Feeling Rushed/Anxious or Feeling Sluggish/Slow?
If you read my blog regularly you know that I often say, “Hormones rule the body.” Of course, the whole body is connected, so the hormones alone aren’t the whole story, especially when it comes to our daily energy levels and mood.
It can be pretty burdensome to feel stuck either too high or too low on the seesaw of life.
Stuck too high means feeling anxious, rushed, and hypersensitive. Stuck too low means feeling slow, sluggish, and blah. Neither is in balance and neither is any fun.
It is not just the hormones causing this, although adrenals will always play a role. There is a part of the nervous system that governs the things we don’t have to think about, such as breathing, digestion, and heart rate.It is called the autonomic (or automatic) nervous system, and it interfaces with the hormonal (endocrine) system in the brain.
This autonomic system is further divided into two parts that are like the gas and brake pedals. So, some of us have our nervous system “foot” on the gas all the time, and some of us have that “foot” on the brakes.
The right balance would be to use both the gas and the brakes, and getting that balance is something that natural medicine can help you with.
If you are wondering if your autonomic nervous system could be tweaked to help you feel more in control or more energy, we can check using the Systems Survey from Standard Process. Some of you have filled this out in the past.
Here is the link to the survey. https://my.standardprocess.com/Systems-Survey Fill it out online and download it to return to me by email. We can go over the results at your next appointment. Or you can schedule a phone consultation with me. Send me an email and I will respond with the details. For those who are not current patients there will be a consultation fee and I can give you those details. You can invite friends and family to use the Systems Survey, also.
You don’t have to use stimulants or relaxation substances to help you cope. Balance your nervous system with your hormones and your body is more aligned with your life instead of careening out of control or unable to respond to the demands you put on it.
Many people are more out of balance than ever after the events of this past year. What gets us through tougher times is our resiliency. It’s hard to stay mentally “up” when your body is down, and hard to relax when your body is vibrating. If you feel a need to recalibrate, let me know.
Nature vs. Science-Should We Have to Choose?
Why Do Guys Have Boobs?
Sometimes you have to think that Nature has a sense of humor. Guys often seem fairly focused on other parts of their anatomy and you rarely hear a mention of the fact that they share a body part with women that is frequently the very definition of female.
What role do boobs play in men’s bodies? The reason men have boobs is because the genetic instructions for breasts are present in the developing fetus before testosterone is made. You might say that boobs are gender-neutral.
Essentially all babies start out as girls. Differentiation towards becoming anatomically male occurs when testosterone hormone appears, starting around six weeks after conception. Male fetuses have the Y chromosome, which designates that testosterone is produced, signaling the formation of male gonads. Females have XX chromosomes and develop ovaries and a uterus due to the lack of testosterone influence.
Male nipples do develop a dense supply of nerves and so are considered a secondary sexual characteristic, along with broader shoulders, beards, and other body hair. https://www.verywellhealth.com/why-do-men-have-nipples-2328794
When male breasts get larger (gymecomastia) it is because of hormonal influence to the glandular tissue, not because of an increase in fat tissue. Anabolic steroids used by body builders are a common cause of gynecomastia. It can occur when testosterone levels drop and there is increased estrogen as men age, or when weight gain occurs. Fat tissue can produce estrogen in males, as well as females. Medications, drugs such as marijuana, and excess alcohol may be factors. There are also other reasons, so a doctor should evaluate any increase in male breast size. https://www.whatsteroids.com/steroids/9-causes-of-gynecomastia-and-man-boobs/
As you have heard me say before, hormones rule our bodies. Having hormones that are in balance, neither too high nor too low, can affect us physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Vitamin D levels are considered to be vital to immune function. D is actually a hormone that acts on calcium distribution. Calcium helps the cells protect themselves from viral invasion. Calcium also needs the fatty acids found in healthy fats. Fish oils have the whole package of Vitamin D, Vitamin A, and Omega 3 fats (fatty acids). So Fish oil is not only brain food, it is also immune boosting.
For many of us the stress of recent events has caused hormonal chaos. As stress hormones increase other hormones, such as testosterone, can nosedive. That leads to muscle loss, low libido, fatigue, and even dizziness when rising from sitting or lying down. Blood sugar levels are affected by cortisol, as well, because other hormones regulate how sugar (glucose) is used for energy or made in to fat cells. https://www.cnet.com/health/cortisol-why-this-important-stress-hormone-is-important-for-your-health/
Mood, depression, anxiety, blood pressure, and sleep are other areas that are influenced by stress hormones.
Hormones can be balanced in the body, which means that they are in control of the cells and systems they influence. That means that you are in better control of your life, also.
The good news is that natural medicine has many answers building back the hormonal harmony in the body, at any age. Checking hormone levels, for men or women, can be done at home, through saliva or blood spot testing.
Nature may have a sense of humor, but she also has a bounty of remedies that are no joke for their restorative effects.
Is There Anything to That Old Apple-a-Day Thing?
Turns out there is.
In fact, there is some evidence that apples improve cholesterol levels. They contain fiber.
“Soluble fiber lowers cholesterol by binding to it in the small intestine. Once inside the small intestine, the fiber attaches to the cholesterol particles, preventing them from entering your bloodstream and traveling to other parts of the body. Instead, cholesterol will exit the body through the feces… In studies to date, LDL cholesterol can decrease by at most 18 percent by consuming roughly 30 grams of soluble fiber daily.” https://www.verywellhealth.com/insoluble-or-soluble-fiber-which-lowers-cholesterol-697724
Although I consider other factors important for heart disease risk, such as sugar consumption, LDL cholesterol (low density lipid) is one substance that may be beneficial to monitor. And an apple a day has been shown to reduce LDL over four weeks. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1756464612001363
Another kind of fiber (called insoluble), also found in apples, feeds gut bacteria (microbiota.) Those are the good bugs that line the intestine as guardians against foreign invaders and help digest our food.
https://www.greenmedinfo.com/article/apple-consumption-mediates-significant-gut-microbial-metabolic-activity
Citrus fruit sometimes has a bad reputation because of the acidity level. But it turns out oranges can be pretty healthy, too. Certain compounds called carotenoids found in oranges and Golden Delicious apples are effective against H. pylori bacteria, which is implicated in gastritis and stomach ulcers, and other nasty bugs that cause toxicity and illness. “The extracts were studied for their anti-Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), cytotoxic, multidrug resistance (MDR) reversal and radical scavenging activity.”
https://www.greenmedinfo.com/article/carotenoids-extracted-red-paprika-valencia-orange-and-golden-delicious-apple-e
Apples are a great source of plant compounds called polyphenols, which are associated with lower rates of Cardio Vascular Disease (CVD.) Dietary intake of flavonoids has been found to markedly reduce the risk of CVD [9]. In a large-scale cohort study with 4942 participants, 337 polyphenols were identified in 232 food items in the subjects’ diets [22]. Table 10.2 shows the contribution of different food groups to polyphenol intake in humans.https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemistry/polyphenol
Apples contain flavonoids, another botanical compound that is touted for anti-cancer properties. “Flavonoids are found in numerous edible plant species, and the reported preclinical and clinical data suggests chemopreventive and cytotoxic effects against various cancer cell lines. The polyphenolic flavonoid, quercetin, as a diet supplement has significantly reduced the onset of colorectal cancer [223]. For some other dietary flavonoids… having potential anticancer activities are summarized in table” See it here https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemistry/flavonoid
There are 7500 varieties of apples worldwide and 2500 of those are grown in the USA.
https://selecthealth.org/blog/2020/02/how-many-types-of-apples-are-there-and-which-is-best
You might say that apples are deeply rooted in American culture and taste. “As American as apple pie” sums it up. Thomas Jefferson grew many varieties at Monticello, as well as other fruits such as peaches and cherries. John Chapman, known as Johnny Appleseed is a beloved legend.
“1801-1841 – One of America’s fondest legends is that of Johnny Appleseed, a folk hero and pioneer apple farmer in the 1800s. There really was a Johnny Appleseed and his true name was John Chapmen (1774-1845) and he was born in Leominster, Massachusetts. His dream was for the land to produce so many apples that no one would ever go hungry. Most historians today classify him as an eccentric but very smart businessman, who traveled about the new territories of his time, leasing land and developing nurseries of apple trees. It is estimated that he traveled 10,000 square miles of frontier country.
He collected apple seeds from cider mills, dried them, put them up in little bags, and gave them to everyone he met who was headed West. For forty years he traveled through Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Iowa (planting seeds every place he considered to be likely spots). He did more than just plant apple seeds. He began nurseries to take care of the apple orchards as well as other fruit, vegetable, and herb plants. He walked alone in the wilderness, without gun or knife. He chopped down no trees and killed no animals. He believed that God wanted him to go around and read his Bible to people and plant apple trees for them. He was respected and appreciated by the native American tribes and the new settlers alike. For the rest of his life, he traveled alone and denied himself the companionship of a wife. He fully expected to be compensated for his celibacy on earth by expecting to have two wives in heaven.”
And for other fascinating facts about apples in America click here and scroll down past the recipes https://whatscookingamerica.net/Fruit/Apples.htm
To learn more about cooking with apples and creating your own piece of Americana go here https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/guide-many-common-types-apples-use/
Just as an aside fact, apple orchards need honeybees to pollinate the fruit. Otherwise there isn’t much yield, so early English settlers brought honeybees with them. Honeybees are not native to the U.S. https://nativebeeology.com/2018/01/26/native-honey-bees/ Of course, they are pretty wonderful to have around. If you are ever stung by a bee or wasp try taking homeopathic Apis melifica 6C. That will reduce the pain and swelling quickly.
Applesauce, apple pie, apple cobbler, baked apples, French apple tart (my favorite), or Apple Betty, apples can take the heat. Their natural sweetness and texture lend themselves to fruit desserts but is there anything like biting into the crisp, sweet texture of a raw apple?
It’s nice to find that many Americans can agree on something, that apples are wonders of nature. I hope you get to enjoy one with someone who is the Apple of your Eye.