LUIS BLOG: 2019

Wednesday 16 October 2019

Learn to Meditate in 6 Easy Steps

You’ve heard that meditation and mindfulness can benefit your health and wellbeing, so you’ve decided to give it a try. But you’re not sure where to begin … how do you “quiet the mind?”

The key to learning how to meditate and developing a successful meditation practice is finding the right fit for you. In order to figure out what form of meditation works best for you, you’ll have to put a few types of meditation to the test and try several tools so you can choose the practice that feels the most comfortable. As a quick introduction to meditation, follow these six simple steps to begin one type of meditation technique called mantra meditation.

Mantra Meditation Technique

1.. Choose your mantra. A mantra is a word or phrase that you silently repeat to yourself during meditation. The purpose of the mantra is to give you something to put your attention on other than your thoughts. You may use any phrase you like. Some people like to use words like "Peace" or "Love". You may wish to use the So

Hum mantra. This is a commonly used Sanskrit mantra, which literally translates to "I am." It is often referred to as the mantra of manifestation. I like using the So Hum mantra because it is not in my native English language and does not trigger any additional thoughts

2. Find a comfortable place to sit. It’s best to find a quiet location where you won't be disturbed. There is no need to sit cross-legged on the floor unless that is comfortable for you. You can sit on a chair or sofa or on the floor with your back against a wall. You may support yourself with cushions, pillows, or blankets. The goal is to sit as upright as possible while still remaining comfortable. We all have different anatomies and you want your meditation experience to be enjoyable, so make your comfort a priority. Lying on your back is usually not recommended because most people fall asleep in this position, but you can try it if sitting is uncomfortable for you. The most important rule is that meditation can be practiced anywhere, as long as you’re comfortable.Learn More.

Learn the core elements of meditation through one of our meditation retreats guided by Deepak Chopra and other world-renowned teachers. Find a meditation retreat to guide you on your journey today.Learn More.

Discover Deepak Chopra’s secrets to feel more love, connection, and purpose than ever before at Seduction of Spirit, our five-day meditation and yoga retreat. Learn More.

Wednesday 9 October 2019

ADRENAL FATIGUE AND HOW TO BEAT IT

Your adrenal glands are two tiny pyramid-shaped pieces of tissue situated right above each kidney. Their job is to produce and release, when appropriate, certain regulatory hormones and chemical messengers.

Adrenaline is manufactured in the interior of the adrenal gland, called the adrenal medulla. Cortisol, the other chemical from the adrenal gland, is made in the exterior portion of the gland, called the adrenal cortex. The cortex also secretes androgens, estrogens, and progestins. Cortisol, commonly called hydrocortisone, is the most abundant -- and one of the most important -- of many adrenal cortex hormones. Cortisol helps you handle longer-term stress situations.

In addition to helping you handle stress, these two primary adrenal hormones, adrenaline and cortisol, along with others similarly produced, help control body fluid balance, blood pressure, blood sugar, and other central metabolic functions.

Find out more about the Adrenal Stress Index Test for Adrenal Fatigue!

In the heightened nervous state of adrenal burnout, the body overproduces adrenaline, cortisol and other stress hormones. Constant stress and poor nutrition can weaken the adrenal glands. Eventually, this causes the adrenal glands, the front line in the stress reaction, to show wear and tear and become depleted. This frequently leads to impairment in the thyroid gland, which can cause a further decline in energy level and mood and is one of the reasons why many people have thyroid glands that don't work well.

When stress continues over prolonged periods of time, the adrenal glands can deplete the body's hormonal and energy reserves, and the glands may either shrink in size or hypertrophy (enlarge). The overproduction of adrenal hormones caused by prolonged stress can weaken the immune system and inhibit the production of white blood cells that protect the body against foreign invaders (in particular lymphocytes and lymph node function). Adrenal dysfunction can disrupt the body's blood sugar metabolism, causing weakness, fatigue, and a feeling of being run down. It can also interfere with normal sleep rhythms and produce a wakeful, unrelaxing sleep state, making a person feel worn out even after a full night's sleep.

Common Causes of Adrenal Stress
Anger
Fear / Worry /Anxiety
Depression
Guilt
Overwork/ physical or mental strain
Excessive exercise
Sleep deprivation
Light-cycle disruption
Going to sleep late
Surgery
Trauma/injury
Chronic inflammation
Chronic infection
Chronic pain
Temperature extremes
Toxic exposure
Malabsorption
Maldigestion
Chronic illness
Chronic-severe allergies
Hypogycemia
Nutritional deficiencies

Testing for Adrenal Health

In order to determine the health of your adrenal glands you need to have a simple blood, urine, or saliva test such as the Adrenal Stress Index performed by your practitioner. Cortisol levels can be checked throughout the day by saliva or in the am by blood. DHEA, and Epinephrine, are some other indicators of adrenal function. The information provided by testing can help to determine the most appropriate type of treatment.

Associated Symptoms and Consequences of Impaired Adrenal Functioning
Low body temperature
Weakness
Unexplained hair loss
Nervousness/Panic Attacks
Difficulty building muscle
Irritability
Mental depression
Difficulty gaining weight
Apprehension
Hypoglycemia
Inability to concentrate
Excessive hunger
Tendency towards inflammation
Moments of confusion
Indigestion
Poor memory
Feelings of frustration
Alternating diarrhea and constipation
Osteoporosis
Auto-immune diseases/hepatitis
Lightheadedness
Palpitations [heart fluttering]
Dizziness that occurs upon standing
Poor resistance to infections
Low blood pressure
Insomnia
Food and/or inhalant allergies
PMS
Craving for sweets
Dry and thin skin
Headaches
Scanty perspiration
Alcohol intolerance

Treatment

Lifestyle changes such as:

Eating steadily, all day long. Skipping meals is one of the worst things you can do for your body. When you're hungry, your blood sugar drops, stressing your adrenal glands and triggering your sympathetic nervous system. That causes light-headedness, cravings, anxiety and fatigue. Another drawback to skipping meals: The resulting low blood sugar can affect your ability to think clearly and shorten your attention span.

Skipping breakfast is particularly bad, as it is a sure fire way to gain, not lose, weight. If you start each morning with a good breakfast and "graze" healthfully every two to four hours, your blood sugar will remain steady throughout the day. You'll feel more rested and energetic. Eat protein with every meal. Eat Complex carbohydrates such as brown rice. Avoid sugar, junk food, white pasta, white rice, white bread.

Absolutely NO Caffeine. Coffee/Sodas over stimulates your adrenals and they deplete important B vitamins.
Coffee does not give you energy; coffee gives you the illusion of energy. Coffee actually drains the body of energy and makes you more tired, because of vitamin and adrenal depletion.

Exercise to relax. Walking, Yoga, deep breathing, meditation, or stretching. No vigorous or aerobic exercise, which depletes the adrenals.

Avoid alcohol, processed foods, and tobacco. Nicotine in tobacco initially raises cortisol levels, but chronic use results in low DHEA, testosterone, and progesterone levels.

Reduce stress; learn relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, visualization, progressive muscle relaxation.

Helpful Adrenal Supplements

The use of small amounts of natural adrenal hormone such as Isocort to bring slightly low adrenal function up to its proper normal daily range is often helpful. Adrenal Support supplements can nourish and strengthen your adrenals.
Take a daily multivitamin to provide nutritional support to the adrenal gland.
Vitamin C 1,000-3,000 mg a day
L-Theanine 100-400 mg a day
Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5) 300 mg a day
Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra), no more than 1000 mg of glycyrrhizin

Adrenal fatigue: What causes it?

Is there such a thing as adrenal fatigue?

Answer From Todd B. Nippoldt, M.D.

Adrenal fatigue is a term applied to a collection of nonspecific symptoms, such as body aches, fatigue, nervousness, sleep disturbances and digestive problems. The term often shows up in popular health books and on alternative medicine websites, but it isn't an accepted medical diagnosis.

Your adrenal glands produce a variety of hormones that are essential to life. The medical term adrenal insufficiency (Addison's disease) refers to inadequate production of one or more of these hormones as a result of an underlying disease.

Signs and symptoms of adrenal insufficiency may include:
Fatigue
Body aches
Unexplained weight loss
Low blood pressure
Lightheadedness
Loss of body hair
Skin discoloration (hyperpigmentation)

Adrenal insufficiency can be diagnosed by blood tests and special stimulation tests that show inadequate levels of adrenal hormones.

Proponents of the adrenal fatigue diagnosis claim this is a mild form of adrenal insufficiency caused by chronic stress. The unproven theory behind adrenal fatigue is that your adrenal glands are unable to keep pace with the demands of perpetual fight-or-flight arousal. As a result, they can't produce quite enough of the hormones you need to feel good. Existing blood tests, according to this theory, aren't sensitive enough to detect such a small decline in adrenal function — but your body is.

It's frustrating to have persistent symptoms your doctor can't readily explain. But accepting a medically unrecognized diagnosis from an unqualified practitioner could be worse. Unproven remedies for so-called adrenal fatigue may leave you feeling sicker, while the real cause — such as depression or fibromyalgia — continues to take its toll.

Thursday 9 May 2019

6 Yoga Poses That Help Alleviate Anxiety

We go through moments in life that make us worried, stressed and very anxious...so anxious that our thought patterns are distorted or we become immobile and don’t want to take action.

Some people self-medicate with alcohol or drugs, or even overeat unhealthy food which may lead to other addictive behaviors. Even though these methods may work temporarily, they are only numbing feelings and not relieving the underlying problems. What's needed is a regular, daily health routine for the long term.

There are so many facets of anxiety and so much that can help relieve symptoms such as talk therapy, art, working out, good nutrition and, of course, yoga.

Why Yoga Can Help

Often, we feel instilled with fear and reluctance, and find that there is no way out of our stressful situations. A regular yoga practice incorporating the right poses can help to alleviate some of this anxiety.

Yoga involves deep breathing, focusing on postures and stilling the mind. It’s a practice tailor made specifically for you. It's not listening to outside noise or competing with anyone else. The aim of your anxiety alleviating practice is to choose movements that calm you, keep you in the moment and not feeling rushed and are not extremely challenging to you. Read More

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Wednesday 8 May 2019

It's Not Always Alzheimer's: What Causes Memory Loss

Sometimes, Our Memory Lapses Are Easily Remedied

Most of us have, either occasionally or more frequently, had the unpleasant experience of forgetting something. These episodes of memory loss can cause irritation and frustration, as well as a fear that we're "losing it" and beginning to develop Alzheimer's disease.

While Alzheimer's and other kinds of dementia are responsible for many cases of memory loss, the good news is that there are other, non-permanent factors that can also cause memory loss. Better yet, some of them are easily reversed.

So, what causes us to forget? What prevents us from mentally storing that piece of information or being able to recall it? Here are some of the many reasons we can't remember.

Emotional Causes

Because our mind and body are connected and affect each other, our emotions and thoughts can impact our brain. The energy it takes to cope with certain feelings or life stress can get in the way of storing or remembering details and schedules.Read More

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5 Tips to Improve Your Concentration

When TV newscaster Diane Sawyer was asked the secret to her success, she said, "I think the one lesson I've learned is there is no substitute for paying attention."

Are you thinking, "I agree, but how do we improve our ability to focus and maintain attention—no matter what?"

These five focus tips can help you concentrate better whether you're working in a busy office, studying at school, sitting in a meeting, or trying to finish a project.

How to Concentrate More Effectively

F = Five More Rule

There are two kinds of people—those who have learned how to work through frustration and those who wish they had. From now on, if you're in the middle of a task and tempted to give up, just do FIVE MORE.
Read five more pages. Finish five more math problems. Work five more minutes.
Just as athletes build physical stamina by pushing past the point of exhaustion, you can build mental stamina by pushing past the point of frustration.Read More

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Friday 3 May 2019

Mild Depression

Adrenal hormones are involved in cognitive function, mood and mental states in complex ways, and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function is typically affected during depression. Stress with high cortisol and DHEAS have been associated with anxiety and depression, but people going through adrenal fatigue and concomitant low cortisol/low DHEAS have been observed clinically to often also experience mild depression, brain fog, difficulty concentrating and less acute memory recall. They generally feel less tolerant than they normally would and are more easily frustrated. This may be exacerbated by the tendency for high and low nighttime cortisol to disrupt restful sleep. Read More

Wednesday 1 May 2019

6 Foods That Help Reduce Anxiety

Here are 6 science-backed foods and beverages that may provide anxiety relief.
Salmon. Salmon may be beneficial for reducing anxiety. ...
Chamomile. Chamomile is an herb that may help reduce anxiety. ...
Turmeric. ...

Dark Chocolate. ...
Yogurt. ...
Green Tea.

Anxiety is a common problem for many people.

It’s a disorder characterized by constant worry and nervousness, and is sometimes related to poor brain health. Medication is often required as treatment.
Aside from medication, there are several strategies you can use to help reduce anxiety symptoms, from exercising to deep breathing.
Additionally, there are some foods you can eat that may help lower the severity of your symptoms, mostly due to their brain-boosting properties.
Here are 6 science-backed foods and beverages that may provide anxiety relief. Read More

16 Simple Ways to Relieve Stress and Anxiety

Exercise is one of the most important things you can do to combat stress.

It might seem contradictory, but putting physical stress on your body through exercise can relieve mental stress.

The benefits are strongest when you exercise regularly. People who exercise regularly are less likely to experience anxiety than those who don't exercise (1).

There are a few reasons behind this:

Stress hormones: Exercise lowers your body's stress hormones — such as cortisol — in the long run. It also helps release endorphins, which are chemicals that improve your mood and act as natural painkillers.
Sleep: Exercise can also improve your sleep quality, which can be negatively affected by stress and anxiety.
Confidence: When you exercise regularly, you may feel more competent and confident in your body, which in turn promotes mental wellbeing. Read More

Medication Strategies for Stress Relief

These days, a particular family of antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which includes Paxil, Prozac and Lexapro, are the most commonly prescribed antidepressant medications for this anti-anxiety, anti-stress purpose.Read More

What are some types of adrenal gland disorders?

Upper body obesity, round face and neck, and thinning arms and legs.
Skin problems, such as acne or reddish-blue streaks on the abdomen or underarm area.
High blood pressure.
Muscle and bone weakness.
Moodiness, irritability, or depression.
High blood sugars.
Slow growth rates in children.

What are the early signs of a depression relapse?

After experiencing depression once, it can be worrying to feel the symptoms creeping in again. But how common is depression relapse and what are the warning signs? Noticing the red flags early is often the key to preventing a full-blown episode from developing.

Depression is a mental health disorder with a high rate of relapse. About half of the people who experience an episode of depression for the first time will remain well. For the other half, depression can return one or more times throughout their lives.

For those people who do experience repeat episodes of depression, the warning signs may be different each time.

In this article, we list key signals of a depression relapse, its possible triggers, and ways people can prevent, treat, and cope with this condition.Read More

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Top Five Anti Depression Supplements

Sales of many natural ingredients for anxiety and depression posted upswings over the past year, even as consumers pinched pennies

BHNC| The worst recession in 70 years has meant soaring unemployment rates and plummeting moods. "Anxiety and depression seem to be a little more common in terms of what I've seen in the past six to 12 months," says Michael Smith, ND, a naturopathic physician at Carolinas Natural Health Center in Matthews, N.C. "It's easy enough to equate it with what's happening in the economy."

Roughly 14.8 million people-nearly 7 percent of the adult American population-suffer from a major depressive disorder, according to the National Institutes of Health. Even more U.S. adults-approximately 40 million-report anxiety disorders in any given year. A good percentage of these people don't find relief through conventional medicine. Although Chicago-based research company Mintel reports that prescription depression medications continue to dominate the pharmaceuticals market with $12.9 million in 2007 sales (and anxiety meds not too far behind with $9.8 million in sales), researchers question whether many of these drugs are effective. The authors of a 2005 study published in Archives of General Psychiatry looked at 240 patients suffering from moderate to severe depression and found that half of study participants didn't respond to conventional antidepressants. A recent Mintel study also found that 38 percent of respondents suffering from general anxiety turned to treatments other than prescription medications.Read More

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Gaining Weight On 1300 Calories a Day? Read This.

The following is a guest post from Vicki Richards from Restoring Roots Wellness

Does the idea of eating whatever you want without tracking sound terrifying? Are you convinced you'll gain weight if you eat more than 1,300 calories? Maybe you can't imagine going more than a day without workout out.

Girl, I've been there. But I'm thrilled to say I'm in that space anymore.

I actually found that I felt the best, maintained a healthy weight, and did the most healing when I started doing less.

And no, I’m not talking about less cupcakes and less calories. I’m talking about less restriction, less stress, less exercise, and less obsession.

Let me explain.

I remember when I first decided I wanted to work on my health. I was a senior in college and my “freshman 15” was staring me in the face every day. Aside from the weight gain, I just didn’t feel good.

I had no idea where to start so I turned to the internet for a diet and workout plan to help me shed the weight. I started counting macros and calories in an app and working out 5-6 days per week with a mix of weight lifting and lots of cardio on treadmills and ellipticals.

It really didn’t take too long to begin to see a change in my body, considering I hadn’t done much exercising or paid attention to what I had been eating for the previous 3 years.Read More

8 Signs Adrenal Fatigue is Causing Your Allergies, Anxiety, and Acid Reflux

The main function of the adrenal glands is to help you deal with and adapt to stressors, which could be anything from financial and relationship stress to a poor diet or underlying infection. They do so by releasing a variety of hormones that signal to the rest of your body that an “attack” is taking place. This function is vitally important to keeping us alive, for example, in primitive situations like running from a predator, our “fight or flight” response is what gave us the rush of adrenaline to be able to run, fight, or survive.

These days, the “fight or flight” response is no longer a once-and-awhile occurrence. Today, most of us are under a nearly constant stream of stress, ranging from environmental toxins, to 60 hour workweeks, to underlying infections and poor diet, to debt and finances.

Constant activation of the adrenal glands (the main producers of KEY hormones in the body such as cortisol, estrogen, testosterone, progesterone) means that their essential function becomes disrupted, leading to hormones being produced at the wrong times, in the wrong amounts, or a near failure to produce them whatsoever.
HORMONES RUN THE SHOW.

In case you didn’t know, your hormones are in control of everything from your weight, your mood, your hunger/fullness signals, to your energy, your sleep and more.

The hormones produced by the adrenal glands have a HUGE impact on how every tissue, cell, and organ system in the body functions - and if they aren’t functioning up to par… a whole lot can go wrong.

For more on what adrenal fatigue is, go here:
Here’s how your low adrenal function is contributing to a variety of symptoms such as allergies, insomnia, and anxiety. Read More

Pages

Wednesday 16 October 2019

Learn to Meditate in 6 Easy Steps

Wednesday 9 October 2019

ADRENAL FATIGUE AND HOW TO BEAT IT

Adrenal fatigue: What causes it?

Is there such a thing as adrenal fatigue?

Thursday 9 May 2019

6 Yoga Poses That Help Alleviate Anxiety

Why Yoga Can Help

Wednesday 8 May 2019

It's Not Always Alzheimer's: What Causes Memory Loss

Sometimes, Our Memory Lapses Are Easily Remedied

5 Tips to Improve Your Concentration

Friday 3 May 2019

Mild Depression

Wednesday 1 May 2019

6 Foods That Help Reduce Anxiety

16 Simple Ways to Relieve Stress and Anxiety

Medication Strategies for Stress Relief

What are some types of adrenal gland disorders?

Tuesday 30 April 2019

What are the early signs of a depression relapse?

Top Five Anti Depression Supplements

Gaining Weight On 1300 Calories a Day? Read This.

8 Signs Adrenal Fatigue is Causing Your Allergies, Anxiety, and Acid Reflux