The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over the other.
My story may sound fairly typical. 20 years ago, I was a wife mother of two young children. I was working full time, running a household, running my kids to events, bowling, baseball, dance etc. Sound familiar? If that wasn’t enough I decided to go back to school and become an Educational Assistant for the school board. I juggled the work, the kids, my husband’s shift work. Isn’t that what every does? , I used to think to myself.
I look back and feel exhausted thinking about it. How did I do it.? I did it. But at age 39, I received a scary diagnosis of cervical cancer, and not just cervical cancer, what the doctors determined a rare aggressive form that if in my muscle, prognosis was not good.
Fortunately it wasn’t in my muscle and I came away with surgery and clear margins. I was thinking… how did I get this. I am healthy. I eat healthy, I exercise etc, etc. But I did learn that there was room for improvement in my diet, and my stress level was extremely high.
Fast forward…. I went back to school again, this time to study Holistic Nutrition. I still was extremely busy with working full time, taking the accelerated course in nutrition. Two years crammed in one. That just seems to be a pattern of mine. So ten years later, I am eating healthier, learning to keep stress levels down. Best of all, I teach others and teach students at CSNN (college I graduated from), how to keep healthy.
Over 50% of the clients I have worked with over the years, are experiencing high levels of stress. Especially women. As women I think we take on way too much. We take care of house, most of us work full time. Organize meals, scheduling of kids activities, and even help with our husband’s schedule’s.
I find a lot of women put their health and well being on the back burner. They come to me when they are so exhausted. They have come from the doctors with a so called clean bill of health, but certainly don’t feel they are fine. I look at the results of a health questionnaire that I have them fill out, and can see immediately their adrenal glands are affected, thyroid glands etc. They are relieved to find out it is not just in their heads, as often times told.
Research has found that 90% of illness that send people to the doctors, stems from high stress levels. Chronic stress is related to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hormone imbalances, anxiety, depression, dementia and cancers.
DNA stress. That is the stress that from internal and environmental. Your body has natural killer cells that help keep free radicals and toxins from destroying cells. If your body is bombarded with toxins and free radicals, the body can’t keep up and your DNA becomes damaged. Leading to disease.
External stressors such as GMO’s, pesticides, chemicals in water, food, and lack of nutrients are all stressors to the body. We must avoid as many chemicals as possible. That is why is it extremely important to eat as much organic as possible. Look for dirty dozen and clean 15 when buying fruits and veggies. Avoid GMO’s. 90% of soy, corn, canola, cotton, sugar beets are GMO. These have been proven to cause gut issues in people. Europe has made it mandatory that all GMO products are labelled when entering the country. Unfortunately in North America that is not the case. So if you purchase the above products without a NON GMO label or doesn’t say organic you are purchasing GMO’s. If you want more info please listen to Jeffrey Smith talk about the effects of GMO’s/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLlcvPtBACU.
One of the worst products that have been used on our food is glyphosate. This herbicide is sprayed on grains during the drying process. This therefore cannot be washed off. Even worse these foods are often popular foods fed to children. Research has shown that the way autism is on the rise, predictions are that 1 in 2 children will be autistic by 2025. It’s ironic that most Autistic children seem to find these foods their favourites. This is a list of foods containing glyphosates. https://www.naturalnews.com/2017-03-06-brand-name-processed-foods-found-laced-with-glyphosate-weed-killer.html.
Asthma has doubled between 1980-1995. Infertility increased 40% in 2002. Autism increased 10 fold. Over 200 chemicals found in the umbilical cords of babies.
Avoid toxins such as : BPA ( cans). Look for BPA free or buy glass. Avoid dioxins ( paper bleaching). Do not buy tampons unless organic. A women will putting dioxins inside her body. Avoid Phthalates found in plastics, cosmetics, children’s toys before 2009.
Avoid heavy metals: aluminum foil, cookware, arsenic in drinking water, rice products. Silver fillings in mouth. Signs and symptoms of heavy metals: fatigue, headaches, brain fog, severe cases, chronic pain, tremors, anemia, dizziness, poor coordination.
EMF’s- electrical magnetic fields. From WIFI, televisions, computers, etc. You can buy EMF machines to measure the amount in our home.
What can we do? : avoid all non food (processed food). Buy mostly organic or follow the dirty dozen , clean 15. Buy mostly organic grains to avoid glyphosate. Drink only filtered water. Do not drink from plastic water bottles. Do not drink water with fluoride and chlorine. Do not get fluoride treatments. Take a good quality multi vitamin with all the antioxidants and minerals you need to fight free radical damage. Look at nutrisearch comparative guide to nutritional supplements to find the companies that are rated high. Ask me about the one I have found is the highest rated but most affortable.
Making sure liver is detoxified is extremely important. Making sure the liver is healthy will help the liver to produce enough bile. That bile helps our bodies metabolize fats, absorb our nutrients and detox toxins and extra estrogen and cholesterol. A liver and gallbladder cleanse is highly recommended. I personally did the cleanse and expelled 100’s of stones.
When liver is stressed and full of toxins, people can experience anger, depression, anxiety, irritability. Allergies, chemical and environmental sensitivities, constipation, eye problems, red itchy eyes, headaches, migrains, fatigue, depression, moodiness, muscular pain,(fibromyalgia) chest and back tension, hormonal problems (PMS).
The liver loves Lemon water, beets, dark greens, chlorophll, milk thistle, curcumin, dandelion root, NAC, vitamin C.
Gluten can be a stressor for people. Wheat protein gliaden mimics the effects of foreign bacteria triggers zonulin causing elevated levels of inflammation,. Gluten sensitivity linked to schizophrenia. There is a direct correlation between blood sugar and dementia, inflammation that damages tissue in the body is the same in the brain. The brain has no pain receptors, so the person would have no idea if inflammation is going on.
Research indicates that inflammation may be the direct cause of depression. Depression and anxiety have been associated with hyperactivity of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis. Lower cortisol levels have been observed in depressed patients.
Alcohol is a brain depressant, depletes nutrients, disrupts sleep, leads to hypoglycemia.
Mood disorders linked to leaky gut disorders. Leaky gut is caused from antibiotics, processed foods, birth control pills. Children born by C section and not given antibiotics right after birth.
Bipolar disorder is an inflammatory condition. Brain inflammation leads to excitotoxicity, anxiety it also decreases neurotransmitters leading to depression and mood disorders. Other agents responsible are bacteria and viral bacteria infections, environmental toxins including metals, molds and food allergies. I have a company that I work with that I can send blood work away for allergy and zonulin testing, and hormone testing.
Oral contraceptives and depression and anxiety. Synthetic hormones changes the structure of the brain leading to depression, mood swings, nausea, blood clots, breast, liver and cervical cancer.
Low Vitamin D has been linked to depression. Should get at least 10 minutes of direct sunlight on skin everyday. If not you must take Vitamin D supplements. Min of 2000 IU a day.
Sugar suppresses the activity of a key growth hormone in the brain. derived neurotrophic factor (BCNF). This hormone promotes the health and maintenance of neurons in the brain and it plays a vital role in memory and learning by triggering the growth of new connections between neurons. BDNF levels are critically low in people with depression and schizophrenia.
Eliminate sugar, white bread, pasta, cookies, crackers, pastries,etc.
Curcumin anti inflammatory. Also acts on fat cells to help suppress chronic inflammation. Eating a healthy high fat diet with curcumin reduced weight, improves insulin levels.
Ashwagandha herb reduces cortisol thereby balancing hormones.
Frankincense oil ( boswellia) non steriodial anti inflammatory , work better than NSAIDS.
5HTP improves serotonin synthesis.
St Johns wart licensed in Germany to treat anxiety and depression and sleep disorders.
Probiotics, Omega 3 Fatty acids, vitamin B complex and Vitamin D.
Exercise and massge.
Spiritual side of optimal health. This is often times forgotten. I had always looked after my body and my mind by reading uplifting books, listening to CD’s etc. But just 3 years ago I delved into my spiritual journey. What does that mean? Well for me… I was a type A personality. I always was striving for perfection. Which in some cases that may be good. I felt I was always trying to become better. But the problem with that is I would have anxiety and fearful of the unknown, and always felt I needed to be in control. What have I discovered.? That the only one in charge is God. I have learned to pray, listen and obey to what I feel is placed in my heart to do daily. Some days,that is helping people. Sometimes my plans are changed because they are not God’s plan for me for that day. I have excepted that. I have come to realize that if you allow God to work in your life, you have less stress and have more grace for others, more faith and I know that God’s plan is all in his planning. What a great feeling to have. I am not alone in my journey, he has my best interests in mind, he never changes and I can trust him completely. I recommend if you haven’t tried saying yes to God, just try it and see what happens.
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. the courage to change the things that I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
The attitude of Gratitude.
God Bless and Good health.
Linda Murphy
