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Description
Life is stressful. There is no way around the fact that the course of a human life will include both positive and negative stressors, from planning the birth of a child to setting the will of a deceased loved one, from paying bills to looking for and landing a dream job, from getting on a plane to an island vacation spot to walking into the biggest meeting of your life. Stress is a normal reaction to physical, emotional, and mental challenges, even the great ones.
The problems arise when stress becomes our go-to state, and we cannot come down from or off the elevated responses we have to a stressful situation. The body is a powerful adjustor, but often the hormones released under stress, the cortisol and adrenaline that give us the ability to fight or flee, stay high enough to keep us on edge, and eventually take a toll on our health. Those stress responses, if they continue beyond the duration of the actual challenge or situation, give us no relief, no relaxation, and the hormones continue to stay in our system, disrupting our sleep, digestion, heart rate, mental clarity, and mood. A 2020 study in the British Medical Journal “Open” with 38,000 Finnish adults showed that chronic heavy stress was associated with a decreased life expectancy for both men and women.
There are two kinds of stress. Acute stress is short-term and goes away once the challenge is met or a better response is adopted. It can be positive stress over an exciting new challenge or dealing with a flooded basement unexpectedly. We all experience acute stress throughout our lives. Chronic stress is longer-lasting and often revolves around marriage and family issues, illnesses, money problems, and ongoing trouble with a work or career. This kind of stress is deadlier because of the possibility that you will adapt to it over time, not realizing that there is a more peaceful way of living. Chronic stress means chronic high levels of the fight-or-flight hormones that make you feel on edge, with tense muscles, a quick pulse, sweating, and anxiety.
Too much stress leads to inflammation in the body, and a higher risk of heart disease, strokes, cancer, diabetes, skin problems, high blood pressure, insomnia, high blood sugar, heartburn and indigestion, headaches, fatigue, weight gain, and mental issues such as depression and panic attacks. If you already have these conditions, the addition of chronic stress makes it much worse.
Both kinds of stress, when not dealt with properly or gotten under control, can lead to the following symptoms: Chest pain and racing heart; Sweating; Trouble having sex; Stomach aches; Headaches; Indigestion, diarrhea, and constipation; Exhaustion; Insomnia and trouble falling and staying asleep when you do sleep; Jaw clenching; Muscle aches and tension; Panic attacks and mood swings; Skin rashes, eczema, psoriasis outbreaks; High blood pressure; Menstrual problems; Easily catching colds and flus; Stiff neck; Weight loss or weight gain; Excessive use of drugs, gambling, shopping, sex, smoking, eating, or alcohol to “wind down”; and Forgetfulness and poor memory recall.
So many things in life can stress us out. Weddings, divorces, new jobs, being fired, retiring, deaths, illnesses, moving, having a baby...If the stress is ongoing and there is no relief, it is always best to seek the help of a doctor or therapist that can help you work on responses and coping behaviors. This is especially helpful if there is trauma or violence involved, or you are not processing grief and moving forward after a long period of time. You will know when stress has gotten the best of you if you stay tuned in to how you feel and what is happening. There are signs all around you, and if you ignore them, it could result in an accident or illness.
There are many ways you can naturally deal with stress, as we will explore here in this section. In the herbs and plants list, and the natural remedies, are other suggestions for managing stress. You do have control over your body’s autonomic nervous system, and manage your heart rate, blood pressure, and mood to become more resilient.
One of the best things to do is try to avoid being overwhelmed before stress occurs. This can be achieved by thinking positive, meditation and praying regularly, talking to friends and loved ones when stressed out, getting out in nature, exercising, eating healthy, and finding some spiritual practice to soothe the soul. Getting into and keeping a routine often helps you regain a sense of control when life seems chaotic. This can be as simple as adopting a morning routine of yoga out on your back patio, or structuring your day to include mini-breaks, or getting in some exercise early to have more energy later or cut off all work-related communications before dinner is served and spend your evenings engaged with family, friends, or doing some activity that brings you joy and a sense of calm.
Having more structure can also extend to goals. Stress accompanies overwhelm, so if you have goals, breaking them down into structured, small bits that can be achieved easily gives you more control and the sense of accomplishment to keep you motivated.
Relaxation techniques such as breathing exercises can be done whenever stress arises, and you can do them at your desk, in your car, or in bed before you get up in the morning. At the end of the day, you can try a cup of herbal tea to soothe the nerves before attempting sleep. Perhaps a phone call or facetime chat with a good friend and a glass of wine is all you need to wind down. Maybe journaling or taking a long, hot bath is your thing. If you make self-care a regular part of your day, you will find that you handle stress much better when it does show up, with a lot less anxiety and lack of control.
Chronic stress leads to physical, mental, and emotional burn-out. You feel as if you have hit a wall and there is no way past it. What was a natural response to your environment is now a beast you cannot keep caged. But there are many ways to release all that blocked and stored up excess energy and to decompress even in the most trying of situations that don’t involve taking pharmaceuticals with dangerous side-effects. Getting stress under your control and learning new ways to be more resilient and adaptive will not only benefit your health, but those who love you and spend the most time with you.
According to Dr. Tony Hampton, for his column at Diet Doctor, you can deal with stress in negative ways, by eating too much comfort foods, turning to drugs or alcohol, sleeping too much or too little, and not paying attention to your stress responses. You can also deal with it in positive ways, such as a healthy diet, getting exercise and movement, breathing deeply, thinking positive, reframing the situation in a more positive way, changing your interpretations about an event, taking supplements like Vitamin B and magnesium that help you deal with stress, and being grateful and mindful of the present moment. He suggests you also work to identify your stressors first, as a way to face them directly and understand how you can reduce their impact and influence in the future.
Dr. Hampton writes, “One of the greatest lessons I’ve learned to reduce my stress is to take care of my needs first, set boundaries, and say no. When I do, I have much more to give to others. I cannot help others effectively if I cannot help myself first.”
The idea of caring for ourselves first may feel selfish to some, but it is critical. If we are sick, tired, and irritable, how can we possibly be of benefit to anyone else? Dr. Hampton brings up boundaries and learning to say no. In this hectic, 24/7-connected world where we are always accessible, putting boundaries into place to protect our time and energy is essential. It starts with learning how to say no.
Boundaries
Before you can begin to take better care of yourself, you need to know where you begin and others end. You need to stop living to please others, feeling their feelings, worrying over things you cannot control, and trying to insert yourself into someone else’s life, or let someone do the same in yours. You need boundaries.
The idea of boundaries often leaves people feeling selfish, as if they are cutting others out and pushing others away. The truth is, boundaries are necessary for well-being to identify where we begin and end when interacting with others. All too often, those lines of demarcation blend and merge and we find ourselves in a co-dependent situation where we no longer have a strong sense of identity.
Having boundaries keeps healthy and mature, because it holds us to an authenticity of thoughts, behaviors, and actions that are ours and ours alone, unaffected by the desires of others. Our boundaries let others know what we will accept, and not accept, and when someone disrespects us or breaches our personal space, we let them know not to do it again. Establishing strong boundaries is about keeping our life our life and not someone else’s, but also respecting that we end somewhere, too, and they begin. It’s impossible to ask others to respect our boundaries if we don’t reciprocate.
Then, when we interact, we do so from a healthy position where we know what we want, and are not engaging in people-pleasing, co-dependent, or enmeshed behaviors.
Once we establish boundaries, and they may be different with everyone we meet or every situation we find ourselves in, then we move on to the next pre-requisite for a plan of self-care – learning what to say yes to, and what to say no to without guilt or apologizing. Only when we have strong boundaries will we be able to accomplish this and protect our time and energy.
We all know the power of saying “yes” to life, to new people and experiences, to going for our dreams. But too often we find ourselves exhausted and burnt out, pulled in ten different directions, no longer able to find pleasure in the things we once loved to do. You know the feeling, when life becomes a chore and your calendar is so full, you barely have a moment to go to the bathroom.
Creating and enforcing your boundaries may be perceived by others as being selfish and spoiled. The truth is the opposite. It’s the ultimate form of self-care, being able to spend your time and energy doing the things that are important to you, not to someone else you are trying to please, or appease.
Here are some tips to creating and sticking to boundaries:
About the Author
Acknowledgments
Preface
Introduction
1. What is Natural Health?
2. What is Well-Being?
3. Diet and Nutrition
4. Vitamins, Minerals, and Supplements
5. Herbs and Plants as Good Medicine
6. The Power of Movement
7. Stress Relief
8. Aromatherapy and Essential Oils
9. Sleep Your Way to Better Health
10. Brain Power
11. Positively Healthy Aging
12. Nurturing the Spirit
13. Healing Remedies
14. Nature Heals Us, But Can We Heal Nature?
Bibliography
Index
Sujets
Informations
| Publié par | Visible Ink Press |
| Date de parution | 03 mai 2022 |
| Nombre de lectures | 0 |
| EAN13 | 9781578597819 |
| Langue | English |
| Poids de l'ouvrage | 15 Mo |
Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,1000€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.
Extrait
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgements
Photo Sources
What Is Natural Health?
What Is Well-Being?
Diet and Nutrition: You Are What You Eat
Vitamins, Minerals, and Supplements
Herbs and Plants as Good Medicine
The Power of Movement
Stress Relief
Aromatherapy and Essential Oils
Connecting to Yourself and Others
Nature Power
Sleep Your Way to Better Health
Brainpower
Positively Healthy Aging
Nurturing the Spirit
Healing Remedies
Nature Heals Us, but Can We Heal Nature?
Further Reading
Appendix: Herbs and Plants from A to Z
Index
PHOTO SOURCES
Botanicus.org : p. 394 ,
Daderot (Wikicommons): p. 299 .
DPic (Wikicommons): p. 253 .
Frank and Frances Carpenter Collection, Library of Congress: p. 36 .
Institute of Advanced Studies in Culture: p. 6 .
Phil Konstantin: p. 308 .
Sean Markwei: p. 26 .
Shutterstock: pp. 3 , 9 , 12 , 15 , 17 , 21 , 23 , 29 , 30 , 32 , 40 , 43 , 51 , 53 , 56 , 58 , 61 , 64 , 66 , 68 , 72 , 74 , 76 , 79 , 82 , 84 , 88 , 91 , 99 , 103 , 104 , 107 , 109 , 112 , 114 , 119 , 121 , 124 , 127 , 129 , 132 , 135 , 137 , 139 , 142 , 146 , 148 , 150 , 155 , 158 , 161 , 164 , 168 , 169 , 173 , 179 , 183 , 185 , 189 , 196 , 198 , 202 , 205 , 209 , 212 , 217 , 218 , 224 , 227 , 233 , 237 , 240 , 245 , 247 , 248 , 255 , 259 , 265 , 267 , 270 , 275 , 278 , 281 , 285 , 289 , 291 , 295 , 297 , 301 , 304 , 310 , 313 , 321 , 327 , 330 , 331 , 334 , 337 , 339 , 342 , 345 , 347 , 354 , 355 , 357 , 359 , 361 , 364 , 366 , 369 , 372 , 375 , 384 , 387 , 389 , 391 , 395 , 397 , 400 , 403 , 406 , 408 , 416 .
Visible Ink Press: p. 325 .
Marcus Wieman: p. 23 .
Public Domain: p. 96 .
DISCLAIMER
Information in this book is not meant as a replacement for medical treatment, nor is it intended to substitute for the advice of your physician. It is meant for educational and information purposes only. If you have any questions about your health, please always seek help from a health care professional.
INTRODUCTION
Our ancestors lived off the land. They hunted prey for food and clothing, using skins for shelter from the elements. They picked berries and plants for sustenance, and, most likely through trial and error, knew which were not to be consumed. They knew where the good, clean water sources were (the ones not being used by hungry lions and tigers), and how to use plants and leaves and parts of trees to heal wounds. Everything they needed was provided by nature.
They worked with the cycles of nature, the sun and moon phases and the seasons. There was a time to hunt and a time to grow, a time to move and a time to stay put. Their connection to the planet and its forces, laws, and cycles was strong and uninterrupted by the distractions of our modern times.
Today, unless we hunt, have our own land to farm, and collect our own rainwater, most of us won t go to such trouble as to acquire our own food, water, and the fabrics we wear. We buy them at stores, or we order them online to be delivered to our doorstep. When we don t feel well or need to dress a wound, we go to the store and buy pills and bandages and ointments. For more serious ailments, we go to the doctor and do what they tell us, often without questioning it or asking for a second opinion.
It s premade, prefabricated, processed, put together, produced, and promoted to us.
With such ease at our fingertips, we must wonder why humanity is so sick and tired? We must ask, if everything has been made so easy for us to get, why is our health suffering? If all the stress and strain has been taken out of daily existence, why are we so burdened with disease, stress, and lack of well-being?
Maybe it s time we get back to basics and take another long look at what our planet has to offer.
Nature doesn t need us. It can survive just fine-in fact, thrive-without human interference. But maybe we need nature more than we thought we did. Modern life is all about comfort and ease, quick fixes, and instant gratification. When we feel sick, we are told to take pills. When we can t sleep, we are told to take pills. When we have no joy in our lives, we are told to take pills. There seems to be a pill for everything these days, and in many cases, ten pills. Big Pharma has stepped forward as our savior, health advisor, doctor, and therapist, all rolled into one big industry that doesn t care about us beyond the extent that we can continue using their products.
Health care has become sick care, with little in the way of advice on how to truly get and stay healthy. Lifestyle takes a back seat to a readily written-out prescription, and diet and exercise are afterthoughts after we ve been saddled with ten different pills to make our boo boos better. Our bodies and minds are objects to be altered with chemicals; our spirits are the targets of stressful distractions meant to keep us from realizing we have the power.
We do have the power to take back our health and our lives.
Have you ever wondered why, despite the proliferation of drugs on the market and advertisements suggesting you ask your doctor if _____ is right for you, people are sicker than ever? Why, with so many choices in pharmaceuticals, are the rates of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and auto-immune diseases rising, along with allergies, respiratory diseases, COPD, obesity ? Shouldn t we be getting healthier with so many magic pills to choose from? With such an abundance of food choices at the grocery stores and access to water through our faucets and plastic bottles and jugs, shouldn t we be healthy and lean and strong? With a gym on every corner, along with a personal trainer, shouldn t we all be lean? There are so many books, videos, programs, products, pills, methods, and treatments that it s exhausting to list them all; they are pushed on us via the media and sold to us via our allopathic, Westernized medical system. You d think we would all be living long, satisfying lives well into our 100s.
Instead, we are still dying young, or living to an old age but barely able to function physically or mentally. The older we get, the more that ails us, and the more doctors pile on the meds and the surgeries and the treatments. Even our children are popping pills for at tention, focus, and for just being wild, free, unruly children. We are overmedicated but constantly under the weather.
Yes, there are times when a pill or prescription is a lifesaver, such as during a heart attack or to lower dangerously high blood pressure; this book does not deny that fact. Yes, there are times when a doctor or surgeon can save a life. But all too often we are pushed toward the halls and rooms of allopathic medicine and told to take handfuls of pills with deadly side effects or lack of safety studies, even though there are solutions to our problems that offer far fewer, if any, side effects. Naturopathic medicine will never replace allopathic medicine entirely, but at least it will walk alongside it as a powerful alternative. In many cases, it might even pull ahead and win the race when it comes to the holistic health of the body, mind, and spirit.
Shouldn t we at least give it a chance? If you care about your health, perhaps it s time to go back to the garden and revel in and relish the gifts that Earth has to offer. Because those gifts are numerous and include greater well-being for the physical vessel we call our bodies and for the brains that power them, as well as our much-neglected spirits, a more natural health equation could brings us back into balance.
Don t throw out all your meds or tell your general doctor to take a hike. This book asks only that you open your mind to another side of healthy living that does not come from a chemical warehouse or a pharmaceutical rep s briefcase. There is plenty of room for both, but shouldn t you at least have the choice, the knowledge, and the power to decide which route you wish to take toward a life of greater health and well-being? No prescription is needed, other than your time, focus, and willingness to learn.
Throughout this book, I will cite scientific studies to back up the claims made by natural health modalities and techniques. Always talk to your doctor about trying anything new with herbs, exercise, or diet, and, if possible, find a doctor who is a naturopath or at least willing to embrace natural remedies. Be your own advocate, and if something doesn t resonate don t try it. At the very least, this book will offer plenty of methods and ways to improve health on many levels and bring back a harmonious balance to your life.
Whether you have too much stress, cannot sleep at night, are looking for forms of exercise that are not brutal and injurious, or want to start a practice of gratitude, it s all here. Allow this book to be your feel good manual to help you on your journey and share it with others you love and care about.
Before you reach for a pill to stop a headache or some junk food to comfort you during a stressful time, stop and look here for a better choice, a better alternative, one that will both deal with the problem at hand and nourish you in general. Too often, we turn to the fast fixes in life, only to find out later they came with baggage that ruins our well-being down the road. That s not healthy living. That s putting a bandage on a wound that, once it festers, could lead to a dangerous infection or inflammation later.
Your health choices should not be aimed at merely covering up symptoms. Healing happens on a much deeper level. It is worth your time and effort to seek out something better that will change the way you live for long-lasting health.
You deserve to be healthy. You deserve to be well. You deserve a longer life with a sharper mind, a stronger body, and a resilient spirit. You deserve each gift the natural world has to offer.
Let s go see what those gifts are.
What Is Natural Health?
T he word natural means existing or caused by nature, not made or caused by humankind when used as an adjective. It can
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