What is REALLY making you SICK? Plus Natural Solutions that Really Work

I have to ask you a question: Do you know what preventable condition is responsible for up to 90% of doctor visits?

I’m about to reveal this preventable condition and give you 7 incredible tips so you can feel better fast and have longer lasting results. First though, you must know what is responsible for up to 90% of doctor visits AND how I can teach you to avoid it.

Will you take a moment and do some self-reflection? Do you experience headaches? Irritability? Anxiety? Fatigue? Insomnia? Back, neck, or shoulder pain?

Do you find yourself in a constant state of hurry? Rushing to eat breakfast, racing to get to work, moving at top speed just to get through work, then rushing home, rushing through dinner…so you can rush to sit down?

If so, you are experiencing common symptoms of stress run amuck.

Yes, STRESS is what is really making you sick AND the preventable “condition” responsible for all these doctor visits, often resulting in a misdiagnosis and unnecessary prescription.

The physiological symptoms of prolonged stress

The symptoms listed above are just the primary symptoms of stress. Additional physiological symptoms of prolonged stress include:

• Allergies/sinus issues
• Reduced immunity
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Weight gain
• Cravings for unhealthy foods like sugar, alcohol, and bad fats
• Decreased short term memory
• Muscle and bone loss, due to increases in catabolic hormone
• Digestive issues, from constipation to IBS
• Depression

Oh, my goodness, it’s enough to make you stressed out just thinking about it! But, breathe deep and don’t worry. We’ve got resources and solutions coming right up.

But first it’s important to understand what’s really going on.

 

What happens to a person under prolonged stress?

Stress elicits a reaction and response in the body for our protection. Examples would be shivering when you become cold, or digestive trouble before a big test or presentation.

These stress reactions, though sometimes uncomfortable, have helped protect and sustain mankind for centuries. Short term, they actually help us.

But the human body, mind, and heart were not designed to live in a constant state of stress. Long term, these reactions have detrimental consequences for nearly every system and organ in the body. Most notably our adrenals, heart and circulatory system, immune system, and our mental/emotional well-being. Prolonged stress weakens us where we are already vulnerable.

 

Why stress is not good…or bad

I know, we’re human, and we like to slap a “good” or “bad” label on things. However, it is how we react to the stress around us that makes the outcome good or bad.

We can’t help how we feel when challenges, heartache, or tragedy strikes. We can’t always change our circumstances or how others treat us, yet we absolutely have a choice as to how we react.

If you’re used to just reacting negatively when “bad” things happen, you probably never realized you had another choice, but you do. We all do.

If this seems unrealistic or farfetched, just stay with me. I will explain how to start changing your negative reactions to healthier ones coming up shortly.

Okay, so you now understand what stress is and how it affects your body. Now let’s look at how to relieve stress with 7 natural solutions that really work.

Solution #1: Accept that you can’t control stress, but you CAN control your reaction to it

The EASIEST way I know to start bringing awareness to how you react to stress is to ask yourself this simple question: “Am I being reactive or proactive?

Reactive coping skills might include:

• Taking meds or drinking
• Overeating
• Emotional eating
• Sleeping too much or too little
• Overworking
• Avoiding people or problems

Proactive coping skills include:

• Meditation
• Exercising
• Journaling
• Keeping a positive mental outlook
• Practicing mindfulness

Then ask yourself: “Which coping skills serve me better?”

Solution #2: Learn your left brain/right brain dominance factor

This crucial piece is often overlooked in many cure-all stress books and programs.

Becoming aware of whether you are left brain or right brain dominant will allow you to choose the most effective stress-busting activities for your unique needs.

Those who are right brain dominant tend to be multi-taskers, who over-think and over-worry over everything. They are on the more emotional side, and can lean toward being care givers.

In right-brainers, symptoms of stress show up as chronic back pain, headaches, migraines, insomnia, fatigue, digestive problems, chronic muscle pain, adrenal and thyroid issues, and low mood.

And yes, 80% of women are right brain dominant. Yes moms, I’m talking to YOU!

The most effective stress relieving activities for us right-brainers include:

• Talking—when we get stressed most of us women follow our intuition right to our phones and dial up our best girlfriend or mom. This is great, but be sure to keep the conversation positive and uplifting.
• Movement
• Walking/exercise
• Puzzles
• Meditation/prayer
• Smart eating—again ladies, what do we reach for when we get stressed? Chocolate!!! Smart is the key word in smart eating. Bypass the chocolate and reach for healthier options such as fresh homemade juice, raw nuts, and veggies.

Left brain dominant people are analytical, math-minded, logical individuals who often over react or are compulsive without thinking things through. They are driven, and tend to over think things in a linear manner.

In lefties, physical symptoms are often suppressed and overlooked as “not being a big deal” until BAM! A harsh diagnosis of cancer or a heart attack occurs.

The reason? Most left-brainers are not feeling all those aches and pains. They usually have stomachs of steel, so food doesn’t bother them and they just keep on driving while saying, “I am tough” and “I can keep going.”

The best stress relievers for left-brainers include:

• Reading fiction
• Listening to classical music
• Watching a movie
• Painting or drawing
• Expressing feelings

This is SUCH an exciting piece of the puzzle because if you’re left brain dominant and try to relax by doing puzzles or talking on the phone, you may actually be adding to your stress.

How many of you come home to a child talking your ear off, or your spouse trying to tell you about his day, when all you really want to do is open the mail? This would be your way of unwinding from the face-paced day. Unwind first and then be present with your family after a long day at work.

This explains why so many people get stressed while trying to de-stress.

If you hear someone you love say, “I’m TRYING to relax,” that’s a red flag that they’re probably attempting the wrong activity for their brain.

Solution #3: Get organized

Clutter and half-finished projects just BREED tension, while sapping your time and energy. Getting organized gives you control and allows you to see the forest through the trees.

Take 10 minutes at the end of the workday to de-clutter your workstation; pick up the house before bed so you have a fresh start in the morning; and de-clutter your mind at night through meditation or journaling.

If you journal, write down what you accomplished that day and make a short list of what you plan on accomplishing the next day. It doesn’t matter if you don’t get to everything on the lis; the idea is to set the stage for the next day so you can drift off to sleep with no lingering worries.

Solution #4: Move, move, move!

It doesn’t matter how you do it, but find a way to move every day.

Don’t like running? Try yoga. Yoga too slow-paced for you? Take the dog for an extra long walk. No dog? Take up a Zumba or spin class. No classes close by? Grab a jump rope and use your own body weight to get some cardio and resistance training.

If you’re new to exercising start slow, like 10 minutes, and work up 5 minutes more a week.

You don’t have to become a hard-core fitness buff—in fact, light exercise is healthier for those who are stressed to the point of fatigue—just move that body. Exercise will strengthen your heart, boost immunity, renew your mind, and de-stress your whole self. To learn more about my favorite exercise, be sure to check out my past post on the 10 benefits of walking.

Solution #5: Natural Remedies such as…

Hemp/CBD Oil:

With the ever-increasing potential of medical cannabis in the world today, eye-lids in virtually all sectors of life are beginning to rise to the benefits of this gem. Currently, CBD has recorded an astonishing breakthrough in the political scenes of several developed countries as well as an exponential growth in the use and integration into the food and aesthetic industries over the recent years.

I trust you must have heard about cannabis, marijuana, hemp or cannabinoids before reading this segment of the post. What exactly is it though, how do you use it, and what are the benefits of using it?

Cannabidiol, popularly called CBD, represents one of the numerous, beneficial, full-plant hemp extracts found in the cannabis sativa plant. A typical cannabis sativa contains over 100 of these natural compounds known collectively as cannabinoids; however, THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol) remain the most common of them all. Unlike tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) which is commonly known for its psychoactive effects and recreational use, Cannabidiol (CBD) possesses the ability to interact with diverse biological targets, including cannabinoid receptors and other neurotransmitter receptors in the brain without getting you “stoned” or high. In essence, Cannabidiol (CBD) produces no psychoactive effect or euphoric tendency and lacks the potential to be an addictive substance like the “weed” you have always known or heard about!

Hemp oil with CBD works with our endocannabinoid system. Through tiny receptors located throughout our nervous and immune systems, the endocannabinoid system regulates our heart rate, temperature, sleep, pressure, reproduction, pain, memory, and much more. With CBD’s ability to interact with several biological targets, including cannabinoid receptors and other neurotransmitter receptors located in the brain and other body organs, its therapeutic effect is potentially heightened into providing several health solutions.

One of my favorite hemp/CBD oils that has no THC in it is FOCUS Hemp Oil. FOCUS is a broad-spectrum oil. The difference between FOCUS hemp extract and other liposomal hemp products is that FOCUS is formulated using high-force frequencies (sonication) that creates ultra-fine-sized liposomes. Because of their nano size (20-30 nm), each liposome begins working within seconds after being dropped in the mouth. Not only is this product fast acting, it is also longer lasting.

If you are interested in learning more, I have interviewed a leading PhD. expert on liposomal delivery and hemp oil. You can WATCH it here for FREE.

Magnesium:

Magnesium is often forgot about as natural remedy due to all the hype in the media of higher dollar items. Magnesium is the fourth most abundant and vitally important mineral in the human body and is involved in more than 325 enzyme reactions.

There are many ways our body can become depleted in magnesium, and I often notice magnesium depletion is often overlooked. When the body’s magnesium stores are taxed, the body provides some clear hints. Muscle tension and spasms, body aches, constipation, tension headaches, reduced energy, hormone problems, interrupted sleep, mood issues, and many other indicators are your body’s way of telling you it needs more magnesium.

If you partake in any of these lifestyle choices, then most likely your body is magnesium depleted:

• Consume caffeine
• Consume processed food and white sugar
• Consume alcohol
• Consume produce from depleted soil (How would you know? Most of us do!)
• Consume foods high in oxalates and phytic acid
• Use synthetic drugs like birth control pills, diuretics, insulin, hypertension medications, and certain antibiotics Looking for a good magnesium supplement? Here is the kind I recommend.

Solution #6: Prescription for laughing

Did you know that children laugh more than 400 times a day while adults only laugh about 15 times on a good day? When’s the last time you had a good laugh?

Laughing has been studied for its positive effects on everything from reducing stress and chronic pain to cancer.

Got nothing to laugh about? Then you have permission to just start chuckling…come on, no one’s watching! Once you start laughing, you’ll remember funny moments; and before you know it, you’ll be laughing out loud for real.

Find a way to laugh every day and it will change your life.

Solution #7: Keep a positive mental outlook

The best way I know to keep a positive mental outlook is to surround yourself with positive people and positive influences. Nothing will bring you down faster than toxic relationships, time spent watching depressing, violent movies, or listening to downer music or talk radio. If your friendships and hobbies don’t lift you up and make you

feel valued, confident, and happy; then do consider moving onward and upward to new and better things.

It was SUCH a joy to share this information with you today. My greatest desire with this blog and in my practice, is to empower you and assist you in gaining autonomy to find natural solutions for a vibrant, healthy life. Learning how to relieve and manage your stress is one of THE MOST important ways you can improve your health today.

I hope I have inspired you to stop rushing and start finding ways to de-stress that work for YOU.

What ways have you found to de-stress naturally? Have you experienced an “a-ha” moment that forced you to slow down and adjust your coping skills? Share with us below because remember, expressing yourself is a great way to start unwinding.

As a bonus, I’d like to share with you for FREE my 60 Second Stress Buster Meditation technique. It’s so easy to do and can help provide instant relief from stress and anxiety. Click here to check it out!

I’m wishing you well,

Dr. Jessica