Are you struggling with energy or pain? Low energy? Sleep issues? Brain fog? Are you on the run and finding it difficult to get healthy home cooked meals on the table 3 times a day? Do you take $300 + worth of supplements every month that are supposed to make you feel better but do not really seem to do the trick? Are you a “regular” at a drive through of any kind? Do you wish you were the person who jumps out of bed before your alarm excited to start your day full of energy and enthusiasm? If you answered yes to any of these questions then keep reading! This could be your answer.
Many of us struggle with getting the nutrition our bodies need. Believe it or not, this includes star athletes and those who are preparing whole food healthy meals 3 times a day! There are many contributing factors to this truth. Ultimately, it comes down to epigenetics.
What is Epigenetics?
What is epigenetics? And how can it help you? Epigenetics is the science that studies how our genes interact and respond to our environment and lifestyle choices. It is used to analyze a broad range of chronic diseases that are at an all time high–diseases like Type II diabetes, obesity, heart disease, chronic inflammation, neurocognitive disorders autoimmunity, and more. Epigenetics explores how our nutrition, diet, and lifestyle can reverse or change the expression of those genes associated with chronic illness.
More and more science is realizing the critical connection between our lifestyle choices and our health. One of the most important lifestyle choices is nutrition. You would not put mud into the gas tank of a Ferrari because it would not have the type of chemical energy it needs to run as it should. Why do that to your body then? Moreover, why not put a custom created fuel into the engine specifically designed for that car on that day for that terrain! That is the difference with customized nutrition.
Our bodies are no different than that dream car. We now can use this epigenetic biomarker profile testing to pinpoint which of our genes are being effected and by what lifestyle and nutritive deficits. Utilizing this detailed information, our team creates a personalized regenerative nutrition program specifically tailored to your genes and your epigenetic gene expression to maximize how your Ferrari runs! Additionally, the EBP test flags other lifestyle issues that need to be addressed to maximize your unique body’s health. You can use this information to adjust your lifestyle for your own benefits. Uniquely qualified to assist you, I offer consultations to help you navigate these test results. As therapeutic partners, we would create a personalized plan for you to guarantee success. Incredible results for each person!
These are stressful times! The kids are all home and schooling from home in an online format. Most likely one or more parents is home under the quarantine mandate and not working. But the bills keep coming in. We are restricted from leaving our homes unless absolutely necessary. We have elderly parents we cannot visit who are now isolated and on their own and we worry about their welfare.
Financial strain, sudden home-schooling, couped up together in the house with no idea when this might end. Spring travel plans are on hold. And what about summer!? Summer normally spent as lazy days by the pool with the smell of sunscreen and burgers and the sounds of laughing and camaraderie may instead be spent carting kids to school. This decision rests in the hands of the school board and governance but leaves you reeling. Worse yet you may even be wondering if you will have enough toilette paper by the end of the day!
COVID-19 has been a scary and stressful event in our world’s and our nation’s history. It’s all you hear about on the radio and TV. Stress effects our health and in a time when we need to be boosting our immune systems, being stressed out is not ideal! So what can we do!??
Here are my top 5 tips on stress control
UnPlug!
1.) Turn off the TV, Radio, social media–take a break from screens and devices. Taking time to be quiet is important for not only our stress levels but also for our brain. Our brains are not meant to be “on” all day taking in information. They are meant to take long periods of rest and quiet. I am not saying to be ignorant of what is happening, but choose an hour or less a day to use as your time to catch up on news and then shut everything off.
Take a Screen and Media Break!
Choose Gratitude!
Mindset determines your emotions
2.) Gratitude Journal–take time every evening to write in a gratitude journal what you are grateful for that day. On the tougher days, you will have to dig deep, but there is always something to be grateful for. Living in a mindet of gratitude rather than stress and worry will make all the difference in your health and mental wellbeing. It will help you find joy in the chaos.
Get Good Sleep
Sleep is important for all body systems
3.) Sleep-Getting high quality sleep is as important as getting enough sleep. You can help your body do this by avoiding screens, devices, and bright lights for 2 hours before bed.
Your last meal should be at least 2-3 hours before bed. Nighttime is your body’s time to detoxifying and recover which cannot occur if the body is too busy digesting and metabolizing food.
Having good sleep hygiene is super important. What does this mean? It means following natural circadian rhythms and creating a regular routine. Accordingly, you should awake and get up with the sunrise and wind down and head to bed an hour or two after sunset. You should have a regular before-bed routine that signals your body it is time to wind down for sleep. For instance, this routine could be washing your face, brushing your teeth, using an essential oil like Lavender or Cedarwood in your face cream, and writing in your gratitude journal in low light before lights out. It doesn’t matter what the routine, it just needs to work for you. Have fun with it and get creative. In the end, doing the same thing nightly will help signal your body to become sleepy.
Get Moving!
4.) Exercise-Moving your body is a natural response to the fight or flight response and is a great way to deal with anxiety. It has the added benefits of improved sleep, improved circulation and cardiovascular health, increased energy, and improved mood through natural endorphin release.
Go Back To Nature
5.) Get outside!-Get out in the fresh air and sunlight. Kick off your shoes and get your feet onto the earth! There are numerous benefits of sunlight, grounding, and fresh air documented in scientific literature. Try it and see how amazing you feel!
Kick off your shoes and frolic in the daisies
What Do I Do If These Top 5 Tips Are Not Enough?
Call Me!
It may be time to find out if something else is contributing to your difficult emotions. Let’s address the root cause of your symptoms together. For instance, utilizing natural interventions such as plant-based therapies, breath work, and emotional reset can be very powerful. Additionally, there are many plant based products that can help gently improve your mood and decrease anxiety levels.
At the top of my list of plant-based interventions is CBD from Hemp. Essential oils are another path many choose to try. There are also herbal teas and homeopathy supplements and many other options that can help. However, every person is different and what they respond to is different. This is often related to the root cause of their symptoms. Consequently, if you have tried all of the above methods, and you are still struggling, reach out to schedule a consult with me. I welcome the opportunity to create a personalized plan for you to improve your life!
It is interesting to me how I have come 180 degrees on this plant. I recognize that I, like millions of people, was brainwashed into believing that this plant was “the devil’s weed”! It seems laughable to me now with all I have learned about plants and essential oils and how they work in our bodies. I believed hemp and marijuana were the same plant and that they had the potential to ruin lives. This is not the truth.
Are hemp and marijuana the same plant?
Hemp and Marijuana are sister plants, much like yin and yang. Marijuana is short and bushy and grown for it’s THC content that provides the “high” many seek. It’s flowers have a skunk-like smell which permeates the air. It is a plant like any other with its purpose and use for those who need it. It provides pain relief for many who are suffering in despair with debilitating pain and metastatic cancers among other diseases.
On the flipside, there is hemp. It has a short life cycle. Interestingly, hemp flowers look similar to those of marijuana but smell very different. Hemp flowers have a more flowery smell. The phytocannabinoid profile of hemp is much more varied than marijuana with minuscule levels of THC and high levels of CBD, CBG, CBN among hundreds of other phytocannabinoids. With stalks reminiscent of bamboo, hemp grows very tall and just as fibrous. This is where the magic lies.
What are the Applications of Hemp?
Hemp can be used to create fabric, rope, building materials and much much more. Hemp is a bioremediator. What does this mean? It absorbs large amounts of toxins in the soils and air that surround it. It can even clean up radioactive waste and is being used to clean up Chernobyl! Hemp containers are carbon negative and quickly degrade. They could replace plastic! How amazing would it be to throw away these containers knowing that they will heal our soil and clean our air? Easily biodegradable, it would stop the contamination of our oceans. Hemp is used to create a sustainable source of clean bio-fuel. This eliminates the need for fracking and wars with countries who control oil supplies.
HempCrete is an anti-microbial and fire-resistant carbon negative building material
Healthy Not High!-Hemp and Whole Food Nutrition
Eventhough these industrial applications are mind blowing, the whole food nutrition that hemp provides our bodies is incredible. We all must feed our Endocannabinoid systems! Our endo- what!? Our Endocannabinoid system! Only recently discovered by science, The ECS is an entirely new body system. It consists of a system of receptors located on the cells in our body. Activated by cannabinoid chemicals, these receptors on our cells turn on a cascade of chemical changes that bring our bodies into homeostasis. Cannabinoids allow the cells of our bodies to work more effectively.
Why I began using hemp based nutrition everyday
Why did I begin using hemp oil? Migraines are the reason. I began having debilitating headaches with my first pregnancy. I endured crippling headaches for 7-10 days during out of every month for 11 years. Consequently, I suffered for 33 months of my life–33 months of my life wasted in bed in unbelievable pain.
I followed the research on CBD for years. As a physician, I worried about losing my license to practice. Thus, I had to wait until it was legal before trying it. However, as soon as it was made legal, I began buying and trying products.
The Good News and The Bad
Want to know the bad news? The bad news is that I was not the only person poising themselves for utilizing hemp. Many business savvy companies were on standby to launch products onto the market. Consequently, as soon as it was legal to sell, these companies flooded the market with poor quality products. As a result, it is really hard to find a good quality hemp product.
I absolutely found the best product! This product is grown in Europe in the organic zone, free of all chemicals. This is important for all plant products you consume but even more true if you remember the story of Chernobyl I mentioned earlier. You do not want to consume a product that has been exposed to toxic chemicals or waste. Not only is this product grown in a safe chemical free environment, it is triple lab tested, hemp authority approved, and it is the only hemp supplement listed in the Physician’s Desk Reference. The PDR is the book physician’s use to make recommendations for pharmaceutical grade products.
My Results
I learned the importance of feeding my Endocannabinoid system. By using this product daily, I have not had a put-me-in-bed-for-days, unable-to-see-eat-or-function migraine. I first used this product in March of 2019. As a result, this same day was the last time I had a debilitating migraine. I still have triggers I must avoid. However, if a migraine gets triggered, I am now able to use this hemp oil and stop it in its tracks. Additionally, by feeding my endocannabinoid system daily my system is getting stronger. Therefore, I have been able to decrease the amount I take daily while still feeling amazing.
Opening My Eyes
High Times 1st issue cover in 1974
You know? It’s funny. I came across a magazine called “High Times” in middle school. Do you remember this publication? I was so young and so nervous about sneaking a peak that I remember the details of that experience like it was just yesterday.
I was at a local Florida public library where I was working on a school project. The magazine sat alone on a nearby table. I was in middle school at the time and was very young. Feeling scared and sheepish, I picked it up and read. Interestingly, the article I read was about industrial applications of hemp, particularly paper, cloth and rope. Like many others, I dismissed it as propaganda for “stoners” to try to legalize this “dangerous” plant. I believed the propaganda that my parent’s believed. Interestingly, it wasn’t even the same plant!!! And what about hemp? Well, you cannot get high from it and it is not psychoactive. Therefore, hemp cannot cause addiction. Awakening to the truths around me, I question and research and pick everything apart now. I hope you will take a minute to really look around too. What will you find?
