Yin ,Yang and Hormonal balance

1. Do you jump when the phone ring?
2. Do you feel anxiety, stress or worry for no particular reason?
3. Do you have depression?
4. Constant weight gain and finding difficulty in weight loss?
5. Do you experience any of the following symptoms associated with your menstrual cycle; headaches, mood swing, acne,bloating, constipation,heavy or scanty bleeding, painful cramping,irregular periods,pain at ovulation,or bleeding between the cycles?
6. Coldness in the body, especially feet and hands.
7. Demotivated and a sense of hopelessness.
8. Lethargy and excessive tiredness.
9. Night sweats and difficulty sleeping.
10. Do you have hot flashes,insomnia,heart palpitations,accelerated heartbeat,thyroid trouble of any kind, low immunity,infertility,heart disease,osteoporosis,cancer, diabetes,adrenal burnout,or endocrine disorders?
11. Do you use synthetic hormone therapy of any kind?

If your answer is yes,it is likely your hormonal balance is affected.

YIN ,YANG AND HORMONE

Basically, hormones can be separated into two easy to understand categories which in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is called Yin(sex hormone) and Yang(Stress hormone) and Santarpana or Brmhana and Apatarpana or Langhana in Aryuveda.

Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese medicine both hold that the two fundamental(and opposing)principles that invigorate and nourish life is: Yin and Yang. Yang is the energizing,activating,and motivating principle of life. Yin is the nourishing  and building principle.

Having the right balance of these hormones gives us plenty of energy,deeper sleep,healthier menstrual cycle,easier menopause,healthier heart,stronger bones and much much more.

Balancing our hormones is crucial to regaining full health. Hormones are pervasive,they enter the cells of every tissue in our bodies and brains,and  affect both physical and mental well being. Whereas some hormones( like stress hormones ) kick our bodies and mind into high gear,others (such as dominant sex hormones ,estrogen and progesterone) lead us to calm our minds ,and slow down so our bodies can replace depleted energy.

Stress and sex hormones exert opposing influences ,yet their ever changing relationship serves to maintain equilibrium in the body and balance the mind.

Duality is found everywhere in nature. For example, although sunlight and water have opposing properties (one heats and the other cools),together they provide the essential elements for plant growth.They are a relationship of duality. The sun provides the plant with warmth and the energy needed for photosynthesis ,the process by which the plant receives nourishment. Water cools the plant and is one of the essential building blocks for photosynthesis.The plant needs both these opposing elements to thrive.

Need to understand duality so we can grasp how stress hormones(yang) and sex hormones(yin),despite representing opposing energies,support and interact with each other to keep us healthy and whole. They continuously interact in a dance that creates and sustain life. When we have a good balance of yin and yang ,we feel healthy.

Consider the temperature of the human body.Ideally ,it is 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. The opposite forces of cooling(yin) and warming (yang) work together to maintain this temperature,

The easiest way to learn yin and yang is to consider some example. In daily life, driving the car,making deals,playing sports,multitasking, drinking coffee and eating spicy food are all predominantly yang activities. Sleeping ,meditating,getting massage ,and eating oatmeal all support yin.

Yang is considered male energy,yin is considered female. Yang is hot ,bright fast ,mobile ,dry ,energetic and aggressive, Yin is cool,dark,slow,soft,substantial,stable,moist and tranquil.Yang is daytime,Yin is night.

Yang is energetic. It’s responsible for motivation,metabolism,transformation,and other active functions in the body and mind. It is  considered a “reducing “ principle in Ayurveda because being active reduces,or uses up,bodily reserves. Yang motivates and stimulates our minds. Yin is the nourishing principle that manifests as the substance of the body and calms the mind.

Every human being has a life force or vital energy. It remains in the body as long as there is life and leaves at the time of death. This life force is called qi in TCM(traditional Chinese medicine) and Prana in Ayurveda and is a manifestation of yang.

When your qi energy is appropriately balanced between yin and yang and is flowing smoothly this leads to good physical and emotional health. However, if your qi moves out of balance to either the yin or yang extremes this leads to ill-health…”

David James

Yang transforms and organizes yin into biologically useful substances such as blood or bones. It also moves whatever we don’t need out of our bodies in the form of waste. Yang qualities not only provide energy for metabolic processes,but for clarity of mind and happiness, too. Yang energy can even transform information into knowledge and knowledge into wisdom. It can determine whether we “digest” the experience into something useful or whether we become resentful ,bitter or depressed,unable to mentally digest what we experienced.

Without enough yang,our body’s garbage disposal system may go askew. We can also have too much yang,which leads to excessively fast,hard,hot or aggressive energy . When that happens ,we might get migraines or ulcers,or feel manic,restless ,or angry.

We can also experience yin in healthy or unhealthy ways. If we have the optimal amount of yin,for example,we feel fulfilled,nourished,and content physically,emotionally,and spiritually. Menstrual flow is appropriate and sleep is sound and replenishing. If we have an excess of yin,we feel bloated,heavy,overweight,lethargic,stuffed up.

This is nature’s way of ensuring that there are always opposing forces present and available to maintain or regain equilibrium. Engaging in motivating and activating activities will generally increase yang,whereas engaging in nourishing and nurturing activities will generally increase yin.

Living a life that has a good balance between yin and yang- that is between nourishment and activity-leads to balanced hormone levels. We can support good quality yang by doing appropriate exercise,taking time to inspire ourselves daily,and engaging in mentally stimulating activities. Indulging in a stressful,overly ambitious frantically busy life fosters poor quality yang.

We can nourish good quality yin by ensuring that our diets consists of healthy food, taking time every day to enjoy solitude and quiet contemplative time, and engaging in loving relationships. We  promote poor quality yin if we indulge in lethargy or inactivity and eat poor quality food such as junk food,fast food ,fast food or highly processed or refined food.

In Ayurveda ,a healthy ,low stress lifestyle means having a daily routine that includes such elements as getting appropriate regular exercise and sufficient sleep,meditating or having some other nourishing spiritual practice ,and during self- massage and special breathing exercises.

HOW TO RESTORE HORMONAL BALANCE:

Follow the three pillars of health for the hormonal balance – Appropriate diet, Lifestyle(including exercises) and Stress management.

Dietary changes:

He that takes medicine and neglects diet wastes the skill of the physician

Chinese proverb

1. Pay attention to how different foods make you feel. After you eat do you feel tired? Energized? Heavy? Inspired? Depressed? Cold? Hot? This is the first step in learning how various foods affect your hormone.
2. Be aware of quality and quantity of food. “One man’s meat is another’s man poison”.Eating too much or too little can cause imbalance and have a negative impact on digestion just as too much fuel can smother a campfire and too little will not allow the fire to thrive . General idea is we should eat only when we are hungry and eat in calm mood and environment. If we can’t digest what we are eating ,even if it is the organically sprouted and juiced nectar of the god,then it is considered poison for us. 
3. Eat predominantly plant based diet.
4. Don’t drink too much of water during a meal. Moderate sipping of room temperature water during a meal is okay. Water,especially cold water, has yin properties and will smother the digestive fire if you drink too much when your digestive fire needs to be active.
5. Don’t get indulge in emotional eating.If we eat without being hungry or overeat when we are ,it is likely that food will be poorly digested and Ama (toxin) will result. Too much of eating is taxing on the digestive fire. Just as fire requires oxygen to burn ,so our digestive fires require a little space.
6. Ayurveda says that it is desirable to have a good appetite because that means our digestive fire is strong enough to transform what we eat into the energy and refined biological substances that our body needs to maintain health. Poor appetite indicates low digestive fire,which means that when we do eat, our food will not be well digested and will become Ama and excess ,poor quality fat. If you feel that you never have a good appetite,increasing exercise may help . Exercising first thing in the morning until you warm up ,then bath and resting a bit helps build a true appetite.
7. Avoid stimulating food and drinks that contain sugar, alcohol, or caffeine.
8. Avoid excessive amounts of cold or raw food (e.g raw salads or vegetables) and cold drinks. Switch to lightly cooked/steamed foods and warming drinks. Eat whole foods.
9. Consume healthy fats,probiotic and prebiotic foods,fermented foods and adaptogenic herbs.
10. Eat smaller meals more often than a large meal.

Life style changes:

1. Moving and harmonizing Qi is powerful medicine. To balance hormone ,it is beneficial to get out of a rut and calm down our nervous system.Calm your spirit. If the spirit is disturbed,Qi(Prana) will become disturbed. If the spirit stagnates,so will Qi. If the spirit is scattered ,Qi will scatter and become weak.
2. Wake as early as you can(predawn ideal) and meditate ,engage in quiet contemplation,or read inspirational material. Do prayer,or gentle breathing exercises.In any case whatever you do should quiet the mind.
3. Exercise for 20-30 mins.This can be a combination of brisk walking, gentle stretching or yoga,tai chi,hiking or biking,depending on your energy and stamina. Do pranayama for 15-20 mins. It encourages the free flow of Prana(Qi) in the body.Excessive or strenuous exercise is not recommended for either a yin or yang .
4. One good way of building more of yin is to nap. Occasionally, napping carried a 12 percent lower mortality rate. Eastern medicine would suggest that napping may not be appropriate for a heavy ,sedentary individual but may do wonders for thin ,driven type.
5. If  you won’t have time to cook later in the day,cook in the morning for the rest of the day. Try to avoid keeping hot food or liquids in plastic containers. If you keep food in plastic containers ,just make sure it is cool before you put it in them.
6. Have a breakfast ,lunch ,and dinner at the same times every day.
7. Do Intermittent fasting(calorie restriction).According to an article published by Harvard Medical School, intermittent fasting is a solution to hormonal imbalances: “Between meals, as long as we don’t snack, our insulin levels will go down and our fat cells can then release their stored sugar, to be used as energy.
8. Remember to breathe deeply throughout the day.
9. Slow down in general. Stop multitasking.It dissipates energy.
10. Keep good company. Good company makes a man great. Spending time with loving people who have healthy habits supports our own healthy habits.
11. Watch less than ten hours of TV a week.
12. Get high quality sleep. Spend the evening quieting the mind and body, in preparation for bed.Avoid too much of light at night.
13. Retire at the same time each evening.Create a calming, well-ventilated bedroom environment. 
14. Avoid heavy foods or drinks or any heavy activities before bedtime.

Stress management:

1. Do ABHYANGA( a form of self massage) .Apply warm oil to your body. This can take as little as 2-3 mins. This has an incredibly calming effect on the nervous system. Having a less trigger happy nervous system means less stress and more balanced hormones.
2. Vagal toning by deep breathing and meditation. By stimulating the vagus nerve you can activate parasympathetic nervous system and send a message to your body to relax and de-stress.
3. Yoga and mantra chanting has deep impact on hormone balance.
4. Cold bath and splashing cold water on face is quite helpful in stress. Our ancient yogis bathed in cold water to increase prana(vital force energy)in body.
5. Go for a meditative walk/ forest bathing,do gardening,listen music, pursue your hobbies….
6. Get involve in creativity,socialize with family and friends,keep sense of humor, say NO more often,unplug from the technology.
7. Go for PANCHAKARMA once in a year
8. Get in touch with your feelings and take time to listen to your body and emotions.

If a woman is well nourished,well rested,engages in appropriate exercise,and has balanced emotions,chances are that her hormones are balanced.

The body heals itself,if we create the right conditions for it.

Reference:

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TELOMERE: A PATHWAY TO PSYCHOLOGICAL WELLBEING AND HEALTHY AGING

Why do people age at different rates? Why are some people whip smart and energetic into old age, while other people, much younger, are sick, exhausted, and foggy?

Think of the human body as a barrel full of apples. A healthy human cell is like one of these fresh, shiny apples. But what if there is a rotten apple in that barrel? Not only can’t you eat it, but worse, it will start to make the other apples around it rotten, too.

A Rotten Apple in an Apple Barrel.

The aged and dead cells behave same as the rotten apple. It’s a jinx for the healthy cells. Aging and senescent lies in the complex interactions between genes, social relationships, environments, lifestyles, and your response to the changes. You’re born with a particular set of genes, but the way you live can influence how your genes express themselves. Lifestyle factors can turn genes on or shut them off.

“Genes load the gun, and environment pulls the trigger.”

TELOMERE AND HEALTHY AGEING:

Do you know the protective plastic tips at the ends of shoelaces? These are called aglets. The aglets are there to keep shoelaces from fraying. Now imagine that your shoelaces are your chromosomes, and aglet are your telomere

When your shoelace tips wear down too far, the shoelaces become unusable. You may as well throw them away. Something similar happens to cells. When telomeres become too short, the cell stops dividing altogether and die.

Telomeres do not simply carry out the commands issued by your genetic code. Your telomeres, it turns out, are listening to you. They absorb the instructions you give them. The way you live can, in effect, tell your telomeres to speed up the process of cellular aging. But it can also do the opposite. The foods you eat, your response to emotional challenges, the amount of exercise you get, whether you were exposed to childhood stress, and even the level of trust and safety in your neighborhood—all of these factors and more appear to influence your telomeres and can prevent premature aging at the cellular level.

The wonderful news is that you can step in and take some control of your telomere—

• Don’t threatened your telomere, challenge it. Reframe view of situations in a more positive way.
• Stress negatively affects your telomere. Several mind-body techniques, including meditation and Qigong, have been shown to reduce stress and to increase telomerase, the enzyme that replenishes telomeres.
• Exercise that promotes cardiovascular fitness is great for telomeres.
• Set your biological clock. Telomere need their sleep. Long sleep means long telomere. It’s Not Just Hours in Bed, Sleep Quality, Regularity, and Rhythm matters
• Telomeres hate processed meats like hot dogs, but fresh, whole foods are good for them.
• Neighbourhoods that are low in social cohesion—meaning that people don’t know and trust one another—are bad for telomeres.
• Children who are exposed to several adverse life events have shorter telomeres.
• Clinical depression and anxiety are linked to shorter telomeres.

SWITICHING LANES-Everyone’s cells become old and eventually we die. But imagine that you’re driving on a highway. There are fast lanes, there are slow lanes, and there are lanes in between. You can drive in the fast lane, barrelling toward the diseasespan at an accelerated pace. Or you can drive in a slower lane, taking more time to enjoy the weather, the music, and the company in the passenger seat. And, of course, you’ll enjoy your good health. Even if you are currently on a fast track to premature cellular aging, you can switch lanes.

One study has found that people who tend to focus their minds more on what they are currently doing have longer telomeres than people whose minds tend to wander more.

“A wandering mind is an unhappy mind.”

TELOMERES ARE THE PROTECTORS OF OUR CHROMOSOMES. The shorter your telomeres, the higher your risk of dying from cancer, cardiovascular disease, and of dying at younger ages generally, known as all-cause mortality

TELOMERASE are the solution of telomere shrinkage. Telomerase is the enzyme responsible for restoring the DNA lost during cell divisions. Telomerase makes and replenishes telomeres.

STRESS AND TELOMERE

Your cells are listening to your thoughts. People who respond to stress by feeling overly threatened have shorter telomeres than people who face stress with a rousing sense of challenge.

The more stress you are under, the shorter your telomeres and the lower your telomerase levels. It also meant that our life experiences, and the way we respond to those events, can change the lengths of our telomeres. In other words, we can change the way that we age, at the most elemental, cellular level.

Stress is unavoidable. How much of it can we handle before our telomeres are damaged? A consistent lesson from the past decade of studies—and a lesson that echoes what the caregivers taught us—is that stress and telomeres have a Dose-response relationship. If you drink alcohol, you’re familiar with dose and response. An occasional glass of wine with dinner is rarely harmful to your health and may even be beneficial, as long as you’re not drinking and driving. Drink several glasses of wine or whiskey, night after night, and the story changes. As you “dose” yourself with more and more alcohol, the poisonous effects of alcohol take over, damaging your liver, heart, and digestive system and putting you at risk for cancer and other serious health problems. The more you drink, the more damage you do.

Stress and telomeres have a similar relationship. A small dose of stress does not endanger your telomeres. In fact, short-term, manageable stressors can be good for you, because they build your coping muscles. You develop skills and confidence that you can handle challenges. Physiologically, short-term stress can even boost your cells’ health (a phenomenon called hormesis, or toughening). The ups and downs of daily life are usually not wearing to your telomeres. But a high dose of chronic stress that wears on for years and years will take its toll.

SHORTER TELOMERE: Weaker immune system, More inflammation, Cell senescent and death, Disease tissues, Cancer, Aging, Disease and poor survival

PURPOSE IN LIFE AND HEALTHY TELOMERE:

When you have a sense of purpose, you wake up in the morning with a sense of mission, and it’s easier to make decisions and plans. The people with the strongest sense of purpose in life had a more resilient stress response, less reactivity, and faster recovery.

Stronger feelings of life purpose are also related to reduced risk of stroke and improved functioning of immune cells. Life purpose is even linked to less belly fat and lower insulin sensitivity. In addition, having a higher purpose in life may inspire us to take better care of ourselves. People with greater purpose tend to get more lifesaving tests to detect early disease (such as prostate exams and mammograms), and when they do get sick, they stay in the hospital fewer days.

“The purpose of life is not to be happy—but to matter, to be productive, to be useful, to have it make some difference that you lived at all.”

People high in self-compassion react to stress with lower levels of stress hormones, and they have less anxiety and depression. It is found that women who wake up with feelings of joy have more telomerase.

DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY EFFECTS ON TELOMERE:

Clinical depression and anxiety are linked to shorter telomeres—and the more severe these disorders are, the shorter your telomeres. Heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes all develop earlier and faster in people with depression and anxiety. Good news is when the anxiety is resolved and the person feels better, telomeres eventually return to a normal length.

Depressed people have shorter telomeres but more telomerase in their immune cells. Give depressed people an antidepressant (an SSRI), and their high telomerase levels climb up even further! The more that telomerase goes up, the more likely it is that their depression will lift.

Depression is characterized by being stuck in the “doing mode” mind-set, including ruminative thoughts, which create a vicious cycle.

There are two basic modes of thinking, MBCT(Mindfulness based cognitive therapy) teaches- DOING MODE AND BEING MODE. There is the “doing mode,” which is what we do when we’re trying to get out of the gap between how life is and how we want it to be. But there is another mode, and that is the “being mode.” In the being mode, you can more easily control where you put your attention. Instead of frantically striving to change things, you can choose to do little things that bring you pleasure, and things that help you feel masterful and in control. Because “being” also allows you to pay more attention to people, you can more fully connect with them—a state that typically brings humans the most joy and contentment. Have you ever experienced the contentment of focusing all your attention on a small task, such as cleaning out a messy drawer? That’s what being mode feels like.

METABOLISM AND TELOMERE:

What really appears to matter to telomeres is your metabolic health. Insulin resistance and belly fat are your real enemies. IT’S THE BELLY, NOT THE BMI. Abdominal fat is more inflammatory than, say, thigh fat. The fat cells secrete proinflammatory substances that damage the cells of the immune system, making them senescent and shortening their telomeres.

Improving your metabolic health is more important than losing weight. Instead of dieting by restricting calories, focus on being physically active and eating nutritious foods.

INTENSIVE LIFESTYLE CHANGE FOR HEALHY TELOMERE:

1. Stress reduction
2. Nutrition
3. Exercise and recovery
4. Sleep
5. Social support

RENEWALE LAB

1.Stress reduction:

• Three minute breathing break– The lifetime of an emotion, even a very unpleasant one, is no longer than ninety seconds—unless you try to chase it away or engage with it. Then it lasts longer. It shifts your thinking away from self-focus and the doing mode and moves it toward the peaceful being mode.

• A heart focused meditation-When we breathe in, our heart rate goes up. When we exhale, our heart rate goes down. By having a longer exhalation than inhalation, we can slow our heart rate more, and we can also stimulate the vagus nerve. Breathing into our lower belly (abdominal breathing) stimulates the sensory pathways of the vagus nerve that go directly to our brain, which has an even more calming effect.
• Kirtan Kriya is a more traditional form of meditation from yoga principles that involves chanting and tapping of the fingers (called yoga mudras). Kirtan Kriya works by putting you into a state of deep concentration and producing a calm, integrated state of body and mind. Afterward, your mind feels sharper and refreshed, as if you’ve just awakened from a great night’s sleep.
• Yoga improves quality of life and mood for people across different types of illnesses, reduces blood pressure, and possibly inflammation and lipids. Yoga has recently been shown to increase spine bone density if practiced long term.

2. Nutrition:

A whole-foods diet that features fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, legumes, and omega-3 fatty acids is not only good for your telomeres, it also helps reduce oxidative stress, inflammation, and insulin resistance. People with higher blood levels of omega 3, vitamin D,vitamins C and E have longer telomeres.

To get sufficient antioxidants in your diet, eat plenty of -especially citrus, berries, apples, plums, carrots, green leafy vegetables, tomatoes, and, in smaller portions, potatoes (red or white, with the skin on). Other plant-based sources of antioxidants are beans, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and green tea.

Choose more foods high in fiber, antioxidants, and flavenoids, like fruits and vegetables. Include foods high in omega-3, like seaweed and fish. Choose less refined sugars and red meat.

THREE CELLULAR ENEMIES- Inflammation, Insulin resistance, and Oxidative stress

MINDFUL EATING:

• Breathe. Bring your awareness to your entire body. Ask yourself: How physically hungry am I right now?
• Rate your physical hunger on the scale of 1-10
• When you do eat, fully savor the taste of the food and the experience of eating.
• Pay attention to the hunger in your stomach, to the physical sensations of fullness and distention (“listening to the stretch receptors.”)

3. Exercise and recovery:

Exercise reduces oxidative stress and inflammation. Exercise Can Keep You in the Healthspan Longer. Two kinds of exercise stood out. Moderate aerobic endurance exercise, performed three times a week for forty-five minutes at a time, for six months, increased telomerase activity twofold. So did high-intensity interval training (HIIT), in which short bursts of heart-pounding activity are alternated with periods of recovery.

Exercise releases a newly identified hormone, Irisin, that boosts metabolism and in one study was associated with longer telomeres. Moderate exercise and fitness are clearly wonderful for telomeres.

Overtraining is not good for your telomere. Overtraining is defined by too much training time relative to rest and recovery. And it happens when you don’t support your body with enough rest, nutrition, and sleep. Some warning signs of overtraining include fatigue, moodiness, irritability, trouble sleeping, and susceptibility to injuries and illness. The cure is rest!

What is good for one person may be harmful to another. Overtraining initially creates additional oxidative stress in the body.

Exercise charges up the cell clean-up crew, so that cells have less junk build-up, more efficient mitochondria, and fewer free radicals.

If you have a high-stress life, exercise is not just good for you. It is essential. It protects you from stress-shortened telomeres.

4. Sleep:

Set Your Biological Clock. Telomeres need their sleep. Like a delicate, handmade timepiece, the SCN(Suprachiasmatic nuclei) is highly sensitive. It needs information from you to keep itself well-tuned. SCN regulates your circadian rhythms.

Light signals, which are transmitted directly to the SCN through the optic nerve, allow the SCN to set itself to a proper day/night cycle. By getting light exposure during the day, and by dimming the lights at night, you keep your SCN on schedule.

Sleep is crucial to your mind, your metabolism, and your mood. Long sleep means long telomeres. If you feel sleepy during the day, you need more sleep at night .It’s Not Just Hours in Bed, Sleep Quality, Regularity, and Rhythm matters.

Your body also depends on deep, restorative REM sleep to regulate your appetite. During REM sleep, cortisol is suppressed, and your metabolic rate increases. When you don’t sleep well, you get less REM in the second half of the night, and that results in higher levels of cortisol and insulin, which stimulate appetite and lead to greater insulin resistance. In plain terms, this means that a bad night of sleep can throw you into a temporary prediabetic state.

5. Social support:

Social world shapes our telomere. People in neighborhoods with low social cohesion and who live in fear of crime have greater cellular aging in comparison to residents of communities that are the most trusting and safe.

To ensure healthy Telomere: eat lightly ,eat wholesome, breathe deeply, live moderately, cultivate cheerfulness, and maintain an interest in life.” – .

Reference:

Depression and the lifestyle intervention

“Natural forces within us are the true healers of disease” -Hippocrates

Depression is not a disease, it’s a symptom of poor lifestyle. Thinking that depression is a disease is a myth that will bring you a lot of suffering. If you struggle with feeling hopeless, sad, foggy, or mentally fragile, you’re not alone. Now a days depression has been the world’s number one public problem, like common cold. But there is grim difference between depression and a common cold. Depression can kill you, fortunately, it is also treatable.

“You can change the way you feel by changing your lifestyle”

Depression don’t hit you overnight. Body throws tantrum after extreme exhaustion and fatigue. Unhealthy lifestyles and depression are highly interrelated.

Let’s say from few days you are observing few symptoms- feeling low, fatigue, mood swings, emotionally imbalance, loss of appetite, despair …… and you go to see your doctor to find out what’s wrong with you?

UH OHHHH … you are back with depression diagnosis and few antidepressants. Case closed! But it isn’t.

For an example-You and your friend both have headache. Your headache is due to too much of drinking wine and your friend’s headache is from being hit on the wall. Both symptoms are same but root cause is different.

Obviously, these two chronic headaches can’t be cured in the same way, because their root causes are different. Ultimately, drugs like antidepressants don’t cure the disease; they just mask the symptoms. It makes things worst with side effects

Functional approaches take a radically different approach to depression; it tries to understand what creates it at the first level.

Your depression is not in your head. It is in your body .When you fix your body, you fix your broken brain. Your energy, memory, focus, and your joy will all increase. Depression will fade away like a bad dream.

“Udaram Vyadhi Mandiram”- Ayurveda (The stomach is abode of all disease)

“All disease begins in the gut”-Hippocrates

If your stomach is depressed ,so you are! Emerging research, reveals a gut-brain connection and depression.  Gut is your second brain. Your healing starts in your gut. Take care of your gut, your gut will take care of you.

Depression symptoms can vary from mild to severe and can include:

1. Feeling sad or having a depressed mood
2. Loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed
3. Changes in appetite — weight loss or gain unrelated to dieting
4. Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much
5. Loss of energy or increased fatigue
6. Increase in purposeless physical activity (e.g., hand-wringing or pacing) or slowed movements and speech (actions observable by others)
7. Feeling worthless or guilty
8. Difficulty thinking, concentrating or making decisions
9. Thoughts of death or suicide

The solution involves balancing the seven core systems –

1. Optimize nutrition
2. Balance hormones
3. Cool off inflammation
4. Fix digestion
5. Enhance detoxification
6. Boost energy metabolism
7. Calm the mind

When you struggle with depression, here are some checklist before you work-

• Do you have low thyroid function?
• Do you have a vitamin D deficiency?
• Do you have a folic acid or B12 deficiency?
• Do you have a deficiency of omega-3 fats?
• Do you have Gluten allergies?
• Do you have inflammation? 
• Do you have gut issues– leaky gut, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)
• Do you have hormonal imbalances?

Its simple you eliminate things that cause imbalances in core systems and provide your body with the things it needs to heal.

Life style intervention:

1. Get your Thyroid tested.
2. Eat whole, real food. Feed your brain and body with a nutrient-dense, whole, fresh, plant-based diet that includes plenty of protein and healthy fats. Your brain is about 60 percent fat, so it makes sense eating plenty of healthy fats (and including anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids) and protein can help heal your brain.
3. Remove gluten and dairy products. Gluten and casein  found in dairy products has adverse effects on depression.
4. Eat anti-inflammatory food and omega 3 rich food.
5. Cut out sugar. 
6. Exercise and meditate regularly.
7. Get enough sleep
8. Take the right nutrients and supplements- Omega 3, Magnesium Citrate, saffron, coffee, Coconut oil, Folate rich food, Vitamin D, Vitamin B12, Vitamin C.
9. Make time for creativity.
10. Focus on AMP(Autonomy, mastery and purpose)
11. Take active rest and vacation

Magnesium the antidote for depression:

Think of magnesium as the relaxation mineral. Anything that is tight, irritable, crampy, and stiff — whether it is a body part or an even a mood — is a sign of magnesium deficiency. You don’t have to be in the hospital to get magnesium. You can start taking regular magnesium supplementation today and see results.

This critical mineral is actually responsible for over 300 enzyme reactions and is found in all of your tissues — but mainly in your bones, muscles, and brain. You must have it for your cells to make energy, for many different chemical pumps to work, to stabilize membranes, and to help muscles relax.

Omega 3 fatty acid and depression

Omega 3 are incredibly important for their many functions within the body, especially brain. Most studies are showing that omega-3s may be helpful in treating some forms of depression. Your brain needs the type of fatty acids that are in omega-3s for proper functioning. It’s believed by some that those who experience depression may not have enough EPA and DHA.

In 2009 researchers reviewed data from three studies that used EPA in the treatment of three different types of depression: recurrent major depression in adults, major depression in children, and bipolar depression. The large majority of subjects taking EPA in all types showed significant improvement and benefited from the EPA as compared to those with a placebo.

Meditation ,GABA and depression:

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is an amino acid and neurotransmitter that is naturally produced in the brain through meditation, yoga and exercise. GABA is the primary neurotransmitter responsible for providing calming effects. Research has found that people who experience major depression often have lower levels of the chemical. GABA also plays a role in regulating the immune system, appetite, and metabolism. When a person has low neurotransmitter activity, the result can be anxiety, depression, insomnia, and chronic stress.

Cold shower and depression:

Taking a cold shower for up to 5 minutes, daily or 2 to 3 times per week , was shown to help relieve symptoms of stress and depression in a clinical trial. For people with depression, cold showers can work as a kind of gentle electroshock therapy. The cold water sends many electrical impulses to your brain. By getting more noradrenaline, your brain releases more happy hormones into the body.

Sunlight ,serotonin and depression:

Sunlight and darkness trigger the release of hormones in your brain. Exposure to sunlight is thought to increase the brain’s release of a hormone called serotonin. Serotonin is associated with boosting mood and helping a person feel calm and focused. At night, darker lighting triggers the brain to make another hormone called melatonin. This hormone is responsible for helping you sleep.

Without enough sun exposure, your serotonin levels can dip. Low levels of serotonin are associated with a higher risk of depression

Sunlight cues special areas in retina that triggers the release of serotonin. So, sungazing and sunning seems to be beneficial in depression.

Give yourself phototherapy to heal!

Vitamin D and depression:

Studies shows that vitamin D deficiency – sunshine vitamin and depression may travel together, and that filling up the ” vitamin D tank” may help relieve some of the symptoms. Vitamin D insufficiency (≤20 ng/mL) has been associated with depression. If your depression is severe, you are more likely to benefit from correcting an insufficiency.

High antioxidant coconut oil and depression:

Coconut oil is made up of a mixture of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. The oil contains close to 12 g of saturated fat per tablespoon. This makes up nearly 60 percent of your daily recommended saturated fat intake. It contains about 6 g of lauric acid, a type of medium-chain fatty acid.

Studies shown that using a high quality virgin coconut oil can rival anti-depressant drugs without the dangerous side effects. It is encouraging to see researchers consider natural foods as alternatives, given the fact that they do not have all the serious side effects that psychiatric drugs do.

One area where virgin coconut oil really outperformed was in the area of oxidation and elimination of free radicals. 

Stress is known to increase oxidative stress, leading to neurological damage and death. Antioxidant and anti stress coconut oil , on the other hand, reverse this trend and help prevent further neurological damage and depression.

Attached testimonial on depression from one of my client from Delhi;

combating depression-Download

Self Assessment sheet–Burns depression-Checklist.pdf

DISCLAIMER: If you are at risk for suicide, or other harm or injury, please do not try and treat it on your own. There is help. 

References:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46674.Feeling_Good

https://www.lifehack.org/375978/cold-shower-powerful-way-to-improve-your-mental-health

https://www.firstforwomen.com/posts/health/cold-shower-benefits

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_ERDxxzvQE

https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/news/20021205/unraveling-suns-role-in-depression

https://www.jabfm.org/content/28/2/249

https://www.jabfm.org/content/28/2/249

https://examine.com/nutrition/vitamin-d-and-depression/

Iodine- A Magic Bullet

“Healing is a matter of time, but it is sometimes also a matter of opportunity”

—Hippocrates

Are you fatigue all the time? Feel cold? Do you feel that your brain is scrambled and you are suffering from brain fog? Do you constantly gain weight even when you are working hard? Do you feel less energetic?Then you need to know more about Iodine-the noteworthy element in Holistic wellness. So far ,Iodine is the most misunderstood nutrient.

We’ve become iodine deficient since the 1970’s because the anti iodine bromine has purged iodine from our bodies! The Iodine deficiency, may account for why more people are sick, IQ’s are dropping while thyroid and other diseases continue to worsen. Obesity may not have to do with overeating as much as a bromine-caused metabolic slow-down that causes weight gain.

“Everybody knows certain environmental toxins cause cancer. What people don’t know is these toxins also make you “sick, fat and stupid.”-Lynne Farrow

Where are bromines?

One of the main reasons everyone is so deficient in iodine is due to the fact that toxic halogens like fluoride, chlorine and bromine , are present in everywhere in our environment. There is Fluoride in your toothpaste, chlorine in public drinking water and Bromine in flour, food additives, fire-retardants, pesticides, certain foods and sodas, drugs and personal care products. what they do? They deplete Iodine by sitting on their receptors.

Iodine consumption has decreased 50 percent since the 1970’s after the discovery of Penicillin. When patent antibiotics penicillin came into use after World War II,Iodine was considered “old-fashioned,” a cardinal sin in the medical community.Iodine deficiency diseases of the breast, prostate and thyroid, have increased during that time.Iodine deficiency in pregnant women is producing less intelligent children.

Iodine is an essential micro-nutrient. This means it is needed in small amounts by every cell in the body.It is vulnerable to environmental toxins such as bromide, pesticides and food additives….

From medical records in 1906, iodine was considered “The Universal Medicine”and used to treat:

• Goiter
• Atherosclerosis
• Uterine fibroid
• Mercury and lead poisoning
• Swollen glands
• Bronchitis and Pneumonia
• Obesity and depression
• Breast cancer
• Ovarian cysts
• Tonsillitis
• Cough
• Brain fog
• Fatigueness
• Psoriasis
• Hypothyroidism
• Digestive problem
• As a first aid
• Hair loss
• Menstrual irregularities
• Fertility problem
• Improving libido

Think you get enough iodine in your salt? Are you sure? Iodine in iodized salt begins evaporating as soon as the salt is opened, and is depleted over time—and the government RDA for iodine doesn’t make sense.

The notion that refined iodized salt is sufficient is the most dangerous misconception about iodine. From the time iodized salt leaves the factory until it gets on grocery store shelves, half of the original iodide content is lost. Because once iodized salt is opened in your home, the iodine “sublimes” or escapes into the air in varying degrees, depending on humidity. After all that, when ingested, only 10 percent of the iodine in salt is absorbable. Then, after all that, again, women should be concerned that the “iodine” in salt is actually iodide. Iodine is preferred by the breasts, thus a combination of iodine and iodide is generally used. Also, cooking destroys iodine!

So—short answer: No, you can’t get enough iodine from iodized salt because you can’t be sure if you’re actually getting iodine—how much or what kind.

The RDA appears to be calculated from how much iodine the thyroid needs to avoid goiter. The requirements of the other organs aren’t factored into the number. Additionally, the effect of iodine-blocking polluters was never considered when 150 mcg was established.

Iodine and Thyroid

Iodine supports thyroid function. Every cell in the body depends upon thyroid hormones for regulation of their metabolism and thyroid hormone depends on Iodine. The function of the thyroid gland is to take iodine, and convert it into thyroid hormones: T4 and T3

Thyroid cells are the only cells in the body which can absorb iodine. These cells combine iodine to make T3 and T4. T3 and T4 are then released into the blood stream and are transported throughout the body where they control metabolism (conversion of oxygen and calories to energy).

Iodine is an essential mineral commonly found in sea foods. The human body cannot produce iodine, which is why it is important to include iodine-rich foods in the diet.Your thyroid gland uses it to make thyroid hormones, which help control growth, repair damaged cells and support a healthy metabolism.Unfortunately, up to a third of people worldwide are at risk of an iodine deficiency.

Those at the highest risk include-People who follow a vegetarian or vegan diet. An iodine deficiency can cause uncomfortable and even severe symptoms. They include depression,fatiguness and low energy,hair loss, diabetes, low libido, breast cancer, brain fog, pregnancy-related issues, weight gain and learning difficulties. Since iodine is used to make thyroid hormones, an iodine deficiency means your body can’t make enough of them, leading to hypothyroidism.

Signs and symptoms of Iodine deficiency-

• Reduced thyroid hormone production and hypothyroidism
• Goiter (enlarged thyroid gland)
• Intellectual disability
• Abnormal weight gain
• Decreased fertility
• Brain fog
• Decreased libido
• Fatigue and low energy
• Constipation
• Depression
• Stunted infant growth

“When I was a young student, iodine and potassium iodine were a universal medicine. Nobody knew how they worked, but we knew it worked exceptionally well”.

-Dr Albert Szent Gyorgyi (Nobel laureate who discovered Vitamin C)

Benefits of Iodine

• Balances hormones by enhancing your thyroid health.So, no more thyroid and other hormonal problems.
• No more brain fog and fatigueness. Helps Your Brain to Stay Sharp.
• Improves your focus.
• Clear thinking.
• Helps to Stabilize Your Mood
• Iodine was prescribed as a broad-spectrum antibiotic until pharmaceutical antibiotics were created. It works without harming the good gut bacteria, so it doesn’t weaken the immune system. It is particularly useful against food poisoning.
• A natural antiseptic
• A powerful antioxidant
•  Raises IQ
• Detoxifies Halogens and Heavy Metals
• Cancer Prevention-The Japanese have among the lowest cancer rates in the world and they consume on average 13 milligrams of iodine per day.
• Prevent Hair Loss
• Prevent depression
• Vital for Pregnancy
• Improve your libido

My testimonial:

I am writing this blog because Iodine motivated me to do so and I am finding it a bit difficult to keep it to myself. I was introduced to Iodine by my mentor and now forwarding this powerful bullet .

My Health issues –

• Serious brain fog
• low energy
• Poor memory
• Thyroid issues
• Severe hair fall
• Mood swings and irritation
• Irregular periods
• Fatigue through out the day
• Insomnia
• Back pain
• Asthma

These were the few problems I was dealing with ,with some more .I started my wellness journey in 2015 and here I am, ecstatically sharing my experiences . Now, I believe – You can’t be happy without being healthy!

With life style changes ,proper nourishment, good recovery, sufficient rest,restoration,healthy reading and predominantly under supervision and blessing of a good mentor, I got my health and wellness back.

Iodine has added new dimensions to my life. Now, I am full of life and energy, no more brain fog, feel charged through out the day, emotionally balanced, antifragile,clear, focused,relaxed,faster recovery,no more insomnia problem,better aerobic fitness, no more asthma symptoms, regular periods,healthy thyroid, improved memory……

Enjoying my wellness journey with IODINE. How about you?

• 

References:

https://www.amazon.in/Iodine-Crisis-What-about-Wreck/dp/098603200X

https://decentpropaganda.com/why-use-lugols-iodine-and-how-to-use-it/

https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/minerals/health-benefits-of-iodine.html

https://organixx.com/iodine-benefits/

DILUTION IS THE SOLUTION TO POLLUTION IN HUMAN BODY

We live in a time when getting clean, uncontaminated, and wholesome air, water, and food are not only difficult but impossible. The sources of pollutants are natural, overcrowding, agricultural chemicals, food processing products and finally, our own body could be the biggest pollutant of all time. There is the whole host on diet plans to tell us what is good and what is not. Scientists never agree on one thing as true. In such a situation choosing simple, safe and sustainable steps to minimize harm to the body can pay dividends in the long run. These steps could be understandable, repeatable, accessible and minimalist (RAMU).

The astronomer Carl Sagan once said, “Everybody starts out as a scientist. Every child has the scientist’s sense of wonder and awe.”

Sustaining this sense of wonder presents teachers, parents, and others close to children with a tremendous responsibility—and an extraordinary opportunity. In this era, we are drowning in information and have less personal experience of a scientist. It is worth mentioning that lifestyle changes are for life not to fulfill a goal (eg looking trim, losing weight and running a marathon).

I am not a qualified health expert or fitness guru but I can say for sure that wellness is a state of human existence where you wake up with a purpose, work towards your goals with focus and energy and feel grateful for all what you have and ever had despite having a disease, disability, and disorder

“Eat well, feel well, move and excrete well” Rish Sharma

Pollution plays a great role in keeping us in the continual unwell state. Trying to find a radical solution to pollution is not only impossible but a futile exercise. However, dilution is simple, sustainable and doable for most of us. Our ancestors did it for millions of years and so it comes naturally to us provided we are willing to try new things and practice on a regular basis. The dilution method I am going to talk about is based on the five pillars- air, liquid, solid, space (mobility) and time.

AIR – Our hunter-gatherer ancestors used to travel over 20 miles a day to forage into the forest for food and water. They had access to fresh and clean air which most of us don’t. However, we can exercise to dilute our air reserve in the body or do deep breathing exercises (Pranayama).

I suggest nasal breathing as it improves our Parasympathetic System (the system of grace- digest & rest) and increases nitric oxide (NO) levels in the blood. NO dilates blood vessels and lowers blood pressure. Even doing alternate nostril breathing (Nadishodhan) for five minutes in the morning five days a week is effective.

A busy person can do it just before taking shower, in the car park or even walking. Be mindful that doing it in the morning is better as there is less pollution from automobile exhausts. This one habit will dilute the pollution in the lungs, blood and to some extent kidneys. It may improve brain circulation, memory, and creativity. Alternate nostril breathing strengthens the highway connection between the right and left cerebral hemispheres- Corpus Callosum

LIQUID– The planet is made up of 70% water and so are we (roughly). Mild dehydration can compromise our attention, focus, productivity, and mood. It is instinctive to drink water however that does not always hydrate us so well. Our ancestors did not have 24/7 access to fresh water as we have and hence their water came from plants, leaves, fruits, and spring. So, getting lots of water trapped in plants is the best form (EZ- Exclusion Zone water) to assimilate and retain.

The biological system retains water well when it comes in a naturally bound form as it minimally interferes with our system (ADH/ ALDOSTERONE/ Osmoreceptors) and the body doesn’t immediately excrete it through the kidney. Drinking slightly alkaline water (soda bicarb/ magnesium citrate) is next best diluent on the list. Hot beverages and tap water are the other sources. The key is mindful drinking not prescribed drinking. It is almost impossible to overdrink to cause harm if we have sound heart, liver or kidney.

So good water intake equals good excretion- better liver, kidney, blood, lymphatic health and skin (sweating) health. A simplistic and seemingly unscientific statement but works well in practice.

SOLID– The most important solid diluent is plant fibre.  We usually eat three times a day and unlike air, food could be comforting and even addicting so we not only eat more frequently but too much as well. Food provides us with nutrition, calories, and phytonutrients. More importantly, food is a messenger (for hormones and genes) and a portal for waste disposal.

Aiming to eat as much fibre in natural form as we can (recommended 20-30 grams) is the best approach to dilute our metaphorical food pollution. A fibre rich diet blunts insulin spike, increases stool bulk and keeps large bowel healthy. Furthermore, fibre provides food for our good bacteria in the gut and takes away toxic metabolites with it. 

Plants in natural form are better than heavily cooked, processed or juiced. Again, consistency is more important than which form of food we go far- raw, sautéed, fried or processed. It is obvious that pasture fed organic beef has no more fibre than cauliflower curry regardless of the quality and richness of the curry.  Aiming for a variety is the key.

I try my Alphabet Fibre Supplementation Plan to simplify my eating habits. I would rather stay away from the never-ending argument as to whether a vegetarian, vegan or nonvegetarian diet is healthy.

Horses are herbivores and cat (big or small) is a carnivore and I will let you decide why one is healthier than the other.  The key is if our lifestyle is keeping us healthy then why change it?  And if it is not working then why wait for doctors to tell us what is healthy?

Please try my AFS Plan if you are curious and want to try something new to experiment with. It will take care of your FLUID and SOLID if you eat mindfully and continue at least for three months.

“If you are not your own doctor, you are a fool.”-Hippocrates

ABCD Takeaway

A-Apple, Almond, Avocado, Apricot, Asparagus, Artichoke, Amaranths, allium family(garlic/Onion/leeks/shallots etc)

B- Brazil nuts (maximum 5 a day), Banana, Beetroot, Berries, Beans(lentils/legumes/peanuts), Bok Choy, Brussels sprouts, Broccoli.

C-Carrots, Cashew nuts(I use butter), citrus fruits, Cruciferous family(rocket, Cabbage, Cauliflower, kale, mustard), Celery, Cucumber, Colourful Capsicum, Coconut, Cherries

D-Dates, Dry fruits not included elsewhere.

E-Egg(organic)- no fibre but nutrient rich)

F-Fig

AVOID/CUT DOWN 

A-Alcohol in all forms, B- Baked food-biscuits, bread and cake etc, C- cigarettes, Chocolates  D- Diary in all forms except milk in tea and coffee may be.

SPACE–

“Sitting is more dangerous than smoking, kills more people than HIV, and is more treacherous than parachuting. We are sitting ourselves to death,” says James Levine, a professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic, in an interview with the LA Times. “The chair is out to kill us.

“Dilute your sitting or gradually degenerate.” Rish Sharma

I sat 8 hours a day in my job and started developing early signs of degeneration in my 30s. I am still reversing them. Sitting is a necessary evil for prosperity. Whether it is meal time, driving, office hours or fun time we sit. The downsides are so many that I will skip them here and you can do your own research –www.getbritainstanding.com

One simple solution is to dilute it with a variety of positions- stand every half an hour, sip water and pee frequently, take longer routes, take 10,000 steps a day, sit on the floor at home(SITTING), use a stool and/ or buy a standing desk. Doing at least 30 hip hinges a day -simply putting your head below hips without trying to touch the floor or feet- this is not a flexibility move. It reverses circulations and helps with lymph flow (cf car’s exhaust system).

TIME: Doing the right thing at the wrong time usually gives an undesirable outcome. For weight loss and aesthetic issues exercising in the morning is the key as it boosts self-esteem, self-image and keeps metabolism up for the day. However, if achieving personal best (reps/ maximum weight/ running time/ flexibility) is the main priority then after work is the time to hit the gym as one can utilise the whole day’s warm-up time. 

Dilute your tiredness with shorter 20 mins nap so that you can avoid going into deep stages of sleep which can make you groggier on waking up.

For those who wish to hack their biology to lose weight try chewing gum twenty minutes before the main meal and drink a glass of sparkling water and then eat. This tricks our brain (hypothalamus) into thinking that we have been eating for a while and satiates us even before we start eating.

These changes are more likely to be useful after at least three months of regular practice. Time is a good healer here as well. There is always a replacement for information but no replacement for curiosity, focus, and prudence. 

Now, that I have shared my innovative ideas and experience how to minimise pollution in our life. Now, you can be your own doctor, scientist, and artist to express yourself and live a more fulfilling life so that you can share your experiences and all of us can benefit as well.

Good luck.

Content Editor- Ms. Gunjan Mishra