Tag Archives: Weight loss | Weight Management | Diabetes | Menopause | Type II Diabetes

Menopause and Adrenal Fatigue

Adrenal Fatigue, Health, menopause, Migraines, perimenopause, Weight Loss

Adrenal Fatigue and menopause are becoming more prevalent as we busy women are doing way too much and multi-tasking. OK, did you hear me?  The key word here is over doing while the body is going through a natural state of hormonal change.  We as women are so much more in tune with our bodies then men.  It’s just the way God created us.  I was unaware that there are three stages to adrenal fatigue.  It has stage 1, 2 and 3 and then Adrenal failure.  “But how could I have adrenal fatigue?  I don’t feel bad.  I’m not overweight.  I eat healthy.  I exercise.

From a simple Google search, you’ll find that the topic of adrenal fatigue is HUGE and could not be contained in one simple article. So for the sake of your time today, I will get right to the bottom line.  I am not a doctor so this is just my thoughts and opinions on this subject.

Some Not so Obvious Signs:

  • Woman Feeling UnwellGetting so tired you feel like crying.
  • Being very angry (on the inside) or crying when someone asks you to get up early for something or stay up late, etc…
  • Not being able to function past 9pm, which may be made into a joke…”oh I turn into a pumpkin at 9 o clock.”
  • Being easily frustrated by silly things like…people chewing, someone bumping into you, etc…
  • HATING loud noises with a passion.

Getting Professional Help

This is where your preference for the type of doctor will be a personal choice.  I would encourage you to find a naturopath physician.  I prefer to have a professional that will encourage the use of natural solutions, nutrition, and the whole body for healing, not just treat symptoms.   I so enjoy Dr. Christiane Northrup, MD.  In my opinion, she gets it and explains it in preschool terms and tells you how to get the help you need.  She is the ultimate professional MD.  Most insurance will cover this now!

Getting Natural Help

STOP drinking Coffee.  This was so important for me.  Nearly all adrenal help sources agree that getting off coffee is important for adrenal healing.  Coffee simulates your adrenals—which isn’t always a bad thing.  Coffee has many great benefits.  But for adrenal fatigue sufferers, drinking coffee may mask just how bad you feel.  You need to hear what your body it telling you.

Tulsi Tea is a great way to support energy levels without stimulants.  You can start with drinking 1-3 cups of Tulsi Tea each day.  Do a Google search, you’ll find lots of great info on this fabulous product.  I am a tea drinker so I try lots of different ones!

More Sleep is kind of a duh—but it’s a really big piece of healing your adrenals.   Just like everyone else says; get to bed by 10, sleep as late as life allows in the morning, and nap when needed.  This is a restoration period so use essential oils for sleep!

Sea Salt Water is another big help for the adrenals. Some say it helps others say it doesn’t.  I always say try it and keep doing it if you see improvement or just stop if you don’t.

Herbal Supplements like Licorice Root, Adrenal Herb Blends, and Essential oils such as bail, rosemary, clove and elevation are recommended.  As well as high quality supplements like Life Long Vitality.  Ultimately, the best thing you can do is get professional help so that you can choose the correct supplements for you.  But these are general things that usually help most people.

Stop the Emotional Stress

Step out of stressful situations.  Take up yoga or Pilates.   Listen to relaxing music.  Read a good book.  Get a massage.  Learn how to dial it down and pay attention to your body and mind.

Learn to say “no” to more things, people, etc…  This isn’t being mean or selfish.  I used to think it was mean for me to tell someone “no” –but I’ve learned that it’s not.  It’s actually mean to my family if I keep saying “yes” to everyone else.

So there you go–just the tip of the iceberg but hopefully something to get your mind thinking! I help people who are stuck, broke and unhealthy to create balance, time freedom and healthy thriving lives!  You can find me at www.livinglifeholistic.com or via email susano@livinglifeholistic.com

 

What Will I Do With Those Kids!

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If you’re like many parents out there the school year is almost over! What will you do with them all summer long? So today I want to share a few other options to just think about. The options truly are endless!

• Turn off the TV! Enjoy the beautiful weather instead. Go on a hike, visit the zoo, go camping in the back yard, or head out to a public pool. You’ll have more fun exploring and getting some fresh air than you would if you were parked in front of the TV all summer!

• Find inexpensive and/or free activities in your area. Attend sporting events or concerts. Find local festivals, celebrations, or neighborhood parties. Host a potlock or a “Bring Your Own Meat” BBQ. Invite the neighborhood kids for a water balloon fight, obstacle course, or Backyard Olympics.

• Give the kids a chance to learn entrepreneurial skills by setting up a lemonade stand or starting a dog walking business. They can even help the neighbors with yard work or house cleaning. This is a great way to teach your kids how to start and run a business, as well as how to manage their time and money.

• Spend quality time together as a family. Have a Family Game Night every week, cook dinners together or bake sweet treats with the kids. Spend time really listening to your kids and taking this time to learn more about what makes them tick. When they look back at their summer break, these are the things they will remember.

Are you catching what I’m saying?? There are tons of ways to make this summer fun and adventurous without spending tons of money! It would be a great idea to talk with your family about this as well. Get their ideas. Find out what your kids would like to do during their break. (You may be surprised by what their idea of fun is!) Remember if you want to stay debt free you have to be creative and think outside the box! Enjoy them while they are kids, because in a blink of an eye they are grown and gone…trust me!

Do You Have Asthma?

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It’s spring. Which means that, along with flowers blooming, allergies are hitting. As rates of asthma and allergies rise each year, so does the amount of money put into treatment. Breathing is about the most basic function needed for survival, so it’s not surprising that there are thousands of medications available, from sophisticated inhalers to all manner of nasal sprays and antihistamines. But the numbers of asthma attacks and allergies continue to rise, which shows that these medications are just a Band Aid for a larger problem. They aren’t targeting the root cause of asthma and allergies: inflammation.

Here’s where inflammation and asthma tango: Inflamed bronchial tubes restrict airways as much as the contraction of the bronchial muscles (what happens during an asthma attack). Acute inflammation of the bronchial tubes can also happen during asthma attacks, along with mucus secretion, which further clogs the airway. Many asthmatics also experience chronic inflammation of the bronchial tubes even when they aren’t having an attack; this doesn’t typically restrict breathing but it does make bronchial tubes predisposed too spasms, contraction, and acute inflammation.  So, long story short – inflammation bad – breathing good!

Asthma causes distress in the body, which leads to elevated cortisol. Can you imagine a more stressful situation than struggling to get oxygen into your lungs?  Making matters worse, persistent stress – from asthma attacks, a crazy job, mothering young children – leads to cortisol resistance and increased inflammation throughout the body, including your bronchial tubes and muscles. In fact, imbalanced hormones, whether from high cortisol, low thyroid or out-of-whack estrogen and progesterone, contribute to higher rates of inflammation all throughout the body.

Recent medical thought has put forth the idea that inflammation is the root cause of all chronic diseases. You know how much I love root causes, so let’s dive headfirst into tackling this one.  While I am all for medicine, alternative medicine is another path to becoming healthy.  Some essential oils for asthma are:  eucalyptus, frankincense, peppermint, thyme, Breath (proprietary blend), oregano, lemon, myrrh, lavender, geranium, cypress, clary sage, ylang ylang, rose, helichrysum, marjoram, and rosemary.  Diffuse in the air or inhale directly from the bottle.  Apply to the hands, tissue or cotton wick and inhale.  Can be diluted as recommended and applied to chest, throat, or back.  Add 2-3 drops to 1 TBS of fractionated coconut oil and massage onto chest, shoulders, and back.  Essential oils have been used for centuries.

 

Warm Weather and Ticks

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From may through July, people get tick bites and tickborne diseases more often than any other time of the year in the US, but many may not know they are at risk.  Not all show signs of the diseases.  Each year, nearly 30,000 confirmed cases of Lyme disease are reported to the CDC, but a recent survey reported that nearly 20 percent of people in areas where Lyme disease is common were unaware that it was a rick.  Another 42 percent of individuals reported taking no personal preventive measures against ticks.

Other key tickborne diseases include Rocky Mountain spotted fever, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, and babesiosis.  These diseases tend to concentrated in specific parts of the country.  Nearly 95 percent of Lyme disease cases occur in 12 states: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin.  With 60 percent of Ricky Mountain fever cases occur in 5 states:  Arkansas, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee.

Reducing exposure to ticks is the best defense against Lyme disease.

1.  Avoid areas with high grass and leaf litter and walk in the center of the hiking trails

2.  Use a natural repellent (Terra Shield) from essential oils and plants – do not use Deet it is toxic to your body and more so to children

3.  Use it everywhere to include your clothing and tuck in your shirts and pants

4.  Treat your pets for ticks using the same natural repellent and they may bring ticks into the house

5.  Bathe or shower as soon as possible after coming indoors to wash off and more easily find crawling ticks before they bite you

6.  Conduct a fully body tick check using a hand held or full length mirror to view all parts of the body and remove any ticks right away

Tickborne diseases can cause mild symptoms to severe infections requiring hospitalization.  The most common symptoms of tick related illnesses can include fever/chills, aches and pains, and rash.  If you experience these symptoms after you have been outdoors look for the culprit or for the bull eye’s ring bite.  See a doctor to get tested and treat accordingly.