Spring Fatigue? What to do about it Besides Adrenal Support.

The days are getting brighter and warmer but are you feeling more tired? It's weird because you are getting the same number of hours of sleep but still feel tired. What can you do about it?
 
Here are a couple Reasons for Spring Fatigue:
 
Maladjusted Circulation
During the winter, animals hibernate. In humans the capillaries on the surface of the skin constrict more so that more blood flow goes to the organs and brain when it is colder. These physiological cycles can occur even if you are living in places were there is not very extreme temperature   fluctuations. During the spring, the capillaries open up more on the surface of the skin and more blood is directed to the periphery. During the time of adjustment, the shunting of blood to the surface reduces blood flow to the brain and organs making you feel more tired until your body adjusts. There are supplements that can help improve circulation. Exercise can help improve your oxygen capacity, allowing more oxygen to oxygenate your cells, helping you feel more awake and energized.
  
Qi Stagnation
Qi stagnation is another common reason for fatigue, especially if you momentarily feel better after you move. You have various meridians (energy channels) that supply your organs. For example, you have a liver, spleen, kidney, heart, lung and intestinal meridians (just to name a few). If there is a traffic jam at a certain point in the meridian, the traffic moves slower. This stuck-ness is called qi stagnation. If there is stuck-ness, energy cannot flow and you have reduced function. Achy pain is also characteristic of Qi stagnation.
 
Many patients feel much better overall and have improved energy after we correct qi stagnation. You can have qi stagnation in the liver but not in the lung meridian, for example, so it is helpful to determine which areas have stagnation in your case. For example:
 
-Qi stagnation to the heart can result in fatigue, heart palpitations, and insomnia.

-Qi stagnation to the spleen (digestion) can result in fatigue, hair loss, bloating, and digestive issues.
 
-Qi stagnation to the liver can result in fatigue, frustration, feeling stuck in life, and headaches.
 
What contributes to qi stagnation? Overthinking, using the brain too much, prolonged periods of certain emotions (frustration, worry, disappointment, self-criticism, resentment ect.), lack of movement, eating too much sugar and carbs, and an office job can all contribute to qi stagnation.
 
It is very common to go to adrenal support supplements to address adrenal fatigue when fatigue is an issue. However, if you have little improvement with adrenal supplements may want to look into other issues that contribute to fatigue. It would be nice to feel good and have the energy so that you are not behind or overwhelmed with day to day activities. Feel free to reach out to me and I would be happy to help you.
 

Fatigue? What Gobbled Up Your Energy?

I didn’t watch all the Harry Potter movies when they came out, but decided to check them out this new year. They’re quite interesting even for an adult…gorgeous imaginative scenery, creative, and transports me to a different world for a bit for some relaxing work/life balance. The movies got me thinking about ENERGY. Are you putting up with your own fatigue and trying to push through your day, running on empty? Not fun, not good, Photo Credit Epictop10 not healthy.

So in the movies Voldemort (the bad guy), would consume unicorns blood, and in another instance the life force of a little girl to make himself stronger, to keep him from dying. It’s just a story, a bit disturbing nonetheless. But it suggests the transfer of qi, lifeforce, or energy in a way that can deplete or fortify oneself.

It would be a bit creepy if someone could “vampire” your energy and make you fatigued. I don’t personally agree with this hypothesis because you should and can have more ability over your body than being at the mercy of someone else. But have you ever felt that when you are around certain people you get more tired? They could be an ailing parent, an angry spouse, a difficult co-worker, a demanding friend etc. Sometimes it really feels like these people take away from you.

They cannot take what you will not allow. Here’s what I’ve seen in my years of practice about other people and YOUR ENERGY.

-2^nd law of thermodynamics: Energy flows from high concentration to low concentration. Healthy people have higher energy than sick people. Good mood people have higher energy frequency than low mood people. For example, joy, bliss, love, passion have higher measured hertz frequencies than anger, hate, jealousy, resentment, depression. This can be one of the reasons why you feel drained when you go into a room filled with negativity. There is something said about surrounding yourself with people that are supportive of you, where you feel safe, calm, loved, or comfortable with, that due to thermodynamics explains why you are more energized under these circumstances. If for some reason this cannot be possible for you, I have some ways to help you lower the negative effects of your environment on you.

-The less triggered you are by other people’s actions or words, the less what they do, or who they choose to be will affect you. There are ways to reset your nervous system so you can be more equanimous (neutral feelings, in control of your faculties, being an observer rather than reacting).

-Some statistics state that for most humans 80% of thoughts are negative and 95% of thoughts are repetitive. What? So only 5% of daily thoughts are new thoughts. Lots of redundancy.

How many times do you repeat your “to do list” over and over, till it is so overwhelming that you spend more time thinking about it rather than doing? What about the times you re-play a situation gone wrong over and over. These negative or repetitive thoughts take up a lot of energy. What if you can train your mind to be more efficient, so you are more efficiency and you don’t need to waste energy on repetitive thoughts.

I’ve had a few patients come to me sometimes taking 15 supplements, confused and at their wits end. They didn’t even realize, how much chatter is going on in their mind, until we did some work to balance their nervous system and quiet their minds. Once their mind was quieter, their energy started getting better.

I use a 2 pronged approach. If a fire hydrant is leaking, you need to stop the leak then clean up the flood. In medicine, if you’re not feeling well, you need to address the cause, then “clean up or make better” the body. Supplements are great when used correctly to match your body type, and current state it is in. For fatigue, not all adrenal support formulas will work for you. It needs to be medically specific for you. Choosing the right formulations will give much better results. Supplementation would be the “clean up and fortify” part. It’s very important.

We must also not forget, to “stop the leak”. We must stop whatever is causing your body to lose energy. We must teach your body to utilize energy more effectively. We can reduce your wasted energy expenditure (tensing muscles, overthinking, depressive thoughts, ineffective multi-tasking etc) so that you HAVE energy reserves, rather than RUN ON your reserves. Addressing both prongs gives you better results.

We look at what was discussed above as well as any medical factors

-thyroid

-hormone balance

-mineral imbalances

-heavy metal toxicity

-adrenals

-mitochondrial function

-mold toxicity

-TCM patterns

As this new year approaches, take a look at your life and see what you can intentionally implement that supports your energy. I hope some of the thoughts above gave some inspiration to bettering your life, energy and health. If you are suffering from fatigue, please reach out to me. I would be honored to help you.

Reverse New Years Resolutions

3 Ways to REVERSE Resolutions and get what you want more easily

I want to thank you for the privilege and your trust in working together towards your health needs. Wishing you a happy new year filled with health, vibrancy, a sense of peace, prosperity and a renewed zest in life. Photo Credit: Jernej Furman

The new year is a time we all like to make resolutions, but regular life happens and then somehow it is another year again! What has not worked, probably wont' work. It is probably a waste of your precious efforts to try to do the same thing that didn't work and get disappointed. So how about we shake things up and REVERSE things. Let's flip it upside down. There is a high chance it will be easier. And it will work. 

1. REMOVE ONE THING. If you are someone who on your ideal day, you can think of 6 good things to do for your health but none of them get done, because they are all good, but too overwhelming...how about you not add more. You may be already overwhelmed with life. Adding more things to do is just more stressful. Let's do the opposite. REMOVE one thing that can benefit your health. Choose just one thing to keep it simple. You can pick one thing to REMOVE for one week, or one month, then change to something else. Here are some ideas for you, remember, be nice to yourself and just pick one. 
-Remove sugary drinks, soda, or coffee
-Stop staying up late at night
-Take out one snack during the day
-Stop fearful thoughts
-Turn off the TV half our before bed
-Take out carbs in 1 of your meals

2. ADD ONE THING. If you are someone who is tired of people telling you not to do something, this one is for you. All the restrictions makes you feel like doing it more. It feels like a reward to have what you cannot have. Instead of doing the "do nots" for health, how about just add something that is beneficial for you. You can make progress this way too. Remember, be nice to yourself and just pick one. Here are some ideas:
-Eat 2 cups of vegetables daily (instead of focusing on restricting foods, just get in 2 cups of good stuff)
-Drink 2 glasses of lemon water daily, then 6 cups of regular water. 
-Meditate for 10 minutes
-Tell each person in your household one thing you are grateful about them
-Before you sleep, praise yourself for 2 things
-take your vitamins consistently

3. WHY. "Because my doctor said", "because I should", "I better..." just makes me feel like it is all a burden. Who really wants to do something for these reasons? Why do you want to get healthy? Why is health important to you? What will change in your life if you had your health back? What can you have that you don't have now because of your health? Ask yourself these questions. A deeper purpose that may be even bigger than yourself, can be a beautiful motivator for you to take the steps towards what you want. When you have the "fire" and the inspiration, you'll love to do it. It will be easier. It will be more successful. 

And if you need some guidance and specific direction on how to get there with your health, I am honored to be there for you. Happy New Year! 

Natural Remedies and Energy Medicine for Dopamine Related Disorders

Dopamine is a brain chemical (neurotransmitter). Did you know that there can be some types of depression that is related to low levels of dopamine? Usually we think of the neurotransmitter serotonin for mood, but understanding your specific brain chemistry can make a big difference in the success of therapies.

Serotonin deficient depression presents more with:

-sadness, crying

-poor emotional regulation

-mood swings

-fatigue

Dopamine deficient depression presents more with:

-lack of motivation

-apathy

-loss of joy in activities that were fun

-feeling helpless

Low levels of dopamine associated with:

-Depression

-Lack of motivation

-Lack of pleasure

-Parkinson’s disease

High levels of dopamine associated with:

-addiction

-schizophrenia

-hallucinations

-mania

-nausea/vomiting

-restless leg syndrome

There are 5 receptors for dopamine. D1, D2, D3, D4 and D5. They function differently. D1 and D5. D1 and D5 dopamine receptors are linked to G proteins that activate adenylate cyclase. D2, D3, D4 are linked to G proteins that inhibit adenylate cyclase. Different receptors are associated with different functions or conditions if function is out of balance.

Studies show D2 receptor activity is important for a process called apoptosis and important to keep certain neurological tumors at bay. Some people have developed anti-bodies against D2 receptors in dopaminergic neurons in the brain, and this can lead to the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease.

Depending on the condition, it is important to understand if you have high or low levels of dopamine. There is a test that we can run for this. It may also be helpful to know if certain receptors or under or over active. And lastly it may be helpful to know if the immune system is creating any auto-immunity against certain dopamine receptors or dopaminergic neurons. Certain supplements may be helpful in addressing early imbalances with the above.

Energy work such as Pranic healing has also been extremely effective for neurological issues. For example in Parkinson’s disease the basic chakra and the body is very depleted because the spine is clogged with diseased energy and cannot transmit energy and nerve conductivity properly. The ajna and back head chakras are overactivated and depleted at the same time to compensate for lack of energy from the basic chakra moving up to nourish the rest of the body and head. Malfunction in the back head chakra leads to degeneration of certain nerve cells that produce dopamine. In early stages, Pranic healing can be very helpful for this condition.

Another example: We address the basic chakra in depression. When someone does not have the will to live, or is suicidal, their basic chakra is extremely depleted. Cleansing and energizing the basic chakra is key to both physically caused depression as well as more emotionally caused depression. For depression that is more of a physical issue, addressing the navel, solar plexus and spleen chakras are important.

For depression that is more due to psychological factors, addressing the upper chakras help cleanse negative thoughts and provide energy to integrate positive truths. Some patients who have gone to therapy often know, “I should let go” “This doesn’t need to stress me out” etc. But physically they still feel the anxiety or feel uneasy. It’s not that easy to “think” it away. Pranic healing can help integrate the nervous system so the new truths feel real. It’s like the brain getting married to the heart.

Usually both physical and emotional factors need to be addressed in depression. Utilizing both natural supplements and proper energy healing can be very beneficial for these patients to feel functional, happy and themselves again.

Is Cold Therapy Good or Bad for the Immune System?

I remember when I was a kid, our family would go to Carmel Beach often to visit. If you haven’t been there, the water is always ice cold! One Christmas on college break, we decided to go back there and I wanted to challenge myself to immerse into the ice-cold ocean. Well most Asian parents don’t want their kids to get cold, because you could get sick. But my parents were pretty open minded. So my sister and I ran up and down the beach till we were warm, then polar plunged into the Dec 25^th cold ocean. It was cold. Photo Credit James Petts

To my surprise the shock of the cold made me laugh. When I got out of the water, the feeling of the blood rushing was invigorating. And then there was a sense of bliss, accomplishment, self-resolve and confidence that flooded over me. That was unexpected.

Cryotherapy, the “Ice Man”, and contrast hydrotherapy seem to be hot therapies lately. How does it work? A study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10444630) showed an increase in WBCs (white blood cells) and NK cells (a particular type of T cell, the fights viruses and cancer) when subjects were exposed to cold, after having been preheated with exercise.

But a different study published in the International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17705968/) concluded that exposure to cold is associated with an increase in respiratory disease. And that the longer the duration of exposure to cold, the higher the risk of infection. This study seems to be in line with the Chinese old wives tales of “don’t get cold, or you’ll get sick.”

In-fact in Chinese medicine TCM certain conditions are associated with “cold” such as arthritis being worse in cold, or poor digestion with “cold” in the middle Jiao. Hives are often associated with “internal wind” imbalances. Sometimes “wind” imbalance in the head can cause brain fog, or dizziness. Usually patients with these conditions do not have enough qi (or prana) to expel these external influences trapped inside the body such as cold, damp, or wind and physical disease occurs. And here’s where herbs, and energy work come into play to help.

Back to cold exposure, there is a lot of evidence and people reporting improved immunity, improved circulation, decreased depression, improved mood, improved focus, decrease fatigue, decreased pain etc. that comes with practicing cold exposure. It looks like there is conflicting data. My personal opinion is that it depends on body type and also one’s current health in time. Someone who is constitutionally “depleted” may not do well with cold therapy. Cold therapy also should be done gradually and trained. It is also important that the body is warm (such as after exercise, a hot shower/bath, sauna etc) before exposing to cold. Do not let yourself feel internally chilled, because in my experience that can increase susceptibility to getting sick. But an invigorating shock of cool/cold to a warm body for a short period of time can sometimes be beneficial.

You can easily start by taking a hot shower, then doing a couple rounds of 2 min hot and (10-30 seconds of cold). Initially just turn the water cooler, so you feel a difference. This will alert the autonomic nervous system (often improving mood, decreasing anxiety, waking up the immune system etc). As you are more accustomed, you can slowly turn the water colder and increase the time for your cold blast.

“To expose to cold, or to not expose to cold…this is the question.” Let me know what you think and what your experiences are.