What Is Mast Cell Activation Syndrome
Discover Adaptogens: Your Natural Allies Against Stress
Hormesis: The Beneficial Type of Stress
Sara Yadlowsky, FMHC
What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. We’ve all heard the saying before. Science has revealed it is surprisingly accurate when it comes to our health and longevity.
Hormesis is the idea that short, intermittent bursts of certain stressors can start a cascade of cellular processes that slow aging, improve overall health and make you more resilient, both physically and mentally. It is a hot topic in longevity research right now.
We all know that chronic stress caused by relationship issues, financial problems and working too many hours is detrimental to our health. However, hormetic stressors are controlled and acute, triggering healthy adaptive responses.
What does all this mean in real life? Hormesis is the common thread found in some popular health and fitness trends such as HIIT (high intensity interval training), cold exposure, heat therapy and intermittent fasting. Prolonged doses of these behaviors are not healthy or sustainable. For example, if you spend too much time in a sauna you will become dehydrated. But, in short bursts, the bodily stress caused by these practices are enough to bring about health benefits such as reducing inflammation, supporting elimination of toxins, repairing DNA, combatting oxidative stress, repairing cellular damage and reducing risk of cancer.
Here are three ways to strategically stress your body and reap the rewards:
- HIIT – Do a HIIT workout 1-3 times a week. HIIT workouts are intermittent bursts of intense effort for 30 seconds, followed by 15 seconds of rest. These workouts are usually short, around 15-20 minutes. You can easily find these HIIT videos on YouTube.
- Hot or Cold Therapy – Infrared sauna is a great way to heat up and sweat out some toxins. It also reduces inflammation and pain. In contrast, ice baths, cold showers and the new cryotherapy chambers that are popping up everywhere will cool you down quicky. Cold therapy is also known for reducing inflammation and pain. Both types of therapies may help strengthen the immune system.
- Intermittent Fasting – Fasting triggers a cellular “clean up” response called autophagy. Autophagy results in several health benefits such as lowered cholesterol, reduced blood pressure and reduced inflammation. For many, a 16:8 intermittent fasting schedule (16 hours of fasting followed by an 8 hour feeding window) works well. However, we recommend that you experiment with the timing to see what works best for you.
Be aware that adding stress (even the good type!) to our lives can backfire if done at the wrong time. When life is already very stressful, it is best to wait until a better time when you are more relaxed to try out these new practices.
Your Partner In Health,
Sara Yadlowsky, FMHC
The Vagus Nerve: Not All Who Wander are Lost
Erica Nelson, MSPH, NBC-HWC
Practical Strategies for Managing Anxiety and Improving Digestion
Who’s the Boss?
They say the mind is a wonderful servant but a terrible master. Are you in charge of your mind and body? Or do you feel like you are at the mercy of your thoughts and feelings (physical and emotional)? This article shares cost-free and drug-free practical strategies to take back control of your physical and emotional feelings and make your mind your servant.
Your nervous system is complicated but you do not need to know all of the details to have a significant impact on its function. In this article you will find a very simple description of how one specific nerve, the Vagus, connects your physical and emotional feelings. You will also learn practical things you can do to reduce anxiety, improve digestion and overall wellbeing.
A (Very) Brief Neuroanatomy Lesson
Starting from the top, the brain branches out from your skull through 12 cranial nerves (and their branches) known as the peripheral nervous system.
Starting from the ‘bottom’ the gastrointestinal ‘mind’ is called the enteric nervous system (ENS.) The ENS has more nerve cells than the rest of the entire nervous system combined (more than 100 million!) and is capable of functioning independently of the rest of the nervous system.
The Vagus nerve is one of the 12 cranial nerves. It connects your brain to your digestive system and vice versa. It sends and receives both motor (movement) and sensory (feeling) signals. Beyond the digestive system, it touches nearly every major organ and plays a role in heart rate, respiration, facial expression, inflammation, sweating, reproduction and more.
Photo courtesy:
www.drarielleschwartz.com
The word ‘Vagus’ comes from the Latin for ‘wander’ but, as Tolkien wisely said, ‘Not all who wander are lost.’ This nerve, and its branches serve as the information super highway in your body and provide the early warning system for threats, internal and external.
Most of these functions are reflexes that happen without you thinking about them to keep you alive. Can you imagine if you had to decide to shunt blood supply from your stomach to your heart and lungs to run from danger? But sometimes the reflexes are not actually helpful in the moment and we are left feeling like our stomachs have minds of their own – because they kind of do. But when we know what the reflexes respond to, we can take steps to trigger a more desirable response.
Toning the Vagus for Stress Resilience
Have you ever felt your mouth go bone dry just as you are about to begin a presentation or performance? Or worse, maybe you feel like you are going to throw up? Or need to go to the bathroom RIGHT NOW. This is your reflexive response to stop bodily secretions and smooth muscle contractions in your GI tract so you can spend your resources elsewhere.
When you perceive a threat, your brain and body make preparations to respond and additional resources – oxygen, fluids, etc. – are diverted from digestion and reproduction until you are physically and psychologically safe again. Your heart rate, blood pressure and breathing increase, your pupils dilate, your mouth may go dry, your muscles may begin to tremble all of these are signs of activation of your sympathetic nervous system.
It is the job of the parasympathetic nervous system, including the Vagus nerve, to restore resources to ‘rest and digest’ once the threat (perceived or real) is passed. Depending on the duration and intensity of the threat, it may take 20 minutes or 20 years to return to a healthy resting state. When left unattended, chronic stress or PTSD can have long-term effects on your physical, cognitive and emotional health.
Techniques to Build ‘Stress Resillience’ and Facilitate the Job of the Vagus Nerve
Daily Habits to Support Stress Resilience:
- Cat/Cow stretching with a Lion’s Roar
This exercise lengthens and contracts the Vagus nerve to activate it. Get on your hands and knees on the floor. Begin with a neutral spine and then press down through your hands and knees to arch your back upwards like a cat. Inhale while doing this. Then drop your belly down towards the floor and lift your breastbone forward and up. Exhale loudly while you do this, sticking your tongue out and even roaring like a lion.
- Laugh
Laughter really is one of the best medicines. Real laughter is best but even fake laughter will engage the Vagus nerve through contraction of the diaphragm.
- Hugs
A warm embrace, ideally 20 seconds or longer, will stimulate the part of the Vagus nerve that runs down your back and can trigger the release of a hormone called oxytocin, known as the feel-good hormone.
- Singing, humming, chanting, gargling
The Vagus nerve is connected to your vocal cords and the muscles at the back of your throat. All of these activities activate the muscles around the nerve and can stimulate it. Choose one or more and find time for it each day.
In-the-Moment Strategies to Get Back to Rest and Digest:
- 4-7-8 breathing
Place the tip of your tongue against the ridge of tissue just behind your upper front teeth, and keep it there through the entire exercise. Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound. Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a mental count of four. Hold your breath for a count of seven. Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound to a count of eight. This is one breath. Now inhale again and repeat the cycle three more times for a total of four breaths.
- Go outside for a walk
This works for a couple of reasons. First, when you are walking, your eyes naturally move side-to-side and trigger a response in your brain that distracts it from threat. Second, you are using up some of the ‘energy hormones’ that were dumped into your system to respond to the threat and may be making you feel ‘jittery.’
- Self-massage
Stroke your neck from your ear to your clavicle 10 times on each side. Again, your Vagus nerve is connected to these muscles. Moderately intense massage to the area will stimulate the nerve and help to restore a resting state.
You do not have to be at the beck and call of your body’s reflexes. Choose one or two of the strategies above and integrate them into your day to improve your ability to respond the way you want to – instead of simply reacting – the next time you are faced with a stressful situation.
Call our office and schedule an appointment with one of our health coaches to learn more healthy strategies to reduce and respond to physical, emotional and cognitive stress.
Your Partner in Health!
Erica Nelson, MSPH, NBC-HWC
Health Coaching
Erica Nelson, MSPH, NBC-HWC
The legendary basketball coach, John Wooden once said, “A good coach can change a game. A great coach can change a life.” At Carolina Total Wellness, our coaches help our patients change their lives every day.Every patient at Carolina Total Wellness that sees a doctor or physician assistant is paired with a health coach. Some patients may also choose to work solely with a health coach to achieve their dietary and lifestyle goals. This article will help you know what to expect when you work with a health coach.
Here are 3 key aspects of the health coaching experience at Carolina Total Wellness:
The Space Between
Health coaches hold space for you to pause… and decide how you want to respond to your circumstances. The world today is a seemingly relentless onslaught of stimulation, and it can feel like there is an urgency to react to all of that stimulation.
George Mumford, meditation coach to Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and other world-class athletes offers another way, ‘Think about the eye of a hurricane.’ He says, ‘No matter how intense the storm or what’s swept up in its gale-force winds, that calm, blue center is always there. We all have this quiet center within us.’ Your CTW coach will help you respond from that quiet center within, rather than reacting from the chaos of the storm.
In our office, health coaches hold space for you to make sense of what is going on in your world and in your body and decide how you want to respond. Health coaches always honor the fact that you are the expert on your own life and display unconditional positive regard for you and whatever lifestyle decisions you choose. They pay attention to what matters to you and may offer suggestions for adjustments that fit into your life.
Translator
The science of the body and its systems are the physician’s expertise. Science of behavior change is the coach’s expertise. Our coaches help you translate medical science you discuss with your doctor or PA into evidence-based behavioral change strategies to optimize your health. When you combine the medical knowledge of our physicians and PA with your coach’s expertise in the science of motivation, habits, and change, many of the barriers to experiencing health fall away.
Each of the coaches at CTW has at least a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university and training in coaching from either the Functional Medicine Coaching Academy or Duke University. Some of them also have master’s degrees and other specialized training in nutrition, exercise, counseling, and other relevant fields. Unless otherwise specified, CTW coaches are not registered dietitians, licensed mental health professionals or certified fitness professionals.
Guide
In the words of Michael Jordan, ‘A coach is someone that sees beyond your limits and guides you to greatness!’ CTW coaches come to the table with empathy for whatever you are facing and feeling and confidence in your ability to overcome. Each coach has faced their own struggles in life and knows what it is like to work hard to overcome. However, coaches never replace you as the expert on you; they serve as your guide on your journey to health. Coaches can help you understand all the different ways you can try intermittent fasting or yoga or what, exactly, is ‘glycemic index.’ Maybe our most important job, though, is to help you get very clear on your vision of the healthiest version of you. Once you decide where it is you want to go, coaches provide education, support and accountability to knock down any stumbling blocks that may come up along the way.
Call us today to schedule your appointment with one of our health coaches.
Erica Nelson, MSPH, NBC-HWC
Heart Rate Variability
Didem Miraloglu, MD, MS
DO YOU KNOW HOW TO MEASURE YOUR WELL-BEING?
Ever heard of Heart Rate Variability (HRV)? Exactly as its name states, heart rate variability is a measure of the variability between heartbeats. Your heart beats a specific rate, anywhere from 60-100. There is a variation in this rate, depending on whether you take a deep breath, exercise, are under stress or are at rest. HRV is dependent on our nervous system to pick up cues from our environment. In order to understand how these cues are translated into physiological response, we first need to understand how the nervous system works.
Our nervous system controls our heart rate in two opposing directions.
One is the sympathetic nervous system, “fight or flight.” It is responsible for increasing the heart rate when we are stressed, like running away from a saber tooth tiger. In our present world since we are not normally faced with tigers, sympathetic drive kicks in during other emergency situations. This is exactly when you want more blood pumped from the heart to your muscles so you can fight or run. The blood pressure and heart rate increase as a normal response to the feedback from our environment.
Its counterpart is the parasympathetic nervous system, which is the “rest and digest” system. When our senses detect the emergency is all clear, our parasympathetic system takes the lead and tells our heart rate to slow down and lowers the blood pressure. Our body starts to relax.
This is the normal sequence of events that occurs by increasing and decreasing the heart rate appropriately according to the environmental cues. Studies have shown people with high heart rate variability are usually less stressed and are happier.
The problem occurs when there is low heart variability. This means the nervous system is not responding adequately to the environmental cues and hence your body is less resilient and struggles to handle changing situations. This may occur with diabetes, asthma, anxiety, depression and high blood pressure. This is also seen as we age.
You can improve your heart rate variability by taking care of your body and mind. Regular exercise along with a healthy diet, staying hydrated, avoiding alcohol, getting a good night sleep, being exposed to natural light, taking a cold shower and mindfulness, all help with reduction in HRV. Controlled breathing has also been shown to boost HRV and help fight stress which can decrease HRV.
The gold standard for measuring HRV is an EKG. But you don’t have to buy an EKG, since there are smaller and more affordable gadgets on the market with which you can measure HRV in the comfort of your home. Here are some of those:
- Apple Watch – Uses an optical sensor (green light) to record heart rate automatically, however, you need to obtain the Health app on iPhone to look at the data.
- Oura Ring – A sleep tracker, takes the mean of all 5-minute samples measured while you are sleeping. The changes in your HRV are accounted for every 5 minutes throughout the night which makes it one of the most accurate devices out there to measure HRV. This is in comparison to other wearables that only take HRV measurement at a single point during the night.
- Fitbit – Heart rate tracker automatically measures the HRV and sends stats to the Fitbit app. The only problem is that the technology used in Fitbit does not accurately record or report heart rate.
- AIO (All in One) Smart Sleeve – It is a sleeve you wear that can measure your EKG real time. It also does sleep analysis, workout optimization and stress level monitoring.
- Frontier X – Worn directly over your heart, like a chest belt, provides continuous ECG monitoring.
There are also apps that help you increase your HRV. They do this thru teaching breathing techniques via biofeedback, which changes the heart rhythm to create a physiological balance in physical, mental and emotional systems. Some of these include HeartMate, HeartRate + Coherence Pro and HeartMath. HeartMath is the gold standard in the industry for coherence and the one with the most science behind it.
So, how do you measure your well-being? Mainly with tools that provide feedback on your heart rate variability. But remember, your well-being does not have so much to do with what is going on in your environment, as it does with how you perceive and react to your environment. And working on those factors will in long term help with your well-being.
“You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”
Marcus Aurelius – Roman Emperor and Stoic philosopher (161-180 AD)
Didem Miraloglu, MD, MS
How to Ground Your Energy When Feeing Anxious
The last couple of years have been hard on everyone. The pandemic has caused so many disruptions in our lives – lost jobs and income, friends and loved ones becoming ill, children home from school and missing socialization, feeling more isolated and less connected. It’s no wonder that an even greater number of people have reported feeling anxious.
Talk therapy, supplements, exercise and medication are beneficial solutions for curbing anxiety. There are also practical strategies you can utilize when experiencing anxiety.
1) Box Breathing – If you’ve ever practiced meditation then you know how helpful mindful breathing can be to calm your nervous system. Close your eyes and then breathe slowly in for four counts. Hold your breath for four counts and then exhale slowly for four counts. At the bottom of the exhale count to four while doing nothing. Repeat this process for a total of four times. Once completed you should feel much more relaxed and centered.
2) Name Objects in Your Line of Vision – If your thoughts are spiraling out of control you can change your state of mind by simply naming objects that you see. Keep doing this as long as you need to until you feel your energy begin to mellow. This works because you are changing which hemisphere of your brain is being used, moving from the emotional side to the logical side.
3) Mantras – Taking the time to recite a mantra is valuable for grounding feelings of anxiety. Some examples are “I am safe”, “I am peaceful”, “I am loved” or “With every breath I feel myself relaxing”. Write down your own affirmations that resonate with you the most and then say them repeatedly when you’re feeling anxious.
4) Gratitude – We cannot be in a state of fear or anxiety and be in a state of calm or peace a the same time. Pausing to “count your blessings” will transition your energy into a more relaxed vibration. Write down five things you are grateful for or if you can’t write them down, list them in your mind.
The next time you find your heart beating fast or your mind racing, try practicing these strategies to ground your energy.
The next time you find your heart beating fast or your mind racing, try practicing these strategies to ground your energy.
If you or someone you know can benefit from working with our health coaches please contact our office to make an appointment.
In health,
Sara Yadlowsky, FMHC
5 Strategies For Stress Eating
Stress eating occurs when we eat in response to a stress signal instead of a hunger signal. It is reaching for food to calm our nerves, soothe our sadness, chase away boredom or buffer against other emotions we are uncomfortable with.
When we stress eat we are usually reaching for sugary and/or salty foods. It’s often food we eat with our hands. Hand to mouth eating frequently occurs without much awareness or mindfulness.
Tips to Help Decrease Stress Eating:
1) Being Body Aware – This means getting in touch with your body. Get back into your body, get grounded, get centered. Are you truly hungry? Pay attention to what sensations are going on in your body. Has your heart rate increased? Do you have butterflies in your stomach? Are you feeling fragmented and disassociated in your body? Feeling out of sync between body and mind?
You can bring yourself back to center by concentrating on your breath. Put one hand on your chest and one on your belly and breathe in deeply. Is the breath going to the upper chest area or the belly? You want the breath to go into the low belly. By doing this you engage the parasympathetic system (aka rest and digest) and reduce the sympathetic system (aka fight or flight).
2) Exercise your emotional muscle – Emotions are energy in motion. Don’t be afraid to show your emotions. We need to let emotions flow and we need to express them. When we don’t do this we “eat our emotions” with food. Emotional eaters tend to eat foods that are nutrient poor (junk food) instead of nutrient rich (veggies, fruits, healthy fats, lean proteins).
Keep a check on your feelings. One way to do this is to check in with family and friends. Be real about your emotions as this allows others to feel comfortable to open up with you as well. Journaling is also a great tool for expressing your emotions.
3) Developing alternatives – Rather than engaging in stress eating come up with alternatives. Make a list of 5 things that you can do instead of eat when you are not really hungry but are craving food due to emotions. Some ideas: call a friend, physical movement, journaling, nap, read a good book, organize a drawer in your kitchen or bathroom.
4) Having healthy foods available – If you can’t fight the urge to eat, make the best choices with the cravings you have. Ideas: avocado for someone who craves fat, fruit for someone that craves sugar, cacao powder in water for someone who craves chocolate, olives for someone who craves salt.
5) Fueling your body with real food – Be sure you are getting lots of nutrients so you are not vulnerable to the effects of stress. Food modulates our mood and if we stick with whole unprocessed foods our mood will be better and we won’t feel as stressed.
Your Partner In Health!
Sara Yadlowsky, FMHC
Five Tips to Get Back on Track with Exercise
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There are many reasons exercise may fall to the wayside: injury, surgery, a major life event such as a divorce or death, demands of work or simply losing interest in an exercise routine can all disrupt your exercise schedule. Life is full of ups and downs and sometimes things gets in the way of consistent exercise and movement. Here are five tips to help you get back on track: Choose a Type of Movement You don’t have to stick with the same type of exercise you have done in the past. Perhaps it’s time to try something new – maybe something you’ve always wanted to try but haven’t. Think about your current lifestyle and what exercise would suit you best. There are so many different types of exercise. You may want to sample a few before you decide on an exercise plan. Set Realistic Expectations Don’t attempt to go from the couch to exercising 7 days a week overnight. This will often end up in injury and put you BACK on the couch. Instead come up with a plan that eases you back into consistent movement such as walking 2-3 days a week for 15-20 minutes. This primes your muscles and joints more effectively. It also gives you a “win” because it is manageable and you will succeed. This is great for your mindset and will keep you moving forward with your goals. Focus on Consistency One of the most important aspects of forming a new habit is to be consistent. So rather than working out once a week for 2 hours (and ending up sore and possibly injured) it is much better to exercise 5 days a week for 30 minutes. Make a commitment to yourself to exercise a specific number of days a week and keep that commitment. Get Support from Family and Friends Let your family know what your new fitness goals are so they can support you. You may need others to take over some of the tasks around the house so you have time to exercise. Enlisting a friend to exercise with you can help keep you focused and can make exercise more fun. Fuel Your Body with Nutritious Foods You’ll need to make sure you are fueling yourself well when adding exercise back into your routine. Depending on what type of exercise you are doing you may need more protein than you are currently eating. Focusing on whole foods with adequate protein, lots of veggies and healthy fats will give you the energy you need to get through your workouts. Exercise is hard sometimes but it should be fun! Find something you enjoy doing and see how good it makes you feel to move. Your Partner In Health! Sara Yadlowsky, FMHC |
Meditate on your feelings to get calm, grounded, and healthy.
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| Meditate on your feelings to get calm, grounded, and healthy.Our emotions can hold us hostage when their stormy winds of intensity and disharmony blow through the body. For example, when you’re angry, your belly can tighten, your heart might pound, and agitating thoughts can plague you for minutes, hours, or even days. This is because emotions, be they angry, peaceful, anxious, sad, or happy, activate your nervous system to release chemicals into your bloodstream that can pull your focus and energy away from other matters. When emotions are that strong, we may be tempted to label them the “enemy.” But refusing to accept how you feel only postpones the inevitable; every emotion you deny will always return, trying to convey important information. In a world full of stress and demands, rest is one of the most important factors for creating wellness. Restorative activities can include mental, physical, and/or emotional activities that help to promote resilience. Particularly if you are under chronic stress, restful activities can break the cycle of stress and assist you on the path to health. Get Unstuck Knowing that the brain is not static, but instead has plasticity, underlines one of the key reasons to practice restful habits: you can learn to be healthier, happier, and more connected. Focusing on the process of restoration, rather than current complaints or states, allows you to take charge of your own health and wellness. You can become more resilient and healthier. The Right Activities Many people turn to television, alcohol, or other semi-harmful activities to counteract stress. Replacing even a few minutes a day of those activities with ones that scientifically promote healing and restoration can trigger lasting improvements. Restoration activities like meditation, guided imagery, breathing techniques, gratitude, and mindfulness are time-honored, science-backed ways to make a difference internally. They have calming effects not only on the state of mind, but also helping to balance hormonal and immune function. Don’t let stress run the show. Select a restoration activity and see if it works for you—whether that’s finding something to feel grateful about every day or trying a new yoga pose. Be intentional and open. Take back a few minutes a day of your life, balance your emotions, and your health and wellness will follow. Restorative Activities Meditation Gratitude Journaling Deep breathing and breathing techniques Guided Imagery and/or Visualization Massage, Sauna, or Water Therapy Mindful Eating, Walking, or Body Scan Many others! A wide variety of conditions are assisted by restoration therapies, including: Anxiety, depression, and mood disorders Cancer Chronic pain and fibromyalgia Gastrointestinal disorders Sleep disturbances and stress disorders Heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension Hot flashes Asthma Emotions are messengers, here to deliver information about empowering actions you need to take in your life and relationships. Just as it takes time to strengthen muscles, it also takes time to strengthen your ability to welcome and respond to your emotions, rather than avoid them. Lean on them to find creative solutions and successfully navigate life. Your Partner In Health! Clarissa A. Kussin, ND, RYT-500 |
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