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Archive for the ‘Stress’ Category
What Can I Do About Allergies?
Allergies are a response from your body to things you breathe, eat or touch such as pollen, dust or dander. Most people experience the symptoms of allergies in one or more of these major body systems due to the release of histamine:
RESPIRATORY — increased histamine can cause muscle constriction and affect breathing.
LIVER — becomes weakened which causes its productivity to remove toxins to be hindered and the body’s response to invaders to be compromised.
ADRENALS — if the body is stressed,cortisol is released to try and promote an anti-inflammatory environment. Long term stimulation of adrenals can lead to a host of other problems.
IMMUNE SYSTEM — to fight off invaders, the body will increase in IgE antibodies, which causes the blood vessels to dilate, the intruder to migrate further into the system and the system to react with more severe symptoms.
The histamine response can be a vicious cycle. The body’s histamine response interferes with the proper function of your nervous system and your immunity. Many people wonder why sometimes they are affected by allergies and other times they’re not. This can happen when your nervous system is out of balance. If your body is already out of balance, it will not be able to handle any extra inflammation and will send histamine out improperly. Something has caused a shift in your threshold and now instead of being able to properly function, your immune system is on edge and overreacts to the slightest foreign substance. If your body is balanced, however, you will be able to handle the allergen without having a reaction.
We see commercials all the time that tell us that histamine is the culprit and by covering up histamine, we are now able to breathe again and are totally healthy. Is this really fixing the underlying problem? Your body was made to produce histamine. It is a necessary function of your body. Here are alternative treatments:
- Get adjusted regularly! Chiropractic adjustments help shift your nervous system toward the parasympathetic state and away from stress mode. This gives your body a chance to increase its immunity. It also removes any interference in the immunity pathways so your body can heal more efficiently.
- Make sure your lifestyle isn’t running you into the ground. Get rest, drink water, exercise, eat healthful foods! If you think one of the aforementioned things isn’t affecting your immunity, think again. Sometimes just changing those small things can make a big difference in the way we feel.
- Ask your chiropractor about the following supplements: homeopathic medications, essential fatty acids, probiotics, adrenal support and a good multivitamin with high anti-oxidants. One or more of your systems may need extra support and taking a simple supplement until it can function on its own may be an easy fix.
Be well,
Dr. Beights
Ready For The Holidays?
The holidays are right around the corner and you know what that means…feasts and parties! With the holidays bringing in flu and cold season, don’t you want to eat your pumpkin pie and enjoy it, too? Here are some great tips to keep you happy and healthy through the holiday season.
- Moderation is key. If you really want to enjoy that piece of pumpkin pie, skip the candied cranberry sauce and yeast rolls. Overloading your system with sugar or foods that easily convert to sugar can cause a major decline in the ability of your white blood cells to fight off germs.
- Prepare ahead. Remember last year when you chatted the night away with coworkers at the holiday party and ended up with only 4 hours of sleep? If you know it will be a late night, catch a few extra Z’s in the nights beforehand as well as after. Aim for 7-9 hours a night. They had a full buffet of desserts that you just couldn’t say “No” to? Consume about 300 less calories for a day or two before and after that big calorie-fest.
- Optimize your vitamin D. Not only is it great for bone health but it’s powerful to your immune system! Check out my earlier blog for detailed info.
- De-stress your day. Stressed out? Take a breath and make a laugh! Deep breathing exercises have been proven to lower blood pressure and relax muscles and deep-bellied laughs have shown to raise natural killer cells and interferons. If stress is overtaking your day, make sure you are getting adjusted more often to help balance out that nervous system. Keeping your body in a sympathetic state too long will surely make you susceptible to illness.
- Make it berry merry. Eat berries regularly to increase your vitamin C levels as well as your powerful antioxidants (cancer fighters).
- Get a whole body checkup. Make an appointment to make sure you aren’t in need of extra supplements or boosts to your nervous system to get healthy. Chiropractic care has been proven to boost the immune system and prevent illness.
If you are concerned about your health or have any other questions about the upcoming cold and flu season, don’t hesitate to contact me. Make it a great holiday season this year!
-Dr. Jennifer Beights
Stress Relief Starts Within
Stressed out? Don’t let it overrun your life. It’s easy to say, but if we spent more times caring about ourselves we might live a little longer and sleep a little better. Today we’re so wrapped up in life (money problems, dual income/working families, bad economy) it’s no wonder people have issues with stress making them physically sick or even causing them to suffer some forms of depression.
When you are stressed, your brain sends out specific chemicals and your body responds with hormones to try and deal with the problem. Unfortunately if these chemicals and hormones release too often they can cause many problems within your body. Weight gain, headaches, back aches, decreased immunity…the list goes on but I think you get my point. Prolonged exposure to high levels of stress can cause your entire physiology to change. By working on the part of the nervous system that opposes stress, chiropractic adjustments, along with supplementation and my guidance can help balance you out, naturally, and counteract the negative affects on your body.
Call me today to set up your appointment for stress relief!
(817)-488-4466
-Dr. Beights
How To Handle The Holiday Stresses
The holidays are upon us. To most that means good food, good people and extra stress! According to a study conducted by the American Psychological Association, the top reasons for the extra stress are not enough money, not enough time and the fear of racking up more credit card debt. If you’re feeling the extra stresses this holiday season, keep in mind that you are not alone.
This same poll concluded that holiday stress is a growing concern as 25 percent of Americans are worried that the excess stress could affect their physical health. In order to cope with these stresses over one-third of Americans stated they turn to eating and drinking alcohol. On a positive note, the poll revealed that 45 percent of Americans use exercise to cope with stress, while 44 percent utilize religious and spiritual practices. Most people turn to what they are most familiar with when faced with stressful situations and as such, a common familiar coping strategy involves eating or drinking alcohol.
Rather than resorting to these short-term fixes, here are some healthier and longer-lasting stress-relieving techniques as written in Science Blog Dec 2004.
- Think of holidays as a way to reconnect with people and solidify good relationships
- Keep your holiday task list simple to avoid overwhelming yourself by setting goals that aren’t realistic
- Look at stressful situations in a broader context and keep a handle on blowing things out of proportion
- Before a holiday stressor gets the best of you, find out what the underlying cause of the stressful situation is and focus on that
- Don’t ignore your own needs and remember to take the time to participate in activities that are meaningful and relaxing to you
By practicing these techniques and taking care of yourself, the mind and body will become stronger and more resilient to stressful situations as they surface throughout the holiday season.
-Dr. Jennifer Beights