Adrenal Fatigue

By: Sydney Shorb, RN-BSN, Certified Functional Nutrition Counselor

Adrenal Fatigue

Humans, like all living things, must respond and adapt to a wide range of challenges, many of which pose threats to their health or life. Therefore, the body is equipped with a complex repertoire of metabolic functions specifically designed to detect these threats and prevent them from doing physiological harm; or at least to survive the immediate crisis with a chance to regain our health in the near future. This process is known as homeostasis, a physiologic state of balance that is susceptible to a range of stressors, both intrinsic and extrinsic (real or perceived). 

From a biological perspective, stress or a “state of being threatened” triggers our stress response. Excessive or prolonged exposure to various stressors, or inadequate regulation of the stress response systems, will invariably cause individuals to suffer adverse health consequences. In fact, there is a postulated association between chronic stress (and/or dysfunction within the stress response system) and nearly every category of chronic disease. 

The stress response contains both a surveillance function (to assess internal and external threats) and an effector function (to manage metabolic resources to counter the threat). The stress response system is designed to protect physiological resilience within all systems while the organism is under stress, but it does so by drawing upon the organism’s metabolic reserves. 

Adrenal fatigue is one of the complex dysfunctions related to the stress response as a consequence of maladaptation to stress. Adrenal fatigue is a collection of signs and symptoms that result when the adrenal glands function below the necessary level due to the body being in a constant “fight or flight” mode. It’s often associated with intense or prolonged stress. Other causes include, but are not limited to, chronic lack of sleep, consuming too much coffee/caffeine, food allergies or sensitivities, eating low amounts of nutrients, chronic pain/inflammation, and autoimmune conditions.The most common symptom is fatigue that is not relieved by sleep. People experiencing adrenal fatigue often have to use caffeine and/or sugar to get going in the morning and to avoid crashing later in the day. 

Stress-reduction therapies, lifestyle modifications and adrenal and nervous system support are important to implement to help the body achieve homeostasis.

Symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue: 

• unexplained fatigue 

• changes in circadian rhythm 

• trouble waking up in the morning

• feel more awake and energetic after 6pm 

• feeling rundown, overwhelmed, or irritable

• difficulty bouncing back from stress or illness 

• changes in metabolism

• crave salty or sweet foods 

• glucose intolerance

• weight gain, especially around the middle

• increased thirst and/or urination 

 Food Treatment for Adrenal Fatigue:

• keep blood sugar stable with fat/fiber/protein at each meal and snack

• eat breakfast within one hour of waking 

• have small snacks to avoid blood sugar dips 

• eat foods high in vitamin C 

• avoid caffeine, sugar and alcohol 

 Supplemental Treatments to Consider for Adrenal Fatigue:

• Adaptogenic herbs ( e.g. ashwagandha, astragalus, ginseng, etc.) 

• Adrenal Complex (glandular with herbs for nourishing gland and supporting proper function)

• B-complex (major adrenal food)

• Magnesium (necessary nutrient for adrenals) 

• Adr (adrenal herbal tonic and enzymes) 

• Vitamin C (adrenals are the largest store of vit C in the body)

Sydney Shorb, RN-BSN, CFNC

Sydney aims to look through a preventive lens and is passionate that people proactively prevent issues from arising instead of only tending to their health when they have a symptom or diagnosis.

Join Salveo Holistic Wellness for a Free Winter Wellness Seminar in Colorado

Space is limited.  Please pre-register by clicking here or calling 720-945-9270

Bring Your Health and Wellness Questions

Sick and tired of being sick and tired? Learn some natural prevention options to make it through cold and flu season this year!

Date:  Thursday, February 29      

Time:  6:30pm – 7:30pm

Location: 

Salveo Holistic Wellness

80 Garden Center

Building A Conference Room

Broomfield CO 80020

Hosts: Jennesa Yanez, MA, LPC, Health Professional and Karen Cino, PhD-Naturopathy, MS-Nutrition, Master Herbalist

10 Tips for Better Sleep

By: Sydney Shorb, RN-BSN, Certified Functional Nutrition Counselor

Sleeping trouble is widespread in America. In fact, the Center for Disease Control describes insufficient sleep as a public health epidemic.  Insufficient sleep reduces your body’s ability to repair and ultimately leads to wide ranging health problems including heart disease, diabetes and obesity.  Here are some tips to help you get the best rest:

1. Stop Eating 2-3 Hours Before Bed

Eating right before bed can actually make it harder to fall asleep since you’ll be producing more energy for digestion. Plus you want your body to focus on rejuvenation, repair, and detoxification - not on digesting the last meal in your stomach.

2. Make Your Room Pitch Black

Lights make it difficult to produce enough melatonin since it’s triggered by the sun setting. Light interference will lead to the optic nerve shutting down the melatonin production. That’s why black-out shades and covering any glowing lights you look at when you wake up in the middle of the night (thermostat, TV, a clock, etc) makes such a huge difference. A dark room ensures you will be setting yourself up for adequate sleep hormones to be produced.

3. Wake Up to Light

Darkness helps produce more melatonin whereas light forces it to decrease. This is exactly what you want in order to wake up naturally without the grogginess. The problem is that if you’re using black-out shades to block light from coming in, you’re also going to inhibit the morning sunrise light from coming in. A “wake-light” alarm clock will help combat this dilemma and help you wake up naturally.

4. Cool Down

The ideal temperature in a room for the best sleeping conditions is 67-69 degrees (Fahrenheit). Cooler is okay, warmer is not recommended. Your body temperature should naturally decrease as you go to sleep and lying in a hot room can disrupt sleep.

5. Breathable Sheets & Covers

Stay away from sheets that have been dyed with toxic chemicals and sprayed with flame retardants. These toxins can seep right into our bloodstream through contact with the skin. Look for natural fabrics like organic cotton, bamboo, or wool. These fabrics will also allow your skin to breathe at night, which is essential for proper detoxification through your skin.

6. White Noise

Sometimes city noise or even just complete quiet can keep you awake or lying there restless at night. White noise machines can drown out ambient sounds and help you doze off faster. Smartphone apps and other devices typically include nature sounds like rain falling, or a running stream. Experiment with a few white noise sounds until you find one that just serves as gentle background noise that you don’t even notice when it’s time to sleep.

7. Electronic-Free Zone

One of the issues we’ve run into in our modern-day tech-focused culture is that we’re constantly being stimulated by screens beaming light into our eyes. Your bedroom should really be electronics-free. No TV, laptops, phone, tablets, etc. You must begin to associate your bed with sleep- not work or TV time, which will stimulate your brain wave activity. The reason this is important is because this association will begin to create mental anchors within your brain that will trigger conditioned responses when you get into bed. It will ultimately allow you to fall asleep faster and get into a deeper, more restorative sleep. 

8. Wind Down

About 30 minutes before bed, I recommend beginning to wind down. This means, turn off the electronics and get yourself ready for bed. Another recommendation is doing 5-minutes of stretching or meditation combined with relaxed belly breathing before bed. It can be as simple as dimming the lights, sitting on the floor, closing your eyes, breathing deeply into your belly (not chest), and completing a few seated stretches for your hips and hamstrings. This will calm your brain and nervous system enabling you to shut down your “engine” and turn off your racing mind.

9. No Napping

Napping can help or hurt depending on what stage of health you’ve found yourself in. If you’re not a great sleeper and haven’t gotten into a natural 8-hour rhythm then I can’t recommend a mid-afternoon nap at this point. Although you may be tired, napping can throw off your circadian rhythm and downgrade your sleep at night when it's most needed for repair. However, if your sleep pattern has been established and you’re resting well at night, then an after-lunch nap (40 minutes or less) can help calm the sympathetic nervous system, improve digestion, and rejuvenate the body.

10. Supplements

Good quality nutritional supplements can improve most aspects of your life, and sleep is no exception. People often resort to melatonin which is a hormone and therefore not recommended for long term use. Valerian can help the body relax and result in more restful sleep. If you have tried those options without success, a Biomerdian Scan can determine which remedy is just right for you to help you fall or stay asleep!

Sydney Shorb, RN-BSN, CFNC

Sydney aims to look through a preventive lens and is passionate that people proactively prevent issues from arising instead of only tending to their health when they have a symptom or diagnosis.

Why Food Enzymes are Important

by Howard F. Loomis Jr., D.C.

Plant enzymes are important because they are capable of digesting food before the body’s own digestive process begins. In other words, plant enzymes can enhance the digestion of food and the delivery of nutrients to the blood even if you have a compromised digestive system. The same cannot be said of animal enzymes such as pancreatin.

Everyone agrees that proper nutrition is crucial to the maintenance of a healthy body. However, most healthcare practitioners overlook the true cause of many nutritional disorders. It is assumed, quite mistakenly, that digestion occurs automatically and the correction of a nutritional disorder simply requires matching the right nutritional supplement to the condition. For example, vitamin C for colds, vitamin A for viruses and herbal laxatives for constipation. While this treatment may relieve patient symptoms, the relief is only temporary because the underlying problem of faulty digestion is ignored. Healthcare practitioners who want to effectively manage health problems that are related to nutritional imbalances must consider each person’s ability to digest food. Unfortunately, most clinicians give little or no thought to the role of enzymes in digestion, despite overwhelming evidence of their importance.

Enzymes are present in all living animal and plant cells. They are the primary motivators of all natural biochemical processes. Life cannot exist without enzymes because they are essential components of every chemical reaction in the body. For example, they are the only substance that can digest food and make it small enough to pass through the gastrointestinal mucosa into the bloodstream. Three very broad classifications of enzymes are:

1. Food enzymes - occur in raw food and, when present in the diet, begin the process of digestion

2. Digestive enzymes - produced by the body to break food into particles small enough to be carried across the gut wall

3. Metabolic enzymes - produced by the body to perform various complex biochemical reactions

In the 1930s, Edward Howell, MD, the food enzyme pioneer, found that there is a difference between plant enzymes and those that are produced by the body. He was convinced that plant enzymes in food and supplements have a different function in human digestion than that of the body’s own digestive enzymes. With this theory, he began isolating and concentrating plant enzymes from their sources. He found the difference is that food enzymes begin digesting food in the stomach and will work for at least one hour before the body’s digestive system begins to work. For this reason, enzymes should be considered essential nutrients. Unfortunately, this is not the case, and food manufacturers are removing them from food to gain shelf-life.

Dr. Howell was particularly impressed by the way the ingestion of raw food slowed the progress of chronic degenerative diseases and spent his professional life postulating and then validating his theories.

The original article can be found at the Food Enzyme Institute.

Top 10 Parasite Destroyers

10 Tips to Improve Digestion

By: Sydney Shorb, RN-BSN, Certified Functional Nutrition Counselor

Exercise

It takes healthy muscle tone all around the abdomen for food to digest properly and to help move food through our digestive tract. Increasing exercise can improve digestion, even if you don’t change what you eat. 

Don’t Overeat 

Overeating of any food is taxing on the digestive system and can affect the rate of digestion. It requires the body to expend a lot of energy, adds stress to the system and forces the body to try to use too many nutrients at once. Practice moderation and only eat until you are three-quarters full.

Take Time for Gratitude 

When you take a few moments before you eat to pause and reflect, either with blessings or gratitude, you are activating the cephalic phase of digestion. Your brain signals saliva to release and stokes your digestive fires. Both are key to proper digestion. 

Reduce or Eliminate Processed Foods 

These so-called foods are challenging for the digestive system. The body has to supply its own energy and nutrients in order for these products to metabolize, robbing the body of nutrients rather than supplying any. Stick to whole foods as much as possible. 

Chew Your Food

Chewing thoroughly will help any food digest. We complicate digestion whenever we eat on the run or gulp down our food. Slow down, savor your food and chew it up! (Saliva contains a lot of enzymes that aid in digestion.) 

Boost Stomach Acid 

Many people have low stomach acid. Heartburn, belching or gas, fatigue, headaches and much more can all be a result of low stomach acid. Gently boost stomach acid by adding freshly-squeezed lemon juice to your water or by drinking one tablespoon of raw fermented apple cider vinegar in water each morning. 

Eat More Fiber 

Fiber helps keep your colon healthy. It makes stool soft and bulky, speeds transit time through the colon, dilutes the effects of any toxic compounds and helps to remove bad bacteria from the colon. Make sure you get both soluble fiber, which absorbs toxins and unneeded cholesterol, and insoluble fiber, which hastens elimination. 

Drink Water

It’s one of the top nutrients for digestion. The stomach needs water for digestion, especially for the health of the mucosal lining, which supports the small intestine bacteria for proper digestion and absorption of nutrients. Lack of water in the digestive system can result in ulcers, indigestion, heartburn, fatigue, brain fog, memory loss, and constipation. 

Add in Probiotics 

We need good bacteria to strengthen the immune system, reduce chronic inflammation, help remedy leaky gut and more. You can introduce probiotics with supplements or with raw fermented food like sauerkraut or kefir. 

Bring in Digestive Enzymes

You need three categories of enzymes: lipase for fat breakdown, amylase for carbohydrate breakdown, and protease for protein breakdown. The best source of enzymes are from foods that are in their live, raw or sprouted form. Supplementing with digestive enzymes is also a good option if digestion is impaired. 

Sydney Shorb, RN-BSN, CFNC

Syney loves to view food as medicine and truly believes that everything is connected, we are all unique, and diet and lifestyle matter.

Join Salveo Holistic Wellness for a Free Winter Wellness Seminar in Colorado

Space is limited.  Please pre-register by clicking here or calling 720-945-9270

Bring Your Health and Wellness Questions

Sick and tired of being sick and tired? Learn some natural prevention options to make it through cold and flu season this year!

Date:  Thursday, February 1      

Time:  5:00pm – 6:00pm

Location: 

Salveo Holistic Wellness

80 Garden Center

Building A Conference Room

Broomfield CO 80020

Hosts: Jennesa Yanez, MA, LPC, Health Professional and Karen Cino, PhD-Naturopathy, MS-Nutrition, Master Herbalist

5 Essentials for a Healthy Life

By: Karen Cino, Naturopathic PhD, Master Herbalist, MS - Nutrition, CNHP

We’d all like to have a “health span” that equals our life span. Lifestyle choices (like nutrition, activity, and how we manage stress) can help overcome our genetic weaknesses. Here are five ways to help increase your health span:

Reduce inflammation

Chronic inflammation, which can be caused by poor nutrition and excessive stress, affects many parts of the body and injures cells. We might feel the effects of chronic inflammation when it causes pain in a specific area, but are less likely to recognize when that same inflammatory process impacts other areas, such as the brain. We may notice some fatigue or cognitive changes, but we don’t identify it as inflammation.

Reworking your diet to cut inflammatory foods is essential. Consider herbal remedies such as turmeric or Boswellia or even a proteolytic enzyme such as TRMA to help keep inflammation in check. CBD is another way to help keep inflammation in check, especially if it impacts the brain. 55Plus has an excellent formula with no THC and turmeric to quickly reduce inflammation.

Balance your gut flora

Beneficial gut bacteria maintains the lining of the digestive tract and keeps dangerous compounds from circulating throughout the body. Factors like poor diet, stress and infections can damage the gut lining. Once the intestinal wall is compromised, inflammatory compounds seep into the rest of the body, leading to a variety of health issues. Be on the lookout for the symptoms of flora imbalance and leaky gut, such as diarrhea, constipation, intestinal pain and bloating, chronic joint pain or headaches.

To support the microbiome over time, maintain a diet rich in probiotic foods and plenty of prebiotic foods (fiber that feeds the beneficial flora), including onions, jicama, raw dandelion greens and bananas. Taking a daily probiotic is another option.

Digest your food

Weak digestion, or the inability to break down foods, results in lowered nutrition and ultimately health issues. We often crave what we can’t digest. Our cells need the nutrients and if we don’t digest it well enough, we keep craving it. Ultimately, we begin to avoid that food because of all the stored waste of it, making us feel sick. Ask yourself, “What did I use to crave but now avoid?” If we don't digest proteins we will tend toward blood pressure issues. If we don’t digest carbs, we will tend towards anxiousness and poor mental clarity. If we don’t digest fats, we will often develop hormone imbalances. Most of our health issues are digestion and elimination related. Plant based enzymes wit meals can improve the breakdown and assimilation of our foods.

 Manage stress

It is said stress is out number one health problem as chronic stress leads to a wide range of health issues. Nearly half of all adults suffer adverse health effects from stress. Stress promotes inflammation, slows wound healing, and suppresses cell-mediated immune function. Prolonged stress increases cortisol levels which damages brain cells, weakens the immune system and breaks the body down. Digestion and the immune system will slow down from chronic stress. Stress creates anaerobic dominance which causes the muscles to become sore due to lactic acid build up.

To help manage your stress load, spend time in nature, meditate or deep breath. Supplements for adrenal support or adaptogens, such as ashwagandha, can be very helpful to rebalance. There are wonderful homeopathic remedies to help with stress as well.

Keep moving

Exercise also helps mitigate the aging effects of stress. Any exercise you do -regularly, whether that’s yoga, strength training, or cycling, will help you metabolize stress -hormones, maintain better energy, and offset chronic inflammation.

But note, while regular exercise is essential, exercising too often or too aggressively without adequate recovery can actually increase stress for the body. Remember to cool down and consume proteins to help the body recover more quickly.

Karen Cino, PhD

Karen enjoys helping others find their way back to health and wholeness so they can live their full potential.

Things To Know Before Your Visit to Salveo in Colorado

Dear New Client, 

Thank you for scheduling your appointment with Salveo Holistic Wellness.

Please make sure to complete the Health Assessment Form and email, fax or mail it back to us prior to your appointment.

 On the day of your appointment, please:

 ·        Limit caffeine, drink plenty of water and have a good meal

·        Do not use hand lotion immediately prior to your visit

·        Bring along a bottle of water to sip as needed during your appointment

·        Remove all metal jewelry

·        Remove your smart watch when in the office

·        Turn off your smart phone when in the office

We are located at 80 Garden Center in Building C in suite 130. Directions to the office can be found at the bottom of our website at www.mysalveo.net/contact-us. Parking is available all around the the building in a large parking lot.

There are many entrances to our building. The fastest way to our office is to enter Building C and come up the stairs to suite 130. Please knock on the door to let us know you have arrived. If you are directed to the waiting room, there is a check-in device in the corner. Do NOT try to check in because it is not for our office..

The cost of the Health Assessment and any related nutritional supplements is to be paid at the time of the assessment. Our services are not covered by insurance policies nor Medicare.

 A 24 hour notice is required to change or cancel your appointment.

 We look forward to helping you feel your best so you can live your potential.

 Thank you,

 Salveo Holistic Wellness Team

Things To Know Before Your Visit to Salveo in Wisconsin

Dear New Client, 

Thank you for scheduling your appointment with Salveo Holistic Wellness.

Please make sure to complete the Health Assessment Form and email, fax or mail it back to us prior to your appointment.

 On the day of your appointment, please:

 ·        Limit caffeine, drink plenty of water and have a good meal

·        Do not use hand lotion immediately prior to your visit

·        Bring along a bottle of water to sip as needed during your appointment

·        Remove all metal jewelry

·        Remove your smart watch when in the office

·        Turn off your smart phone when in the office

The cost of the Health Assessment and any related nutritional supplements is to be paid at the time of the assessment. Our services are not covered by insurance policies nor Medicare.

We are located on the second floor of the Avenue Square Mall towards the back of the building. Directions to the office can be found at the bottom of our website at www.mysalveo.net/contact-us. Parking is available in the back of the building and on Wisconsin Avenue.

 A 24 hour notice is required to change or cancel your appointment.

 We look forward to helping you feel your best so you can live your potential.

 Thank you,

 Salveo Holistic Wellness Team

7 Ways to Beat Holiday Stress

By: Karen Cino, Naturopathic PhD, Master Herbalist, CNHP, Masters in Nutrition, Advanced Digestive Health Specialist

We all want to love the holidays.  But sometimes it’s hard. We have to be careful that holiday joy is not replaced by holiday stress.  Hectic home, social and work schedules can lead to excess stress and anxiety.

When stress builds up, all of the body’s systems are affected. As stress increases, our breathing becomes faster yet shallower, which stimulates our nervous system and induces a stress response. This releases cortisol to give us a boost in those stressful situations. However, too much cortisol causes sluggish digestion, chronic inflammation, impaired immunity, weight gain and more--the last things we need in the middle of winter, or any time of year, for that matter.

To reduce stress and help make the season bright, try these seven natural remedies:

1. Deep breathing is a powerful way to immediately calm your nervous system. With each breath, allow any tension in your body to slip away.

2. Exercise relieves stress in many ways including helping to regulate adrenalin and cortisol, two of our body’s main stress hormones. It also forces us to breathe deep (see above).

3. The Bach Flower Rescue Remedy works to calm a person and Olive will relieve exhaustion. Put of few drops of each into a little water and take a sip whenever you feel your spirits or your energy flagging.

4. With parties and family get-togethers throughout the holiday season, we often overindulge. Plant based digestive enzymes can be beneficial if you have been treating yourself to rich, creamy foods and are paying a price as it hits your digestive system.

5. Adaptogenic herbs help to increase the body’s resistance to stress, fatigue and anxiety. They help to increase resistance to stressors and restore normal physiological functioning.

6. With a busy holiday schedule you may find yourself skipping meals or eating junk food. Eating complete proteins gives our bodies all the amino acids necessary help keep our mood steady.

7. Lower your expectations for yourself. Shopping, socializing, school pageants, driving hundreds of miles to grandma’s house…really? You cannot expect to do everything well during the holidays. Reduce stress by making a daily to-do list and consider skipping those items that aren’t as important.

With the right support we can control stress, keep ourselves healthy during the holidays, and enjoy the season to the fullest.

Contact us if you need suggestions to help manage holiday stress.  Mention this article and receive 20% off any products purchased.

Karen Cino, PhD

Karen loves to help people find their way back to health and wholeness so they can live their full potential.

Boost Your Immune System

By: Karen Cino, Naturopathic PhD, CNHP, MS - Nutrition

When our bodies are functioning well we can fight off cold and flu viruses, but few of us make it through the winter without at least one annoying head cold. Benjamin Franklin was right when he said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Aside from good hand washing, there is plenty you can do to cut your risk of getting sick. Here are some natural prevention tricks to make this cold and flu season your healthiest yet.

Get moving – Even if you are starting to feel a bit under the weather, light exercise can actually boost your immune system.

Stay hydrated – Water allows your kidneys to remove toxins from your body. It allows your cells to take in nutrients and expel waste products. If you don't drink enough water, toxins will build up, weakening your immune system.

Get your vitamins – Getting essential vitamins and minerals in your diet will support a robust immune system. Vitamin A regulates the immune system through its role in the production of white blood cells. Vitamin C is crucial for normal immune function and has been shown to shorten the duration of colds. Zinc helps maintain the structure and function of healthy cell replication and affects multiple aspects of the immune system.

Eat immune boosting foods – Yogurt contains probiotics which provides beneficial bacteria for the gut. Nearly 70 percent of immune activity originates in the gut. Garlic stimulates the multiplication of infection-fighting white cells, boosts natural killer cell activity, and increases the efficiency of antibody production.

Drop the sugar – Evidence shows refined sugar suppresses the immune system. Sugar inhibits phagocytosis, the process by which viruses and bacteria are engulfed and then literally chewed up by white blood cells. In one study, eating sugar, either from table sugar, honey or unsweetened orange juice, depressed the immune system of healthy volunteers by nearly 50 percent for up to five hours. If you eat sugar at every meal, it means that your immune system will be functioning at half-capacity for most of the day.

Following these tips can enhance your immune system, but sometimes our bodies need extra help. If you are continuously stressed, have a chronic illness or catch every cold and flu, you may have a nutritional deficiency, adrenal insufficiency or another underlying cause that is preventing you from achieving your optimal health. If your symptoms are not improving, look for a naturopath in your area to assist you on your path for a healthy New Year.

Karen Cino, PhD

Karen loves to teach people how to become gatekeepers of their own health.

Heart Health

By: Karen Cino, Naturopathic PhD, CNHP, Master Herbalist

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the U.S., but caring for your heart naturally is the secret weapon to prevention. Being heart healthy doesn't have to require lots of effort. Simple diet changes and quick exercises can protect your health. In recognition of American Heart Month, stay heart healthy by following some simple tips.

Among the top nutrients for heart health, the benefits of magnesium really shine. Magnesium is used in nearly 300 enzymatic reactions and our cells need a steady supply of it to maintain proper smooth muscle function. Unfortunately due to stress and diet, most of us don’t get enough. Magnesium deficiencies can lead to muscle weakness and a host of cardiovascular problems. Foods rich in magnesium include pumpkin seeds, whole grains, fish, leafy green vegetables, brown rice, bananas, apricots, seeds and nuts.

A good diet is essential for heart health. Replace table salt with unrefined sea salt, and avoid processed sodium sources, including monosodium glutamate. Consider switching to a Mediterranean diet, including lots of beans, peas, fish, fruit, vegetables, cereals and olive oil, and not so much meat, fat and eggs. Avoid the low-fat, low-cholesterol diet as it has been shown that sugar is a greater contributor to fatal heart disease. According to recent studies, those who got 17 to 21 percent of calories from added sugar had a 38 percent higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease compared to those who consumed 8 percent of their calories from added sugar.

Walking is one of the easiest ways to improve cardiovascular health. A recent study found that just 2.5 hours of light exercise a week can reduce inflammation in your body thought to be a major contributing factor for developing heart disease.

Supplements can be helpful to support heart health. CoQ10 is a powerful antioxidant for the heart and is especially important for those taking cholesterol medications. Garlic can help normalize blood viscosity and hawthorn strengthens and tones the heart muscle.

Negative emotions can increase the risk of heart disease. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the physical organs are correlated with emotional states. Heart problems are closely tied to depression, rage, nervousness, despair, insomnia, and restlessness. Daily practices of deep breathing, thankfulness and maintaining strong social connections can all be used to improve well-being. As the old saying goes, “When the heart is at ease, the body is healthy.”

Karen Cino, PhD

Karen loves to help people overcome their body's source of stress.

4 Problem Sleep Patterns and How to Fix Them

By: Karen Cino, Naturopathic PhD, CNHP, Master Herbalist and Advanced Digestive Health Specialist

When was the last night you had a great night’s sleep? Can’t remember? You’re not alone.

Nearly half of all Americans have trouble sleeping. In fact, the Center for Disease Control describes insufficient sleep as a public health epidemic.  When lack of quality sleep becomes chronic, it can lead to significant health problems including heart disease, diabetes and obesity.

To catch better zzz’s, most of us head down to the drugstore or the vitamin shop to buy some relief. We stare at the countless sleep remedies lining the shelves and wonder which one actually works. So we randomly grab one, head home and hope for the best.

Armed with a little insight, we can make a better choice. When struggling with sleep issues, it’s important to understand why we can’t sleep. The pattern of sleep gives us clues to the source of the problem.

Can’t Fall Asleep:

If you crawl into bed only to stare wide-eyed at the ceiling, you may need minerals. Those who have trouble falling asleep are often deficient in alkaline minerals (calcium, magnesium and potassium), which makes it hard for the body to relax. It’s common for people with this pattern to also have restless legs at night.

It could be stress. Sleep research suggests 50 percent of sleep issues are due to psychological distress, especially anxiety and depression. Other stresses to our system that will keep you from drifting off to sleep include caffeine, alcohol, food sensitivities, pain or inability to get comfortable, fear of falling asleep and, ironically, fear of insomnia. Deep breathing calms a stressed nervous system, allowing you to fall asleep.

Make a habit of going to bed when you are sleepy. Our body runs on an arousal cycle of roughly 90 minutes, where our attention waxes and wanes.  When our arousal cycle is low, it is easier to fall asleep.  If we push past this time, to read one more chapter, watch one more show or do one more chore, we end up in the high part of the arousal cycle and struggle to fall asleep.

Wakes After a Few Hours:

If you fall asleep easily but wake after only a few hours, you may have a problem with your adrenal glands. Supporting your adrenals with a high quality glandular or herbs such as brewer’s yeast or ashwaghanda can be helpful.

Noting the time you wake can be an important clue to understanding the cause. For example, waking every night regularly at 2 a.m. coincides with the time when the liver meridian is most active. There may be a problem with detoxification stress. Have a breathing issue may wake you between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. when the lung meridian is most active. Addressing the underlying problem will help you sleep through the night.

Wakes Too Early:

Some people naturally need less sleep than others. So if you wake up early but feel great, you’re not suffering with a sleep issue. It only becomes a problem if you wake up early and still feel tired. This can be caused by poor sleep quality. Waking too early is common for people who suffer with depression and  spend more time in REM sleep, which is a very light stage of sleep.

If you tend to wake around 4 – 5 AM and start thinking about work, the homeopathic remedy nux vomica can be very helpful. Adaptogenic herbs can be helpful to manage those stressors.

Wakes Throughout the Night/Light Sleeper:

Low blood sugar is a common cause of this pattern. A diet high in refined carbohydrates (breads, pasta and sugar) can lead to problems in blood sugar metabolism. Improving digestion and moderating diet are key to managing this issue.

Other potential causes of this poor sleep pattern are alcohol, drugs, food sensitivities, sleep apnea, restless legs, pain or discomfort. Make sure you have a good quality mattress and a pillow that properly supports your favored sleep position.

If you have more than one pattern, you may need to seek help to determine the causes behind your lack of quality sleep. Whatever your pattern suggests, look to get to the source of the problem for your best night’s sleep.

Karen Cino, PhD

Karen desires to help others find their way back to health and wholeness so they can live their full potential.

Tips to Manage Seasonal Allergies

By: Karen Cino, Naturopathic PhD, Master Herbalist, MS - Nutrition

Seasonal allergies can make you feel like a prisoner in your own body. Simply going outside can feel like misery. If you are tired of running to the drug store to grab another antihistamine, maybe a natural approach is in order. There are plenty of herbal and homeopathic remedies that benefit allergy sufferers.

Herbal decongestants help support adrenal function and immune response which become compromised after prolonged exposure to allergens. Ginger and peppermint are natural decongestants that provide relief by reducing inflammation in the nasal passages. Bromelain, an anti-inflammatory found in pineapple, has been shown to reduce inflammation in the nasal membranes. Quercetin, found in apples and onions, serves as an antihistamine. When used together, bromelain and quercetin enhance each other's actions. Some herbs can actually trigger allergy symptoms. For instance, those allergic to ragweed should avoid chamomile and echinacea, as they are related to ragweed and may cause a cross reaction.

If you are pregnant or taking certain pharmaceuticals, herbs may not be the best option. In those cases homeopathics are a good alternative. Homeopathic remedies stimulate the body’s natural healing response by reducing sensitivity to and increasing tolerance. If you know you are going to be exposed to allergens, it is best to take a homeopathic before symptoms start. The homeopathic cell salt natrum mur is excellent for allergy attacks with sneezing, watery eyes and thick, clear nasal discharge.

No matter what you are taking, simply preventing allergens from entering your house can be beneficial. Wash or change your air filter at the beginning of allergy season and repeat monthly until the season is over. Pets can carry pollen and other allergic irritants in their fur. Bath them regularly and try to keep them out of the tall grass and weeds. Be aware of potential cross reactions from foods. Melons may cause you to experience allergy symptoms if you are allergic to grass or ragweed.

Perhaps the best defense is a good offense. Combine symptom reducing herbals with specific homeopathic antigens to help desensitize your immune system so next year you can actually stop and smell the roses.

Karen Cino, PhD

Karen developed her passion for holistic health after struggling to find help for her child's illness.