Laura Koniver, MD's Blog, page 23

Hearing Birds Sing Might Be Just As Important To You As Your Next Paycheck, Here’s Why

 

 

More evidence that Mother Nature can boost your happiness like nothing else can… a new study suggests that bird diversity is as important to life satisfaction as an income is.

This study, published in Ecological Economics on Nov 2020, found that not only is happiness correlated with local bird diversity, but��a 10% boost in bird diversity actually increases happiness to a similar magnitude as a 10% boost in income does!

We’ve known for a while that animals improve our mood, health, and even boost longevity (I’ve blogged about how pets can do all of this and more for you right here)��and that��plants do much the same… decreasing depression rates, anxiety rates, and dramatically reducing stress.

But even knowing all of that, I still think if you ask most people if they would rather see a couple extra birds today or earn a slightly higher paycheck, most would assume that money would provide more satisfaction.

 

 

 

This study suggests we might actually be just as happy — perhaps even happier — if we increase our exposure to birds.

Analyzing data from over 26,000 adults across 26 different countries, researchers evaluated biological diversity, socio-economic data and life satisfaction surveys to examine what makes the biggest impact on our long term happiness.

It turns out, more than plants, more than large fauna, more than insect or tree diversity, bird diversity has the biggest impact on happiness… comparable in magnitude to that of income.

So today’s tip is — stop and look for birds.

Or, even easier, just stop and listen. ��We can often hear birds even when we can’t see them.

Living in an urban area?

There are still birds. ��Listen for them in early morning — sunrise is the best time to hear birds — or listen in the late afternoon hours.

 

 

 

Want to increase the amount of birds you see and hear?

Hang a bird feeder in a window, put some potted plants, a birdbath or a birdhouse on a porch, balcony or ��doorstep — even without a yard, you absolutely can attract more birds to you, even in urban settings. ��For inspiration, check out this blog post on Bryony Angells’s blog — it’s so adorable — her hummingbird feeders and more hung up on a 10th story balcony that get’s plenty of attention from local birds!

Want to give your body a double shoot of happiness and a health boost?

Combine grounding and birding (simply touch a leaf or a tree or a flower or a rock or a balde of grass and you will be grounded while you listen to the lovely birdsong) and you will be directly supporting your body’s function while simultaneously boosting your happiness.

 

 

 

Crave to hear more of nature’s natural sounds?

Consider a weekend away. ��If you want to plan a trip around where you’ll see the most birds, or even one particular bird you’d like to see, you may enjoy birding apps like Birdseye, that give you up to date information on where to find birds, and will tell you what birds are actually around you, no matter where you are! ��Grab some binoculars, consider getting up a little earlier than you normally would (sunrise is often the best time to listen to birds!) and have fun.

There is great evidence to suggest that even one weekend in nature can boost your long term health. ��A study published in Biomedical and Environmental Sciences in 2012 showed that even a brief intervention of one single weekend spent in nature had significant health benefits ��� reducing stress, reducing inflammation, and even boosting the body���s immune response, compared to staying in an urban environment for the weekend.

After only a two day immersion in nature, study participants had measurably boosted immunity markers in the blood, lowered blood inflammatory markers, lower cortisol levels, boosted natural killer cells, and improvement of several other markers of immunity and inflammation.

 

 

 

But here is the best part: not only was this health boost significant immediately, but it persisted for an entire month after just that one single weekend in nature!

So one weekend in nature sustained an improvement in health for weeks, well after the subjects returned to their urban living. ��The researchers even suggest that routine visits in nature may provide long term anti-cancer benefits, because the subjects who spent a weekend in nature had boosted T Cell and Natural Killer cell function (which produce anti-cancer proteins) that persisted for weeks.

They encourage time spent in nature as a healthy part of a cancer prevention plan, and I agree��� if you can���t get outside in nature daily, these studies suggest that planning one weekend a month can still make a huge difference in not only your current health, but protecting your future health as well. ��If you can strive to take on weekend a month as a break from your daily grind in order to support your long term health, you can reap the benefits of weeks of boosted health, even if you can���t live in nature.

And as today’s study suggests, you might just find that giving yourself a little bit of time to enjoy the singing of birds on these weekend breaks gives you more life satisfaction than your paycheck does.

 

 

 

 

Want more tips on how to reap the benefits of nature, even when living an urban lifestyle?

I shared the idea to go bird watching with you in my book: The Earth Prescription, and I have hundreds of other ideas that will boost your health in this book, just waiting for you. ��Ideas that will ground you every season of the year no matter where you live.

I���m so excited to share it with you, and I’d love to sign a copy for you and send it directly from my hands to yours.

Or, you can order it anywhere books are sold, including:

Order On AmazonOrder On Barnes & NobleOrder On Indieboundxoxoxo, Laura

 

 

 

 

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Could You Be Electrosensitive? You Can Actually Find Out Right Now

 

The simple answer is yes, you are electrosensitive. ��We all are.

Every single cell in your body is conductive, every single organelle inside of each cell, every single cell membrane, the extracellular fluid around each cell, the intracellular fluid inside of each cell… yep, it’s all conductive.

Which is why grounding is so powerful — the moment one single cell in your body touches the earth, this amazing conductivity grounds your entire body from head to toe, just like flipping on a light switch — in one instant — ahhh…. you are grounded.

But exactly what makes our body grounded — the fact that we are ��highly conductive — is why we need to protect that exquisite conductivity, and also explains why you may literally feel the affects of ambient EMF fields around you.

 

 

 

In today���s incredibly electric world, a world filled with layer upon layer of electromagnetic fields, we can no longer afford to be caviler about the impact this has on the human body.

Because whether you “feel” it or not… the fact is, you are electrosensitive.

It is now well established that many people are sensitive to EMFs and reporting deleterious health effects in increasing numbers. ��I’ll include a list of medical studies for you at the bottom of this article.

A decade ago, back in 2011, the World Health Organization classified man-made EMFs as potentially carcinogenic (category 2B) with many countries establishing Electrohypersenstivitivy (EHS) as a diagnosable and treatable illness, with guidelines on treating electrohypersensitivity published and updated routinely.

That’s because we finally understand this truth: conductivity is the basis of how our body functions.

 

 

 

 

Everything from your thoughts to your feelings to your sensory experiences to your heartbeat to your breath to your speech to your digestion to every blink of your eyes is all only possible because you are conductive.

So while natural earth EMFs soothe and heal you, bathing your conductive body in supportive energy fields, manmade EMFs disrupt and sicken you, artificially imposing polarized disruptive radiation fields around you. ��Many people — I’d say maybe even most people — feel uncomfortable sensations when they are in the presence of strong EMF fields.

Do you notice you ever feel these symptoms after being on your computer, or cell phone, or near your router, or in an area with wifi?

stinging or tinglingheadachedecreased concentrationvertigo/dizzinessdisorientationtinnitus/ringing in the earsskin sensitivity or reactionsrestlesnessinsomniamood changes, including anxiety or depressionfatigueheart palpatationsmuscle pain/tension

 

How do we know these symptoms have to do with the presence of EMFs?

Actually, we’ve known the human body has a threshold of perception to electrical fields, and have studied it for many many decades. ��100 years��ago, back when electricity was being developed as a power source, people conducted a lot of��experiments to determine what these different levels of electricity are. ��And those findings are still being��used today!

The most commonly cited source of electricity safety is the The Electrical Safety Manual of��the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety [1]. ��The sources for the levels they use can be traced��back to a series of key experiments conduced in the 1950s [2].

 

Photos from Dalziel���s testing in the 1950s

 

The main set of experiments conducted for electricity levels involved hundreds of men and women��subjected to different levels of electricity.

They tested all sorts of levels of current in various ways, including a ���gripping��� test where the subject starts off holding a metal probe and AC current was slowly��increased until the person could start feeling it, as well as a touch test where the subject repeatedly��touched a metal plate as the electricity was increased until they could start feeling it.

What did the researchers find?

 

 

 

 

First, they found there was a wide range of��sensitivities. ��The least sensitive people couldn���t feel AC electricity until levels three times the��most sensitive people!

Also, they found that women were more sensitive then men, which is a fact that is further confirmed in the medical literature on studies about electrosensitivity: ��more women than men are electrosensitive, and this data shows us exactly why.

Women have a lower threshhold to perceive electrical current than men do. ��But that doesn���t mean if you are a male that you are not electrosensitive ��� not at all. ��Many men (and even more women!) all around the world are electrosensitive, and we will get into those numbers next.

 

 

Current perception levels for men and women using the gripping test (adapted from Dalziel, 1954)

 

Close-up of sensitive tail of original tapping data, converted to AC body voltage and population sizes��(adopted from Dalziel, 1954)

 

 

This shows us that there are millions of people who are sensitive to even very low levels of current.

In this video I created for you a few years ago,��I show you how EMFs impact the human body, even when you are grounded. ��In fact, to record that video for you, I wasn’t feeling too good. ��The hotel’s wifi, the electrical cords in the room, and even the cell phone I was filming the video on all took it’s toll on me and I was feeling nauseous with a headache (you can see it in my eyes throughout the video!)

I���m not alone in feeling the effects of electrical fields and other EMFs. ��In medicine we call feeling sensations during EMF exposure “electrosensitivity” but in truth, whether you feel it or not, your body is being stressed out and accumulating inflammation from these toxic EMF exposures.

Even going with the lowest commonly agreed upon prevalence of perception of symptoms (0.1% of the population, or 7 million people worldwide) this is roughly the same worldwide incidence of many other major illnesses. ��A quick look through the WHO Global Burden of Disease report shows that this incidence is similar to the incidence of stroke, for example.

It also means that electrosensitivity is more common than congestive heart failure.

It is more common than Parkinson���s disease.

It is more common than breast, lung, prostate and colon cancer combined.

Medical research on electrosensitivity backs this up ��� millions of people are affected by electrohypersensitivty [3] and in population-based surveys, the prevalence of electrohypersensitivity (EHS) ranges from 1.5% of the population (found in Sweden) up to 13.3% (found in Taiwan) [4].

 

Now that you know you are electrosensitive��� what can you do?Here are two great ways to get started in protecting your conductive health:

 

 

 

 

 

1. ��Learn How To Protect Yourself

 

Electrosensitivity an actual diagnosable and treatable condition.

I don���t know why in the USA we are so late to formally diagnose and treat EHS, but throughout Europe and in Canada, you can get a formal diagnosis and even disability support, including letters from your physician to request employers and schools to accommodate your needs (and your children���s needs) to reduce EMF exposure and safeguard your health.

Physicians can write:

letters requiring employers to provide you with a hardwired ethernet connectionrecommendations to your employer to have you work in a place that is furthest from the wifi routerletters to school educators to seat children in the class seat that is furthest from routerletters to school educators to create a cell phone free classroom, with all cell phones put on airplane mode at the beginning of classletter to school educators requesting they allow students intermittent times to go outside and ground to the natural energy of the earth to help offset EHS symptoms

 

Luckily, you don���t have to wait for your local health care professional to get on board with diagnosing and treating electrosensitivity, because I will be your healthcare advocate and help you.

I am — right this very minute — creating a class to teach you everything you need to know to protect your conductive health and lower your EMF exposures.

In this online class I will walk you through not only what you can do to protect yourself at home, at work, at school and more, but also how to get your own, in person physician comfortable with diagnosing EHS and writing those recommendations listed above on a Rx for you to hand to your employer or you child���s teacher.

It���s absolutely possible to be EHS and safeguard your health, while still living in the modern world.

I walk you through exactly how to do it, starting on day one. ��I truly believe every single person who joins in this one week course will notice measurable improvements in their health immediately.

I’ll walk you, step by step, through all of your living spaces to making them safer for you and your entire family.��Plus I’ll give you tons of encouragement and ways to boost your health, tons free��printables and worksheets that you can keep forever, as well as lots of medical literature to validate exactly what you are experiencing and why.

No longer will you be brushed aside and told that your legitimate, valid ability to perceive electrical currents and EMF fields imposed on your body are simply something to ignore. ��No way.

In this 7 day online class we will go over together:

Day 1: What is electrosensitivity and how to assess your exposuresDay 2: Removing the exposures you can remove (I���ll walk you through it!)Day 3: Reducing the exposures you can further reduce (let���s do it together!)Day 4: Shielding from any remaining exposures: key concepts & actions to takeDay 5: Grounding to rebalance��your��conductive health with natural earth��EMFsDay 6: Boosting��your body���s resiliency to mitigate the symptoms you may already be feelingDay 7: How to talk to your physician about further in person diagnosing &��treatment of EHS

 

Reserve your spot today and take action to protect your well being (and forward this to your family and loved ones so they can take it with you!) ��Taking this course with an accountability buddy is a great way to encourage each other and stick with it.

And I���ll be your ultimate accountability partner, walking beside you the entire way:

 

 

It absolutely doesn���t have to be overwhelming, I���ll break it down for you into easily actionable steps that will leave you feeling empowered, not scared.

**Please note: this week is the last week to sign up before class starts in June 6th!**

 

 

 

 

2. ��Offset Man Made EMFs Indoors with Natural Grounding Outside

 

The second thing I highly recommend you do, after signing up for my Electrosensitivity Relief Class, is to��head outside for at least a few minutes daily to rebalance your conductive health.

It doesn���t have to be for long ��� grounding is as instantaneous as flipping on a light switch. ��When you turn on a light, the entire room is illuminated ��� and that���s exactly what happens when one cell in your body becomes grounded: your entire body becomes grounded.

While there are cumulative benefits over time to grounding, there is really no time that is too little for grounding, either.�� I never want you to miss an opportunity to be grounded just because it���s might only be for 30 seconds while you stop at a street crossing, or lean against a tree while you take a break during lunchtime, or when you stop for a second to pull a weed out from a garden bed.

Within seconds your skin surface conductance has changes throughout your entire body and your muscle tension has decreased.��

As seconds turn to minutes, your brain and vagal tone have gotten a calming boost from grounding, and you might notice pain decreases and mood lifts.��

Over time, as minutes turn to hours, your metabolic processes get a boost and your circulation (which supports every single organ system in your body) is running more smoothly.��

Grounding day after day means nighttime sleep is more restorative, stress hormones normalize, inflammation decreases, and health benefits begin to accumulate, often resulting in noticeable health benefits on a large scale.

Grounding daily to reset the conductive health of your body is ESSENTIAL ��� it is not enough simply to remove EMF insults, you must replace those toxic frequencies with the natural healing frequency from the earth.

 

 

 

 

 

The Bottom Line:

 

In a nutshell: electrosensitivity is a well defined, identifiable, treatable, and preventable neurologic disease.

And awesomely, the human body is an incredibly resilient force of nature and we naturally go back to vibrant health when we allow our body to bounce back by giving it time to heal between insults. ��Often by making a few small changes, you can feel relief — literally overnight.

The basis of life is a natural ability to repair and recover and a natural adaptability as well.

Your body simply needs time and space, away from a constant toxic onslaught, to do so.

This is even more crucial for those of us who are electrosensitive.

I truly hope today���s article helps to reassure you exactly what you are feeling when you notice symptoms of electrosensitivity, to give you a fuller understanding of what is really happening when you are having these symptoms, and tons of solutions to help you feel better than you���ve ever felt.

To your incredibly resilient health!

xoxo, Laura Koniver, MD

A Selection of Medical Studies on Electrosensitivity:

The Pentagon Already Knows That EMFs Are Impacting Brain Function��� Here���s Why (2020)Electrohypersensitivity as a Neurologic Disorder: How to Diagnose, Treat, and Prevent It (2020)Clinical Guidelines for Diagnosis and Treatment of Electrosensitivity (2020)Building Science and Radiofrequency Radiation (2020)Oxidative stress in electrohypersensitivity��with comprehensive molecular analysis (2018)Effects of electromagnetic fields exposure on the antioxidant defense system (2017)Electromagnetic field induced biological effects in humans (2015)EUROPAEM EMF Guideline 2016 for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of EMF-related health problems and illnesses (2016)Electromagnetic hypersensitivity���an increasing challenge to the medical profession (2015)The implications of non-linear biological oscillations on human electrophysiology for electrohypersensitivity (EHS) and multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) (2015)Functional impairment of electrohypersensitivity (2010)The Medical Perspective on Environmental Sensitivities (2007)

 

References:
[1] The Electrical Safety Manual of the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2009-113/pdfs/2009-113.pdf
[2] C. F. Dalziel, ���The threshold of perception currents,��� in Electrical Engineering, vol. 73, no. 7, pp. 625-
630, July 1954, doi: 10.1109/EE.1954.6438873.
[3] Belpomme, D.; Irigaray, P. Electrohypersensitivity as a Newly Identified and Characterized Neurologic
Pathological Disorder: How to Diagnose, Treat, and Prevent It. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21, 1915.
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21061915
[4] Hedendahl L, Carlberg M, Hardell L. Electromagnetic hypersensitivity���an increasing challenge to the
medical profession. Rev Environ Health. 2015;30(4):209-15.��https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26372109/

The post Could You Be Electrosensitive? You Can Actually Find Out Right Now appeared first on Intuition Physician.

Reflections On The Death Transition: What I’ve Seen, What I Feel

 

 

 

 

As a physician, I’ve had quite a few experiences with patients who were dying, as well as patients who had near death experiences and told��me about them.

In medical school, I had an attending physician who had a heart transplant. ��He said as they removed his heart on the operating table, he went somewhere totally different than earth. ��After putting his new heart in, the surgeon shocked it to get it to start beating again. ��He says he felt that shock and felt himself feeling pulled back into his physical body and when he woke up… he was so damn mad. ��Angry to have to be back on this heavy painful earth.

Although he very much loved his wife, he loved his kids, he loved his job… whatever side he was on for the brief moment he was on it was infinitely better. �� The last thing he wanted to do was leave it, not even to come back here to his family.

 

 

 

 

I had a patient in the ICU who was dying, and as the veil lifted she started seeing her mother (who had died decades ago) sitting bedside with her. ��My patient would not let anyone sit in that chair, because that’s where her mother was sitting… so I stood nearby and listened as she talked to her mother.

She was so joyful and expressive and illuminated when talking to her mom, she laughed often and she gestured freely with her arms. �� She had not seen her mother in 40 years, and you could literally feel her light up at seeing her again and simultaneously relax into knowing it was all okay and that she was not alone during this death transition.

 

 

 

 

My very own grandfather woke up after having heart surgery in his mid-eighties, and told my father that he saw his dead wife ��(my grandmother, Grams) while he was on that operating table. ��He said Grams had told him to go back and eat — to finish his applesauce, specifically — and yes there was applesauce waiting for him back in the hospital room.

 

 

 

And on and on. ��And most recently, my best friend’s mom passed away. ��My friend told me that her mom started seeing energy — the light of souls that were in the room with her. ��She first started seeing them at the hospital she was in, and when she was able to come back home on hospice care, she told her daughter that she now saw the lights in her home too — and that they were colorful. ��Uplifting. ��Positive.

Watching people as the veil lifts between the two worlds — ��the living and the non-living — has always been my favorite thing. ��It’s so comforting, to know no one dies alone. ��Think of all of the billions of souls that have lived and gone before you, that not only make you who you are biologically but who have crossed over, and wait for you still, on the other side of that veil.

People you know and loved, people you never met, all knowing exactly who you are and welcoming you home. ��Row after row after row of beautiful soul energies, lighting up as they come to greet you.

 

I love that image so much that I painted it.

 

And I thank my best friend’s mom for telling us about those beautiful colored lights and giving me the inspiration to put this down on a canvas.

(This is actually the third painting I’ve done after someone passes away. ��The first one I painted and blog about here and the second one I painted and blog about here.). But this one is by far my favorite.

I call it, As The Veil Lifts and it’s my expression of how the earthly world (represented by the foreground, the land and foliage) dims as the spiritual world emerges. ��Loved ones waiting.

All that’s left is to take one step in front of the other as we journey to the other side. ��I hope you love it and find it comforting, like I do.

(Sorry about the watermark, but I always see my art pop up on social media channels with no credit to me as the artist… now I’m forced to watermark the image but if you want to order Giclee archival prints of this piece, there will not be the watermark on those fine art prints!)

Let me show you how I created it!

 

As The Veil Lifts

 

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Here’s how I painted it, after envisioning a rough idea of it in my mind.

First, I dropped soul energy circles of color all over the top third of the painting, on a backdrop of gold paint:

 

 

Then, I took a squeegee and pulled the paint circles down towards the bottom of the painting:

 

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Then I went in with white paint and painted haloes of energy radiating out from some of the souls:

 

 

Then I started creating a foreground for the earthly realm, landscaping it with a few hills:

 

 

I then used liquid gold leaf to paint a path we are all journeying on… towards the beyond:

 

 

I texturized the entire painting by sanding it lightly:

 

 

Then I started putting some details onto our path, lovely leaves and bushes and ferns that we simply clear our way through as we are drawn away from the physical world and focus more on spirit… souls literally becoming visible to us as finally the veil lifts:

 

 

I shaded the foreground to show that as our physical eyesight dims, the spiritual realm brightens and comes into focus:

 

 

A few minor details added and here we are:

 

 

 

If you love this image, if you find comfort in this image, if you know a loved one who would be uplifted by this image, you can order custom prints of it here. ��I personally paint a layer of gold leaf onto the path to ensure that even the prints have a path that will guide you home.

 

 

I want to end this blog post with my favorite prayer, which I hope I captured the essence of in my painting.

Probably my favorite prayer/meditation��of all time, I actually tore this prayer out from the book (With Open Hands, by Henri J Nouwen) and framed it, and have it in my bedroom to read every night before I sleep��� it���s that powerful to me.

 

Dear God,I do not know where you are leading me.I do not even know what my next day,my next week,or my next year will look like.As I try to keep my hands open,I trust that you will put your hand in mineand bring me home.Thank you, God, for your love.Thank you,Amen.

 

xoxox,

Laura Koniver, MD

The post Reflections On The Death Transition: What I’ve Seen, What I Feel appeared first on Intuition Physician.

Holistic Protection From Ticks, Bug Bites, Cuts, Scrapes And Other Summer Skin Woes

 

 

In honor of Earth Day this April, I’m writing a 5 part series over the next 5 weeks to encourage you to get outside and get grounded — it is an absolutely essential part of your spring healing plan!

Here are the next 5 blog posts:

A new study helps to explain why grounding boosts your moodMy top 10 indoor activities to take outside this springHolistic sun protection: tips to know before going outsideReplacing minerals to boost your conductivity and avoid dehydration this spring and summerHolistic skin care support: protecting against bug bites, ticks, treating athletes foot & more!

So today is the last one… let���s talk about and heal all of your summer skin care concerns holistically��� everything from:

yeast overgrowthathletes footcuts and scrapesbug bitestick bites and more���

I���ve got you covered! I truly don’t want you to let summer bugs or pests to stop you from getting outside and getting grounded to support your innate health. ��So here are some great tips to make sure you enjoy your time outside. ��Let���s go:

 

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1.�� Treating Yeast Overgrowth

 

Let your skin breathe: ��Yeast love heat and moisture, so you need to give your skin time to cool down and dry out. �� So no wearing tight sweaty bras or swimsuits for hours and hours on end. �� If you get clothing wet, whether it���s a swim suit you were swimming in or gym clothes you just worked out in, change them. ��Or better yet, grab some privacy in your home and go naked for a bit.��You���ve got to love the skin you���re in and give it time to air out. Besides just changing out of wet or damp clothing, you can proactively routinely go naked to keep skin aired out��� perhaps consider sleeping nude? ��I remember when my kids were super little and I loved nothing more but for them just to run around naked all day long, no diaper in sight.��That is something you should consider if you are prone to yeast overgrowth����� lots of time with no undies!Apply silver topically: ��Topical silver gels and ointments work because of silver���s inherent antimicrobial properties. ��Silver kills yeast as well as lots of other pathogens, so it���s a great topical treatment to have around, and this one is my favorite. ��You can apply a topical silver gel directly on skin infections ��� for example, on areas of yeast overgrowth like on skin folds. ��Stay naked if possible and allow your skin to air dry after using! ��I had an elderly patient who applied colloidal silver on areas of yeast overgrowth after bathing and then lay naked under the ceiling fan in her bedroom for an hour after each bath, and we just cracked up when we formulated this healing plan together! ��But it worked!Decrease consumption of sugar: ��I���m sure you���ve heard of this one before��� and it���s true, even though I hate to admit it. I have a serious sweet tooth and it is nothing to be trifled with! ��But yeast love to thrive on sugars and simple carbs like white flour. ��If you can reduce your consumption of these foods (and pay particular attention to it if you have an active yeast infection!) and you���ll give the yeast less to feed on and a decreased rate of growth. ��You may want to try L-glutamine supplements to help decrease sugar cravings. ��Take one 500 mg dose of L-Glutamine up to three times a day and you can thwart your cravings for sugar and help dramatically reduce your sugar intake.Eat sulfur rich foods: ��Sulfur rich foods like many spices, garlic and onion, help naturally defeat the yeast overgrowth.��Make them a part of your summertime diet on a routine basis! ��And the good news is, if you load up on the garlic, you are going to naturally repel mosquitos and other biting insects as well!�� So load cloves of garlic into spaghetti and pizza sauces, on garlic bread, raw in salads��� you name it!Take yeast fighting supplements: ��Supplements like probiotic ��and proteolytic enzymes work and work well. ��70% of our immunity starts in the gut, and most of us don���t have the right flora in our GI tract to optimize fighting off opportunistic overgrowth like yeast. ��So taking a high quality probiotic will help reset the balance and provide head-to-toe benefits. ��Proteolytic Enzymes actually break up the biofilm on yeast and weakens them��� allowing our bodies to effectively clear them out for good. The biofilm is exactly what it sounds like, a film over the surface of a foreign pathogen like yeast, and it���s purpose is to protect the pathogen from being defeated. ��When you break up this biofilm by taking proteolytic enzymes, often this one supplement is enough to rid you of yeast for good! ��My favorite supplement for this is Candida Control by Enzyme Science, which combines proteolytic enzymes and probiotics together for great efficacy.Use Boric Acid Suppositories vaginally:�� If you tend to get vaginal yeast overgrowth, boric acid suppositories will save your life. �� Simply insert one capsule intra-vaginally each night for 7 days, or use as needed to reset vaginal pH and beat yeast overgrowth without a prescription.

 

 

 

2. ��Treating Athlete���s Foot

 

Many of the same tips for decreasing yeast overgrowth will also work for decreasing fungal overgrowth as well��� so read through the list above and incorporate those things into your fungal line of defense as well. ��On top of this, be sure you are not keeping your feet trapped into hot, moist environments like closed toed shoes…. here’s more:

Wear open toed shoes, or change socks often: ��If you *must* wear closed toed shoes, like for your job, be certain to wear socks (no shoes without socks, please! Once the insole is damp your shoes will stay damp all day long) and bring an extra pair or two with you to work so you can change them frequently. ��Open toed sandals and flip flops are better, and barefoot is best as often as possible!!!Use Apple Cider Vinegar & Tea Tree Oil: ��Also, soaking feet in Apple Cider Vinegar and following up with a dab of topical Tea Tree Oil will help treat a fungal infection as well as prevent one from forming in the first place. ��Just dry feet extremely well after wearing shoes, swimming or bathing, and soak feet in a 1:1 diluted solution of apple cider vinegar and water (or use a cotton ball to dab on apple cider vinegar directly onto feet, especially between toes) and then follow with tea tree oil daily for several weeks and watch your athlete���s foot infection disappear for good, never to return.Invest in a UV Shoe Sanitizer: ��You can also consider using a UV light shoe sanitizer and deodorizer in your shoes overnight to kill any pathogens that live on the interior of your shoes ��� shoes can be difficult to fully air out and inserting a UV shoe sanitizer into the shoes will not only completely disinfect them, but they will smell better too. ��Although they may be an initial investment, UV shoe sanitizers can save you from countless foot infections as well as double and triple the life of your favorite shoes.

 

 

 

3.�� Healing Summer Scrapes and Bug Bites

 

Use Honey Topically: ��You might already know I love honey to ease seasonal allergy symptoms��� if you haven’t read my article on that, you can read my blog post on defeating spring allergies holistically right here. ��But in addition to treating spring allergies,��I love honey for wound healing as well! ��Summer is filled with little cuts and scrapes and bites.�� So it���s the perfect time to recognize the power of honey. ��Findings published in 2012 in the International Wound Journal show that when raw honey was used on all types of wounds, it:promoted healingminimized necrosisminimized the amount of skin that sloughed off the woundreduced wound sizedecreased affected area around wound

Not only did it help speed wound healing, but it made a measurable improvement in over 84% of wounds!!!! ��We are talking:

post operative woundsgeneral skin woundsinfectionsburnsulcerspressure sores and more!

Honey has well-known antimicrobial benefits, doesn���t spoil, is easy to have on hand and is portable (no refrigeration required!) so it really makes perfect sense to use as a secondary wound dressing in children older than 12 months old. ��To use honey for wound healing:

First be sure to flush out any wound with lots of water��� for a long period of time��� 2 minutes ideally.Then, depending on wound type you may consider a topical antihistamine, anti-inflammatory, or antibacterial dressing, and then honey.For minor wounds, use this approach of deep cleansing and then raw honey as a dressing, but be sure to have any deeper or larger wounds evaluated by a physician.

Because honey is so safe and so effective for so many different types of wounds��� and because it speeds healing and decreases the amount of skin that is affected by the wound, I feel that honey ultimately will be shown to reduce the appearance of scarring as well. ��So for post operative wounds or acne infections or stretch marks or injuries that you want to minimize scarring in��� bring on the raw honey!��Sweet news, indeed!

 

 

 

And to help prevent bug bites in the first place ��� I use a two pronged approach:

 

Organic Cedar Oil: ��Safe to spray directly on skin, pets, around doorways and porches and windows, and anywhere inside or outside of your home that bugs tend to congregate. ��Child and pet friendly. ��Used directly on skin it helps deter biting insects from bothering you at all and is organic, safe, natural and no nasty DEET or other chemical concerns. ��Cedar oil is also the tick repellent I recommend most, and I advise my patients to use cedar oil when going outdoors to get grounded. ��In fact, I use this so often as pest control around my home that my daughter calls it ���the smell of my childhood��� LOL!Burn sage or incense outdoors: ��I like to light a few incense sticks or a sage stick and keep it burning on my outdoor patio area while I eat dinner ��� to deter flying insects from buzzing around my food and spoiling the meal! ��Or, as I suggest in this blog post ��� throw a smudge stick of dried sage into your summer bonfire to help keep the mosquitoes away all night!

 

4. Preventing & Treating Tick Bites

 

Ticks carrying the Lyme disease bacteria (Borrelia Burgdorferi) have been found in all 50 states, so don���t be fooled into thinking its only something that folks in the northeast have to be concerned with.

But I really don���t want you to limit or stop your healing practice of connecting to Mother Earth outside daily, because of fear of ticks. ��To me, this healing practice is as crucial as eating or hydrating or breathing to stay healthy for an entire lifetime.

The earth has food, air, water, and conductive support all waiting to restore you back to full health. ��To read more about how the earth supports the conductive health of your body, you definitely want to read my book The Earth Prescription.

 

 

 

 

Meanwhile, instead of staying indoors, let���s dive into all of the things you can do proactively each time you go outside to prevent lyme disease.

Quite simply, preventing a tick bite in the first place is the single most important thing you can do to avoid Lyme disease. ��This is an area where you can really empower yourself to be completely aware and diligent so that you never ever need to fear being outside or let fear of ticks keep you from enjoying Mother Nature.

 

8 Ways To Prevent A Tick Bite:1. ��Mow:

 

 

The easiest thing you can do is to keep your yard and outdoor living space trimmed, mowed low (don���t let grass grow long, ticks love long grass) and remove piles of leaves and other debris ��� this will automatically reduce your chances of having ticks in your yard.

 

 

 

��Get Chickens:

Add a few free roaming chickens to your yard space and you will have a tick monitoring and disposal system that is practically self running!

Woot!

Chickens eat ticks and constantly scavenge for ticks and other pests that are harmful to humans��� and you get to enjoy some delicious organic free range eggs to boost!

 

Add a fence:

Likewise, it���s important to ensure pets don���t bring ticks into your yard and home (which are one of the most common ways that humans get tick bites!) �� The best thing to do is ensure pets that live in the home with you do not roam in wooded areas.

Installing a fence or keeping pets confined only to yard areas that are mowed short is one of the single most important things you can do to decrease human exposure to Lyme.

 

 

Groom pets:

Daily brushing and inspecting the pet for ticks after time spent outside, !(before bringing your pets in to the home!) will help prevent ticks from catching a ride into your living space.

Keeping pets out of bedrooms and off of furniture during tick season (late spring, all summer & early fall) will decrease the chance that you or your family members will get a tick bite after a tick has dropped off a pet.

Talk to your veterinarian for more strategies on keeping ticks off of your family pet.

 

Use Cedar Oil as a natural tick deterrent:

Topically it���s so easy to holistically and naturally repel ticks ��� no toxic chemical required.

Simply spray exposed skin with cedar oil��� cedar oil is safe, all natural and no nasty DEET or other toxic chemicals that cause neuronal cell death.�� Repels ticks as well as flying insects.

I use this so often that my daughter tells me that this cedar oil spray is ��� and I quote her here:�� ���the smell of my childhood.����� She says that every time I spray it and she catches the scent.�� I just love that!

Spray directly on skin, pets, around doorways and porches and windows ��� safe to use directly on the skin.

 

Tick check:

Even with doing the first 5 tips, you still need to physically double check your body for ticks every time you are outside.

Throughout the day and prior to bathing, double check your body, groin, armpits, scalp, hair and clothing for ticks.

Going directly into a shower after spending time outside is the best way to make sure ticks don���t drop off into your home or stay attached to you long enough to transmit Lyme.

If you can detect a tick before it anchors on, you���ve just prevented transmission entirely.�� It���s worth it.�� I recommend you strip off clothing and place directly into the wash after working outside, then hop in a shower to wash up.

 

Tuck in, pony up:

Wear long sleeves and pants whenever possible to help keep ticks from reaching your skin��� tucking in your shirt at the waist and if possible tucking pants legs into your socks.

Put long hair into a ponytail, bun, or even better ��� tucking it all up under a hat is a very easy way to cut your risk of tick bites dramatically because ticks love to grab onto long hair when walking through long grasses and wooded areas.

 

 

Use A Dryer:

Simply running your clothes, bedding, towels, garden gloves, hiking boots, etc��� through your dryer will kill any ticks you don���t see.�� All it takes is one hour tumbling on high heat (or 90 min on low heat) and even fabrics or shoes that you can���t wash or get wet can still have all the ticks removed and killed just by a spin through your dryer.

And if you are on a vacation, especially vacations with hiking or lots of time spent outdoors or to wooded areas, try to stay in hotels or cabins with dryers ��� simply strip down and run your clothing and shoes through the dryer every time you return from exploring outside and you slash your risk of Lyme disease greatly.

Let your clothes take a tumble while you do a tick check and grab a shower and you have gone a long way to preventing Lyme disease entirely!

If prevention fails and you do have a tick bite from an infected tick, getting treated for Lyme disease immediately is the best thing you can do to prevent long term sequelae from becoming an issue.

 

 

 

But what if you are bitten by a tick?

 

It���s okay! ��Just follow these 3 Steps��to decrease your chance of contracting Lyme:

 

��Remove the tick: ��Simply gently and firmly remove the tick with tweezers as close to the skin as possible (not squeezing the body of the tick, which may help enable the bacteria to squirt into your bloodstream!) and most importantly: save the tick!Test the tick,��so you know if it carried Lyme or not ��� this can give you instant peace of mind! ��It is infinitely easier to get a tick tested than wait and see if you become infected with Lyme. ��First of all, human Lyme tests can be inaccurate and delay prompt treatment. Second, the myriad of symptoms for Lyme disease (as we will discuss next) is a great mimicker for hundreds of other illnesses and there is no one reliable way to diagnose Lyme through symptoms. And lastly, Lyme treatments become much less effective as time goes on. So submitting a tick for testing (just place it in a plastic ziplock bag with a moist paper towel)����and giving it to your local physician or sending it off to be tested yourself by Ticknology is the best way to know if you need Lyme prevention treatment or not. ��This is a service that allows you to send a tick directly to a lab and have results emailed back to you within three days ��� awesome for getting quick answers without any delay for treatment and doesn���t even need to involve a visit to your family doctor. ��Although you may prefer to go directly to your family physician, who can give you an antibiotic to have on hand to take immediately if the results do come back positive for Lyme, having diet access to tick testing services puts you in control of your own healthcare, which I am all for. ��It���s important to note that less than half of folks who contract Lyme disease actually have the classic bulls eye rash reaction at the bite site. ��Of course if you see a bullseye rash, report this immediately to your physician. ��But other symptoms of Lyme are more insidious and actually more common��� symptoms like:��fever, joint pain or swelling, muscle pain and weakness, irritability, headache, mood changes, increased susceptibility to other infections (as your immune system compromises over time) and most common: fatigue. ��So testing a tick and getting immediate antibiotic treatment for Lyme is the best thing you can do to prevent chasing vague symptoms like fatigue and headache for years to come.Boost Your Immune System: What can you do while you wait for tick test results? ��Starting some immune boosting supplements is always a good idea after a tick bite while you are waiting for tick test results. ��My favorite is Vit D, Vit C, Probiotics, and an immune boosting supplement called Quick Defense… all included in my Lyme Prevention Protocol, right here. ��Go ahead and boost your immunity with supplements right after any suspected exposure and you will have given yourself a head start in treating Lyme before it���s even had time to express symptoms.

 

Now that you are armed with a ton of very effective holistic tips on avoiding tick bites and decreasing your chance of developing Lyme disease (plus a few tips to help speed recovery if you do get a tick bite!)��� it���s time to wish you a very very happy upcoming summer!!!

Keep going outside and enjoy the beautiful display that Mother Earth brings us each spring without fear!

xoxo, Laura

 

The post Holistic Protection From Ticks, Bug Bites, Cuts, Scrapes And Other Summer Skin Woes appeared first on Intuition Physician.

Warm Weather Tips To Avoid Dehydration, Protect Your Mineral Balance & Boost Grounding Too

 

In honor of Earth Day this April, I’m going to do a 5 part series over the next 5 weeks to encourage you to get outside and get grounded — it is an absolutely essential part of your spring healing plan!

Here are the next 5 blog posts:

A new study helps to explain why grounding boosts your moodMy top 10 indoor activities to take outside this springHolistic sun protection: tips to know before going outsideReplacing minerals to boost your conductivity and avoid dehydration this spring and summerHolistic skin care support: protecting against bug bites, ticks, treating athletes foot & more!

So today is the fourth one… how to protect against dehydration while you are outside having fund this spring and summer!

 

 

 

 

Known as the ���Elixir of Life��� for good reason,��water is absolutely critical to our well being in every way.

Not only are we primarily made up of water (over 70% of our body is pure water!) but water has a healing property that goes way beyond simple hydration.

Today, I want to share with you all the different ways that��we can use the power of water to support our Well Being from the inside out. ��One of the most important ways is that it supports our grounding practice — allowing your body to literally be more conductive the more electrolyte balanced and hydrated it is!

But first, I want to run through some of the surprising symptoms of��dehydration, and I���d like you to tally up how many of these symptoms you are feeling right now.

If you feel even one, you are already volume depleted and you need to immediately go drink a big glass of water!

 

 

 

What Does Dehydration Feel Like?

 

Dehydration is life threatening.�� Severe dehydration means our organs absolutely can not function normally and leads to seizure, organ failure, and death.

But did you know even very mild levels of dehydration might be affecting you on a daily basis?

Dehydration can lead to or exacerbate common conditions such as constipation, dry skin, bad breath, headache, and high blood pressure. ��How many of these symptoms do you have right now?

 

��Dry Mouth: One of the first symptoms of dehydration is dry mouth, which leads to bacteria overgrowth and bad breath.�� If you notice bad breath, you might consider: are you chronically dehydrated?Dry Skin: Your skin turgor is another indicator of dehydration.�� If you���ve been concerned about your skin feeling dry or more wrinkled, double check that you are drinking enough fluid each day.Pain: Pain is actually a symptom of dehydration as well, often starting with a headache. ��And low fluid status can lead to headaches and brain fog as well, as the fluid volume of the brain gets depleted from dehydration. ��I���ve literally had patients with a raging headache drink a glass of water and have the headache clear completely. ��The next time you have a headache or any type of pain, make sure you drink a glass of water and then re-evaluate your pain levels before reaching for a pain reliever or medication. ��Dehydration makes all pain worse, as the volume of the organs and joints deplete, dehydrated ligaments and cartilage get injured more easily and dehydrated discs in the spine allow increased pinching of nerves and muscle cramps increase as electrolytes deplete.Constipation: Having sluggish bowels is another classic symptom of chronic dehydration. ��Recent studies have shown that water status is the NUMBER ONE factor impacting regularity.�� More important than walking and more important that even fiber intake, water intake can turn constipation issues around completely. ��Drinking water has more of an impact on encouraging�� healthy bowel movements than fiber supplement or exercise��� in fact, I���d go as far as to say fiber supplements clog people up more often than they help. ��In general, a constipated person is a dehydrated person.�� You can fix that right now ��� go grab a glass of water.High Blood Pressure: Another classic sign of chronic dehydration?��High blood pressure.��When we decrease our water intake, our blood gets thicker, harder to pump, our blood volume decreases and our heart rate increases and our blood vessels constrict. ��All together, this means your blood pressure raises and stays raised. ��If you are having blood pressure issues, it is more important than EVER to be extremely vigilant about your hydration status!Digestive Issues: Dehydration also impacts your entire gut lining, and chronic dehydration can give rise to stomach ulcers and absorption issues as the mucosal layer stops secreting it���s protective film.Dry Cough: Not only does the gut lining need to be well hydrated to function, but also our entire respiratory lining does too. Our lungs absolutely require a moist mucous membrane to function. ��In chronic dehydration, the mucus membranes in our respiratory system dry out and become more vulnerable to dust, pollen and other irritants, leaving you susceptible to an irritating, non-productive, dry cough.Urinary Tract Infections: Getting more UTI���s than usual? ��Our entire urinary system (and therefore the health of our kidneys) depends on having enough volume to use liquids to flush toxins from our body.�� When we can���t do that, we set ourselves up for issues with kidney function and a higher rate of infections.Weight Gain: Another little known side effect of chronic dehydration is weight gain. ��As we become volume depleted, we begin to feel thirst, which is often confused with hunger because the body is craving intake of any kind (knowing that most foods will provide some form of hydration, your body sends out the message that it is hungry when it is volume depleted in any way.).��As a result, we eat when what we really need to be doing for our true health is rehydrating.Bad Mood & Brain Fog: Did you know that even mild dehydration affects our mood? ����A study published in The Journal of Nutrition showed that study participants reported decreased motivation and increased feelings of anxiety when mildly dehydrated. ��On top of that, headache, fatigue, difficulty concentrating and decreased physical activity all were increased during dehydration. And the effect of dehydration on mood was even more pronounced in women than in men! ��And this medical review published in the Journal Of the American College of Nutrition showed that our attention spans and even our short term memory fizzles when we are dehydrated.

 

 

 

So the next time you have a headache, or feel anxious, or notice your blood pressure or weight creeping up�����drink a glass of water and re-evaluate.

It could be that chronic dehydration has been a key factor contributing to your symptoms all along.

And don���t rely on thirst to remind you to drink!

Prevent dehydration before you even get thirsty.��Dehydration begins when we are just 1% volume depleted, but thirst doesn���t set in until our body is about 2% volume depleted.��By then we have already had effects on our mood, energy level, ability to think clearly, and pain levels.

Instead of waiting for thirst or darkened urine to remind us to drink, let���s utilize these preventative strategies for staying well hydrated, instead of treating dehydration!

The goal of this article isn���t to teach you how to address dehydration but to have you protecting your hydration levels by preventing dehydration in the first place. ��Read on:

 

My 12 favorite ways��to use water to boost your health:

 

 

 

 

1. Begin and end every single day drinking a big glass of water.

 

Drink a full glass of water each AM before you even think about reaching for orange juice or coffee. ��In fact, don���t allow yourself to drink anything at all before you���ve had a glass of water.

Replenishing the fluids you lost overnight every as well as the fluids you may have overlooked drinking all day long is a great lifelong habit to get into.

Do it daily so it becomes an automatic routine!

 

 

 

 

2. ��Drink a glass of water whenever you feel hungry.

 

Use hunger as a reminder to hydrate!

We feel hunger on and off all day long, and so we can remember to drink water on and off all day long too.

Thirst is often confused with hunger, because your body is craving INTAKE of any kind!

Drink a glass of water before each meal and whenever you feel thirst *or* hunger, and you will stay well hydrated all day long.

 

 

 

 

3. ��Include fruits and vegetables at every single meal.

 

Fruits and veggies are full of water (many being more than 90% water!) and minerals that help you maintain essential fluid volume.

Processed foods like packaged snacks actually dehydrate you.

Fruits and veggies are a great way to hydrate *while* you eat!

The most hydrating ones include:

melonsberriescucumberceleryleafy greenstomatoes andbell peppers

 

 

 

4.�� Use an unrefined sea salt when you cook, instead of table salt.

 

It���s truly important to make sure you have enough minerals in your diet so that you can absorb and retain the right hydration balance.

Trace minerals, found in sea salts, are essential to the body���s function.

In fact, trace minerals actually help enhance another healing practice that I feel is crucial for our well being��� grounding! ��I talk more about why minerals are so essential for grounding in this video I made for you here.

 

 

 

 

Even if you don���t think hydration is an issue for you, most of us are mineral depleted whether we hydrate well or not. ��This can affect many different organ systems in our body, and even decrease our grounding potential.

You might want to consider a daily mineral supplement that you drop into a glass of water, which will further encourage you to drink drink drink throughout the day.

My favorite is Concentrace Mineral Drops, which I have waiting for you in my trusty��online dispensary here.

 

 

 

5. ��Moisturize your skin to decrease transcutaneous water loss.

 

By removing any dead skin, making sure your skin is moist and hydrated, making sure you are not mineral depleted, and making sure you drink a big glass of water so you are well hydrated internally before grounding, you can maximize how quickly and how easily your body gets grounded through contact with the earth outdoors.

My favorite moisturizer combines two of these principals in one: it moisturizes to repair the lipid bilayer of your skin, and it also adds crucial trace minerals to your body as well. ��It is a trace mineral lotion and you can find it right here.

 

 

 

6. Switch from soda to sparkling water.

 

If you love carbonation and find it difficult not to crave soda, make the switch to sparkling water instead.

The sugar and chemicals found in soda (even diet soda!) mess with your metabolism and absolutely do not *count* towards your 8+ cups of water a day. ��But sparkling water does… and even better if you drink sparkling mineral water, which also replenishes your mineral balance. ��Here is one study showing mineral water has health benefits.

Get your carbonation fix from sparkling water or sparkling mineral water instead of soda and reap the hydration rewards!

 

 

 

7. ��Allow tears��� always.

 

The healing power of water can work magic for helping to support our entire well being, from clearing our mind frame to easing pain.

Because water is such a transformative medium, it���s no coincidence that the basis for our blood, sweat and tears is water.��So the first way to use the power of water to transform your well being is to allow the tears��� always. ��Never hold them back.

Let the water of your tears release your emotions and lift them from your body.

Water is the ultimate medium of flow and healing��� in fact, water is the body���s natural choice of release as well, as you can see in the fact that the body uses tears to facilitate an emotional release.

Tears help encourage the flow of emotions through the body (both tears of joy and tears of sorrow!) and allows us to release tension more easily.

 

 

 

8. ��Sweat it out!

 

The other way that the body uses water as a form of energetic and physical release is through sweat. ��Working up a sweat��uses the energy and flow of water (the blood in your circulatory system) by increasing flushing ��� fluid in, sweat out.

Exercise is an essential, wonderful, medically proven treatment plan for so many different health conditions, shown to be effective in treating everything from insomnia, to depression and anxiety to fibromyalgia and other chronic pain conditions��� even preventing dementia and extending our lifespan!

Make sure you find some physical activity that you can routinely do that allows you to sweat��� whether you like hiking, yoga, kickboxing, jogging, or even, in a pinch a more passive form of sweating like a sauna (which has been recently shown to decrease dementia rates!) ��� find a way to embrace sweating and be sure to replace that fluid flow with tons of fresh filtered water both before, during, and after sweating!!!

 

 

 

 

9.�� Use the grounding properties of water to detox and release, even inside your home.

 

Take a long hot epsom salt bath soak (add some baking soda and apple cider vinegar to turn it into a detoxing experience) to soothe muscles, calm and relax you before bedtime. ��Or, simply relax in a warm shower and envision the water carrying the tensions of the day down the drain for you.

 

 

 

Here is a video I made for you showing you how even the water inside of your home is likely grounding you! �� No wonder showers, baths, and even washing the dishes can feel so stress relieving and centering.

 

 

 

 

 

10. ��Use water to increase the strength of grounding outside as well.

 

Another great way to use water to heal is to ground in areas that are naturally moist: by the ocean or river or lake��� even simply the morning dew on a blade of grass!

There is a reason that doctor���s routinely gave out prescriptions for spending time by the sea when they had no idea what else to do to help an ailment. ��That���s because the earth has healing energy to give you, and if you add moisture to that you increase your own conductivity and healing accelerates.

 

moisture + you + earth = expedited healing

 

This spring and summer, if you can get outside grounded while there is still dew on the grass, you will expedite your grounding experience.

If you can take a spray bottle out with you and spritz the ground before touching it, or spritz your skin before touching the earth, you will boost your conductivity.

If you can run through the sprinkler as you water your garden or yard, you will boost your conductivity (take your kids… they love this!). If you have a hose you can play with, to get wet during grounding, by all means do it!

If you have the option to get grounded in an in-ground swimming pool that is made from cement (not plastic) you will be grounded and the water will boost your grounding experience.

If you have the option to wade through a river or creek, or swim or walk along the edge of a lake, river or beach, you will feel the boost that water gives to your time spent grounding.

Bottom line: if water is ever an option for outdoor grounding — take it!

Here is a video I made last summer with my friend Stacey, experimenting with grounding in water. ��It was one of the last really warm days we recently had at the very tale end of summer (which, where we live, is in September!)

 

 

I hope you enjoy it. ��You can really see and feel the difference of how relaxed and centered we become after spending an hour grounding through water.

 

 

11. ��Make sure your air contains moisture!

 

You lose over two cups (or a half liter) of water just from breathing each day. ��And another cup or more just through your skin. ��If the air is dry (which all of our indoor air is���) then that water loss is dramatically higher.

Use steam/humidifiers to help hydrate your air and support the hydration of your mucosal membranes, decrease respiratory water loss and even decrease transcutaneous water loss.

If you can���t humidify your whole house, humidify the area that you spend the most time ��� usually, the bedroom. ��If you breathe mositurized air for the 7 or 8 hours you spend in bed each night, you will notice a difference, waking up with more hydrated skin & mucosal membranes.

 

 

 

 

12. ��Drink water in an intentional way, to energetically reset the body from the inside out.

 

As I mentioned above, you lose about 2 liters (8 cups) of water each day��� through skin and lungs, urination, bowel movements, tears, and sweating. ��You can utilize this high turn over of fluids to your advantage and hydrate hydrate hydrate during times of worry or sorrow or stress more than any other time of your life.

Look at every glass of water you drink as a way to add a healing intention into your body, infusing every single cell of every single tissue of every single organ system you have with healing support. ��You can simply say a prayer, say an intention, even just *think* an intention as you hold your cup of water and silently bless it before you drink it.

Let your body be flushed out inside and out and with every urination or bowel movement or tear or droplet of sweat you shed, recognize you are flushing the old energy down the drain and making way for new healing.

The beautiful, life affirming, healing properties of water can not be matched with anything else we put into our bodies.

 

 

 

 

And on that note, one last note bit of really good news: the water filter that I use in my home, and that I routinely recommend to patients, is back in stock! ��Woot!!!

Why do I recommend you filter your water before drinking it, especially if it���s��from the tap?

Hundreds of medical studies have shown that fluoride affects everything from cognitive function and cardiac function in humans, to diabetes, fertility and more in animals��� so I recommend avoiding fluoride in water and never use fluoridated toothpastes.

Fluoride is an enzyme inhibitor, point-blank.

Even the minuscule amounts of fluoride added to the public water supply accumulates in bone.�� It is estimated about 50% of the fluoride we consume is eliminated, and 50% is stored in our body, mostly in our bones. ��So miniscule amounts of fluoride adding to our bodies sip after sip after sip equals a not-so-minimal exposure.�� Over a lifetime, these levels can reach high proportions��� decreasing bone density and causing brittleness.

For a nation whose women have epidemic proportions of osteopenia and osteoporosis, it would be counter productive to continue to drink fluoride on a daily basis��� and then use prescriptions to try to combat the osteoporosis that develops later in life. ��Studies have shown that the rate of hip fracture in elderly is directly increased in areas that fluoridate their water.

And the truth is, you get plenty of fluoride through your foods. ��Plants store fluoride found naturally in the earth AND from the water used to irrigate crops.�� Yep, even organic crops have fluoride in them from the irrigation water.

Statements from reps of the National Institutes of Health recommend that people who drink large quantities of water should not drink tap water, but instead switch to bottled water.�� We are just getting so much exposure to fluoride, that to intentionally consume extra fluoride, whether through drinking water or toothpaste, is way too much.

Your skin absorbs fluoride as well, so even when you are showering or taking a bath, you are absorbing fluoride.

We also know fluoride is being taken up by our cardiovascular system as well.����A study published in the journal Nuclear Medicine Communications definitively proved that fluoride is absorbed into your vascular system.��Researchers followed 61 patients after administering fluoride and found that 96% of them had fluoride uptake in their cardiovascular walls.

In a nation with heart disease steeply rising, this doesn���t sit well with me. ��Direct absorption to of fluoride into our cardiovascular walls (and a significant correlation between cardiovascular events and fluoride uptake) makes it all the more urgent for us to avoid fluoride all together.

And now new reports are revealing something even more disturbing, if you can believe it ��� fluoride lowers IQ. ��I am routinely asked at the dentist���s office if I would like to give my children a concentrated fluoride treatment. ��And affect their still-developing brain? ��Uh��� NO. ��I feel that a fluoride filter to remove fluoride from your drinking water (as well as not using fluoridated toothpaste) is a mandatory investment to protect the long term health of your heart, your bones, your brain, and all the organs in between!

Not only will the right filtration unit filter out fluoride (double check that yours does, most do not) but it will also filter out chlorine and other nasty chemicals added to the public water supply, as well as nasty chemicals that are unintentionally in our water supply like lead, arsenic, pesticides, perchlorate, and even pharmaceutical drugs.

 

I keep a water filtration system out on my kitchen counter space so that not only am I drinking pure, clean, fluoride free water, but the beautiful filtration unit serves as a visual reminder to DRINK every single time I walk it, or am standing in the kitchen preparing a meal.

My agreement with myself, and hopefully one you will make with yourself too now that you’ve read all about how serious dehydration is and how crucial staying hydrated is, is that every time I see the water filter, I have to go take a quick drink of water from it. ��So every time I walk by my kitchen, every time I go in for a snack, every time I am doing the dishes, and every time I am prepping a meal or cleaning up from a meal… I drink a glass of water.

It’s win-win, because drinking a glass of water before every meal helps me decrease cravings and control portion sizes naturally, which is one of the best tips for losing weight there is. �� But as a bonus, this habit has really helped me to remember to maintain my hydration status.

Using a water filter not only ensures my water is pure and healthy, instead of harming me (and my children and my pets — did you know that drinking tap water is harmful to your fur babies as well? ��This report goes over why hard water may be harming your pet. ��In addition, fluoride, chlorine, lead, microplasltics, pesticides and fertilizers in tap water harm your pet’s organ systems just like it harms yours!) but it serves as a visual reminder to stay hydrated.

And here is the best one, finally back in stock.

 

 

 

Today, try to use at least one of the dozen ways listed above to allow water to naturally support your Well Being�����knowing you are doing more than just avoiding dehydration, you are boosting your immediate ��� and long term ��� health!

xoxo, Laura

 

 

The post Warm Weather Tips To Avoid Dehydration, Protect Your Mineral Balance & Boost Grounding Too appeared first on Intuition Physician.

My Top 6 Holistic Tips To Protect Your Skin From Sun Damage

 

 

 

In honor of Earth Day this April, I’m going to do a 5 part series over the next 5 weeks to encourage you to get outside and get grounded — it is an absolutely essential part of your spring healing plan!

Here are the next 5 blog posts:

A new study helps to explain why grounding boosts your moodMy top 10 indoor activities to take outside this spring and summerHolistic sun protection: tips to know before going outsideReplacing minerals to boost your conductivity and avoid dehydration this spring and summerHolistic skin care support: protecting against bug bites, ticks, treating athletes foot & more!

So today is the third one… how to protect your precious skin while you are outside grounding!

 

 

Let’s capitalize on the fact that outdoors is the safest place to be during a pandemic — not only because of the increase in venhilation, plus the simple fact is that sunlight is naturally germicidal, and the fact that the Vitamin D boost you get is naturally immune boosting as well, but on top of that, grounding helps support your immune and respiratory health too (more details on the medical studies behind this here.)

So of course, I’d love to encourage you to move as many of your indoor activities outside as possible, and last week’s blog post will help give you ideas for that!

This brings up concerns about skin cancer and photo aging effects from sun exposure ��� but don���t let that stop you from going outside. ��Here���s why. ��A large��medical study published in the Journal of Internal Medicine��found that folks who avoided sun exposure actually had a shorter life span�����with a decreased life expectancy that was shorter than even heavy smokers who bathed in the sun.

What?!?! ��Yes.

This was a huge study looked at almost 30,000 participants over a span of 20 years.��Researchers tracked health outcomes and life span over two decades and found that even when smoking was factored in, the life span of those who avoided the sun was more than 2 years shorter than heavy smokers who got the highest amount of sun exposure!!!

As hard as it is to believe, even heavy smokers who soaked in the sun their whole life outlived non-smokers who avoided sun exposure��� by years!

 

 

 

Participants who avoided the sun had higher rates of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and pulmonary disease.

And the results were dose-specific��� meaning that the benefits of increased life expectancy with sun exposure went up directly in correlation to the amount of sun exposure.

Though risk of skin cancer did increase with increased sun exposure, the patients that had skin cancer occur in relation to sun exposure actually had a better long-term prognosis!

This on top of recent research revealing that melanomas that occur in patients with low Vitamin D actually have more malignantly aggressive melanoma and their prognosis is worse than those with adequate Vit D from sun exposure.

These results show that avoiding the sun is a�����risk factor for death of a similar magnitude as smoking�������� directly quoting the medical report.

So the verdict: under-exposure to the sun is actually dangerous.

Turns out, longer time in the sun = longer life span. ��It’s that simple.

 

 

 

 

 

Smoking and inactivity (or prolonged sitting) have long been known to be huge lifestyle indicators of poor long term health��� and now we can add a third: avoiding sun exposure.

You know that I never ever ever present negative medical information without giving you tons of positive solutions!!

So you know if I am bringing it up on my blog here, then there are TONS of things you can do to make your time out in the sunshine safer for your skin, while boosting your whole-body disease prevention and prolonging your life span!

Today I want to share with you why sunscreen is not my number one recommendation for prevention of skin cancer.

Nor is it my second recommendation either.

I prefer to avoid peak sun hours and use sun protective clothing like rashguards, hats and sunglasses. ��Why?

Many chemicals in sunscreen (like the oils, petroleum products, oxybenzone, avobenzone, formaldehyde, retinyl palmitate, etc… found in most chemical sunscreens) have been shown to actually increase cancer rates.On top of that, many of the chemicals in chemical blocking sunscreens are shown to disrupt our natural hormone pathways. In fact, oxybenzone, the most common chemical sunscreen used, has been shown to disrupt hormones and is not even recommended for use in children. That���s right��� look at all the ���kid���s formula��� sunscreens out there��� they generally contain oxybenzone.�� This chemical not only is a hormone-disruptor, but after applying to your skin it becomes internally absorbed within minutes. Which means children, who are still growing, are getting systemic doses of hormone-disrupting oxybenzone circulating through their bodies on a daily basis all summer long. ��Yuck.More bad news��� mineral based sunscreens are increasingly being made in nano-sized particles so that they blend into the skin better��� and unfortunately, this means they can potentially be absorbed systemically as well.�� Even mineral based sunscreens like zinc or titanium dioxide are potentially toxic if they enter your body, so you want to be sure your product does not use nanoparticles.

 

And in fact, a study (presented at the��American Public Health Association Annual Meeting on Nov 19, 2016) shows that sunscreen did not have the ability to reduce melanoma risk.

466 children (enrolled in the study at age 6) were followed for almost a decade (through age 15) with a detailed report of annual sun exposure and sunscreen use as well as annual skin exams, which identified and documented skin lesions.This is the longest term study on new mole development ever conducted.Unfortunately, the results reveal that there was no association between sunscreen use and subsequent development of new pigmented lesions.The study conclusion: sunscreen use did not protect from or decrease the likelihood of developing pigmented moles (a marker of melanoma risk) at all.

 

While sunscreen may be protective against other forms of skin cancer, this news is upsetting because over 75,000 cases of melanoma are diagnosed every year just in the United States alone, and melanoma is a particularly aggressive form of cancer.

 

 

 

But I���m not surprised. ��To understand why the most common sunscreens (which are all chemical based) are not preventing new pigmented lesions from arising, you have to understand how chemical sunscreens work:

Chemical sunscreens (such as oxybenzone, octinoxate, octisalate and avobenzone) are absorbed into your skin and attempt to neutralize the UV rays once they penetrate your cells, by chemically reacting to the UV radiation.This means that the UV exposure is already reaching into your living tissues, and as a physician I don���t see how this can be cancer preventive.Your cells are already exposed to the UV radiation (including your cell���s DNA) by the time it is being neutralized.Physically blocking sunscreens, such as titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, are different. ��These physically sit on top of the skin and literally block UV radiation from even reaching your skin.Physically blocking sunscreens is the type of sun protection you want, and this is the only type of sunscreen I will carry in my online shop for you.

 

The Environmental Working Group agrees — sunscreen should be a last resort to protect against UV exposures outside. ��Read their full sunscreen guide here. ��

Because you don���t want to avoid sun exposure (which decreases your life span) and you don���t want to rely solely on sunscreen to reduce your cancer risk (since it doesn���t anyway���) today I���ve compiled a list of 6 awesome ways to stay protected in the sun in ways that will truly protect you:

 

Top 6 Things You Can Do To Decrease Your Skin Cancer Risk:

 

 

1.�� Avoid Peak Sun Hours:

 

The most important #1 way to protect from ultraviolet exposure is to avoid the sun during the peak UV hours in mid-day. ��There was a huge medical study that backs this up��� Sunscreen was��third in order of most effective ways to protect yourself from sun damage and skin cancers.

The ultimate solution, when possible, is sun avoidance during peak sun hours (10AM ��� 4PM) ��� this is infinitely better than any sun protection. ��You want to get some incidental sun exposure on some exposed skin daily, but to decrease the UV intensity you want that exposure to be in the earlier AM or later PM hours!

I love to recommend that folks get out in the early morning light — grounded of course — to start their day with light exposure (which helps boost sleep that night, boosts immune function, decreases pain, even boost libdo!) and to get a Vit D boost from indirect sun exposures, as well as to get a grounding boost (which helps every organ system in their body function better, & even gives them a mood boost to start their day on the right foot!) ��If all you can do is head outside with a cup of coffee and touch a ��leaf on a tree, stand on a patch of sidewalk, or sit on their front door step while they drink their morning brew — that’s perfect.

Then again, after dinner, shoot for another 10 minute or longer grounding session, an after dinner walk, or even eat dinner directly outside (grounded of course!) for another boost of indirect sunlight.

Try 10 minutes in the AM and 10 minutes in the PM for a week and see how noticeably your wellness blooms.

 

 

2.�� Wear UV Protective Clothing, Hats and Sunglasses:

 

The second best way to protect from the sun, if you are going out in the peak hours, is UV protective clothing. ��Rash guards, hats, sunglasses.

Be certain to protect your eyes by wearing UV protective sunglasses, dear reader! ��UV exposure is one of the leading causes of lens opacity (cataracts) as you age. ��You can prevent this by diligently protecting your eyes.

A hat will shade most of your face and your ears, and a rash guard can protect shoulders while you are outside getting grounded on the beach, working in your garden, doing yard work, or spending a little time with your kids or your pet outside in the fresh air.

 

 

My limited edition ���I love grounding��� beach towel ��� there are only a few left, available for you here! ��I’d love to send you one… this is the towel I use too!

 

 

3. �� Use Only Physically Blocking, Non-Nano Sized Sunscreens:

 

As talked about above, a non-nanosized, non-chemical based sunscreen��is the only thing I will put on my own face every single day.

Lotion: If you like a lotion, this one is my absolute favorite. ��It goes on easily and with less white residue than any other physically blocking sunscreen I���ve tried that is not nanosized. �� My go-to sunscreen.Spray: ��If you like a spray, this one is my absolute favorite. ��It sprays on clear and is perfect for easily covering large areas of the body��� or kids that can���t stand being smeared with lotion, lol! ��Many mineral sunscreen sprays claim to be clear and then are not — this one actually is.Powder: If you like a powder, this one is my absolute favorite. ��It is the ultimate in portability (won���t spill in your purse or bag!) and is so easy to apply, particularly to the face or other small areas of the body.

 

 

4.�� Take Curcumin To Protect Against Melanoma:

 

Did you know that Curcumin actually kills cancer cells in laboratory studies and has been specifically shown to target and kill melanoma cancer cells?

Read this study published in the International Journal of Cancer in October 2016 for a good overview on what we know about curcumin and melanoma so far.

If you want to add the anti-cancer benefits of curcumin to your health regime (which I highly recommend if you have any personal or family history of melanoma or even if you just have a history of intense sun exposure) I recommend taking a pharmacy grade supplement��that couples a 500 mg dose of curcumin with bioperine to help increase the bioavailablility and absorption of the curcumin…. this one is my favorite.

 

 

 

5.�� Use Vitamin B3 to decrease all other forms of skin cancer:

 

Clear evidence that a simple vitamin can be cancer preventive:��Vitamin B3 dramatically reduces skin cancer rates.

Presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2015 Annual Meeting in May 2014, Vitamin B3 has been shown to be a safe, effective way to reduce your risk of recurrent skin cancer.

Researchers looked at over 380 patients with a prior history of non-melanoma skin cancers, giving half nicotinamide supplements and half a placebo, and followed them for a year.�� They found the patients in the Vitamin B3 group had a quarter less skin cancers total (a 23% decrease) than control patients:

Basal cell occurrence decreased by 20%Squamous Cell Carcinoma decreased by 30%Actinic Keratosis decreased by 13%

Niacinamide (Vit B3, also known as Nicotinamide) enhances DNA repair in skin cells damaged by UV light, as well as boosts the immune system and prevents the suppression of immunity by ultraviolet radiation.�� (Nicotinamide has other benefits as well, including preliminary studies showing a boost in cognition��� helping to restore cognition in Alzheimers!)

So��� if you have a history of serious sun exposure?

Or a history of previous skin cancers?

Or you just want less unsightly actinic keretosis popping up in the future?

Vitamin B 3�� offers 100% all natural holistic chemo-prevention!�� Vitamin B is safe, inexpensive, proven. ��Find my favorite Vitamin B3 and Curcumin supplements together in my Sun Repair Protocol, here.

 

 

6. ��Eat fruits and veggies daily, especially during the summer:

 

Medical studies have shown that eating foods rich in carotenoids (like ) and lycopene (like tomatoes) have a photo protective effect in human skin, and have even been shown to cut the number of tumors from UV light exposure on mice significantly��� actually slashing the tumor count in half! ��

Foods to eat daily that not only provide this photoprotection to decrease skin cancer risk, but also to protect against premature aging as well, include:

squashcarrotsgrapefruitorangesapricotsasparaguscantaloupemangoesnectarinespeachessweet potatoestomatoeswatermelonand sweet red peppers

 

 

 

 

Enjoy that life giving, mood boosting, beautifully warm radiant sunshine this spring & summer, but do it in a way that protects your skin from too much exposure:

Try to avoid peak hours of sun exposure, going out in morning and evening hours when possibleWear a hat, sunglasses and/or rash guards whenever possibleAvoid toxic chemical sunscreens and use physical sunscreens insteadTake��curcumin and vit B3 supplements to decrease skin cancer riskEat fruits and veggies high in antioxidants routinely to nourish your skin from the inside out& while you are at it, stay well hydrated too, drinking water before, during and after sun exposure (more on this next week!)

 

Next week I���ll be blogging for you how to naturally protect against dehydration, boosting your mineral intake and protecting against the health issues that even mild dehydration can cause��� you won���t want to miss that one. ��If you have had this article forwarded to you, be sure to sign up here by entering your email to receive��my uplifting weekly newsletter so you don’t miss next week’s article.

And if you can think of someone who could use some uplifting holistic support, forward this email to them too!

 

Here���s to happy, healthy spring & summer days ahead���xoxox, Laura

 

The post My Top 6 Holistic Tips To Protect Your Skin From Sun Damage appeared first on Intuition Physician.

10 Indoor Activities That Can Easily Be Done While You Are Outside, Grounded

 

 

 

In honor of Earth Day this April, I’m in the middle of a 5 part series of articles to encourage you to get outside and get grounded — in my experience it is the most absolutely essential part of your spring healing plan!

These are the posts in this series:

A new study explains why grounding boosts your mood (last week’s article… click to read!)My top 10 indoor activities to take outside this spring (today’s post)Holistic sun protection: tips to know before going outsideReplacing minerals to boost your conductivity and avoid dehydration this spring and summerHolistic skin care support: protecting against bug bites, ticks, treating athletes foot & more!

 

So today is the second one, all about thinking of activities you are already doing each day, in a new way! ��Simply take them outside and you will add a deep layer of healing support to anything that you could do inside.

Grounding has to be the absolutely easiest way to add therapeutic healing to your daily routine: no cost, no stress, ��no effort, and completely painless… enjoyable, actually! ��And the medical literature backs this up — with new medical study, published in May 2020 — that finds grounding to be “a simple, profound lifestyle addition, requiring no effort” yet profoundly boosts health.

Long time readers of my blog already knew this, but it’s always great to have a simple, straight forward read on the health benefits of grounding to pass on along to skeptical loved ones that you know could benefit from getting outside and connecting to the earth. ��So share the link to that study widely, or simply forward this blog post to someone you want to encourage to try out grounding.

 

 

 

 

No only can you literally go outside and get grounded freely any time, but you can also use that time to multitask, adding a an additional healing element to whatever therapeutic daily practices you already have in place to support your health. ��Activities like physical therapy, yoga, meditation, exercise, eating, reading, and even just spending time with loved ones, all can ��be exponentially boosted by doing them outside, grounded.

And even activities that you do daily that are not directly for your health but still must be done, like returning phone calls, working on your lap top, weeding through emails, filling out your weekly planner, scheduling work tasks, even your next zoom meeting can be done outside grounded so that even non-healing activities can actually become healing, therapeutic ones.

So today I wanted to review my top 10 indoor activities that you can take outside — that way you are not adding one single thing to your to-do list, but you are adding immense health benefits from getting grounded! ��Pick just one or two of these activities every single day over this week to move outside and I am absolutely certain you will notice the health benefits before this coming weekend:

10 Indoor Activities To Move Outside:

 

 

 

 

1. Physical Therapy:

 

If your physical therapist has a set of stretches for you to do daily at home, do them outside. ��Moving your muscles and bones and ligaments and joints while grounded to the earth outside will increase restorative blood flow, bring a boosted oxygen levels to your tissues, and reduce soreness after exertion.

You can read more about why grounding is so supportive of your muscles and joints in this blog post I wrote for you:

Feel Immediate Relief With Grounding: Relax Your Muscles, Strengthen Your Bones

 

 

 

 

 

2. Journalling:

 

If your therapist wants you to do journal writing daily, do it outside. ��If you like to write in a diary, do it outside. ��If you like to set intentions, or are working on a manuscript, or filling out a dream journal — do all of your writing outside. ��In fact, anything creative or expressive can be taken up to new levels of releasing and healing when they are done grounded — that’s why plein air painting is so cool!

Drawing, sketching, photography, journalling, writing, even boring tasks like filling out your daily, weekly or monthly planner or grocery list can all be done outside, grounded.

Here is are some blog posts I wrote for you that goes into detail on why grounding allows your soul creativity to soar and any soul wounds to release:

The Hidden Benefits Of Grounding: Why It Helps More Than Just Your BodyYour History Of Trauma Is Making This Pandemic Harder On You Than OthersHow Grounding Releases Trauma From Your Body To Protect Your Long Term Health

 

 

 

 

 

3. ��Hydrating:

 

If your massage therapist or nutritionist or physician or personal trainer suggests hydrating more, take every single glass of water you drink outside to drink it grounded.

Grounding boosts circulation and will get that beautiful fresh clean water into your body and into your organ systems more quickly, allowing you to rehydrate your beautiful body immediately. ��As a bonus, hydrating while being grounded outside actually boosts your conductivity too, so it’s win-win!

Here is a video I made for you on how to use the conductive power of water to get grounded:

Grounding Through Water, Indoors and Outside (Laura Koniver, M.D. The Intuition Physician)

 

 

 

 

4. ��Exercise:

 

If your 2021 goal is to get more movement and exercise into your life, you can bring almost every exercise outside and get double the benefits.

Not only is excerise great for protecting your lifespan, but doing your next yoga session, or HIIRT round, or next run, outside grounded will add all of the health benefits of grounding to your exercise routine. ��You can even swim outside grounded and feel amazingly rebooted from head to toe, inside and out, as most in ground pools (as well as the cement surrounding the pool) is grounded.

Here are some articles on why exercising grounded helps you get more bang for your buck:

Grounding & Reduced Muscle Soreness Medical StudyGrounding Immediately Supports Your Heart & Boosts Circulation

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. ��Eating:

 

We all need to eat to put the nutrients our earth offers us into our body to boost our health… but if you can take your next meal outside and eat it grounded, you just added a therapeutic, anti-inflammatory benefit to time spent enjoying your food.

Grounding helps boost vagal tone and digestive function, decreases inflammation in the gut, increases digestion, peristalsis, absorption and even boosts the circulation of those nutrients all throughout your entire body, so eating grounded is the most natural way to bring nutrition into alignment with your body’s health. ��Any diet plan can be taken outside to eat in a natural way, grounded.

Here is a quick video I made for you on the benefit of eating grounded outside:

Why Your Gut Issues Won’t Go Away Without Grounding (Dr. Laura Koniver, MD, The Intuition Physician)

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. ��Breathing: ��

 

Even more crucial than eating, we all need to breathe the beautiful air that the earth provides. ��Many of us also find added benefit from intentional breathing practices like meditation. �� Taking intentional, deep breaths is a wonderful way to decrease stress and increase resiliency to the demands of your day.

If you already have a meditation practice, bring it outside. ��If you don’t meditate, you can still reap the benefits of a few deep breaths taken while grounding outside. ��Being grounded supports lung function and boosts oxygenation, so combining grounding with intentional breath work is another one of those win-win relationships that grounding brings to just about everything we do. ��(Bonus points if you blow bubbles as part of your breath work!)

For more on how breathing supports your health, hop over to read this article I wrote for you with several great ideas on developing an intentional breathing practice that you can do outside, grounded:

You Have The Healing Power Of Breath Inside You Right Now��� Here���s 5 Ways To Use It

 

 

 

 

 

7. ��Socializing:

 

If your friend wants to spend time with you, take the initiative and suggest hanging out together outside. ��Having friends you can connect with is one of the best things you can do to boost happiness and protect your longevity, and connecting with them outside is the best combination of all.

Moving your time spent together outside allows you to get grounded while connecting on a deeper level with your loved ones, and really almost anything you can think of to do inside can be done outside. ��From playing a card game, to having a cup of coffee, to sharing a potluck meal, to talking while watching clouds roll by or stars twinkle overhead, to going on a walk together, to sharing a picnic meal… anything you want to do with your friend is better grounded outside.

Medical studies like this one below (and others, like the one I blogged about for you last week) show that your mood is boosted by time spent outdoors, so grounding outside while spending time with friends is sure to help that time be even more fun:

The Effect of Grounding the Human Body on MoodA New Study Explains Why Grounding Boosts Your MoodBoost Your Connection To Others And It Will Boost Your Health, Here���s HowGetting Outside Today��� A New Idea I Tested Out For You (With A Friend) And We Loved It

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8. �� Dating:

 

If your partner wants a date with you, make sure some component of that date is outside, grounded. ��Hold hands and both partners will be grounded, or even ground through a kiss! ��Being outside, especially in the daytime, can even boost libido as it helps balance and regulate hormones.

Here are a few other articles I’ve written for you about the power of grounding to enhance your relationship:

The Healing Power Of Grounded TouchLight Exposure Quickly Improves Libido

 

 

 

 

 

 

9. ��Parenting:

 

Carving out time to play with your child in activities that interest them is absolutely crucial to bonding with kids. ��Play time is important healing time, and you can dramatically boost the healing value of play by taking that activity outside to do it grounded.

From arts and crafts, to sports and activities, to simply having a snack and talking, or reading a bedtime book under the wonder of the nighttime sky. ��You’ll worry less about any messes you guys make, and you’ll be getting a health boost the entire time. ��And of course, this includes your fur babies as well, so spend time outdoors with your pets too!

Here are some articles I’ve written for you on the power of grounding to enhance your children’s health:

Electrical Grounding Improves Vagal Tone in Preterm InfantsThe Healing Role Of Play, Right Now It���s More Important Than EverTo Stay Young, Stay Curious (& Dozens Of Other Ways To Protect Your Brain)

I also have written and published three children books for you so far… you can find these on my website here (or of course on Amazon and anywhere books are sold):

 

 

Lastly for more parenting support I have a totally free Parenting eBook for you right here. ��It has 17 chapters and 159 pages of ideas, concepts, games, suggestions, medical information, intuitive problem solving and uplifting parenting advice that help address health and life in a positive and re-affirming manner for children, including how I inspire my own children to reach for health, even during illness... filling them with the confidence that health is their natural state of being.

Enjoy the precious time you have while your kids are still little enough to want to play with you… soak it in!

 

 

 

 

 

10. ��Work:

 

I challenge you to think of three daily activities you do for work that can actually be done outside.

First of all, anything you get done on your phone for work, from research, reading, posting on social media platforms, marketing, weeding through emails, returning phone calls, returning texts and even your next zoom meeting can all be done outside. ��If any part of your work is done on a laptop, all of that can be moved outside as well. ��In addition, any reading or writing that you do, plus planning or scheduling that you do, can all be done outside.

I make it a point to attend most of my online medical conferences outside so that I’m learning the latest medical advancements while allowing my body time to get grounded. ��If your boss has catch up work for you to do and you’ll be up late tonight on your laptop, take it outside and at least make this time your body gets to be grounded.

Here are some additional articles on the power of grounding to reduce work stress:

Grounding To Prevent��Stress And Oxidative Damage While At WorkGrounding At Work Decreases FatigueIs Going Outside Part Of Your Daily Health Routine? 8 Reasons Why It���s EssentialWhen You Are Doing Something Meaningful, Your Brain Works BetterA Free Printable Tool To Give You Inner Clarity When Making Difficult Decisions17 Ways To Naturally Decrease Your Stress (+ A Few Freebies To Help)Is Your Job Driving You Crazy? You Are Not Alone. Here���s Help.

 

 

You get the picture!

 

Add your own ideas to this list — include all your hobbies too!

Play an instrument? ��Take it outside.Like to play chess? ��Do it outside.Have a pet? ��Play with them outside.Like embroidery? ��Take it outside.Doing something boring like meal planning for the week? ��Do it outside.Love to read? ��Do it outside.Perfecting a handstand? ��Do it outside.Love listening to music? ��Listen to it outside.

Run through your entire day from start to finish and decide what can be taken outside. ��Even if it is simply to start and end each day drinking a big glass of water outside — oh my goodness that’s PERFECT.

Almost anything you can think of to do — from fun and games, to connecting with friends and family, to eating and hydrating, to exercising and physical therapy, to yoga and meditation, to journaling and creating, to getting work done…

…you can do it all while in the healing state of grounding. ��Let’s do this!

And stay tuned for my blog post next week, where I tell you my favorite ways to naturally protect your precious skin from the UV exposures that come with being outside.

xoxox, Laura

 

The post 10 Indoor Activities That Can Easily Be Done While You Are Outside, Grounded appeared first on Intuition Physician.

A New Study Explains How Grounding Can Dramatically Boost Your Mood

 

 

 

In honor of Earth Day this April, I’m writing a 5 part series to encourage you to get outside and get grounded — it’s easiest and most uplifting makeover you can do for yourself this spring… one that supports the function of every organ system in your body.

A spring grounding plan has the power to transform your life in just a few short weeks… you will see and feel the difference.

Here are the next 5 blog posts to help encourage you:

A new study that helps explain why grounding boosts your moodMy top 10 indoor activities to take outside this springHolistic sun protection: tips to know before going outsideReplacing minerals and avoiding dehydration as the temperatures rise outsideHolistic skin care support: protecting against bug bites, ticks, treating athletes foot & more!

So today is the first one… and it’s an exciting one:

 

Why grounding boosts your mood!

 

 

 

 

 

We’ve know for a long time (and honestly common sense and personal experience tells you this as well) that time spent outside lifts your spirits.

In fact a double blind medical study published in 2015 found that participants who were grounded had measurable improvements in mood that were significantly higher than the sham-grounded participants.

We also know that inflammation in the body worsens mood and even plays a role in clinical depression. ��A medical study published in 2016 found that increased inflammation in the body worsens symptoms of clinical depression, and this one published in 2019 backs those findings up.

Researchers found that higher levels of blood markers of inflammation were found to be directly correlated with a variety of depressive symptoms, including sleep difficulty, decreased energy levels, decreased motivation and increased or decreased appetite.

Researchers looked at data on C-reactive protein levels (a blood marker of whole body inflammation) in over 15,000 patients.Higher levels of inflammation were directly correlated with higher levels of depressive symptoms, and the correlation was dose dependent��� meaning the higher the C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, the worse the symptoms got.Sleep problems, exhaustion and changes in appetite were all significantly increased with increasing CRP levels.Lack of energy was particularly correlated by high inflammatory marker levels.Inflammation was also found to contribute to cognitive changes such as loss of pleasure in activities previously found pleasurable (anhedonia), depressed mood, lowered feelings of self worth, decreased ability to concentrate, and even suicidal thoughts.

 

 

 

 

It gets better though, because the connection between mood and inflammation gives us a pathway to help treat it — if you decrease inflammation do you boost your mood?

Well yep, we know that is true as well.

This study, published in 2014,��found that if you decrease inflammation, you can actually help more effectively treat depression. ��Researchers reviewed 14 randomized, placebo-controlled studies looking at over 6,300 patients and found that adding anti-inflammatory medications to a treatment plan helped to lessen depressive symptoms and resolve depressive episodes better than placebo alone and better than anti-depressants alone. ��This study, published in 2016, further confirmed these results.

The link between depression and inflammation is so concrete now that��I feel no one should be treated for depression without also treating the body for inflammation. ��Physicians should incorporate a medical evaluation for inflammation alongside any work up for depression, because inflammation from stress, poor sleep, infection, illness, diet, EMF exposures, total body burden of toxic exposures, etc… can all cause inflammation that contributes to depression.

By addressing inflammation along with depression you actually can help resolve depression more effectively.

 

 

 

So while we absolutely know that inflammation impacts mood, what we didn’t know before now is how.

Of course there are likely other factors at play, but one of the pathways a new study suggests is that inflammation lowers dopamine levels in the brain, which is responsible for decreased mood, decreased motivation, and anhedonia.

In this study, published May 2020 in Trends in Cognitive Sciences,��researchers found a direct correlation between blood markers of inflammation (inflammatory cytokines) and motivation. ��Specifically, that inflammation lowers dopamine levels in the brain, that switches the brain from positive to negative thinking.

As dopamine drops, you can go from feeling capable and motivated to feeling incapable and unmotivated.

Basically, inflammation gives you a motivational impairment, and prevents you from thinking optimistically as well as keeps you from accurately assessing what you are capable of. ��Even if you fully are capable of doing something, your brain will tell you that you are not. ��You’re motivation tanks and your outlook dims as a result of chronic inflammation.

 

 

 

This is the perfect study to share right now, as many of us are feeling worn down and defeated from 2020 and could use some positive healing solutions to help boost our mainframe as we awaken this spring.

To hear me talk more about this study and give several awesome solutions to naturally boost dopamine levels, hop over here to listen to me tell you all about this medical study in my latest podcast: ��Lack Motivation? ��New Research Sheds Light On Why.

Be sure to leave a review and subscribe to my podcast so you don’t miss the next episode!

 

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So let’s take this one step further.

We know with absolute clarity that grounding decreases whole body inflammation.

In a study published in 2009 in The Journal of Alternative and Complimentary Medicine, researchers found that grounded subjects had statistically significant decreases in blood markers of inflammation compared to non-grounded subjects. ��In addition, decreases in inflammation as a result of grounding are well documented using medical thermography imaging in this study. ��An overview of how grounding decreases whole body inflammation was published June 2014 in the Journal of Inflammation Research.

We also know grounding specifically decreases the same inflammatory cytokines that have a direct impact on our dopamine levels. ��In this important study, published January 2019 in Frontiers in Physiology, researchers found that cytokines such as such as IP-10, MIP-1��, and sP-Selectin, all decreased in grounded subjects, compared to non-grounded controls. ��The average drop induced by grounding a patient was a 10 ��� 20% drop in inflammatory cytokine concentration.

And because of the newest research showing that inflammatory cytokines have a direct reflection in our mood and motivation levels, we can see a potential direct explanation for why grounding boosts mood. ��By decreasing inflammatory cytokines, it’s resonable to suggest that grounding gives a natural dopamine boost to the brain.

 

 

 

 

This is on top of the fact that grounding also boosts our Vitamin D levels, as well as surrounds us with views of greenery, as well as allows us to get active and move our physical body, and even allows us to sleep in a deeper and more restorative way that night…

…all four of these things (Vit D levels, viewing plants, exercise, and sleep) independently boost mood as well, so adding in a natural dopamine boost is a like a win-win-win-win-win for grounding and helps truly explain why grounding dramatically improves our mindframe.

This powerful, natural anti-inflammatory effect is the mechanism of action behind the earth���s ability to elevate mood, boost energy, and brighten outlook.

Know the feeling of spending a morning in your garden or an afternoon walking along the beach and how calm, centered, uplifted and creative your mindset becomes?

 

 

 

 

Grounding your body is at work here, decreasing your whole body inflammation, decreasing the stress hormones (like cortisol) in your bloodstream, decreasing your C-reactive protein levels and inflammatory cytokine levels… and all completely naturally, no medications involved.

 

Ready to head outside and get grounded? ��I hope so, because within minutes you will notice your muscle tension decreasing and your mood begin to lift.

Not sure what will ground you when you get out there? ��I made these super informal videos for you years ago to show you, you have lots more options than you think! ��Click on any below and let me show you how easy it is to get grounded outside:

15 Ways to Ground Besides GrassThink You Are Grounded Outside? Think Again!8 Grounding Tips Beyond Just “Go Barefoot”7 Outdoor Winter Grounding Tips

 

And I’ve got an exciting idea list for you next week, meet me back here on my blog next Monday when I share my top 10 indoor activities that you should absolutely take outside this spring!

Meanwhile, if you want a jump start on tips and ideas to go outside and connect with our earth, grab your copy of The Earth Prescription and you’ll be all set for an entire year of outdoor grounding, no matter where you live and no matter what season it is.

xoxoxo, Laura

 

 

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The post A New Study Explains How Grounding Can Dramatically Boost Your Mood appeared first on Intuition Physician.

How Your Posture Is Impacting Your Health

 

 

Last year when I ran my annual Chakra Healing Class, one of the most interesting topics came up.

On of the participants (thank you Steve!) mentioned that he noticed becoming more short of breath when his posture slumped.

That brought on a wonderful discussion of all the different ways that poor posture literally physically affects your health��� everything from dry mouth and dental issues to decreased oxygenation, decreased sleep quality and even increased ADHD symptoms.

 

But posture affects more than just our physical body��� it affects our spirit.

 

 

 

In class I shared a link to this really awesome oldie-but-goodie TED talk where Amy Cuddy explains exactly how your body���s posture actually helps to shape your personality, your demeanor and even affects the people around you. ��If you haven’t watched it yet I think it’s worth a listen.

But posture goes even further than that.

Your posture truly affects you at your core ��� on your deepest energetic level. ��The spine naturally curves into the fetal position as a mechanism of protection and to self soothe during times of stress.

Have you ever noticed that when life gets you down or wears you out, whether the stressor is big or small, your shoulders slump and your head hangs forward?Do you notice your lower back round out when you���ve had a long hard day?Have you ever faced a traumatic incident by wrapping your arms tightly around your chest or stomach?Have you ever been so worn out from life that you curled up in your bed in the fetal position, knees curled up towards your chest������or felt so broken that you laid on the floor of your shower curled into this protective posture, letting the water and heat envelope you?

 

I have.

I bet you have too.

 

 

 

It���s totally natural to go into this comforting position when stress surrounds you. ��This because the fetal position is the position we are in while we are nurtured in the womb.

In fact, when infants are born they only have one curve to their spine ��� the C shaped curve of the knees-to-chest fetal position they had while held inside their mother���s body.

As we grow and learn to stand and ambulate under the forces of gravity, the spine develops three mature healthy curvatures in order to maintain a positive and productive center of balance.

But when we are traumatized, stressed, or upset, it is very natural for our body to tuck in tight, ball up, seek the fetal position and try to survive.

Surviving stress and trauma leads to physical health changes that ultimately affect our posture, our sleep, our mood, our digestion, our breathing, our pain levels, and even totally stress out our adrenals.

 

 

 

 

But how does posture affect our health on all of those levels?

 

The answer lies in our chakra energy flow. ��Posture affects our chakra alignment which in turn affects our body from head to toe. ��To make this visual for you, I set out to paint a painting to illustrate exactly how our spine lines up with our chakra system.

So today I wanted to share the process of creating this with you here so that hopefully I can inspire you to take stock of your posture, take deeper breaths, support your internal alignment and truly feel your powerful internal energy centers radiate out from all directions in perfect concert with each other!

 

Step 1.�� Taking a page (literally!) out of my 20 year old med school anatomy book, I drew the spine on the middle of my canvas:

 

 

 

2.�� Then I filled in the background color���

 

 

 

3.�� ���and added some white spirals at the level of each of our 7 core chakras:

 

 

 

4.�� Next I darkened the background to create more contrast and added even more spirals radiating out of each chakra center:

 

 

5.�� I then re-outlined the spine to bring it on top of the background and make it more visible:

 

 

6.�� After that it was on to color!���� I added spiraling energy at each chakra level, radiating out from the corresponding point on our spinal column:

 

7.�� And then I re-outlined the spine and filled the bones in with white to help them stand out:

 

 

8.���� At this point I started feeling like this Chakra Anatomy painting would be a fantastic daily reminder for those of us who could use a visual to remember to check our posture throughout the day and sit or stand a little better…��so I added the words ���stand tall.���

And I mean that both metaphorically and literally.

Literally take that deep breath and stack your vertebra up in a nice line.

And energetically��� hold your head up high.

You are who you are.

And that is a beautiful thing.

 

9.�� With some extra tweaks on the energy circles and a few more touch ups on the letters��� you have one of my favorite chakra paintings I’ve done:

 

Stand Tall

 

 

Hold that head up and know that every moment you are here on earth flowing your unique soul energy through your unique physical body, you are doing important work that can be done by no other.

So sit straighter, walk taller, and SHINE.

This painting is my attempt at a daily reminder to vibrantly radiate your core energy by standing tall. ��If you could use a reminder too,��hop over here to grab a print of this artwork!��Totally fantastic for a yoga or meditation area or even in your closet to see as you get dressed each morning (I have mine hanging above my desk because that is where I tend to slouch the most!)

Here are some more of my favorite chakra paintings that I’ve painted for you over the years:

 

 

You can find prints for all of my original healing paintings right here.

 

 

 

Life is hard enough to navigate.

 

It helps to meet all external stressors with internal core strength. ��Chakra alignment is an invaluable tool to sustaining your health and remaining centered during life���s storms.

I���ve seen over and over folks with strong internal chakra alignment affect powerful external change in their life.

If you’d like to go further and deeper with this concept, join me in optimizing your energy flow in my upcoming online Chakra Healing Class. which starts next week!

 

 

 

 

In this Chakra Healing Class I’ll help you translate chakra alignment into physical health,and help you finally understand what your body is telling you.

 

Everything you experience throughout your day — any obstacle and any blessing — feels so much more powerful when you are meeting it from a place of deep internal balance.

I���ll help you get there.

Together we will align your core from the bottom to the top, building upon your inner strengths and releasing any resistance you have built at each level.

 

It all starts next Monday, April 5th!

 

Sign up now so I can ship your goodie bag to you right away!

I can���t wait to work together with you to have you feeling centered and aligned��� all the way to your core. ��I���d love you to join me by clicking over here to sign up and reserve your spot today.

 

Stand tall my friends!!!xoxoxox, Laura

The post How Your Posture Is Impacting Your Health appeared first on Intuition Physician.

Background Noise Costs You More Than Just Your Peace & Quiet

 

 

 

 

Chronic background noise doesn���t just irritate you��� it actually impacts your long term health. ��

By more than you think!

Chronic��levels of noise found frequently in modern society have been shown to significantly increase your risk of heart attack, heart disease, heart failure, stroke, even atrial fibrillation. ��Not to mention upping your risk for insomnia, a huge health crisis in-and-of itself!

And it doesn���t stop there.

Not only is chronic noise increasing your blood pressure, increasing inflammation in your arteries leading to heart attack and stroke, but it���s also increasing your risk of metabolic diseases and type two diabetes.

Because the disease burden of chronic noise is so directly linked to heart disease, high blood pressure and increased inflammation of the arteries, it���s important for clinicians to start treating noise pollution as a cardiac risk factor on par with smoking history, family history, age, blood pressure, and weight. ��Here is a printable medical study you can take to your physician to get them to take noise pollution seriously in evaluating your true cardiovascular risk.

 

 

Small noises are an issue.

What is interesting is that it���s not just loud sounds that affect your health, it���s the small chronic ones that do too.

So it���s not just an airplane passing by or the occasional sound of construction, but the level of normal talking, phones ringing, and sounds of cars on the street all impact your heart attack and stroke risk, and they all up your risk for metabolic disease too.

Noise pollution is no longer about loud noises causing long term hearing issues. ��It���s not even about loud noises at all any more. ��We are now aware that normal volumes of speaking and car sounds result in much more insidious health risks over time ��� compromising the health of your heart, of your brain, of your body.

The new term is��Noise Annoyance����� which is all that is needed to produce these increased rates of chronic, life threatening health issue.

Look at the table below (taken directly out of this medical study) to see that even normal conversation is above the area now considered safe in terms of affecting your health. ��55 dBA and above is considered a health risk factor by the World Health Organization (WHO):

 

Every 10 dBA increase in noise increases your heart attack risk by 6%, arterial calcification by 8%, and stroke risk by 14%��� starting at only 50 dBA!

This is why the World Health Organization has now lowered the noise pollution threshold to only 55 dBA:So normal conversation (at 60 dBA) can, over time, contribute negatively to health issues��� increasing both heart attack and stroke risk by 6% and 14% respectively.The normal sound of cars driving/traffic, doubles that ��� increasing heart attack and stroke risk by 12% and 28% respectively.Listening to a telephone ring repeatedly increases risk of heart attack and stroke by 18% and 42% respectively, and on and on.

Clearly, working in a high noise industry (like on an aircraft or in construction) is very hard on the body ��� this we already knew.

What we didn���t know is having a job where you answer telephones, or working at a busy restaurant, or working a the mall, or any other environment with constant conversation and music playing adds to your cardiovascular risk as well.

And now we do.

We now understand that normal volumes of speaking and car sounds result in much more insidious health risks over time ��� compromising the health of your heart, of your brain, of your body.

 

 

 

Think about your day:

Do you hear traffic constantly (especially consider if you hear traffic where you sleep at night?)Do you work in an area where there is chronic talking (such as a hospital, a hotel, a store or a restaurant?)Do you work in an area where there are phones constantly ringing (such as at an office?)Do you work in an area that has music playing constantly?Do you sleep with music or a television on?

 

If so, your risk for diabetes, metabolic syndrome, heart attack, stroke, cognitive impairment and more is much greater than it has to be.

 

 

 

As a physician, I can tell you that this is an even bigger problem for the millions of people who have noise sensitivity.

These health effects from chronic background noise affect all of us, whether we find the noise irritating or not.

But imagine if you had trouble filtering out background noise, as literally millions of folks with auditory sesntivitivy (hyperacusis) do. ��Many conditions cause people to be sensitive to noise, including autism spectrum disorders, folks with chronic ringing in the ear (tinnitus) and shift workers. ��You almost assuredly know someone who noise sensitive (and please forward this article to them so they feel your support!)

In fact, medical studies have found that almost one out of every ten people — 9% of the population or about 630 million people worldwide — have issues with noise sensitivity. ��And this medical study found that those who are most likely to be affected are children, the elderly, the chronically ill, shiftworkers, people with mental illness, people suffering from tinnitus, and people with neurodevelopment disorders.

If you have hyperacusis, on top of the long term health impact of chronic background noise, it also affects your immediate ability to think, process, focus and react to the world around you.

You might want to consider the impact of noise sensitivity if you or someone you love has:

Autism or autism spectrum disorders. ��Neurodevelopment issues such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) makes it harder��to localize the source of a sound and creates added difficulty in understanding speech, which gets exponentially worse in noisy environments. ��Children and adults who have ASD find their sympathetic nervous system gets hyperstiumlated by noise. ����This medical study found approximately 70% of patients with ASD had noise hypersensitivity. ��And this medical study used MRI imaging in ASD patients to directly reveal that the brain has has difficulty distinguishing social input from non-social auditory input.Tinnitus. ��Tinnitus can dramatically increase the risk of noise sensitivity. ��One study reported about 80% of patients suffering from ringing in the ears report hyperacusis.EMF sensitivity. ��As I blogged about for you here, the overwhelming EMF exposures that most of us now live with assault our central nervous system day in and day out, and can contribute to hypersensitivity. ��One of the most common diagnostic indicators of electrosenstivity is having tinnitus and dizziness in response to EMF exposures. ��I think the fact that our brain is already hyperstimulated by these chronic EMF exposures exacerbates even folks who would not normally be sensitive to noise. ��Hypersensitivity to multiple exposures (such as chemical sensitivities, food sensitivities, auditory sensitivities and electrohypersensitivities) play off each other and can actually bring about a huge decrease in our ability to function with normal activities of daily living. ��While addressing chronic auditory noise (like we are in today’s article) can be extremely helpful, if you feel you have electrosensitivities that might also be contributing, I invite you to join into my upcoming Electrosensitivity Releif Online Class right here.

 

So now that we are taking noise pollution more seriously, what can you do about it?

Here are 3 actionable steps to safeguard your health:

 

 

 

1. ��Protect your sleep.

 

The worst damage to your health occurs when noise levels are chronically present while you are sleeping at night,��so the first thing to think about is where you lay your head to catch sleep. ��If you live in an area where you can hear cars driving by every night, or other constant sounds, you may ultimately want to consider moving.

Short of moving, it can help to follow these simple guidelines to help improve your sleep hygiene:

Install noise blocking and light blocking curtains on your windows.Do not sleep with windows open if you live in an area with nighttime traffic, and try to sleep in a room that is not facing a road if you have an option of which bedroom to take. ��If you already have a high cardiovascular risk or history of heart disease or stroke, consider switching bedrooms with another family member in order to get away from a busy street.If you have a yard, consider planting a row of trees to help block noise coming to your home.Turn off appliances when not in use��� don���t sleep with the TV or music running, don���t sleep with a sound machine on, give your brain a break from the constant onslaught of noise whenever possible.Wear ear protection designed to minimize disruption from noise while you sleep.Reduce EMF exposures in your sleeping area to decrease the over all environmental toxicity of your bedroom (click over here to read more on electrosensitivity and reducing your exposures to EMFs.)Deep sleep by wearing blue light filtering glasses in the evenings,��like these. ��You can find blue light filtering glasses almost anywhere, but make sure they are dark yellow to��orange, not light yellow, in order to block enough blue light that it actually makes a noticeable��difference in your ability to fall asleep.Ground while you sleep at night to dramatically deepen sleep, improve your brain���s sleep patterns and give your body some restorative down time before facing another full, noisy, busy day.Take probiotics. Research published in 2019 in Frontiers In Psychiatry showed that after 6 weeks of taking probiotics, participants has significantly improved sleep quality. ��You can read this article right here. I have these waiting for you, along with the other supplements (like magnesium) I suggest for a good nights sleep, in one easy Sleep Restore Protocol that is waiting for you right here.Listen to my podcast on 14 holistic tips for improving sleep. ��I recorded a 20 minute podcast for you all about a recent medical study on sleep, and run through all of these tips plus a few extra bonus tips (for a total of 14 holistic steps to your best night���s sleep yet!) ��Hop over here to listen in and please be sure to subscribe!����Intuition Physician Updates��is a brand new podcast I just launched and I���ll be adding new episodes on the latest holistic health news all year long.

 

 

 

 

2. ��Wear simple, effective ear protection

 

You can wear these simple, soft, effective silicone ear devices to decrease irritating noise while at the same time, helping to clarify important noises that you actually want to hear. ��Calmer sits barely visible in the ear and uses revolutionary, non-electric technology to reduce mid and high frequency distortion without having a detrimental effect on our hearing.

Calmer reduces stress by removing distortion that would usually trigger the human ���fight or flight��� response. ��While this response was a vital part of our evolution to alert us to the slightest sound or threat, in today���s modern world where we no longer need to be alert to the snap of a twig, this added resonance is loading us with unnecessary stress.

Calmer specifically��helps reduce��noises that causes stress and anxiety. ��They do this without reducing the volume so you don���t feel disconnected from the world, and you can hear what you need to hear clearly.��The result is a natural way to minimize today���s constant barrage of environmental noise stressors which have a negative impact on our mental and physical well-being.

 

 

 

 

While this will decrease stress for anyone, whether you are sensitive to noises or not, it can be a game changer for those with Hyperacusis, for example those with autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, tinnitus, or other hypersensitivity issues.

You can wear these during waking and sleeping hours. ��The help to relieve stress while at home, at work, at school, on commutes, while traveling, at restaurants, concerts, or all night long when you want to deeply relax. ��They are very discrete and��you can still hear normal conversation, music, co-workers, etc��� but at much safer volumes that protect your long term health and decrease your immediate stress.

When you wear them you not only protect your stress levels and ability to process communication in the short term, but protect your heart and brain and metabolism for the long term, too! ��Tell your friends, fellow students, co-workers, anyone who ask about them how wearing ear protection can actually decrease heart attack and stroke risk ��� they will be amazed!

Learn more about how these ingenious, simple ear protective devices work right here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. ��Decrease other stressors

 

Like with everything in life, health is a balance. ��Even when you can not do anything to change one stressor, decreasing other stressors in your life helps decrease the total amount of stress burden placed on your body.

It’s absolutely reasonable and recommended that you consider stress when choosing an occupation, a living location, your commute, a relationships, a friendships, forming relationships with coworkers, etc�����Toxicity from these ubiquitous sources are every bit as important to consider as it is to reduce more obvious toxins like the ones found in the food you eat, the water you drink, choosing non-toxic household and personal care items, etc���

And on the flip side, increasing and optimizing any other aspect of your health will go a long way to protect your over all long term wellness. ��Optimize the quality of the foods, nutrients, micronutrients, vitamins & minerals you put into your body, optimize the purity of the water you drink, increase your physical activity, go outside and get your body grounded to the earth as often as possible, and on and on.

Read through this list and find one (or several) ways that you can focus on what you can control, which will help mitigate the stressors you can’t control:

Decrease toxic burden. ��Go through your pantry, bathroom, and laundry room and remove synthetic, chemical laden foods from your pantry, toxic artificial body care products, oral care products and hair care products from your bathrooms, remove chemical laden home care and cleaning products as well as artificially scented and chemical laden laundry products, and never use toxic chemicals on your lawn. ��Reducing environmental toxins like artificial fragrances and toxic household cleaners and toxic body, beauty and oral care products also goes a long way to reducing the total burden you put on your body each day.Wash your hands before eating anything to remove all the chemicals we pick up as we go about our day so you don���t get traces of them into your mouth with each meal.Eat clean whenever possible. ��Reduce total body toxic burden by eating less processed and artificial foods, and more antioxidant rich natural healthy foods whenever possible.Want to improve your nutritional intake? ��Supplement with high quality antioxidants that can help alleviate free radicals and oxidative damage, potentially decreasing over all burden of stress on your body.Don���t drink enough water? ��Put a water filtration system right out on your kitchen counter and drink a big glass every single time you walk by it.Don���t exercise enough? ��Start and end every single day with a walk outside in fresh air. ��Daily movement helps deliver much needed fresh oxygen and nutrients to all organ systems as well as aid in the removal of toxins and waste by-products. ��Exercise absolutely boosts your body���s health and resiliency!!!Worried about your EMF exposures? ��Join my upcoming Electrosensitivity Class and get those dramatically reduced. ��You will feel immediate relief.Want to meditate but can’t get the hang of it? ��It only take 3 deep breaths to literally boost the function of your heart and other crucial internal organs — take 3 deep breaths right now. ��It’s a mini meditation that literally boosts your health instantly. ��Use a chime routinely to remind you��� ��I walk you through it right here in this video. ��Feel that? ��Do it daily.Start reading books at night instead of watching TV.Stop multitasking and let your brain focus on just one task at a time.Start taking nightly epsom salt bath soaks.Sauna each week to relax tense muscle and boost your health (as I blog about here, routine sauna increases life span!)Join a spiritual support group or get serious about finding a church or synagogue or meditation center that feels right the moment you walk in the doors.Stop using social media and reach out to your real life friends to set up a weekly date.Need a reminder to incorporate these healthy daily routines into your life? ��Hang this dry erase board up in your home and transform how you treat yourself and put a priority on your health.

And on and on and on. ��There is always something you can do to feel better, and better and better. ��There are always actionable steps you can take to boost your health.

One simple one, that you can do today, is to evaluate your background noise and reduce it, or protect against it with ear protection.

Yep, it’s that simple!

 

To your resilient, constantly re-setting and improving health���xoxoxo, Laura

 

 

The post Background Noise Costs You More Than Just Your Peace & Quiet appeared first on Intuition Physician.