A major focus of my training in Naturopathic Medicine school was in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), and one of the very well-known principles of TCM is the balance of Yin and Yang energies. When that balance is lost, health is lost. Today, my reflection is on how that translates in our lives, as women, in the society we live in and how this could contribute to some common health issues we run into.
Addictions are very prevalent in our society, and some of those addictions severely punished, while others are totally socially acceptable or even praised. An addiction can be to a substance, thing, or activity. This could be a drug, alcohol, nicotine, shopping, gambling, sex, work, food, control, adrenaline, etc.
Brain health and mental health is directly related to our diet. I am a strong advocate for mental health through nutrition as I’ve read the research, seen it in patients and experienced it myself. This is true for general health through nutrition, actually. Food gives us the building blocks to produce our much needed neurotransmitters, keep inflammation low and support stable blood sugar, which are all needed for good brain function and mental health.
A healthy gut lays the foundation for a healthy mind and body. It’s been shown time after time that the digestive system can be a source of inflammation which is manifested anywhere in the body. Enjoy this gut healing smoothie to help decrease inflammation and heal your body.
One of the most difficult things about sadness and chronic illness is the isolation they bring. I’ve felt it before. You feel like you bring everyone down when you talk about how you’re feeling and what you’re going through, but it’s too hard to just smile and pretend like everything is ok. Or maybe it’s the really obvious elephant in the room that no one dares to bring up. So it’s easier to just avoid interacting with others in order to avoid having to bring it up.
The most common answer I get to the question ‘do you have PMS symptoms?’ is: ‘ask my partner…’ meaning, yes, I get irritable before I get my period. This isn’t surprising as up to 75% of menstruating women get PMS symptoms, even women who have had a partial hysterectomy (removal of the uterus only) get PMS symptoms, and there are more than 100 symptoms associated with PMS.
Working through anxiety does take courage and commitment. Facing anxiety provoking situations is not easy. As a person with anxiety, I try to push myself to face these situations. When I get up face to face with the situation, I always wonder it seemed like such a great idea at the time, think of not showing up, and then talk myself into just doing it anyways. It’s not easy, but so far, I’ve always come out alive! There are a few things I find very helpful in managing anxiety, and even taking it away completely.
I love coffee. Many of us love coffee. It's part of a daily ritual of starting the day and the calm before the rush of the day. To be completely honest, I could drink coffee all day, 3 or 4 cups of it, easy. I've spent lots of time living in Colombia and I love how they drink coffee after lunch and take a break in the afternoon to sit down and drink coffee. Despite this deep love for the drink, I stop myself from drinking too much and I periodically take long breaks from coffee. Should you be doing this too?
