The Inspiration To Research And Treat Spinal Cord Injury

The Inspiration To Research And Treat Spinal Cord Injury

by | Mar 27, 2022 | Koru Nutrition Blog

A Personal Note From Kylie James

For those who don’t know me, I’m Kylie James, a Certified Nutritionist and the founder of Koru Nutrition. It’s a question that comes up often enough, so thought it would be nice to take some time to share why I became interested in Spinal Cord Injury (SCI).

In August 2009, my then 11-month-old nephew became a C3-C4 incomplete quadriplegic as a result of medical negligence. Cooper had undergone surgery to address an extradural hematoma in his spine, but the treatment team failed to recognize his worsening symptoms following surgery, which led to the build-up of pressure on his spinal cord injury resulting in his ultimate injury.

My sister and her husband were told that he would not be able to use his hands or legs and would be living with a tracheostomy for the rest of his life. Obviously, this was devastating for my family.

Life for my nephew and family have been tough. Fortunately, he was able to get off the tracheostomy but morning and evening routines are busy with catheters, tube feeds, making special meals, suctioning, and enemas. They also require special vans, wheelchairs and various other adaptive devices. Basic activities such as popping around to a friend’s house is difficult as homes are not accessible.

In primary school, it was tough for Cooper to try to make friends as so many activities involved sports and physical activities which he could not do. Thankfully, Cooper discovered Power Chair Football and at the early age of 9 he made the New Zealand power chair football team, competing in various tournaments against Australia. He has been voted “most up and coming athlete” and was the second highest goal scorer in New Zealand!

In the photo above Cooper is pictured with his brother and my daughter.

Cooper is now 14 years old and has just started high school. When he grows up he wants to be a sports commentator, coach, or design houses.

To hear more about Cooper’s life now, check out the video below that I filmed with him:

Naturally, after my nephew had his injury in 2009, I desperately started researching any kind of resources I could to help my family. I was an occupational therapist and a nutritionist, so I felt I must be able to help somehow.

I had seen a student at my nutrition school that was in a wheelchair and reached out to connect with her and learn about her experience with spinal cord injury. It turns out that we were both working in the auto insurance field and a friendship quickly developed.

We would often meet up to discuss nutrition as it relates to brain injury and spinal cord injury and realized that there was very limited literature out there on nutrition with spinal cord injury. With this in mind we decided to embark on writing a book to pool together all the resources and studies that related specifically to nutrition and SCI. We applied to the Americans Veterans of America for a grant and won it!

Over the next 2 years we read many articles and researched secondary health complications that SCI individuals are prone to, foods and supplements that would be the best fit for their condition and developed recipes that were easy to make and cost effective to support specific health issues.

If you’re interested in how nutrition can support those with SCI, check out Eat Well, Live Well With Spinal Cord Injury:

Once we finished the book, we began attending various conferences presenting on the topic of nutrition spinal cord injury. One of the things that we found in researching and writing the book was there was limited studies specific to nutrition and SCI. So, part of our goal was to inspire research in this area!

Joanne Smith and I have now completed 3 studies together. The first two were at Brock University on the impact of inflammation on mood following an SCI and the other on the impact of cytokines on the body in relation pain in individuals with SCI. Our latest study was just recently published, and took place at Maryland University on the impact of aquatic exercise and nutrition on cardiometabolic function.

I’m so excited to share our most recently published study!

If you, a client, or someone you love is managing life after a spinal cord injury – we’d love to be of support! Send me an email to [email protected], call us at 1-855-386-5678, or schedule your consultation here.

Mushroom Millet Porridge

Mushroom Millet Porridge

by | Feb 27, 2022 | Recipes

Two Glasses with Detox Green Smoothie

So many of us are used to super-sweet breakfasts like pancakes, muffins, pastries, or sugar-cereal. This savory Mushroom Millet Porridge is a comforting change-of-pace.

This porridge uses millet instead of oats to provide a hearty texture and slightly lower glycemic index. Millet is rich in dietary fibre. Most of the fibres in millet are “prebiotic” in nature, meaning they help to feed the good bacteria living in our guts. Supporting our gut microbiome can help improve mood, reduce stress, keep bowel movements regular, and even reduce the risk of colon cancer!

This meal also has a full serving of vegetables in each bowl. The majority of North American’s are greatly under-consuming vegetables, so slipping in a serving with the first meal of the day may help you reach the minimum recommended 7-8 servings a day. 

Mushrooms, specifically, can be quite therapeutic in nature. Using a medicinal mushroom variety such as reishi can provide additional health benefits. Reishi is adaptogenic, which means it can help our body manage stress. (1) Is there a better way to start the day than by priming your body and mind to gracefully manage what comes?

Spring onions (also called green onions or scallions) are part of the allium family, which also includes garlic, leeks, and chives. Onions are rich in B-vitamins, such as B6 and folate. These vitamins are important to keep our minds sharp, boost energy, manage stress and keep our metabolism running well. (2)

So, if you’re looking for a more savory way to start your day… look no further. With all the various benefits these ingredients bring to the table (pun intended), this porridge is a fabulous way to “break your fast”!

 

1. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/adaptogenic-mushrooms  
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3648704/  

 

    Mushroom Millet Porridge

    So many of us are used to super-sweet breakfasts like pancakes, muffins, pastries, or sugar-cereal. This savory Mushroom Millet Porridge is a comforting change-of-pace.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 minutes
    Cook Time 25 minutes
    Total Time 30 minutes
    Servings 2 Servings

    Ingredients
      

    • ½ cup Fresh Mushrooms sliced
    • 1 cup Millet soaked overnight
    • 2 Spring Onions Sliced
    • Salt to taste

    Instructions
     

    • In a small bowl, pour boiling water onto the mushroom slices. Let sit for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
    • In a medium sized pot, add 2.5 cups water and the millet. Bring to boil on high heat.
    • Reduce the heat and simmer for approximately 20 minutes until the millet is fully cooked. Add more water if needed.
    • Fluff the millet with a fork. Then add salt and mushrooms. Cook together for 5 more minutes on low heat.
    • Portion into bowls. Add chopped spring onion to garnish. Enjoy!

    Notes

    Nutritional information per serving:
    Calories - 119
    Sugar - 2g
    Carbs - 23g
    Fat - 2g
    Protein - 4g
    Fibre - 3g

    Top 5 Strategies To Help Manage Stress

    Top 5 Strategies To Help Manage Stress

    by | Feb 27, 2022 | Koru Nutrition Blog

    Detoxifying vegetables and fruits

    Stress is an all too common problem in the 21st century. Throw a pandemic with lockdowns and online schooling in the mix and it is no wonder our stress levels are through the roof! It is hard to remain optimistic when the future is so unknown. There’s potential new variants lurking around the next corner, and the ability to plan vacations or just to “get away” might feel like an impossible dream. 

    Work-life balance can be a struggle as well and finding time to manage the workload and stress load can be tough. We know how you feel. We’re all in this craziness together!

    That’s why we are providing you with some strategies to help you manage your stress and regain some balance.

    #1 Brain Dumping

    Are you someone that struggles to get to sleep at night? Do you find your brain cannot shut off? Is your mind endlessly going over all the things that you need to do tomorrow, this week, and this month?

    To help take that burden off we suggest brain dumping!

    Have a pen and paper beside your bed. Before going to sleep at night, write all those thoughts or tasks that you have on to the paper. Basically, you are transferring the storage of important information from your brain to the paper – giving your mind permission to shut off and go to sleep.

    #2. Find Your “Energy Robbers” And “Energy Givers”

    This is an important step in helping to get back your energy and happiness.

    Write a list of all the things and people that give you energy, happiness or pleasure – even if you haven’t done or seen them for a while. Then, in another column write down all the activities and people that take your energy or are detrimental to your health (whether it be physically, emotionally etc.)

    Once you have completed the list make steps to engage in those positive activities and people more often during the week!

    For the “energy robbers” there are a few ways to reduce their load. First, you may want to look at changing the situation. For example, can you trade childcare with a friend so you both can have some time for self-care? Another option is to look at how can you change yourself to adapt to the situation. For example, if you were getting more sleep would you be able to better perform and manage your work during the day? Lastly, you can look at leaving or avoiding the situation altogether. For example, maybe your book club is no longer bringing you joy and it is time to search for a new hobby.

    #3. Switch Out Your Coffee

    You might be shuddering at the fact that you have to give up your morning cuppa. If stress and fatigue is an issue, you may be desperately relying on more than a few cups of coffee to get you through the day. But excess caffeine consumption can actually contribute to stress and fatigue – and even adrenal exhaustion.

    Excess caffeine intake can contribute nervousness, irritability, insomnia, “restless legs,” dizziness and subsequent fatigue (Haas, 762). A study published in the American Journal of Psychology looked at 1,500 psychology students and divided them into four categories depending on their coffee intake: abstainers, low consumers (one cup or equivalent a day), moderate (one to five cups a day), and high (five or more cups a day). The moderate and high consumers were found to have higher levels of anxiety and depression than the abstainers, and the high consumers had the greatest incidence of stress-related medical problems, as well as lower academic performance (Holford, 2013)

    Instead, you can swap your coffee for green tea, which might be a better option. Firstly, it does have a bit of caffeine (just not as much as coffee) to help give you a “pick me up”. But it also has the amino acid L-theanine which has a calming effect on the mind. The compounds within green tea can also help facilitate weight loss which often can be an issue for people that are stressed as the stress hormone cortisol can contribute to weight gain, especially around the belly. 

    #4 Start Your Day With A Balanced Breakfast

    We get it, this seems like a basic thing to do. But, you will be surprised at how many people struggle to eat breakfast – especially a balanced one!

    Balancing blood sugars is so important for managing stress and energy levels. If you are able to consume balanced meals throughout the day this will go a long way to provide a steady flow of energy and promote a calm and balanced mood.

    If you skip breakfast or rely on a bagel or doughnut from a drive-through, or consume toast with jam or sugary cereals; then you create a blood sugar spike. And what goes up (our blood sugar, in this case) quickly comes crashing down. When blood sugar crashes your body naturally produces cortisol to help raise blood sugar back up. The problem is if we are stressed, we usually have too much cortisol running through us so the last thing we need is more.

    Try incorporating the following breakfasts:

    These are all much better options to help keep your blood sugars balanced. 

    #5 Explore Herbal Supplements

    There are many herbs that have been shown to help us manage our stress. One such herb is Ashwagandha. This herb helps support cognitive functioning, critical reasoning skills and thinking; which all become negatively affected when we are under stress and trying to function with our foggy and overwhelmed brain. This herb has a calming effect on the body and helps to modulate cortisol levels; meaning it’s beneficial whether your levels are too high or too low.

    Siberian Ginseng is another herb that helps support and rejuvenate adrenal function, increase resistance to stress, normalize metabolism and regulate neurotransmitters; which all help to modify the stress response. Studies showed it improved absorption of B-vitamins and helps reduce vitamin C loss – these key vitamins are crucial in supporting the adrenal glands and are used up quickly in the body when we are under stress.

    Licorice root helps to restore cortisol balance. It also provides antioxidant support, stimulates blood circulation and boosts the immune system – which often becomes depressed or compromised when we are stressed. This is why we often get run down and sick when we are stressed out.

    If you are going to explore herbs as part of managing stress, please speak to your health practitioner first. Herbs can be contraindicated with certain medications or health conditions, so it’s best to seek qualified advice before starting new supplementation.

    Summary

    Stress is an exceedingly common problem in our society and achieving a balance can sometimes seem impossible. That said, if not dealt with it, stress can lead to a variety of secondary health issues.

    But by incorporating some simple strategies such as having a balancing breakfast every morning, switching out your coffee for green tea, drinking more water, supplementing with herbal support, brain dumping at night to stop ruminating thoughts, and engaging in activities that give you energy and pleasure – then you are off to a good start!

    If you would like more support in this area to help manage high stress levels, rebalance your diet, or begin a supplementation protocol, then please reach out to us. We would love to help. 

     

    Top 7 Tips to Help Shift Into More Positive Thinking

    Top 7 Tips to Help Shift Into More Positive Thinking

    by | Feb 15, 2022 | Koru Nutrition Blog

    Detoxifying vegetables and fruits

    If you are like most people living in the modern world, stress has become part of your day to day life. When we are stressed, it’s quite easy to develop negative thinking patterns. We become frustrated by our challenges and frequently feel overwhelmed. A negative outlook then makes it even harder for us to manage life’s challenges, move forward, and break through the stress cycle.

    Practicing positive thinking helps to focus on our strengths and accomplishments, which increases happiness and motivation. This, in turn, allows us to spend more time making progress, and less time feeling down and stuck.

    We all have negative thoughts from time to time, but if you notice your thoughts are predominantly negative you can try one of the tips below to help shift your energy. If you regularly practice these habits, it may help reduce the frequency of negative thoughts and shift you into a more positive thinking pattern!

    Top 7 Tips To Help You Shift Into More Positive Thinking Patterns

    1. Make Time to Exercise

      Regular exercise gets your blood pumping which releases endorphins and can instantly improve your mood (i). Regular exercise also enhances your sleep quality which can be negatively affected by stress (ii). Exercise has even been shown to make you crave a healthier diet (iii). It’s much easier to be positive when you take good care of yourself and are eating well, exercising, and getting enough rest.

    2. Remind Yourself Of The Things You Are Grateful For

      Stresses and challenges don’t seem quite as bad when you are constantly reminding yourself of the things that are right in life. Taking just 60 seconds a day to stop and appreciate the good things will make a huge difference.

    3. Refrain From Using Absolutes

      Have you ever told a partner “You’re ALWAYS late!” or complained to a friend “You NEVER call me!”? Thinking and speaking in absolutes like ‘always’ and ‘never’ makes the situation seem worse than it is, and programs your brain into believing that certain people are incapable of delivering.

    4. Squash the “ANTs”

      In his book “Change Your Brain, Change Your Life,” Dr. Daniel Amen talks about “ANTs” – Automatic Negative Thoughts. These are the bad thoughts that are usually reactionary, like “Those people are laughing, they must be talking about me,” or “The boss wants to see me? It must be bad!” When you notice these thoughts, realize that they are nothing more than ANTs and squash them!

    5. Cuddle

      You don’t have to be an expert to know the benefits of a good hug. Positive physical contact with friends, loved ones, and even pets, is an instant pick me-up. Positive physical contact, which could even include massage therapy, can help release oxytocin and lower cortisol which can help lower blood pressure and heart rate (iv). 

    6. Increase Your Social Activity

      Social support from friends and family can help get you through stressful times (v). By increasing social activity, you decrease loneliness. Surround yourself with healthy, happy people, and their upbeat energy will affect you in a positive way!

    7. Use Pattern Interrupts To Combat Rumination

      If you find yourself ruminating, a great way to stop it is to interrupt the pattern and force yourself to do something completely different. Rumination is like hyper-focus on something negative. It’s not productive, because it isn’t rational or solution-oriented, it’s just excessive worry and stress. Try changing your physical environment – go for a walk or sit outside. You could also call a friend, pick up a book, or turn on some music.

    Building the habit of positive thinking is a practice. And like any other practice, it takes time and patience, and will always be a work in progress.

    That said, a more positive mindset has numerous benefits, not just for our mental health, but for our physical health too. By incorporating some of these strategies into your day-to-day life, you’re likely to shift into more positive thinking patterns, and reap all the many benefits!

     

    References:

    i. Regular exercise, anxiety, depression and personality: A population-based study. M.H.M.De MoorA.L.BeemJ.H.StubbeD.I.BoomsmaE.J.C.De Geus. Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, van der Boechorststraat 1, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    ii. Sleep Med. 2010 Oct;11(9):934-40. doi: 10.1016/j.sleep.2010.04.014. Epub 2010 Sep 1. Aerobic exercise improves self-reported sleep and quality of life in older adults with insomnia. Reid KJ1, Baron KG, Lu B, Naylor E, Wolfe L, Zee PC.

    iii. Wasantha P. Jayawardene, Mohammad R. Torabi & David K. Lohrmann (2016) Exercise in Young Adulthood with Simultaneous and Future Changes in Fruit and Vegetable Intake, Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 35:1, 59-67, DOI: 10.1080/07315724.2015.1022268

    iv. Biol Psychiatry. 2009 May 1;65(9):728-31. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2008.10.011. Epub 2008 Nov 22. Intranasal oxytocin increases positive communication and reduces cortisol levels during couple conflict. Ditzen B1, Schaer M, Gabriel B, Bodenmann G, Ehlert U, Heinrichs M.

    v. J Natl Med Assoc. 2009 Mar;101(3):243-50. The association between perceived social support and health among patients at a free urban clinic. Cadzow RB1, Servoss TJ.

     

     

    Could You Have Adrenal Fatigue?

    Could You Have Adrenal Fatigue?

    by | Feb 10, 2022 | Koru Nutrition Blog

    Detoxifying vegetables and fruits

    Do you struggle with difficulty getting up in the morning, experience mid-afternoon crashes, seem fatigued all the time, or feel depressed? Then you, like many other people that live in the hustle and bustle of the western world, might be struggling with a condition called adrenal fatigue.

    These last couple of years has been a physical and emotional strain on all of us with lockdowns, online schooling, inability to participate in sports, socialize with friends and family, job stressors, toxic people, financial constraints from reduced income, relationship strain, loss of a loved one, and just the fear of the unknown and the future. The plethora of ongoing stressors can have a direct impact on our hormones and puts us at risk of adrenal fatigue.

    What Is Adrenal Fatigue?

    Although we need an element of stress in our lives, when stress becomes intense without any breaks – this can become a problem. Stress can be in any form – physical, emotional, psychological, environmental, infectious, etc. Because our adrenal glands are responsible for managing our stress response, any kind of stress is going to affect your adrenals.

    Adrenal fatigue is a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms that result from being under prolonged stress. After constantly being overworked, the adrenal glands can become exhausted. This can lead to adrenal fatigue, which in turn can impact every organ and system in your body! Adrenal fatigue can vary from mild to severe.

    Because fatigue is correlated and present with so many other health related conditions, the actual diagnosis of adrenal fatigue is often overlooked by medical practitioners.

    Signs and Symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue

    • Difficulty getting out of bed in the morning
    • Continued fatigue throughout the day not relieved by sleep
    • Craving for salt or salty foods
    • Increased effort to do everyday tasks
    • Decreased sex drive
    • Decreased ability to handle stress
    • Increased time to recover from illness, injury or trauma
    • Lightheaded when standing up quickly
    • Mild depression
    • Less enjoyment or happiness in life
    • Increased PMS
    • Symptoms increase if meals are skipped or irregular
    • Brain fog, less focused
    • Poor memory
    • Decreased tolerance to things, more irritable
    • Don’t really feel awake until 10:00am, afternoon slump between 3-4pm, and feel energized after 6:00pm or after dinner
    • Decreased productivity, taking longer to complete tasks and finding it harder to stay on task

    How Do I Get Assessed For Adrenal Fatigue?

    This condition often gets overlooked by medical practitioners because the signs and symptoms can be caused by other health conditions such as depression or thyroid conditions. Naturopathic doctors are skilled in testing for adrenal fatigue through analyzing stress hormone levels. If you are approaching your family doctor or a naturopathic doctor to assess you for adrenal fatigue; one of the best tests to determine if adrenal fatigue is present is saliva hormone testing for cortisol 4 times during the day and testing for DHEA-S.

    How To Correct Adrenal Fatigue

    Our recommendations for addressing adrenal fatigue are based on three things – lifestyle changes, diet and supplementation.

    1. Lifestyle

    There are many simple lifestyle changes that can be incorporated into day-to-day life to help reduce stress and promote a sense of calmness and relaxation. For example:

    • Take a bath with Epsom salts 
      Epsom salts are high in magnesium and are easily absorbed through the skin to promote a sense of relaxation before bed.
    • Laughter
      We’ve all heard laughter is the best medicine, right? Laughing can help change hormones as it reduces stress in the body. So, watch a comedy show and joke with friends.
    • Exercise
      Exercise can also have many health benefits such as reducing depression, losing weight, releasing feel-good endorphins and promoting sleep. But, it’s important to be aware of avoiding intense exercise if you have adrenal fatigue as this will put too much stress on the body. The best exercise should be enjoyable and ideally should be a combination of aerobic, anerobic and flexibility.
    • Other ideas for stress reduction include listening to relaxing music, taking a hike through nature, mediation, yoga, implementing positive affirmations, deep breathing, and scheduling out time for yourself.

    2. Diet

    Diet is crucial in supporting the adrenals glands to prevent or manage adrenal fatigue. One of the key factors to supporting your adrenals is balancing blood sugar levels. The reason for this is that not only when blood sugars drop will you tend to reach for unhealthy snacks such as a candy bar or a doughnut, but your body naturally produces the stress hormone cortisol to raise blood sugars back up. The last thing we need when we are stressed is more cortisol!

    To balance blood sugar levels each meal should be balanced with a protein, good fat and a complex carbohydrate. We’ve written more about balancing blood sugar levels here.

    Supporting the adrenals requires a focus on a nutrient-dense, whole foods. A whole foods diet is high in vegetables (at least 7-8 servings a day) in a variety of colours; low glycemic fruits; gluten-free whole grains such as buckwheat, quinoa, brown rice, oats or millet; as well as high quality protein sources such as fish, grass-fed beef, poultry, eggs, and various plant based proteins such as beans and legumes.

    Top 5 Foods To Support The Adrenal Glands 

    If you’re looking for specifics, our top 5 foods to support the adrenal glands include:

    • Fatty fish such as wild salmon and sardines
      These fatty fish contain omega-3 fats which have anti-inflammatory properties that may help counteract the negative effects of stress (vi).
      Check out our Rosemary Walnut Crusted Salmon, Grain-Free Mediterranean Mackerel Pasta, or our Crockpot Cod & Sea Veggie Soup for recipe inspiration!
    • Dark leafy greens such as kale, spinach and Swiss chard 
      Leafy greens are rich in folate that is needed to produce dopamine and serotonin, our pleasure inducing neurotransmitters that help keep you calm (vii).

      Recipes like our Herb & Greens Chicken Sliders and Green Muffins can help you sneak in more greens!

    • Fermented foods such as kimchi, kombucha, and sauerkraut
      Fermented foods contain beneficial bacteria that may positively impact your mood and brain health (viii).
      Our Yogurt Nut Clusters provide a creative way to enjoy a fermented food! (You can use dairy-based yogurt, or a dairy-free yogurt of your choosing.)
    • Seeds such as flaxseeds, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds
      Seeds as a group are great sources of Magnesium, which acts as a precursor for neurotransmitters like serotonin, which is important for improving mood (viiii ).

      To incorporate more seeds into your diet you could try our Cinnamon Flax Pudding Parfait or our Berry Beet Smoothie Bowl. 

    To find out more about how nutrition impacts your health, Koru offers comprehensive individualized nutrition programs.

    3. Supplements

    When your body is under chronic stress it uses up key vitamins and minerals a lot more quickly. This is especially true for those nutrients that the adrenal glands rely on to function such as B vitamins, vitamin C, calcium and magnesium. 

    Vitamin C – Vitamin C may be the most important nutrient for the adrenal glands because your body uses vitamin C to make cortisol. The more cortisol you make, the more vitamin C that gets used up. Vitamin C is essential to the adrenal hormone cascade and acts as an antioxidant within the adrenal gland itself.

    Also, vitamin C is water soluble, so it gets used up in the body more quickly. Because of this, it is very difficult to “overdose” on vitamin C. Therefore, you can take vitamin C is larger quantities, basically until bowel tolerance (the point at which it causes loose bowel movements). We recommend slowly increasing dosage until you get to this point and then scaling back slightly. 

    B Complex – B vitamins absorb and work better when taken together. B vitamins are very important for energy production, which is something that you desperately need when suffering from adrenal fatigue. When looking at taking a B Complex it’s good to make sure that it contains the following: 50-100mg of B6, 75-125mg of B3, 200-400mcg of B12, , and 1500mcg a day of pantothenic acid (may need to get this from an individual bottle of 500mcg 3 times a day).

    Magnesium – Magnesium is our anti-stress, anti-anxiety mineral. Magnesium promotes relaxation. It is also essential to making enzymes and energy necessary for the adrenals and for adrenal recovery.

    Most adults benefit from consuming 400mg of magnesium a day. Magnesium is often taken after 8:00pm at night.

    Calcium – Calcium is an important mineral to help calm the nervous system down and is also used up quickly under stress.

    Take 750-1000mg a day best take after 8:00pm at night for best absorption and to help aid in sleep.   

    Summary

    If you are struggling with chronic fatigue, inability get up in the morning, reduced sex drive, and/or difficulty sleeping… then you may be struggling with adrenal fatigue.

    To help reduce your symptoms and work toward healing it may help to focus on balancing your blood sugars; taking Vitamin C, a B complex, as well as calcium and magnesium supplements; and exploring ways to reduce and manage stresses in your life by making lifestyle changes. 
    Making small changes can go a long way to helping you feel better. If you feel overwhelmed or feel like you would benefit from extra support, then please reach out to us. You do not need to suffer alone.

    References:

    i. Regular exercise, anxiety, depression and personality: A population-based study. M.H.M.De MoorA.L.BeemJ.H.StubbeD.I.BoomsmaE.J.C.De Geus. Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, van der Boechorststraat 1, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    ii. Sleep Med. 2010 Oct;11(9):934-40. doi: 10.1016/j.sleep.2010.04.014. Epub 2010 Sep 1. Aerobic exercise improves self-reported sleep and quality of life in older adults with insomnia. Reid KJ1, Baron KG, Lu B, Naylor E, Wolfe L, Zee PC.

    iii. Wasantha P. Jayawardene, Mohammad R. Torabi & David K. Lohrmann (2016) Exercise in Young Adulthood with Simultaneous and Future Changes in Fruit and Vegetable Intake, Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 35:1, 59-67, DOI: 10.1080/07315724.2015.1022268 iv. Biol Psychiatry. 2009 May 1;65(9):728-31. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2008.10.011. Epub 2008 Nov 22. Intranasal oxytocin increases positive communication and reduces cortisol levels during couple conflict. Ditzen B1, Schaer M, Gabriel B, Bodenmann G, Ehlert U, Heinrichs M. v. J Natl Med Assoc. 2009 Mar;101(3):243-50. The association between perceived social support and health among patients at a free urban clinic. Cadzow RB1, Servoss TJ.

    vi. Antidepressant-like effects of uridine and omega-3 fatty acids are potentiated by combined treatment in rats Carlezon, William A. et al. Biological Psychiatry , Volume 57 , Issue 4 , 343 – 350

    vii. The association of folate and depression: A meta-analysis. 

    viii. Stress & the gut-brain axis: Regulation by the microbiome. 

    viiii. Role of Magnesium supplementation in the treatment of depression: A randomized clinical trial