Yoga for Anxiety

Do you have anxiety? The good news is... you are not alone! Over 40 million adults in the United States suffer from anxiety. This means your nervous system is consistently in overdrive from perceived threats. The "fight-or-flight" system is dominating, and the system that slows your heart rate, helps you digest your food, and calm you body does not get its fair share of time to be the star! Yoga can help.

Breathing Techniques

Yoga literally means union, so there should be no surprise that the goal is to connect mind and body. Take a yoga class and you will learn that breathing techniques are an integrated part of the practice. This allows you to get in tune with the sensations in your body and slow yourself down. Taking a long, deep inhaled breath and slowly releasing it is a quick way to stimulate your vagus nerve to slow your heart rate.


Poses

There are many poses and practices for yoga. You may need stillness to calm and be in the moment. Sometimes with sensations of anxiety, however, comes an inability to simply be still. This can make that version of yoga practice difficult. Focus more on a faster paced practice like Vinyasa that connects a series of poses together. The movement can help release the negative energy you are feeling and get you to a more relaxed and self-regulated state.


Where to Start

Yoga specific studios are sure to offer trained yogis adept at teaching breath work and safe posing. They exist everywhere, even in small towns. If you need a budget friendly option, look for community run centers or yoga schools, where you will also help upcoming teachers perfect their practice. You may even make some friends! If the social scene is part of your anxiety and you're not ready for the in-person classes quite yet, Yoga by Adrienne is a popular YouTube channel with many options to get started, from 30 day programs, to ones specific to certain goals, like relaxation or back strength. Namaste Yoga is another option available online (try Amazon Videos). These are quick, about 20 minutes, fast transitioning, and feature gorgeous views of Vancouver. The important thing is just to start.



Healthy Benefits of Eating Fish

By rachel mould • December 12, 2023
There is no way to get around it... what you eat is a major factor in your health. More and more research points to diet as a major source of overall health. A great ingredient to include in your cooking staples is fish. Omega-3 is well known as a a healthy nutrient found in fish that helps with cardiovascular health including improved cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and reduced oxidative damage. But there are other vital nutrients as well. Selenium is recommended to help regulate thyroid function, which affects every organ in the body. It supports a healthy cardiovascular system and may help prevent some cancers. You are also getting protein which we need for proper healing and cell regeneration. Plus many varieties, like Salmon, will give a boost of vitamins B & D. And don't forget the anti-inflammatory qualities! Two servings of fish per week can reduce the risk of death by disease by 18%. In a world where there is new and needed focus on sustainability, over fishing has come to light as an issue we should all be aware of. Look to purchase from sustainable markets, including local and line caught fish. For more information, check out the links below. Resources: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8756069/ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S030881462101880X https://oceanconservancy.org/blog/2021/03/23/can-sustainable-eat-fish/

Is It My Thyroid?

March 30, 2023
Suboptimal thyroid levels go untreated leaving patients to continue to suffer with fatigue, hair loss, cold intolerance, and more. The truth is there "normal" levels of thyroid hormones are not the same for everyone and symptoms will continue until treatment starts. It can also lead to misdiagnosis of depression, anxiety, or lead people to feel like this is just the way it is. There is a path to wellness. Get help anywhere in Indiana via telemedicine. Functional medicine could be the answer.

Depression Treatment. What Are My Options?

March 30, 2023
There are many options to treat depression. Medication is just one. Supplements, lifestyle changes and root causes can be explored in a functional medicine approach checking hormone imbalances and underlying treatable causes.