mind-body connection Archives - Amazing Health Advances

The Anatomy of Anxiety: Understanding & Overcoming the Body’s Fear Response

AHA Publisher — Fri, 08 Jul 2022 07:00:31 +0000

Dr. Caroline Leaf – In this podcast (episode #389) and blog, I talk to holistic psychiatrist, acupuncturist, and yoga teacher Dr. Ellen Vora about the importance of taking a functional medicine approach to mental health, addressing imbalances at the root, taking a whole person approach to wellbeing, her amazing new book The Anatomy of Anxiety: Understanding and Overcoming the Body’s Fear Response, exploring what anxiety tells us, why women are often accused of being more anxious than men, anxiety and hormonal changes, and so much more! As Dr. Vora points out in her new book, anxiety is not just in your head. Our mind, brain and body are separate but integrated systems. They work together—the human mind is embodied. Anxiety and panic attacks are very real phenomenon that have physical aspects, and should not just be dismissed as “they are just in your head” by medical professionals. Mental health is physical health. Unfortunately, since the 1990s, healthcare has largely been influenced by the assumption that mental health is mainly determined by our genetics and our brain chemistry, essentially setting our destiny upon factors we cannot control. Yet, as Dr. Vora points out, our brain chemistry is often a downstream affect of something that is happening in the brain and body. Many mental health issues are closely related to physical health issues, which is why it is so important that we also address mental health on the level of the physical body. We should not just be looking at genes or brain chemistry. This is a more hopeful way of approaching mental health, because it means that, to a certain extent, we can influence our genes, DNA and biology. Our environment plays a very big part in our mental wellbeing, and is something that, in many ways, we can learn to control. This doesn’t mean we are to blame for our mental health issues, because we often cannot control what happens to us. We can, however, control how we react to what happens to us, which is incredibly empowering and hopeful—we are not just victims of life! We can learn what contributes to mental health issues, and make incremental and approachable adjustments to our lifestyles that can positively impact how we feel mentally and physically. And we all need this hope. As Dr. Vora notes, more than 40 million Americans suffer from anxiety in any given year, a number that has only increased as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. We need more than just “more access to mental healthcare”. We need mental healthcare that works—that empowers and heals people without doing harm. Of course, seeking professional help for mental issues is important if needed. But there is also a lot we can do as individuals that can improve our mental health over time, which is empowering! Mental health should not just be the purview of those in the ivory tower who gate-keep knowledge. If you are very symptomatic, psychiatric medication can narrow the range of effect, which some people may find helpful for a certain period of time. However, these medications are not a cure; they are a bridge that may help you get to a place where you can heal. (For more on this, read the book Anatomy of an Epidemic by Robert Whitaker, and check out the Mad In America website.) However, for many people, psychotropic drugs do not meet their mental health needs and have many unwanted side-effects. These people often find it incredibly difficult to stop taking them, and need help during the withdrawal process, which can be challenging. There is no single system in place to help people withdraw from these medications, and professionals are often not taught how to support their patients or the best way to help them withdraw. In fact, not a lot is known or published about the best way to taper off psychotropic medications, while many professionals tend to deny the validity of people’s struggles when they are in withdrawal. This process is also often confused with “relapse”, which further distorts the situation and can make the person’s mental distress more chronic and acute. I discussed this in detail with psychiatrist Dr. Joanna Moncrieff in a recent podcast and blog. As Dr. Vora points out, progress in mental healthcare is always about the why: understanding the root cause(s) of why things are out of balance and why we feel what we feel. Depression and anxiety are the beginning, not the end, of the inquiry. They are signals we need to explore and manage, not just suppress or ignore. Part of this process is understanding the difference between false anxiety and true anxiety. As Dr. Vora discusses in her book, The Anatomy of Anxiety: Understanding and Overcoming the Body’s Fear Response, false anxiety is not a “fake” form of suffering. Rather, it means that there is a physical basis and a physical way out — it is a stress response to modern life, not a “true” part of who you are. When the root cause of this false anxiety is addressed, it is possible to reduce its impact on someone’s mental health by doing things such as: – Improving sleep – Changing diet – Reducing technology usage “True” anxiety, on the other hand, is purposeful anxiety. It shouldn’t be pathologized; it is a way of communicating with yourself. It doesn’t have a physical basis. Rather, it is the way we are tuned in or sensing what is not right in our personal lives, communities and the world around us. It can lead to suffering, but the good news is we can learn how to slow down and listen to what this anxiety is telling us. This helps us control our anxiety because it drives purposeful action to reduce mental suffering. Ways we can start listening to our true anxiety and listen to the message it is sending us after we deal with our false anxiety include: – Practicing mindfulness and self-regulation – Journaling We also need to examine how we think about postpartum depression and anxiety. Massive hormonal changes after pregnancy (and after a pregnancy loss) can dramatically affect how we feel mentally. This is not something we should feel ashamed about—we should have compassion for ourselves and understand that this is what happens when we go through major hormonal crashes. On top of this, mothers and mothers-to-be have the added stress of role transitions, as well as the added physical stress of nutritional demands from the pregnancy and breastfeeding, which can have an impact on a woman’s mental wellbeing. Even under the best of circumstances, it takes time to recalibrate, and this should be taken into consideration when helping new mothers with mental health struggles. Thankfully, wherever we are in our lives, there are some simple ways we can all manage anxiety, such as: Avoid bringing our phone into the bedroom at night. This helps us avoid “doom scrolling” and spending too much time online, which can disrupt our circadian rhythm and impact our anxiety levels. Eat a diverse diet full of nutrient-rich foods, so that the brain and body get the nutrients they need to function well, which also helps our mood and anxiety levels. Prioritize community—connecting with the people we love does wonders for our mental health. We are hardwired to feel safe and calm when we are in community. Embrace anxiety as a messenger. We need to listen to what it is telling us about what is going on in our lives and how we can learn and grow as human beings. To read the original article click here.

The post The Anatomy of Anxiety: Understanding & Overcoming the Body’s Fear Response appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

How Understanding the Biofield Could Hold the Key to Healing Trauma

AHA Publisher — Wed, 22 Jun 2022 07:00:28 +0000

Dr. Caroline Leaf – In this podcast (episode #385) and blog, I talk to Dr. Shamini Jain, a clinical psychologist, neuroscientist and social entrepreneur, about the science behind the mind-brain-body connection, the biofield and healing trauma, why we need to understand the placebo effect, how to avoid moralizing self-help, and so much more! Through her undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral studies at Columbia University, UC San Diego, and UCLA, Dr. Jain has conducted randomized clinical trials and other research in the areas of meditation, hands on healing, and other integrative medicine practices from the scientific lens of neurophysiology and psychoneuroimmunology. She has also been a healing student of master healer and teacher Rev. Rosalyn Bruyere, where she learned a great deal about how healing works. Through her work as a clinical psychologist, which included treating veterans with PTSD, children from disadvantaged communities, and a variety of people suffering from significant mental illness, she realized that our power for healing ourselves is immense and incredibly important for our times. Both modern science and ancient wisdom provide us with the tools we need to heal ourselves. Dr. Jain discusses this integrated model of health in detail in her amazing new book Healing Ourselves: Biofield Science and the Future of Health. She talks about how we are all interconnected, and how this connection has the power to heal us. Science is increasingly showing us how deeply our mental, spiritual and emotional selves are connected to our physical bodies, and can have a profound influence on our health. It is not just about what we eat or how much we exercise. Other factors like our relationships (both with ourselves and others) can have a big impact on how we feel mentally and physically. This is why it is so important to focus on WHOLE person health. The ability to heal ourselves is not just a “miracle”. We can study our own healing power and understand how we can start replicating this in real life. This often includes studying things that have been known for centuries and putting them in the language of science. This can be a simple as prescribing yoga for chronic back pain, which already happens in the US based on research done in the field. This is really exciting because it underscores our own agency, which, alongside asking for help when necessary (which is also a noble act), is incredibly hopeful. Key to understanding this connection is the biofield. Scientifically, biofield is a term used to describe our bio-electric-magnetic nature—fields of energy and information that guide our health. This is not “woohoo”—it is currently studied in many fields of healthcare already, including using magnetic fields to study emotions and electroceuticals to heal various ailments. The biofield also includes traditions that, although difficult to measure, have been harnessed for centuries by many indigenous cultures to heal people, such as qi, universal energy or prana. What do these ancient traditions know about the biofield that we can learn from? This is an important part of scientific inquiry. We don’t have to choose between Western and Eastern medicine. We can look at the whole person AND at different ways of describing what is going on during the healing process. One great way to understand this interconnectedness is to examine the placebo effect. As Dr. Jain points out, the placebo effect at its core means healing, or holistic elements that activate the process of healing. The placebo effect was originally developed to just please patients, not heal them. It was designed to “trick” a patient into thinking an intervention will heal them. Yet, in light of the growing body of research on the mind-brain-body connection, we now understand the placebo effect is more than just a “trick”. Placebo effects happen in all therapeutic encounters, even medications and surgery. They can be incredibly meaningful experiences, right down to the level of our neural firing and neural pathways. The placebo effect has many different facets, which Dr. Jain discusses in detail in Healing Ourselves: Biofield Science and the Future of Health. These include: 1. Expectations. This is what your conscious mind thinks about an intervention. It is generally what most people think of when they think of the placebo effect. 2. Conditioning, which is a subconscious and conscious process. 3. Relationships. This includes bedside manner. Research has shown that a friendly doctor, for example, can increase chances of recovery. 4. Ritual. This creates meaning and context that set the stage for our needs, hopes and expectations. We are training the body and mind to receive a particular healing encounter, like the ritual of meeting a white coat doctor in a medical office. You can start implementing these aspects of the placebo effect at home. Simply create a space at home or in the office to engage in a healing ritual, even for just 15 minutes a day. When you do this, you ready the whole person – mind, body and brain – for a healing encounter, allowing your mind and body to naturally do what they do: heal. This doesn’t mean there is something wrong with you if you don’t automatically heal yourself in every situation. We should avoid moralizing self-help. The more we learn about the biofield, the more we understand the vast importance of interconnectedness and the role it plays in healing—not just in ourselves, but also in our relationships with others and our environment. This is not an either/or situation. It is all about connection! This is not about thinking your way out of something or just doing enough yoga to get better. We all have a vast array of life experiences that affect us. Sometimes we get stuck and we need help. This help (in whatever form it takes) supports the natural healing process and interconnectedness that is within us and that defines our world. This is true for an allopathic doctor, and it is true for an energy teacher. Healing ourselves does not mean figuring it out alone and feeling bad when we fail, or that everything will always work out like we expect or hope. The key thing to understand about the biofield is the power of spiritual connection, however we define this and however it plays out in our unique context. This energetic nature is open and available to all of us. Regardless of how we experience this sense of self beyond the conditioned mind, brain and body, when we tap into this experience, the healing can be immense. We can start harnessing this incredible healing power by: 1. Grounding. Coming into our bodies and connecting with the earth. 2. Flowing with our emotions. Understanding and working skillfully with our emotional states. This includes tuninginto discomfort and allowing it to move through us so we can learn from it. 3. Tapping into our creativity. Creativity is an incredible healer! It leads us to a stronger sense of authenticity, whichis integral to the healing process. 4. Fostering positive healing intentions. This goes beyond positive affirmations. It is about uniting the mental and vital forces, or uniting the mind, brain and body energy and gaining more insight into our healing desires and what we are envisioning for ourselves while moving towards healing support. Community and spiritual connections are integral to this process. 5. Surrendering. This is about letting go of the conditioned mind and our desires, asking for support and realizing it. This step opens us up to possibilities of healing that we may not even have imagined. To read the original article click here.

The post How Understanding the Biofield Could Hold the Key to Healing Trauma appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Warning: Emotional Stress Increases Breast Cancer Risk

AHA Publisher — Mon, 25 Apr 2022 07:00:03 +0000

Dr. Veronique Desaulniers via NaturalHealth365 – The diagnosis of breast cancer is inevitably a very emotional event. As your mind races a hundred miles an hour, dozens of questions come to the surface. You wonder about your course of treatment, what the outcome will be and how you and your family will make it through it all. I deal with these issues all the time, and I can tell you that emotional stress does inhibit immune function and increases your risk of cancer. In fact, Essential # 4 of “The 7 Essentials System™” for healing the body naturally is about healing your emotional wounds as you work towards healing your body. But just what do the emotions have to do with breast cancer? Even the American Cancer Society Admits There Is an Emotional Connection to Disease Inquiry into the mind-body connection within the scientific community goes back further than you may think. Dr. Predergast, an eminent oncologist that was president of the American Cancer Society, said in 1959: “There is some evidence that the course of disease, in general, is affected by emotional stress. It is my sincere hope that we can widen the quest to include the distinct possibility that within one’s mind is a power capable of exerting forces which can either enhance or inhibit the progress of this disease.” Dr. O. Carl Simonton was often called the “father of mind-body medicine for cancer patients” and is best known for his pioneering research in the field of psychosocial oncology beginning in the 1970s. He developed a model of emotional support for the treatment of cancer that introduced the concept that a patient’s state of mind could influence their ability to survive the dis-ease. His emotional intervention program was even approved by the Surgeon General’s Office. While he was in practice, Dr. Simonton applied this emotional support program to his patients and saw improvements in survival time and quality of life. He believed that “emotions are a strong driving force in the immune system and other healing systems.” Understanding How Chronic Negative Emotions Can Trigger Cancer Cell Growth Research abounds that centers on the connection between the mind and health. The following are four common emotional patterns specifically found in people who have cancer. The list is based on the work of Douglas Brodie, MD: 1) A significant loss, such as divorce or the death of a loved one, between 6 and 18 months prior to diagnosis 2) Poor self-image 3) A strong tendency to hold on to resentment 4) A poor ability to develop and maintain long-term, meaningful relationships Emotional healing can help you heal from a cancer diagnosis. How does one go about healing lifelong emotional patterns? There are two must-haves as you start your emotional and physical healing journey: 1) The first must-have is the DESIRE for change. No change is possible without the intention to improve not only your physical life but your emotional and spiritual health as well. 2) You must also have FAITH. For many individuals, this also includes faith in a higher power. Whatever your beliefs, however, faith in yourself and the belief that you have what it takes to turn your health around is vital. In addition, you must also possess a strong belief in the course of treatment you have chosen. This Is Important: Get the Support You Need for Emotional Health Part of the emotional healing process is distinguishing what mind-body support you may need and then taking action to get that support. The practice of meditation is fundamental for whatever path you take. A study by Harvard researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital showed that meditation could actually rebuild grey matter in as little as eight weeks. The results were based on 30-minutes of meditation a day. One meditation tool I personally used after my own breast cancer diagnosis (and still do today) is called the Silva Method. Founder Jose’ Silva believed that 90% of illnesses originate in the mind and therefore can, to some extent, be reversed by the mind. After working with tens of thousands of students, Silva identified three essential requirements for effective mind-body healing: 1) Functioning at the Alpha and Theta levels: Going to the Alpha and Theta levels has the same basic effect as meditating. When someone meditates, scientifically they are reducing their brain wave frequency to Alpha or Theta. Jose’ Silva found that people who can remain at these levels are able to put themselves in a state where cells repair, stress dissipates, the immune system strengthens, and physical symptoms of illness are in some cases reduced. 2) Harnessing the power of healing imagery: Healing Imagery (or Visualization) involves visualizing the end result of your goal or desire while you are in the Alpha or Theta state. Visualizing the tumor shrinking and eventually disappearing is a powerful exercise! 3) Mastering the D-B-E thought process: The ability to “Desire, Believe and Expect” that healing will occur is the first step in making it a reality. When you commit to healing your whole body – physically, emotionally, and spiritually – and begin to act on that commitment, you will inevitably “see” real-time positive outcomes in your life. Why not give a mind-body tool like meditation a try – and “see” for yourself! Sources for this article include: BreastCancerConqureror.com HealingCancer.info SilvaMethod.com To read the original article click here.

The post Warning: Emotional Stress Increases Breast Cancer Risk appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Identifying, Setting & Enforcing Boundaries with Friends

AHA Publisher — Fri, 15 Apr 2022 07:00:23 +0000

Dr. Caroline Leaf – In this podcast (episode #368) and blog, I am going to talk about boundaries in friendships, and why it is okay to be honest and ask a friend for space. It is always okay to ask for space in a relationship. Boundaries are an important part of a healthy bond, as I discussed in a recent podcast and blog. We all have our own unique needs for “space”, and we need to be able to communicate where we are and what we need to our loved ones, including our friends. We need to remember that we are “experts” on how we feel and the context of our lives at any given moment. If being around a certain person or group of people is affecting how you are processing life, you need to be able to ask for space. This doesn’t necessarily mean the person is “bad”; it could just be that their presence is not what you need in a particular moment or stage of your life. Our nonconscious mind (which many scientists consider the most intelligent part of the human psyche), as well as the brain and body, can sense our unease before we are consciously aware of how we feel about a situation or person, and send us warning signals like anxiety or a stomachache, which tells us to pay attention because something is affecting our internal homeostasis—our sense of wellbeing. These warning signals, which originate from our psychoneurobiology (the mind-body-brain connection), include: emotions (such as unease, guilt and confusion when we are around someone) behaviors (like withdrawing, overcompensating, or apologizing frequently around a person) bodily sensations (for example, an adrenalin rush, a gut ache or muscle tension if we know we are going to meet a friend we actually don’t want to be around at the moment) perspective (when we think things like “what’s wrong with me?!” or “am I a bad person?”) Ignoring these signals can result in imbalanced energy across the two hemispheres of the brain, called alpha and beta asymmetry, as well as a drop in dopamine. As a result, we can lose a lot of our insight and perspective, which is a red light that we need to put up some boundaries to manage our own mental and physical health. But communicating your needs can be really hard, especially if you are asking for space but do not want to end a relationship. I don’t recommend using the words “I need space” or “I am putting up boundaries because I cannot be around you right now”, as this may hurt the other person or result in a negative response that will block their ability to process and understand what you are asking. Here are some examples of things you can say in person, via phone, text or email, or in a letter: 1. “Hey! Sorry, but I am going to have to take a mental health rain check right now. I don’t have the capacity to devote energy to our friendship at the moment. I won’t be able tune into your needs in the way a friend should right now. Thanks so much for understanding!” This way of talking focuses on what I call the “emotional oxygen mask”. We cannot truly be there for a friend if we are not able support ourselves and our needs. Like the oxygen mask in an airplane, we must put our mask on first before we can truly help others. 2. “Hey! I just want to say I do value you and our friendship, but I just can’t be there for you at the moment because I am focusing on sorting some major issues in my own life. [Here you can go into as much detail as you feel comfortable with and can add things like career, business, school, family members et cetera]”. Saying something like this gives the other person context to the boundary you are putting up, which is important if what you are asking for is space. It will help them understand where you are and what you need, rather than just reacting to what you are saying. 3. If your friend sends you a long response and wants to deal with the issue immediately, or if they respond negatively, you could say something like: “Thank you for your response – I really appreciate it. I don’t know how to reply at the moment, and hope you understand I need some time to process what you have said.” Remember, you don’t have to respond to anything after this! If your friend is angry at you, remind yourself that they too may need some time to process what you said, and that is perfectly okay. If they are truly your friend, they will eventually understand that you need space, and will be more willing to wait for when you are ready, since they know who you are and your character. To read the original article click here.

The post Identifying, Setting & Enforcing Boundaries with Friends appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

How to Use the Mind to Improve Your Physical Performance

AHA Publisher — Mon, 03 Jan 2022 08:00:51 +0000

Abigail Klein Leichman via Israel21c – Most of us can conjure up a vivid mental image of our favorite food. Just thinking about it can make our mouths water. Israeli physical therapist Amit Abraham heads a lab at Ariel University that’s translating this phenomenon into innovative training protocols to enhance dancers’ and gymnasts’ performance and improve rehab results for people with Parkinson’s disease. Over the past year, he worked with Israel’s Olympic rhythmic gymnastics team, which finished the Tokyo Games in sixth place. “Mental imagery by itself has been extensively used and researched. Even ancient Egypt used mental imagery,” Abraham tells ISRAEL21c. “Our lab is one of very few in the world studying the neurocognitive aspects and integrating it into training and rehabilitation. Some of the things we are doing in this field for the very first time internationally.” Following his postdoc research at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta with movement scientist Madeleine Hackney, Abraham returned to Israel in 2020 and established the Mental Imagery & Human Embodied Potential Lab in Ariel University’s Department of Physical Therapy. Not Child’s Play The lab’s goal is to provide scientific evidence for the motor and cognitive benefits of creating experiences in the mind. “We do group and one-on-one sessions in a specific process of bringing to life the mind-body connection,” he explains. “A lot of athletes visualize before competing. But they are not trained in how to use this efficiently as a tool to its fullest potential. That is my goal.” In his initial session, he often needs to overcome participants’ hesitancy. “People think mental imagery is childish and feel embarrassed to use it, especially in a group setting,” Abraham says. “So we start from scratch by explaining how to use it, what are its possibilities and limitations, the science behind it, and how to address lack of belief in it. Once people get excited about it, they can step out of their comfort zone and then it’s easier.” Imagine Motion Without Moving Abraham explains that just as it’s possible to imagine the taste of coffee without drinking it, you can imagine moving your arm without moving it. “Or you can lift your arm slightly while imaging your arm doing a full range of motion,” he says. “If you want to improve your quality of movement, you can imagine your arm as light as a feather. That’s called ‘metaphorical imagery’ and it’s a core component of the Franklin Method, developed my mentor and colleague, Eric Franklin, for teaching body alignment.” This is not always simple. For someone has lower back issues, for example, it is challenging to image the spine moving fluidly without pain. “We are confronting a reality that doesn’t always match the imaging,” Abraham says. “However, this is exactly the huge potential of mental imagery — to overcome the reality with the goal of changing it.” The final step is individualized interventions or training protocols, whether for a rhythmic gymnast or an individual with Parkinson’s disease. “My training as a musculoskeletal physical therapist helps because we can address a problem mechanically as well as with mental imagery,” says Abraham. “We’re trying to be less dependent on the therapist or on technology and more focused on the individual’s potential for self-empowerment.” Openminded Coaches Abraham finds that if the team trainer or coach is open to trying this evidence-based approach it’s more likely to catch on with the athletes. In the case of Israel’s rhythmic gymnastics team, head coach Ira Vigdorchik was quite enthusiastic to try this approach. Abraham did group training in collaboration with Vigdorchik’s coaching team, individual training to address specific areas for improvement, and an assessment of how the trainings impacted performance. “We started with traditional motor imagery: They lie on their back and mentally image the entire sequence of an exercise. We made it more codified, feeling the sensations and perspectives of first and third person,” he says. Abraham also does metaphorical imagery. For example, while balancing on one leg the gymnast visualizes that leg as a tree rooted in the mat. Team member Bar Shapochnikov tells ISRAEL21c: “The mental imagery work with the Franklin Method and Dr. Abraham helped me enhance my performance. My range of motion increased, my confidence in performing increased, and the training became more efficient.” Abraham admits that achieving further improvements at this high level of expertise is extremely difficult. “Therefore, we’re constantly looking for novel approaches that can help the gymnasts and athletes without putting them under even greater physical stress.” Neurocognitive Imagery for Parkinson’s At Emory, Abraham did the first research on integrating dynamic neurocognitive imagery into Parkinson’s disease rehab. He tailored a pilot intervention, based on the Franklin Method, to correct distorted mental representations of the body that can worsen motor and cognitive functioning. “Parkinson is a multifaceted condition, mostly known for slowness of movement, rigidity, balance dysfunctions and resting tremor. But about 60 percent of individuals also have sensory and cognitive deficits that are less talked about. We thought mental imagery could address these deficits,” he explains. This unique embodiment approach taught people to connect imagery with physical sensations. This intervention eased both motor and non-motor symptoms of the disease, as described in a paper Abraham and colleagues published earlier this year in a special issue of Brain Science exploring novel therapies for movement disorders. “We have to develop protocols in this and other neurological and orthopedic populations,” says Abraham. “It’s kind of out of the box to focus on different populations but I see mental imagery as connecting them all.” Abraham aims to become an international leader in the field of mental imagery for rehabilitation and performance. “We collaborate with various researchers in the US and Europe, but this is more than just research. We are looking to really make an impact on dance and gymnastics performance. We are constantly looking for teams and dance companies worldwide willing to try it to enhance performance and wellbeing,” he says. “Shoot me an email amitab@ariel.ac.il if our research intrigues you.” To read the original article click here.

The post How to Use the Mind to Improve Your Physical Performance appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

How Trauma Causes Inflammation & How to Begin Healing

AHA Publisher — Mon, 16 Nov 2020 08:00:00 +0000

Dr. Caroline Leaf – In Western thought, we see mental and physical health as two separate things, but this is not the case. Our thoughts and emotions, choice, life events, trauma and so on affect both our mental AND physical wellbeing. In this podcast (episode #225) and blog, I speak with leading functional medicine practitioner Dr. Will Cole about this mind-body connection, ways to reduce stress-induced inflammation, what adaptogens we should be taking to strengthen the mind and body, the best supplements for brain health, how to recognize and heal orthorexia, and more! When it comes to the mind-body connection, how we handle stress is incredibly important. Stressful life events and situations amplify our fight or flight state, which impacts the body’s adaptation to stress (through the HPA axis) and can negatively affect our health if not dealt with. In fact, although the stress hormone cortisol is designed to help regulate inflammation, if we are constantly stressed out, the flight or fight state upsets our natural cortisol cycles. This, in turn, can have many health repercussions because it throws the body into a state of disordered inflammation. Our body essentially starts working against us instead of for us! One example of this is adrenal fatigue. Adrenal fatigue does not just have to do with our adrenal glands; it is a brain-based issue, and it is related to our stress response and the HPA axis. It is related to how stressed we are, and for how long. If we want to start combating the negative effects of toxic stress on the body, we need to look at our lifestyle choices, including what we eat. As Dr. Cole notes in his book, The Inflammation Spectrum, every food we eat either fuels inflammation or fights it. This means that our ability to handle stress and deal with trauma will be affected by our diet. Food is medicine, yes, but this also means you should find out what your body loves—what is medicine for you? There is no cookie-cutter approach for everyone. Processed and refined sugar, for example, is an inflammatory food for everyone, but we will react to sugar in different ways and at different levels. There is an inflammation spectrum—everyone’s body is different. Just because it is your experience, doesn’t mean it is someone else’s experience. One thing that everyone can benefit from is adding adaptogens to their diet. As Dr. Cole describes in both Ketotarian and The Inflammation Spectrum, adaptogens are plant and earth medicines that are found all over the world. They have been used in traditional medicine to help bring balance to the body and promote healing and longevity. Science is only now starting to study adaptogens and showing how many of these plants (like holy basil and rhodiola) can bring back homeostasis in the brain and body by balancing the HPA axis and reducing toxic stress-induced inflammation. They are accessible, easy to use and are a great complement to any wellbeing regimen, as Dr. Cole noted in a recent guest blog on our site. They also help with memory formation and can improve our ability to handle anxiety. Adaptogens like chaga and lion’s mane mushrooms, for example, can boost brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which helps grow new neurons and improve neuroplasticity (the ability of the brain to change, adapt and grow). They essentially make us more resilient physically, which helps us deal with our issues mentally! Certain supplements can also help boost our diet and ability to handle stress: 1. Methylated B vitamins, which are needed for a healthy brain, hormone levels, immune system and so on. How much you need will depend on your unique health needs and biology, so see your health professional before taking any B vitamin supplements. In fact, methylation helps support good genetic function in the brain and body. How? As we now know, our genetics are not our destiny. They are light switches that are being constantly regulated by the choices we make every day and the environment we live in. Methylation is one way to make sure these light switches function as they should by switching on more good genes and switching off more bad genes. 2. Vitamin D3 and K2 is very important for the brain and immune system. D3 acts like a hormone and helps regulate many biological functions. K2 is also important and helps regulate inflammation and keep the body running well. Many people can’t get K1 from the plant foods they eat because their gut microbiome is comprised, so adding K2 to the diet through foods like organ meats, ghee, certain fermented foods and supplements can be helpful. 3. Curcumin, which helps balance inflammation levels. This gives turmeric its rich, yellow color. 4. Omega fish oil. You can get shorter train omegas from nuts and seeds, but the conversion is not always great. Fish or Krill oil supplements and wild-caught fish contain longer chain omegas, which are more bioavailable. 5. Probiotics, which help balance the microbiome and make sure the gut-brain connection functions as it should. Prebiotics, which are fibers in plant food that help feed the healthy bacteria in your gut, are also important. All these supplements are available on Dr. Cole’s website. Remember, when it comes to supplements and health products, you often get what you pay for. Mass-produced, cheaper health products generally do not always work or give you all the health benefits you expect. Some may even cause more harm than good, so always try find reputable companies that sell tested and good-quality products. And make sure to consult your health professional before taking any supplements, as everyone’s physical needs are different. We also need to remember that we cannot supplement our way out of a poor diet or toxic mindset. What we eat affects how we think, and what we think affects how we eat and our overall health, as I discuss in my book Think and Eat Yourself Smart. Mind management and self-regulating our thinking is essential when it comes to our health! We can go several weeks without eating, but we cannot go a few seconds without thinking. How we think about food is also important when dealing with disordered eating patterns like orthorexia. As Dr. Cole describes in his guest blog for our site, orthorexia is related to healthy eating—someone with orthorexia is hyper-focused and obsessed with healthy eating. Some of the warning signs (in context) are: A fear of food and how the body reacts to food Constantly judging others for eating a certain way Feeling isolated and avoiding going out to eat with friends If you or someone you know is battling with orthorexia, remember that you cannot stress and obsess your way into wellness. Just start where you are and at your specific capacity. Start low and slow, and don’t feel like you must solve all your problems over night. Try make incremental changes over time. The more you feel healthy, the more you will be healthy and make good lifestyle changes to sustain your sense of wellbeing. It is also important to remover that any wellness practice can be abused if your mind is not in a good place. So, always examine your intentions. Why are you doing this? What is your goal? How is it affecting you? Is this practice benefiting, or harming, your mental health?

The post How Trauma Causes Inflammation & How to Begin Healing appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.