Wellness and Health

Have you noticed the trend to perceive type 2 diabetes as a “normal” condition after age 50? Have you noticed the trend to perceive a little arthritis pain in the joints as a “normal” condition after age 40? These conditions have become so prevalent that adults are trending to consider these conditions as the “normal” for states of health. The “normal” today in this time of epidemic chronic disease is promoting amnesia of true wellness. Wellness certainly means freedom from the debilitating, weakening effects of chronic disease. As a side product of this level of wellness, one feels dynamic, energetic, alive, vital, and vibrant. From this healthy state, we can respond effectively to environmental stress, toxins, or infections, quickly returning to our previous state of health and wellness. The most recent study is that of Dan Buettner named The Blue Zones – those pockets of societies with the most healthy centenarians and generally healthy populations. Common factors that have measurable biomarkers among the healthiest societies are repeatedly found to be: 

1. Unprocessed, whole foods, plant-rich diet (diet history; nutrient status)   

2. Caloric and nutrient intake so as to maintain a healthy Weight (anthropometrics)   

3. Regulating insulin production (blood glucose/insulin fasting; HgbA1C)   

4. Moderate daily physical activity (minutes per day or week; handgrip strength)   

5. Small amount of alcohol frequently 

6. Strong community and social connectivity

7. Meditation and spiritual beliefs (time per week) 

8. Feeling of purpose in life (1–10; 10 highest)

Throughout the community of integrative and functional medicine practitioners’ concepts like Maslow’s hierarchy of needs have developed an agreement that the following factors are key influencers that summarize the findings of many studies on longevity and wellness: “Basic needs”: Biological, physiological, safety needs 

1. Foods (protein, fats, carbohydrates, fiber) 

2. Vitamins, minerals, accessory, or conditionally essential nutrients 

3. Light, water, and air 

4. Movement rhythm 

5. Circadian rhythm balance 

6. “Mind-body needs”: Love, belongingness, self-esteem, cognitive, aesthetic, and self-actualization needs 

7. Meaning and purpose 

8. Love, community, connection 

All seven are inherently interrelated in the context of the human experience that affects wellness.

Integrative and Functional Medical Nutrition Therapy by: Diane Noland, Jeanne A. Drisko, Leigh Wagner

Healthy Holiday's Guidelines

 

1. Healthy Swaps for classic meals:

• Greek yogurt or avocadoes instead of sour cream

• Cauliflower mash added to potato or sweet potato

• Grilled or baked fruit instead of pies

• Instead of a casserole, just sauté the veggie (green bean casserole vs sautéed green bean)

• Healthier dips such as hummus and tzatziki instead of cheese balls and French onion dip

• More Crudité, than charcuterie 

• Bake not fry

• Use olive oil, avocado oil instead of vegetable oil

• Always fresh or frozen never canned or boxed

• Swap out bread rolls for homemade whole grain bread rolls

• Cider instead of eggnog

• Don’t add salt, use other spices/herbs

• Chocolate covered, dusted, etc. nuts instead of candy or cookies

• Shrimp cocktail instead of fried apps

2. Portion Control: hand gestures

3. Tips and tricks

• Make your plate colorful

• Choose clear liquids (Think water, vodka, gin, rum, club soda, seltzer water, tonic water)

• Don’t skip meals; don’t go to a party with an empty stomach

• Eat until you are satisfied, not stuffed

• Eat slowly

• No feeling of guilt allowed!

• Wait 10 minutes before going up for seconds this gives your GI tract time to alert your brain of hunger/satiety cues

• Avoid anything that says diet/low fat/etc. because something else was put in their to make it that way (normally not good things)

How to Survive the Holiday Season

We are well into the holiday season, but you may be finding the closer we get to another big holiday the more concerns you have about your health and wellness. How do I stay on top of my fitness? How do I eat without feeling guilt? How do I keep myself emotionally sane? All of these and more are valid questions running through your head. One of the best things you can do is to plan for both the expected and the unexpected. Let’s look at the first question involving fitness. This is something you have control over and you can plan in advance. Make sure you are signed up for classes (and don’t cancel them), fit in an at home workout using our content library, a live class, or pull up one of our short Youtube videos if you only have 10 minutes. Make movement a priority in your schedule. Having movement can also help with your mental health as we all know that exercise is tied positively to better mental health. Instead of releasing your frustrations on your family members, release them on the boxing bag! Eating can be difficult for some depending on your relationship with food and your relationship with yourself. Remember that no food is good or bad, you don’t earn it, and 1 day out of 365 days is not going to ruin anything for you. Make sure you enjoy it! Keep in mind the following basics: make sure you are stopping when you no longer feel a hunger cue (and if you are feel free to grab more!), fill up on protein and fiber first before diving into your carbs (both pasta, bread, and desserts), and make sure your plate is complete having protein, fat, carb, fiber, and fresh! Don’t demonize food. Enjoy what it gives to you and listen to your body!

The Vagus Nerve Part 7

 The Vagus Nerve Part 7: by Wendy Hayden

If our bodies aren't getting enough nutrition in our food, we can enter a sympathetic nervous system response. What we eat becomes the building blocks of the cells in our body. We now have cupboards and refrigerators full of food, but the food is often processed and devoid of the nutrition that our body needs to make healthy cells. You can eat calories but still starve your body of the nutrients it needs to be healthy. Some foods to include: wild caught fish, grass fed meat, organ meats, greens, sulfur rich foods such as garlic, onions, cabbage, and mushrooms, foods with bright colors, and seaweed. These foods can supply your body with the micronutrients it needs to heal your myelin sheath and feed your brain. Healthy fats stimulate the vagus nerve and regulate the activation of our innate immune system, and mast cells in our guts. Eating an anti-inflammatory diet can help reduce inflammation in the body, which can help keep the vagus nerve functioning properly. Foods like fruits, veggies, lean proteins, and healthy fats can all help reduce inflammation. Magnesium helps to maintain the proper balance of nerve cells, as well as their ability to communicate with each other. Without enough magnesium the nerve may become overstimulated, leading to fatigue, indigestion, and mood swings. Zinc is also important for healthy vagus nerve functioning. Zinc helps to regulate the neurotransmitters that control the activity of the nerve. Without enough zinc, the nerve may become overstimulated. Omega 3 fatty acids are essential for proper vagus nerve functioning. Omega 3s help to reduce inflammation in the body, which can help to reduce the stress on the vagus nerve. In addition, omega 3s help to maintain the health of the nerve cells and their ability to communicate with each other. If you are deficient in potassium, your vagus nerve will not work as it should. Potassium rich foods include sweet potato, avocado, beets, wild salmon, coconut water, beans, dried apricots, pomegranate, cooked tomatoes, watermelon, spinach,and pumpkin. Vitamin B1, or thiamine, is especially important for proper vagus nerve functioning. B1 helps to regulate the neurotransmitters that control the activity of the vagus nerve. Vitamin B6 helps to maintain the health of the nerve cells and their ability to communicate with each other. Without enough B6, the nerve may become overstimulated and cause a variety of symptoms. B12 is very important to the making and maintaining of the myelin sheath on nerves. B12 is critical for the synthesis of neurotransmitters like acetylcholine. B12 deficiency can lead to neurological and psychiatric problems. If you are B12 deficient long term, you can experience neuropathy, cognitive problems, and Alzheimer's later in life. B vitamin-rich food includes grass fed animal products including clams, liver, fish, crab, low fat beef and dairy, fortified cereal and tofu, cheese, nutritional yeast, and eggs. Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that can promote the health of your digestive system, including the vagus nerve. Examples include yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, and kombucha. Eating these foods can help to increase the beneficial bacteria in your digestive system, which can help keep the vagus nerve healthy. Even the best nutrition or supplements are not strong enough to overcome a brain and nervous system that is stressed, but they can help to support your nervous system as you heal your vagus nerve. The vagus nerve releases cytokines that regulate mast cells and reduce inflammation. Mast cells can be activated by many types of irritants, viruses, and stressors. When our mast cells are activated, we have increased inflammation. When you have a mast cell reaction, you can have itching, flushing of the skin, swelling, difficulty breathing, hives, low blood pressure, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and heart palpitations. When we activate our vagus nerve, we can reduce mast cell activation. Eating can become a source of worry and dread, as we worry about how much we’re eating, what we’re eating, and how it’s affecting our bodies. That's why it is so important to take the time to cultivate calming rituals around eating, you can reduce anxiety while still enjoying your food. Rituals around meals like eating together as a family, or sitting at the table when you eat, signal our digestive system that food is coming. Our digestive system prepares for the meal by releasing digestive enzymes that help us digest our food. Mindful eating and a routine that signals you will eat can help with digestion issues you may be having.

Here are a few calming rituals that you can incorporate into your mealtimes: 

1. Take a few deep breaths before eating. 

2. Make sure you are eating in a calm environment where you feel safe

3. Eat slowly and mindfully

4. Don't skip meals

5. Listen to your body and pay attention to your hunger and fullness cues

6. Avoid negative self talk, don't judge yourself for what you're eating or how much

The Vagus Nerve Part 6

 The Vagus Nerve Part 6: by Wendy Hayden

Emotional freedom technique (EFT) is a form of energy psychology that uses a combination of tapping on acupressure points, affirmations, and visualization to help release trapped emotions and energy, allowing you to heal and find relief from physical and emotional issues. By tapping on specific points on the body, individuals can help to reduce their symptoms and experience improved wellbeing. One way to use EFT or the vagus nerve is to tap on the nerve itself. There are several points on the body that correspond to the vagus nerve. Tapping works similarly to acupuncture, but without needles. You tap on energy pathways and meridians to get energy moving in the body. Stuck pain and emotions move, sending a message to the amygdala that everything is ok and calm. The signals tell your body that you are safe. Along with the physical act of tapping, you follow a verbal script to work on a specific emotion that you want to release. EFT is a combination of ancient Chinese medicine, tapping on the meridians of the body, along with modern psychology, the statements while tapping. EFT uses a standard sequence of tapping on certain acupressure points near the surface of the skin. Many of these acupressure points coincide with the vagus nerve. The first step is to identify what to work on. Can you think of some stress? Where do you feel it in your body? What is the emotion that you want to release? The more specific you are with identifying the emotion, the more effective the tapping will be. This is an enormous step and can be difficult for some people as we often have a hard time admitting to struggling with pain or emotions. We might believe that it shows weakness to acknowledge something we are struggling with, but this is the first step in healing and releasing that issue. Identify on a scale of 1-10 how strongly you felt that emotion. Don't worry about tapping the perfect spots and EFT is very flexible.Start tapping on the fleshy side of your hand by your pinky, while tapping repeat your setup statement: “even though I have this emotion or pain (state your specific issue), I deeply and completely accept myself”. Repeat this statement three times. Now you go through the acupressure points on your body and tap while repeating the “reminder phrase”. Your reminder phrase is the emotion or pain you want to release. Tap the top of your head, the edges of your eyebrows near your nose, the bones on the outside of your eye, the bone below your eye, the indentation below your nose, the indentation between your mouth and your chin and tap these points while repeating your reminder phrase. Find your collarbone and go down an inch and then out an inch. Tap this spot. Lift your arm and tap on your side about three inches below your armpit (about where your bra band is) and repeat your reminder phrase. Take a deep breath, breathing out longer than you breathe in. You can set up a practice to tap once a day, or multiple times a day. Some find it helpful to tap in the morning to start their day relaxed and calm and some use it at night to wind down from the day's events. If you feel tension in your body, take a few minutes to tap. If the body tension jumps up, then there is more to explore. The increase in tension is a message from your body, telling you that you have more to explore and work on. 

The Vagus Nerve Part 5

The Vagus Nerve Part 5: by Wendy Hayden

How to sit for a mindfulness meditation: 

1. Take your place, you want a good stable and solid seat

2. See what your legs are doing. Make sure they are comfortable in whatever place you sit

3. Straighten but don't harden your upper body

4. Settle your upper arms parallel to your upper body. Then let your hands fall onto the tops of your legs.

5. Lower your chin a little and let your gaze fall gently down, feel free to close your eyes

6. Don't force anything, be there for a few minutes. Relax. Take your attention to your breath or the feelings in your body

7. Feel your breath as it goes in and out. Pay attention to what your body is doing with each inhale and exhale

8. Unavoidably your attention will leave your breath and shift to other places. Don’t worry. There’s no need to block or reject thinking. When you get around to noticing your mind wandering…return your attention back to your breath

9. Practice pausing before initiating any physical adjustments. With purpose shift at a moment you want allowing space between what you experience and what you choose to do

10. Practice observing without the need to react if you find your mind wandering. Just sit and pay attention

11. When you're ready, lightly lift your gaze and open your eyes. Take a while and feel the sound in the environment. Notice how your body feels, see your thoughts and emotions. Decide how you’d like to continue with your day

Here is a guided meditation script for your vagus nerve:

1. Start by finding a comfortable position

2. Bring your attention to the area at the base of your neck, right between your collarbones. This is the area where the vagus nerve starts its journey through the body

3. Take a few moments to imagine the energy of the vagus nerve flowing through this area. As you imagine the energy flowing, take a deep breath and allow your body to relax

4. Now imagine a soft white lights radiating from the base of your neck and traveling down the length of the vagus nerve

5. As the light continues to travel, imagine it connecting to each of the organs and systems connected to the vagus nerve, bringing balance and calm to the body. Continue to focus on the soft white light traveling down the length of the vagus nerve and connecting to all the organs and systems. As you do, take a few moments to become aware of any sensations or changes in the body

6. Inhale deeply through your nose, and exhale slowly through your mouth. Focus your attention on your breath and let go of any thoughts or worries that may be on your mind

7. Feel your body relax as you exhale and let your shoulders and neck muscles soften 

8. Now focus your breath

9. As you inhale concentrate on drawing the breath deep into your body as if you’re filling your chest and belly with air 

10. As you exhale imagine that your breath is flowing outward and releasing any tension or stress

11. Now, close your eyes and focus on the space between your eyebrows. Feel the area between your eyebrows relax and soften. Take a few more deep breaths and imagine a soft light radiating from the area between your eyebrows. Allow this light to flow down your face and neck and then relax your chest and abdomen. Continue to breathe deeply and focus on the area between your eyebrows

12. Bring awareness to your throat as you focus on your breath. As you inhale, imagine the air entering your throat and circulating throughout your neck. As you exhale, feel the air exiting your throat and releasing any tension or tightness

13. After a few breaths, bring your attention to your body. Notice any sensations in your body and any areas of tension. After a few moments of awareness, relax any areas of tension by consciously encouraging your body to let go

14. Visualize a wave of relaxation flowing through your body and feel your body progressively relax

15. Now imagine a string connecting your throat to the base of your spine. Visualize the string emitting a gentle vibration that travels down the string and into your body and mind

16. Now, with each breath silently recite the following mantra “my vagus nerve is functioning optimally. I am relaxed, peaceful, and content”

17. Repeat this mantra on each breath and continue to do so for the next few minutes

18. As you repeat the mantra, focus on your breath and the sensation of your throat and neck muscles releasing tension

19. Notice how you feel, emotionally and physically

20. Stay in this state of relaxation for as long as you like, allowing your body and mind to sink deeper into relaxation with each passing moment

21. When you're ready, slowly open your eyes and take a few more deep breaths.notice how you feel and how your body has responded to the relaxation

 

The Vagus Nerve Part 4

 The Vagus Nerve Part 4: by Wendy Hayden

Music is very stimulating to the vagus nerve and can help switch us into a parasympathetic state. Chanting can help to stimulate the vagus nerve and bring balance to the body. During chanting, the vocal muscles contract and relax in a rhythmic pattern, which helps to promote relaxation and a sense of peace. The practice of chanting is a great way to relax and stimulate the vagus nerve because it is done in a deeply meditative state, with focused attention on the words and sounds being uttered. Chanting can help you reach a state of heightened awareness, allowing you to become more connected to your inner self. To begin your chanting session, take a few moments to settle into a comfortable position and take a few deep breaths. Close your eyes and focus your attention on your breath. Take a few moments to allow your body to relax and your mind to clear. As you inhale, feel your lungs expanding, and as you exhale, feel your entire body relaxing. Chant any words, sounds, or phrases that resonate with you. Feel free to make up your own words or use traditional chants. For example, you could chant “Om” or “Ahh” in a low, deep voice. Continue to chant OM, or your preferred sound, for several minutes, allowing the sound to penetrate your entire being. As you chant, feel the sound activating the vagus nerve and allowing it to release any tension. Feel the effects of your chanting as you relax even further. Brain health and gut health impact one another, and the vagus nerve is precisely the connection between the two. The vagal tone index can be considered as the body’s gut feeling that gets conveyed directly to the brain and produces a feedback loop of more positivity or more negativity. Stress levels are at historic highs and that can cause us to get stuck in fight or flight. Our nervous systems are getting stuck in sympathetic mode, indicating that the changes that take place in our body/mind during fight or flight are not being resolved after the event happens. Consequently, those changes, to varying degrees, stay with us for long periods. This results in chronic stress, which leads to a host of physical, mental, and emotional symptoms. When the vagus nerve gets stimulated through meditation, it affects the parasympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system to come out of fight or flight, decreasing stress. Mindfulness is the fundamental human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we're doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us. You can follow mindfulness by sitting down for a formal meditation practice, or by being more deliberate and aware of the things you do each day. Nearly every task we do in a day, for example brushing our teeth, eating lunch, talking with friends, or exercising, can be done more mindfully.