In this episode, Dr. Toni talks with holistic nutrition professional and author Barbara Rempel about the basics you need to know about using essential oils for the health of you and your family. The use of highly concentrated plant extracts or aromatherapy has been around for hundreds of years and the interest in the therapeutic effects of essential oils is growing. Listen in to learn more.
A responsibility to improve lives through natural lifestyles nudged Barbara to leave her 18 year career in IT and follow her passion of “all things natural”, which led her to attain her certification as a Holistic Nutrition Professional in 2005. As director of a residential Health Retreat she saw noticeable evidence of improving attendees’ health in a matter of 5-14 days with simple detoxification protocols based on nutrition. On the behest of her clients asking “How do YOU eat?” she co-authored the book “Cleansing With Food”
When she started adding dōTERRA essential oils to her recommendations, her clients raved about their results. From there, Barbara found the easiest way to empower people to be in control of their own healthy lifestyles was to provide a “Ditch and Switch” education. Now she is a holistic health educator specializing in dōTERRA essential oils with a tribe of at least 4000.
In this episode, we cover:
The importance of quality and laboratory testing of essential oils, given the lack of regulation in the industry
For example, dōTERRA brand lavender is recognized as pharmaceutical grade due to less than 2% difference in active ingredients from batch to batch
The 3 main methods of essential oil use:
Aromatic or inhalation
Topical, applied on the skin neat or diluted with carrier oil
Internal
How to reduce the impact of sun sensitivity that can increase with some essential oils
Some of the benefits of essential oils demonstrated in scientific research
The aromatic use of rosemary for supporting memory
The aromatic use of lemon for increasing dopamine levels, which can positively impact energy and mood
Lavender oil used in aromatherapy massage on pregnant women reduced stress hormone cortisol levels and increased immune function by raising secretory immunoglobulin A (IgA) levels
Components of essential oils have been shown to be absorbed systemically be inhalation and topical application, and can cross the blood brain barrier
We’d love you to subscribe, leave us a review and a 5-star rating if you enjoyed this episode.
Please tell your perimenopausal mama friends about us, too!
Stay safe and healthy everyone!
Disclaimer: The information provided in this presentation is not meant to replace treatment with a licensed health care practitioner. It is for informational purposes only. Consult with a Naturopathic Doctor or other licensed health care professional to determine which treatments are safe for you.
In today’s episode, Dr. Lisa and Dr. Toni discuss what you need to know about magnesium. Magnesium is one of our favourite nutritional supplements because of its role in hormone balance, aging and mood. Are you experiencing symptoms of low magnesium? Find out why you might need to have more magnesium in your life!
Why is magnesium so important?
Involved in over 300 enzymatic reactions in your body
Found in your bones, cardiovascular system, nervous system and in every cell in your body – less than 1% of magnesium in your body found in your blood
Acts as a natural muscle relaxant
Calms your nervous system
Plays an important role for your energy production
Influences GABA for relaxation and melatonin for sleep
Influences your love and bonding hormone oxytocin
Supports your liver detoxification pathways to promote breakdown and elimination of excess estrogen, which is linked with breast tenderness, fibroids, heavy periods, endometriosis symptoms (see Episode 21 for more info)
Important for your thyroid function – research links magnesium levels with thyroid health (see Episode 42 for more info)
Low magnesium levels are linked with high oxidative stress and low grade inflammation associated with signs of aging like cognitive decline, wrinkles, etc.
Important modulator of your receptors in the brain like NMDA receptors which are involved in memory function and depression
Can protect you against calcium deposits in your soft tissue like calcium oxalate kidney stones or calcifications in your arteries
Supports your utilization of vitamin D
Helps insulin work to control your blood sugar
What are symptoms of low magnesium?
Low energy
Low mood, anxiety, panic (see Episode 81 for more info)
Muscle aches and pains
Menstrual cramps, PMS, hormonal imbalances (see Episode 21 for more info)
Blood sugar imbalances (see Episode 45 for more info)
You are more at risk for magnesium insufficiency if you experience:
Gastrointestinal diseases like Crohn’s, Celiac, etc.
Type 2 diabetes
Alcohol dependence or alcoholism
Reduced magnesium absorption and increased excretion as we age (oops, that’s everyone!)
Your levels of magnesium are depleted by:
Sugar – 1 molecule of sugar uses 30-40 molecules of magnesium
Insulin resistance
Medications like:
Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), antacids
Birth Control Pill
Diuretics
Antibiotics
Stress
Low stomach acid – can’t absorb minerals
Caffeine, alcohol due to their diuretic effect
Severe magnesium deficiency is called hypomagnesemia, resulting in anorexia, nausea, vomiting, lethargy, weakness, personality change, tetany (eg. hyperreflexia), tremor and muscle fasciculations.
Laboratory Testing to Consider to Measure Magnesium:
RBC (red blood cell) magnesium
How can you get more magnesium in?
Foods
Pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, almonds, cashews, spinach, black beans, edamame
Dark chocolate – 70% or higher
Leafy green vegetables
Avocado, bananas
Epsom salts bath – magnesium sulfate
1-2 cups in bath and soak for at least 20 minutes for absorption of magnesium through your skin
Topical gels, lotions, sprays
Liquid, capsules, powder
Intravenous (IV) nutrient therapy – bypasses digestive system
How do you know if you’re getting too much magnesium?
Loose stools/diarrhea
Watch blood pressure if taking blood pressure medication, could help to reduce dose of medication
very large doses of magnesium-containing laxatives and antacids (typically providing more than 5,000 mg/day magnesium) have been associated with magnesium toxicity
Tolerable Upper Intake Levels for Supplemental Magnesium:
Source: Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) at the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies
Age Male Female Pregnant Lactating
Birth to 12 months None established
1–3 years 65 mg 65 mg
4–8 years 110 mg 110 mg
9–18 years 350 mg 350 mg 350 mg 350 mg
19+ years 350 mg 350 mg 350 mg 350 mg
What are the different types of magnesium?
Chloride and Sulfate – often used in intravenous (IV) solutions
Oxide – 90% not absorbed, used as a laxative in small amounts
Form of magnesium most commonly reported to cause diarrhea, along with magnesium carbonate, chloride and gluconate
Citrate – often used for migraines, PMS, constipation – gentle osmotic laxative – often dosed up to 600mg per day
Malate – shown to be more bioavailable than oxide, sulfate and citrate in rats
Studies show reduced pain and tenderness in patients with fibromyalgia with oral supplementation for 8 weeks and 6 months
Bisglycinate/glycinate – elemental magnesium chelated to amino acid glycine
Allows for larger amounts to be absorbed more quickly and retained by your body
Shown to reduce pain from menstrual cramps and leg cramps in pregnant women
Can be more relaxing, often recommended before bed
L-threonate – Magtein: patented form of magnesium developed by scientists from MIT & Stanford U with metabolite of vitamin C
developed and clinically proven to pass through the blood-brain barrier versus other forms of magnesium
People with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease have lower levels of magnesium in cerebrospinal fluid
evaluated in a series of cognitive tests for executive function, attention, working and episodic memory and episodic memory, with significant improvement at 6 and 12 weeks
shown to reduce the effects of aging by 9 years
increases the synaptic density, which can decline with aging
has shown improvement in brain circulation and cognitive testing in a small sample of people taking the supplement for 12 weeks
more research currently for treating chemotherapy-induced memory deficits and cognitive impairment, anxiety, sleep, mood and other conditions of again
Today’s Mama Must-Have:
Dr. Lisa loves her Hella Hydrating Serum from Joyous Health with rosehip oil and hyaluronic acid, as well as her favourite brands of dark chocolate – Zazubean 80% or Giddy Yoyo.
Dr. Toni is a big fan of Epsom gel, as well as using her neti pot with saline and xylitol for reducing extra irritation from wildfire smoke.
Dr. Toni’s next HypnoBirthing info session for expecting parents looking to trust their instincts and their body during labour and birth is happening Aug 31st. Join her at https://www.hypnobirthingcalgary.com/register
Dr. Lisa’s Wild Collective begins again in Fall 2021: get on the waitlist: wildcollectivetoronto.com
We’d love you to subscribe, leave us a review and a 5-star rating if you enjoyed this episode.
Please tell your perimenopausal mama friends about us, too!
Stay safe and healthy everyone!
Disclaimer: The information provided in this presentation is not meant to replace treatment with a licensed health care practitioner. It is for informational purposes only. Consult with a Naturopathic Doctor or other licensed health care professional to determine which treatments are safe for you.
In this episode, Dr. Toni is joined by author and mindful parenting advocate Amen Kaur to discuss how mindfulness practices can help our kids to decrease anxiety and develop emotional regulation and intelligence. Parenting can be hard and being a kid can be hard, especially during a pandemic. Having tools to manage anxiety in both ourselves and our kids are essential, now more than ever.
Amen Kaur has a BA in psychology and is a certified mindfulness facilitator, as well as an author and mindful parenting advocate. After several years of continued meditation, mindfulness, and self-healing practices, Amen was inspired by her son to write her book Dealing With My Feelings: An Essential Guide to a Child’s Well-Being and Prosperity during the 2020 pandemic period and co-founded POM Life Products, a brand focused on creating products serving Peace Of Mind. She is passionate about cultivating emotional intelligence and is committed to unlearning harmful generational patterns, while continuously working on healing so the next generation can do even better.
In today’s episode, we cover:
How her personal experience with bullying lead Amen to her healing journey with meditation and mindfulness
The impact of the pandemic and the inspiration Amen experienced to compile resources for helping kids to manage emotions
The importance of being able to name your emotions, as well as having tools to help your kids manage their emotions
How mindfulness exercises can be used to help reduce anxiety and bring your child back to the present, instead of worrying about the past or the future
The importance of modeling self-compassion and emotional regulation to your kids
How mindfulness practices can help highly sensitive and empathetic kids become aware of the emotions of others and help them distinguish between the feelings of others and themselves
The importance of engaging your senses to shift your focus to the present and reduce anxiety
The ability to rewire your thinking and behaviour, no matter what your experience was growing up with your parents and family of origin
How to deal with family members questioning your parenting style, especially when using gentle mindful parenting techniques
Dr. Toni loves books that help foster her child’s emotional well-being like Amen Kaur’s book Dealing With My Feelings, which includes a number of actions kids can take to manage their emtions and meditations to practice together as a family.
Dr. Toni’s next HypnoBirthing info session for expecting parents looking to decrease fear and anxiety around labour and birth is happening on June 21. Join her at https://www.hypnobirthingcalgary.com/register
In this episode, Dr. Lisa and Dr. Toni provide some updated info you need to know about sleep, especially if your sleep has been impacted by perimenopause and the pandemic. Want to stop gaining weight and craving carbs and sugar? Want more energy and better moods? Want to lower your risk of cancer, dementia and diabetes? Don’t wait to sleep when you’re dead!
Did you know?
2/3 of people in developed nations fail to sleep at least 8 hours a night!
Why do you need to get a good night’s sleep?
Research shows that the less sleep you get, the shorter your life.
You can’t make up for a poor night’s sleep by sleeping more the next night.
As you age, your sleep can be more fragile and sensitive than when you’re younger.
Insufficient or poor sleep can:
Double your risk of cardiovascular disease
24% increase in heart attacks after lose an hour with daylight savings time change in spring
Make otherwise healthy people appear prediabetic on blood tests (even just after a few nights of poor sleep)
Contribute to weight gain
crave more simple carbs and sugar
insulin increases, can lead to insulin resistance
it takes 40% longer to regulate your blood sugar after a high carb meal
lowers leptin and increases ghrelin, impacting your appetite
4-5 hours of sleep a night can increase daily calorie intake by 300 and contribute to gaining an extra 10-15 pounds over a year
Reduce your cognition or ability to think and problem solve
Put your body in fight or flight mode
cortisol increases which can make it more difficult to sleep, can become a vicious cycle due to overactivity of stress response pathway in brain
Double your risk of getting cancer when you get less than 6 hours sleep a night
Make you more likely to catch viruses such as the common cold
Cause your amygdala to be more activated, so you are more emotionally reactive
Reduce the work of your glymphatic system to clear out amyloid plaques and prevent dementia
even after 1 night of 4 hours sleep, more amyloid plaque in your brain is possible
Cause more accidents from drowsy driving than drugs and alcohol
Less than 5 hours sleep makes you 3 times more likely to crash your car
What can you do if your sleep is interrupted?
There is a time and a place for napping for sleep deprived moms.
A research study by NASA in 1990s showed that even 26 min naps increased alertness by 50% and increased performance on a task by 34%
What is a good night’s sleep?
Adults: 7 to 9 hours a night
Total sleep time, not just your time in bed
Fall asleep within 20 minutes
Wake up zero to several times a night with the ability to fall back asleep easily
Wake before alarm
Optimal bedtime depends on which chronotype you are
40% of people are morning types or morning larks
30% are evening types or night owls
30% fall somewhere in between
Signs you are not getting enough sleep:
1. After waking up in the morning, could you fall back asleep at 10 or 11 am?
2. Can you function optimally without caffeine before noon?
3. Do you need your alarm to wake up?
What controls sleep?
Circadian clock: your inner time-keeper, which is temperature and enzyme dependent
Cortisol – regulates metabolism, blood sugar and inflammation
supports memory, salt/water balance, blood pressure, immune response and more
Helps body respond to stress
Melatonin – made in pineal gland
Darkness triggers release
Daylight stops release
Supports sleep and detoxification
Promotes bone health and immunity
Antioxidant and potential cancer-protective effects
Can influence reproduction and hormones
Adenosine – inhibitory neurotransmitter that inhibits the bodily processes associated with wakefulness
Adenosine exerts sleep pressure by accumulating in your bloodstream when you’re awake which makes you sleepy
As we sleep, we breakdown adenosine via an enzyme and your brain’s rate of adenosine metabolism determines the quality of your deep sleep
Caffeine – from green or black tea, coffee, chocolate, soft drinks – Stimulates you by blocking adenosine binding to receptors so you can’t fall asleep or get into deep sleep
This reduction in adenosine activity leads to increased activity of the neurotransmitters dopamine and glutamate
Lowered body temperature
Your body temperature must fall by 1 degree C to trigger and support sleep
Sleeping pills:
Act as a sedative, not producing true sleep
Doesn’t allow your brain to consolidate memories like regular sleep does
Associated with increased cancer risk when you use more than 3 times over one year
Cannabis:
THC acts as a sedative, not producing true sleep
Can create rebound insomnia if you stop
Can create dependence and paranoia
CBD may help your sleep without negative effects of THC
What can cause you to have a poor sleep?
External causes like:
Blue light
Sounds and movements from your kids, pets, partners, neighbours
Blood sugar issues
Stimulants like caffeine
Alcohol and certain medications
Internal causes like:
Stress and anxiety
Restless Leg Syndrome
Sleep apnea and snoring
Pain
Urinary problems
Skin rashes or itchy skin
Hot flashes
Lab tests and investigations you need to consider:
DUTCH for melatonin, cortisol and other hormones
Snoring: food sensitivities, allergies
Pelvic floor physiotherapy
Pain: acupuncture, osteopathy, physiotherapy, etc.
Sleep study with medical doctors specially trained in sleep science
How Can You Get a Good Night’s Sleep?
Get daylight exposure
Exercise earlier in day
Balance your blood sugar and limit your sugar intake
Limit caffeine intake
Half life is about 6 hours and quarter life is about 12 hours, as you get older, you can tolerate less
Consider no caffeine after 1pm or for 12 hours before bed
Limit alcohol intake
Acts as a sedative – not real sleep – dulls down impulse control
Fragmented sleep with many short waking intervals more regularly and not deep sleep
Not restorative sleep with less time in REM
Reduce bladder irritating foods like citrus, spicy foods, carbonated beverages
Journal before bed – unload thoughts and “to-dos”
Reduce screen exposure
One study found even reading on an iPad versus a print book suppressed melatonin levels by 50% and delayed the onset of sleep by many hours.
Sleep in a cool, dark room
Turn thermostat down to 15-19 C or 60-67 F
Try out essential oils like lavender or cedarwood – diffuse or mix in carrier oil and put on bottoms of feet
Calming bedtime routine like meditation and a warm bath or shower helps cool you down by creating vasodilation after
Cortisol-balancing herbs in tea or supplement form:
TEAS: Tulsi, Chamomile, Lavender, lemon balm
Magnesium
Passionflower
GABA
Melatonin
0.5 to 3mg is usually enough, while 5-10mg or more can shut down your natural production and produce more side effects like morning grogginess
Best used for jet lag from travel or as we age
Progesterone support if needed
Consider a sleep divorce – sleep in a separate room from your partner if they snore
Don’t lay awake in bed longer than 20min so you don’t associate context of being awake with your bed
Seek out a psychologist trained in CBT-I for more personalized support
Sleep tools you can use:
Sleep cycle app, Oura ring, Whoop strap
Meditation apps like Insight Timer
Blue light glasses
Ear plugs
White noise machine, fan, humidifier, air purifier
Red light bulbs and night lights
Weighted blanket like Zonli
Today’s Mama Must Have:
Dr. Lisa loves putting a tea bag or two of lemon balm or chamomile tea in Stuart’s bath and using Badger sleep balm on the backs of Stuart’s hands and his feet for extra sleep support.
Dr. Toni is a big fan of Cyto-Matrix’s Mag Matrix magnesium liquid for Frankie and Bach Flower Rescue Remedy night spray for the whole family.
Dr. Toni’s next HypnoBirthing info session for expecting parents looking to trust their instincts and their body during labour and birth is happening in May. Join her at https://www.hypnobirthingcalgary.com/register
In this episode, Dr. Lisa talks with Nicole Manes about how sound therapy can be used to manage stress and mood, improve sleep and digestion, and promote relaxation to support healing and well-being. Tune in to experience the benefits of a sound bath for yourself!
Nicole is a Certified Sound Therapy Practitioner and is the co-founder of Sound Response Wellness, a company offering online and in-person Sound-Based Stress Reduction™ services. In addition to a long-standing interest in psychology, mindfulness and spirituality, plus over fourteen years as a public relations and marketing communications specialist, Nicole brings years of vocal training, live performance, song writing and in-studio recording experience to her sound therapy practice. She uses a variety of instruments and tools including voice, crystal quartz singing bowls, metal singing bowls, tuning forks, drum and chimes to deliver therapeutic soundscapes that help people reduce stress and increase their overall sense of well-being.
In today’s episode, we cover:
The difference between in person and virtual sound therapy sessions
The benefits of sound therapy demonstrated by scientific research:
Can help you to anchor yourself in the moment and feel grounded
Naturally promotes a state of calm and relaxation of your central nervous system
Reduces stress and tension in the body to positively sleep, digestion and symptoms of depression and anxiety
Provides the one of the easiest ways to enter a meditative state
Help you get in touch with emotions that are hard for you to verbalize and shift your state to regulate your emotional stability
Acts like a massage from inside out
Increases physical energy levels and promotes a feeling of well-being
Can lower blood pressure and physical pain
How there is no minimum dose of sound therapy for you to experience benefits
The importance of nature sounds for feeling a sense of safety
How you can use different sounds at home as healing tools
Running or pouring water
Koshi chime
Kalimba
Your own voice with humming, singing or sacred vowel sounds
How different soundscapes can be used in sound bath depending on the desired effect and complement other health practices
Nicole provides a 10 minute sound bath for you to enjoy
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