But what happens when our systems are overloaded with toxins and the elimination process becomes sluggish? Some signs may include fatigue, headaches, brain fog, joint pain, constipation, rashes, eczema, food sensitivities, allergies, weight gain, asthma, nausea, indigestion, gastritis, anxiety, and depression. Over the long term, the build-up of environmental toxins in our body may start to cause symptoms and may even contribute to the development of chronic disease.

What is a Detox?

Detoxification, also known as cleansing, is a way to help keep our main organs of elimination – the kidneys, liver, large intestine, lymphatic system, and sweat glands – running efficiently. Taking purposeful actions that help to remove these built-up toxins supports the body’s natural pathways of elimination. 

A Typical Cleansing Routine

“Doing” a cleanse or detox typically means following a short-term dietary plan, alongside increased hydration and some natural supplements that support the body’s processes. Medical research shows variable results as to the measurable effectiveness of detoxification. But talk to anyone who includes detox in their wellness routine, and you will often hear that they feel much healthier after a detox. They report feeling lighter and brighter, some symptoms go away, pain decreases, people sleep better, energy tends to come back, the skin clears up and sometimes weight loss can start to happen. It feels like a fresh start.

Boxed Detox Kits

While there are several “detoxification kits” available in health food stores or online, they have been developed for a mass market, and as such will not suit everyone. Some are mild while others can be on the extreme side. If you take any medications or suffer from any pre-existing conditions, they can even be dangerous. At Mind-Body Integrative Medicine, we advocate a gentle and ongoing lifestyle approach to detoxification, and one that is customized to your body’s specific needs. It is important to work with your healthcare practitioner to make sure that you’re cleansing correctly, keep track of your results and ensure that any supplements you take are of the highest quality and appropriate for you.

The following is a primer on some of the different types of cleanses designed to kick-start a healthier lifestyle and help steer us away from chronic disease. Always discuss any dietary changes, detoxes or cleanses with your healthcare practitioner prior to starting, to ensure it’s right for you.

Digestive Detox 

A digestive detox is a gentle detoxification plan aimed at supporting the body’s main elimination system through specific foods and supplementation. It focuses on reducing potentially inflammatory animal products such as meat and dairy as well as potential intestinal irritants such as gluten and caffeine. Fresh and ideally organic fruits and vegetables are encouraged, as are fermented foods and increased water consumption. Alcohol is avoided as are processed foods, including those high in refined sugars, preservatives, and other additives. Supplementation is encouraged, particularly those that aid digestion and support the liver. Common supplements taken during a digestive detox are probiotics, dandelion, milk thistle, burdock root, digestive enzymes and a fiber supplement that is right for your body.

Juice or Liquid Cleanse

A juice or liquid cleanse approaches detoxification by only consuming juices or liquids for a set amount of time, typically lasting between 3 – 10 days. Fresh juices are pressed from ideally organic vegetables and some fruits, contain no additives or sweeteners, and the pulp is not consumed. Frankly, I do NOT advocate for juice cleanses because they can be too high in sugar. They also have had the body of the food, the fiber removed so one is not consuming the whole food. Caffeine is prohibited as is alcohol. Lemon juice and spices that stimulate the digestive process, and thus detoxification, such as cayenne and ginger are often included in the juices.

The reasoning behind the juice or liquid cleanse is that by only consuming liquids, especially those that are high in enzymes, the body is given a rest from the physical process of breaking down food, while still being fully nourished with micronutrients and natural sugar. I believe there are better ways to achieve these goals. Studies have shown that during the cleanse, an increase in intestinal microbiota associated with weight loss and increased health may occur. However, a liquid cleanse is not safe for everyone and should be supervised.

Paleo Cleanse

The paleo cleanse is a high fat, low carb diet based on the premise that our bodies run optimally eating on par with how our ancestors ate during pre-agricultural times, aka during the Paleolithic era dating from approximately 2.5 million to 10,000 years ago. The reasoning behind the cleanse is the belief that our bodies have not had time to fully adapt to eating dairy and grains, (and of course most have not adapted to eating the processed foods developed over the last century either). By reducing carbohydrates, many report more balanced blood sugar metabolism.

A paleo cleanse focuses on eating high quality pastured, grass fed or wild meats, fish (especially cold-water fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids), nuts & seeds and their oils, as well as unrefined olive, coconut and avocado oils, most vegetables, and some fruit. Foods to avoid during a paleo cleanse are dairy, grains, legumes, refined sugars, salt, and processed foods.

Liver Detox

Rather than focusing on detoxification in general, the liver detox focuses on supporting the liver as it is the body’s primary detoxification organ. Organic whole grains, nuts, legumes, vegetables, fruits, lean meats, eggs, and fish are encouraged, as are unprocessed oils. Alcohol, caffeine, processed foods and refined sugars are eliminated while water intake (with the addition of lemon juice in the morning glass) is increased.

Specific foods have been researched for their ability to support liver function, and increased consumption of these are encouraged. They include beets, ginger, garlic, turmeric, lemon, lime, apple cider vinegar, carrots, green apples, leafy greens, and walnuts. Herbal teas or supplements containing milk thistle and dandelion root are also used to support the different channels of detoxification in the liver. 

How We Can Support Your Detox Goals

Talk to your practitioner about choosing the right detox or cleanse to support your health goals.We can run lab tests to compare results before and after your program and provide you with a structured meal plan to help you succeed. Book an appointment for a Discovery Call and together we can move forward to a healthier future.

You can schedule a time for a Discovery Call at this link: DISCOVERY CALL

References

Frassetto, L., Schloetter, M., Mietus-Synder, M. et al. Metabolic and physiologic improvements from consuming a paleolithic, hunter-gatherer type diet. Eur J Clin Nutr 63, 947–955 (2009).

Grant DM. Detoxification pathways in the liver. J Inherit Metab Dis. 1991;14(4):421-430. doi:10.1007/BF01797915

Gupta, L., Khandelwal, D., Lal, P. R., Kalra, S., & Dutta, D. (2019). Paleolithic Diet in Diabesity and Endocrinopathies – A Vegan’s Perspective. European endocrinology, 15(2), 77–82. https://doi.org/10.17925/EE.2019.15.2.77

Henning SM, Yang J, Shao P, et al. Health benefit of vegetable/fruit juice-based diet: Role of microbiome. Sci Rep. 2017;7(1):2167. Published 2017 May 19. doi:10.1038/s41598-017-02200-6

Jaishankar M, Tseten T, Anbalagan N, Matthew BB, Beeregowda KN. Toxicity, mechanism and health effects of some heavy metals. Interdiscip Toxicol. 2014;7(2):60-72. doi:10.2478/intox-2014-0009

Lindeberg, S., Jönsson, T., Granfeldt, Y. et al. A Paleolithic diet improves glucose tolerance more than a Mediterranean-like diet in individuals with ischaemic heart disease. Diabetologia 50, 1795–1807 (2007)

We have weathered some serious concerns about our health and how to protect ourselves from viruses like Covid-19 over the last year and a half. Viruses have been and will be with us always – not anything new. Having a strong and healthy immune system is your first defense in preventing invaders from taking over. As we enter into the cold and flu season (yes, these viruses still exist) and as we continue to battle new variants of this coronavirus…our best foot forward is knowing what we can do ourselves to support our body’s innate ability to heal.

Why Your Immune System Needs Some Extra Love Right Now

The world has learned a lot about practicing good hygiene since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hand sanitizer sales jumped an astonishing 600% in 2020, we all wore masks in public, and “social distancing” entered into our regular vocabulary. This all contributed to our collective efforts to control COVID-19, but, somewhat ironically, scientists are now raising concerns about the long-term effects on our immune systems.

These things can actually disturb the delicate balances of our natural immune system. Do you realize this? We can create an imbalance in our skin’s bacterial ecosystem and in our delicate gut microbiome that can make us more, not less susceptible to disease.

One concern is that the emphasis on sanitizing everything weakens immunity. According to the “hygiene hypothesis,” exposure to microbes like bacteria, parasites, viruses, and fungi helps to build our immune response. By limiting our exposure to the microbial world while trying to avoid COVID-19, have we disturbed this process? I believe yes! Research still needs to be done, as it’s obviously too early to know the long-term effects, though I am a firm believer in trusting my own inner wisdom and experience and not waiting on the pharmaceutical industry to do research into an area that isn’t on their priority list.

However, the isolation of the last year may have affected our immune systems in a more subtle fashion. Emotions have a profound impact on immunity. Loneliness in particular can lower our resilience.

One study found that it triggers cellular changes that reduce immunity as much as other, more physical risk factors for illness, like obesity. Similarly, stress reduces immunity. You’ve likely noticed you’re more likely to get sick during tough times, and research confirms that stress – particularly chronic stress – can alter your immune response. For many people, isolation and what sometimes feels like an endless stream of bad news have resulted in more intense feelings of loneliness and stress, and the resulting impact on immunity should be front of mind as we enter into the season where exposure to cold and flu viruses become more impactful.

What has not been, and still isn’t being addressed enough is our own natural immune system. Proactive efforts at supporting your immune system can prevent getting sick in the first place. Not are the following suggestions important to take into your body’s system, it is important to realize how love and connection, sleep, and avoiding the negative news are also in keeping your immune system strong. It is a ‘both and’ approach that includes lifestyle choices. There is not enough research to establish the efficacy of relying on vaccines. self-empowerment and keeping an open mind as to available options can matter greatly in order to maintain your health and well-being.

Another reason for building up immunity is the hard truth that COVID-19 and ALL viruses are likely here to stay. They have always been here with us, and they are not new. New evidence shows that even if you’re double-vaccinated, you could still be at risk. Now we are learning about how long those antibodies last, and that immunity may be waning for the vaccinated already.

And let’s be clear here, there are no long-term studies, though we know for certain even before these recent chaotic times, natural immunity can last decades. T-cell mediated immunity, a powerhouse backup system, is rarely even mentioned – we should not be leaving this out of the discussion either. This is the reason why public, open discourse is so very important right now.

Besides, seasonal viruses change…well, every season. Being in top shape with your health is what we can personally control and feeling empowered with what you need to know is the first step to preventive care and a strong immune system.

Support Your Immune System: Proven Strategies

Being resilient is what we need to aim for. We know we can’t control everything but ensuring you do what you can to keep your body strong will help support your immune system for the months ahead (and for the long term).

Focus on fiber
A diet rich in high-fiber foods encourages the development and maintenance of the gut microbiome, which stimulates your immune cells. A diet centered around low glycemic organic fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes is one of the best ways to develop stronger immunity.

Choose probiotics
Probiotic supplements and fermented foods also contribute to your gut bacteria. Good choices include sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt, and kefir.

Limit sugar
Reducing sugar intake can lower the risk of obesity and Type 2 diabetes, both of which are risk factors for a weaker immune system. In one study, obese patients were twice as likely to get the flu following a flu shot and eliminating sweets can go far in any weight loss strategy.

Favor healthy fats
Certain fats can reduce inflammation, which is stressful for your immune system. Research shows that extra virgin olive oil and foods with high amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon and flax seeds, are beneficial.

Find time for moderate exercise
Even a single session of moderate exercise improves immune response. Of course, everyone has a different definition of “moderate,” so pay careful attention to your body. You should feel refreshed and energized afterward, not exhausted.

Stay rested
It’s always been a commonly held belief that getting enough sleep helps prevent illness, but new research suggests the relationship is even stronger than previously assumed. According to one study, a difference of less than one hour in the amount of sleep a person gets can significantly affect their susceptibility to colds. Sleep, in particular, helps strengthen T cells, a type of immune cell as mentioned above. It also slows the production of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline that compromise immunity. If you find yourself hitting the snooze alarm every morning or you frequently feel exhausted, it’s time to take a look at your sleep hygiene and perhaps make scheduling more time to sleep a priority.

Add supplements if needed
Daily supplementation with certain immune-supportive supplements can be beneficial. Some supplements that have been proven to help immune response include vitamin D, vitamin C, zinc, and echinacea. Be sure to speak with your healthcare provider before including any new supplements. Feel free to get in touch with me, and we can help find the right ones for you!

Avoid toxins
Don’t undermine your efforts to support your immune system by exposing your body to harmful toxins like cigarette smoke, excessive amounts of alcohol, or harmful pesticides. Even in wine, there are often chemical pesticides to avoid, and in other forms of alcohol, like most beer and vodka, there is gluten! Be mindful of hidden toxins in household cleaning products, detergents, and cosmetics too! Read labels and choose all-natural products when possible – check out the Environmental Working Group (EWG) website for more information on what could be hiding in typical household products, cosmetics, and more! https://www.ewg.org (Mary Jane, open this link to a NEW TAB).

Remember – You’re in Control

We’ve all experienced a lot of stressful changes over the last year and a half. By taking proactive steps to support your immune system, you can ensure you’re ready for whatever the next few months hold and celebrate the world’s gradual re-opening.

If you’d like some help creating a health plan that fits your goals and lifestyle, give us a call – We are here to help!

Sources

Finlay BB, Amato KR, Azad M, Blaser MJ, Bosch TCG, Chu H, Dominguez-Bello MG, Ehrlich SD, Elinav E, Geva-Zatorsky N, Gros P, Guillemin K, Keck F, Korem T, McFall-Ngai MJ, Melby MK, Nichter M, Pettersson S, Poinar H, Rees T, Tropini C, Zhao L, Giles-Vernick T. The hygiene hypothesis, the COVID pandemic, and consequences for the human microbiome. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021 Feb 9;118(6):e2010217118. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2010217118. Erratum in: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021 Mar 16;118(11): PMID: 33472859; PMCID: PMC8017729.

The Wall Street Journal, Hand Sanitizer Sales Jumped 600% in 2020. Purell Maker Bets Against a Post-Pandemic Collapse, January 22, 2021,

The hygiene hypothesis, the COVID pandemic, and consequences for the human microbiome
B. Brett Finlay, Katherine R. Amato, Meghan Azad, Martin J. Blaser, Thomas C. G. Bosch, Hiutung Chu, Maria Gloria Dominguez-Bello, Stanislav Dusko Ehrlich, Eran Elinav, Naama Geva-Zatorsky, Philippe Gros, Karen Guillemin, Frédéric Keck, Tal Korem, Margaret J. McFall-Ngai, Melissa K. Melby, Mark Nichter, Sven Pettersson, Hendrik Poinar, Tobias Rees, Carolina Tropini, Liping Zhao, Tamara Giles-Vernick
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Feb 2021, 118 (6) e2010217118; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2010217118

Myeloid differentiation in social isolation, Steven W. Cole, John P. Capitanio, Katie Chun, Jesusa M. G. Arevalo, Jeffrey Ma, John T. Cacioppo, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Dec 2015, 112 (49) 15142-15147; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1514249112

CBC News, Flu cases in Canada ‘exceptionally low’ so far, public health says, November 17, 2020,

Public Health Ontario, Risk of COVID-19 Transmission from Vaccinated Cases

Global News, Half of Canadians are anxious about reopening amid COVID-19. Here’s how to cope, June 19, 2021,https://globalnews.ca/news/7962380/covid-reopening-social-anxiety/

Schley PD, Field CJ. The immune-enhancing effects of dietary fibres and prebiotics. Br J Nutr. 2002 May;87 Suppl 2:S221-30. doi: 10.1079/BJNBJN/2002541. PMID: 12088522

Gambino CM, Accardi G, Aiello A, Candore G, Dara-Guccione G, Mirisola M, Procopio A, Taormina G, Caruso C. Effect of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Table Olives on the ImmuneInflammatory Responses: Potential Clinical Applications. Endocr Metab Immune Disord Drug Targets. 2018;18(1):14-22. doi: 10.2174/1871530317666171114113822. PMID: 29141570.

Simpson RJ, Kunz H, Agha N, Graff R. Exercise and the Regulation of Immune Functions. Prog Mol Biol Transl Sci. 2015;135:355-80. doi: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2015.08.001. Epub 2015 Sep 5. PMID: 26477922.

Prietl B, Treiber G, Pieber TR, Amrein K. Vitamin D and immune function. Nutrients. 2013;5(7):2502-2521. Published 2013 Jul 5. doi:10.3390/nu5072502

Saper RB, Rash R. Zinc: an essential micronutrient. Am Fam Physician. 2009;79(9):768-772

Carr AC, Maggini S. Vitamin C, and Immune Function. Nutrients. 2017;9(11):1211. Published 2017 Nov 3. doi:10.3390/nu9111211

Hudson J, Vimalanathan S. Echinacea—A Source of Potent Antivirals for Respiratory Virus Infections. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2011;4(7):1019-1031. Published 2011 Jul 13. doi:10.3390/ph4071019

Cohen S, Doyle WJ, Alper CM, Janicki-Deverts D, Turner RB. Sleep Habits and Susceptibility to the Common Cold. Arch Intern Med. 2009;169(1):62–67. doi:10.1001/archinternmed.2008.505

Thankfully, evidence suggests there are a finite number of ways to influence aging. This means we’re not doomed by our genes, nor can we rely solely on our genes to carry us through long and healthy lives all the way into our 90’s. We can, however, do certain things to increase our chances of getting there. So, let’s get down to the conditions for living a long and healthy life. After all, what good is living a long life if we’re not disease and disability-free in old age? That’s the goal!

Why Do We Age?

There are many compelling theories on the subject of how and why we age dating back to antiquity. Some ancient philosophers believed in a version of the “rate of living” theory, which suggests each person possesses a mysterious “vital substance” that keeps them alive. This elusive life-giving ingredient was thought of as a predetermined, finite amount of heartbeats and breaths awarded to each person at birth to last throughout their lifetime. Luckily for us, this isn’t the case! However, the mystery of exactly how and why we age has yet to be fully solved.

Aging Occurs At The Cellular Level

One modern theory is the cross-linking/glycation hypothesis. As we age, the mobility and elasticity of structural molecules and proteins in our cells are impaired because of a cellular process called “cross-linking.”

Cross-linking occurs when cells form inappropriate attachments to one another, impairing the proteins’ functions, the same chemical process that causes food to turn brown when cooked.

Free Radicals

Evidence also suggests aging can be caused by free radicals causing oxidative damage to cells. Free radicals are the toxic byproducts of normal cellular metabolism. This creates a vicious cycle in which free radicals cause oxidative damage to cells, which in turn produces more free radicals. This unavoidable side effect of cell production leads to cell death, the result of which are the signs of aging.

Stress Is The Killer

All of the most compelling modern theories on aging point to cellular damage as the main cause for the deterioration of our bodies as we grow older. Both physical and emotional stress cause free radicals, oxidation, and damage to DNA – all factors that cause cell death and aging. Stress has the power to lower our immune system, increase inflammation, and destroy the brain cells that are responsible for memory.  This is because when we’re chronically stressed our bodies produce cortisol, a hormone directly linked to causing cell damage.

This is why if negative news ‘stresses you out’ – perhaps you should consider turning it off. There seems to be a tendency for excessive focus on negative news these days, so perhaps for the sake of your health – avoid it. You have the power to stop watching it if it isn’t serving your highest good.

It only makes sense that finding ways to lower stress is the best overall anti-aging remedy. Besides, why all the concern with living a long time if we’re always stressed out beyond belief? Incorporating stress-reducing tools day to day increases our quality of life, and that’s a top priority!

Physical And Psychological Stress

Both environmental, as well as lifestyle choices, can impact stress levels in the body. Heavy metals from polluted water, EMFs, chemicals, alcohol, cigarettes, and poor diet all contribute to the production of cortisol which means more stress.

People who suffer from chronic stress, depression, anxiety, trauma, and social isolation have similar damage in common at the cellular level. Studies show that stress shortens the length of a part of cells called telomeres. Shortened telomeres are a leading cause of cell death and aging.

The good news is we have some control over how we deal with stress. All we need is the awareness and the willingness to confront stress, and the right tools available to help us do so.

Holistic Stress Reducers

Living a stress-free lifestyle is the key to a long, happy, healthy life. The challenge, should we choose to accept it, is committing ourselves to reducing stress in our lives. After all, we can’t show up for life effectively if our minds are always clouded by stress. So, what are some tools we can use to manage and eliminate stress, one day at a time?

• Meditation has been proven to reduce stress by creating new neurological pathways in the brain. This makes new thoughts possible and helps shake us out of old habits. Taking a moment to quiet the endless stream of thoughts running through our minds allows us to take a piece of that tranquility with us throughout the rest of the day. Meditation makes a world of difference and doesn’t have to be intimidating! Even taking 5 to 10 minutes to center yourself before starting your day can be life changing.
• Healthy diet. Eating a healthy diet full of fresh organic vegetables, whole grains, and nutrient-rich proteins is key to longevity. Eliminating sugar and processed foods is a must for anyone concerned with living long and well.
• Physical activity. Implementing an exercise routine is essential to mental and physical wellness. Physical activity releases powerful stress-reducing endorphins in the brain. Yoga is especially helpful, as it combines meditation with exercise, naturally relaxing the body and mind.
• Good sleep. Sleep facilitates the function of the lymphatic system, which can be thought of as the brain’s garbage disposer. While we’re asleep, the brain works 10 times as hard to remove toxins, like the protein build-up responsible for Alzheimer’s disease.
• Limiting exposure to toxins. The effects of environmental toxins such as polluted water and poor air quality can seriously impact longevity over time. It’s been proven that people who live in places with cleaner air and access to fresh, clean water are known to live longer. Avoiding toxic materials, such as using plastic for food storage, is an easy way to start reducing toxicity in the body. Obtain a quality air purifier, water purifying system (I prefer one that attaches to the house water-main system for the whole house) and read your product labels carefully!
• Purposeful living. Living a purposeful life is the most important thing we can do to extend our longevity. One thing centenarians all have in common is feeling they have lived a life worth living. Studies show that people who live with a greater sense of purpose experience better quality sleep along with receiving the regenerative benefits of being well-rested.
• Practicing an attitude of gratitude is one way to ensure we live long and prosper.

A Note on Blue Zones

The places on earth with the greatest longevity are known as “Blue Zones,” and people who live there all have some major things in common. They tend to live with a greater sense of purpose and value healthy eating, exercise, and maintaining positive relationships with themselves and others. Hint: Constantly judging and trying to control the thinking of those around you creates strife, stress and is not conducive to a healthy lifestyle!

Japan is the country with the greatest longevity on the planet, one out of fifteen hundred Japanese citizens are over one hundred years old!

The answer is in the culture. Obesity rates are low, as the common Japanese diet consists mainly of plant food, fish, and non-sugar sweetened beverages. The Japanese value purposeful living and meditation is a regular practice among common people. Managing stress and living with purpose are the most important things we can do to increase longevity. The Japanese culture supports both, and the proof is in the population.

You Only Live Once!

As far as we know, this is our one and only life in this unique form that we are. It’s up to the individual to tend their own garden by implementing life-affirming, longevity-boosting lifestyles to ensure this life is meaningful, enjoyable, and lasts a good long time!

The good news is we’re definitely not alone on the journey. If you’re curious about ways to increase your longevity and overall quality of life, give us a call. We can help!

Sources:

Goyal M, Singh S, Sibinga EM, Gould NF, Rowland-Seymour A, Sharma R, Berger Z, Sleicher D, Maron DD, Shihab HM, Ranasinghe PD, Linn S, Saha S, Bass EB, Haythornthwaite JA. Meditation programs for psychological stress and well-being: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Intern Med. 2014 Mar;174(3):357-68. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.13018. PMID: 24395196; PMCID: PMC4142584.

Schultchen D, Reichenberger J, Mittl T, Weh TRM, Smyth JM, Blechert J, Pollatos O. Bidirectional relationship of stress and affect with physical activity and healthy eating. Br J Health Psychol. 2019 May;24(2):315-333. doi: 10.1111/bjhp.12355. Epub 2019 Jan 22. PMID: 30672069; PMCID: PMC6767465.

Tsugane, S. Why has Japan become the world’s most long-lived country: insights from a food and nutrition perspective. Eur J Clin Nutr (2020).

Alimujiang A, Wiensch A, Boss J, et al. Association Between Life Purpose and Mortality Among US Adults Older Than 50 Years. JAMA Netw Open. 2019;2(5):e194270. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.4270

Diggs J. (2008) The Cross‐Linkage Theory of Aging. In: Loue S.J., Sajatovic M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Aging and Public Health. Springer, Boston, MA.

Lints FA. The rate of living theory revisited. Gerontology. 1989;35(1):36-57. doi: 10.1159/000212998. PMID: 2656413.

While bad breath (also known as halitosis) isn’t often a symptom of disease per se, it can affect our overall well-being as well as our psychology, work life and relationships. So let’s look into why you (or someone you know) may be dealing with halitosis — and how to fix it!

Six Reasons You Might Have Bad Breath

There are several potential causes of bad breath. Commonly, it’s very simply down to a lack of oral hygiene which may be easy enough to fix. But sometimes there are deeper issues at play. We’ll start by exploring the more benign reasons for bad breath, then cover how and when it may be a red flag for more serious issues.

1 – You May Be Eating Pungent Foods

This will not come as a surprise, but certain foods are linked to transient oral malodor (or temporary bad breath). Garlic, onions, and spicy food are common culprits. Sulphur compounds in these foods are particularly high, and when chewing, the bacteria in your saliva release these sulphur compounds from your food.

Volatile Sulphur Compounds (VSC)

Released by the mechanics of chewing and chemically by digestive enzymes, and no longer bound up in the food you ate, these volatile sulphur compounds quickly turn gaseous. Once able to mix with the air, volatile sulphur compounds (VSC) can exit your mouth via the breath.

Tobacco, coffee and alcohol may also perform this foul-smelling trick. It varies, but you may notice a change in breath odor for several hours. (And likely so will your family members, friends and co-workers…)

2 – You May Have Food Sensitivities

Food sensitivities can also contribute to halitosis – and lactose intolerance is a perfect example of this. When the body can’t digest the sugars in milk, the microbes that feast on those particular undigested sugars put off a sulfurous pungent odor that can be smelled on the breath.

Leaky Gut

Further down the system, improperly broken-down food can make its way into your bloodstream. Normally, the gut lining works to prevent this. But in situations of chronic food sensitivity and ongoing inflammation, the protective mucosal lining of the digestive system becomes permeable.

Toxins in the bloodstream

Escaped food particles act as toxins in our blood. As the accumulation of toxins builds, we may start to notice symptoms that include bad breath. Your functional medicine doctor can help you identify any existing food sensitivities, work with you to restore your gut lining, and (as a welcome side effect) get rid of chronic bad breath.

3 – The Bacteria in Your Mouth May be Out of Balance

The mouth is an area rife with microbes and bacteria. Many of them play important roles in the first step of the digestive process. Others, such as gram-negative bacteria (like Enterobacteriaceae) take up residence under the tongue, in plaque and in the deep creases between our teeth and gums where they interact with each other, giving rise to halitosis.

No single bacterial species is to blame for bad breath, but together these bacteria cause Volatile Sulphur Compounds to be released. Some of the bacteria that thrive in the depths of the gum line can cause gum diseases such as pericoronitis or periodontal abscess, which can increase the volume of Volatile Sulphur Compounds released even more.

The Diamine Difference & Gum Disease

As we dive deeper under the gums, we see less oxygen and a lower (i.e. more acidic) pH. This acidic pH creates those smelly diamines. When food-trapping gum pockets arise due to gum disease, regular amino acids from the trapped food are converted into diamines.

When that happens, we (and those close to us) smell the difference.

4 – Your Mouth May Be Chronically Dry

Having a dry mouth, no matter the cause, is a serious issue. It’s not only uncomfortable but if the condition is ongoing it prevents the important cleansing function whereby saliva flushes bacteria out of the mouth.

Why We Get A Dry Mouth

Oral dryness can cause discomfort for a number of reasons beyond the obvious (and easy to rectify) dehydration. Mouth breathing is a common culprit, often arising from an obstruction of the sinuses and nasal cavity and causing increased airflow and subsequent dryness in the mouth. Salivary glands may be infected, blocked or malfunctioning. And many medications also have a dry mouth listed among their side effects.

The Role of Saliva

Saliva is your mouth’s best friend. It helps wash out the mouth, reducing bacteria and preventing tooth decay, gum disease and plaque formation in the mouth. As oral bacteria have been found to have made their way to the arterial plaque of heart disease patients as well as causing issues in the mouth, we know that avoiding a chronically dry mouth is a whole-body problem – with bad breath acting as a red flag.

5 – You May Have a Yeast Overgrowth

If a candida yeast overgrowth appears in the mouth, deeper factors are often at play in the body. A healthy immune system prevents this fungus from taking root and growing. The candida species is commonly found in and on your body, but it seizes the opportunity to grow when the immunity is vulnerable.

In the case of bad breath, this underlying immune dysfunction alters the balance between your immune system and oral microbes. Candida and other microbes proliferate. Volatile Sulphur Compounds and methyl mercaptan (another player in the malodour scene) are then produced and released.

6 – You May have Ear, Nose and Throat Problems

While 90% of halitosis cases arise from the mouth alone, other systems can also be involved: Calcium deposits in the tonsils can cause a 10-fold increase in Volatile Sulphur Compound levels if they are overloaded; foreign bodies in the nose (often seen in children) are slowly dismantled by bacteria, resulting in breath odor; and infected sinuses can leak pus on the back of the tongue.

While bad breath is typically transient (think: morning breath) it can linger. For those dealing with chronic halitosis, you know just how impactful it can be.

But don’t worry. Your functional medicine doctor can help you battle your bad breath.

The Importance of Oral Hygiene

Oral hygiene is paramount when treating halitosis. Brushing, flossing, and regular dental check-ups are the foundation of good oral health. Unchecked cavities, gum disease and other dental pathologies must be addressed if you want to achieve better-smelling breath and the health benefits that come with it.

But it is important to remember that the mouth is a delicate area, it is the starting point of a carefully balanced digestive system which requires a fine balance of moisture and bacteria to work optimally.

Mouthwash

Gurgling with mouthwash is a powerful tool in your halitosis arsenal. Anti-bacterial agents flush unwanted microbes from the crevices of your teeth, tongue, and gums. However, conventional products typically include an array of irritating ingredients as well.

Irritating Ingredients in Conventional Mouthwash

Artificial food dyes make mouthwash look good on a shelf, but these components can be detrimental to your mouth (and body). All nine FDA- approved artificial food dyes are linked to various health concerns. These range from sensitivities all the way to cancer.

Meanwhile, acidic stabilizing agents and alcohol can strip your teeth of and temporarily soften the enamel (make sure to brush before using mouthwash and not after for this reason).

A Better Way to Rinse

Herbal mouthwash is a safer (yet effective) approach. The right combination of botanicals can deliver multiple beneficial medicinal actions. Peppermint, for instance, is antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and helps to increase salvation. A handful of herbs and essential oils can combat bad breath on multiple fronts.

Additionally, unlike the antibacterial agents found in conventional mouthwash, these herbal ingredients don’t kill as many of the good bacteria, preserving a balance.

Oil Pulling

Oil pulling – a traditional remedy originating in India – has many therapeutic benefits. An organic oil, such as coconut or sesame, is swished around in the mouth for about 20 minutes. During this period, antioxidants in the oil break down the cell walls of harmful bacteria, effectively killing them. These bacteria stick to the oil and are “pulled” out of your mouth.

There are many benefits to oil pulling. By reducing the formation of plaque, this technique can help prevent dental cavities, gingivitis, periodontitis and, of course, bad breath. This should not be a daily practice.

Tongue Hygiene

While odorous bacteria are often in the gums, poor tongue hygiene also poses a problem.

The back of the tongue in particular is a source of concern. Large papillae (bumps on the tongue often containing multiple taste buds) trap particles and microorganisms that lead to bad breath. A backlog of white blood cells, saliva constituents, and flakes of dead cells may all be found here – even in those with otherwise good oral hygiene.

While tongue scraping gives some short-term relief, recent studies show the benefit over time is minor. Cleansing your tongue (gently and regularly) won’t cause any harm. If you’re struggling with bad breath, it may be worth a shot. But remember there are other options.

Healthy Habits to Reduce Bad Breath

For many cases of chronic bad breath, sticking to a few simple lifestyle habits can achieve great benefits:

• Reduce your sugar intake
• Check for food sensitivities (especially dairy and wheat)
• Drink plenty of water
• Practice good oral hygiene
• Eat an alkalizing diet (including raw organic apples and spinach)
• Increase your intake of probiotic foods
• Drink more green tea
• Stay well hydrated with filtered, clean water

In some cases, further investigation may be warranted. Underlying medical conditions — like sinus infections, acid reflux and diabetes — may be contributing factors to halitosis, so it is important to check in with your functional medicine physician for the right testing and to tailor a health plan specifically for you.

Let’s face it. Chronic bad breath can put a damper on social life without you even knowing it!

Resources:

Kapoor U, Sharma G, Juneja M, Nagpal A. Halitosis: Current concepts on etiology, diagnosis and management. Eur J Dent. 2016;10(2):292-300. doi:10.4103/1305-7456.178294

Kobylewski S, Jacobson MF. Toxicology of food dyes. Int J Occup Environ Health. 2012 Jul-Sep;18(3):220-46. doi: 10.1179/1077352512Z.00000000034. PMID: 23026007.

Koga, Chihiro & Yoneda, Masahiro & Nakayama, Keisuke & Yokoue, Satoru & Haraga, Mariko & Oie, Tomoko & Suga, Arisa & Okada, Fumiko & Matsuura, Hiroshi & Tsue, Fumitake & Taniguchi, Nao & Hirofuji, Takao. (2014). The Detection of Candida Species in Patients with Halitosis. International journal of dentistry. 2014. 857647. 10.1155/2014/857647.

Munch R, Barringer SA. Deodorization of garlic breath volatiles by food and food components. J Food Sci. 2014 Apr;79(4):C526-33. doi: 10.1111/1750-3841.12394. Epub 2014 Mar 4. PMID: 24592995.

Porter SR, Scully C. Oral malodour (halitosis). BMJ (Clinical research ed.). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1570844/. Published September 23, 2006.

Shanbhag VKL. Oil pulling for maintaining oral hygiene – A review. Journal of traditional and complementary medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5198813/. Published June 6, 2016.

What if I told you there are therapies available that are both natural and effective?

In this article, we’ll take a look at what the latest research says about supporting arthritis naturally.

What is Arthritis?

There are a number of reasons arthritis can develop: from autoimmunity to gout, infectious bacteria, and even Lyme disease… the list goes on, and there are as many varying symptoms as there are causes.

Today, we’ll focus on the two main categories of arthritic pain:

• Autoimmune
• Degenerative

Autoimmune Arthritis

Autoimmune arthritis is what we see in Rheumatoid Arthritis, Psoriatic Arthritis, and Lupus.

These conditions are systemic — meaning the entire body is affected. Inflammation courses throughout the body and disturbs the delicate joint cavity. Often, the body’s own immune system malfunctions and directs excessive inflammation to the joints.

Antibodies Attack Your Own Tissues

In rheumatoid arthritis, an auto-antibody (called rheumatoid factor) is created which mistakenly attacks one of the body’s natural antibodies: IgG. Only a portion of IgG is targeted, but it leads to a larger problem: cross-reactivity – an antibody attack on your own tissues.

Once this auto-antibody attack has occurred in the body once, rheumatoid factor can no longer distinguish between IgG and the synovial membrane of the joint. As a result, the joint itself will be slowly destroyed.

How Autoimmune Arthritis Progresses

Autoimmune types of arthritis often affect joints symmetrically (meaning both sides of the body are equally affected). This chronic disease leads to pain, stiffness, swelling, and limited range-of-motion in multiple joints. But it may start slowly with just a few small joints – stiffness in the hands is a typical early symptom.

If you have autoimmune arthritis, it’s important to work closely with your healthcare team to obtain a diagnosis and develop an ongoing maintenance and prevention plan. Some arthritic conditions, such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), can be life-threatening.

Degenerative Arthritis (aka Osteoarthritis)

Degenerative joint disease — or osteoarthritis — is the most common disorder of the joints, occurring in about 10% of people over the age of 60.

Why Do Some People Develop Osteoarthritis?

Previous Joint Issues

Often considered an “inevitable” part of aging, osteoarthritis is a bit of a misnomer. While there is inflammation (hence the “-itis”), the inflammation occurs after joint damage or in a naturally malformed joint.

Metabolic Conditions

Most people suffering from osteoarthritis may have no pre-existing conditions. It can, however, develop as a result of metabolic disorders (such as diabetes).

How Does OA Attack the Joints?

The wear and tear seen in degenerative joint disease targets the “hyaline cartilage”, which is there to ensure friction-free movement and proper dispersal of weight across the bone.

Protective chondrocytes

For years, this damage is mitigated by chondrocytes. These helpful little cells replace the worn-out cartilage with fresh, strong hyaline cartilage. As we age, however, it’s hard for them to keep up.

Conventional Treatments for Osteoarthritis Increase Degeneration

It’s common for doctors to prescribe NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) for arthritic pain. Unfortunately, these NSAIDS prevent chondrocyte formation — this only exacerbates the loss of cartilage. They also create gut microbiome imbalances that can cause intestinal permeability, known as ‘leaky gut’ and ‘dysbiosis’.

So what other therapies are there to treat arthritis?

We’re glad you asked!

Supporting Arthritis with Functional Medicine

While conventional treatment options for your arthritis may differ depending on whether it’s autoimmune or degenerative, some natural therapies prove helpful regardless of the type of arthritis causing the pain. We’ll go over a few of these today.

Arthritis is different for everybody, and everyone is unique, so make sure you talk to your Functional doctor to determine which options are best for you.

Herbal Support for Arthritis

Anti-inflammatory Herbs

We can’t emphasize the impact inflammation has on arthritis enough. So how do we prevent further joint degeneration by inflammation? One of the most well-researched anti-inflammatory herbs is… (drum-roll please) — Curcumin (Tumeric)!

Turmeric

Turmeric, or Curcuma longa, has a well-established track record for fighting inflammation in the body. But the bioavailability of turmeric (how much enters the circulation and thus affects the body) is often poor.

Fortunately, recent research indicates how to get the biggest bang for your buck. You’ll want to take a nano-particle turmeric supplement.  Your functional medicine doctor can help you find the right version.

Analgesic Herbs

Analgesic medications relieve pain. The same is true of botanical analgesics which come in all shapes and sizes.

Cayenne Pepper

Topical analgesics can be extremely helpful for your arthritic pain. One prominent botanical is cayenne pepper. Often delivered as a salve, cayenne pepper can be rubbed onto the skin over sore joints.

Essential Oils

Wintergreen, camphor, and eucalyptus also make excellent topical analgesics. The volatile oils in these herbs absorb easily through the skin and have been researched for their effectiveness in reducing pain.

CBD

One increasingly popular analgesic botanical is cannabidiol (or CBD). This non-psychoactive compound is a close cousin of THC. Found in cannabis and hemp, CBD is particularly effective as a topical analgesic for joint pain (especially in rheumatoid arthritis).

Navigating the new world of CBD products can be daunting for some. Feel free to reach out to your functional medicine physician for help.

While pain relief doesn’t address the underlying cause of your arthritis, it can help you get back on your feet and into the world you love.

Hydrotherapy

Speaking of pain relief, one fast-tracked route to happier joints is hydrotherapy.

Hydrotherapy uses contrasting water temperatures to circulate blood and lymph throughout the body. Warm water is a vasodilator: it relaxes blood vessels (which lowers blood pressure). Cold water, on the other hand, is a vasoconstrictor: the blood vessels narrow and pressure jumps.

By alternating the water temperature, the blood vessels around your joint first relax and dilate, and then quickly (under cold water) tighten and constrict. By repeating this back-and-forth, you can effectively flush the blood, lymph, and inflammation that has accumulated around the joint.

How to Get Started with Hydrotherapy at Home

The technique is very simple.

Place your painful joint under the faucet or showerhead. Start with warm water (enough heat to make your skin pink). Once the skin shows a flushed tone, switch the temperature to cold — as cold as you can handle. Blast the chilly water for 20-30 seconds.

That’s all there is to it!

Repeat the warm-cold sequence for about two minutes. You may find yourself at the faucet several times a day. It’s quick, free, and easy to do when you’re in pain.

Lifestyle Factors That Can Support Arthritis

More than ever before, researchers are uncovering direct links between auto-immune conditions and gut health.

Gut Health

Recent studies on rheumatoid arthritis reveal changes in the gut microbiome (the diverse bacteria in our GI tract). Two species in particular show specific alterations in RA. The Haemophilus species are depleted, while the lactobacillus salivarius species are over-represented.

What do these changes mean?

In cases of auto-immune arthritis, it means that the gut microbiome may be involved in the development of the condition. This can translate into actionable therapeutic options in light of other recent studies.

Probiotics & the Microbiome

The use of probiotics to alter the gut microbiome, for example, is a hot topic in the health community.

Probiotics have shown therapeutic benefits for rheumatoid arthritis. Comprised of tiny exogenous bacteria, probiotics have immune-modulating effects (helping the immune system function appropriately) and can help decrease inflammation. Talk to your physician to see if probiotics are a sensible option for you.

Reducing Arthritis Triggers with an Elimination Diet

Along a similar vein, let’s examine elimination diets.

If you have autoimmune conditions, your food sensitivities can affect the overall reactivity of your immune system. The idea is that by identifying and removing food triggers, your immune reaction (read: inflammation) may decrease.

You can start an elimination diet with the help of your functional medicine practitioner. Your doctor can give you a list of foods that are potential triggers. You’ll stop eating these for a while, and then (one by one) re-introduce each food. Any sensitivity or reaction is noted and addressed.

Food Sensitivity Testing

Your doctor may decide to order food-sensitivity tests, too, which can provide you with a list of potential suspects unique to you which may not be on the list of typical trigger foods.

Some foods are easier to avoid than others. A diet plan can help you find the right recipes and natural ingredients to help you enjoy your meals while reducing the risk of an overactive immune response.

The Role of Exercise in Arthritis

When you suffer from joint pain, exercise and physical movement can be rather difficult. But remaining physically active is an important component for your overall health. It is important to try and stay active even with arthritis.

If you experience a flare-up of your arthritic pain, scale back your daily exercises.

Functional Movement

Functional exercise trains the body for the everyday movement and activities performed in real life and boasts many benefits for arthritis. It can delay Rheumatoid Arthritis disease development, according to recent studies. These exercises also enhance joint function and reduce painful joints, including morning stiffness.

Rest

In general, rest helps swollen and inflamed joints. If you feel fatigued, it’s also important to rest and recuperate. However, during these times, gentle range-of-motion (ROM) exercises help keep your joints flexible.

Final Takeaway

As you can see, there are many natural ways to support your body when suffering from arthritis. You have options! Integrative and lifestyle therapies have been shown to offer significant, medication-free relief for those dealing with arthritis. Use caution when starting a new regimen even with natural therapies, it’s always best to work with a professional for guidance specific to your unique body and health issues.

Your Integrative doctor can help you find solutions for your arthritis. Acupuncture, laser therapy, and even liver support may all play a role in your individualized treatment plan. Reach out for more details today!

References:

Daily JW, Yang M, Park S. Efficacy of Turmeric Extracts and Curcumin for Alleviating the Symptoms of Joint Arthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials. J Med Food. 2016;19(8):717-729. doi:10.1089/jmf.2016.3705

Mohammed AT, Khattab M, Ahmed AM, Turk T, Sakr N, M Khalil A, Abdelhalim M, Sawaf B, Hirayama K, Huy NT. The therapeutic effect of probiotics on rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized control trials. Clin Rheumatol. 2017 Dec;36(12):2697-2707. doi: 10.1007/s10067-017-3814-3. Epub 2017 Sep 15. PMID: 28914373.

Wang L, Gao C, Zhu D, Chen LH. [Effect of functional exercises on patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a meta-analysis]. Beijing Da Xue Xue Bao Yi Xue Ban. 2018 Dec 18;50(6):991-997. Chinese. PMID: 30562770.

Zhang X, Zhang D, Jia H, Feng Q, Wang D, Liang D, Wu X, Li J, Tang L, Li Y, Lan Z, Chen B, Li Y, Zhong H, Xie H, Jie Z, Chen W, Tang S, Xu X, Wang X, Cai X, Liu S, Xia Y, Li J, Qiao X, Al-Aama JY, Chen H, Wang L, Wu QJ, Zhang F, Zheng W, Li Y, Zhang M, Luo G, Xue W, Xiao L, Li J, Chen W, Xu X, Yin Y, Yang H, Wang J, Kristiansen K, Liu L, Li T, Huang Q, Li Y, Wang J. The oral and gut microbiomes are perturbed in rheumatoid arthritis and partly normalized after treatment. Nat Med. 2015 Aug;21(8):895-905. doi: 10.1038/nm.3914. Epub 2015 Jul 27. PMID: 26214836.

Let’s look beyond fad diets at a functional approach to weight loss. We’ll explore some lesser-known factors affecting weight and metabolism that you need to know if you want to lose weight and keep it off.

The Top 4 Factors That Contribute to Stubborn Weight Gain

#1: Insulin Resistance

Insulin’s job is to help us transform food sugars into energy. But when we consume too many sugary foods and drinks, our body starts to lose its ability to respond to the insulin in our system. The pancreas tries to bring down blood sugar levels by pumping out more insulin, and as insulin resistance goes up a vicious cycle is created which over time can raise blood sugar and blood insulin to dangerous levels.

That extra sugar in the bloodstream that cannot be converted into energy is stored as abdominal fat and creates an addiction to sugar. This is called insulin resistance and it is widespread, affecting 1 in 3 Americans and in many cases leading to Type 2 Diabetes.

#2: Hormones

Do You Feel Full after eating?

The hormones leptin and ghrelin control how full we feel after a meal, and the strength of our food cravings. When you are overweight, your fat cells produce excess leptin signaling your body to eat more as you aren’t feeling full. It’s a vicious cycle!

How is Your Thyroid?

Your thyroid regulates your metabolism, managing the speed at which you burn calories. When the thyroid is underperforming, it can cause fluid retention, weight gain, and constipation, among other issues, making it nearly impossible to manage your weight. The stats are shocking as 5 out of every 100 people have a low functioning thyroid in the US.

Estrogen Dominance

When your estrogen and progesterone hormones are out of balance, that is called Estrogen Dominance, even if levels of both hormones are actually low. Having too much estrogen in the body relative to progesterone causes a myriad of symptoms, including weight loss resistance, bloating, mood swings, PMS and heavy periods.

Adrenal Stress

Our adrenal glands rule how we respond to stress by regulating the body’s stress hormones. Chronic stress leads to wildly fluctuating cortisol levels, which means more weight gain and water retention.

#3: Genetics

Genetic testing can tell us a great deal about how and why we gain weight, and can be the game-changer for people who have tried everything. I am trained in this area known as ‘nutrigenomics’, which gives personalized answers to these genetic variations, so that we can specifically address such issues at a root cause level.

The FTO Gene Variant

One gene that is particularly well documented, the FTO gene, is also known as the human fat-mass and obesity associated gene. It controls leptin, ghrelin (the satiation hormones mentioned above) and adiponectin (which regulates glucose levels). Several other genes affect how we metabolize fats, carbs and proteins.

I can personally speak to this gene and attest that, our genes are ‘not our destiny’. When we are aware of them and how we can influence them, we can affect some of our gene expressions. I myself have this particular variant, yet I know how to make the adjustments that have kept me at my ideal weight (same as from my teens and 20’s) since I have become a functional medicine physician and now understand this growing field of nutrition genomics.

Genes that impact stress play a big role in weight management too, especially if you’re a stress eater. These genes impact reward pathways, which can affect how you use food to reward yourself. They also affect your sleep, mood, and your brain’s ability to focus.

#4: Toxins

Toxins that are present in our environment can be so dangerous that our body needs to protect us by “walling them off” in a casing of fat. The more toxins we have, the more fat cells we need to imprison them. Get rid of the toxins, and the excess weight may well follow. One word of caution – this needs to be done by a healthcare provider that understand the detoxification pathways so that when the fat releases the toxin – your body is not overwhelmed and they are disposed of safely.

Lifelong Sources of Toxicity

Current exposure to toxins such as heavy metals and pesticides aren’t the only concern. Research shows that even early-life exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) can increase fat levels, and with microplastics having recently been found in the placentas of some women, the concern is legitimate.

Many toxins are major contributors to thyroid dysfunction, potentially leading to hormonal weight gain. Toxins can also include heavy metals and even agents such as mold and other biological invaders.

7 Easy Ways to Maintain a Healthy Weight

#1: Cut Down on Natural and Artificial Sugars

Are you replacing real sugar with artificial sweeteners? Sugar causes weight gain, and this is the case for both natural and artificial sugar since anything our body doesn’t recognize as a natural substance is treated as a toxin – including aspartame. Aspartame can also be a neurological toxin. Monk fruit and Stevia are two much healthier sugar free sweeteners. Properly constructed low carbohydrate keto or paleo diets (including green veggies) can support your metabolism to become more efficient and fat-burning. Once your body’s system is reset, you can add more carbs and food varieties to your menu.

#2: Eat more Fiber

One of the biggest benefits of eating more fiber when you are trying to lose weight is its ability to satiate. Soluble fiber such as that found in properly cooked beans, flaxseeds, chia seeds, and sweet potatoes helps you to feel full longer and slow down the release of sugars into the bloodstream. Soluble fiber cannot be broken down by your own enzymes, so it reaches the gut undigested where it feeds the good bacteria and helps them to flourish. One important aspect of soluble fiber is that it needs water to reach its potential, so staying hydrated is a must.

#3: Green Coffee Extract

Don’t like the taste of coffee but want to take advantage of its weight loss benefits? Green coffee extract (GCE) helps maintain a healthy weight and reduce BMI and waist size – in fact it has been proposed as a low-cost and safe obesity treatment. One word of caution – if you are sensitive to caffeine which can even stimulate the stress response in some people, this is not the best option.

#4: Eat Real Food

Much of what we eat isn’t actually “real” food. Make sure you fuel your body properly by avoiding pre-packaged and processed foods that are chock-full of preservatives, dyes and other chemicals. Focus on fruits, veggies, organic meats and healthy fats. Remember the more toxic your food, the more those toxins will get encased in fat cells. If it looks like meat and it is not – then it’s processed!

#5: Aim for 10,000 Steps Per Day

Getting those steps in can be hard when you’re spending more time at home. But where there is a will, there is a way! A combination of dietary changes and walking 10,000 steps per day was shown to help significantly reduce total weight, BMI and hip size. Bonus: lower anxiety levels are a natural outcome of making these changes as well.

#6: Meditation

Did you know that calming your mind can be a powerful weight loss tool? Adding meditation to standard weight loss treatments can result in additional weight loss in as little as two months. Managing your stress will help your adrenals and can positively affect your weight loss goals.

#7: Intermittent Fasting (IF)

One of the most effective ways to get rid of toxins and their corresponding fat prisons is intermittent fasting. How does it work? Designate several hours per day as your ‘eating hours’ and stick to it. This gives your glucose and insulin levels a chance to even out, gives your body a break from the hard job of digestion, and puts the focus on getting toxins out of your body. However, IF is not for everyone, so be sure to check in with your healthcare practitioner before you begin.

Are you ready to step out of the diet roller coaster? Give us a call! We can assess your insulin, stress response, thyroid, genes, and toxin load. Together we can design a custom-made treatment plan with targeted supplementation, metabolism, and even nutrition gene testing – supporting nutrients and nourishing foods. We can’t wait to join you on your health care journey!

References

Asbaghi O, Sadeghian M, Rahmani S, Mardani M, Khodadost M, Maleki V, Pirouzi A, Talebi S, Sadeghi O. The effect of green coffee extract supplementation on anthropometric measures in adults: A comprehensive systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. Complement Ther Med. 2020 Jun;51:102424. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2020.102424. Epub 2020 May 5. PMID: 32507437.

Castres I, Tourny C, Lemaitre F, Coquart J. Impact of a walking program of 10,000 steps per day and dietary counseling on health-related quality of life, energy expenditure and anthropometric parameters in obese subjects. J Endocrinol Invest. 2017 Feb;40(2):135-141. doi: 10.1007/s40618-016-0530-9. Epub 2016 Sep 6. PMID: 27600387.

Choi YJ, Jeon SM, Shin S. Impact of a Ketogenic Diet on Metabolic Parameters in Patients with Obesity or Overweight and with or without Type 2 Diabetes: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Nutrients. 2020 Jul 6;12(7):2005. doi: 10.3390/nu12072005. PMID: 32640608; PMCID: PMC7400909.

Collado-Mateo D, Lavín-Pérez AM, Merellano-Navarro E, Coso JD. Effect of Acute Caffeine Intake on the Fat Oxidation Rate during Exercise: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrients. 2020 Nov 24;12(12):E3603. doi: 10.3390/nu12123603. PMID: 33255240.

Mohammadi-Sartang M, Mazloom Z, Raeisi-Dehkordi H, Barati-Boldaji R, Bellissimo N, Totosy de Zepetnek JO. The effect of flaxseed supplementation on body weight and body composition: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 45 randomized placebo-controlled trials. Obes Rev. 2017 Sep;18(9):1096-1107. doi: 10.1111/obr.12550. Epub 2017 Jun 21. PMID: 28635182.

Ruanpeng D, Thongprayoon C, Cheungpasitporn W, Harindhanavudhi T. Sugar and artificially sweetened beverages linked to obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis. QJM. 2017 Aug 1;110(8):513-520. doi: 10.1093/qjmed/hcx068. PMID: 28402535.

Rynders CA, Thomas EA, Zaman A, Pan Z, Catenacci VA, Melanson EL. Effectiveness of Intermittent Fasting and Time-Restricted Feeding Compared to Continuous Energy Restriction for Weight Loss. Nutrients. 2019 Oct 14;11(10):2442. doi: 10.3390/nu11102442. PMID: 31614992; PMCID: PMC6836017.

Sampaio C, Magnavita G, Ladeia AM. Effect of Healing Meditation on Weight Loss and Waist Circumference of Overweight and Obese Women: Randomized Blinded Clinical Trial. J Altern Complement Med. 2019 Sep;25(9):930-937. doi: 10.1089/acm.2019.0092. Epub 2019 Aug 2. PMID: 31373827.

Vajdi M, Abbasalizad Farhangi M. Alpha-lipoic acid supplementation significantly reduces the risk of obesity in an updated systematic review and dose response meta-analysis of randomised placebo-controlled clinical trials. Int J Clin Pract. 2020 Jun;74(6):e13493. doi: 10.1111/ijcp.13493. Epub 2020 Mar 26. PMID: 32091656.

Wang X, Li D, Liu F, Cui Y, Li X. Dietary citrus and/or its extracts intake contributed to weight control: Evidence from a systematic review and meta-analysis of 13 randomized clinical trials. Phytother Res. 2020 Aug;34(8):2006-2022. doi: 10.1002/ptr.6673. Epub 2020 Mar 17. PMID: 32182635.

Wassenaar PNH, Trasande L, Legler J. Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Early-Life Exposure to Bisphenol A and Obesity-Related Outcomes in Rodents. Environ Health Perspect. 2017 Oct 5;125(10):106001. doi: 10.1289/EHP1233. PMID: 28982642; PMCID: PMC5933326.

Yazdanpanah Z, Azadi-Yazdi M, Hooshmandi H, Ramezani-Jolfaie N, Salehi-Abargouei A. Effects of cinnamon supplementation on body weight and composition in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled clinical trials. Phytother Res. 2020 Mar;34(3):448-463. doi: 10.1002/ptr.6539. Epub 2019 Dec 4. PMID: 31800140.

1. Cold hands and feet

2. Dry skin and hair

3. Brittle nails

4. Hoarseness

5. Weight Gain

6. Fatigue and low energy

7. Low Libido

8. Brain fog

…yet they are very often told their thyroid hormone levels are ‘normal’. And if they persist in complaining, they are often sent to the psychiatrist! I’ll say more about this lab test problem later. Then there are those who have symptoms such as:

1. Heart palpitations

2. Weight loss

3. Hair loss

4. Mood swings

5. Heat intolerance

6. Sweating

7. Headache, and

8. Nervousness

Likewise, I have clients with these symptoms who are told their thyroid levels are high and that they have autoimmune thyroid – but the immediate and only options given are:

1. Medications that suppress the thyroid hormone and symptoms – and have potential side effects that can be alarming

2. Surgery to remove the gland – with synthetic thyroid medication for the rest of their life

3. Radioactive therapy – ablation with synthetic thyroid medication for the rest of their life

I will say, when I was in the traditional medical system, the above situations were also the only options I could offer patients also. I just didn’t know what I didn’t know. But now…I know. And this is where knowledge can be power. What we need to do is heal the root cause that is creating the havoc in the thyroid gland itself. Most commonly, it is due to:

1. Chronic Stress – the most under-diagnosed cause and typically ignored

2. Gut dysbiosis/inflammation – Intestinal permeability

3. Nutritional deficiencies

4. Other causes of chronic inflammation in the body – and stress is a major source of all inflammation in the body, as well. This can lead to autoimmunity and malfunctioning of the immune system.

5. Miscellaneous medication toxicity, infections and environmental toxins.

Now, if none of these issues are even addressed – can you see why only suppressing symptoms or surgery may not be in your best interest?

If I had to choose just ONE thing, that is THE most underdiagnosed cause of thyroid gland dysfunction…I would have to say it is stress.

Chronic stress is outright dangerous to the health of your body and mind and I believe, if women knew just how deadly it was – we would take action to seriously learn what stress really is and ways to more effectively reduce it. In fact, stress causes up to 95% of all chronic diseases.

It is not just about overscheduling – though that can be a part of it. A major part of it stems from poor food choices, lifestyle habits and toxins that increase inflammation in our bodies, pre–diabetes and metabolic imbalances, lack of sleep…these all increase stress. Once our stress becomes chronic enough it begins to impair our adrenal glands, and this is the beginning of advanced aging and increased risk of chronic disease – regardless of your age.

Women during the perimenopausal and menopausal become even more susceptible to stress, not less.

Plummeting estrogen, progesterone and testosterone levels only throw fuel onthe fire. How does all this happen? What does stress have to do with thyroid imbalance?

The adrenal glands produce cortisol, epinephrine, norepinephrine, and DHEA. With excessive cortisol and dysregulation of our blood sugar, which it affects, thyroid hormone can become suppressed and get out of balance with the body and brain.

As we become more irritable, lose sleep, anxious – we start to create a vicious cycle. Chronic stress and menopause will also reduce our DHEA levels, which normally help to balance cortisol and give us energy support, as well.

We may eat more sugary ‘comfort foods’ or crave salt because of adrenal imbalance.

Our emotions can affect our body’s chemistry. Sugar will stimulate more inflammation, fat storage, and fat stores toxins. All of this will increase inflammation further. This is also a major reason for weight gain over time as we age.

It is not age itself that puts the weight on – it is inflammation and stress that does it!

Cortisol also affects inflammation and the immune system. Increased inflammation can become chronic when our system becomes dysfunctional because of all of this, and this sets off another chain reaction. This inflammation can raise cytokine activity to abnormal levels, which also interferes with thyroid hormone functionality. Increased susceptibility to infection,and weakened immunity are common outcomes. 

This can also create ‘leaky gut’ or intestinal permeability (IP), which is the more accurate clinical name for this. Functional medicine is uniquely able to address and heal this problem, unlike the traditional medical system, which simply dismisses the idea. I was not trained in the traditional system to even know what intestinal permeability is and it is still not addressed as a general rule.

Once IP or leaky gut happens, it is easier to start to have problems with autoimmunity.

As food particles, such as gluten and other food sensitivities develop, and the body unwittingly starts to make antibodies to these particles that then can now access the blood stream – autoantibodies can form. That is, your body starts to make antibodies against its own cells as well as the food particles.

If this happens to the thyroid gland receptors – there can be an increase in the production of active thyroid hormones due to stimulation of TSH levels. Ultimately, Grave autoimmune disease can develop, as well as other autoimmune problems. For some women, the opposite can happen with chronic stress – Hashimoto’s or hypothyroid autoimmune disease.

Our gut and brain are interrelated. Stress and poor eating habits will also affect the gut bacteria, which affects not only digestion and thyroid, but is also a cause of depression and anxiety.  It feeds well into the chronic disease spectrum at all levels, as well.

You may wonder, why is the diagnosis, especially of hypothyroidism, so often missed? The main reason is the testing parameters.

The ‘normal’ range for the traditional medical system is too broad and includes the population statistics of people who had existing thyroid disease. From a more functional medicine approach of ‘good functioning’, the range is much narrower. This functional range will catch more dysfunctional, or hypothyroid conditions.

It also correlates better with clinical findings. After all, people are human beings that need to be looked at clinically, not just lab data. If a woman has all the signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism, a red flag should be raised. When I was under a lot of stress and did not know what to do about it, this happened to me, also.

Once I fixed the stress, helped my adrenals, and dealt with the underlying issues, my symptoms went away, hair grew back, no more cold hands and feet, I returned to my ideal body weight – and the rest is history. All done without the scary drugs and it also reversed the root cause.

Nutrition genomics, or nutrigenomics is an amazing personalized tool that can also help to discern gene weaknesses that may need extra support for thyroid healthy functioning. There are bioidentical thyroid hormones that can support this. It operates under the science of epigenetics, which is a way to affect our gene expression in health producing ways. Your genes are NOT your destiny after all!

Without this information and root cause investigation, just being placed on synthetic hormones may not help anyway. If we as women want to live healthier lives and take back control of our health and aging process, we will have to be willing to look for solutions beyond, ‘business as usual’.  We will have to learn what stress is and what to do to break the cycle. I have found functional medicine is that path to empowerment and I am forever grateful that I went ‘outside the box’ and retrained.

Now I can actually support healing and health – and not simply ‘dis-ease’ care. If you are ready to take back control of our health and take control of stress, you can reach out to me and explore if functional medicine is right for you by scheduling a Free Discovery Session HERE.

Why is stress and burnout such an important topic for busy professional women in particular? I put myself in this category also, and I’m so passionate about it because it almost sabotaged my life and professional work early on in my career. Women often take on too much trying to care for everyone else but themselves, and frankly, we are typically conditioned by the world around us to do so. This is one reason why we do not tend to our own stress. Another reason is that we do not know how to, nor understand what really causes stress and burnout.

What is stress? If you search the word online, you will likely see some scary images of people who look like they are being tormented with anxiety or severe mental distress. Some look totally overwhelmed and unable to cope. This is a common misconception and a gross exaggeration! The fact is, most people in our society are struggling with stress on a daily basis…even with a smile on their faces. When we realize what stress is and where it comes from, we are better empowered and enabled to avoid burnout.

As an MD medical doctor extensively experienced and trained in psychotherapy coaching techniques, and also functional medicine, stress is one of the most prevalent issues I see in my practice. I believe that you need to take a holistic Mind-Body-Spirit approach to resolve stress before it turns into burnout.

Fortunately, I have learned over time just how dangerous this is for our health and well-being and made it a part of my business (literally) to learn what stress really is, and to learn stress self-regulating skills. Let’s face it – the world around us is not likely to change much very soon. The sooner we learn how to better deal with it, the better!

Chronic stress leads to common symptoms for example, such as anxiety, irritability, weight gain, hormonal imbalances, food cravings, sleep disturbances, recurrent colds, cold hands and feet, hair loss, digestion issues, recurrent infections, low energy and libido, and even lack of motivation!

You can probably see how this will affect your confidence, career, and even relationships!

You can think of stress as feelings of overwhelm that connect with our sense of survival and activates our body’s ‘fight, flight or freeze’ response. Also, stress affects our adrenal-brain connection physiologically, which leads to these physical symptoms and if not treated at the root cause, can result in chronic disease. As stress becomes chronic, it can lead to burnout which causes common mental, emotional, and physical, ‘dis-eases’ which are currently plaguing our society at this time.

There are four key stressors that you want to learn about in order to begin to ‘take back control’ and live a more healthy and thriving life. One has a focus on the mental and emotional realms, and the other three have to do with our food and lifestyle habits.

When we overemphasize ‘hard work’ and struggle and do not understand the necessity of rest, restoration, and renewing our mind as well as how some foods contributes to this, we accelerate our aging.

We increase our risk for low energy and low libido due to inflammation and hormonal issues, and chronic weight gain in particular when we do not understand how food, mindset, and lifestyle are at the root causes of these symptoms. These symptoms are commonly associated with a variety of health concerns. Considering how expensive our traditional disease-care system is these days, ‘an ounce of prevention is worth a TON of cure’, not only a ‘pound’.

I can say that it is better and easier to stop a problem, illness, etc., from happening than to stop or correct it after it has started. Though now that I have also trained as a Functional Medicine specialist, I am grateful so say that we can actually reverse and prevent much of chronic disease that I was taught in traditional medical school to be ‘incurable. Our bodies are very resilient and can heal when we know what to do and why.

In the realm of Functional Medicine, you would be surprised how much capability we have to heal and reverse many chronic, common diseases. At the root cause of 90-95% of chronic disease is stress and the root causes of stress. This is why is it very important to educate yourself about prevention and reversing stress and burnout and their causes, and what you can do about it.

The 4 Key Stressors

Stress essentially is triggered by four basic pillars as shown in the photo below. I will briefly address all four. While you may be familiar with the idea that food, inflammation, and sleep could be connected to stress, very few health practitioners specifically discuss what follows.

The mental/emotional and even spiritual causes of stress (no sense of purpose or feeling disconnected) are often totally overlooked in terms of what is at the root cause of this category of the four stressors. I want to emphasize these areas in particular because hardly anyone talks about this area in the way I will share in this post.

1. Blood Sugar Imbalance

Sugar. Sugar by itself, in excessive amounts, can cause adrenal-axis dysfunction, known as Glycemic Dysregulation. Your brain and body need energy under perceived (whether real or imagined) stressful conditions. Sugar or glucose is one form of energy that is readily available. One important role of the adrenal gland and cortisol is glucose regulation.

Your adrenal glands (located on top of your kidneys) release cortisol as a response to regulate blood sugar levels by affecting insulin levels. While this can be helpful for acute ‘fight or flight’ they can be disastrous when we have chronic stimulation of this process, day in and day out. Individuals who consume a lot of sugar can become ‘insulin-resistant’ and this process starts to dysregulate or dysfunction. This can lead to a low blood sugar crash after a meal, which again, will retrigger the cortisol response. This rollercoaster response of the blood sugar can lead to a vicious circle and become difficult to control.

The macronutrients (fat, protein, or carbohydrate) content of our foods matter, particularly at breakfast time. If your first meal of the day is high in sugar (carbohydrates), over time you may accelerate problems within your hormonal and stress response systems. People who have chronic stress will likely to experience these types of dysregulation problems. Eating low-glycemic fruits and vegetables are quite important to this process to keep a good balance in blood sugar.

Read those labels! For the purpose of this discussion, let’s define high levels as more than 15-20 carbs per serving. Having been a ‘go-getter’ and over doing things for too long, I like many, have a history of being in the chronic stress category. I see a definite improvement in sugar craving and hunger since making this breakfast shift. I no longer need to carry protein bars and can go 4–5 hours between meals without any hunger during the daytime, even longer between dinner and breakfast the next day. What a difference!

There is no such thing as an overall ‘one size fits all’ best diet/food plan; this concept of the effects of breakfast sugar is based on the physiology of the stress response, particularly under chronic stress.

Having a ‘my diet is better than your diet’ argument is probably not going to be productive and may even raise our stress levels! In general, breaking your overnight fast (which is what ‘break-fast’ is), with high carbohydrates will likely cause mid-morning or afternoon brain fog or energy crash. Healthy fats and protein do not cause a sharp rise in blood glucose levels and tend to suppress hunger much better.

2. Chronic Inflammation

We are starting to hear more about inflammation, but we often do not connect the dot as to where this inflammation is coming from. It can come from our food sources, with sugar and processed foods leading the charge. It can come from toxins in our environment. It can also come from excessive ‘bootcamp’ style exercise!

What is often not considered as a source that is a very real source, are our toxic thoughts and emotions. Our mindset can ‘inflame’ our bodies. Just think about the effects of anger. While anger is a natural emotion and can inspire or energize us to take action, when we are chronically angry, anger itself is a cause of inflammation. Think about the idea that, ‘he was inflamed with anger.’ This is more than just a metaphor!!

One final cause I will mention here is lack of sleep! Sleep is our body’s chance to heal itself and to recover. When we don’t sleep enough or have restorative sleep, we are much more likely to trigger the biochemical responses of excessive inflammation in our body. Some inflammation is normal and an important part of our immune system, however when out of balance high or low end, it can lead to autoimmune problems or even lack of an ability to fight off infection.

3. Sleep

Well, you probably knew this was coming! I have personally come to realize just how dangerous lack of sleep is. Even as a physician of many years, I had no idea how deadly a lack of sleep can be for our health and well-being until I retrained in Functional Medicine in recent years.

There was a period of time of four years when my children were younger that I would routinely go to bed at midnight and wake up at 4:30am! This was during a time when I was also running a very busy medical practice and doing such a good job with spending time with my children, that at age 7, my son said to me, ‘mom, you don’t seem like you work because you are always here’. I built my schedule, planning and life around their schedules.

Little did he realize at that age and time just how much effort I was putting in to make this impression! Knowing what I know now, I would not have pushed myself this hard.

Lack of enough sleep can dysregulate not only your stress and cortisol, through this mechanism you can disrupt your thyroid, your sex hormones and even add inches to your waistline!

This is nothing to play with. When combined with lack of sleep, poor eating habits and inflammation, a perfect storm of chaos is created in the body’s system that can lead to prediabetes, hypothyroidism, autoimmune conditions, ‘leaky gut’ and gut disturbances, menopausal and peri-menopausal problems, PCOS, anxiety and more.

Hopefully, it is obvious why sleep is fundamental to ‘anti-aging’. As you can start to see by now, chronic disease is not about our age in years – even young adults are now experiencing these conditions with greater and greater frequency. HOW we age is what really matters.

One key area that is typically ignored is staying on technology devices or watching television into the evening hours. The blue-white light that is emitted can literally raise your cortisol and stress levels and disrupt your sleep quality! No joke! At the very least, use a good quality blue blocker eyewear protection, and even better, stay off of devices at least one hour before bedtime. Lifestyle medicine is an idea whose time has arrived and is greatly needed.

4. Mental and Emotional

Mental or emotional causes of stress can also be perceptual in terms of ‘how we see or feel’ about a situation. If this situation feels ‘novel’, or like a threat to our person or ego, or feels unpredictable or that we have a sense of loss of control…. it triggers our stress response of ‘fight, flight or freeze‘. This is why some people may love public speaking while others are terrified even at the thought of it! This category of stress requires special skills training to overcome.

Many people think that practicing mindfulness is a panacea that will alone,…and of course, in a short period of time (the quick fix), take care of this category. This is simply not the experience of many people, nor of my own. Mindfulness practice is an important aspect of beginning to retrain our brain to deal with this aspect of stress, but it is only the first step.

Mindfulness allows us to observe our thoughts and feelings, but we must then have tools and skills to ‘self-regulate’ our thoughts, feelings – intentions and attention – so that we are best able to take back the steering wheel of our mind. We must learn emotional resiliency.

This is more layered than it initially appears. This is where I tend to pay attention to stress management in a different way and where most physicians are not aware to do so. Remember stress management is not just about food, exercise, and sleep, though as I have already pointed out, they do matter.

For example, our own self-image and level of confidence will affect how we respond to the 4 Key Aspects of Mental/Emotional Stressors, which are:

• Novelty
• Threat to our ego (real or imagined)
• Lack of predictability
• Need for control

This is where learning how to transform our perception and ‘retrain our brain’ comes in. This is a skill set that we can all learn. As an entrepreneur, I can say that I am exposed to all four of these key aspects on a regular basis. I have observed in myself over the decades the power of these skills to bring greater confidence, fulfillment, less stress, and greater physical health and well-being when used with self-awareness. I now have greater emotional resiliency because of this.

A few words about spirituality and stress. When we do not have a sense of purpose or contribution that comes from our authentic heart, we may struggle with the meaning of our lives. Having a sense of connection with a higher power, purpose, or to nature can help us to live with more joy, inner peace and even tap into our own unique form of creativity easier. As you can imagine, this would all be stress alleviating on several levels.

You will generally not hear about these mental/emotional/spiritual aspects of stress management from your healthcare provider, whether in functional or traditional medicine. Understanding our ‘whole self’ is central to being able to live a life of thriving, not simply surviving.

Maintaining good health takes conscious effort in the world we live in now due to food quality challenges, excessive environment toxins, and a work environment and society that does not tend to honor self-care and downtime.

In order to be in control of our health, we will have to reeducate ourselves and look for alternative healthcare options and modalities that allow our body to tap into its natural healing powers. We can prevent and reverse many common chronic conditions when we understand how and have a strong enough desire to learn how to do so. This is a personal journey and the science is here now to validate many of the holistic approaches I use.

Yet, many of these approaches I used before the science substantiated it – like mindfulness of example – are now recognized quite broadly. Personally, I decided a while back not to wait on consensus from science but to trust my own experience – and it has served me well. I invite you to explore new ways of thinking about your health so that you can better empower yourself to thrive also.

Next Steps….

It’s my mission to help as many people as possible to live beyond stress and burnout. Please help me with this mission by sharing this blog post! ????????

If you’d like to learn more about how stress can lead to burnout, aging and low energy, I invite you to watch my free webinar on this exact topic.⁠ You can access it by going to the link at Taking Control of Stress and Burnout .

If you would like to learn how you can begin to transform your experience with stress, schedule your Free Discovery Session with me Here

The fact is, stress and lack of self-care are killing us. Stress is the basic core root reason for 90-95% of all disease, particularly chronic disease, which is crushing our country right now. Symptoms of low energy, low libido and chronic weight gain is typically associated with stress at a root cause level in some form as a medical condition. If we don’t learn how to manage and self-regulate how we perceive and deal with stress, if we don’t make room to unwind our own mind and nurture with compassion our own needs, we will continue to drive ourselves into sickness and disconnection from others, frankly.

Self-care is not selfish; it is the path of wisdom. Once we are in a better place mentally, emotionally and spiritually, we can be in a better place emotionally and have the clarity and energy to participate in the community in tangible and healthy ways instead of constantly seeking attention and validation from outside sources – like social media or by distracting our pain and feelings of isolation with drugs or busyness.

Where does this belief that to care for yourself is selfish coming from? The short answer is conditioning. We are conditioned to believe that we are supposed to self-sacrifice, that humility means ‘self-deprecation’, that we are supposed to focus exclusively on the happiness of others even to our own detriment. We are unconsciously taught that we are supposed to work ‘hard’ and worry about what others think of us if we are to be socially acceptable and ‘normal’. This conditioning is one reason why stress and the cult of busyness are so out of control. We are so external focused, we don’t know who we are, what we really want from our heart and soul, and what we value.

Therefore we live and breathe in survival mode. Too tired to sleep and too busy to think about how we are making ourselves ill in mind, body, and spirit. Yet, now that the clarion call is starting to go out regarding the majority (greater than 50%) of individuals in our society are suffering from such conditions as depression, anxiety, chronic fatigue, obesity, chronic disease, insomnia, loneliness…on and on..and there is now a growing focus for ‘self-care’ to help people to take care of their self. Suddenly also, I’m starting to notice that there is a growing conversation that ‘self-care equals selfish’. This is just not true.

Why is self-care not selfish?

1. Self-care helps us to stop the vicious circle of imbalance and have more heart space for others – doing too much and not giving yourself a break, some quiet time, some nurturing – will only continue to feed the cycle of chronic anxiety and stress which is coming from our need to ‘survive’ which is really only a perception and separates us from others psychologically. We tend to feel isolated.
2. Self-care can turn off this chronic stimulation of the ‘fight, flight, freeze’ response that contributes not only to chronic disease development but also to narcissism and self-centeredness due to insecurity, just the opposite effect of healthy self-care.
3. It is the chronic fatigue and poor diet, lack of sleep and lack of self-care lifestyle that actually make us mentally and emotionally unstable and less likely to seek support and community than when our soul is nourished and rested. Self-care is personally and societally healing.

I submit that one of the driver’s of this wildly growing trend in poor health of mind and body is because we are so externally focused – on others, work, technology and media – that:

• We neglect our sleep and struggle with fatigue and anxiety
• We work too much and are too distracted by the external call to ‘do more’
• We don’t have time/make time to learn the truth about food and lifestyle and how important all this really is – we eat ‘fast food’
• We feel chronic insecurity because the truth is – we don’t love/accept our self in general – hence we over do things to constantly prove our self-worth
• We never make time for reflection and introspection – we are too busy striving and focusing on others to our own detriment
• We become so needy due to this lack of self-awareness and neglect – that we actually do become more selfish due to our chronic competitiveness, anxiety and craving attention from others
• We are disconnected from our soul because of all this

In fact, some people are so busy ‘serving’ to get love, security and self-esteem from external sources that they are damaging their adrenal, hormonal and digestive balance – and prematurely aging themselves. Hence, what looks on the surface like altruism is actually lack of self-compassion and workaholism to cover emotional pain of some form or to gain approval.

Then when we burnout, wake up, and attempt to find more life balance and joy for ourselves so that we can be more engaged with our own lives and feel the connection to others without worrying about what we will get out of it – when we try to take care of ourselves AS we are taking care of others – here comes the finger-pointing and shaming with the label ‘selfish’. When are we going to learn that it is a both/and proposition in order to thrive?

We can BOTH care for ourselves AND care for others. In fact, I know for sure that as I stopped overdriving myself professionally and from being a pleaser or seeking validation, I learned how to value sleep, recreation, took the time to relearn how to use food as medicine and more holistic natural approaches, dealt with my fears, anxieties and compulsive behaviors – and lo and behold, I started having better relationships!

I stopped being so focused on survival and being self-centered, feeling tired and getting mental fatigue or unfocused easily by twisting myself into a knot to fit into ‘the box’ and instead I got in contact with my own unique heart and soul expression. I found my voice…one of the hardest lessons I’ve had to learn, even if it didn’t look that way to others. And, I connect with those that I feel a connection with and show them support for all the ‘right’ reasons. And, I definitely give myself some of this care also.

We can learn how to BOTH take care of our self AND take care of others. It doesn’t have to be either/or, black or white. That is the old way of thinking. Self-care is ‘personal lifestyle care’.

We are in a world that lacks joy and connection because we are so tired and burnt out, there is not enough energy to be present to the person in front of us. Instead, we seek to feel good by seeking attention, ‘likes’ on social media, and become easily distracted and addicted to our devices. We have forgotten how to ‘love the one you’re with’ as the old song goes. Frankly, this state of mind sounds more stressed and selfish to me. Making time for self-care for me has been lifesaving from a health perspective and has given me the focus, confidence, and energy to create healthy relationships and boundaries.

To attempt to shame people into submission by continuing to push them to serve others and institutions outside of their self without consideration for their own needs is ‘business as usual’.

Don’t expect to reduce the rise in chronic disease until people start to respect their own health needs for rest and restoration. Our bodies need a chance to slow down and heal. Our mind needs some silence. Our hearts need space to heal from our inner emotional wounds. Yes, we need more self-care and in doing so, we are more likely to heal our soul and thus our body, in the process…and ultimately restore healthy social bonds and community. Stressed, sick people create a stressed, sick society.

As we heal ourselves, we are in a better place to be a healing inspiration for others and also to have the time and energy to participate again in community with others.

We can learn to do this as an integrated lifestyle. As we care for our self, we also can shift the pattern of seeking attention from others and looking for love in all the wrong places. Instead, we can give it to ourselves. And as we love and care for ourselves, we make more room in our hearts to give to others. It’s just the way our mind and body works,

For those who wish to continue to neglect their own self-care, that is a personal choice as well. I do not judge this. The question I have is, can we stop interfering with the personal choices of others who are on a different path than ourselves? In so doing, maybe we can make the world less stressful and self-centered in the thinking of the collective mind. To each his/her own. Let’s us all find our own way, in our own time. Then maybe there will be more room for peace and for people to reach their own authentic expression, healthy mind and body, and their own authentic greater potential.

What are your thoughts about stress and self-care? I’d be curious to know.