13: Melatonin and Sodium: Potassium significance & Keeping perspective

🧠 #brainhealth 🧠✨

At the root of healing, the first step is to balance the nervous system and get back to a normal natural biological cycle between cortisol and melatonin production.

The opposite of the stress hormone (cortisol) is melatonin.  In functional medicine, we look at everything in ratios and balance.

Most of society is in a cortisol dominance, sympathetic nervous system SNS, or chronic Fight Flight stress-based state.  

Often this state of being is very unconscious because we get used to this "just a way of life" mindset.

Here are 3 lifestyle steps that you can implement TODAY to regulate your natural biological rhythms.

1. Set consistent wake and sleep times.
2. Wear blue light blocker glasses (amber glasses) starting at 6:30pm daily.
3. Create an electronic power-down (sunset) in your home.  Switch off electronics, wifi, screens ideally a few hours before the set sleep time (step 1). Opt for (unscented natural) candle light or the soft glow of salt lamps.

7 days a week might be a stretch.  Everything starts in levels and graduated steps.  Aim for one day and one thing and build forward. 

Consistent action and consciousness over time. 🔑✨

2. Mineral Balance: Potassium to Sodium

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The 4 Minerals: Potassium, Sodium, Calcium, and Magnesium need to be balanced to maintain proper bodily systems.

WHYs: Potassium needs to be balanced with Sodium:

❤️Circulatory - Helps lower heart rate, dilate arteries, and reduces blood pressure

🚽 Digestive - Keeps things moving properly 

🍠 Metabolic - Needed in carbohydrate metabolism

💪 Muscular - Contraction (prevents cramping)

🧠 Nerve and sensory activity

A low potassium dietary (unbalanced diet) intake can contribute to low levels of potassium in the body.  Long-term use of diuretics, laxatives, licorice, as well as, tobacco and excess caffeine can all be factors that deplete potassium and interfere with absorption. 

Signs of Potassium Deficiency:

  • Allergies

  • Constipation

  • Fatigue

  • Irregular Heart Beat

  • Low blood Sugar (hypoglycaemia)

  • Low or High blood Pressure

  • Muscle Weakness

  • Skin Problems

  • Water Retention

  • Sweet Cravings

  • Salt Cravings

Signs of Excess Potassium:

  • Depression, mental

  • High blood sugar (diabetes)

  • Muscle spasms

  • Muscle weakness

🥥*note: Coconut water is super high in potassium, but if you are deeply fatigued it may be too much (not balanced) add sea salt to it.

🌴If you have high blood pressure = we often use 16oz. x2/day fresh pressed green juice for 30 days + coconut water. 

Monitor your blood levels before and after with your primary health care physician to see how diet and lifestyle are directly related. It takes about 90-120 days to see results.

Tracking and measuring results are 🔑 key to long-term and long-lasting habits.

3. Mindset: The Natural Healing Process is not linear.

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11: The Functional Medicine Difference

Welcome to Episode #11!

Here's the Bad News.  Yesterday, Jan. 16 is officially the day where people fall off and lose commitment with their New Years goals.

The good news.  We don't believe in New Years Resolutions anyway.  In the 12 Week Year approach every day and every week is a chance to review, reset, and track progress.

The Freedom to Live 5 things Friday 


Every Friday, 5 things of value from the integrative health sciences.
The best of the best functional medicine, educational resources, research, quotes, books, tips, advice etc. all from the key pillars of the integrative health system.

1. The Difference Between Conventional and Functional Medicine

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2. IHP Self Health Assessment

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This is one of the tools I use right here to help people track the process and the progress of the integrative health journey.

In the beginning, it always starts with a solid Nutrition, Exercise, Rest & Recovery plan while we run functional medicine lab data in the background to get straight to the point of underlying root imbalances.⁣

But the process doesn't stop there. Our mindset, emotional state, and our spiritual connectedness all play a key piece in bringing our health to a state of balance. ⁣

How do you score out of 100 on each of these pie graph segments? Where are the flat spots in the wheel?⁣

You may have seen the Life wheel; check that out as well. The thing is, if you balance your Health, it provides the building blocks of physical, emotional, and mental strength and resilience to carry over to the other areas of life that need balancing.

Health is the cornerstone.  Health is our life force.

The other segments of the life wheel either suffer or thrive based on the status of our health (relationships, wealth, career, all the big ones). 

I hope this visual exercise helps you prioritize your strengths and weaknesses and where you want to bring a little more focus over the next 12 week year.  

Check in daily, weekly, monthly to track progress.⁣

3. Virtual Exercise: the Accountability of Community

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The power of Accountability and Community; Both Combined!!

This right here is one of the main reasons WHY people fall off the New Years Resolution.  Personally, I find it almost impossible to stick with a consistent exercise program unless I'm part of an accountability group as a leader, or as a participant. 

This Core challenge is only 12-15 minutes/day.  You can follow # strongtothecore20 and join our virtual fit IG community anytime.  

 

4. 5 Steps to Gut Health

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5. Spirituality: 8 Steps to Integrative Attraction! 

One of those days....

My Kid just barfed all over the bus on the way to school and again just now in the back seat. Arranged child care and then not needing to because the meeting was a no show.⁣

Presented with a choice here.⁣

To get upset because I have to cancel appointments and am now "off track" and that everything is ironic and conspired "against" me OR roll with it as simply a redirection of my day. ⁣

Learning to release control and remaining in a constant state of calm EVEN during the surface level shit storms of life. Because they really are surface level. None of it is really a big deal.⁣

I now just see these as grooming opportunities. Preparation. ⁣

Instead.⁣

I'm going to KEEP SHOWING UP. ⁣

I'm going to KEEP BEING GRATEFUL.⁣

I'm going to KEEP BELIEVING.⁣

I'm grateful for the sun. Grateful for the flexibility I have and just grateful to be able to be there for my little humans when they need me to be. Grateful that I have backup systems in place and people in my life that are helping and supporting.⁣

These are mantras that we can use to help maintain a calm and positive energy even is a state of stress and chaos.  This is a Practice that takes Practice. 

Also, I love these 8 steps to to being more energetically attractive.  Notice how it's also about some of the physical tangible environment too. 

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1: Key Pillars to Integrative Health

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My goal is to bring to your inbox, every Friday, 5 things of value from the Integrative Health space.  I want this email to be something you look forward to reading every Friday.  A round up! The best of the best Integrative health educational resources, research, quotes, books, tips, advice etc. all from the key pillars of the integrative health system.

1. Nutrition: The most loved and shared repost this week from the gram.  Agree! There's nothing like a good visual message.

2. Spirituality and Mindset: 


Lesson 19: "Every Desire is created by some past desire.  The chain of desire never ends. It is life itself.  Don't consider any desire useless or wrong -someday each one will be fulfilled.  Desires are seeds waiting for their season to sprout.  From a single seed of desire, whole forests grow.  Cherish every wish in your heart, however trivial it may seem.  One day these trivial wishes will lead you to God." - Deepak Chopra

Twenty Spiritual Lessons for Creating the Life you Want by Deepak Chopra

3. Functional Medicine: Biology before Psychology.  

Rethinking the traditional "Mental Illness", counselling, and the therapy paradigm.  An interesting perspective here with Dr. Mark Hyman and Dr. Daniel Amen on the Doctor's Farmacy.
 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=2Ob5uJ9P6Ww&feature=emb_title

Also available on Apple Podcast here.

4. Natural Health Education: 

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Free Detox Course by Dr. Stephen Cabral. 

Get the Course Free Here!

Want more learning with Dr. Cabral?  


The IHP Integrative Health Practitioner Course is open for the last time this 2019 year for enrolment.

Happy to share and answer any questions from the student perspective having graduated from the Level 1 and Level 2 certifications.
 

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IHP - Dr. Stephen Cabral

IHP Practitioner Course Info

5. Exercise Motivation: Schedule a Meeting with your Mat in your Agenda everyday. 

Do you spend more time thinking about getting out of a workout than actually doing one? 

I know I do🙋‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤫

🎄 Maybe it’s the time of year with the hustle of the holidays upon us. 

but committing to yourself.
Just 10 minutes on the mat.
Once you just start.
Almost always ends up being more than 10 minutes. 
100% of the time.
Progress is a daily Practice.
Challenge yourself to move your body everyday!

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