Tag Archives: adrenals

Healing in the Holidays Series

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.

 

 

EMF’s, the hidden adrenal suppressors… and tips for exercise for adrenal fatigue.

Happy Monday Everyone!  I hope you’ve enjoyed this month’s topics around adrenal gland health!

This week we will be continuing on with the topic of some other “hidden” adrenal suckers, and tips on healthy exercise as to not deplete your adrenals.

First off.

What are EMF’s?  EMF’s stand for Electromagnetic Frequencies.  EMF’s describe the energy that is coming out from an electromagnetic source. “Electromagnetic radiation can be beneficial, harmless or extremely dangerous to humans, depending on the source, level of radiation, and duration of exposure.There are both natural and man-made sources of electromagnetic radiation. The sun, for instance, is an intense source of natural radiation that can have both positive and negative effects on living things. The sun also produces both visible and invisible electromagnetic streams.
Ultraviolet rays from the sun are invisible and cause sunburn and skin cancer if overexposure occurs.
A rainbow, however, is a visible and harmless part of the electromagnetic effect caused by the sun, as human eyes detect the visible wavelengths of light as different colors.”

Man-made sources of electromagnetic radiation include X-rays, Radio waves and microwaves.

“The power contained in electromagnetic radiation can be both helpful and destructive to humans. Overexposure to radiation, whether in an acute dose or a slow, continual intake, can quickly lead to illness and even a painful death. However, as electromagnetic radiation is also a natural part of the human environment, exposure to some radiation is unavoidable.

Every year there are more cell phone towers, Wi-Fi networks, “Smart” meters, and solar panel inverters. Soon California will mandate all new homes must have solar power, which means more EMF. Beyond this, there are millions of 5G antennas coming to your region, as part of the most powerful wireless network ever built.”

Mobile phone radiation.

Mobile phone radiation refers to radiation in the form of electromagnetic waves that is emitted from mobile phones. This type of radiation takes the form of radio waves that are near the microwave range. When we think of harmful radiation, things like X-rays or gamma rays usually come to mind, but these types of radiation are different from cell phone radiation. These are ionizing radiations and exposure to these are very harmful. Since cell phone radiation is non-ionizing, it is generally seen as being harmless in the short term. However long term exposure to this radiation also is proved to be very dangerous. Profound research has been made worldwide and it has been concluded by many that long term exposure to mobile phone radiation can lead to many chronic diseases like cancer.

Here are more studies for more information:

DANGERS OF MOBILE PHONE RADIATION

It’s official – Mobile radiation is dangerous

Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Radiation

Pathological Effects of Electromagnetic Radiation

Cell Phones May Cause Hearing Loss

Dr. Mercola’s comments

Mobile phones and brain tumour

Study by UCLA AND DANISH researchers

Other studies revealing the risks of mobile phone radiation

Evidence shows that regular use of cell phones begins to heat brain tissue and affect the cells.

“Dr.David Carpenter, Dean at the School of Public Health State University of New York says 30% of all childhood cancers are associated with EMF exposure. Doctors from the United Kingdom have issued warnings urging children under 16 not to use cell phones. High frequency EMF waves lead to significant increase in blood pressure. Even though it is universally accepted that electro magnetic radiations emitted from mobile phones is bound to affect the health and well being, they tend to ignore as people have become totally dependent on mobile phones and life today will come to a standstill without it. We are subjecting ourselves and our loved ones to this external stressor day in and day out.”

Remember the adrenal glands are very sensitive to any changes in the body.  So any additional “stressors” put a chronic stress on these glands. And EMF’s in themselves can cause fatigue.

EMF’s also have some other scary properties.

1.  They open the blood brain barrier. This makes a straight passageway for pathogens and chemicals to enter.  Kids and pregnant women should as little as possible have cell phones and electronics on them.  And Pregnant women!! Never never put your phone on your belly or skin with a growing fetus.

“Three recent studies link prenatal EMF radiation exposure to a number of health issues including; decrease in births, accelerated sexual maturity (sperm and eggs maturing faster but at lower quality), and female eggs of offspring showing premenopausal similarities upon entering puberty. EMF exposure in the womb has also been shown to affect the development of the cells and neurons in the cerebellum, which works to control motor skills.”

This also poses the problem with vaccines, as we know anything injected goes right into the tissues and passes our immune system barriers.  So these chemicals and infection can get straight into our brain tissue because EMF’s open the passageway.

2.  EMF’s deplete essential fatty acids in our body. Because EMF creates problems at the cellular level, it is even more vital to obtain essential fats to help cells function at their best.

This is why so many people are tending more toward the ketogenic and high fat diet as well.  When EMF exposure is high, free radical damage is high, so we crave and thrive off of more heathy fats to combat all the free radical stress.

Nutritionally, we should all be on some essential fatty acid supplementation, whether plant or fish to combat this. Also recommended are other antioxidants such as Vitamin C, E, green tea extract, lipoic acid, NAC, circumin, wild blueberries, Ginko, resveratrol, and others.
I love using herbs to help support the adrenals and replenish nutritional deficiencies.

3.DNA Damage – Radiofrequency (RF) radiation induces both single- and double-stranded DNA breaks in human and animal cells. When DNA breaks are not properly repaired, the long-term damage results in adverse health effects.

4. Voltage Gated Calcium Channels (VGCC)– EMF opens VGCCs causing cells to be flooded with calcium. This excess calcium disrupts multiple pathways, leading to various negative effects, including increased oxidative stress, disrupted nerve cell communication, and heart-related problems.

5. Melatonin Hormone Reduction – EMF suppresses the production of melatonin, which is the antioxidant hormone responsible for repairing the body during sleep. When the body does not properly repair itself at night, problems can arise from immune-related conditions to premature aging.

6. Microbiome Disruption– Just as all cells—including those in our body, are electrical, the organisms in our microbiome are electrical, too. There is evidence to show that our microbiome is harmed by EMF.

Wearing protective EMF shields on your electronics ( Like Hedron Life Source I like) will help decrease your exposure, but really you need to follow these tips as best as possible.

  • Create a wired Internet network in the home. Computers, laptops, and HDTVs can run on hardwired Ethernet connections. Smart phones and tablets can be hardwired using Ethernet adaptor cords. Use Wi-fi routers infrequently (minimize use), or not at all. Keep routers as far away from living areas as possible.
  • Keep smart phones in airplane mode whenever possible. Minimize use of cell phones for calls. Use Air tube headsets and speaker phones whenever possible to provide distance from the device.
  • Avoid using mobile phones in a vehicles like cars and buses (as vehicles act as Faraday cages in which signals just bounce around). Keep away from phone or tablet when downloading data. Turn off Wi-Fi and cellular data on the phone most of the time.
  • Never keep mobile phones in pockets or close to the body. Turn phone off or use airplane mode if phone must be kept in proximity to the body.
  • Turn off electronics (phones, routers, Bluetooth devices) at night. Keep cell phones and other electronics out of your bedroom. Put your router on timer switch to shut off automatically at 9 or 10 pm.
  • Use a landline phone. Yes, landline phone service still exists in most places.
  • Test for electromagnetic interference (EMI) in household outlets using a EMI meter. Install a line conditioner and/or EMI filters (to reduce “dirty electricity”). You can obtain EMI meters and filters from Greenwave or Stetzer.
  •  Shield smart meters using special “radiant barrier” anti-radiation materials, like Satic Shield (from Satic USA) or Reflectix (available at Home Depot). Place shielding on the interior wall opposite the meter. There are also metal meter cages for blocking fields coming from the face and sides of smart meter.
  • Consider an in-line conditioner for your electrical system, especially if you have a smart meter or solar panels—or measure significant amounts (300+ millivolts) of dirty electricity on your wiring. I am pleased with Satic USA’s line conditioner (Power Perfect Box) that attaches to the electrical breaker box
  • Keep a Faraday bag available for times when you want to block all signals to or from your smart phone or other devices. They are available for less than $20.

Additionally.

You should also be protecting against Blue Light, which is a big adrenal gland depleter.
Blue light is part of the visible light spectrum. During the daytime, natural blue light from the sun helps keep you awake and regulates your circadian rhythm, or ‘body clock.’ Indoors, blue light is emitted from digital devices like computers or smartphone screens, as well as artificial light sources such as LED and fluorescent lights.

“The most common effects of too much blue light exposure are eye strain, blurred vision, and headaches. However, recent studies have focused on blue light’s negative impact on the circadian rhythm and found that watching TV or using a tablet before bedtime, for example, can result in restlessness and disrupted sleep cycles.  Children are the MOST vulnerable.”

Getting blue blocker glass to wear when you are around blue light is super important, and especially for not disrupting your sleep pattern at night.  So if you use electronic before bed (i don’t recommend), make sure you’ve got your glasses on!

Healthy Exercise.

Exercise is important for many vital health functions in our body.  However, for those with adrenal fatigue, exercise the wrong way can also be a source of stress.
Exercise increases many great things like endorphins, NRF2 in the brain which is a antioxidant cellular defense pathway.    It’s so important to have regular exercise into your daily routine every day, as we were made to move.

However, some individuals can go overboard with working out, as in working out too hard, too much, and through exercise that is not right for their body which causes metabolic stress.

For example, many women will actually stop menstruating with heavy exercise, which as we know is harmful.
But when your adrenals are already compromised, doing heavy excercise may actually harm rather than help you.

“Many evidence is showing that Exercise, especially high-intensity exercise, is stressful on the body and it causes your body to release cortisol. There’s the belief that cardio exercise, like running, is really adrenally taxing, but we’re now starting to see that even aggressive circuits can be adrenally taxing as we’ve seen with CrossFit athletes.A recent study looked at adrenal cortisol response of high-intensity, short-rest, resistance exercise in healthy men and women. The study found that short rest periods may not be good for those with adrenal fatigue, as they caused an increased adrenal response. It demonstrated that a CrossFit-type training session showed much higher levels of cortisol produced. If you’ve got cortisol issues to begin with of various forms, you probably cannot keep up with that output and keep your health at the same time.

In the world of functional medicine, we often advise against high-intensity cardio and actually recommend circuit training or resistance training for those with adrenal fatigue. While prolonged cardio exercise that lasts more than an hour is not ideal, we’re finding that intense circuit training with short rest periods may actually be worse. These types of workouts, such as CrossFit, actually cause the most adrenal stress.

You do want cortisol to be released during exercise. However, once you are done with that exercise, you want the cortisol response to actually go back down as fast as possible.

This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t exercise or you shouldn’t do resistance training. For those with adrenal issues, lower-level cardiovascular training is actually beneficial. ”

This means listening to your body.  Maybe starting at first with keeping working out under an hour, walking in nature, doing a yoga/pilates class, perform simple, low-intensity movements.

Workout out extremely hard every single day, can put a stress on your adrenal glands.  Exercise is vital and key, but too much of anything is not good.  Be mindful of your own body, as we are all different and have difference needs.

 

 

OIL OF THE WEEK

ON the spotlight this week is DoTerra’s  Rosemary.

In two separate studies, scientists in Spain found that nothing fights radiation damage to micronuclei like a simple garden herb known as rosemary. They noted that ionizing radiation causes the massive generation of free radicals that induce cellular DNA damage. They studied the protective effects of several compounds against gamma ray induced chromosomal damage in micronuclei testing by adding various compounds to human blood before and after irradiation. When the compounds were added after gamma-irradiation treatment, the protective effects relied not on scavenging ability, but on activity against free radicals already present in the cells, such as lipoperoxy radicals which are mainly responsible for continuous chromosomal oxidative damage.

The fact that carnosic acid and carnosol found in rosemary are fat soluble allows them to provide highly asignificant protective anti-mutagenic activity. Even the most powerful water-soluble antioxidants lack the capacity to protect against gamma ray induced damage. This study can be found in the British Journal of Radiology, February 2 edition.

In their second study, the generation of radiation induced cellular DNA damage to skin from free radicals was the focus. The researchers sought to demonstrate that rosmarinic acid from rosemary would act as a photo-protector both by acting as a scavenger of free radicals and as an inducer of the body’s own endogenous defense mechanisms by regulating tyrosinase activity and stimulating melanin production. They found that formulation of toxic malonyldialdehyde was delayed by the use of rosmarinic acid, and the protection factor was 3.34 times greater than for other compounds studied, as measured in micronucleus testing. In vivo testing showed the capacity of orally administered rosmarinic acid to inhibit skin alterations as a result of UV radiation exposure.