sympathetic nervous system Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Mindful Eating Improves Digestive Function, Study Suggests

AHA Publisher — Fri, 22 Jul 2022 07:00:52 +0000

Stephanie Woods via NaturalHealth365 – Stress affects the body in a variety of ways. An individual can experience any number of symptoms that are stress related, but one of the most significant is impaired digestion. However, it isn’t as if you can just shut off the stress in your life – or at least most people can’t. There are steps you can take, though, to minimize the impact that stress has on your body and health. If you haven’t heard of mindful eating, it might be time to make some changes for the better. You’ll be amazed at how this proper eating technique can calm down your nervous system. What Is the Stress-Digestion-Mindfulness Triad? The stress-digestion-mindfulness triad is a concept that sheds light on the link between mind-body practices and homeostasis in the autonomic nervous system. Specifically, this concept reveals how less stress in your life can improve digestive function. The sympathetic nervous system, SNS, provides the “fight or flight” response that occurs when the body perceives that it is in danger. This is a state of being stressed – an elevated stress response. Symptoms include dilated pupils, increased heart rate, hyperalert, and slowed digestive function. Sadly, most people dealing with a chronic health condition are living too much in this sympathetic state. The parasympathetic nervous system, PNS, provides the “rest and digest” response. It occurs when the body feels safe and calm – the opposite of feeling stressed. It is a state of being relaxed which means you find it easier to relax, your heart rate slows, your breathing becomes steady and regular, and there is more blood flow to your gastrointestinal tract. The parasymathetic state is where you want to be (more often) to promote healing within you. This means that in times of stress, your digestion is compromised. As a result, you may experience more digestive problems, including gastrointestinal upset. Because your digestive system is not working efficiently or effectively, it can lead to obesity, heart disease, nutrient deficiencies, diabetes, and other conditions over time. However, if the body is calm and relaxed most of the time, it can help improve your digestion and help you relax more. Discover Natural Ways to Improve Digestion Mindful eating is a way of fully engaging your body and mind in your meals. This helps make food more enjoyable for you, but it also helps you be more present in the moment, in all areas of your life. One of the most powerful ways to be more “mindful” – when eating – is to close your eyes and chew your food at least 30 – 50 times per mouthful. Conscious chewing offers a great way to experience life in more of a parasympathetic state, almost immediately. Most certainly, by the end of the meal, you will feel much more relaxed than when you started. Try it… This one tip can give you quite a positive, spiritual experience. For more tips on how to improve your digestion and engage in mindful eating, keep reading. Put down the smartphone Avoid bringing your digital devices to the dinner table. If you find that you struggle to stay off your smartphone, tablet, or other devices, pay attention to that. Devices can be addicting, so you may have to deal with that first. Pay attention to your body’s hunger cues Hormones govern your hunger and satiety, so listening to your body tell you that it is hungry can help keep those hormones in check. Avoid eating out of boredom or when you are nervous. Eliminate distractions while eating Don’t work while you eat. In fact, don’t give in to distractions, so turn off your TV. If you need something to relax, eat with friends and have a nice conversation. If you are dining alone, you can turn on some music and relax. Do some diaphragmatic breathing before you dine Diaphragmatic breathing is a technique that involves deep breathing that expands the diaphragm. It stimulates the vagus nerve, which in turn triggers the parasympathetic response. Enjoy the sensory experience of eating Eating isn’t just about stuffing food into your mouth, chewing, swallowing, and taking another bite. It can be a sensory experience, and you should treat it as such. When you get ready to eat, try to engage all of the senses instead of just a couple. Take time to savor and enjoy your food Eating in a rush makes you very likely to experience digestion issues. Just the act of eating fast will increase your stress response, causing you to have more stress-related symptoms. Slow down, take smaller bites, and enjoy the taste and texture of your food. Taking deliberate steps to change your eating habits and reduce the stress in your life will help you not only have healthier, improved digestion but will also help you have a healthier, improved body, mind, and spirit. Sources for this article include: NIH.gov LiveScience.com To read the original article click here.

The post Mindful Eating Improves Digestive Function, Study Suggests appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Quality Sleep and Your Metabolic Flexibility

AHA Publisher — Wed, 24 Feb 2021 08:00:34 +0000

Excerpted from Intuitive Fasting. Copyright © 2021 by Will Cole. Published by goop press/Rodale Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC. Dr. Will Cole via Dr. Caroline Leaf– Many people think of eight hours of high-quality sleep as a luxury and that they will “sleep when they’re dead.” Sleep is not a luxury, it is a mandate on your health and metabolic flexibility. Why? Sleep is intricately connected to all the hormonal and metabolic processes in our bodies as well as to maintaining healthy inflammation levels, healthy blood sugar, and a healthy weight. Don’t believe me? Studies have shown that just one night – yes, one single night – of sleep deprivation changes the way our hunger and appetite hormones behave, which leads to increased hunger and cravings. One night of bad sleep can also affect the motivation centers in your brain and how they respond to the sight or thought of food. If you’ve ever pulled an all-nighter – only to be constantly hungry and cravings bagels and potato chips and cookies the next day – you’ve experienced this phenomenon in action. Conversely, scientists have found that the more sleep you get, the less hungry you are and the less you crave sweet and salty foods. If you don’t get enough sleep, it’s almost impossible to overcome cravings and wonky hunger signals in order to reconnect with your intuition about food and what your body really needs. Studies have also shown that insulin sensitivity is negatively impacted by sleep deprivation. In fact, one study showed that six nights of just four hours of sleep resulted in a 40 percent reduction in glucose tolerance. Sleep deprivation also stimulates your sympathetic nervous system, your fight-or-flight nervous system. This leads to increased stress hormones, and as we already know, inflammation levels. For example, studies experimenting with sleep deprivation have revealed that it can alter the immune system’s response and increase pro-inflammatory markers like IL-6, TNF-alpha, and C-reactive protein. In other words: sleep is pretty freaking important; in fact, I’d go as far as to say that if you’re not prioritizing sleep, it’s impossible to be truly healthy. Prioritizing sleep is made even more complicated by the fact that getting great sleep is easier said than done. It’s not as easy as other lifestyle factors like exercise or nutrition, where you simply have to do and eat the right things. According to the National Sleep Foundation, 35 percent of Americans consider their sleep quality “poor” or “only fair,” and another survey showed that 68 percent of Americans struggle with sleep at least once a week. So, how do we get great sleep? I work with my patients all the time to optimize their sleep, and I’ve found that the key is to establish a bedtime routine that sets you up to fall asleep quickly and easily—and then stay asleep all night long. Your routine can include anything that feels right to you: a bath, writing tomorrow’s to-do list, a short meditation, or even just sitting in bed and reading. That said, there are a few elements you’ll want to make sure you include: Turn off all electronics an hour before bed: This means smartphones, computers, and tablets. These devices emit blue light, which actually makes you feel more awake and reduces melatonin production, which is supposed to surge before bed. If you can’t make it an entire 60 minutes before bed, aim for at least 30 minutes. Try reading, journaling, listening to an audiobook, or doing a few minutes of yoga instead. No coffee after lunch: Too much coffee throughout the day can interfere with our sleep. That’s why I recommend avoiding coffee after lunch. This gives your system enough time to metabolize it fully before you hit the hay. Instead of coffee, try herbal tea, sparkling water, or a turmeric latte. Go for a walk: I know I’ve told you to avoid over-exercising during the 4-Week Fasting Plan, but moving your body in some way each day, even if it’s just a 15-minute walk, can benefit your sleep massively. In fact, a study from the Sleep Health Journal showed that daily active minutes could be directly linked to sleep quality. If you cut out electronic use before bed and caffeine in the afternoon and are still having trouble getting your daily dose of zzz’s, it’s time to lean on natural remedies like herbs and supplements. These are my go-to herbs and supplements for sleep: Chamomile: Chamomile is one of the most famous herbs around. It’s been historically suggested for anything from sleeplessness and anxiety to gastroin- testinal conditions such as upset stom- ach, gas, and diarrhea. More recent studies have shown that it can improve sleep measures in adults with chronic insomnia.48 I recommend taking cham- omile in tea-form after dinner. Magnesium: Magnesium is known as nature’s chill pill. Magnesium can be very effective as a sleep aid, thanks to its ability to encourage muscle relaxation and improve measures of insomnia, as listed in the ISI (insomnia severity index), including sleep efficiency; sleep time and sleep onset latency; early morning awakening; and the concentration of serum renin, melatonin, and serum cortisol.49 Studies have even shown that magnesium can regulate your sleep- wake cycle.50 There is no “right” time to take magnesium. However, due to its calming effects, taking it right before bed can be the best way to capitalize on its ability to boost GABA levels and relax muscles. Magnesium can be found in multiple different forms, and I recom- mend starting with 200 mg after dinner. Valerian: Valerian is an herb that has been used to treat nervousness, trem- bling, headaches, insomnia, and heart palpitations since ancient Greece and Rome.51 I recommend taking valerian as a tea after dinner. L-theanine: L-theanine is another go-to natural supplement for sleep. This com- pound is found naturally in green tea and, when taken as a supplement, can promote better sleep quality.52 In fact, one study found that when boys ages 8 through 12 took L-theanine (at a dose of 400 mg daily), it led to improved sleep quality without any safety con- cerns.53 I recommend that my patients start with 100 mg, but healthy adults can take up to 400 mg. Melatonin: We’ve already learned about the importance of melatonin for healthy sleep. But did you know that you can take melatonin as a supplement? It’s true. If none of the strategies above are quite doing the trick—and you find yourself wide awake when you should be falling asleep—supplementing with melatonin can help. Melatonin has been widely studied for insomnia, especially insom- nia related to jet lag, and the science is promising. One review paper showed that, in nine out of the ten studies they evaluated, taking melatonin close to bedtime at the destination (between 10 p.m. and midnight) decreased jet lag from flights crossing time zones. If you’re having trouble sleeping during the 4-Week Flexible Fasting Plan, try taking 5 mg of melatonin about 30 minutes before you’re ready to go to sleep. Dr Will Cole’s new book Intuitive Fasting is available everywhere books are sold February 23! Order your copy now. To read the original article click here. For more articles from Dr. Leaf click here.

The post Quality Sleep and Your Metabolic Flexibility appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

A New Handheld Device Aims to Calm Panic Attacks Fast

AHA Publisher — Tue, 23 Feb 2021 08:00:50 +0000

Brian Blum via Israel21c – Adi Wallach started experiencing panic attacks while pursuing her undergraduate degree at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. “I was at the movies with friends the first time it happened,” Wallach tells ISRAEL21c. “I felt my heart starting to race. Then I didn’t feel my legs.” Wallach headed home and climbed into bed, hoping she’d feel better in the morning. But she woke with the same symptoms. At this point, she says, “I was afraid I was going to lose my sanity.” She actually drove to her mother’s house “to say goodbye.” Her mother, Dr. Orna Levin, a physician, however, recognized what was going on and explained to Wallach that she was having a panic attack. The episodes didn’t go away with this new knowledge, unfortunately. “Sometimes I had six to seven panic attacks a day,” Wallach says. Wallach tried every solution short of medication – therapy, yoga, biofeedback. “I changed my diet, started taking supplements, tried acupuncture. They were somewhat effective, but I was not able to use them fast enough to stop the attacks. I started avoiding places that might trigger an attack. I didn’t go to the movies for years. I stopped swimming. I was afraid of flying.” Wallach’s degree from the Technion is in biomedical engineering. Could she engineer her way out of her panic attacks, she wondered, and build a medical device that could provide calming relief? Together with her mother, Wallach founded Dendro Technologies. Today, for $179, you can purchase their solution to panic attacks: CalmiGo, a handheld device that looks like an asthma inhaler and that engages vision, touch and smell to reduce stress. Especially these days with Covid-19 showing no signs of slowing down, CalmiGo comes at a particularly apt moment of collective anxiety. Launched in 2019, CalmiGo has sold 20,000 units on Amazon.com, on the CalmiGo website and via third parties such as the FSA Store. The US Veteran’s Administration is buying CalmiGo devices to distribute for free to veterans, and the IRS has approved CalmiGo as a health-related expense, making it tax deductible in the United States. How it Works CalmiGo first and foremost helps regulate breathing, although not in a way that requires cognitive effort. That’s important because popular breathing techniques require concentration while counting. The problem is that counting “activates the sympathetic nervous system at a time when you want to quiet it,” Wallach tells ISRAEL21c. The sympathetic nervous system stimulates the body’s flight-or-fight response. In contrast, “we activate the parasympathetic nervous system in the brain, which is responsible for the relaxation response in the body,” Wallach explains. A series of three blinking lights on the CalmiGo device guides your exhalations. When the third light comes on, you breathe in again. You don’t have to think or count –just breathe. The device has a learning mechanism, Wallach says, that tracks your breathing patterns and adjusts itself to gradually slow your exhalations over the three-minute recommended period of use. (Three minutes three times a day works best, Wallach adds.) CalmiGo has an optional function that vibrates the device when you’ve finished exhaling. That addresses another sense – touch – in much the same way that the flashing lights engage vision. (The vibration, it should be noted, may not be quiet enough to use before bed with a partner.) The third sense is smell. Every CalmiGo unit is shipped with lavender, peppermint or bergamot “scent panels” which snap onto the front of the device. “We embed aromatherapy oil onto a solid element, so there are no liquids to worry about,” Wallach says. Each panel lasts three to six weeks. Portable Wallach insisted that CalmiGo be small enough to fit into a purse or pocket and super easy to use. “Even a high-tech person can’t use a sophisticated tool during a panic attack,” Wallach says. “We needed it to be simple and effective in just a few minutes.” Activating the parasympathetic system for relaxation is not unique to CalmiGo, of course – yoga and meditation do much the same. “But CalmiGo provides immediate relief, which is harder to do,” Wallach says. “Yoga is great for the long term. But most people are not able to integrate something like that into their daily routine. CalmiGo takes just a few minutes and you don’t need a specific environment or a quiet room. You can use it on a subway or on an airplane.” Speaking of airplanes, can CalmiGo help with mental stress beyond panic attacks – for example insomnia or fear of flying? Wallach stresses that CalmiGo is “not a medical device. But, yes, it can help people who have a hard time sleeping.” And Wallach has used CalmiGo to help with her own flying fears. The device’s components are sourced from China and assembled in the United States, where most of the company’s sales have been so far. Dendro Technologies has raised $3 million from angels and several smaller VCs, including Israeli Alon Matas, whose Silicon Valley-based online therapy startup Better Help has also seen a boost in interest as a result of Covid-19-fueled anxiety. Exam Anxiety, PTSD CalmiGo has been extensively tested. One study was done at Israel’s private university IDC with students who suffer from exam anxiety. A control group used standard breathing techniques while the other received CalmiGo; the latter showed significantly more improvement. The results are due to be published in the Journal of Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback. Another study looked at veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. “We found a significant decrease in both PTSD and anxiety after just two weeks of use,” Wallach notes. A third study being conducted in the oncology department at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center in Israel is following health professionals who suffer from burnout, and cancer patients with a high degree of stress. And a US clinical study is ongoing in the emergency department at Northwell Health in New York. Results are expected by the end of 2021. Some 40% of American adults are showing signs of anxiety and depression since the Covid-19 crisis broke out last year. Wallach sees this as a positive in some ways. “Everything related to mental health is more out in the open. Even the business magazines are now talking about mental health,” she notes. One of Wallach’s most poignant success stories comes from the mother of a child with Tourette’s Syndrome. “Covid really triggered him, but his mother didn’t want to put him on any more medication. They bought CalmiGo and it helped a lot. The mother wrote to me, ‘I got my boy back.’ This meant everything to me.” Wallach relocated to New York last year to focus on the company’s sales and marketing. R&D, headed by her mother, is in Israel. Wallach is the company’s CEO; Levin, who focuses on herbal medicine, acupuncture and nutrition in her medical practice, is Dendro’s president. If Wallach hadn’t been forced to confront her own panic attacks, she might be just another high-tech highflyer. She has been working in the industry for 19 years, including 10 in the defense industry. Before that, she managed R&D for a 3D printer company. She never expected to be in the medical devices business, but CalmiGo has become not only her passion but a business she hopes will be transformative for people navigating a stressful modern age – Covid-19 or not. The best news for Wallach: “My last panic attack was over three years ago and I was able to stop it in less than two minutes by using CalmiGo,” she says. To try out CalmiGo, visit the website. Click here for more on the science behind CalmiGo. To read the original article click here. For more articles from Israel21c click here.

The post A New Handheld Device Aims to Calm Panic Attacks Fast appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Solving a Biological Puzzle: How Stress Causes Gray Hair

AHA Publisher — Wed, 29 Jan 2020 08:00:19 +0000

Harvard University via Science Daily – Scientists have found evidence to support long-standing anecdotes that stress causes hair graying. Researchers found that in mice, the type of nerve involved in the fight-or-flight response causes permanent damage to the pigment-regenerating stem cells in the hair follicle. The findings advance knowledge of how stress impacts the body and are a first step toward blocking its negative effects. To read the original article click here.

The post Solving a Biological Puzzle: How Stress Causes Gray Hair appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.