Tag: Dr Jocelin’s Health Tip of the Week

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Women Stress More Than Men; however, Stress for Both Can Lead to Health Issues!

A recent survey of 2000 women by Garnier Fructis found that the average woman doesn’t have enough hours in a day to complete her tasks. In fact, she needs 82 more minutes daily than are available to get everything done. Seven in 10 women said they always feel rushed when they leave their homes. A full 38 percent said they hadn’t had an afternoon to themselves in more than a month. If they were given more time in the day, about half the women said they’d use it to sleep, indicating they aren’t getting enough z’s. Thirty-six percent would use the time to read, and about a third would use it to exercise.

Although, according to some measures, men and women report similar stress levels, a 2016 study published in the Journal of Brain & Behavior reported that two times as many women experience severe stress and anxiety compared to men. A 2006 study by the American Psychological Association (APA) found 51 percent of women reporting high levels of stress compared to 43 percent of men, and women repeatedly score higher in annual APA stress studies.

According to research published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences, women react more to stress than men do. The article noted, “Although there was no difference in the number of life events experienced in the previous two years, the women rated their life events as more negative and less controllable than the men. The results of this study suggest that women suffer more stress than men… “
Women tend to get anxious and depressed when exposed to stress, whereas men tend to act out by drinking or carousing, according to one study. Another study found that women experience nervousness, a desire to cry, and lack of energy. Men, on the other hand, develop insomnia, irritability, and anger—once again acting out, rather than internalizing stress reactions.  Perhaps because women are more likely to internalize, twice as many women suffer from depression compared to men.

Likewise, stress drives women to the doctor more than it does men, and women report higher rates of stress-related illnesses such as hypertension, depression, anxiety, and obesity. An American Psychological Association study found that 41-percent of women report stress headaches versus 30 percent of men. Thirty-two percent experience stress-related digestive issues, versus only 21 percent of men. But interestingly, men are more likely to die as a result of stress than women are. Dr. Beverly Thorn of the University of Alabama explains, “The really interesting gender difference is that women… present for treatment more frequently and have a greater number of stress-related disorders than men, but men die more frequently of stress-related illnesses — heart disease, cancer, and auto-immune disease.”

Biochemical reasons underlie the gender differences in stress reactions. In women, stress causes a significant amount of the hormone oxytocin to be released in the brain, but men release much less. Oxytocin modulates the pinch of stress to some degree, and women tend to react by doing what experts call “tending and befriending.” In other words, they reach out to friends or care for others. Many men on the other hand, explode, get angry, irritable, or try to numb out by drinking.

As we’ve written often, stress is a precursor to numerous illnesses and must be managed. Although women may suffer more stress than men, they’re also more likely to do something about it, which may be the real reason they tend to survive stress more readily. Experts recommend combatting stress by:

  • Practice Self Care. Exercise is a great stress buster, as is getting enough sleep and eating healthy food.
  • Get Help. When stress becomes a problem, seek support. It’s essential to get perspective on your situation and to develop coping strategies.
  • Take a Break. Even if only a long bath or a 30-minute reading respite.
  • Avoid Triggers. It might take working with a therapist to even figure out what the triggers are, but once you know what sets off your stress reaction, you can strategize about how to lessen contact.
  • And our personal favorite – Take Stress-Busting Supplements. Natural products containing herbs such as ashwagandha and St. John’s Wort can be extremely helpful in taking the edge off. You can find these and more in top quality formulas at Whitaker’s such as Adaptra, Adrenaplex, Mood Support, Calms Forte, Stress Release Essential Oil Blend, and more!  And don’t forget to take a good immune-building formula (such as Elderberry and Propolis) to ensure you stay healthy during stressful times.
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Did You Know that a To Do List Can Improve Your Sleep?!?

We all know that getting a good night’s sleep is essential for our health, but unfortunately for many of us, it does not happen on a regular basis. For some people, the problem stems from staying up too late to watch television or scrolling through the latest posts on social media. In other cases, however, it has less to do with devices and more to do with having trouble freeing your mind of all of the things going on in your life. If that’s your issue, we have very good news for you. New research suggests that there’s a surprisingly simple solution that might improve your slumber every night.

The study, which took place at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, found that people who write up a to-do list before going to bed of all the tasks they need to accomplish in the near future tend to fall asleep more quickly than those who don’t create such a list. That’s it; it’s that simple. These results are based on an experiment conducted in a sleep lab with 57 healthy male and female subjects between the ages of 18 and 30.

They were randomly divided into two groups. One group was instructed to write down a list of everything they needed to get accomplished in the following day or so. The second group was instructed to write down all of the things they had gotten done over the previous few days. The investigation was designed this way in order to directly compare placing the focus on tasks that needed to be completed versus tasks that had been completed to see which might ease the mind more.

After their writing assignment was complete, the participants remained in the sleep lab for the night. A weeknight was chosen specifically so the researchers could prevent weekend schedules from wreaking havoc on sleeping habits, as well as because busier days often mean more unfinished tasks during the week.

The volunteers were given a strict bedtime of 10:30 the night of the testing and were not permitted to do any work or use technology after that hour. Each of the subjects was monitored overnight by polysomnography, a diagnostic evaluation that measures brain waves, heart rate, breathing, blood oxygen levels, eye movements, and leg motion to record pertinent information about sleep.

Those who created to-do lists fell asleep nine minutes faster than their counterparts who had instead listed their recently completed tasks. And the more precise the to-do lists they made, the faster the subjects dozed off. While nine minutes might not seem like it would make a world of difference in your nightly slumber, it is actually quite a bit faster than the half hour many pharmaceutical sleep aids typically take. And we certainly know that making a list is a lot safer than using medications such as Ambien, Lunesta, and Sonata that are associated with side effects such as dizziness, diarrhea, burning sensations in the arms or legs, headaches, hallucinations, and death. A 2012 study at the Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, California showed that even very infrequent use of sleeping pills can up the risk of death by 3.5 times.

The current study did have shortcomings, including its small size and the fact that it was strictly controlled in a sleep lab. The conditions just cannot mimic those of real life, especially when there is an enforced bedtime and no use of electronic devices whatsoever allowed. Unfortunately, not many people these days get to bed without time in front of their televisions, laptops, or cell phones.

And that brings up an important point about what we might need to do at bedtime in order to really promote better sleep. As hard as it may be, it’s essential to disconnect yourself from screen time before bed. Shut the television and do a final check of email and social media sites at least 30 minutes prior to hitting the sack. The light emitted from these devices prevents your body from releasing enough melatonin and also increases your feelings of alertness. And getting sufficient sleep is vital to your health, as lack of it has been linked to obesity, immune system difficulties, and diabetes.

Take a note from the current research and give the to-do list a try as well. In fact, you might want to mark that down on today’s to-do list so you don’t forget. While it’s nice to note everything we’ve already accomplished, it can actually be more of a relief to your brain to know that you’re aware of what needs to be done and ready to tackle the tasks the next day.

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Is Your Honey Real?

In natural healing circles, honey long has been used for its multiple benefits. Its flavonoids and antioxidants have been shown to be cancer and heart disease preventive; it helps reduce ulcers and other gastrointestinal problems; it’s antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal; it works as a cough suppressant; it heals wounds, it contains probiotics, it is a component of many skin crèmes, and it’s an anti-allergenic agent and one of many natural allergy remedies, based on the theory that because honey contains tiny traces of pollen, repeated exposure should help build up immunity to those pollens. But if you’ve been taking your daily dose of honey without receiving any of these benefits, the reason may not be that honey is useless. It may be that your honey isn’t actually honey.

That’s right. And the first clue is that an overwhelming proportion of the so-called honey sold in the US contains absolutely no pollen. The Food Safety News group conducted tests a few years back and found that more than 75 percent of the honey on retail store shelves was pollen free. In fact, 100 percent of the honey sold in drugstore chains like Walgreens and Rite-Aid contains no pollen, nor does any of the honey distributed in individual packets in restaurants. Supermarkets like Shop-Rite and Safeway didn’t fare much better in the study, nor did big box stores like Costco. In these stores, 76 percent of the honey on the shelves had no pollen, and while going organic increased the odds of getting the real thing, 30 percent of the organic honey tested had no pollen, either.

So what does this clue mean? Have bees found a way to produce honey without using pollen, then? Absolutely not. The reality has nothing to do with the bess and everything to do with greed. A lot of the honey sold in the US comes from Asia where it’s processed to remove the pollen and then cut with high-fructose corn syrup, sugar water, and artificial sweeteners to maximize profit. In fact, some so-called honey contains no trace of anything coming from bees, but rather, it’s a concocted blend of flavorings and sweeteners packaged and sold with a “honey” label. Even worse, the Food Safety News study found that much of the honey sold in the US contains dangerous contaminants such as traces of illegal antibiotics intended for animals and heavy metals.

So how can you be sure you’re getting real honey? Again, getting organic guarantees nothing. Your best bet is to buy from local producers who sell at locally owned stores. Local honey is better for you, anyway, as it contains an exact match to the local pollens that might be causing you allergy problems.

Be sure to pick up your jar of locally produced, non-heat treated, “real” honey on your next visit to Whitaker’s.  

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Elderberries

With Cold Season upon us, now is the time to stock up on your Elderberry Syrup or Dried Elderberries to make your own, but the real question is what benefits does Elderberry offer and why should I be taking it to boost my immune system?

Elderberries are

  • High in Vitamin C
  • High in dietary fiber
  • A good source of phenolic acids: These compounds are powerful antioxidants that can help reduce damage from oxidative stress in the body.
  • A good source of flavonols
  • Rich in anthocyanins: These compounds give the fruit its characteristic dark black-purple color and are a strong antioxidant with anti-inflammatory effects.

While we all know that Elderberries can help reduce the severity and duration of a cold, but did you know that there are studies proving that?

One study of 60 people with influenza found that those who took 15 ml of elderberry syrup four times per day showed symptom improvement in two to four days, while the control group took seven to eight days to improve.  Another study of 64 people found that taking 175-mg elderberry extract lozenges for two days resulted in significant improvement in flu symptoms, including fever, headache, muscle aches and nasal congestion, after just 24 hours. Furthermore, a study of 312 air travelers taking capsules containing 300 mg of elderberry extract three times per day found that those who got sick experienced a shorter duration of illness and less severe symptoms.

Other research is showing that Elderberries are great for heart health, helping to fight cancer, could protect against UV radiation, and may even have antidepressant properties.

So make sure to pick up your bottle of Elderberry Syrup or a bag of Dried Elderberries on your next visit!

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Echinacea

We all know and love Echinacea for it’s immune building and cold fighting properties and is typically a staple in most natural homes during cold and flu season, but did you know that it has additional excellent properties and benefits?

It can also help control your blood sugar – helping reduce high blood sugar and stabilize low blood sugar.  Since it is an antioxidant, it helps to protect your cells from damage which is key to long term health.

Anxiety?  Try Echinacea!  Not something you often think of as a first resource, but it has been shown in studies that it is great for calming anxiousness.  In fact, it is the key ingredient in our much loved AnxioCalm by Terry Naturally!

Early research is showing promise in the use of Echinacea for high blood pressure.  And while it is helping your blood pressure, it can also help reduce inflammation.

I promise you will never look at a bottle of Echinacea the same again!  That is seven excellent and easy uses – six of which we often do not discuss.

So make sure to pick up your bottle of Echinacea, box of AnxioCalm, or box of Echinacea Tea the next time you are in!

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Restricted Eating Times

While we all know that fasting offers many health benefits, there is new research showing that intermittent “restricted eating times” can also have health benefits.

So what is “restricted eating times”?  You choose 8 hours of the day to eat as usual choosing good healthy options (no binge eating!).  Then you take 16 hours to not eat.  This gives your body a break allowing it to work on healing, detoxing, and rest.

Unless you’re succumbing to gluttony during the eight-hour eating period, you’ll most likely end up eating fewer calories each day. But more importantly, because you will tend to use up all of your body’s available glucose during your fasting hours, you force your body to start burning fat for energy, which results in weight loss. And finally, as a result of moving your body into a fat burning state, your insulin levels will drop—since it’s no longer needed at the same levels—while at the same time, growth hormone and noradrenaline levels are increased, which yet again increases your body’s breakdown of fat for energy.

This is a good way to have a balanced approach to reducing calories and encouraging weight loss.  And again, remember that as with most diets, this is ideal for 4-12 weeks as a reset.  Then resume normal balanced eating throughout the day with good grass fed low grain fed meats, lots of fresh organic veggies, some fruit, some carbs preferably complex carbs, and an occasional sweet treat!

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A Fall Treat

Pumpkin Cookies
I love to fix these around Thanksgiving.  My dad calls them pumpkin pie in your hand cookies.  They are quick to disappear.

2½ cups flour                             1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt                                     2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
½ cup butter                               1½ cups brown sugar
2 eggs                                         1 cup pumpkin
½ tsp lemon extract                    ½ tsp vanilla
1 cup nuts

Combine butter, brown sugar, eggs, pumpkin, and extracts.  Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.  Add the nuts.  Place small mounds of dough on the cookie sheets.  Bake for 8 – 10 minutes.  Cool and Ice.
Cookie Icing: Beat together ½ cup butter, 4½ cups powdered sugar, 4 Tbsp milk, and 1½ tsp maple extract.  Spread over cooled cookies.

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GERD, Acid Reflux, and Digestive Enzymes

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), otherwise known as acid reflux, affects an extraordinary number of adults worldwide. According to the journal Gut, between 18 and 28 percent of the adults in North America suffer from the disease, as do 9 to 26 percent of Europeans and up to 33 percent in the Middle East. Those numbers appear to be rising.  The medical community’s response is to put you on an acid blocker; however, that is a symptomatic approach.  Those medications when taken long term come with serious side effects including increased risk of dementia, heart attacks, kidney disease, stomach cancer, and strokes. Wouldn’t you prefer to dig into the root and get rid of it if it at all possible?

The natural understanding of acid reflux is that it is caused by the body compensating for a lack of digestive enzymes.  Those amazing enzymes do 75% of the work of digesting or breaking down your food in order to absorb the nutrients from them.  So having acid reflux is also a sign of malabsorption in many cases.  There is a very easy way to support your body and give it the help it needs to head back to “normal function” which is taking Digestive Enzymes with each meal each day to replenish the deficiency.  I have personally seen many people see such an improvement, they have been able to come of medications!

So if you or someone you know and love are suffering from acid reflux, then why not give digestive enzymes a try to see if they also work for you?  We offer excellent ones from both Solgar and Now.  In addition, probiotics along with the digestive enzymes can increase their effectiveness by replenishing the good gut bacteria and further aiding in the digestive process as well as preventing opportunistic infections which some studies are showing can be a contributing factor to acid reflux.

Come in today and ask us to show you our digestive enzyme and probiotic (both refrigerated and shelf stable) selection!

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Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera is an amazing plant!  I wanted to share with you today some of the benefits of taking Aloe Vera which we offer in both liquid and capsule form.

  • Excellent for Colon Health
  • Vital for Cell Health
  • Makes cells more resistant to viruses and pathogenic bacteria, by incorporating themselves into cell walls
  • Improves overall cellular metabolism and functioning
  • Reduces inflammation
  • Provides critical lubrication of joints; helping to prevent arthritis and to heal it once it has developed
  • Aids in the absorption of water, minerals, and nutrients in the GI tract
  • Reduces pain
  • Improves vascular flow
  • Reduces scarring
  • Improves macrophage activity as much as tenfold
  • Enhances macrophage effectiveness in modulating the entire immune system
  • Enhances macrophage effectiveness in stimulating, producing, and releasing antibodies
  • Increases the body’s own production of iinterlukins, particularly nterferon
  • Increases the number of antibody forming T-cells in the spleen
  • Increases the number and activity of killer T-cells and increase monocyte activity
  • Fights fungal infections, such as: Athlete’s foot, Ringworm, Pruritus Anivalvae, Balnea, Essential Pruritus, and Vaginal yeast infections
  • Helps heal athletic injuries such as: Muscle cramps, Sprains, Strains, Bruises, Swelling, Soreness, Tendonitis, and Bursitis.
  • Soothes and promotes the healing of intestinal disorders such as: Indigestion, Heartburn, Hyper-acidity, Peptic and Duodenal Ulcers, Colitis, and Hemorrhoids
  • Promotes the healing of kidney disorder
  • Helps with diabetes
  • Kills parasites such as: Pinworms and Threadworms
  • Speeds wound healing by as much as 35%
  • Reduces allergic reactions
  • Stimulates bone marrow activity
  • Stimulates fibroblasts to release collagen and elastin to make new tissue
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Gut Bacteria and Weight Loss

I always enjoy reading recent studies as they are published.  Another published study released this week showed that certain gut bacteria’s can make it harder to lose weight.  The study was conducted at Mayo Clinic and is yet another piece showing that the healthier we keep our guts using our diet (filled with lots of Organic fresh vegetables, fruits, and meats), probiotics to keep the good bacteria strongest, and occasional cleanses to make sure we flush out all the negative bacteria and other organisms in our gut, the better our overall health will be!  We can truly say “Health is based on our Gut!”