depression

Tag Archive for: depression

Waiting for Happiness

July 11, 2023/in Healthy Living, Healthy Products

Stop Waiting for Happiness

Are you constantly waiting for happiness to show up? I spent the majority of my life waiting which ended up dealing with constant anxiety and even depression. Here is what helps me every day to experience more happiness, less stress, less anxiety and way less depression. We have two mindsets we can focus on daily: simply stated negative thoughts and positive thoughts. According to Shirzad Chamine, author of Positive Intelligence, they are also labeled as the Saboteurs and the Sage perspective.

Naming the Negative Voices

The Judge is our main saboteur or put simply the instigator of most negative thoughts. The Judge finds fault with self, others, and circumstances. This saboteur causes much of our disappointment, anger regret, guilt, shame and anxiety. It also activates our accomplish saboteurs such as the Pleaser, Controller, Hyper-Achiever and more.

Lie #1 – You’ll Be Happy When…

One of the biggest and most damaging lies your Judge tells you every day is this…”Your current situation and circumstances are not good enough for you to be happy. You will be happy when ______.” Fill in the blank.

So think about how your Judge has finished this sentence all through your life. You will be happy…

When you finally grow up and become independent from your parents.
When you get into that college,
When you graduate,
When you get that job,
When you get that promotion,
When you buy that house,
When you find that relationship,
When you have that child, and so on, and so on

Now, think about it, when you finally got what you thought would make you forever happy. How long did your happiness last before your Judge again said “actually you don’t have what you need to be happy”.

“You will be happy when” and it created a new target so you could finally be happy one day.

Therefore, it’s important to ask yourself these questions:

What is your Judge’s lie right now?
What are you unhappy about right now?
What situation or circumstance is bothering you right now that you’re waiting to change so you can be happy one day?

Whatever you are waiting for so you can be happy ONE day is the latest lie of your judge.

Tapping into the Positive Sage Mode

Likewise, your Sage knows that you have everything you need right now to be happy that’s because happiness depends entirely on which part of your brain is activated and dealing with your life’s challenges and what emotions you’re experiencing.

The Sage perspective is about accepting what is, rather than denying, rejecting, or resenting what is. Therefore, our Sage accepts every outcome and circumstance as a gift and opportunity. Our Sage is the exact opposite of many of the negative assumptions of the Judge.

For example, if you have failed at something your Sage would be focused on converting that failure into a gift using the five Sage modes of being deeply empathic, or curious, or creative, purpose driven or in calm, laser focused, clear headed action.

All these five Sage modes generate positive emotions, ranging from empathy, compassion and gratitude, to wonder, the joy of creativity to peace and calm.

When you’re feeling all these positive emotions, you’re happy, even if life circumstances haven’t gone your way. Therefore, happiness is an inner state of mind.

When you feel positive emotions, you have everything you need to be happy right now. Today intercept your Judge’s lie that you can’t be happy until something changes in your life. Therefore, stop waiting to be happy One day, choose to be happy Today.

If you are struggling, I get it and am here to help. In addition, you can take the Positive Intelligence assessment to identify your unique saboteurs. This is a quick 5 minute assessment that I can help you unpack during our time together.

naturopath allergies IgG nutritional testing

Food Sensitivity Testing

January 16, 2023/in Health Issues

Food sensitivity testing (also called food intolerance), is highly beneficial to uncover hidden conditions and symptoms.

I have clients that end up with high sensitivity to what we consider highly healthy foods such as beets or blueberries. Of course, beets and blueberries may be good for 80% of people. However, if you are one of the 20%, then clearly it is not the right food for you and will do more harm than good.

“The food you eat can be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison.”― Ann Wigmore

Is food sensitivity testing the same as food allergies testing?

Exposure to food antigens (molecules that can trigger an immune response) can lead to elevations and different kinds of antibodies IgM, IgA, IgE, IgG4. All these antibodies are different ways in which our bodies can respond. Many people get allergies and intolerances confused. Allergy testing is IgE, are conducted by allergists and immunologists. When we do an IgG test we’re looking for sensitivities and intolerances. Functional medicine or Naturopathic Doctors are able to support a client with food sensitivity or intolerance.

Once again, we know with an IgE reaction a person eats a shrimp, peanuts, or egg exposure and now they have asthma or hives or anaphylactic reaction. That’s E and you can think of E as an emergency.

Regarding IgG testing, we’re going to look at that in a different perspective. If you have an IgE reaction, no matter what your IgG scores are you should avoid your IgEs. An easy way to remember it is to think of G for gradual. These are like little waves along the coastline, they will creep up on you and sometimes you don’t even realize it. Let’s say I eat food this morning which consists of a couple of eggs. Those eggs may not cause me to experience symptoms for 24, 48, or possibly even 72 hours. If I was to complain later that day that I have a migraine headache, I would automatically think what did I eat earlier today? When in reality, it might have been what I ate yesterday or the day before.

Why conduct food sensitivity testing?

Here are a few conditions and symptoms commonly associated with food sensitivity and why people decide to look at testing:

Brain Fog
Bloating
Weight Gain
Mood Swings
Joint Pain/Inflammation

Constipation
Diarrhea
Bronchitis
Crohn’s
Eczema
Migraines
GI distress
Stomach pain
Acne
ADD/ADHD
Sinus issues
Depression

Here is a sample IgG report to see what you would learn from this test. It covers 144 analyses or substances. It’s as easy as performing a simple finger prick in the convenience of your home. Reach out if we can assist you with this service. Or if you’ve conducted food sensitivity tests, what is your experience and how did it help you? When I eliminated my IgG trigger foods, I had more energy, lost a few pounds, experienced mental clarity and overall never felt better! I highly recommend it.

Beating Seasonal Affective Disorder

December 18, 2014/in Health Issues

Beating seasonal affective disorder naturally is possible. As I write this, the weather is cold and gloomy and a steady rain is falling. Don’t even get me started on the fact that it gets dark at 4:30 p.m. now. I just want to curl up and nap on the couch with my blanket and my puppy dog. Do you find yourself struggling as the days are shorter and you are exposed to less and less sunlight?

It is not unusual to experience some changes in energy levels as we move into fall and winter. However if you find that your symptoms are pronounced and you are having trouble functioning, you might be suffering from seasonal mood imbalances or Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Symptoms for SAD vary greatly and can include:

Feeling sad or depressed
Oversleeping
Appetite changes, especially a craving for foods high in carbohydrates
Weight gain
Tiredness or low energy

One cause for mood imbalances is a decrease in serotonin, a neurotransmitter or brain chemical, that is responsible for the overall sensation of well-being, as well as regulation of the sleep-wake cycle.

Yet another cause can be a Vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D is not really a vitamin at all but a group of steroid-like substances that we can make from cholesterol if we have adequate exposure to sunlight. In the wintertime, we often don’t get enough exposure to UVBs from sunlight in such a way that we have the opportunity to make enough Vitamin D. A lack of Vitamin D3 can therefore lead to depressive symptoms, as well as compromise our ability to absorb critical minerals like zinc, magnesium, calcium, iron, and phosphate.

Let me share safe methods to help you conquer the blahs and blues.

Sun lamps or light therapy. One natural method for achieving balance is by using light therapy that contains full-spectrum 10,000 lux intensity. 10,000 lux is the recommended light intensity to reset your circadian rhythm and improve your well-being. Research has shown that infrared light is effective in increasing the production of serotonin, that feel-good brain chemical we discussed earlier. I own a Verilux HappyLight and use it 30 minutes per day first thing in the morning in the fall and winter. You may not want to use it later in the day or evening as it may disrupt sleep.

Vitamin D3 Have your Vitamin D levels tested so you know the appropriate level of supplementation. We offer several options from vegan, to easy to take liquid or capsules of Vitamin D3. In addition, please keep in mind that if you eat fish and eggs, you can get some of the vitamin D that you need from clean, wild-caught (not farm-raised) fatty fishes like salmon, or mackerel, and the yolks of eggs from pastured chickens that haven’t consumed genetically modified feed. However, with severe Vitamin D deficiencies, food may not be enough to bring your levels up to balance your body.

Fun, Sweaty Activity Some call it to exercise but I like to keep it fun! Do something physical daily that makes you happy like tennis, walking, golf, riding bikes, or restorative yoga. Even 15 minutes of walking per day can have a positive impact on your emotional health along with the many physical benefits.

Essential Oils There are so many oils that I use to help calm or lift my mood. Here are some of my favorites and I encourage you to use multiple oils together for a powerful synergy.

- Uplifting mood – Orange, Grapefruit, Lemon, Frankincense
- Destress – Lavender, Bergamont, Lemongrass, Frankincense
- Motivation and energy – Peppermint, Rosemary, Basil, Melissa

Eat Whole Clean Foods – When I switched to a predominantly organic diet, my health status improved dramatically. Moving away from toxic, packaged processed foods wasn’t serving my body or my mind. It is worth the extra money to invest in your health upfront by choosing organically grown food. Grabbing an organic apple, pear, or carrot will not only feed your body and mind but detox it at the same time. You’ll digest better which creates a healthier gut. You’ve probably heard the gut-brain correlation, well it’s true. Regulating gut flora with whole, clean foods is a positive step toward building a solid foundation for health and preventing SAD and many other diseases.

Are you impacted by seasonal mood imbalances? If so, what have you found that helps? We’d love to help you save money on high-quality healthcare professional-grade supplements. Check out our wellness store to shop 16,000 products with over 350 brands.