigestZen essential oil blend can ease feelings of queasiness.* If you’re experiencing queasiness, take DigestZen to dismiss these feelings.*
  9. One of the most relaxing ways to use DigestZen oil is by applying it to the stomach and massaging. An abdominal massage will bring soothing comfort to your stomach and the aroma will provide you with calming feelings. DigestZen can also be applied to a child’s stomach for soothing comfort. Before using DigestZen for a massage, combine it with doTERRA Fractionated Coconut Oil to help increase the DigestZen oil distribution and minimize any skin sensitivity.

Ingredients

  • Ginger Rhizome/Root
  • Peppermint Plant
  • Caraway Seed
  • Coriander Seed
  • Anise Seed
  • Tarragon Plant
  • Fennel Seed