Category: Holistic Healing

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How Anxiety Harms Sleep and How You Can Combat Its Effects

Today there is a guest blog for you to read. It is written by Noah Smith.

Noah Smith conquered his anxiety battles as a child. Today, he conquers places in his travel adventures. He writes for WellnessVoyager and enjoys offering his travel expertise to readers.

How Anxiety Harms Sleep and How You Can Combat Its Effects

The main connection between chronic anxiety and sleep problems is that one begets the other. It’s a vicious cycle. Your anxiety may cause you to develop sleep disorders like insomnia or narcolepsy and your inability to sleep properly may cause you to develop more anxiety. As an adolescent, this effect can be magnified. Since sleep is done in the unconscious realm and anxiety is felt while you’re awake, it may be helpful to try to reduce your anxiety first, before taking measures (like medication) to force the sleep issue.

Find a way to shut down your overworked brain

Easier said than done, right? Anyone with anxiety knows that these anxious feelings tend to get worse as soon as your head hits the pillow. Finding a way to prevent your brain from flying off the deep end during the quiet calm of pre-sleep is paramount to success in overcoming your problems.

“The worries that lead to increased anxiety and tension may come to the forefront when lying down to sleep at night. Once the distractions of the day are pushed away, ruminations about your career, finances, or relationships may come to the surface,” says VeryWell.com.

An anxious brain is one that’s working overtime. You must find a way to turn the volume down on your overactive mind. Mindfulness exercises, like meditation, focused breathing, and yoga performed right before bedtime can help in this endeavor. Some also find that a little bit of noise can be a distraction from anxious thoughts. Try a white noise machine, some soft music, or leave the window open and focus on the sounds of the city or nature.

Keep anxiety-causing triggers out of the bedroom

Your bedroom should be for sleep and sleep only. One sure-fire way to disrupt sleep is to bring your triggers for anxiety into your bedroom with you. Don’t do homework in bed. Don’t lie in bed and look at Facebook for hours. Don’t even watch TV or movies in bed. Instead, do those things outside of the bedroom.

“Don’t work, watch TV, or use your computer in bed or the bedroom. The goal is to associate the bedroom with sleep alone, so that your brain and body get a strong signal that it’s time to nod off when you get in bed,” notes HelpGuide.org.

The more you associate being in bed with sleep, the easier it will be to fall asleep and stay asleep when the time comes. Don’t get into bed unless you are tired and are committed to going to sleep right then.

Get plenty of exercise and avoid chemical triggers

Studies have shown over and over again that exercise helps you sleep better, and the workouts do not have to be intense. For example, a 20-minute workout four to five times a week in your home gym will provide long lasting benefits. One of those ways is by helping to reduce stress and anxiety, as exercise triggers the release of brain chemicals that promote mental wellbeing.

But it’s more than that. Sleep reinforces our circadian rhythms by promoting alertness during the daytime hours, which in turn promotes restfulness during the nighttime hours. If you don’t find yourself falling fast asleep the moment you lie down after exercising don’t get discouraged. Recent research suggests that “exercise may not have an immediate impact on sleep, but in fact may take several weeks or months to significantly change sleep.”

A healthy diet is also important, and you should always avoid substances like alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine before attempting to sleep. Chronic anxiety is one of the most common problems for teens and sleep disorders are the
most common effect of anxiety. What that means is that you’re not alone. Plenty of people have found a way to manage their anxiety to get better sleep, so it’s entirely possible – even if it feels hopeless at times.

Photo Credit: Pixabay.com

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How Crocheting Saved My Life

You know I have been on quite the journey with my health. You can read about it on my blog: How I took some antibiotics that set off my mutated genes; How I tried to treat Candida and only made it worse; How I discovered I had MTHFR; How I tested and treated my neurotransmitter imbalance; And how I experienced over-methylation symptoms from vitamins that were supposed to help me. Quite the journey, indeed.

Well, during all the panic attacks, stomach aches, jitters and nausea, I still had to function. It’s not like illness sweeps in and the world pauses, waiting for us to get better. No, I still had to take my oldest to school and care for my youngest everyday. We still went to California for our anniversary and traveled to see family for Thanksgiving. There hasn’t been a pause button, as much as I wish there had been.

During it all, I had to find something to stop my anxiety from escalating. I was pursuing a holistic treatment plan, which sometimes takes time and during that time, I still had to survive. That’s why I say crocheting saved my life. Wherever we went, I would take a crochet hook and a ball of yarn. I was so new at crocheting last year, that all I could really create was a square and a rectangle (read: potholder and dish towel). It worked for me though. Focusing on my stitches, moving the hook in and out, turning my work, counting; all of this brought a much-needed distraction to me and something I could be proud of in the end. It also made great gifts!

Have you found your crochet? Do you have something that calms your mind and your body? It truly can be life-saving. You see, your mind can’t actually focus on two things at once. Take this NPR article for example; when people are multitasking, they are actually switching from one thought to the other rapidly and it can be really exhausting. To choose something for yourself that occupies the anxious thoughts is to literally stop your mind from going where you don’t want it to. This article from Forbes says more of the same: it is better to concentrate on one thing than to try to juggle many. So if your thoughts are getting away from you and anxiety is increasing, concentrate on something else!

Sitting on an airplane, juggling two toddlers, feeling the nausea and the anxiety build inside of me, I grabbed my yarn and started crocheting. When I finished my pot holder and was out of yarn, I unraveled it and started again, because that’s how badly I needed my crochet. Long car rides as a passenger have triggered me as well, so I don’t leave without a project. Focusing on my stitches helps me forget the car, the traffic, the feeling of being trapped, and the thoughts about the destination. Sitting had become one of my dreaded states of being. Even if I loved my friends and family, sitting still allowed my body and mind to become so anxious that I just wanted to run away. Crocheting was a way to stay present with people, while occupying my mind and body with another activity. 

Everything about crocheting has captured my heart. I love to create and give to others and crocheting has allowed me to do that. From picking out the colors to planning the project, I am thinking of the intended recipient. Each stitch is filled with love and thoughts of others and so I am gifting them as well as myself.

Things are better now. I don’t need crochet to get through a drive or a visit with people. I have started making scarves, hats, purses, and blankets. I feel so thrilled with this developing skill and so grateful for what it brings to me. It is my meditation. It is my relaxation. It is my “do something for yourself” and my “me time”. And with all of that, it’s still something I can do while I visit with my husband or snuggle with my girls. I’ve found my thing and I hope you find yours too. Because there’s no better way to calm your thoughts than to distract them with something beautiful, lovely and productive.

Are you interested in learning crochet?
Here are some of my favorite sites to get you started:
Video Tutorials for Beginners by BobWilson123
Video Tutorials for Beginners by Moogly Blog
Once you get the basics down, you’ll discover that BobWilson123 and Moogly have amazing projects you can create! Ravelry is also a community of people who crochet, knit and loom and are always sharing their projects and patterns. It’s fun to search Pinterest and other sites for inspiration and then challenge yourself to try something new! Enjoy!

Are you following me on Pinterest? Have you liked my Facebook page? I’d love to see you there!

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My MTHFR Protocol

I’ve meant to update about MTHFR and my health for so long! I’ve promised it to many and I’m finally sitting down to write it out. I think I arrived at such a better place after it that I forgot to post at all. I guess that’s a pretty good testament to this protocol! 

If you want to know what MTHFR is (and you should, since nearly half of all Americans have it), check out this blog specifically about MTHFR. If you want to follow the journey of discovery and where I came from, see this post about antibiotics & anxiety and this one about Candida and this one about over-methylation.

My discovery of MTHFR began with a bug bite and a prescription that immediately caused panic attacks. It took me months to bounce back from that. I truly believe my discovery of MTHFR helped me to have a successful last pregnancy and a healthy last baby. But I still wasn’t feeling great. 

When I had survived pregnancy, postpartum, baby’s tongue- and lip-ties, and was beginning to feel like a human again, I started to get serious about my symptoms. My most concerning symptom was this undercurrent of jitters. It wasn’t quite like anxiety, but more like a high, fast vibration that I couldn’t subdue. Oh sure, I could self-medicate with wine and I reduced sugar so as not to encourage it, but it was always there. I continued my regimen, but it wasn’t working. 

I met with my NP, who is an expert with MTHFR. She presented me with a protocol that I was nervously excited to begin. She pointed out that my current regimen (which included a Thorne vitamin) was inconsistent for my needs. It was causing my jitters! All throughout my pregnancy and postpartum challenges, my vitamin was actually making things worse. Insert huge sigh here. 

So here is what I did, including affiliate links below. (Purchasing via these links will not affect your price at all, but will contribute a tiny bit to the creation and maintenance of this blog.) 

The First Step:

​I purchased Seeking Health Active B12 5000. Sometimes this isn’t available on Amazon, but I’ve had no problem getting it directly from Seeking Health itself.

I cut a tab in fourths. For one week, I took a quarter of a tab every morning on an empty stomach. I kept careful watch over myself and my jitters. I didn’t feel terrible, but I didn’t feel better either. 

After a week (or maybe 2, because I was scared to increase the dosage), I switched to a half of a tablet. This also seemed to settle pretty well. When you’re hypersensitive to every feeling in your body, thanks to years of anxiety, jitters, and uncertainty, it’s hard to know what’s causing what, but I convinced myself to trust the process. 

The goal is to increase until a dose is uncomfortable and then step back to the previous dose that felt good. I tried off and on for weeks to get to 3/4 of a tablet. I had jitters. I had discomfort. I thought maybe it was a stomach bug one week. Another time I tried, I thought it was PMS messing with me. Or I didn’t get much sleep this week, so that could be it. So many possibilities, but I ended up back at half a tablet every time. 

When I spoke to my NP about it she said it was clear to her that I was a half-er. And that’s ok! I wasn’t necessarily trying to get up to a point of tolerating a whole tablet of B12. I was trying to get up to my perfect dose and for many people a half is just good enough. 

The Next Step: 

Once I was on the dose that worked for me, the next step was to add in Folate. But not just any folate and definitely not folic acid. Methylfolate is the supplement needed since MTHFR prevents my body from being able to break down and absorb folate. I purchased Bluebonnet Earth Sweet Cellular Active Methylfolate 1000 mcg. 

My mornings began with a half of a B12 tablet and a whole methylfolate tablet. And then I waited. Would I feel bad? Would it cause jitters? Would it make things better or worse? 

Let me say that I felt better than I had in years. I felt energized and jitter-free and just so free in my body. I wish I could say that amazing feeling lasted, but I think my body got used to it and the euphoria settled into normalcy. I’m not complaining! I’ll take normal any day. 

I cannot issue medical advice, but I am happy to share my journey and my resources with you. I think this protocol is worth trying if you have or suspect you have MTHFR. MTHFR is SO common and can cause so many issues, including but not limited to: 

  • depression
  • anxiety
  • autism
  • ADHD
  • thyroid disorders
  • autoimmune disorders
  • chronic pain disorders
  • schizophrenia
  • bipolar disorders
  • heart problems
  • fibromyalgia
  • Parkinson’s disease (and other tremor disorders)
  • preeclampsia
  • postpartum depression
  • strokes
  • hormone & fertility problems
  • Alzheimer’s disease
  • migraines

….and many more

If you want to know if you have MTHFR, you can go through your doctor or through 23ndme. If you go through your doctor, you need to ask for both 1298C and 677T, since most doctors will only do 677T. Also, know that your insurance may not cover it. Honestly, it is probably cheaper to use 23andme rather than your insurance. I spent more through insurance getting tested only for MTHFR than I did on one 23andme test that has been able to tell about ALL my genes and gene mutations! Use this link, my personal referral link, to order your 23andme kit and I will help you unlock your raw data to access all your genes and find out if you have MTHFR! https://refer.23andme.com/s/theresasingleton

In peace and health, 
​Theresa

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Testing Outside of the Medical Realm

This is part 3 in a series following my health saga. If you haven’t read Part 1 (Antibiotics & Anxiety) and Part 2 (To Candida Diet or Not to Candida Diet), please do, as it will fill you in on details not covered here.

You know by now that I’ve done lots of things to help with my health trials, including seeing my chiropractor and Naturopath. I had already been to my MD and had blood tests ordered, which all came back normal. This is extremely frustrating since I KNEW something was wrong. I’d asked to be tested for candida and he said, “It wasn’t indicated.” So, I went to a Naturopath and he suggested I get an Organic Acids Test. I’m all for testing. I’m all for functional medicine and knowing my levels and doing what I can to improve them. This can shed a whole new light on an exhausting situation!

Unfortunately, many tests are not covered by insurance (though many are!). In my case, the organic acids test was not covered by my insurance (though he called to find out, which I appreciated). Desperate for answers, I shelled out the $300 and proceeded with the test, which was a urine test from Great Plains Lab. I had hoped to have results before my trip to CA, but the results took a lot longer than expected.

Despite the delay, I appreciated the results. The Naturopath had been certain that the results would show a bacteria causing all of my issues and that we would treat that and be done, but that was not the case. Instead, the numbers only showed Candida in the yeast, fungal and bacteria markers. The numbers weren’t even that high (probably because I’d already been on herbs and tinctures to help kill it).

The next section that was off for me was the Krebs Cycle. The Krebs Cycle is pretty complicated, but you can read about it here. I had very low fumaric, which could simply be because I was dehydrated, having had an aversion to water and food in general, while at my worst.

The next thing I saw was low serotonin (by measuring neurotransmitter metabolites) in the form of 5-Hydroxyindoleacetic (5-HIAA). My Naturopath said, “We can fix that, easy!” I was relieved. I had a marker that also could be responsible for neural excitotoxicity. Everything inside me was “excited” to say the least, so this made sense too. This elevated marker can also be caused by low serotonin, which I had. The test showed markers of fasting, which was also the case at the time since I couldn’t bring myself to eat. All in all the test showed proof of what was going on with me and seemed to be things we could fix. The shocking results were my zero levels of B and C vitamins!!! How could I have NO vitamins in my body? Again, I decided this was all due to the lack of eating and drinking…

I won’t bore you with all the specifics, but I will say that if you are looking to dig deeper into your health issues, you may have to test outside of the medical system. My MD has specifically told me he doesn’t practice functional medicine, which was disturbing to me. How could you NOT want to see where things are so you can fix them? I proceeded to try everything recommended to me by my Naturopath and found I struggled with the B vitamins and the 5-HTP. I had no problems with the Candaclear Four or the probiotics (both mentioned in my previous post), so this is all I could handle. I also added in Young Living orange oil topically and chewable vitamin C throughout the day. As digestive issues subsided, I was left with the high adrenaline, high anxiety and nervous stomach. Compared to where I was before, this was a big step in the right direction, but I wasn’t satisfied.

I have since signed up with Great Plains Lab so I can repeat the Organic Acids Test again in a few months, to see where I am. I have also signed up with another lab called Labrix. I decided I needed to test my neurotransmitters and my cortisol to rule out adrenal fatigue. These results were no less shocking than before. My neurotransmitter levels were all wrong. A call with their clinician on staff had me reeling and trying to decide what to do next. More testing is definitely in order. My neurotransmitter levels show a pattern equivalent to MTHFR (Methyl Tetra Hydro Folate Reductase), which is associated with the inability to process B vitamins. So testing for this gene, to see if it is lower functioning, is necessary before I take my next step.

I don’t have all the answers yet. I hope to, soon. And I’ll keep you updated. I can say that I’m so happy to have all the information I do have about my body and my health! It puts things into perspective. Had I gone a traditional route with my health, I’m sure I’d be on an anti-anxiety medication right now and that wouldn’t fix anything or help me figure out what went wrong.

If you are struggling in areas of your life with “normal” blood tests and roadblocks along the way, please consider testing outside of the medical realm. I am signed up with many labs, but especially recommend the labs above. I can get a test kit to you quickly and discretely. You don’t have to live in confusion and disarray. We all deserve to know what’s happening with our health and sometimes we need someone on that path with us who’s willing to be a detective. I’m here and I’m willing and I’m grateful for those who’ve been alongside me during my journey. It’s harder to look at myself clearly and I’m grateful the professionals I’ve spoken with. Please contact me if you think you would like to test yourself. There are SO many options, but the results are well worth it!

Read more about the Organic Acids Test.
Read more about Neurotransmitter Testing.
Read more about DNA Testing for Weight Control.
Read more about Hormone Balance Testing.
Read more about IgG Food Allergy Testing with Candida.
Read more about Stool Analysis.
Read more about Metals Hair Test.

The truth is, there are SO many tests available, and it is completely up to you where your health issues are and what needs to be tested. Look through the links above and let me know if I can help in any way. It’s important to know that the power of our health is in our hands. No one will advocate more for you than YOU.

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To Candida Diet or Not to Candida Diet

If you haven’t read the first part of this series, Antibiotics & Anxiety, please do, as it will provide some needed back story…

So, there I was bursting with adrenaline and no way to handle it. I was torn between staying in bed and sleeping as much as possible or making myself move, move, move to try not to think about it. I was so shaken up by the initial attack I had while driving, that I was fervently searching for an answer. Since my chiropractor had muscle tested me and was sure all of this was happening in my gut, I landed at my self-diagnosis: Candida.

There are a lot of symptoms associated with Candida and I had a lot of them, though none outwardly noticeable (thrush or yeast). Some symptoms associated with candida are:

– acne
– allergies (food & air)
– anxiety
– chronic fatigue
– confusion
– depression
– ear or eye irritation
– feeling “drunk” or lightheaded after minimal amounts of alcohol
– GI problems (bloating, chronic diarrhea, constipation, cramps, gas, heartburn)
– headaches
– heart palpitations
– hives
– hyperactivity
– irritability
– loss of memory
– migraines
– rashes
– recurrent fungal infections
– respiratory problems (asthma, nasal & lung congestion)
– severe PMS
– sexual dysfunction
– sinus pressure
– sleep disturbance
(*Source: Goldberg, B. (Ed.). (2002). Alternative medicine: The definitive guide. Berkeley, CA: Celestial Arts.)

These symptoms could be associated with so many issues and often get mistreated or misdiagnosed. I was sure that my two rounds of antibiotics in six months had contributed to some form of Candidiasis and I was going to treat it, kill it, and be done with it.

I threw myself into the Candida Diet. If you’re not familiar, it’s basically sugar-free, as in free of all sugar. No wine (sigh), no grains, no starches, no, no, no… It’s everything I’m against. But I was scared. I was desperate, and I actually felt a little better on it. My worst attack happened after a cup of decaf coffee and a gluten-free cookie bar, so in my mind, sugar had played a huge role. I had a huge aversion to sugar anyway, so it wasn’t that hard to connect the dots.

I learned a lot of new recipes. I even made a Pinterest board for Candida recipes. I made my own salad dressings and even made my own mayonnaise (I didn’t like it). I ate a lot of eggs, meat, chicken, fish, and a ton of salads. I was starving all the time, but I was functioning. That was an improvement!

A visit to my holistic dentist’s office only confirmed Candida. The woman who was working on my gums sympathetically listened to my story. She checked my mouth and said I had candida in my mouth! Gross. So, I took her prescription for Nystatin to a pharmacist and immediately started taking it. It was powdered. I swished it in my mouth four times a day and it was disgusting. Remember, though, I was desperate.

After a couple of weeks on the diet, 10 days on a CandidaGone supplement and several days on Nystatin, I found myself regressing. My body was wasting away. I felt weak, anxious all the time, and so hungry, but with no desire to eat. I lost a lot of weight (read: The Weight I Never Wanted to Lose) and I wasn’t making progress anymore. The week of my birthday I started calling a local Naturopath, begging for an immediate appointment, no matter the cost. I needed a detective, someone who would listen to everything I had been through and hopefully see a pattern and a path back to wellness.

The first thing he said? “Get off that Candida Diet!” I was crushed. I thought I was helping myself, healing myself. I have all the books, education and research I needed to support what I was doing. He gently explained that the diet doesn’t kill candida and our bodies will get sugar from anything they can, even if we remove all of it. The body will find sugar in broccoli or lettuce if it has to. He said my tongue didn’t show signs of candida, but signs of a cold digestive system. This made sense. Everything was cold and tight and all balled up inside of me. As I sat in his office, I was curled up into myself, rocking, shivering and trying desperately to keep it together. I was scared to eat real food again, but also relieved to be told I needed to.

He gave me some herbs, a powdered probiotic MindLinx (which is a great option if you struggle with swallowing pills) and the charcoal pills I mentioned in my last blog. He also asked me to take an Organic Acids test. None of this was in our budget, but health is more important than money, so I did it. The results of the test took longer than I liked to receive, but while eating a normal diet again and taking charcoal at least four times a day and the herbs as well, I was actually improving.

I have a lot to say about testing, like the Organic Acids test I’ve done and others, that aren’t available in regular medical offices. I just don’t have the space for it here, so I’ll stick to the topic at hand: Candida Diets.

As a holistic nutritionist, I would have prescribed this diet to anyone suffering. I would have done so knowing that this was the right form of treatment. And then I experienced it, and it wasn’t right for me. It may not be right for you either. If you are struggling with similar symptoms and feel like you may have Candidiasis, please consider a powerful 30-day supplement program that will help destroy it, while also taking a healthy probiotic and charcoal. This, I know, will do better things for you than trying to starve the sugar beast from your body. I will post affiliate links below for the products I recommend.

About Candaclear Four: What I like about Candaclear Four is that it doesn’t contain a lot of things that might upset your stomach. On the contrary, it’s very simple. You take one white tablet after breakfast that contains garlic. After lunch, you take two capsules that are garlic and cinnamon. After dinner, you take the 4th capsule, which is filled with probiotics, L-glutamine, N-acetyl glucosamine, and Beta-carotene. None of these upset my stomach or were difficult to take. I also took the MindLinx after dinner to go along with the 4th capsule of Candaclear Four. I’m on Day 29 of my 30 days and am 95% better. I haven’t had a panic attack in a month and each day I feel stronger.

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Antibiotics & Anxiety

Remember when I had strep throat? It was a humbling experience. I mean, I live such a healthy life and then I come down with something so debilitating that I’m at urgent care filling a prescription antibiotic? Sigh. I took my antibiotic. I got better. I took probiotics over the next few months and I felt like it was something I had put behind me. Sure, there were some subtle signs that maybe the antibiotic had altered my gut health, but I couldn’t see those until they were hindsight.

In August, there was a bug bite. It was the bug bite to end all bug bites, as it doubled in size within hours, then doubled again and again, until it was exponentially increasing in size and 30 hours later, I was crying from the pain. A visit to my integrative physician landed me on an antihistamine and an antibiotic AGAIN. It felt necessary because the poultices and oils I was using wasn’t stopping it’s increase in size. Also, I was leaving on a plane for Texas with my children; my husband and I were both nervous about what could happen if I didn’t get it resolved.

The bite decreased in size. The pain dissipated. Then I was standing in the security line at the airport and the worst feeling came over me. I was having a panic attack, the likes of which I hadn’t experienced in 15 years. I thought those days were behind me?! I ran to the bathroom while my husband stayed with the kids. I waited to throw up. It didn’t happen. I washed my face. I did deep breathing. I told myself, “You have to get through this line. You’re fine!” I made it, as you can read in my blog about flying with toddlers. But I never really felt fine… ever again….

As the days passed on my vacation in Texas, I begged my husband to talk to the doctor, to let me get off the antibiotic because I had constant butterflies in my stomach and I didn’t know if I could get on a plane again (this from a girl who LOVES to fly!). The doctor didn’t think the anxiety and antibiotic were related, but I knew better. I took several probiotics a day, thanks to my friend’s stash, and I quit the antibiotic just a few days in. The butterflies diminished, but never really left.

In fact, as time went on, I would continue to have random, devastating, debilitating panic attacks. There was no trigger. I knew it wasn’t psychological. Something was terribly wrong. And just because it needs to be said, I don’t say “panic attack” lightly. Many people will say they have panic attacks and perhaps, that is true. But I’m talking about being pulled over on the side of the road, sweating while shivering, hand over my mouth, waiting to vomit (which never actually happens), vertigo spinning me around in the car, and terrified that I won’t be able to get my children home safely. I’m talking about not being able to drive my daughter to preschool because everything is so tense inside of my body that I know I can’t get behind the wheel or it will happen again. I’m talking about leaving one of my best friend’s houses trembling, trying to get home before anyone sees this happening. My panic attacks as a child and teen were horrible and usually, I would pass out. Panic attacks as a mother though? They are a million times worse.

Despite the doctor’s opinion on antibiotics and anxiety, I have discovered something: they are definitely linked. It’s not just one antibiotic that can cause anxiety, it’s any of them.

You see, the health of your gut is responsible for the health of your mind. An antibiotic can disrupt your gut’s health and therefore your mind’s. According to the ADAA (Anxiety and Depression Association of America), “Although relatively infrequent, psychiatric symptoms have been reported as a side effect of most antibiotics.” See where it says “most antibiotics”? So it’s not like one antibiotic is better or worse than another. They all have the capability of causing psychiatric symptoms, including anxiety. ABC news reported on a 2010 study by McMaster University in Canada in which “scientists found a link between intestinal microbiota and anxiety-like behavior”. The report goes on to explain that probiotics may help some people but are not a “magic bullet” to prevent damage from occurring in the gut while taking antibiotics.

When I went to my amazing chiropractor (who is so much more than a chiropractor), Dr. Andrew Dodge D.C., D.A.C.N.B. at Valley Family Wellness, he listened to my complaints and definitely agreed. As we went through the history of antibiotic use and the symptoms I had been experiencing, he was 100% it was my gut causing the problems. On one hand, I was relieved that this wasn’t in my head and I wouldn’t become an agoraphobic. On the other hand, I was disappointed that my healthy lifestyle and nutrition hadn’t saved me from the ill effects of antibiotic use.

I will begin to share what I’ve done and this will be an ongoing discussion here, because not everything works all the time for every person. Not everything worked for me at any given time. But I can tell you what did. And what didn’t. Let’s start with two things that I highly recommend for every household and every person.

A probiotic is probably the most important. It definitely helped me in Texas when I couldn’t get the nervousness out of my body. Probiotics with large numbers are your main priority when purchasing one. This is a great one by Designs for Health; a practitioner can order them for you (including me, so contact me if you’re interested). It’s called Probiotic Synergy and it is designed to survive manufacturing, shelf life and stomach acid in order to get where it’s needed: the colon. The affiliate link to purchase it on Amazon is below.

The next item I recommend is activated charcoal. This should be in every household. Whether you ate something that made you feel sick or you’re fighting a stomach bug, activated charcoal grabs hold of toxins, gases, heavy metals and liquid wastes and soaks them up like a sponge. They exit your body never to be heard from again. I recommend Integrative Therapeutics Activated Charcoal Tablets (affiliate link below). Take these on an empty stomach in order to avoid the charcoal from grabbing any beneficial nutrients from food or supplements. I take it either in the middle of the night of mid-afternoon when I’m unlikely to be eating.

Like I said, this will be an ongoing discussion, as just broaching the subject has me reliving some very difficult months of my life. I’ve learned a LOT during this journey and I hope that just writing about it means I’m a lot better than I was. I also hope that this can help other people in some way because there were moments when I thought I was crazy; there were moments I thought I’d be better off sedated or worse. May no one ever feel that way, feel that alone, or desperate.

Let me know if you have any experiences or questions! I’d love to hear from you!

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Tuesday’s Talk: About Gluten in Young Living Products

You know I love Young Living products and that their therapeutic grade essential oils are the only oils I use for myself and my family. (Read why, here!) I would be remiss, though, if I didn’t share the information I’ve acquired about the presence of gluten in several of the products Young Living offers. I’m not saying gluten makes these products ineffective. Surely, there are so many people with testimonials about the benefits of many Young Living products. This is not to devalue their experiences or yours, but to educate and inform for those, like me and my daughter, who cannot include gluten in any of our food, supplements or skin care products.
Tuesday's Talk: About Gluten in Young Living Products
I originally signed up with Young Living to get their Tender Tush diaper rash cream for my youngest. It wasn’t much better than other creams, but essential oils mixed with coconut oil were definitely more effective. I didn’t think about it then, because honestly, it never crossed my mind that there could be gluten in a diaper rash cream. I know better now.

As I’ve been leading essential oils classes, I’ve included information about the Young Living supplements and skin care line. Because I want to provide as much real life information as possible, I started looking into some supplements to try myself so I could report back with results. My first purchase was going to be MultiGreens. I researched the ingredients and noticed Barley grass juice concentrate. My years of gluten research had alarm bells ringing in my head. I immediately wrote customer service. Here is their reply:

Hello Theresa,

Thank you for your email and for your patience in our reply to your inquiry. Multigreens are not Gluten free, I have also attached to this email a gluten content list.

If you have additional questions or concerns, or if we can assist you in any way, please feel free to contact us via telephone at 1-800-371-3515, fax at 866-203-5666, email a customerservice@youngliving.com, or our Live Help feature at www.youngliving.com.

If you are gluten intolerant, gluten sensitive, or allergic to gluten, like me, please read the following list carefully, to make sure you are not inadvertently putting gluten into your body and stimulating an immune response.

The essential oils themselves have NO gluten in them. However there are massage oils that do, as well as the V-6 oil used for capsules to swallow and diluting oils applied to the skin. The oils that contain gluten are:

Dragon Time Massage oil
Ortho Ease Massage oil
Ortho Sport Massage oil
Relaxation Massage oil
Sensation Massage oil
V-6 Enhanced vegetable oil
Cel-Lite Magic Massage oil
(The gluten in these products is in the form of wheat germ oil.)

The following are supplements that contain gluten, including what form of gluten it is:

Allerzyme (Barley Sprout Powder)
Balance Complete (Barley Grass Juice)
Ecuadorian Dark Chocolessence (Contains quinoa, which may contain gluten-like proteins)
Essentialzymes-4 (vendors have been unable to confirm gluten-free)
ICP (oat bran)
Juvapower (Barley Sprout Seed)
Juvaspice (Barley Sprout Seed)
Kidscent Mightyvites (Barley Grass)
Multigreens (Barley Grass Concentrate)
OmegaGize 3 (“none to our knowledge”)
True Source (Barley Grass)
Ultra Young + (“none to our knowledge”)

As I said before, the diaper rash cream came as a shock to me, but a LOT of Young Living personal care products contain gluten. They are listed below:

ART Creme Masque (Oat kernel extract)
ART Day Activator (Tocopheryl acetate is sourced from wheat germ)
ART Night Reconstructor (Tocopheryl acetate is sourced from wheat germ)
ART Renewal Serum (Oat Protein)
Bar Soaps (Oat kernel meal)
Boswellia Wrinkle Cream (Barley Extract – Hordeum Distichon)
Copaiba Vanilla Shampoo (“we cannot guarantee the reformulated hair care products as gluten free”)
Copaiba Vanilla Conditioner (“we cannot guarantee the reformulated hair care products as gluten free”)
Genesis Lotion (wheat germ oil)
Kidscent Bath & Shower Gel (wheat germ oil)
Kidscent Lotion (wheat germ oil)
Kidscent Shampoo (wheat germ oil)
Kidscent Tender Tush (wheat germ oil)
Lavender Foaming Hand Soap (Hordiam Distichon)
Lavender Lotion (Hordiam Distichon)
Lavender Mint Shampoo (“we cannot guarantee the reformulated hair care products as gluten free”)
Lavender Mint Conditioner (“we cannot guarantee the reformulated hair care products as gluten free”)
Lavender Volume Conditioner (wheat germ oil, hydrolized wheat protein)
Lavender Volume Shampoo (wheat germ oil)
Orange Blossom Face Wash (Hydrolized wheat protein)
Prenolone + Body Cream (wheat germ oil + hydrolized wheat protein)
Protec (wheat germ oil)
Regenolone Moisturizing Cream (wheat germ oil, hydrolized wheat protein)
Rose Ointment (wheat germ oil)
Sandalwood Moisture Cream (wheat germ oil, hydrolized wheat protein)
Satin Facial Scrub (hydrolized wheat protein, hydrolized wheat starch, barley extract, Hordiam Distichon)
Sensation Lotion (wheat germ oil)
Wolfberry Eye Cream (hydrolized wheat germ oil, hydrolized wheat starch, barley extract, Hordiam Distichon)

Thieves products are beloved by many and thankfully there aren’t a lot that contain gluten. However, it should be noted that the Foaming Hand Soap contains Tocopheryl acetate from wheat germ oil. I plan on making my own foaming hand soap when my September order of Theives arrives. Keep looking for that post!

The Animal Scent Ointment also contains wheat germ oil.

FAQ

Can you have a copy of this chart and e-mail?
Most certainly! Use the “Contact Me” box up top and I will get it right over to you.

Do I feel differently about Young Living now?
I’m a little disappointed, but if I’ve learned anything from this process, it is ASK! Always ask. Don’t assume that because a company has high standards and superb products, that they’re allergen free.

Am I frustrated by the use of gluten in Young Living products?
Yes, I am. I feel like I won’t get to try some of these products that people have experienced great results with. That said, thankfully their oils are gluten free and that’s what really matters.

Should Young Living change their product formulations?
I wish! I wish Young Living would recognize that we are a society overburdened with gluten and that so many people are sensitive and allergic. I wish they’d consider that and produce a reformulation that included products without gluten. I also wish I knew how to get that ball rolling…

Should we avoid these products?
You should avoid the products mentioned above if you are sensitive to gluten. Even rubbing products containing gluten on your skin can cause an immune reaction and we wouldn’t want that! I won’t ever get to try the MultiGreens, but perhaps I’ll find a blend I like for myself elsewhere and supplement with additional oils, separately.

Is Young Living still the best company for oils?
I say yes. I say this is the only company that follows their oils from the very seed planted in the ground to the harvesting of the plant, from the rendering of the oil to the seal on the bottle. I think for me, the disappointment and “a-ha” moment came when I realized that just because they make awesome, pure, therapeutic grade oils, does not mean that they are a supplement company or can produce a product for personal care better than I could at home. It’s so easy to fall in love with a company and surrender to them, believing they are the only company for you, without double-checking the things you would anywhere else…
That being said, my supplements will continue to come from Designs for Health and Apex Energetics, because these companies are GMP (Good Manufacturing Processes) Certified and I know every ingredient that goes into their products. Also, they never include gluten or dairy, corn or soy in their products, and I personally, need that validation.

Remember, for oils, Young Living is the only way to go, in my opinion. For other products, I may recommend heading elsewhere…

To sign up with Young Living, go here and enter 1414775 as the Enroller ID and Sponsor ID. Choose the Premium Starter Kit in order to get the most for your money and start enjoying your oils today!

Please, follow me on Facebook and Pinterest. Comment below if you have something to add. Contribute to Facebook conversations or check out my Pins. I look forward to hearing what you have to say!

EDITED JULY 2017 TO ADD: I have updated information and have made it super easy to download it directly from my blog! See the updated post here: https://atpeacewithhealth.com/which-young-living-essential-oil-products-contain-gluten/

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The BS Behind BMI (or Why BMI Isn’t an Accurate Portrayal of Your Health)

When selecting our health insurance plan for the coming year, I was reading through my husband’s employer handouts about credits they offer based on filling out personal information for health profiling. I didn’t think much of it until I mentioned it to my husband and he said, “According to the BMI, I’m overweight.” Looking at the literature again, I saw that they ask for height and weight. Oh yes, the “statistical scientific” analysis that somehow says that your height and weight determine whether you’re obese, overweight or normal.

“Well, that’s ridiculous,” I told my husband. “You are so healthy. I’m guessing you’re healthier than many people you work with!”

Still, plug in those numbers and suddenly he’s overweight? I probably am too for that matter, but I don’t play numbers games. At least not those kinds. How about these kinds of number games for you? The use of BMI to dictate whether you’re normal, overweight or obese has been based on ranges, which have changed. They used to be higher. They had a little more room for oh, I don’t know, bodily differences?! They, the infamous “they”, decided to make the cutoff 25 for normal. So if your BMI is over 25, you’re overweight. What made them decide this? Was it science? One might think, but no. It was politics. The International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) drafted the new numbers and the IOTF is funded by (cue the music) weight-loss drug makers Hoffman-La Roche (of Xenical) and Abbott Laboratories (of Meridia). Ta-daaaaah. Not so scientific at the end of the day, is it?

So now you have this number, your BMI, that is used to dictate how fat you are, which is supposed to tell employers and insurance companies how much of a health risk you are and it’s not even scientifically based! Worse than that is the idea that we have an obesity epidemic in America and obesity is killing people. Sigh. I’m shaking my head, in case you couldn’t see. The majority of studies actually state that overweight people live longer than those of “normal” weight. Makes you want to rethink that “normal” number again, doesn’t it? Especially if “normal” equals a shorter life.

Take your BMI and throw it out. Tell your physicians that this number has no representative value of your health. Tell them that you eat organic food, lots of fruits and vegetables and live an active life. Then watch their eyes glaze over. They’ve bought into these myths just like most of America. Obesity doesn’t equal disease, or even death. Are you surprised? Do you assume, like most people, that the heavier you are the more likely you are to be sick with various diseases? It’s just not true. Ask me and I’ll give you TONS of research to support my statement. I just don’t want to bore you with studies if you don’t want them.

Just because there are associations between two things does not mean there is causality. Question everything. Is it possible that those defined as obese have shorter life spans because constant dieting damaged their blood vessels? One cycle of weight loss followed by weight gain can damage blood vessels, increasing the risk for cardiovascular disease. Many of these “obese” people being associated with earlier deaths are among ethnic minorities and lower socioeconomic status, which is also associated with pollution and lack of access to medical care. Most interesting is that larger people in other countries are not exhibiting the diseases that we associate obesity with. The countries where these healthier “obese” people reside are countries that haven’t placed a huge stigma on weight. The stigma we’ve created around weight has increased our stress around weight and stress is a risk factor for so many diseases (including cardiovascular disease and diabetes). So is it weight or stress that is “causing” these diseases?

To think, BMI is a fabricated equation created to serve political purposes that can effect what level of care you receive? That weight is this number you’re supposedly in control of? (You’re not, by the way.) You are not a machine: calories in, calories out. Your mind and how you think about yourself and how much stress you carry about your weight or life in general are far more powerful than a number. This is why I don’t accept weight loss clients. It’s not a goal I wish to try to help someone achieve. Weight loss may come naturally with certain dietary and lifestyle changes, but weight is not the be all end all of health. Losing weight just to be thinner will probably do more damage in the long run. Real changes for real people who are living real lives – that’s more fulfilling than crunching numbers and prescribing diets that aren’t going to feed someone’s soul.

It’s just not as simple as “they’re” making it out to be. If the real truth is to be told, it’s our thoughts, ideas and feelings surrounding weight that are killing us. Not the weight itself. Take a deep breath, trust your body and your weight. Strive for health and happiness and peace and joy. These things may sound fluffy and powerless, but frankly, they’re easier to attain than a perfect BMI. Now if only we can get health care providers and employers to recognize this…

Much of what I’ve stated here is information gleaned from Linda Bacon, PhD in her book Health at EVERY Size. As the summary says on the back of her book, “Fat isn’t the problem. Dieting is the problem. A society that rejects anyone whose body shape or size doesn’t match an impossible ideal is the problem. A medical establishment that equates ‘thin’ with ‘healthy’ is the problem.”

If you’re hungry for more, just ask!

Disclaimer: I do receive a tiny percentages of purchases made through affiliate links on my site. The links to these products do not increase the cost to you but allow me to keep this blog going.
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Non-Toxic Skin Care

I posted a question on my Facebook Page: What do you want to know more about? I definitely want to write on topics that are powerful and helpful in your journey. One request was for information on skin care and how to do it without all the chemicals. So, I’ve gathered information and resources that I hope will help you!

Could there be anything wrong with your current skincare regimen? Maybe. Maybe not. Have you read the ingredients? Yes, all the ingredients. Are they pronounceable? Are they edible? Okay, maybe you think I’m going off the deep end here, but the majority of the things you put on your skin (try 60-80%) get absorbed into your bloodstream, not unlike the food you eat being absorbed and assimilated as well. So, is it edible? Chances are, it’s not.

Some ingredients to look for and AVOID are:

  • Propylparaben: presents toxicity for developmental and reproductive systems, disrupts endocrine system, inhibits immune system and is toxic to the environment. Found in over 7,000 products including those made by: Suave, Cover Girl, Clairol, Physicians Formula, Aussie, Avon, Biolage, Elizabeth Arden, Clinique, Neutrogena, et al)
  • Methenamine (formaldehyde releaser): cancer-causing agents toxic to organs, and inhibits immune system. Found in 4 products including those made by: Suave, Sally Hansen, St. Ives, et al)
  • 2-Bromo-2-Nitropropane-1.3-Diol (formaldehyde releaser): cancer causing agent, toxic to the environment, inhibits immune system, causes irritation to skin, eyes and lungs, and toxic to organs. Found in 146 tested products including those made by: Suave, Boots, CVS, Davines, Simple, et al)
  • Butylparaben: causes changes at cellular and biochemical levels, toxic for developmental and reproductive systems, disrupts endocrine system, and inhibits immune system. Found in over 4,000 tested products including those made by: Clinique, Maybelline, Boots, Clearsil, CVS, LORAC, Avon, Back to Basics, Neutrogena, et al).

These are just a few that caught my attention. Trust me, there are more! Are you curious about your products? Go to EWG Skin Deep and type in your favorite product or brand and read about it. They give an overall score of skin products from 0-10. A lower score doesn’t necessarily mean it doesn’t contain toxic ingredients, but it does mean it contains less than others. Try searching for a new body wash (something that you use all over your skin and is absorbed so easily with warm water and open pores). Look for one that received a better grade like Coastal Classic Creations (score: 0), Loving Naturals (score: 0), Bare Organics Inc. (score: 0), Celadon Road (score: 0), or Dr. Bronner’s (score: 0). A facial moisturizer by Be Natural, Aura Cacia, Gio’vane, or Kiss My Face is going to be far less toxic for your skin and your health. Check out the website, search for some new options. Let me know what you discover!

Remember when I wrote about boosting immunity to remain healthy or recover quickly from an illness? So many of these chemicals inhibit the immune system! Maybe we should start there! And then the issues of infertility and cancer come to mind and I think, “Why aren’t we looking at the crap that goes into our bloodstream through our skin? This stuff is supposedly regulated and somehow approved for us to use and absorb?!” Are we science experiments or what? Besides, who told us we needed all this stuff anyway? I am 99% makeup-free. I wear eyeliner sometimes, but that’s about it. Do you know what one of the most toxic substances is? Mascara. Haven’t worn it since middle school, but I know lots of women who do. I promise you: you’re beautiful. I know it. You should know it too. Smile. Laugh. Kiss. Breathe. Beauty is made of these things, not hundreds of dollars of toxic products.

I know it’s overwhelming. Learning to live a more healthy life is not a destination that you have to try to get to quickly. It’s a journey and it’s an evolution. The more you know, the more power you have over your health and your family’s health. One method that’s helpful in order to make changes is to replace products as you use them up. So when you run out of body wash, search for a healthier option. As your moisturizer runs low, look for a new one that has received a good grade on EWG Skin Deep or at the very least contains ingredients you can pronounce and define!

We can’t rule out home recipes for non-toxic skin care either. A good quality coconut oil will go a long way in the skin care department. Used sparingly as a moisturizer before bed, you may find you need nothing else. Coconut oil contains one ingredient: coconut oil. It spreads easily and works into your skin not leaving you greasy or sticky. An easy skin toner you can use is a 50/50 mixture of white vinegar and water spread on with a cotton ball. You can find 9 other recipes for homemade toners at BeautyHealthTips. Just think about one thing at a time. I’m happy to review products if you like or try out some homemade recipes. Just let me know. Remember, we are in this together!

P.S. If you’re not buying my whole “you’re beautiful without all the crap” message, check out No More Dirty Looks. They are some gorgeous make-up wearing divas who review and write about non-toxic products so you can still get your glam on without trashing your insides.

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Healing Disordered Eating, Part 2

Disordered eating is not just about eating disorders. It’s not just starving, bingeing or purging yourself. It’s restricting yourself in the name of dieting or losing a few pounds. It’s berating yourself when you “screw up” and bemoaning all the “bad” foods you ate. It’s forcing yourself to work out more later because of what you ate earlier. It’s calories in, calories out with complete disregard for the human being who has thoughts and feelings that are so much more important. Disordered eating holds you back from living.

In part 1, I talked about kindness and how important kindness is for ourselves and the world around us. So what’s part 2? Part 2 is curiosity. Curiosity is one of those mentalities that can determine whether you’re going to accuse someone, get in a fight with someone or just discover more about how a person works. Curiosity gives you the ability to discover things about yourself and others in a way that’s not inflammatory, not belittling and not accusatory.

I watch my kids and their curiosity, their sense of wonder about everything around them. The things that come out of my 3-year old’s mouth shock and amuse me constantly. But they’re honest, curious questions. Everything from “Do all boys have a penis, or just big boys like daddy?” Or “What is my nose stinking about? Did somebody fart?” “Why do flowers come in the spring? Don’t they like winter?” “When I was born, did I come rolling out of you, Mommy?” The questions! The innocence! The hunger for more knowledge! She’s truly interested in it all and it amazes me.

While we have matured enough (hopefully) to not go around blurting out some of these questions, we certainly can learn from them. Turn that curiosity inward, with just curiosity, not judgment or blame. “Why am I eating if I’m not hungry?” Let the answers come and accept them, consume them, learn from them. “I’m tired and it tastes good.” Okay. Okay, good. We’re getting somewhere now. “Why did I keep eating if I was full?” “Why am I choosing foods that don’t make me feel good after I eat them?” Do you see how these questions are kind and curious? They’re not hateful or mean and they elicit the kinds of responses that can help you learn more about yourself.

If you’re like me, you want to know when you get to step out of curiosity and into change… The answer is when you stop trying to step out of curiosity and into change! As long as you’re trying to change someone (including yourself), you’re not really being curious, are you? You’re being manipulative and trying to control the results. Being curious is just that: curiosity. Looking for clues. Seeking insight. Into you! Who could possibly be more interesting than you? The why’s and how’s of who you are, the what’s and where’s of how you think – these are fascinating discoveries!

When you stop trying to change and start seeking to learn, you’ll find that your curiosity has given you permission to BE. And in being free to be, you may find that you don’t have to control it all so much. By not controlling it all so much, you’re less likely to judge. By not judging, you’re able to let go. By letting go, you may find you’re not lashing out and reaching for things that you used to deem as “bad” and maybe grabbed them just to show you, to show them all that you can make yourself feel better. You can eat what you want and no one’s going to stop you! Because guess what? You don’t have to show them, or yourself, anything. You’ve been watching and asking and kindly observing how you operate and you can love those parts of yourself. You’re not “cheating” or “falling off the wagon”, you’re living and you’re aware of what you’re doing and you love yourself for taking care of yourself in whatever way you know how.

Some people fear that by letting go of the control, they’ll be eating take-out and donuts and cake until they gain 500 lbs and nobody loves them. My question is this: If you have to control yourself with such militant restraint, what pleasure is there? If you ate a donut once in a while because you wanted it and because it tastes good and because you have complete trust in yourself and compassion for who you are and why you’re eating it, wouldn’t that be a safer, more kind place to live? And wouldn’t you know that kind of trust if you’d taken the time to ask yourself a little bit about yourself? Instead of looking to a magazine that promises rapid weight loss or the latest diet craze to hit Pinterest, look inside. Find out who you are. Ask questions about what you want. How do you want to live? Who do you want to see living your life when you look back in 20 years? What do you want to eat? Right now? There’s no wrong answer. Promise.

In case this is all too vague and heady, I’m going to share with you an example of a conversation that I might have with myself:

I want a cookie.

Mmm, that sounds good. A cookie. Are you hungry?

Not really, but I want it.

Okay. I mean a cookie is just a cookie after all, but why eat it if you’re not hungry?

Well, it’s not often we have fresh baked cookies and it looks so good and I know it will taste good!

I bet it will! Fresh baked cookies are the best! So, if you really want it you should totally eat it. I’m just curious though, why don’t you wait til you’re hungry?

I don’t know. I guess I’m impatient because it’s going to taste good either way.

True. Is it possible it will taste even better when you’re hungry than it will when you’re not?

I guess.

I’m not trying to talk you out of it, really! You can have it if you want it. I’m just curious. If it will taste better when you’re hungry, what’s the harm in waiting?

I know, I know, you’re on the edge of your seat wondering what happens next, right? Well it depends. Some fears might pop up. What if I’m not hungry later and I miss out on all that fresh goodness? Well, realistically, it’s not the last cookie I’m ever going to have a chance to eat. The end of this conversation could go either way. If I want it, I’ll eat it. If I don’t really want it and I know I’m not hungry, I won’t. Either way, there’s a kind curiosity here. Do you see it?

I want this for you. I want it for all of us. Not just with food, but with life. If you don’t like how someone is acting (including yourself), you can be curious about it and separate yourself from the judgment of the action. Look deeper into the feelings and thoughts behind what’s happening and learn more about them (or yourself). Curiosity can take you deeper into relationship with others and yourself if you let it. I hope that you will.



Their curiosity and kindness has taught me more than any book ever could.