​Have you ever CRAVED sleep? Ever been so bone-deep tired that you ache upon waking? As a new mom to a 3-month-old, I can attest firsthand to the collective pain from those sleepless nights that quickly translates into sheer daily exhaustion. At the health food store I work at, customers have been coming in by the dozens looking for something to remedy THEIR sleepless nights. Our bodies require a good night's rest to repair. Without it, we exacerbate inflammation and can prevent our bodies from healing. There’s a reason sleep deprivation is used as a torture method! We all have very different reasons WHY we cannot sleep. Getting down to the brain's physiology may help get you a solid night's rest or at least catch a couple more Zzzs!
 
Everyone can agree that 2020 has been an interesting year, to say the least. We can also agree upon the STRESS load it has added to an innumerable amount of people and their communities. From businesses shutting down to unemployment, parents becoming teachers on the fly, stress on relationships and families, and lowered immune function, all the while, domestic violence, and suicide rates have skyrocketed with an overall increase in mental health issues. It is no wonder people are losing sleep. While the reasons we have stress are very individual and unique to us, there certainly is a common thread among all the sleepless. Understanding the co-relationship of stress and anxiety can give further insight into our sleep issues.
 
Stress is necessary for survival. The pressure to get things done with varying degrees of urgency is beneficial for accomplishing daily tasks and achieving greater goals. However, when stress becomes damaging, it starts to take over our lives, creating anxiety. The adrenals become overloaded and begin to overfire, producing too much cortisol, and the flight or fight response is triggered unnecessarily. You start flapping your wings to fly away only to realize you are not a bird! In some severe cases, these feelings produce complete panic, and that danger is swiftly approaching, causing momentary paralysis. You want to run, but you don’t know where! It seems as though stress follows you wherever you may go! With overworked adrenals keeping us in alert mode and with no off switch in sight, it makes sense we cannot calm down into a restful state. Our overactive neurotransmitters at play; it is just a vicious recipe for disaster. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could do something to shut off our brains at night? 
 
Social media outlets, the news, fear of getting sick, stress in our relationships, financial struggles, forced isolation, and conflict at our jobs are just some examples of where daily anxiety enters our lives. It seems impossible to turn the noise off in our brains when the daily noise is livid and continuously in our faces. Often it feels like there is no relief, no escape. Anxiety causes issues from not being able to fall asleep initially to waking in the middle of the night. Staying awake from the deeply embedded mental chatter that does not seem to quit turns our minds and bodies right back on. And sometimes, in the middle of the night, we open our phones to get our minds off current events and end up reading possum memes for an hour that make us chuckle while our infants sleep next to us, causing us to stay awake even longer. Sigh, it happens. Sleepless nights... Those particular days bring us sour moods, depleted energy, loss of motivation, and poor food choices, adding stress to other areas of our lives. We need to look a little deeper into how we can alleviate anxiety to allow our minds and bodies to rest. So what can we do about anxiety to help our sleep state?
 
Our brains naturally produce amino acids that work within our neurotransmitter systems—big words for describing the electrical network in our brain. GABA is a very specific amino acid that the brain produces naturally to modulate neurotransmitter activity. The busy, overworked mind delves quickly into the dark corners of mental chatter and rapidly develops into anxiety. When the brain is overstimulated, GABA goes in and slows down the process. Overworked minds could be a result of hyper-alert, stressed adrenals. That’s where adaptogens can come into play. This class of herbs is responsible for supporting the adrenals by helping to adapt to stress. They work to give energy during the day and rest at night, supporting the adrenals during both shifts. Ashwagandha is a very special adaptogen that helps to support the adrenals and helps produce GABA. Other ways to help support GABA production naturally are probiotic strains, which are also showing more prevalence in the brain's complexity via the vagus nerve. What’s in our guts transfers through a series of physiological mechanisms riding on the vagus nerve from the stomach to the brain. L-rhamnosus is a special probiotic strain that produces GABA. Now that we know producing more GABA can help quell anxiety and lead to more zzzs, let’s look into other areas of the human terrain that may need balance work to find rest.
 
Mammals have a network that closely mimics the nervous system, the endocannabinoid system (ECS). Researchers have only touched the tip of the iceberg with the complexity of this bodily system. So far, we have discovered that the ECS is filled with receptors throughout our body and in our brain. If the receptors are out of balance, cannabinoids affect the brain's state and modulate brain activity. Although we have existing cannabinoids naturally occurring that work to bring the body to homeostasis or balance, they sometimes need outside help when the body is riddled with too much stress. Here enters a special cannabinoid found in the hemp plant, otherwise known as cannabidiol (CBD). CBD can quickly influence the overstimulated receptors, causing shortages and calming the receptors that are overworked, much like GABA from a different angle using different available receptor sites. Finding balance is always the key, and these are just a few supplemental options that can get you there.
 
Aside from supplements to aid us along into slumber, we can look to behavior before bed. Foods or beverages that could be stimulating us at the wrong time get our circadian rhythms thrown off. There are other ways to mitigate stress, such as particular lifestyle choices like exercising and meditation… OR, perhaps something as simple as shutting the light off and turning off all electronics an hour before bed to help encourage melatonin production may be all you need! We can help you figure out these pieces of the puzzle. Give us a call! You are TIRED. And we want to help you sleep. We'll be your sleep detectives and work with you to create the right formula just for you because we know that no two people are alike.

​Amy Prins 
​Natural Health Practitioner
C.H.S., C.N.H.P.

​Every TV channel. Every radio station. Everywhere you look has a program, a commercial, or a sign referencing Co-Vid. Even if you want to turn everything off, you will inevitably come into contact with something or someone who is talking about or portraying this scary health crisis. I get it, there is a virus. And yes, there is a more virulent form. Yes, it could be dangerous for certain people.
 
However, what I hear from my clients is: Fear. Worry. Anxiety. Depression. Panic. Adrenal fatigue. People tired of being cooped up. Restlessness. I would say a good 50 percent of my clients needed to be calmed down. Eighty percent of my clients have had stress on their adrenals whether or not they appeared to be stressed.
 
We have to talk about the stress. Whether you are afraid to leave your home, or just plain feeling cooped up too long, your adrenals are releasing stress hormones. And the rest of your endocrine is also taking a hit. Maybe you’ve added a layer to your waistline. Maybe your digestion is off. Maybe you’re drinking more than you were before. Maybe you’re just plain tired. Are you sleeping? These are minor stressors in comparison to losing your job or your business. And what if home isn’t a safe place? If home isn’t safe, then this pandemic is a nightmare for you. (Please come talk to me if this is the case)
 
Here’s something you won’t hear on the news...
 
Stress causes the immune system to take a nose dive.
 
With all the fear mongering, the media is pushing people into a state of poor health by causing fear and worry.
 
We have to support the adrenals. How we do this, depends on the person. It depends on what YOUR individual body is lacking. In addition to the following nutrients that the adrenals desperately need, find things to do that are calming and fun. Get outside and enjoy the spring beauty. Exercise. Hug someone! Not being able to touch each other is detrimental to our health. Babies die when they aren’t touched. Seniors too. Seniors know that they need their weekly massage or they’ll go downhill.
 
Side note: If you are a healthy adult, your immune system needs to come into contact with bacteria and viruses in order to build healthy antibodies. [If you are immune compromised or have multiple co-morbidities, this part of my talk is not for you.] But if you are a relatively healthy individual, then it is time to build your immune system, and that means having physical contact with other human beings. The longer you isolate, the more you will have to overcome all sorts of immune challenges once you come out of your house. See my previous blogs for formulations to build the immune system.
 
Build up the adrenals: 
B-Vitamins such as Cataplex B, Cataplex G, Balanced B. Methyl folate plus or Methyl B12 help the body absorb B-Vitamins if you have the MTHFR SNP. Stress depletes your B-vitamins.
 
Adaptogens such as Schisandra, Ginseng, Eleuthro, Gotu Kola (there are many), are balancers for the adrenals and the nervous system. Adaptomax from Nature’s Sunshine blends several adaptogens in one. Nevaton (MediHerb) is for when you’re being pulled in multiple directions and you’re in charge of a lot, and are finding yourself getting irritable (great for business owners or teachers).
 
Vitamin C is nourishing and healing to the adrenal glands.
 
Minerals - when you are stressed, you’ll blow through more minerals than you can add back in even with the perfect diet. Min-Tran or Min-Chex are nice calming minerals.
 
Adrenal glandular - Sometimes the adrenals are so depleted that adding in a glandular can really support those adrenals and give you boost almost immediately. Adrenal Support from Nature’s Sunshine is a good one for this.
 
Stinging Nettle Seed (not the leaf) pairs well with the Adrenal Support, as it helps to rebuild the adrenals over time.
 
Endocrine support such as Orchex, Min-Chex, or have a practitioner find the exact remedy for you.
 
Iodine - we typically think of Iodine strictly as a thyroid mineral, but actually every cell in the body needs iodine.
 
Ga Adrenal is a broad spectrum adrenal support and covers a number of categories when dealing with adrenals.
 
Having nightmares? B-1 deficiency. Cheap supplement you can find at the health food store.
 
Grief or mourning the loss of people: Min-Chex.
 
Other goodies:
AnxiousLess from Nature’s Sunshine
Adrenal Complex (MediHerb)
Any of the flower blends: Five Flower Formula, Fields of Flowers, Ultimate Fields, Rescue Calm, Ultimate Rescue
Drenamin
R&R Acute Stress homeopathic blend
Stress homeopathic blend
Stress-J
 
There are so many options for the adrenals, that I literally have 5 shelves of remedies devoted solely to stress, energy and the adrenals. The only other category that receives more attention is immune. This is not a coincidence. As I said before, when you’re experiencing stress, the immune system goes down. You want to protect yourself right now? Then eat actual food, preferably organic, cut out the sugar and grains, and handle your stress with life sustaining foods and additions such as the above herbs and remedies that will begin to rebuild what you’ve depleted. Find a natural health practitioner that you trust who can help you find just the right remedy for you.

Give us a call to discuss and order the right supplements for you! Ask us how you can get 30% OFF on some of our remedies.
​See also my article on ways to eat to stay healthy during this time HERE.
 
Connie Kelly, BS MedSci, NHE
Nutritional Health Practitioner
Natural Health Educator

STRESS ANXIETY AND PTSD

Are you trying to juggle everything: family,career and still have enough time for you? Do you suffer from anxiety or sleeplessness?

Or maybe you or a loved one is dealing with PTSD on a daily basis. At her upcoming event Dr. Acton will be offering some practical ways to help with all of these things, with nutrition, oils and acupuncture/acu pressure. 

Bonus : Come prepared to have a painless free therapy administered right there. Guaranteed you will walk out of this workshop more calm and Relaxed!

When
Saturday, October 13th @ 10:00 AM
Where
168 James Street, Suite A
Holland, MI 49424
RSVP
Office: (616) 377-7277 (call)