Paula Youmell, RN Functional Medicine RN, Herbalist, Sacred Circle Wise Women Yoga Mentor (315) 212-3066
www.PaulaYoumellRN.com
Nourishing Oneself in Menopause the Wise Woman – Functional Medicine Way Thanks for being present to dive into the Magic that is the transformation of Menopause. The mysteries of being a Woman, on our journey in this lifetime, are a gift of Wholeness. Our bodies are perfect, in every aspect, and know just how to heal and function in every element. When we embrace living in sync with the Cycles of Nature, remembering that We are Nature, our bodies respond with vibrant health and vitality. So many Women, because of our society’s teachings face menopause through a distorted lens of fear, frustration with their body changing, and feelings of disempowerment. I am here to invite you to embrace the changes with empowerment. Seek out Whole Health information and other Women with a Natural Medicine perspective on health, food, and life in general. When we understand the very natural changes our bodies are undergoing, we can live in harmony with ourselves… body, mind, and spirit! If you travel over to my website, I have many free health education pages to support your learning, growing, transforming, and self-healing. Here is the link to my Whole Food Eating Health Ed page. All physical health begins with nourishment of our body cells. Once here, you will find many more health ed pages, including information on keeping the Magic in being Female. I hope to inspire your self-healing journey.
I also share Health Education PDF files on ISSUU. https://issuu.com/paula754/docs Below are two books I authored to support natural health. Weaving Healing Wisdom was co-authored with Jenny Kenny-Morrill.
.
In the spirit of keeping things simple, I will share a few books. I encourage you to be inspired to take your feminine health education wherever it leads you. The books and the learning that you need, on your life’s path, will find you. The below books are but a few I recommend as sources on Women’s Health. Learning to make Herbal Medicinal Infusions, to support the transitions in a women’s lifetime, also supports nourishing cellular health.
You will notice the books on Male Health. My favorite is the Male Herbal, by James Green, pictured below. Remember that female and male
reproductive
organs
both
develop from the same fetal tissue. Use this information to understand the Male Energy that is inherently in all of us. We have much to learn from each other as we balance feminine and masculine energy.
Deeply Holistic, Holistic Anatomy, & Braiding Sweetgrass are beautiful books inspiring holistic lifestyle and living in sync with Nature. We are Nature. This article, written by a Master Herbalist from The School of Natural Healing, makes beautiful correlations between healthy soil & healthy humans/healthy agriculture & healthy humans. I believe animal products, from naturally raised animals, contribute essential cellular nutrition.
Moon Time, or any book by Lucy Pearce & Womancraft Publishing in Ireland, is a gift to our journey as Women. Discover the books that speak to you and read, learn, grow, and transform.
A Science of Functional Medicine Class: Prepping for Menopausal Nourishment & Health
To truly heal the body, we need to find the underlying causes of ill health symptoms and remove these causes from our lifestyle. We add in healing lifestyle medicine choices and allow the body, mind, and spirit time and space to heal.
I recommend purchasing Wild Yam through https://www.living-earth.com/ The company sells for the purpose of birth control. Their product has to be high quality and effective or their customers will not be happy.
As we age, it is important to remember that the body responds best to nourishing, hydrating care as opposed to dehydrating, drying, harsh liver detox habits.
There is much info, on my website, to guide your self-healing needs. Read. Learn. Grow. Self-Heal.
Whole Foods are the foundation of the body’s healing mechanisms. Your cellular health depends on the nourishment from foods that Nature intended us to eat.
In regards to caffeine, I would never tell anyone (unless that is what they wanted to do or it was a medical necessity for their health) to remove 100% of the coffee from their life. If you are someone who drinks several cups daily, I might suggest you cut back to 1 or 2 a day. Use organic coffee beans. Make it a Sacred Heart Spiritual ritual that you savor every step, for example: • • • • • • •
•
Grind your own beans. Be grateful for the farmers who raised, harvested, & cured the beans. Be grateful for the coffee bean roasters. Turn the coffee making & drinking into a mindful experience that soothes the soul and doesn’t just jump start the adrenals. Add herbs to counter the acidity of coffee and avoid acid reflux. Cold brew coffee Add adaptogenic herbs, in small amounts, to your coffee to up its nourishing qualities and soothe the adrenals: Hawthorne Berry, Ashwagandha, Astragulus, Holy Basil to name a few. Play with what works for you. Or use the herbs as an extra, not in your coffee. I keep Nettle’s infusion handy and steep cowboy coffee in the gently reheated Nettles infusion. Nourishment in a Cuppa Joe!
I respect the quality of this company’s products. Using herbs to support nourishing the body cells, as we make changes to get at the root causes of symptoms, is what holistic medicine is all about.
Love is a very important part of heart health. Love of partners, children, family, friends, pets, nature, and life itself are all heart health contributors. When we feel love, we release endorphins and hormones that contribute to our immediate well-being and long-term health. Think oxytocin. Every time we feel love in our body-mind-spirit, our body is enhanced with the release of healing nectars of endorphins and hormones. A recent post, written by a peer and mentor in women’s health: T H E H E A L I N G P O WE R O F L O V E : WH Y WE A L L N E E D M O R E O X Y TO C I N
I will include my pdf handouts on sleep, magnesium, and maintaining health weight in this PDF file.
Bone Health Info How to make proper medicinal herbal infusions
Voluptuous Vagina™s: a blog post I wrote on vaginal care.
Just Nutritive Body Rinse Cleanser
Remember to always empty your bladder after sex. If emptying your bladder seems difficult, place the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth just behind your teeth. Keep your tongue and mouth relaxed. There is a direct life force energy line between the mouth and the vaginal pelvic area. Relaxed mouth = relaxed pelvic area. This technique is used in child birthing, the breathing techniques to keep calm and focused also relaxes the pelvis. Learn some secrets of female erections: http://centerforeroticintelligence.org/internal-clitoris/ This is my favorite video, scroll to web page bottom, on the clitoral anatomy. http://projects.huffingtonpost.com/projects/cliteracy/anatomy Scroll to the bottom of this page to see the anatomy video. http://projects.huffingtonpost.com/cliteracy/intro Scroll around to learn fascinating things about the female reproductive anatomy. High School health classes missed some good stuff!
The deep spiritual transition a woman goes through at Menopause is something to be honored and revered. We truly become Wise Women.
Red Goddess Image: https://catmanasa.co.uk/
Our reproductive tract, and all of its beautiful organs, is so often overlooked unless these organs are being used for sex, childbirth, or menstruation OR they are sending us ill health symptom signals. As women, we are very fortunate to have these organs and our womb space as a deep-seated space of feminine wisdom and creative power.
Doing 2nd chakra work helps to relieve symptoms in the reproductive tract and bring gratitude to this region of our bodies. Pass this attitude of gratitude onto women in your life so they can begin to view menstruation for the gift of creative life force that it is.
Yoga and healing work on your whole energy body, mind, spirit is good for every aspect of your health, life, and wholeness.
Finding Peace in Your Wise Woman Years
Herbs for Creating Calm & Peace • • • • • • • • • •
Chamomile Lavender Lemon balm Peppermint and spearmint Hops Valerian Skullcap Oatstraw Passion flower (This herb can pull double duty with libido!) Catnip
Magnesium deficiency or insufficiency can contribute to tight and tense body, mind, and spirit. Magnesium Citrate is good for women who tend to be constipated. Pure Encapsulation brand, 150 mg tablets taken 3 times daily, preferably at bedtime. If you have regular bowel movements use Magnesium Glycinate or a 50-50 blend of both citrate & glycinate.
Natural Skin & Body Care Taking care of your body, in all that you do and eat, in a natural – whole food – whole health manner keeps synthetic ingredients out of your body, your body cells, and upsetting hormones. Current articles I wrote on natural skin care, the link will take you to my blog and give you a back link to the 1st article in the 2 article series. http://www.paulayoumellrn.com/blog/2015/5/24/natural
Some companies to check into and always do your own research. Find Your Truth. Aubrey Organics: http://www.aubrey-organics.com/ Just Natural Skin Care: http://www.justnaturalskincare.com/hair-dry/all-dry-hair-products.html Morocco Method: https://www.morroccomethod.com/ There are many, many companies now making natural skin, body, hair, and household cleaning products. As with any product: read ingredients and do not rely on the front label product hype. Many products labeled as “all natural” are far from natural. Learning to make your own, in whatever capacity you have the time or interest in doing, is another viable solution to avoid synthetic ingredients in commercial product.
Bone Health A book I appreciate as the author has a beautiful holistic sense to her work in this world. I have taken a couple of mini-online classes from her and she has a great sense of humor as well.
Them bones them bones strong bones! (Information paraphrased & quoted from Ms. Colbin’s whole health bone wisdom)
Osteoporosis is talked about at length and considered to be a public health issue. It is estimated that over 25 million people in the United States are affected by this condition. Osteoporosis causes thinning bones and the resultant bone fractures are the real problem. Osteoporosis and related bones fractures are lowest in the areas where people follow traditional ways of life, the traditional whole food diets. Both men and women will begin to lose 0.5-1% of their bone density or degree of bone mineralization per year starting around age 30. In women, the rate of loss will spike to 2–3% per year for the first 3–15 years following menopause. The key word here is mineralization, not just calcium. We need many nutrients: vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients to build strong bones. When we take calcium, as a single constituent nutrient, we upset the whole balance of nutrients in our body. Nutrients work in synergy, not as single substances. If single substances were the key, nature would have provided us with food that was single nutrients, not whole foods with a symphony of nutrients in each whole food. Calcium, especially from milk products, has been universally recommended as the one main element needed to reduce the risk of fractures. “Drink more milk, swallow calcium pills daily” is what we are encouraged to do. However, that may be the wrong approach. Countries with highest dairy, therefore calcium intake, have the highest fracture rates. After all we’ve been told about dairy & calcium, how could this possibly be happening?
First it helps to understand the structure and function of bones. Most people, including our health care professionals, think bones equal calcium, period. This is very simplistic, reductionist and far from the truth. Physiologically, bones are composed of calcium phosphate salts (65%) for hardness, and a collagen matrix (35%) for flexibility. If a bone is placed in an acid bath and all the calcium is removed from it leaving just the collagen matrix, when subjected to stress, it will bend, not break. Conversely, if the collagen matrix is removed and all that remains are the calcium salts, when subjected to stress it will shatter.
In other words, a bone with zero calcium will bend, not break, whereas a high calcium/low collagen-matrix bone would break easily. This is why excess calcium can indeed increase the risk of fracture! For good bone health, we need many other synergistic nutrients: magnesium, phosphorus, boron, copper, manganese, zinc, plus the vitamins C, D, K, B6, and folic acid. In addition, we need sufficient amounts of protein for the collagen matrix, and healthful fats for Vitamin D absorption and protection against bone-destroying free radicals. To obtain Vitamin D, we need 30 minutes or more of sunlight, or at least daylight, every day, without sunscreen. That is because an SPF of 8 blocks 95% of the production of Vitamin D on the skin and anything higher blocks it all. Truly naked skin sun time is best…. Got a place you can sun bathe naked?? Paula’s info: I also wonder about the difference in traditional diets of using raw milk that has not been homogenized. No pasteurization to heat damage enzymes and nutrients, no homogenization to shatter fat molecules. My parents & grandparents (great grandparents as well & keep going backwards in my ancestry) were raised on raw milk. Their families had a cow, or several cows to add to the farming income, and drank the milk – made butter – used the cream straight from the cow. Bones: healthy, strong, and whole. I used to love picking my Grandmother’s minds about how they were raised as kids, foods eaten, how they “farmed” as adults and fed themselves and their families, what the seasonal eating looked like, etc. This history, Her-Story as it was coming from my Grams, is amazing and very useful anecdotal information about what created healthy, strong, vital bodies that lived into their late 80’s & 90’s.
Here are some dietary recommendations for good bone health, again, Find Your Truth: 1. Plenty of fresh, local & seasonal vegetables (this ensures highest nutrient availability); especially leafy greens (remember that cows, horses, and elephants eat green grass and they have strong bones & bodies!). Include five to seven servings daily including parsley, root veggies, and cruciferous veggies like cauliflower, broccoli, and cabbage. 2. Cooking with stocks made with vegetables and kombu seaweed. 3. Bone broths made with fish, chicken or beef bones and a tablespoon of vinegar to liberate the minerals. I soak the bones and vinegar overnight and slow simmer for hours the next day. 4. Sunflower and Pumpkin seeds for the minerals and natural fats. 5. Very modest amounts of whole grains for the fiber and complex carbohydrates. 6. Beans, nuts, seeds, and naturally raised animal foods for the protein. 7. Butter from naturally raised animals, cold pressed extra virgin olive, flax seeds, hemp seeds, chia seeds, and unrefined sesame oils for the essential fatty acids. 8. Milk and dairy products in moderation: IF you tolerate dairy and/or enjoy it, well then use it, in moderation. Dairy it is not essential in the human diet; this is a case where less can be more. We do not need 3-4 servings of dairy daily for bone health. Whole foods make healthy bones. With that said: read up on cultures whose traditional foods included raw dairy from cows, goats, and sheep: milk, yogurt, cheeses, etc. Were there problems with osteoporosis prior to pasteurized and homogenized dairy and the introduction of *processed, packaged, refined foods? What really is the culprit in bone demineralization? 9. Feed yourself some sun! Sun exposure for natural vitamin D production helps with mineral absorption and building strong bones and bodies. *The following foods are best avoided because they cause an acid condition in the body that leaches minerals out of the bones: manufactured 'food products', refined sugars, refined honey, white rice, refined - white flour: including pasta, white bread, muffins, and of course baked flour desserts. Think and eat Whole Foods. Based on epidemiology and the studies mentioned above, avoiding milk products may also prevent bone fractures. At least, using milk products in moderation, meaning small amounts and not necessarily daily, is a better option. The US Governments advice to drink 3-4 glasses of milk daily is not about your health, it is about marketing milk for profit (again, remember the US research on this AND their recommendation all revolve around factory farm raised animals and the milk being pasteurized and homogenize). I am not against dairy; we just do not need a quart a day per person to ensure bone or bodily health. There is much evidence that raw milk’s nutrients (minerals) are digested and absorbed at a much higher rate than pasteurized and homogenized milk and milk products. Also, fermented dairy products are easier to digest and utilize the minerals.
Unopposed animal protein in the diet may be overwhelming to our systems. We are a nation that eats too much animal protein (meat, milk, dairy products, eggs) possibly contributing to an acidic condition in the body. The body responds to acidity by pulling minerals from the bones to balance your bodies PH. This means mineral loss from the bones. When we cut down on the amount of animal protein in our diet this helps prevent mineral loss from the bones. If you think in moderation, not huge chunks of meat per person, you will eat less. Once again, I am not advocating for not eating animal protein (we do want the protein – collagen matrix of the bones and body to be healthy and well nourished), but 16 oz. steaks are not required for one person’s meal. Opposing animal protein with vegetable in the diet helps maintain PH balance. Vegetables add minerals to the bones and body cells in general. Vegetables also help to alkalize the blood, neutralizing animal protein acidity. Sea vegetables are also high in minerals, making your body cells and bones more mineral rich. Opposing animal protein with the mineral rich bones (bone broth) and organs of animals help to stop the mineral loss from high, unopposed animal protein consumption. Eat bone broths and animal organs. Traditional diets did not just eat the muscles (flesh) of animals, birds and fish; they ate the bones and organs. Small bones were chewed up and digested. Large bones were made into broths and eaten as soups. Larger bones were also ground and the powder used to thicken soups, stews, breads and to fertilize garden soil. This put animal bone minerals into the body, not just the protein from animal muscles. Organ meats have always been part of traditional diets. Traditional diets of indigenous peoples used every part of the animal, not just the muscles. Organs are dense nutrition, high in minerals that offset the acidifying, mineral leaching properties of animal protein. The nutrients it takes to grow and maintain an organ are what the organ is rich in. This all comes back full circle to whole foods, eating the whole, not just parts of foods. Choose grass fed, organically raised animal products to get the healthiest foods. Healthy animal products make healthy nutrition. When we care for the soil, we grow healthier plants and animals. Healthier plants and animals make for healthier, more nourishing meals that keep our bodies well-nourished and vitally strong. Last but certainly not least, walking and weight bearing exercise for at least 30 minutes every day are essential to keep the bones in good working order. Gravity and weight bearing exercise are good for us. Walking barefoot inside and outside. Rubber soles on shoes cushion the natural vibrations that occur in the bones upon heal impact with the floor and ground. This vibrational impact stresses the bones in a good way, much like push-ups stress the muscles in a good, muscle building way. Take your shoes off, walk outside on the ground and in your home barefoot. Your bones will thank you. And while you are at it, get down on the floor (bare handed) and do some push-ups. Your upper body muscles and bones will get denser, stronger, and healthier.
I invite you to use high mineral herbal infusions to add balanced minerals to your diet and nourish your body cells
https://www.paulayoumellrn.com/making-herbal-infusions-teas https://www.paulayoumellrn.com/bone-health
Articles on bone health: http://www.susunweed.com/Article_Bone_Health.htm http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/11/19/fennel-plant-prevents-boneloss.aspx?e_cid=20121119_DNL_US_art_1
Love
Your Libido throughout the Menopausal Years
Herbs and such for libido: (remember the brain is the largest organ of desire & creating desire) • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Nettles (do I offer this one up enough?!) Red raspberry Red clover Chasteberry Fenugreek Liferoot Wild yam Yohimbe bark Yoga and energy movements (belly dancing, visualization of energy flow to the womb space) Book: Luna Yoga : Vital Fertility and Sexuality, see image below. Orgasms beget orgasms beget hormones and keep the tissues moist, pliable, and youthful. Do what you like with this info. 100% whole food diet Oat straw Ashwaganda root Maca root Muira puama Ginseng Cinnamon (see yogurt recipe coming up) Gingko biloba Vanilla (use vanilla scented oil in all the right spots!)
One medicinal infusion I would try as a tonic to libido would use the organic herbs Chasteberry (vitex), Fenugreek seeds, Stinging Nettles leaves, Liferoot leaves, and Oatstraw. You can buy an ounce of each herb: organic, cut and sifted. Be sure to make your medicinal infusion “tea” properly. To make a quart of tea: • • • • • • • •
4 very full cups of water, Bring water to bowl in covered pot, Turn off heat when boiling, add 1 tsp of each herb to the water after turning off the heat, Stir to gently mix in the herbs, and Replace the pot cover so it fits tightly. Let steep for 30 minutes, overnight is even better, and strain in the AM. Each day drink 3-4 eight-ounce cups of the herbal medicinal infusion / tea.
This medicinal infusion is a tonic. It does not create immediate results. It nourished the reproductive organs, glands, & clitoris over time for healthier responses. Trouble finding organic Liferoot? Try this tincture from a very reputable company: https://redmoonherbs.com/products/liferoot-senecio-aureus You can add approximately 20 drops of Liferoot tincture to EACH 8-ounce cup of tea before you drink it.
Looking at the clitoris internally. The illustrations below compare the male and female reproductive penile and clitoral tissues. We develop from the very same cells, the very same tissues, and our tissue development differentiates based upon our XX or XY chromosomes stimulating female or male hormones.
Female & Male Symbols
Knowing your anatomy and its physiology is a big key to a healthy sex life. Good Communication helps too.
http://projects.huffingtonpost.com/cliteracy
The Wise Woman Years Maybe Weight Gain
I use the words “Wise Woman Years” as a way to empower you in your life’s transitions. So often the word menopause is used in a negative and often derogatory manner: “Life is all downhill from here on out Women so brace your feet for shitty body experiences and just get used to it.” This is the attitude we are treated with in much of mainstream western medicine. I am here to tell you another story, a different story. Your Wise Women Years are amazing in so many ways. I will focus on the body changes and the dreaded weight gain issue. Remember, this is what I have learned and experienced. Take in the info, discover what makes sense to you, and use it. Ask questions of yourself and others. Create your own truth for you. Our bodies went through puberty and developed into some constitutional form of a mature women’s body or another. Some of us long and lean, others more muscular, and some of us juicy and voluptuous. There are many variations of body lengths, leg lengths, widths, bone size, on & on. Our energy needs, calories, and nourishment needs were very high as we went through puberty (some body types have higher energy needs than others). Our bodies were growing and changing at crazy speeds. This takes calories and nutrients. Our body shapes changed from child-like shapes to womanly curves. Internally our organs grew and matured. As we near the end of our bleeding years, our bodies do another change. We will no longer be growing (this takes calories and nutrients) and shedding our uterine lining monthly. Every month, for years, our bodies have been busy building up this endometrial tissue, making new
blood to replace what is shed, adding slight stores of fat in case we get pregnant… and so much more. When we stop bleeding with our monthly cycle, we stop building and growing these body tissues. That immediately creates a decreased need in our nourishment and caloric needs. Well, I say immediate. If we went from normal monthly blood cycles to no blood cycle ever again in just one month, changes would be immediate. The change happens slowly over time. Our cycle changes, shifts, morphs into something different, and then eventually stops altogether. We are now a post menstrual woman. Our energy, caloric, needs are less. Some simple suggestions for maintaining healthy wait in our post-bleeding years: •
• • •
•
• •
Eat a 100% whole food diet. Put food into your body that adds to your nutrient savings account. We want to build as much vitality as we can with the food we feed our body cells with. Be conscious of your need for less calories, less volume of food then when you were a teenager, 20-year-old, 30-year-old, etc. Think realistically about your activity level: if you do not run marathons or work all day as a lumberjack with hand saws and axes, don’t eat like one. Sugar consumption is a rollercoaster ride leaving you only wanting more and more. Come to terms with this and keep your sugar consumption to rare occasions. This topic is a course in itself. I have handouts on my website and on Issuu. Make use of them for educating yourself in healthy lifestyle habits. Move your beautiful body. The body feels better when it moves: walking, yoga, bike riding, hiking, dancing, mountain climbing, skating, skiing, rollerblading, pogo stick, hula hooping… whatever makes you feel good and is safe for your athletic ability. Sleep is so important. Whole Health Lifestyle Habits
Sleep Better Naturally
Sleep and rest are areas of self-care we often push aside. “If I stay up just one more hour, I can get this accomplished or that finished.” Doing so may just get these things accomplished; however, your body pays in the subsequent decline in health and wellness. Chronic sleep deprivation ages us faster and sets us up for weight gain, anxiety, depression, adrenal gland and other hormonal issues, inflammatory diseases including cancer, and a whole host of other ill-health problems. Yikes, not what creating vitality is about. Sleep is imperative for energetic days, efficient body cell function & replication, detoxing, healing, vibrant longevity, and just good all-around health. Creating a personal atmosphere that encourages good sleep is simple and easy. When we get plenty of sleep, we wake up energized and ready to meet the day’s challenges. Not enough sleep? We then stagger out of bed feeling foggy in the head; looking for that pot of coffee, cup of tea, chunk of dark chocolate, or sugary breakfast foods. Using these beverage and food items to rev ourselves up does seem to work in the short term but actually exacerbates the lack of sleep and health issues over the long haul. Sleep enhances body cell function. Your cell’s internal organelles, the tiny machinery inside each cell, work more efficiently when you are well rested. Your body metabolism functions at a normal level because of adequate sleep. Good metabolism also means you digest and process food and calories efficiently. This means less fat is deposited into fat cells because your body is instead using the calories for on-the-spot energy. Add an hour of sleep per night, and you could drop 10 to 20 pounds this year. Adding extra seep time can assist appetite control among many other things. Getting to sleep before 10 PM and getting a *solid 8 hours of good sleep stabilizes endocrine function (stress response), glucose control, insulin levels, and glucose tolerance and reduces your risk for digestive tract distress & disease, obesity, diabetes, coronary heart disease, cancer. Our body cells function best when we care for them with the flow of nature, not against it. The rhythm of the Earth slows down at night and so should we. Evaluate what in your life is interfering with sleep and heal, repair, those areas.
*Know your body. If you require more than 8 hours sleep to feel refreshed, energized, and vital… listen to your body and make sleep happen.
Ways to Enhance the Sleep Experience:
1. Eat whole foods. Your body cells function better with real food. You will sleep better!
2. Decrease or eliminate caffeine intake. Keep coffee to 1-2 cups per day in the AM. Know your body and how you are impacted by caffeine. Monitor how your sleep is affected by 1-2 cups per day: are you having trouble falling asleep or are you waking up and feeling nerve irritation and can’t get back to sleep?? You might want to cut to 1 cup per AM, ½ caff or decaf coffee only, or maybe your body would function better with no coffee at all. Be mindful of your body’s needs.
3. Decrease or eliminate sugar intake. Skip sugary drinks and treats. They stimulate your nerves and prevent good sleep. I truly recommend eliminating all refined sugars (white and brown) and using only sucanat, maple syrup, and local (raw) honey in extreme moderation. Sugar interferes with good sleep, depletes the body’s magnesium which further interferes with sleep, and disrupts healthy gut microbes contributing to health problems that interfere with sleep. Sugar consumption is an unhealthy catch 22.
4. Eliminate artificial sweeteners. They contribute to ill health in many ways and despite the ‘no calories’ they actually work against you in the weight loss and sugar detox arena. I also believe refined, packaged sweeteners such as *stevia (and artificial no calorie sweeteners) work against our cellular health, blood sugar health, sleep, etc. They may avoid the calories from sugar issue but they set the body up for believing sugar is coming and the subsequent bio-chemical responses the body makes to deal with sugar. No sugar actually enters the body and blood and yet they were both waiting for it. I believe this makes the body craves more sweet/sugar. One is far better off to use real, whole food sweeteners in serious moderation and only on occasions. Let go of the “eat sweets everyday” mentality our culture has adopted (yes, this keeps the sugar industry wealthy your body cells not so healthy!). *If you use whole stevia, the actual green leaves of the plant, it’s a bit different than the manufactured white powders and clear liquids. Pay attention to your body’s response and see what works for you.
5. Move your body every day: simply walk for ½ hour and do some push-ups and maybe core body muscle work (crunches or yoga poses to strengthen the core muscles. I have a handout with yoga poses if you are interested… just tell me and I will zap it off to you.) A walk and core work are 40 minutes a day, even every other day is a gift to one’s health.
6. Get outside every day. Your body needs fresh air and natural sunlight to function at its best, including the ability to sleep. See above Move Your Body suggestion. You can get outside, move, breathe fresh air, and soak in sunlight all in one lifestyle choice option.
7. Play every day. Play keeps our heart and soul light, refreshed, and ready for sleep at night.
8. Drink water, pure water (avoiding chlorine and fluoride). Stop after 6 PM or so to prevent bathroom breaks at night if this is disrupting to your sleep.
9. Avoid alcohol and drug intake. These substances interfere with your body’s ability to enter a healthy sleep cycle which leads to other health problems from sleep deprivation.
10. Get to sleep before 10 PM. Your circadian rhythm functions best this way as they are in rhythm with the Earth’s rhythm. Start your pre-bedtime peace and relaxation ritual early so you can be in bed, lights out, and sleeping before 10 PM. Your body will thank you with energy and good moods. Your ritual need be no fancier than washing face and brushing teeth. This is far better than being on a computer screen until just before you shut the bedroom lights off.
11. Practice calming activities before bedtime. Computer and TV screens stimulate the eyes, nervous system, and the hypothalamus and pineal glands making it harder to fall
asleep and enjoy restful sleep. Shut screens off 2 hours before bedtime. Turn off household wi-fi for sleep. Put your phone somewhere out of your room or at least far from your bed, head, & body.
Savasana is the ultimate relaxation yoga pose.
12. Find a good pillow that supports the curve of your neck. I love my buckwheat hull pillow; others love feather. Find your happy pillow and sink in for a peaceful night’s sleep.
13. Try progressive muscle relaxation and deep breathing, emptying the mind, for those nights you lie in bed with a racing mind and perhaps a racing body. If you are a reiki person, do a reiki treatment (in your mind) on yourself OR on someone else who could use the healing energy and is open to you doing this. Relaxing habits puts you to sleep with grace and peace.
14. Magnesium deficiency is very common and contributes to poor sleep issues. I will add magnesium information from Dr. Mark Hyman below. A supplement that many people use and like is Natural Vitality brand Natural Calm. This is a powdered magnesium supplement. Take 1 full tsp. in the AM and one in the PM before bed. Pay attention to bowel movements as magnesium citrate can loosen stools. If this happens, simply switching to another form of magnesium will prevent loose stools and give your body the benefits of the magnesium. Try magnesium glycinate, 400 mg at bedtime. Magnesium is required for Vitamin D to be used in the body so you are doing double good duty here.
15. Take a hot magnesium bath before bed: Use 2 full cups of magnesium salts (drug store purchase of Epsom salts) in a bath of hot water. Sink into the tub, relax, and enjoy. Try candles, essential oils or all-natural incense, and calming music to create a peaceful home spa experience.
16. Try calming herbs at bedtime to enhance your body’s natural sleep patterns. Chamomile, catnip, lavender, passionflower, and hops are calming herbs to use in teas, capsules, and tinctures.
• • • • •
Skullcap is an herb that relieves monkey mind, the racing thoughts. Valerian calms the mind, less input coming in, like turning down the stereo. Hops & California Poppy are herbs that put you to sleep. Passion flower is an herb that helps keep you sleeping, avoid the “wake in the middle of the night and cannot return to sleep” issue. Lavender is used in small amounts in a blend. Too much Lavender can up anxiety. Most herbal tea blends for sleep support contain a blend of these herbs to help on all fronts of the sleep issue problem. Use a different tea blend each night to avoid becoming immune to the herb combination.
17. There are many relaxing essential oils for inducing peace, calm, and sleep: Lavender, chamomile, and blends such as Young Living's Peace & Calm. Use them in a diffuser, add to carrier oils and rub on your feet, on your temples, along either side of your spine, and on your shoulders for their relaxing effects. I rub a little under my nose, cover my nose with my hands, and breathe in the calming scents. Never ingest essential oils.
18. Melatonin, taken at bedtime, can help you fall asleep. If you fall asleep without a hitch but wake up and can’t get back to sleep, try 5 HTP at bedtime instead. I am not a big fan of melatonin as it makes me feel like I took a synthetic drug to sleep. I sleep but wake up feeling groggy and not refreshed. This is my physiological response to melatonin. Many of my clients love it. Pay attention to your body’s needs and reactions. I have read information from sleep studies that melatonin is best used when you have jet lag or work midnight shift; using it to create a self-induced melatonin surge. Melatonin is a hormone so we are playing with hormones when we use it.
19. CBD oil: CBD oil, cannabinoid oil, is a relaxing supplement to take to help fall asleep and stay asleep. CBD oil is made from hemp and does not contain the psychoactive component THC that is in marijuana buds.
Sleep Inducing Teas: Yogi and Traditional Medicinal are two quality company name brands. Look for Bedtime Tea, Nighty Night Tea, and also Sleepy Time by Celestial Seasoning. Other calming herb blend teas are Easy Now, Calm, and Cup of Calm. If the tea bag is glued shut, not stapled, cut the bag open and steep the tea in a glass jar, covered. If you steep “glued” tea bags, you are also steeping the glue into your tea. I make a quart of a sleep aid herbal tea if I feel I am going to have trouble sleeping. Make these teas in a quart canning jar: 2 tea bags and 3-4 cups of boiling water. Pour water over tea bags and screw lid onto jar. I allow the tea to steep, covered, for at least 1 hour before
bedtime and keep the quart canning jar right next to my bed. I can drink a cup and turn out the light knowing I have tea reinforcement should I wake up to pee or whatever and cannot get back to sleep. Valerian may be an herb in the sleep-inducing teas. If you find the tea keeps you awake, stop using any blend with valerian. Some people are sensitive to valerian and instead of it promoting sleep it actually stimulates you and keeps you awake. Most people just have beautiful, Technicolor dreams from valerian. That is my Valerian experience: enhanced dreams! How to make medicinal strength herbal infusions: click here Important to read & learn as most people do not make proper medicinal infusions but instead make weak herbal flavored hot water. Looking for a quick sleep aid for nights you may have forgotten to make that sleepy time type tea? Don’t feel like getting up at midnight to traipse down to the kitchen and sit while tea steeps on the countertop? Try Deep Sleep gel caps from Herbs Etc. I love my Deep Sleep gel caps. Teas, tinctures, and gel caps are wonderful sleep aids. Keep in mind; if you use the same herb combination every night, they begin to be less effective. I keep different tea blends (from different companies) on hand and use them in rotation. I also do not recommend using a natural sleep aid every night. Not that they are harmful, in any way, but discovering the underlying cause of the sleep issue will help to resolve the problem for more restful sleep. Yoga Nidra for guiding you to sleep: https://www.doyogawithme.com/content/yoga-nidra-sleep Have trouble sleeping after a glass of wine or two? Worse yet; do you fall asleep but wake up and can’t get back to sleep after a drink? Try taurine (amino acid supplement) 1000 mg at bedtime after having a drink or two. I do not recommend this as a way to drink nightly and still sleep. ☺ I recommend discovering the root causes of your health struggles and then making the lifestyle changes to heal your health… but you expected that, correct? Will you be hitting the sheets before 10 PM tonight? Every night? Winter is a great time to re-establish healthy sleep routines with our shorter day and longer nights. Indulge yourself in a mini hibernation every night by creating healthy sleep habits. May you rest well and wake up refreshed with vibrant health and energy every day, all day long. Sweet dreams.
Magnesium: The Most Powerful Relaxation Mineral By Dr. Mark Hyman, founder of the Ultra Wellness Center Information taken from Dr. Hyman’s website for your convenience
A deficiency in this critical nutrient makes you twice as likely to die as other people, according to a study published in The Journal of Intensive Care Medicine.(i) It also accounts for a long list of symptoms and diseases -- which are easily helped and often cured by adding this nutrient. In fact, in my practice, this nutrient is one of my secret weapons against illness. Yet up to half of Americans are deficient in this nutrient and don't know it. I'm talking about magnesium. It is an antidote to stress, the most powerful relaxation mineral available, and it can help improve your sleep. I find it very funny that more doctors aren't clued in to the benefits of magnesium, because we use it all the time in conventional medicine. But we never stop to think about why or how important it is to our general health or why it helps our bodies function better. I remember using magnesium when I worked in the emergency room. It was a critical "medication" on the crash cart. If someone was dying of a life-threatening arrhythmia (or irregular heart beat), we used intravenous magnesium. If someone was constipated or needed to prepare for colonoscopy, we gave them milk of magnesia or a green bottle of liquid magnesium citrate, which emptied their bowels. If pregnant women came in with pre-term labor, or high blood pressure of pregnancy (pre-eclampsia) or seizures, we gave them continuous high doses of intravenous magnesium. But you don't have to be in the hospital to benefit from getting more magnesium. You can start taking regular magnesium supplementation today and see results. And in this blog, I will explain how. I will outline some of the benefits of magnesium (including improved sleep), outline many of the chronic illnesses associated with a lack of magnesium, and provide you with 13 tips for optimizing your magnesium levels. The Relaxation Mineral Think of magnesium as the relaxation mineral. Anything that is tight, irritable, crampy, and stiff -- whether it is a body part or an even a mood -- is a sign of magnesium deficiency. This critical mineral is actually responsible for over 300 enzyme reactions and is found in all of your tissues -- but mainly in your bones, muscles, and brain. You must have it for your cells to make energy, for many different chemical pumps to work, to stabilize membranes, and to help muscles relax. That is why the list of conditions that are found related to magnesium deficiency is so long. In fact, there are over 3,500 medical references on magnesium deficiency!
Even so, this mineral is mostly ignored because it is not a drug, even though it is MORE powerful than drugs in many cases. That's why we use it in the hospital for life-threatening and emergency situations like seizures and heart failure. You might be magnesium deficient if you have any of the following symptoms:
• Muscle cramps or twitches (muscle tightness contributes to chronic low back, mid back, upper back, and shoulder pain, joint pain) • Insomnia • Irritability • Sensitivity to loud noises • Anxiety • Autism • ADD • Palpitations, rapid heart or fluttery heart beats • Angina • Constipation • Anal spasms • Headaches • Migraines • Fibromyalgia • Chronic fatigue • Asthma • Kidney stones • Diabetes • Obesity • Osteoporosis • High blood pressure • PMS • Menstrual cramps • Irritable bladder • Irritable bowel syndrome • Reflux • Trouble swallowing * High inflammation (e.g. CRP) In our society, magnesium deficiency is a huge problem. By conservative standards of measurement (blood, or serum, magnesium levels), 65 percent of people admitted to the intensive care unit -- and about 15 percent of the general population -- have magnesium deficiency. But this seriously underestimates the problem, because a serum magnesium level is the LEAST sensitive way to detect a drop in your total body magnesium level. So rates of magnesium deficiency could be even higher. The reason we are so deficient is simple: Many of us eat a diet that contains practically no magnesium -- a highly-processed, refined diet that is based mostly on white flour, meat, and dairy (all of which have no magnesium).
When was the last time you had a good dose of sea vegetables (seaweed), nuts, greens, and beans? If you are like most Americans, your nut consumption mostly comes from peanut butter (peanuts are legumes / beans, not nuts), and mostly in chocolate peanut butter cups. Much of modern life conspires to help us lose what little magnesium we do in our diet. Magnesium levels are decreased by excess alcohol, salt, coffee, phosphoric acid in colas, profuse sweating, prolonged or intense stress, chronic diarrhea, excessive menstruation, diuretics (water pills), antibiotics and other drugs, and some intestinal parasites. In fact, in one study in Kosovo, people under chronic war stress lost large amounts of magnesium in their urine. (Paula’s note: magnesium is used up if you take Vitamin D supplements, for your body to use Vitamin D it also needs magnesium in the equation. If you take Vitamin D, you need to be taking magnesium as well.) This is all further complicated by the fact that magnesium is often poorly absorbed and easily lost from our bodies. To properly absorb magnesium, we need a lot of it in our diet, plus enough stomach acid HCL, vitamin B6, vitamin D, and selenium to get the job done. A recent scientific review of magnesium concluded, "It is highly regrettable that the deficiency of such an inexpensive, low-toxicity nutrient results in diseases that cause incalculable suffering and expense throughout the world." I couldn't' have said it better myself. It is difficult to measure and hard to study, but magnesium deficiency accounts for untold suffering -- and is simple to correct. So, if you suffer from any of the symptoms I mentioned or have any of the diseases I noted, don't worry -- it is an easy fix. Here's how.
Stop Draining Your Body of Magnesium
• Limit coffee, colas & other sodas, refined table salt, and alcohol. Eliminate sugar. • Learn how to practice active relaxation • Check with your doctor if your medication is causing magnesium loss (many high blood pressure drugs or diuretics cause loss of magnesium) Eat Foods High in Magnesium Include the following in your diet as often as you can: Kelp*, wheat bran, wheat germ, almonds, cashews, buckwheat, brazil nuts, dulse*, filberts, millet, pecans, walnuts, rye, tofu, soy beans, brown rice, figs, dates, collard greens, shrimp, avocado, parsley, beans, barley, dandelion greens, and garlic. (If you are gluten free, avoid the wheat germ & bran.) *Kelp & dulse are both sea vegetables, AKA seaweeds
Take Magnesium Supplements
• The RDA (minimum amount needed) for magnesium is 300 mg a day. Most of us get far less than 200 mg. • Some may need much more depending on their specific condition(s). • Most people benefit from 400 to 1,000 mg a day. • The most absorbable forms are magnesium citrate, glycinate taurate, or aspartate, although magnesium bound to Kreb cycle chelates (malate, succinate, fumarate) are also good. • Avoid magnesium carbonate, sulfate, gluconate, and oxide. They are poorly absorbed (and the cheapest and most common forms found in supplements). • Side effects from too much magnesium include diarrhea (often avoided if you switch to magnesium glycinate) • Most minerals are best taken as a team with other minerals in a multi-mineral formula and as part of a whole foods diet. • Taking a hot bath with Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) is a good way to absorb magnesium without GI effects. (Paula’s Note: I disagree with this non-GI effect as I always notice a huge GI cleanse within 3-4 hours after an Epsom salt bath) • People with kidney disease or severe heart disease should take magnesium only under a doctor's supervision. If you're coping with the symptoms here, relax. Magnesium is essential for vibrant health. •
•
•
•
Specifically for constipation only, I recommend magnesium citrate. Start with 400mg taken with dinner to help with next day early AM bowel movement. It may take a few days to build up full efficacy, some clients may need more. I have some clients taking 800-1000mg each night to keep regularity and comfort with GI ‘waste removal’. For muscular spasm, tension, tightness, including headache, I recommend magnesium glycinate or malate. These “amino acid chelates” of magnesium typically do not affect the GI tract very much and won’t overly-stimulate an alreadyhealthy bowel movement habit. For attention deficit, anxiety, panic, and those who are easily startled, I recommend magnesium threonate as it penetrates the blood-brain barrier particularly well and provides threonine, an amino acid which is particularly calming also (e.g. Jarrow’s “MagMind”). I would start with ~200mg twice a day and build up as needed. For cardiovascular disease and related concerns (e.g. atrial fibrillation), especially if paired with an anxious, ruminating mind, I recommend Magnesium taurate. The amino acid chelate in this case (taurine) is a calming neurotransmitter, is a critical building block for optimal bile production in the liver, and
has been shown to be effective in countering a variety of arrhythmias (especially when combined with arginine and/or citrulline).
Pure encapsulation also has Magnesium Glycinate if you do not need citrate to support constipation issues.
PDF handout written information is the intellectual property of Paula Youmell, RN, Wise Woman Nurse® except for the information properly referenced from Dr. Hyman’s website & bone information paraphrased & properly referenced from Annemarie Colbin. Most images are stock photos purchased from 123RF.com Images from off the internet: I have attempted to honor the source of all images. Clicking the image will take you to its original source if it is not a 123RF photos. No images have been used for monetary gain. Feel free to share this pdf where it may support an individual’s self-healing.
Much Love on your journey. May you find joy and yummy friends who share Magical experiences with you, Paula