I used to believe that worrying about blood sugar was just for those with Diabetes, boy was I wrong! Your mood and energy respond to blood sugar levels in the body. And on top of that, stress raises your blood sugar as well! It can be a vicious cycle. To get off the blood sugar roller coaster, make sure to combine protein, healthy fats, and fibre with your carbohydrate intake (eg. apple slices dipped in almond butter sprinkled with chia seeds). Also, focus on complex carbs like whole grains, vegetables, and beans as opposed to simple carbs like baked goods, sugary drinks, white bread, and pasta.
Community News
Sound Healing for Better Sleep
Sound healing uses sound and vibration to promote healing and balance in the body, and one of its many benefits is improved sleep. It helps improve sleep by: 1) Relaxing the body – releases pain-relieving chemicals and reduces muscle tension. 2) Reducing stress and anxiety – reduces sympathetic nervous system activity. 3) Calming the mind – promotes peaceful and restful sleep. 4) Improving sleep quality – waking feeling more refreshed and having less difficulty falling asleep. 5) Creating a peaceful environment – helps improve mood. 6) Regulating the circadian rhythm (your internal biological clock) – can help avoid insomnia and improve the sleep/wake cycle.
Travelling? Consider a Pet Sitter
Arranging for pet care while you’re away can feel like an overwhelming decision. It’s important to look for caregivers who will not only provide for basic needs like food and water, but also companionship, reassurance, and playtime while you’re away. If you can find someone to come to your home, your pet gets to stay in his familiar surroundings, which is less stressful than taking him to a new location. You and your pet should feel comfortable about the care arrangements, so you can enjoy your vacation without worry!
May is Celiac Awareness Month
During this month, help us spread awareness for Celiac disease. Celiac disease is a chronic digestive and immune disorder that damages the small intestine. The disease is triggered by eating foods containing gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. Over time, this reaction damages your small intestine’s lining and prevents it from absorbing nutrients. The intestinal damage often causes diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss, bloating and anemia, and can lead to serious complications. Your doctor will explain the gluten-free diet and may refer to you a registered dietitian who specializes in treating people who have celiac disease.
Missing Teeth Affecting Your Life?
Do you hide your mouth because you feel embarrassed about missing teeth? Missing teeth not only affects your general health and appearance, it may also contribute to depression and low self-esteem. Social embarrassment as a result of missing teeth and poorly fitting dentures may result in people avoiding social interactions. Don’t let tooth loss or improperly fitting dentures affect the quality of your life. Your denturist can explain the best ways to restore the function and appearance of your smile. Properly fitting dentures can help restore your self-esteem and bring back your smile.
Acupuncture for Anxiety
If you are struggling with anxiety, acupuncture can be a game-changer. Researchers found that just eight weeks of acupuncture treatments significantly reduced symptoms of a generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Acupuncture can help relieve anxiety symptoms by: reducing stress hormones like cortisol; increasing levels of serotonin, the happy hormone; regulating the autonomic nervous system; and calming the mind and promoting relaxation. Acupuncture has been used for centuries as a traditional Chinese medicine to treat various ailments. Most patients find their acupuncture visits extremely therapeutic, and some even fall asleep during the session. If you’re looking for a natural way to seek relief, give us a call today to schedule an appointment.
Exercise and Depression
The book, The Healing Power of Exercise: Your Guide to Prevention and Treating Diabetes, Depression, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, Arthritis, and More states, “A universal finding in exercise studies is that people experience a greater sense of wellbeing.” In the book, it is explained, “Our cardiovascular system, endocrine glands, muscles, and bones still function best when the body is challenged by regular
bouts of exertion.”
Exercise enhances your mood in many ways. Although exercisers exercise for a wide variety of reasons, the most powerful reasons are psychological, not physical. Exercisers have found exercise makes them:
feel good. more optimistic. more mentally alert. feel an enhanced sense of well-being. feel more confident. better able to cope with stress and more energetic.
Moreover, some people report they overeat because they are depressed. For many, moderate depression tends to cause overeating while severe depression tends to cause undereating. One large study of overweight individuals found depression was the number one reason for overeating, ahead
of stress.
Moving Aging Parents
Selling your senior parents’ home and moving them to a new home or retirement/assisted living community can be an involved and emotional experience. Your realtor can help make the sale and purchase of the homes easier. Here are some important things to share with your realtor during this process: 1) Basics about the property and circumstances prompting the move. 2) Financial impacts and potential obstacles to selling the home. 3) Details about what is needed for the new home (size, location, price, desirable features, etc.). 4) Any important information about the timeframes for the sale and purchase of the homes.
Exercise and Depression
“A vigorous five-mile walk will do better for unhappy, but other-wise healthy adults than all the medicine and psychology in the world.” – Dr. Paul Dudley White
Over-working, over-stressing, expectations of perfection, a critical and complaining cynical spirit, focusing on the negatives in life, feeding a sense of hopelessness through what you read and listen to; all this and more spins many of us out of control and into a depression.
Exercise and depression has been the focus of many scientific studies and research has repeatedly shown that exercise really does help.
Exercise and Depression
How exercise works
Exercise is an excellent way to alleviate mild to moderate depression. By exercising you
can expect: about a 50% drop in your depression. an immediate impact (unlike medication
which takes many weeks to take effect). no unpleasant side effects. Almost any exercise will do if you maintain it for at least 20 to 30 minutes and exercise at 69% or more of your Maximum Heart Rate
Capacity (i.e., at least moderate intensity).
Exercise and Depression
Exercising outdoors seems to be even more effective.
Exercise seems to give you a better sense of control of yourself that in turn gives you more confidence to deal with other aspects of your life. It also seems to alter your brain neurotransmitters (dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine) in some complex and yet not well-understood way. Of course, like Prozac and St. John’s wort, exercise doesn’t work for everybody. The only way to know is to try it. You’ll probably feel better.
