Family Health

Wellness – 6 Essentials for a Vibrant Life

by
Wellness Clean Eating Program

In today’s fast-paced world, it can be difficult to find the time to look after ourselves.  There appears that there is no time for wellness.  Meal planning is a nuisance if we decide to do it all, and we often find ourselves scarfing down whatever is convenient, eating food to survive instead of to thrive. We find ourselves fatigued and wonder what is wrong, where does the day go?

We must learn to make ourselves a priority. We need to pay attention to what we do with our bodies because it is our health that gives us the quality of life we want. It is essential that in chasing after these things, we do not forget the organism that is helping us achieve all these things—our bodies.

1. Clean Eating

While it is completely okay to indulge in a favorite comfort food once in a while or bake some cookies to feel all warm and fuzzy, it is important to remember what our bodies really need among all the junk. Our bodies need clean, balanced diets that include fresh fruit and vegetables, clean proteins, and healthy fats.

2. Staying Active

Exercise is not scary. It comes in all forms, in all varieties, in all speeds and intensities. Walking, yoga, stretching, jogging, push-ups, jumping jacks; even gardening, playing with your kids, taking the stairs…anything that helps you move your body can be counted as exercise. Pack a pair of sneakers with you wherever you go, and you are sure to find more opportunities for exercise than you realize. If you find yourself with five or ten minutes, dance or do something with your body to re-energize you, instead of checking your social media. If your body is moving, your muscles are receiving fresh blood and oxygen that will rejuvenate you and release those happy endorphins.

3. Digital Detoxes

It is imperative that you step back from your technology every once in a while. Some psychologists say that humans are not intended to efficiently process human suffering and experience at the scale that social media allows. Take time to reconnect with people in person, practice solitude, and gain some perspective.

4. Pay attention to your feelings

What do you need? Do you need a run? Do you need a rest? Do you need a quiet night at home, or would your emotional health benefit from a night out with friends? Your body is always communicating with you; listen to you to guide your lifestyle. If you are not making healthy choices, your body will let you know. If you are not feeling like yourself, then listen to your feelings.

5. Mix it up

The only thing constant in life is change and change can be a good thing. Variety is important. Try something new for dinner, or go to a new exercise class instead of pedaling away on the stationary bike. Try a new route to work or pick up a new hobby. Just try something new to keep yourself moving forward. Experience is the exercise for the soul.

6. Rest

Everything falls into place when you take a break from work to play and rest. Schedule some time each week to do something fun, meditate, or just relax and make sure you get 7 to 8 hours of sleep. Rest is a great way to boost creativity and create balance and hormony.

21-Day Clean Eating (Wellness) Program

If you are ready to make you a priority so you can live a vibrant and exciting life full of possibilities, I invite you to join my 21-Day Clean Eating Program. It will begin on August 5th and the Facebook group is already loaded with material to get you started so you are ready to go in August.

Here is the link:

https://www.yourpersonalnutritioncoach.com/clean-eating

Sugar – Are you singing the sugar blues?

by
sugar cool math

Let’s be honest, maintaining healthy weight with all the sugar options available is much harder to do today than it was 100 years ago or even 50 years ago. It just seems a bit unfair, but we are humans and we adapt. Sometimes we just don’t adapt fast enough.

Back when we had to hunt and forage for food, our brains were perfectly suited to seeking out calorie dense foods which was a good thing because we never knew when the next meal was coming and we had to expend a lot of energy to get a meal, so it needed to be a good one.

Now we live with food on every corner, donuts in meetings, and candy bowls on desks. And sugar comes in so much more variety. Honey was about the only option in our foraging days, not we’ve got sugar combined with fat and salt; think of all the different ways we do chocolate, salted caramel, cookies, cakes, pies, pastries. I mean it just goes on and on!

Unfortunately for us, our brains haven’t quite adapted to our abundance of food. It’s still in the pattern of seeking out calorie dense and highly rewarding food and when the brain sees death by chocolate cake, it’s eyes get big and does a touch down dance; SCORE! Think about it; lots of yummy, satisfying calories and it didn’t involve any effort except that of you moving a fork from the plate to your mouth.

So, yes, it’s harder for us today, but not impossible. Here are some strategies to help retrain your brain:

  • If you don’t buy it, you can’t eat it – the first thing you can do is keep your money in your wallet. It’s much easier to talk yourself out of buying a decadent treat than it is to stop yourself from eating it. Call someone if you need to.
  • You don’t have to eat the whole thing – if your money does come out of the wallet, take up to 4 bites and leave the rest. It will satisfy your cravings without sabotaging your goals. You can also share.
  • Eat it with a meal – making dessert part of a meal allows the fat, protein, and fiber from the meal to help slow the release of sugar into the bloodstream so you don’t end up with roller coaster blood sugar where it goes high and then comes crashing down, leaving you with more cravings for sugar.
  • Get your sugar fix with healthier options – try berries and whipped cream, a kids size scoop of ice cream with cinnamon, frozen grapes, frozen bananas dipped in dark chocolate (at least 70% cacao), or apples stir fried in butter with cinnamon and ginger. You’ll get some nutrients with these treats and they will help cut cravings for more extreme desserts.
  • Create barriers – if you want a treat, make it yourself instead of buying it premade. This helps you expend a few extra calories in obtaining it and allows you to control the ingredients so you can use healthier fats, reduce the sugar and use more nutritive sweeteners. Plus, if you have to make it, you might just decide to do without. Another barrier you can set up is cost. Get more nutritive sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, molasses, coconut sugar, and date sugar. These are more expensive than white sugar which can help to cut down on the amount of sweets you eat.

Note: If you’re looking to make a change with a fresh start then check out this other Family Health Advocacy article on cleansing in just 21 days.

If you just can’t resist the sweet treats, examine your diet. You might not be getting enough salt and fat. It might take some practice and a few strategies, but you can get the upper hand when it comes to sugar.  Be careful with artificial sweeteners as well.  You may think that you’ve found a healthy alternative but all sweeteners are not created equal and many come with some serious health risks.

If you’d like to be notified when my book, The Switch Diet, is available, follow me on Facebook or get on my email list.

Best Sunscreen – Product Review

by

Yes, it’s happened folks, the bees are buzzing and the days are longer and the sun is higher and hotter! I have seen lots of families already hitting the local splash pads and front yard sprinklers (not only for kids, I spied a grandma getting in on the fun too!).  However, how do you choose the best sunscreen that is safe, natural yet effective?

The UV has been creeping up too–and to feel confident about hanging out outside without getting a burn, here are my Top 3 Naturopathic Approved Sunblocks for this summer:

Green beaver natural mineral sunscreen SPF 27 spray – I love this brand as it is super clean with only the best ingredients AND it goes onto my kids bodies easy and quickly (both important as they are constantly wriggling away as i apply the lotion). I use this everyday on my kids and have never had them get a burn.
The fact that it is a spray allows it to be massaged into the skin very evenly.

Natural Sunscreen - Green BeaverSubstance baby sunstick – I love this stick because it is easy to store (as a back up in my purse) and even though it is a stick, does rub in fairly easily. I like to apply this one to kid’s faces, ears and neck when they are out in water playing. This sunblock is chalked full of lovely ingredients including the herbs St. John’s wort and calendula–both excellent for the skin.Substance - Baby SunscreenCoola mineral sunscreen spray and Natural BB cream for face – I love this sunblock for the mamas out there! Goes on VERY easily without streaking or greasiness like a lot of other products. A fun fact about this ‘cool’ sunscreen is that many of the products are crafted in California in a solar powered facility.

Coola - Face SunscreenWith all of these brands, it is important to reapply when swimming or playing in water.

Another great option for kids and parents alike are rash guards. These keep everyone warm in cold water and most are have high UV protection and are widely available.

Have a great time this summer!

Disclaimer: as i love these brands, i do not get an receive any commission from these products

Muscle Pain Natural Relief Product Review

by
Natural Relief for Muscle Pain

Looking for muscle pain natural relief?  If you’ve been faced with chronic muscle pain then you’ve probably asked yourself the following questions at some point:

  • What is causing my pain?
  • How can I fix it?
  • What is the cause of my fatigue (aka chronic fatigue syndrome)
  • Could this be linked to Fibromyalgia?
  • Are there natural solutions?
  • DOES ANYONE HAVE ANSWERS FOR ME?

At Family Health Advocacy we always promote addressing the underlying cause of your symptoms as the ultimate goal however when you’re stuck in a chronic pain cycle we understand that sometimes you need a little help to break free.  We have lot’s of great tools available to help you heal like our Chronic Pain Protocol but understanding the cause is an important first step and then possibly finding something non-invasive and natural to reduce your pain to get started.

Is This You?

“I feel like I’m on a journey leading nowhere. I’m getting desperate for direction but don’t know where to turn.”

When the muscle pain began you didn’t think much about it. You thought to yourself that it’s normal and everyone has to deal with pain sometimes, so it made sense just to ignore it and hope that it would go away on its own.

However, it didn’t. The pain continued and was either frequently intermittent or constant, which started to concern you more. It started to affect your mood and possibly your relationships. Simple activities like going for walk became more difficult, and if you’re a parent, then it’s possible the pain is even affecting time with your children.

You decided to finally get help and went to see your doctor.

They may have told you that what you’re experiencing is all in your head, and you should eat healthier (fibromyalgia and diet) and exercise more.  But you know the muscle pain and/or fatigue is real and makes it difficult sometimes to even get out of bed some days, let alone go for a walk.
They may have given you pills that you don’t want to take and furthermore, they don’t work.  This leaves you feeling stranded with nowhere to turn because you want to exercise but can’t. You want to get better, but don’t want to take any more ineffective medication… because it’s not working, and you know that the side effects can be worse than your original symptoms.

Do You Have Fibromyalgia?

Have you been told that your muscle pain is caused by Fibromyalgia?  If so, what is Fibromyalgia anyway?  Some go as far as saying that it doesn’t even exist but we disagree… somewhat.  As a disease label with a single cause and a simple pill solution being the answer, then no that is not Fibromyalgia.  As a collective of symptoms with potentially multiple causes and therefore requiring a multi-approach solution, then yes Fibromyalgia is real.  The first place to start is to take our FREE online Fibromyalgia Test.  This will help you understand if Fibromyalgia is the issue and then you can start by breaking the pain cycle and implementing our Truth About Fibromyalgia Protocol.

Choosing a Topical Muscle Pain Natural Relief Product the Family Health Advocacy Way

We always pay close attention to the attributes of any product or supplement before we make any recommendations to our community.  Especially when it comes to pain relieving gels or creams we ensure that the products meet the following requirements:

  • Natural Ingredients
  • Safe for Everyone to Use
  • Research Supported
  • Non-Toxic: Free of dyes, colouring agents, parabens bioaccumulative/carcinogenic
  • We’ve Tried It and Actually Works

Product Review: Muscle Care™

Natural Muscle Pain ReliefBeing a health professional helping people with chronic pain conditions for over a decade now, I’ve been presented with many products like these.  As long as it ticks all the boxes above then I’m willing to try it.  However, sometimes a particular product is much different from the rest and stands out.  This is exactly what happened with Muscle Care™.  Countless patients of mine reported amazing results with the  pain relief function of this product which would be enough for us at Family Health Advocacy to endorse it however, I even have an emotional personal story with this product that I would like to share.

In the summer of 2007 I was an excited student just entering the final year in my professional studies.  This meant we that we finally started seeing patients in clinic and began to help people with their health problems.  Unfortunately, at that time there was one person who discovered she had a major health crisis that was beyond my scope as a health practitioner.  That person was my mother and her major health crisis was cancer.  She fought long and hard and as grateful as I was to have another decade with her, just like most cancers, she was in pain for most of that fight.  She didn’t need any more toxic chemicals in her body so discovering Muscle Care™ was a blessing.  She was able to extinguish much of her pain that was related to joints and muscles naturally and more importantly, she was able to stay physically active rather than stuck in bed or on a couch all day.  Nothing else I tried before with her worked as well.

MuscleCare Provides 3 Functions Never Before Seen in Topicals

  • Pain Relief
  • Anti- inflammatory
  • Muscle Spasm & Stiffness Reduction

This triad of functions really sets this apart from it’s competitors not to mention the amazing results they found while conducting gold standard clinical studies.

What The Research Demonstrated

Two published doubled blind studies conducted by the Dr. Jack Goodman Performance
Lab at the University of Toronto proved that Muscle Care outperformed it’s top competing products like Icy-Hot, Bengay & Biofreeze and was even shown to be marginally more effective than medical/pharmaceutical products like Voltarin, Diclofenac and NSAIDS.  If this natural product is even better than a pharmaceutical drug intervention why wouldn’t you go that route?  Muscle Care™ is so safe that even pregnant or lactating woman can use use it.

How to Use It Effectively for Chronic Pain or Fibromyalgia

The company told me there are literally millions of users around the globe using this product which is exciting for me to hear, however as a practitioner I want to make sure that the product is being used responsibly and effectively.  If you suffer from chronic pain like that associated with Fibromyalgia then here is what I recommend:

  • For acute mild pain – 1 rollon, 1 cream for 30 days. Cream 3 x AM, rollon 4 x in day
  • For chronic mild pain – 2 rollon, 2 cream – 60 days. Cream 3 x AM/PM, rollon 4 x in day
  • Moderate to Severe Acute Pain – 2 rollon, 2 cream – 30 days. Cream 3 x AM/noon/PM, rollon 4 x in day
  • Moderate to Severe Chronic Pain – 2 rollon, 2 cream – 30 days. Cream 3 x AM/noon/PM, rollon 4 x in day

Where Do You Buy It?

You can buy this off the shelf at most of the big retailers for these types of products in both Canada and the United States but my recommendation is to buy it directly from the manufacturer because I told them that we have a large number of people in the Family Health Advocacy community suffering in pain that need relief.  So they worked out a special for us so you can get 10% off if you buy through this link here and use promo code “fha10”:

10% off Your Natural Pain Relief Solution with Muscle Care™

DON’T FORGET TO USE THE SPECIAL PROMO CODE: fha10

I recommend that you give it a try but remember this is just the first step in your healing journey and yes it will help you break the pain cycle however if you are going to beat your chronic pain or Fibromyalgia for good then there are other action steps that you need to take which we detail for you in our Online Truth About Fibromyalgia Protocol.  Also be sure to click here to read, ” The Dos and Donts of the Fibromyalgia Diet”.

Fibromyalgia Has No Cure? Our Doctor’s Discuss

by

Dr. Morgan: Conventional medicine will tell you that fibromyalgia has no cure! You may be one of 450 million people worldwide who are suffering from fibromyalgia and may even accept the fact that it’s something you have to learn to live with.

Dr. Casey: Hi! I’m Dr. Casey

Dr. Morgan: And I am Dr. Morgan!

Dr. Casey: Our first response to that statement is that is ridiculous! No one has the right to tell someone else that they don’t have the opportunity to heal. Even doctor to patient. Do you agree with that?

Dr. Morgan: Absolutely! Unfortunately it happens all the time.  People are being told that there is no cause and there is no cure and you’re going to have to learn to live with these symptoms. They feel shackled that they have no other option. So, we are here to give you information so you can move forward from that mindset blockage.

Dr. Casey: The sad thing is, there is a ton of evidence to support treatment protocols that are designed and show that you can reverse your suffering.

Dr. Morgan: You know; ignorance is not bliss.  However, many doctors are guilty of ignorance. So it’s really important that you are taking your health into your own hands.

Dr. Casey: Yeah, and in most cases, conventional health care practitioners have the best intentions. However, they are limited to what they have been taught. Usually that leads a patient down a path into a treatment protocol which solely relies on medication. The other thing is, your doctor, by the time they finish their schooling and they have started practice, the cutting edge research on this topic would have advanced by 5-10 years.

Dr. Morgan: It’s amazing how fast things change and advance! The only way that doctors can stay on top of the cutting-edge research is by doing one of two things, the first would be to spend countless hours with their face buried in peer-reviewed research.  There IS an abundance of great research information available, however it can become overwhelming even for doctors. The other option would be to rely on their pharmaceutical rep.  This person is going to come around and obviously only promote what their company is selling, which is drugs.

Dr. Casey: Now, I know for those of you that are that watching right now (Facebook Live), that may be very frustrating to hear, and we are here to tell you that we hear you. We are frustrated too because when we are listening to our patients while doing consults, it’s very disheartening to realize that most of our patients before they come to us have never had anyone take the time and teach them the truth about health and healing.

Dr. Morgan: I think that most people have done a Google search online. There is basic information on fibromyalgia, but if you’ve done the search before and you go do another search, there is going to be the same old information and the same old websites. The search is going to drive you to the same old notion that there is no cause and there is no cure.  If there is anything available, they turn to conventional medicine and then the next thing you know, they have become another customer to another industry making millions of dollars.

Dr. Casey: What you won’t find, and this is the biggest thing, you won’t find the ‘why’. Why are you suffering with the condition and the associated symptoms? The most common symptoms of fibromyalgia include widespread body pain, but it can also include things like digestive problems and irritable bowel symptoms…

Dr. Morgan: Anxiety, depression

Dr. Casey: Yes, stress

Dr. Morgan: Numbness tingling into the arms and legs

Dr. Casey: Some people get TMJ joint pain, heart palpitations, morning stiffness. There are so many different symptoms that go along with the diagnosis or fibromyalgia.

Dr. Morgan: Simply put, fibromyalgia is characterized as widespread muscular skeletal pain with associated symptoms. So, those symptoms we listed are just some of them. However, fibromyalgia is not limited to those. Pain and symptoms vary every day.  You can have pain levels vary in severity day by day. From moderate discomfort to severe disability.

Dr. Casey: In 1986, the “powers that be” came up with the official criteria to diagnose fibromyalgia. Basically, the criteria were a combination wide spread body pain with tenderness at 11 or more of 18 specifically identified tender areas of the body.

Dr. Morgan: People who have been doing research on fibromyalgia have come across that diagnosis criteria. However, the next three points are something that you need to know! Take note.  The first thing is; there is not just one simple medication or treatment or supplement or pill that is going to cure fibromyalgia. I recommend you lose that notion, it’s not just one treatment

Dr. Casey: The second thing is, you have to change your mind set from always looking for the next miracle treatment that’s going to save you. Come to terms with the fact that you have to learn and focus on getting to the underlining cause of your condition.

Dr. Morgan: The most important point would be to understand that the approach to treating fibromyalgia can’t be a “disease centered” approach.  Fibromyalgia needs be addressed with a “patient centered” approach and treatment. In other words, we can take two people who don’t know each other, and both suffering from fibromyalgia. They can receive completely different treatments, however they both improve!  This is possible because one person’s fibromyalgia maybe a result of an underlining thyroid issue while another person’s fibromyalgia might be a result of a bacterial intestinal problem.

Dr. Casey: Right.  I hope this is starting to make sense to you. It would be counterintuitive to look at one medication or look at one supplement and expect that using that one intervention is just going to work across the board and help every person suffering with fibromyalgia or any other auto immune disease for that matter. So, it’s actually quiet illogical for you to take one specific treatment and expect that it’s going to work because that treatment helped with your friend’s fibromyalgia. The cause for your fibromyalgia may be completely different than what’s causing fibromyalgia for someone in your family or a friend that you know.

Dr. Morgan: You are probably thinking “what is he cause of MY problem?” and “who’s going to help me figure this out?” This can be really frustrating.  This is where we ask that you step up with your health. We encourage you to figure out and learn the facts about fibromyalgia. Choose the right health care practitioner who is going to be on this road to healing with you. If you have a doctor who is not willing to accept the facts about fibromyalgia, it’s time to find a new one.

Dr. Casey: We are going to talk more about this on our next Facebook live videos over the next few weeks as a part of this series. But before we get to the next video, we want to hear from you. If you have comments, put them below. We would love to hear from you.  We are a community here, so if there is something that helps you in dealing with your fibromyalgia and symptoms associated with it, write it down.  If there is something you tried that didn’t work so well, put it in the comments because we are a community and all that information is going to be of benefit everyone.

Dr. Morgan: We are in this together!  We are excited for you. We will meet you next week on our next Facebook live video.

For a fibromyalgia diet menu click to read, ” The Dos and Donts of the Fibromyalgia Diet” for a fibromyalgia diet menu.

Fibromyalgia – Doctor’s Discuss Mindset and Healing

by

Dr. Casey: Hi! Whether you think you can or think you can’t, either way, you are right! Somebody famous said that once. 

Dr. Morgan: Or a few people did! Today we are going to talk about the most important aspect of healing. Before we dive right in, let’s recap what we spoke about last week. 

Dr. Casey: If you haven’t watched last week’s video (Facebook Live), I encourage you to go back and do so. For those of you who are watching for the first time, last week we talked about the diagnosis of fibromyalgia.  We also talked about the symptoms that can be associated with the diagnosis and how frustrating it can be because it can have a huge effect on your overall quality of life. It can be very frustrating.  

Dr. Morgan: We also spoke about the misconception around fibromyalgia. Whether you have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia or you think you have fibromyalgia or you haven’t been diagnosed or have symptoms of fibromyalgia.  Maybe you have been misdiagnosed.  It can also be very frustrating when you look to the medical route because of the limited options, and people are not generally happy about those options.  

Dr. Casey: I think the overall resounding feeling within the fibromyalgia community is that they are just not happy with the solutions they are being offered right now. In most cases its medication, which really don’t work that well.  We know that they can be very dangerous. People are searching for another solution, they are looking for answers. Statistically, there are a lot of people suffering. I mean, like 6… 

Dr. Morgan: 6% of people worldwide have fibromyalgia, over 70% of them are woman making that 30% for men. 

Dr. Casey: That’s 450 million sufferers with fibromyalgia all over the world. We know that a lot of people have questions because we know that over a million people are googling online the word “fibromyalgia”. So again, they have a lot of questions and are looking for answers. So, that’s one of our goals. We aim to provide a lot of those answers. 

Dr. Morgan: We have created an online community so that we can all work together. You know, in practice we talk a lot about the spectrum of health which is… 

Dr. Casey: By the way, for those of you who are watching for the first time, I am Dr. Casey… 

Dr. Morgan: And I am Dr. Morgan! 

Dr. Casey: We have been in practice as Doctors of natural health for the last 10 years.   We have seen so many cases of people suffering from fibromyalgia who have also had huge transformations. We also know there are other people who are suffering and need similar help but are no where near a clinic, so we decided to create this online community. 

Dr. Morgan: We’re all in this together and we want to create a community so that we can all help each other with accountability, resources, and put the tools in one place to help us all move in the right direction. I was talking about the spectrum of health, on one end we have death and on the other, optimal health.  Everybody is somewhere on this spectrum and where we sit is not necessarily the most important part; which direction we are going in is the most important part. We have created a community so that we can all come together and move in the right direction. 

Dr. Casey: Absolutely, so what do you want to talk about today? 

Dr. Morgan: I want to talk about mindset. I think that a lot of people are frustrated because they may have gone to doctor after doctor to therapists and may even be talking to friends and might have heard this more than once, and unfortunately, we have seen it… 

Dr. Casey: Wait, wait, what is it? It’s in your head? 

Dr. Morgan: Yeah. Have you heard that? 

Dr. Casey: Many of you have been told that its all in your head; we are here today to tell you that it is absolutely not in your head. Pain and symptoms are not in your head, they are absolutely real. The symptoms that you are feeling are 100% real and you truly are experiencing them. But what IS in your head? 

Dr. Morgan: What IS in your head is the ability to re-wire your thought pattern. And that is huge; you have the power of your perception to change your experience and how you perceive the world. In other words, how you look at something, how you perceive an experience will have an impact on how your body will respond and how you feel. So, when you feel pain, that’s an output from the brain, that’s not necessarily an input from the external environment. Dr Casey, you have a great example that you use… 

Dr. Casey: Yeah, so I mean, there are a million types of examples but let’s just say as a child you accidentally put your hand on top of the stove and the element is hot and you burnt your hand. That can be very traumatising for a child, and as life goes on, for that person, every time they go near that hot element it brings them back to that experience.  Without touching the element, they already get that sensation of pain. 

Dr. Morgan: And so, for someone with fibromyalgia, something as little as light touch may be perceived to be a very painful experience. Now, trauma, whether it be physical or emotional trauma, whether it be from childhood or more recent, past or present can affect your physiology and how your body responds. So, when we connect what can be perceived as a negative emotion like fear… 

Dr. Casey: Anger, resentment,  

Dr. Morgan: Anxiety… 

Dr. Casey: Or just general stress or guilt. The whole point here is that there is a neurological implication to your beliefs and your perception. 

Dr. Morgan: To make it more real for you and something that you can relate to, think of when you experience stress.  You often feel your shoulders tense up, your lower back starts to cramp, you might find that the symptoms you have been experiencing are getting worse, you start to get a headache or find they are getting stronger, more frequent, you experience numbness tingling or exhaustion. 

Dr. Casey: Stress affects your chronic conditions. We have both personally dealt with chronic pain in the past. You may not realise you are stressed but find you are super busy and doing a lot during your day.  Stress influences your ability to heal and recover and cause your chronic condition symptoms to flare up. 

Dr. Morgan: Let’s talk about somethings that you can do to start to feel better.  You can remove some of these interferences allowing you to heal faster. For example, exercise… 

Dr. Casey: improving nutrition, your posture and your nervous system. 

Dr. Morgan:.. Removing toxins from your environment.  All these components of health are really important when you are experiencing fibromyalgia.  You may have one aggravating factor, or it might be all of these things aggravating the condition.  It’s better to look at all of them. But, the number one thing that you need to focus on is your mind set.  What’s going on between your ears. 

Dr. Casey: Once you get your mindset in an alignment, all the changes you want to make in the other areas will fall into place. 

Dr. Morgan: The first component of mindset we want to focus on is gratitude.  I am sure you have heard of the benefits of gratitude at some point.  The exercise of gratitude along with the benefits are time-tested. When you are in a state of gratitude, you cannot be fearful, and you cannot be angry. If you are in a true state of gratitude, you won’t be experiencing negative thoughts that could be bringing on and making your symptoms worse. So, lets talk about what you can do. 

Dr. Casey: From a clinical perspective, some of the greatest miracles that have occurred in our clinic, the common denominator for those cases is that those patients, truly worked on their mindset and truly tapped into the benefits of being in a state of gratitude. 

Dr. Morgan: Yep, absolutely. 

Dr. Casey: 100% 

Dr. Morgan: Gratitude has a huge impact on your healing and that’s why it is one of the things that we drive home when we talk about and address healing with our patients. 

Dr. Casey: So, practical application… 

Dr. Morgan: The gratitude journal! So, if you have a gratitude journal or you have worked with gratitude exercises before, please engage and communicate with us (in facebook video). We are a community. We are working together and its important that people can relate to one another. So, go ahead and write a comment and let us know how much the gratitude journals have served you.   Gratitude journaling is something we have been doing for a very long time.  We were exposed to the benefits of gratitude since childhood. So, not only does it have a huge implication for practice but in our own lives as well.. 

Dr. Casey: And our own health! 

Dr. Morgan: The first thing you want to do is get a journal that is just for your gratitude. It becomes your gratitude journal!  Don’t’ use a scrap piece of paper or post-it note that you’ve found lying around. Do not use an old book that you have your grocery list or your to-do list in.  Your gratitude journal is something that you are going to keep in one designated spot.   Whether it’s a bed side table or a journaling spot in your house, keep your journal there so that you can be consistent and create a routine around journaling. The most important thing is that you are consistent with it. 

Dr. Casey:  I would love to hear about your experiences.   If you are doing this already, please comment and let us know how it’s going. If you are just starting to try this, let us know if it’s going well and let us know if it’s hard. I must be honest with you.  When I first started doing this, I was in such a dark miserable place that writing down three things, maybe just one thing that I was grateful for, would take me hours to do. I was pretty much throwing myself a pity party. However, eventually you will get through it and if you stay consistent and make this a daily practise, it becomes easier. I recommend you write in your gratitude journal at night.  If you wake up needing a lift, read through the things that you are grateful for when you wake up in the morning. 

Dr. Morgan: And so, you start your day off remembering what you are grateful for.  What are you grateful for? Some people might be struggling, they might take an hour and a half to find three things in their day that they are grateful for.  Someone else might take two seconds.  Here are some examples of things you can be grateful for.  

Dr. Casey: I mean, some days…I’m not joking, I am just grateful that I got to wake up that day, I am grateful my eyes open and I am still alive! 

Dr. Morgan: You might be grateful that you had the opportunity to have two healthy, wholesome, amazing meals that day.  You might be grateful that you were able to go outside, and your symptoms didn’t hold you back.  That your environment didn’t hold you back because the weather was nice enough.  You become grateful that you can go outside and enjoy the sun and hear the birds chirping. Those five minutes may have been the highlight of the day. 

Dr. Casey: And as bad as your symptoms are, as tough as the day may be, be grateful; “I still have my loving family”, “I have my friends”, and when you think about those things you start to feel much better. 

Dr. Morgan: You may be grateful to spend time with family and friends. Or were able to connect with an old friend for coffee. There are also plenty of resources online if you google “gratitude list” or “things to be grateful for”. Maybe some other people can motivate you or inspire you to acknowledge some of these things that you have in your life that you haven’t been able to be grateful for because you didn’t know it was something that’s special. So, one of the nice things about the gratitude journal, like Dr. Casey mentioned, is when you go into a dark season, so you can always go back to the journal and open it up. One day you will have an entire journal completed, or a pile of journals and you can just flip through it to bring you back up.   It is nice to have them as memories as well. 

Dr. Casey: This is just one aspect of mindset, I mean, we can talk about affirmations or recognising your accomplishments.  Maybe we will dive into that in one of our future videos. The most important point is that this is the first thing that you need to get right and get in place. We are going to get into nutrition, we are going to talk about exercise, we are going to get into the alignment of your body, the nervous system, toxicity in your environment, we are going to talk about all of that. But, you need to get this right first and then all that stuff will fall into place.  

Dr. Morgan: Today’s goal; go get a gratitude journal or find a journal around your house.  Create a gratitude journal and tonight, write three things you are grateful for.  You can always come back to this video and share them with us if you want or let us know how it went.  Was journaling easy or difficult?  How long did it take you? Let’s all work together as a team so that we are all moving in the right direction. Comments? Questions? Keep typing them up even after we stop filming live. We will get to them and we will talk about them in the future videos.  

Dr. Casey:  I am happy to hear how it goes with every one’s gratitude journaling! 

Dr. Morgan: We will see you soon! 

Click to read, ” The Dos and Donts of the Fibromyalgia Diet” if you suffer from severe fibromyalgia.

The Great Drug Hoax: How Taking Pills May Actually Be Making You Worse

by

Look Around You

How many opportunities are there for advertisements to be placed? They are strategically placed on billboards, buses, and signs, on the radio, television, online, in magazines, and they are even slapped onto eggs!

And if you notice, there are hundreds of ads for various medications that are touted to treat every disease experienced today. From asthma to allergies, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and nerve pain to insomnia and depression, there is a chemical ‘cure’ for just about any ailment that you could be dealing with. Maybe You Haven’t Noticed that these drugs are being marketed to the final consumer just like breakfast cereals and the newest Coach purses.

The Big Pharma Strategy

The pharmaceutical companies are training you to ask your medical doctor for medications by name. They are trying to pump up their profits by increasing consumption and using you as a big part of their marketing strategy.

The curious thing is that only the United States, Canada and New Zealand are allowed to market medications directly to consumers. In no other countries would you find pharmaceutical companies speaking directly to you. In those countries they must only market their products to the medical doctors, and have them try to boost sales through prescriptions.

Taking Pills May Actually Be Making You Worse

Have you ever spilled spaghetti sauce on a white couch? And then just covered it up with a white towel, sat down, finished your dinner and forgot about it? Of course not!! But this is exactly what you are doing when you take medications. They mask your symptoms, and for a while, you sort of forget they were there. But at some point, that spaghetti mess is going to soak through that towel and you will realize the monster of a mess that has been created.

Your body is the same way. It can only deal with the condition/symptoms and the pharmaceutical band aid that is poisoning your body for so long until your health really deteriorates. It is important to find out what is causing your symptoms at the outset, and work to identify natural solutions, rather than covering them up with a mask of pharmaceuticals that do immense damage to your body.

But what if it’s all a big Hoax?

What if the pharmaceutical companies just see you as numbers and dollar signs? What if you don’t actually need medication to heal?

Your body is a self-healing, self-regulating, brilliant organism that wants to function optimally every single day.

You were born whole, perfect and ready to grow and develop with natural resources. You were not born with medication in your system, and that was not by accident! It means you do not need pharmaceuticals to function in daily life.

Pharmaceuticals are a foreign substance, unrecognizable by the body. They are a threat to your inner balance, chemically, mentally and physically.

For every medication you take, there is a long, detailed list of potential side effects that you may experience. Some are incredibly serious and even caution that death is one of the more serious side effects.

Have you ever looked at the side effects listed on your medication? These need to be approached as though they are quite possible to occur, not to be waved away lightly, as though that could never happen to you.

For example, Ibuprofen is often prescribed as an anti-inflammatory and painkilling medication to help with numbness and tingling.

According to WebMD, Ibuprofen is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). It works by blocking your body’s production of certain natural substances that cause inflammation. This effect helps to decrease swelling, pain, or fever.

The problem is that your body is giving you symptoms of pain, swelling, fever or numbness and tingling, etc to alert you to a problem inside that needs tending to, rather than covering up.

Web MD also explains that there can be severe side effects associated with taking Ibuprofen, such as:

• abnormal heart rhythm • blind spot in the eye • bloody urine • decreased blood platelets • depression • hallucination • heart attack • high blood pressure • kidney failure • nosebleed • stroke • trouble breathing • ulcers • vocal cord swelling

And this is just a partial list of the most severe symptoms possible, not to mention the ones categorized as “less severe” such as fast heartbeat, sun-sensitive skin, hearing loss, anxiety, ringing in the ears and more.

So if Not Drugs, What is the Solution?

There are many avenues of natural health and healing to explore. Speak to your natural health practitioner about what could be the right solution and before you EVER abruptly stop taking prescribed medication then make sure you speak to your medical doctor first.

What You Should NOT Do if You Suffer From Numbness and Tingling

by

Have you ever felt the sensation of pins and needles in your arms or hands, legs or feet?

It is similar to when you’ve slept on your arm wrong and you wake up to find it ‘asleep’ and it feels like you have to shake it to wake it up.

A Warning Sign

Numbness and Tingling can feel similar to this, but it is actually a warning sign telling you there is a serious problem inside your body. In technical terms, this peripheral neuropathy is letting you know that the messages that your brain sends throughout your baby are not able to reach your extremities (or wherever the numbness and tingling is located).

Peripheral neuropathy can be caused by numerous serious reasons, and none of them should be ignored.

For example, it can be caused by repetitive motions or aggravation from an old injury. It can also be caused by serious conditions that can be linked to stroke, seizures, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, infection, diabetes or hardening of the arteries.

Most commonly, it is caused by pressure on your central nervous system by spinal bones that have shifted out of alignment, a herniated disc, spinal degeneration or inflammation that irritates the spinal cord.

“My hands feel fuzzy or numb and at times I have trouble holding a coffee cup.  I’ve tried to get help but I can’t seem to get any answers. I’m tired of doctors telling me that I have to live with it.”

Numbness and Tingling is a Dangerous Symptom to Ignore

You can think of your central nervous system as the main information highway in your body. All of the information that your brain must send to every single cell of your body travels this route. And all of the feedback from your cells is returned to your brain by this same highway system.

Your Communication Highway

The bodies communication highway called the central nervous system, is protected by the bones of your spine. If any of the bones of your spine shift out of alignment, it puts pressure on your central nervous system and the messages that need to be sent to all parts of your body struggle to arrive. This can cause a whole array of symptoms and dis-ease in your body, and quite often can produce the symptoms of numbness and tingling.

If you suffer from Numbness and Tingling, there are two things you should definitely NOT do…

1. Do Nothing

If you are experiencing numbness and/or tingling, you should definitely not do nothing. Your body is telling you that there is something wrong inside, and you should heed this warning.

Your body is an intelligent, self-regulating, healing organism that is adaptable and very efficient. When you ignore the body’s symptoms and just hope that they might go away, you are doing an incredible disservice to yourself.

When your body produces noticeable symptoms, it is your job to find out what is causing the symptoms so that you can allow yourself to return to optimal health and healing.

You could be doing an immense amount of damage to both your central nervous system and potentially your entire body, if you ignore your symptoms and do nothing.

2. Take Medication Without a Game Plan

As we discussed, symptoms are your body’s way of creating a warning sign for you to notice and find a way to help it heal. If you take drugs, you are masking the symptoms that your body wants you to notice and you allow damage to build up over time.

By masking your symptoms with drugs, you are not only allowing the problems to stay and compound over time, but you are introducing unnatural substances into your body that can cause a great deal of side effects and additional harm to your body.

Every single time you take a drug, your body must not only heal from the problem you are trying to treat, but it must also heal from the damage that drugs inflict on your system. There are serious side effects associated with every single drug you could ever take, as no drug is ever 100% safe and will affect each person very differently.

It is essential to discover the root cause of your numbness and tingling symptoms, and allow your body to heal naturally. Don’t ignore your symptoms and do nothing or take drugs to mask them!

“What exactly is Homeopathy?”

by
homeopathy

As a certified Homeopath I am often asked “What exactly is Homeopathy”?

Many of us have heard the word and seen the small vials filled with pellets at the health food store but are still unsure of what Homeopathy exactly is.  Many people think homeopathic remedies are just another form of herbal medicine but in actuality most homeopathic medicines contain only the “vibration” or “memory” of the original substances and not the actual substance at all therefore making Homeopathy its own unique system of medicine.

Samuel Hahnemann, a German physician founded Homeopathy in the late 1700s.  The fundamental principle of Homeopathy is The Law of Similars, which means “like cures likes”.  What exactly does that mean?  According to Hahnemann, one can treat individuals with medicines that are capable of producing in a healthy person similar symptoms to those experienced in a sick person.  For example, drinking coffee can CAUSE insomnia but used in the homeopathic form, coffea is often used to TREAT insomnia.

Homeopathic remedies are made from either mineral, plant or animal substances where the original substance is diluted many times over and shaken (succussed).   This potentisation process allows the water to retain only a “memory or vibration” of the actual substance and no molecules of the original substance due to the dilution process are left. This is why many people believe it is a placebo effect. 

I know that it is hard to believe that a remedy with no crude substance can work but it really does!  In fact, the system of action that gives homeopathics their capability is multifaceted, and specialists are now studying quantum physics and the science of nanoparticles to more completely understand how homeopathic remedies work.  Keep in mind that homeopathy is used on animals, infants and children with great success where the placebo effect is absent.

According to the Homeopathic Research Institute over 200 million people worldwide use homeopathy on a regular basis.  Homeopathy is included in the national health systems of a number of countries including the United Kingdom, India and Switzerland.  Homeopathy is practiced in 40 out of 42 European countries.

Homeopathic care is individualized and involves assessing an individual’s body system disorders.  We take into account the person as a whole; the physical, emotional and mental symptoms.  Specific homeopathic interview methods are used, then homeopathic remedies are prescribed to stimulate, maintain or restore health.  Homeopathy is used to treat acute conditions such as the common cold or a sprained ankle as well as chronic and long standing conditions such as depression, digestive issues, hormonal imbalances and eczema to name a few.

Homeopathy is a gentle but effective path to healing and can be used with children and infants, adults, the elderly, and even animals making it a wonderful starting point for anyone new to alternative medicine.  Homeopathy is safe and a natural system of healing that will assist your own body to clear itself of any imbalance, restoring itself and improving your overall health. All in all Homeopathy works by stimulating your body’s OWN healing power.

________________________________

Blog by Guest Author:

Nanette BasicNanette Basic
Registered Homeopath, B.A., HOM
Homeopathy is an alternative system of medicine that stimulates the body to heal itself. As a homeopath, Nanette’s vision is to promote individualized health and healing in its most gentle, effective and natural form.  She treats a wide range of physical conditions such as digestive and hormonal issues as well as mental and emotional concerns. Nanette completed an intensive program at the Ontario College of Homeopathic Medicine, has a B.A. in Sociology and is fluent in French. She has a network of professional colleagues in the natural health field, with which she collaborates including homeopaths, naturopaths, chiropractors and massage therapists. Her services include homeopathic treatment, natural supplement recommendations if needed, lifestyle and nutritional counselling. Her purpose is to put the choice of health back into the hands of the individual to live a happier, healthier and better quality of life. 

Find Nanette at

www.Facebook.com/HomeoMedNaturalHealth

[email protected]

416.312.6208