Archive for midlife health

Do You “Just Need A Good Night’s Sleep?”

By nina · Comments (1)
Monday, April 9th, 2012

Can’t fall asleep?

Is your sleep constantly interrupted?

Do you wake up after 8 hours of sleep or more, feeling un-refreshed?

In my practice as an herbalist and acupuncturist I often see clients with such midlife sleep problems.

Here are three typical examples of midlife people struggling with sleep that may sound familiar to you:

1. Trouble Going to Sleep

2. Trouble Staying Asleep

3. Not Enough Refreshing Sleep

Homo sapiens is the only animal known to curtail, interrupt or otherwise disturb his normal sleep cycles deliberately. A bear sleeps until his inner clock rouses him, yet men and women will shorten their sleep based on external criteria – a business meeting or medical appointment, family demands, a gripping novel that transfixes or a movie too exciting to turn off.

Sleep is one of the most important but often neglected aspects of wellness and aging. Cutting back on slumber has lots of health consequences, and can make us irritable, but is also dangerous; for those who work under hazardous conditions or with machinery, and to innocent people who happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that as many as 100,000 crashes are due to driver fatigue each year.

Peter Hauri and Shirley Linde in No More Sleepless Nights estimate that more than 100 million Americans (almost 30% of our population) have occasional sleep problems. About a third of these have some form of chronic insomnia, and over 10 million of these people suffer enough to see their doctors and spend millions on prescribed tranquilizers, sedatives and sleeping pills.

So we all agree it’s important to get a good night’s sleep, but why does this fundamental respite become so torturous at midlife and how can we treat it effectively and safely?

Here is my prescription or “Midlife Sleep Formula” that has worked for hundreds of my clients:

 

1. Nourish yourself to promote health and sleep.

What and when you eat do matter.

2. Lower the impact of daily stressors through exercise and relaxation

Minimizing the effects of stress on your body, mind and spirit are more important during midlife than ever before.

3. Create an irresistible, sleep-inducing bedroom environment.

Design the most perfect and inviting bedroom for you.

4. Develop a routine before bedtime that promotes the deepest slumber.

What you do during the day and before bed do make a difference to the quality and quantity of your sleep.

5. Take herbs and supplements to support the best sleep.

To complement everything else you’re doing, you may want to use non-pharmaceuticals to assist you in going to sleep, staying asleep or having more refreshing sleep.

Want to learn more about my Midlife Sleep Formula? Check out my recently published ebook, I Just Want a Good Night’s Sleep, and stay tuned for more posts on getting a better night’s rest at midlife!

Are you in midlife and experiencing sleeping problems? Do you have a tip you’d like to share? Please be sure to add a comment. Wishing you delicious refreshing sleep, if I can help you with sleep drop me a line nina@ninaprice.com.

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Categories : Acupuncture, Brain Health, Chronic stress, Health, Midlife, midlife health, midlife sleep, sleep, Traditional Chinese Medicine
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Spring is the best time of year to “clean house” and Reboot Your Body

By nina · Comments (0)
Monday, March 19th, 2012

We’ve moved our clocks ahead, the first Spring flowers are starting to bloom, and the official first day of Spring is approaching. Must be time for spring cleaning.

As a kid, at our house spring cleaning was about cleaning out the house of things that had accumulated during the winter. The windows were wide open and the smell of spring filled the house. I remember some people I knew also did some internal cleaning by giving things up for Lent. I remember one friend who gave up fast food for Lent and discovered a major unexpected weight loss.

Traditional Chinese Medicine tells us that the change of the seasons is the best time to do a cleanse; and the transition from Winter to Spring is the most ideal time. Detoxing your body can calm inflammation, stimulate repair and recovery, and boost energy. A cleanse should never involve frequent hunger or lack of nutrients, factors that only stress the body further.

Finding food intolerances

Many people don’t realize they have food intolerances. These foods trigger an immune reaction and cause such symptoms as low energy, rashes, joint pain, digestive issues, headaches, anxiety, depression, and more. They also prevent weight loss. The foods people most commonly react to are gluten, grains, dairy, eggs, and nuts.

Other inflammation triggers

Other common immune triggers include nightshades (potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, etc.), legumes, coffee, and, of course, foods high in sugar, including sweet fruits and natural sweeteners, such as honey, maple syrup, and agave.

Healthy cleanse foods

At this point you might be wondering, “If I do a cleanse, what will I eat?” Whole foods. Just as our ancestors ate prior to the industrialization of food, and there is plenty to eat. In fact, it is important not to let yourself get too hungry as the low blood sugar caused by chronic hunger causes inflammation. You’ll eat frequently enough to sustain energy and avoid crashing.

Grass-fed and organic meats, wild fish, plenty of vegetables, healthy fats, and fermented foods, such as sauerkraut, , along with plenty of water and non-caffeinated herbal teas.

This is only the beginning. I would be happy to help you make your own cleanse process as easy as possible.

I’m hosting a cleanse group that will start next Monday March 26th and you’re invited!  I’m calling it The Reboot Your Body Spring Detox. Click here to learn more and join the fun.

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Categories : detox, Health, mid-life, Midlife, midlife health, midlife weight gain, nutrition, Personal Change, Traditional Chinese Medicine, weight gain
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What Kind of Attention Are You Craving?

By nina · Comments (0)
Monday, March 12th, 2012

Are you wishing for men (or women) to notice you more often?

Notice how you look, what you’re wearing?

Even wishing that they gave you a second look? were curious to know more about you?

Are you wishing for more recognition?

Or acknowledgement of what’s special about you?

Acknowledgement of something you’ve achieved?

 

The other day I was hosting a webinar for my Midlife Mastermind Group and a woman in attendance told me that what bothered her most about midlife is that she feels “invisible”.  I wasn’t sure what she meant, so I was curious and asked some questions. It turned out that what was bothering her was that she felt invisible to men. They weren’t paying attention to her the way they had earlier in her life.

I asked some more questions. My hunch was that it had something to do with the way she was feeling about herself. Have you noticed that when you feel great about yourself on all levels — others notice. And when you don’t feel so great about yourself, others notice that too although the way they notice that may be to ignore you.

Now I was curious about women feeling invisible at our age. I consulted several women I know and asked them whether they feel “invisible” – to my surprise most of them said “yes”. I was on to something!

My question to you is:

What Type of Attention Do You Crave?

Take a minute and be really honest with yourself.

Do  you want to be visible?

Do you want to turn heads?

Do you want to influence or create change?

Do you want to help others?

Do you want to be listened to?

Do you want to be respected for your opinions or insights?

Do you want to be recognized or acknowledged for who you are or what you’ve done?

Do you want to be taken seriously?

If you feel a bit “triggered” by this don’t worry – you’re not alone!

If you’re a man reading this do you feel invisible to women at this age?

Take a minute and write me your thoughts about this as a comment here on my blog.

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Categories : Confidence, Health, mid-life, Midlife, midlife health, midlife sex, Personal Change, sex, Sexual Health
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When You Start to Sneeze Think Chinese (Medicine… that is)

By nina · Comments (2)
Monday, January 16th, 2012

I’m always amazed at what my clients believe about coughs, colds and flus. A number of my clients have called to cancel appointments saying, “I’m sick today I need to reschedule.”  My answer is that when you’re sick, especially with a cough, cold or flu is the best time to see me.

The biggest secret in Western society about coughs, colds and flus is that Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is usually the best solution. In the West we say “I’ve got a cold”. A cold could be a wide variety of different symptoms. A cold could have: a fever, chills, a cough, a sore throat, head, neck and back achiness, nasal congestion, an upset stomach, phlegm of varying colors or other symptoms. Each of us catches a cold our own way. But to listen to Western medicine “a cold” is a generic bundle of symptoms.

In Chinese Medicine we have a far more specific taxonomy of colds. Once your practitioner knows which type of cold you have, they can treat you for that specific cold with acupuncture and herbal formulas. Because Chinese Medicine is more specific it can address the underlying cause of what’s wrong with you and fix it quickly.

One of my clients came into my office the other day with a cold.  She felt achy, she had chills and nasal congestion. I checked her tongue and her pulses, asked a few questions to find out which cold she had. I gave her an acupuncture treatment and an herbal formula with specific instructions. She needed to go home, take the formula (which could be a tea or a soup, but most often it is most convenient in pill form). I encouraged her to make a pot of porridge, eat some and go to bed. I asked her to stay in bed until her fever broke.  I called to check in on her two days later and she said “Oh I’m back at work. I did exactly what you suggested. Once my fever broke I felt so much better that I was ready to go back to work.” She continued to take the formula until she felt 100% better and had no relapse.

Another client called to say that he was starting to have a sore throat. He knows that when he lets me know at the first sign of a sore throat, I’ll prescribe the right herbal formula for him. He dropped by to pick up the formula and started taking it immediately. He got plenty of rest and kept taking the formula for the next few days. He never got a fever, cough, nasal congestion or any other cold symptoms.  Best of all he was able to continue to work while fighting the cold because he had a significant deadline he had to meet. Because he addressed his cold at the earliest stage, he was able to stay in action and recover quickly.

To recover quickly from a “cold”, pay attention to what’s happening in your body and get help early. The earlier you treat a cold the faster you can typically get rid of it. The longer you wait to get help the further the cold can progress, once you’ve waited and the cold has progressed it can take longer to bounce back.  Of course I’ve got herbal formulas for colds that have progressed into bronchitis and worse, but ideally you don’t need to have that experience if you notice your symptoms early and immediately take action to get help.

If you’ve got a cold, cough or flu and want help with it send me an email  (nina@ninaprice.com) with your symptoms and a phone number where I can reach you.

Wishing you a cold free winter!

 

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Categories : Acupuncture, Colds, Coughs, Flus, Health, midlife health, Traditional Chinese Medicine
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How to recover from a Sugar Hangover

By nina · Comments (1)
Wednesday, December 28th, 2011

The tin of peppermint bark is empty, the pies polished off, and the Yule log cake reduced to crumbs.

Left in their wake, however, is the sugar hangover, that annual holiday tradition that may include an upset stomach, headache, lethargy, brain fog, skin problems, join pain, mood swings, allergy symptoms, and a heap of regret.

While alcohol hangover cures are a folklore staple, you can take solid steps to recover from your sugar hangover:

  • Quit eating sweets. Those holiday treats have sent your blood sugar levels skyrocketing and plummeting repeatedly, taxing the immune system, the brain, hormone balance, and every other system in the body.To recover, put blood sugar levels on an even keel by eating protein every two to three hours, eating a good breakfast, and avoiding starchy foods, desserts, and sweet drinks (soda, sweet coffee drinks) that spike blood sugar. Instead focus on quality proteins, leafy vegetables, and good sources of fat (olive oil, avocado, coconut oil, salmon, etc.)
  • Drink plenty of water. This is also the most popular alcohol hangover cure for a reason. Staying hydrated with clean filtered water will help flush your body of toxins and aid in recovery.
  • Support your liver. Processing all those sweets burdens your liver. Help your liver flush these toxins with such liver detox nutrients as milk thistle, dandelion, N-acetyl L-cysteine, beet root, panax ginseng, and more. Contact my office for more advice on liver detoxification.
  • Restore your gut. Sweets cause inflammation, promote overgrowth of harmful yeast and bacteria, and irritate the gastric lining. You can restore gut health by avoiding sweets and other starchy foods, temporarily adopting a strict detox diet that eliminates common immune triggers (i.e., gluten), and by eating cultured and fermented foods.
  • Move your body. A brisk walk, a swim, yoga, or some other gentle exercise will get your lymphatic system pumping and blood flowing to help flush toxins and rejuvenate cells. You may want to avoid extremely vigorous exercise until hangover symptoms subside so as not to further promote inflammation.

How About a New Year’s detox?

These are some basics to help you recover from a sugar hangover and get you back on the wellness path. In fact, all of these tips will help you recover from an alcohol hangover, too. For more advanced strategies and to get started on a detox plan for the New Year, click here.

What are your tips for a sugar hangover cure?

Of course the best way to cure a sugar hangover is to avoid one. But if you happen to overindulge on special occasions, what are some of your tips for a sugar hangover cure?

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Categories : autoimmune health, detox, Health, midlife health
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Vitamin D Trumps Vitamin C at Preventing Flu

By nina · Comments (1)
Thursday, December 15th, 2011

Move over vitamin C. When it comes to warding off the flu virus and colds, studies shows vitamin D trumps vitamin C. But are you getting enough vitamin D from sunlight and diet alone?

Studies link low vitamin D with flu virus

Compelling evidence links low vitamin D levels with illness. One study showed vitamin D-deficient subjects were 36 percent more likely to report an upper respiratory infection than those with higher levels. That rate jumped significantly for those with asthma.

Another study found children who took vitamin D supplements suffered almost half as many incidences of the flu virus than the children who didn’t. Also, vitamin D levels were found to be lower in children who died of swine flu than in those who survived.

Vitamin D benefits go beyond fighting the flu

Vitamin D does so much more than fight the flu. Sufficient vitamin D lowers the risk of cancer, autoimmune disease, gum disease, heart disease, diabetes, pulmonary disease, and weak bones.

Are you getting enough vitamin D?

Vitamin D is a cornerstone to good health, however research shows many people do not get enough from sunlight and diet alone. In general, we spend most of our lives indoors, wear sunscreen when outside, and don’t eat a vitamin D-rich diet.

More than 40 percent of the overall population and 60 percent of children are estimated deficient. Blacks, Hispanics, and other populations with darker skin show the highest rates of deficiency. Living at a northern latitude, obesity, and aging also increase the risk for deficiency. One study found 60 percent of postmenopausal women to be deficient in vitamin D.

Boosting your vitamin D levels

Supplementing with vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) and its cofactors will help you outpace the flu and prevent disease. A 25-hydroxy vitamin D test is the most accurate way to measure and monitor your levels, with optimal levels falling between 50–80 ng/mL. However if you suffer from an autoimmune disease or some chronic illness, your practitioner may recommend a more specific goal.

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Categories : autoimmune health, Health, midlife health, nutrition, vitamins
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Why Am I So Sleepy After Eating?

By nina · Comments (0)
Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011

Question

I practically fall asleep in my plate after every meal. Why does eating make me so sleepy?

Answer

Feeling sleepy after meals is a common symptom of insulin resistance, a risk factor for diabetes.

 

Starchy foods and too much insulin

Insulin resistance is common today and is a stepping-stone to diabetes. Overeating and eating a diet high in sugar and starchy foods causes insulin resistance. These foods include breads, rice, pasta, pastries, chips, potatoes, soda, sweet coffee drinks, and more.

Converting glucose to fat demands energy

Insulin escorts glucose into the cells to make energy. Starchy foods bombard the bloodstream with too much glucose, forcing the release of insulin to lower it. When a person eats a starchy diet on a regular basis, the body overproduces insulin to lower chronically high blood sugar.

Eventually these constant surges of insulin exhaust the body’s cells and they refuse entry to the insulin, which is called insulin resistance. As a result insulin can’t escort glucose into the cells to make energy and the person feels sleepy.

Also, because glucose can’t get into cells, blood sugar climbs too high. The body lowers it to safer levels by converting excess glucose into fat for storage. This is a demanding process that robs one of energy.

Insulin surges overproduce calming brain chemical

A fluctuation in brain chemistry is another factor that causes tiredness. Carbohydrates provide precursors for serotonin, the “joy and well-being” brain chemical that can ward off depression and also be calming.

However, the insulin surge that follows a high-carb meal overproduces serotonin in the brain, contributing to that need for a post-meal nap. After serotonin levels drop, people then may feel depressed, which spurs cravings for more high-carb foods and sweets to get that pleasurable “high” and start the cycle over again.

Restoring insulin sensitivity

If you feel sleepy even after a very low-carb meal, it could be because you over ate or because your glucose metabolism has become too disordered to function properly. While adapting a lower-carb diet is vital, you may need the guidance of a practitioner in using nutritional and botanical compounds that can help restore insulin sensitivity.

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Categories : Health, midlife health, midlife weight gain, nutrition, sleep, Uncategorized, weight gain
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Overflowing calendar? Eat on the run? Do you ever get to work out?

By nina · Comments (0)
Monday, November 7th, 2011

Find out how to make time for yourself, watch this quick video:

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Categories : autoimmune health, Brain Health, Chronic stress, Health, Hormones, midlife health, nutrition, Stress
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Poor digestion can cause depression

By nina · Comments (0)
Thursday, October 27th, 2011

Question:

I went to see my natural medicine practitioner for depression and she wants to work on my digestive health. I don’t get the connection.

Answer:

Many people would be surprised to learn how greatly gut health affects brain health. A poor diet, inflamed gut, and intestinal permeability definitely can promote depression.

Depression a not-so-obvious symptom of poor digestion

Sometimes digestion issues are obvious; they cause gas, bloating, heartburn, indigestion, diarrhea, constipation, or abdominal pain. Other times the main symptom is not so obvious—depression.

An unhealthy diet and compromised gut health can promote depression in several ways.

Poor nutrition

When one eats a junk food diet laden with processed foods, trans fats, sugars, and artificial chemicals, the brain suffers. The brain needs healthy fats, high-quality protein, abundant vitamins and minerals, and a diet low in starchy foods and sugars.

Gluten

Gluten is directly linked to depression in some. It causes gut inflammation, which can lead to inflammation in areas of the brain that regulate mood. Some people digest gluten into gluteomorphin, an opioid similar to heroin or morphine that can cause depression (not to mention constipation). Gluten can also cause autoimmune attacks in the brain with symptoms of depression. Dairy or other foods may also cause depression, depending on sensitivity.

Leaky gut

Leaky gut happens when the lining of the intestines becomes overly permeable. This allows undigested foods, bacteria, and other pathogens into the bloodstream, creating inflammation throughout the body. Inflammation in the brain may cause depression.

Inflammation in the gut also inhibits absorption of nutrients necessary for good brain function. An example is tryptophan, an amino acid found in proteins. The brain synthesizes tryptophan into serotonin, a “well-being and joy” brain chemical.

Always consider gut health

Depression is a complex, multi-faceted condition that can have its roots in various causes. However the role of diet and digestive health should always be included in a functional approach to depression.

 

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Categories : Health, midlife health
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Why is menopause so hard for some women?

By nina · Comments (0)
Tuesday, September 20th, 2011

Question:
I’m going through menopause and feel like I’m falling apart. I get severe hot flashes, mood swings that border on psychosis, and my brain isn’t working. Why?

Answer:
As the ovaries begin to wind down production of the sex hormones the adrenal glands, our stress organs, are supposed to take over that job. Unfortunately by the time most women reach menopause their adrenal glands are worn out and not up to the task of making sex hormones.

Chronic stress taxes the hormones

In the face of stress our adrenal glands secrete adrenal hormones to help our bodies cope and adapt. However we were designed to call on this action only on an occasional basis. These days our adrenal glands are on constant red alert.

Factors that activate the adrenal glands include lack of sleep, being over scheduled, excess caffeine, inadequate nutrition from a poor diet, and too many sweets and starchy foods. Lesser known stressors include chronic inflammation, autoimmune disease, overgrowth of yeast and bacteria in the intestinal tract, leaky gut, and chronic viral or bacterial infections.

Reproductive hormones are vital for proper body and brain function

As a woman nears menopause her ovaries begin to produce fewer reproductive hormones, including estrogen and progesterone. Women still depend on these hormones even after fertility for proper function of the brain, thyroid activity, immune system, and other systems in the body.

Because so many women enter menopause with fatigued adrenals, their adrenal glands cannot produce enough sex hormones or produce them in an appropriate manner. The result is deficiencies or swings in hormone production, which disrupts the function and health of other systems in the body. This causes the symptoms so commonly seen today, including hot flashes, memory loss, poor cognition, depression, strong mood swings, and more.

The best option is prevention

Natural medicine offers many solutions to help women transition through this period more safely and comfortably. However the best option is prevention. Ideally a woman will work to shore up her adrenal health, which is a whole-body diet and lifestyle approach, well before menopause.

Working preventively will help prevent or minimize the unpleasant symptoms associated with the transition into menopause. If you would like help coming up with strategies that will help you sail into menopause, let’s talk. Sign up for a strategy session with me.

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Categories : Health, Hormones, Menopause, midlife health, midlife sleep
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