Do you ever find yourself lying awake in bed, unable to fall asleep? Or maybe you wake up multiple times throughout the night? Operating on little sleep can be frustrating and challenging. The good news is, there are plenty of things you can try at home to get your sleep schedule back on track. Sarah Bird, Functional Medicine Nurse Practitioner at PALM Health, has some helpful tips for you to reap the benefits of a good night’s rest.
Ladies: you’ve probably heard all about the hot flashes, mood swings, and physical changes that are all part of the inevitable process of menopause. Maybe you’ve even started experiencing some of these things. If you have, you’re certainly not alone. One of the most common changes women notice during this time is weight gain or redistribution, particularly around the middle. Though it can be a frustrating time for your mind and body, it doesn’t have to dictate your quality of life beyond menopause.
Imagine a closet in the back corner of your brain. It’s packed full of worries, stressors, and struggles that are unique to your life. As you move through your day-to-day tasks, it’s very common to take any negative feelings and lock them in your mind’s closet, willing them to go away. This is what most of us have been taught to do; push negative and harmful thoughts to the back of our minds.
You’ve probably heard of acupuncture before, or even have some experience with it. You may have wondered, why are needles used? What do they do? Does it hurt? It may seem like an intimidating treatment at first glance, but the benefits of acupuncture and acupressure extend far beyond what you might think—and so does the science behind it.
It’s no secret that bad posture is often the root of pain, whether that be back pain, hip pain, or neck pain, especially as you age. The good news is that there is a therapeutic practice called SomaTraining that is specifically designed to target postural correction in order to ease pain and prevent injury and future complications.
It turns out you CAN teach an old dog new tricks. Not only that, but it’s good for your brain. Remember those piano lessons you took as a kid? Memorizing verb conjugations in Spanish? Volunteering at a food pantry? Believe it or not, revisiting some of those long-lost interests or finding similar ones later in life can actually rewire your brain to become healthier and prevent diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Nurse practitioner Sarah Bird shares a healthy spring salad recipe that can be used as a side dish or served with protein for a satisfying lunch.
Most of us know how to recover from a stressful day: we find ways to disconnect for the evening, spend time in quiet or with loved ones, or even perhaps get outside for a walk and fresh air. Letting your mind rest and process that stress allows you to come back ready to take on the next day. Interestingly enough, this kind of recovery doesn’t only apply to environmental stressors that affect your mental state. Physiologically, your body works the same way.
Have you ever wondered how our bodies process the chemicals found in our air, on our food, and in products in our homes? What happens when we are exposed to excessive amounts of these chemicals? In our modern, industrialized society, toxins are constantly surrounding us and creating an increased burden on our bodies’ natural detoxification pathways. We may notice these effects in our bodies over time with signs like decreased energy, brain fog, sluggish digestion, skin rashes, headaches, and other potential symptoms.
Does it feel increasingly difficult to maintain your weight as you age? If so, there may be a biochemical reason the number on the scale keeps creeping up. As we age, our bodies become much more susceptible to inflammation and less resistant to hormonal and environmental fluctuations.
