Sitting in the place of uncomfortableness

Recently in the last 2 weeks many events have forced me to re-evaluate... everything! Forced to face my worst fears I had 2 choices... stand strong or crumble. I welcomed the challenge, despite how my heart has been racing, lack of appetite and sleepless nights. Why? because it means progress, and let me explain why. Most people would rather live in the zone of comfortableness... a place that they can predict and know every move... a SAFE place. This may seem stress free for a while however most people will find a negative streak starts to creep in. All of a sudden life does not have the zing that in use to, your partner seems less then "shiny", your job drains you. How could this happen when everything is running smoothly?

What pushes us forward, makes life worth living, brings back that "spark" in our lives? The answer is living in the place of UNcomfortableness. Pushing ourselves to do things that make us fearful, apprehensive or anxious. It seems backwards, but this is what reminds us that we are moving forward. Pushing the envelope to gain further experiences, knowledge and growth in our lives. When we become comfortable with life, life becomes many shades of grey. The vibrancy tends to fade and we are left feeling less then complete. Perhaps anxiety, depression, anger or apathy sets in. Most often my patients will tell me they don't remember what excites them, what makes time stand still, what FILLS up their soul. By pushing yourself in that zone of "uncomfortableness" you gain self worth, self respect, you realize you are capable of a lot more than you think. You start to find that spark, that drive that pushes you out of bed every morning to taste what life has to offer you. I challenge you to do one thing today that is out of your comfort zone. Something you usually don't do, you have been putting off. Something that scares you. Go talk to a new person, take a different way home, eat a new food, try a craft, meditate, go dancing... anything that pushes your limits.

Adrenal Fatigue

Burnout is common up here in Fort McMurray. Its not hard to extrapolate one of my most common complaints is lack of energy. The medical term for this is adrenal fatigue. The Adrenal glads are a small sac that sits on top of each kidney. They are responsible for secreting several important hormones including testosterone, adrenaline, DHEA, progesterone and cortisol. They perform crucial functions like maintaining fluid and electrolytic balance, production of energy and regulate fat storage. The hormones produced in this gland are also responsible for maintaining a powerful immune reaction and normalizing blood sugar and blood pressure levels.

When the glands get overtaxed because of high demand the adrenals get "fatigued" and don't work properly. Symptoms of adrenal fatigue are morning fatigue, drowsiness, depression, energy burst during strange times of the day, 3 pm decrease in energy, increased allergies, inability to handle stress, food longings and light headedness, and craving salt. Women could also experience heightened menopausal or PMS symptoms.

One way to treat this is by using herbs, which help restore and support the adrenal glands, instead of stimulating us or giving us bursts of energy (such as coffee, caffeine and nicotine). Useful herbs are:

Rhodiola rosea: Mood depressant, anti-anxiety and protecting against stress related fatigue.

Eleutherococcus: Helps increase stamina, mental clarity, immune health and supports bone reworking.

Astragalus root: Improves the immune system and improve insulin sensitivity.

Licorice root: Improves energy, endurance, help recovery from adrenal fatigue.

Cordyceps: Balances inflammation so helping stabilize blood sugar to rest the adrenal glands.

Lifestyle changes are just as important! Consider getting at least 8 to 10 hours of sleep each day, drinking herbal tea, modifying your exercise plan to enhance your energy, eating healthy and often, engaging in social activities and practicing stress reducing strategies like yoga or meditation.

Ashwagandha

As many of you know I routinely prescribe herbs in my practice. One powerful herb is Withania somnifera, aka Indian Ginseng or Ashwagandha. Found in the drier parts of western India, northern Africa, Middle East, it is a small evergreen that only grows 2-3 feet. In ancient times rulers used it to feel younger and for longevity. The word Ashwagandha means "horse smell" in sanskrit, as the odor of the root does smell like a sweaty horse (ew!) However don't let this fact detour you, Ashwaganda has amazing health properties!

It is most commonly known as an adaptogen, having the ability to enhance the body's systems to deal with stress. It also is immunomodulating (increasing or decreasing the immune system depending on what you need), and reduces anxiety and depression without unwanted side effects. Most commonly it is made as a tincture (a liquid extract), using all roots, leaves and berries. Ashwagandha is high in iron and is pretty safe to use long term. Common benefits include:

Improves learning, memory, and reaction time

stabilizes blood sugar

lowers cholesterol

reduces brain-cell degeneration

contains anti-malarial properties

offers anti-inflammatory benefits

Anti cancer effects, anti-inflammatory benefits

Can be used for relieving arthritic pain

Reduction of insomnia and provides sound sleep

Helps in relieving hypertension and stress

It’s a powerful aphrodisiac, helps to treat erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, infertility and other erection disorders, and increases libido

Helps arteriosclerosis, malignancy, premature aging and fluctuating blood sugar levels.*

Helps in increasing physiological endurance.

Helps to reconstruct the nervous system network, hence effective for treating . Neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease.

Education is key... spread the word :)

References: Bhattacharya, S.K., et al. "Anti-stress activity of sitoindosides VII and VIII, new acylsterylglycosides from Withania somnifera," Phytother Res, 1(1): 32-37, 1987. Ghosal, S., et al. "Immunomodulatory and CNS effects of sitoindosides IX and X, two new glycowithanolides from Withania somnifera," Phytother Res, 3(5): 201-6, 1989. Wallace, E C. "Adaptogenic Herbs, natures solution to stress." The chiropractic resource organization. Web. June 23, 2012.

Greens and more greens

As most people know I am a big advocate of healthy diet. In fact, most of my patients get a basic Naturopathic food revamp when they see me. As I grown in my practice I am learning less is more. The hardest part of my job is convincing people that food IS medicine! The more we bring things back to the basics the quicker people heal. You don't need a tonne of supplements or herbs... just a few key foods such as green vegetables. I have found by increasing dark leafy greens common complaints such as chronic pain, PMS, mood disorders and hormone balance can be improved tremendously. DARK LEAFY GREENS.... they more you get the better! Most people eat minimal amounts of spinach and think they are satisfying this requirement. However, spinach is usually genetically modified, and doesn't have a lot of fiber in it. It is not my favorite considering all the other greens... Collard greens, bok choy, swiss chard, mustard and turnip greens... and KALE (yes my favorite)! Variety is key.... the different type of greens provide diff vitamins and minerals. I rarely prescribe a multi vitamin, using dark leafy greens as a perfect substitute. Some properties of dark leafy greens:

Weight management (who gets fat off of salad?), Reduces mood disorders such as anxiety, depression and PMS, High in dietary fiber...no more constipation :), Rich in folic acid and vitamin C, potassium and magnesium, Lowers cancer, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, High magnesium content helps with diabetes and high blood pressure (again), High in antioxidants which prevent cancer

I liked this description from this website. It explains the tastes of dark leafy greens, as most people are just use to the genetically modified sweeter tasting greens.

"Green, leafy vegetables provide a great variety of colors from the bluish-green of kale to the bright green of spinach. Leafy greens run the whole gamut of flavors, from sweet to bitter, from peppery to earthy. Young plants generally have small, tender leaves and a mild flavor. Many mature plants have tougher leaves and stronger flavors. Collards, Swiss chard, bok choy, and spinach provide a mild flavor while arugula, mizuna and mustard greens provide a peppery flavor. Bok choy is best known for use in stir-fries, since it remains crisp, even when cooked to a tender stage. One should always choose crisp leaves with a fresh vibrant green color. Yellowing is a sign of age and indicates that the greens may have an off flavor."

The best thing you can do is increase your greens, chop it up small and throw it in pasta, stew, mix it in different salads. Find any way to increase your intake of natures medicine for optimal health.