Articles
How To Hydrate
Dehydration can cause all kinds of acute and chronic symptoms. Some, like headaches and constipation, are familiar friends. But it’s less known that chronic dehydration of cells and tissues in your body can cause the feeling you get when you feel “old”. Like when you’re stiff and creaky getting out of bed in the morning, not able to remember things like you used to, and that general sense of feeling toxic or inflamed. It would seem then, that the best way to feel younger and more energetic is to drink more water. Boy I wish it were that simple. But as I’ve (and perhaps you’ve?) experienced, gulping extra water mostly just leads to more trips to the bathroom.
Should I Take Antibiotics?
As a wee child, from ages 2-4, my poor tiny urinary tract became infected more times than I can count. And during each of these UTI’s I was put on antibiotics. Throughout my childhood, a few times every year, my sister and I would come down with strep throat. Again with the antibiotics. And throughout my 20’s and 30’s, those nasty UTI’s (and even a few kidney infections) came back with a vengeance. I have many patients with similar stories, though sometimes it’s more about sinus or ear infections, or even infections in the lungs (like pneumonia) or intestines (c. diff or food poisoning, for example).
Why Am I So Tired?
Warning: This is super long one, so make a pot of tea, find a quiet spot to curl up, and get ready to change everything you thought you knew about your body’s energy. Today we’re getting more into root causes for physical tiredness, when your fuel tank feels like it’s never quite full, and empties a whole lot faster than it used to. We’ll start with the more well known, obvious causes, then wander our way through some things that may be new to you.
The Priority Shift
Some of us are born, or raised, to prioritize our health, but others would rather not think about it. The “don’t worry about it” mindset does have some advantages, especially when you’re relatively healthy. But sooner or later we meet a time in our lives where our health goes awry, and we’re forced to address it.
How Grief Affects our Health
We talk so much about the emotional toll that losing a loved one has on us. The 5 (or is it 7) stages of grief. The amount of time it takes to “get over it”. There’s no doubt that the mental, emotional and spiritual effects are great. But we rarely discuss how our physical bodies react to this shock, sadness and grief.
Being a Woman is Not a Medical Condition
From our first period to our last, from fertility to childbirth, conventional medicine doesn’t know what to do with us. When our reproductive health needs help, there are few options available. This is where root cause medicine can be a game changer.
How to Start a Health Journal
One of the best ways to get to the bottom of a big, complex health puzzle is to take notes and look for patterns. You can do this on your own by starting a health journal. This gives you a chance to track your symptoms and activities over time and find correlations. The best way to get to know your body is to keep track of it.
Why Can’t I Poop?
One of my favorite topics to talk about, much to the chagrin of my family and friends, is poop. Bowel movements. Stool. S@*t. Whatever you call it, this bodily function is intimately related to our health. So much so that if you aren’t having regular, compete, comfortable bowel movements, your body’s ability to repair itself is greatly reduced.
Why Can’t I Stay Asleep?
If you regularly find yourself wide awake, staring at the ceiling at 3:00 in the morning, this post is for you. Even if you only occasionally struggle with insomnia, you’ll benefit from what we’re talking about today. If you suffer from any type of chronic illness, or just don’t feel quite right, getting your sleep game on point is foundational for feeling better.
The Water Type
Water people are philosophical, and march to the beat of their own drummer. They need lots of alone time to process their thoughts and experiences. When they push too hard they end up exhausted, with brain fog, back or knee pain, or hair loss. When unbalanced they crave sleep and salty foods.
The Metal Type
Metal types are focused and perfectionistic. They pick up on small details that others miss, and are very sensitive to the environment. When stressed and tired they may get sad and weepy. This leads to a dysregulated immune system, and makes them susceptible to colds or flare ups of chronic illness.
The Earth Type
Earth folks are caring and thoughtful. They live for taking care of others, whether that’s family, friends, animals, or plants. But if they don’t take care of themselves they end up worrying and overthinking, which leads to digestive distress and muscle aches. Food, especially sweets, is what they use to cope.
The Fire Type
Fire people are creative and charming. They love being social and expressing themselves. When balanced they make amazing artists and performers. But they tend towards anxiety, rashes, acne and overheating. Late nights doom scrolling on social media is their downfall.
The Wood Type
Wood types are driven and hardworking. They prefer to stay busy and productive. When balanced they are powerhouses and great leaders. But when stressed they get angry, and irritable. They may struggle with headaches, neck and shoulder pain, TMJ or teeth grinding. Alcohol and intense workouts are their vices.
Five Types of Stress
How you react to stress says a lot about you. And it can also help you find you find your individualized best practices. You don’t have to do all the things all the time - but this will help you hone in on exactly what you need to be calmer and healthier.