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Exploring the Link Between the Adrenal Glands and Stress

Can you think back to your childhood and remember a time when you met someone who really inspired you?

Someone who honoured your individuality and took that extra time to help you learn more about something you were curious about?

I remember my grade two teacher helping us to learn in fun and intriguing ways.

She would even sing to the class sometimes. One of her favourites went something like this:

“The foot bone’s connected to the leg bone. The leg bone’s connected to the knee bone. The knee bone’s connected to the thigh bone.”

Even at that early age, I was making the mental connections required to understand that all the different parts of the body are interconnected!

It left me wondering, “How the heck does everything else connect in there?”

I remember going to Mrs. Kenny and asking if she had more songs to sing about the rest of the body that would explain how it’s all connected.

To my disappointment, she said she didn’t have any other songs to share, but told me I could go to the library to see what I could find there to help me answer my questions.

Years later, I find myself just as curious as I was in that grade two classroom, and I still enjoy learning about the body in as many ways as I can.

So, if you’re even half as curious as I am about how the body works, or you’re interested to learn about how to reduce your stress levels, then you’re going to want to keep reading.

Because in this article, I’m going to share some simple techniques you can use to help reduce stress and support adrenal gland function by understanding and utilizing the connection between the brain, the adrenal glands, and the leg muscles.

How the Adrenal Glands and Stress Relate to the Fight, Flight, or Freeze Response

As I said above, I’ve always loved learning about how the body works and why it works the way it does.

Over the years, some of the most amazing connections I’ve learned about involve the relationships between our muscles, organs, and glands.

That being said, let’s take a closer look at the adrenal glands and how they connect to the muscles in your lower leg.

Now, if we look at the body from the perspective of a specialized kinesiologist, we can quickly see the connections through the simple explanation of a muscle biofeedback system.

More specifically, the interconnectedness I’m referring to is between the muscles, the nervous system, and the relevant organ(s).

So, first, the muscle sends a signal to the brain, then, the brain sends signals out to the organ or gland associated with that muscle, and this is all interconnected via the neuroendocrine system.

In the diagram below, you will see a depiction of the neurological connection between the adrenals, the brain, and the calf muscles.

The adrenals are associated with the fight, flight, or freeze response, and one of the muscles most closely related to that response is the soleus muscle, which is a muscle in your lower leg that’s part of the calf muscle group.

Interestingly enough, this is also the muscle that is most affected by emotional strain and trauma.

It makes sense that this calf muscle would be involved if you’re in a fight, flight, or freeze situation, as you would have to get ready to run away, fight for your life, or be so scared you’d freeze.

In this way, that muscle biofeedback system I mentioned above would be preparing you to get ready by sending a signal to your lower legs.

“There are two stress responses in the body: alarm and vigilance. The short-term alert or alarm response prepares the body for the physical actions of fighting or fleeing. The long-term vigilance response prepares the body for endurance or long-term survival,” said Dr. Bruce Dewe and Joan Dewe in Stress Release Made Easy.

“Both reactions are stimulated in the adrenal glands. The inner adrenal gland produces adrenaline, the hormone that arouses the body in the alarm reaction. The shell of the adrenal gland produces cortisol, the hormone that stimulates the vigilance reaction.

“Both responses are body adaptations to meet unusual demands for extra strength or endurance. Both are very destructive if frequently active in response to daily stress. Both adversely affect the heart and blood vessels. Heart and circulatory diseases kill more people in the industrialized world than all the other causes of death put together.

“Stress may, in fact, be the greatest single factor contributing to illness in the western world. Controlling distress may, therefore, be the most important thing we can do to prevent not only heart disease but all illness.”

Warning Signs That You Might Be Under Stress

As you’ll see below, the book I referenced above also contains a nifty little chart that lists various emotional, behavioural, and physical signs of stress.

This is a great resource for understanding these signs, so you can recognize them when they occur, and hopefully, work to reduce the stress that’s causing these issues.

If you want to have a better understanding of your body’s stress response, you should try going through the chart to see if you can identify any of these signs in yourself.

Then, once you’ve done that, make sure to keep reading because I’m going to offer several strategies for supporting your adrenal glands and reducing your stress levels, including some massage points, and my number one pick for nourishing the adrenal glands.

How to Support Your Adrenals When You Notice Signs of Stress

If you’re under stress or feeling anxiety, luckily there are many different ways to support your adrenal glands, and help you to cope.

Below, I’ve listed some of my favourite methods for doing this, so you can work toward reducing your stress levels.

Listen to Classical Music

The soothing sounds of classical music offer a highly effective method for inducing relaxation and lowering stress levels.

Research shows that listening to this kind of music can help to mitigate both stress and anxiety.

One study looked at the effect music has on people’s anxiety before going in for surgery.

It found that after listening to music or natural sounds, patients had lower blood pressure, heart rate, and cortisol levels, which are all linked to stress and feelings of anxiety.

Moreover, the study exposed patients to several different kinds of music, and the genre that was most effective was classical.

Take Some Vitamin C

Vitamin C-rich foods are also great for supporting the adrenals and helping to reduce stress.

That being said, the best sources of vitamin C are citrus fruits, including:

Oranges

Tangerines

Clementines

Lemon

Grapefruit

Lime

Pomello

Do Some Diaphragmatic Breathing

It might sound silly, but one of the best ways to relax and reduce stress is to do some deep diaphragmatic breathing.

To do this, while you inhale, allow your diaphragm to lower and your abdomen and ribs to expand, and make sure to keep your chest and abdomen relaxed as you exhale.

Laughter

Believe it or not, laughter is another simple yet incredibly effective way of reducing stress through the joy it can induce.

This is because laughter causes the release of hormones that can help to activate healing processes within the body.

A review of research on the therapeutic benefits of laughter explains that laughter not only “increases the level of health-promoting hormones such as endorphins” but also “reduces the level of stress hormones”, as well.

Exercise

Exercise is another amazing stress reducer, as it helps to oxygenate the body and also works to reduce cortisol levels.

You don’t have to engage in vigorous exercise either. Just going for a walk can help, and it’s a great way to activate the soleus muscles.

Massage the Neurolymphatics for the Soleus Muscles

Another great way to support the adrenal glands when you’re dealing with signs of stress is to massage the neurolymphatics that correspond to the soleus muscles.

They’re located about 2.5 thumb widths above and one thumb width beside the navel.

In today’s world, it’s clear to see that we are always on the run, as our day-to-day tasks and responsibilities keep us moving, and this keeps our adrenal system on alert at all times.

That being said, taking the time to learn about the interconnected components of your body could be a key ingredient in lowering your adrenal stress response.

At any rate, looking back on that time in my life as a little kid in the second grade, I feel blessed and grateful for Mrs. Kenny, who helped to foster the childlike curiosity I still have for learning how our bodies are interconnected!

After 27 years of studying and learning techniques to optimize this mind-body connection, I have come to truly appreciate how interconnected the body really is, and I hope this article has provided some insight into that fact, and helped to spark some curiosity in you, as well.

If you’d like to learn more about the top three things you can do right now to reduce your stress, I’d be happy to send you some more information! Click here to find out more.

To Your Health,

Christine Plumb

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How a Sedentary Lifestyle Can Affect Your Health + How to Stimulate Gait Reflexes So You Can Live a More Active Life

I hate to say it, but in this day and age, people are becoming more sedentary than ever.

For far too many of us, work consists of sitting at a desk all day, glued to a computer screen, and by the time we get home from our commute, the last thing we want to do is exercise.

This creates a vicious cycle where our work causes us to suffer from things like pain, lack of motivation, and low energy, but we don’t want to do anything about it because the way we work makes us feel lousy most of the time.

But having a greater understanding of the body and how our behaviour affects it can help to put things in perspective. And luckily, there are some simple ways to help improve the way we feel, and make us more inclined to live an active lifestyle.

So, in this article, I’m going to discuss how a sedentary lifestyle can negatively affect your health, and share some insight on how to improve your ability and desire to be more active.

How a Sedentary Lifestyle Can Negatively Affect Your Health

“Honestly, I don’t like walking!”

Does that sound like something you’d say?

If it does, you should know that you’re not alone, as this is one of the most common things I hear from my clients!

Often, when I’m observing photo comparative blood cell analysis results with my clients, and I see an imbalance in the lymphatic system, it may prompt me to ask, “How active are you?”

Long story short, after having a conversation about their day-to-day activity levels, many of them tell me that they can’t stand walking, and they’re not fans of being active.

Typically, they’re not against being active for no good reason, and their aversion can be attributed to some sort of health problem, whether that’s pain, lack of energy, or something else entirely.

No doubt, one of the most common problems we face in our lives is our struggle to stay active.

Unfortunately, most of us live sedentary lives, spending the bulk of our days sitting at desks in front of computers, with long commutes to and from work.

This can make us feel tired and create a lack of motivation, and all these things play a part in terms of how well our lymphatic system is performing.

So, when I hear this sort of response, it motivates me to share a technique that can help to make activity more easy and enjoyable!

I’ll get into that in a minute, but first of all, let’s take a closer look at the lymphatic system and the role it plays in how many of us tend to feel stiff, sore, achy, and tired.

The lymphatic system:

Acts as a drainage apparatus

Helps to clean the body of toxins

Is a part of the circulatory system

Empties into the veins leading to the heart

Flows only in one direction (towards the neck region)

Produces antibodies and white blood cells, which help to fight infection

Supplies hormones, proteins, fats, and lymphocytes to all the cells in your body

For me, the most interesting thing about the lymphatic system is that if your muscles aren’t moving, your lymphatic system isn’t moving either!

Unlike the vascular system, which gets pumped by the beating of your heart and moves in a downward flow, the lymphatic system moves in an upward flow, and it only moves when you move.

So, the more active you are, the more active your lymphatic system is, and that can help to reduce pain by moving toxins out of your tissue spaces.

This explains why staying active is so important for joint mobility!

How Your Gait Relates to Your Health

If you don’t enjoy walking or other forms of physical activity because of things like lack of energy, poor coordination, or pain, you can improve these afflictions by working on your gait.

But what is your gait?

Well, according to the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary, the term gait is defined as “a way of walking”.

To go into a bit more detail, your gait is what helps you to coordinate physical movement while you’re walking, and if you work on it, you can experience a more enjoyable, easy, and free-flowing walk.

According to a clinical guide on gait disorders published in The Central European Journal of Medicine, “Human gait depends on a complex interplay of major parts of the nervous, musculoskeletal and cardiorespiratory systems.”

This guide states that an individual’s gait pattern tends to be influenced by several aspects, including things like age, mood, personality, and sociocultural factors.

It also points out that the speed at which older adults prefer to walk can be used as an indicator of their general health and their chances of survival.

In addition, it says that in order to walk safely, an individual’s cognition needs to be intact, and they need to have “executive control”, which means they’re able to conduct goal-directed behaviour that requires the ability to carry out complex mental processes.

More importantly, it states that gait-related disorders tend to lead to falls, injuries, and a “loss of personal freedom”, and all of these factors can contribute to a significant reduction in quality of life.

And according to an article from Physiopedia, the way a person walks can be used as “an essential part of the diagnosis of various neurologic disorders”, and can also be used to assess patients’ progress during their rehabilitation and recovery from a range of injuries and conditions.

How to Stimulate Your Gait Reflexes

Your gait reflexes are located on the top of your foot where the toes meet the rest of your foot.

Stimulating these reflexes can be very beneficial, especially for those of us who don’t like to be active.

In order to stimulate the gait reflexes, you have to firmly massage the areas shown in the image below, located between the tendons on the top of the foot and the side of the big toe.

You can do this by bracing underneath the foot, while rubbing the tendons on the side and top of the foot. If your foot feels sore, release pressure and then work within your pain tolerance so it feels more comfortable.

There are several instances when you might want to stimulate your gait reflexes. For example, it doesn’t hurt to do this before you want to exercise, or during exercise.

It’s also a good idea to stimulate your gait reflexes if:

You’re suffering from a lack of energy

You don’t feel as alert as you’d like to be

You find yourself tripping over little things

You’re not feeling excited about movement

You have a change in the direction of your life

You feel like you have a lack of spring in your step

Are you interested in finding out more about techniques like this one? If you want to learn more, you should sign up for my Touch for Health classes. These classes explain several methods for relieving stress, aches, and pains, including things like massage, acupressure, and more! Classes start at the end of May, so make sure to book your spot today!

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How the Law of the Five Elements Relates to Your Liver + An Amazing Natural Liver Cleanse

For most of us, spring is a time for cleaning, rearranging, and tidying up the house, the yard, or the garage.

As the seasons change, it just feels natural to take part in these cleaning rituals as part of the rebirth associated with the spring season.

But have you ever considered doing some spring cleaning for your body?

Many of us think of the body as just a collection of parts. But in reality, it’s an incredibly complex, unified system that needs balance in order to function properly and maintain optimum wellness.

And some of the best things you can do to achieve that balance and attain greater wellness include having a better understanding of your body, and cleansing it just like you would do during your spring cleaning every year.

If that sounds good to you, then keep reading because in this article I’m going to help you gain a greater understanding of one of the most overworked organs in your body and recommend one of the best methods for cleansing it.

How the Law of the Five Elements Relates to Your Liver

One of the things I cover in the Touch for Health classes I teach is a concept called the law of the five elements.

This idea is thousands of years old and it’s something that came from the traditional Chinese paradigm.

In short, the law of the five elements is a concept that comes from an ancient understanding of the way energy flows in nature.

The five elements described in this philosophy include wood, water, metal, fire, and earth.

The idea is that these five elements are the basic building blocks of everything in the universe, all things are created as a result of their collaboration and combination, and therefore they can be used to explain and categorize all natural phenomena.

These elements are also found within our bodies, and as it’s applied in traditional Chinese medicine, this philosophy works to restore balance to the body by considering how these elements interact, and how every aspect of our lives and every part of our bodies can influence the flow of energy within us.

That being said, if these elements and the energies they influence are balanced within the body on an emotional, mental, and nutritional level then it’s much easier to achieve optimum wellness, and as a result, feel happier and healthier.

But, if there is a state of imbalance within the body, then this can completely throw off the flow of energy and wreak havoc on our health.

So, if your liver isn’t functioning the way it should because it needs to be cleansed, for example, then this can have a negative effect on the flow of energy in your body, and that can cause all kinds of imbalances.

The law of the five elements also looks at how these elements relate to corresponding seasons, organs, and fluids in the body, as well.

Taking this seasonal influence into consideration, let’s take a closer look at spring.

Spring is an aspect of the wood element, and the two organs associated with the wood element are the liver and the gallbladder.

The wood element is also a symbol of green, growing things.

Think of the roots of trees and other plants starting to grow and develop, and the excitement of planting seeds in the garden to create new growth.

In the farming community where I live, we look forward to the birth of lambs, baby chicks, and young calves during the spring season, as well!

In nature, spring is a time of rebirth after a long, dormant winter.

And in terms of our lives as human beings, it’s also a time for new beginnings, developing new ideas, and letting the spring breeze flow through the home to remove rancid, stagnant energy.

So, as spring rolls around, you should try to allow yourself to give birth to a fresh start by cleansing and rejuvenating your body, just like you would when cleaning your house.

Imagine how content you’ll feel when you transform that old stagnant energy moving out of your body and replace it with renewed energy, vitality, and the feeling of being given the opportunity to grow!

What do I mean by this?

Well, one of the best ways to do some spring cleaning for your body and promote that renewal of vigor and vivacity is by doing a natural liver cleanse.

Fun Facts About the Liver + An Amazing Natural Liver Cleanse

The liver is one of the most overworked organs in the entire body.

It’s the largest fatty organ in the body, and it’s tasked with removing poisons from the blood, producing immune cells to deal with infections, and making proteins that help to balance out blood clotting.

In addition, it’s also responsible for:

Filtering and processing food, nutrients, alcohol, drugs, and other materials from the bloodstream, and breaking them down, as well as storing them

Making and filtering hormones, including cholesterol, testosterone, and estrogens

The regulation of blood sugars

The breakdown of fats

Detoxifying the body

Because this organ is so overworked, and the typical diets and lifestyles of today put so much extra strain on it, the liver is prone to a lot of problems.

Here are some signs that your liver may not be in optimum health:

Digestive issues like gas and bloating

Headaches/migraines

Hormone imbalances

Skin concerns

Mood swings

Bad breath

Allergies

Obesity

Fatigue

Now, one of the best ways to deal with these kinds of issues is to support your liver by doing a natural liver cleanse, and one of the most effective ways to cleanse it is with lemon.

Lemon is an acid-binding food and the liver loves foods that are acid-binding, which is why this cleanser tends to work so well.

Doing this cleanse can make you feel so much better, and can promote greater balance in your body, which can give you a boost for your growing passions, help you achieve the growth you desire, and feel more freedom and fulfillment.

It’s actually really simple, too.

When you wake up, just have some water with lemon. All you have to do is squeeze half a lemon into four ounces of water, and make sure to use a straw to protect your teeth!

The lemon water can be consumed daily, or as needed, but remember this is for liver support, and to actually clean the liver a deeper cleanse will be necessary. I recommend starting with a Photo Comparative Blood Cell Analysis appointment to be sure this is going to be supportive of your overall health.

Below, you’ll find a video I want to share with you on the use of lemons and lemon essential oil. It should help to get you growing in the right direction.

Wake up & Smell The Lemon!

Remember, more assertive cleansing should always be done with guidance. If you want to learn more about how to cleanse your body, don’t hesitate to book an appointment for a Photo Comparative Blood Cell Analysis, so you can be certain your body is ready to do a deep clean.

To Your Good Health,

Christine Plumb

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How to Get Better Sleep by Understanding the Pineal Gland

One issue my clients often complain about is having difficulty getting a good night’s sleep.

This is always concerning to me because sleep is absolutely integral to our wellbeing, and lack of sleep can have a devastating impact on our health.

Luckily, there are a ton of simple strategies out there to help improve your sleep, and having a better understanding of the body can also help, as well.

So, in this article, I’m going to break down the role of the pineal gland when it comes to sleep, and provide several solid strategies for improving your sleep, so you can start getting more of it.

What is the Pineal Gland?

Also called the “third eye”, the pineal gland is a tiny little gland found right in the middle of the brain, where the two halves join together.

The pineal gland was named for its pinecone-like shape and has been the subject of many myths and much speculation, but I won’t get into all that in this article.

It helps to regulate our day/night cycles of light and dark, otherwise known as circadian rhythm, and it does that by performing its main function, which is to make melatonin.

Strangely enough, melatonin only gets released in the dark.

That being said, considering how much time we spend on our phones, and how many of us fall asleep in front of screens, it’s easy to understand why sleep problems have become so common.

If you don’t spend enough time in the dark, the pineal gland will be prevented from performing its function, creating a lack of melatonin, which can really mess up your sleep, along with several other things.

Some of the symptoms associated with an imbalance of melatonin include:

SADS

Cramps

Insomnia

Depression

Night sweats

Difficulty waking up

Decreased mental acuity

Decreased muscle control

Decreased immune response

Difficulty coping with stress

How the Law of the Five Elements Relates to the Pineal Gland

The law of the five elements is something that’s covered in the Touch for Health classes I teach.

This concept goes back thousands of years and originates from the traditional Chinese paradigm.

If I had to give a detailed explanation of it in this article, you’d be here all day.

But in short, the law of the five elements is based on an ancient understanding of how energy flows in the body and how that flow is influenced by every aspect of life.

That being said, in the Touch for Health modality, we do what’s called muscle testing, which allows us to look at the unique relationship between muscles, glands, and organs, and how each muscle has an organ/gland system with which it’s intimately connected.

The unique thing about muscle testing is it allows us to assess the body, organ systems and acupuncture system, enabling us to gather insight and discover how different things like foods, emotions, and physical components influence our overall wellness both directly and indirectly.

How does this relate to the pineal gland?

Well, when we take a look at how the law of the five elements relates to sleep, and more specifically, the pineal gland, we have to consider what’s known as a meridian system.

Meridian systems are paths that allow the flow of vital life energy, otherwise known as “chi”.

The governing meridian system, also known as Du Mai, is the system associated with the pineal gland. This system is related to the release of stored-up energy and can offer us insight into things that are burdensome.

The muscle associated with the governing meridian system is called the teres major, and it’s located in the back of the inside corner of the shoulder blade.

If this muscle is out of balance, it can result in slouched forward movement of the shoulders, which can make it look like you’re carrying a heavy weight or burden, both literally and metaphorically.

The common thread here has to do with imbalances, such as burdens, darkness, built-up energy, carrying a heavy weight, and the need to release stored energy.

The point I’m trying to make is that because of the intimate connection between the governing meridian system and the pineal gland, any one of these imbalances can affect your sleep, and have a negative influence on your body’s peak performance and function.

In any case, those sleepless nights may be a sign that you’re holding onto stored up energy or things that are burdensome and no longer serve you.

It’s definitely something to think about.

How to Get Better Sleep

As I said above, having trouble sleeping is all too common today, and these issues can be caused by problems with the pineal gland, among many other things.

For example, sometimes when you’re trying to go to sleep, your brain will start to overthink things and the next thing you know, you’re feeling the burden of life’s ups and downs sweeping over you, and this can really get in the way of a restful night’s sleep!

I’m sure many of you have experienced nights like this before, and believe me, I know just how frustrating it can be.

Fortunately, there are lots of things you can do to improve the quality of your sleep.

Here are several techniques I recommend for how to get better sleep:

Create a bedtime routine that will help you to wind down. This could include soft light, relaxing music, a warm bath, or a cup of chamomile tea. You can also use some relaxing essential oils. Cedarwood can help to stimulate the pineal gland and putting some lavender on your pillow can have a truly calming effect.

Dump those burdens on paper before you plan to sleep. Try doing some journaling as a method of release by writing down all the things weighing on your mind.

Try some meditation and/or prayer. It can help to release all the worries and heavy feelings you have, which can have a huge impact on the quality of your sleep.

Take some melatonin and remember to turn out the lights! The pineal gland can’t make melatonin when it’s exposed to light. So be sure your TV is off, limit screen time before bed, and don’t forget to turn off that bedside lamp!

Be sure to take some time to enjoy the sunshine during the day, which can help your body create a more balanced circadian rhythm.

Do your best to exercise a little each day so you can release some of that stored energy.

If you’re having trouble getting a good night’s sleep, and you want to try the supplements and essential oils mentioned above, I sell high-quality melatonin and essential oils, so if you’re interested in any of these products, or have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me directly.

Helping you live the life you love more naturally,

Christine Plumb

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How to Boost Your Energy by Learning to Balance Emotions

Emotions can be either productive or destructive.

They affect our actions and inform our mentality, and for a lot of us, it can be very difficult to control how we react to them.

This lack of control can lead to all sorts of negative patterns of behaviour that can put a real drain on our energy.

That being said, learning how to exert control over your emotional space could be the key wellness strategy you need to restore all that lost energy.

So, in this article, I’m going to discuss how you can boost your energy and increase your vitality by learning to balance your emotions and change your state of mind.

How to Balance Emotions

According to the American Psychological Association, emotion is defined as “a complex reaction pattern, involving experiential, behavioral and physiological elements.” In other words, emotions are how we deal with issues or situations that are personally significant.

Let’s take a look at the basic definition:

e·mo·tion

/əˈmōSH(ə)n/

noun

a natural instinctive state of mind deriving from one’s circumstances, mood, or relationships with others.

“she was attempting to control her emotions”

instinctive or intuitive feeling as distinguished from reasoning or knowledge.

“responses have to be based on historical insight, not simply on emotion“

 The key phrase here is “state of mind” because your state of mind is dependent on the emotions you’re feeling, and how you choose to react to those emotions can have a significant effect on your energy, vitality, and the patterns of behaviour you create.

Sadly, one of the patterns so many of us tend to fall into is the constant worrying and anxiety about what might happen in the future.

 People love to worry about future events and obsess over every possible scenario that might play out and all the potential “what ifs” that could take place, such as:

“What if I don’t lose enough weight to fit into that new dress I bought?”

“What if I miss my kid’s performance in the school talent show because I have to work?”

“What if I forget to pay my phone bill on time and then they cut my service?”

 I’m sure most of you know exactly what I’m talking about. You’ve probably caught yourself worrying about this kind of stuff many times before.

But how does this trigger low energy?

Well, when you’re dealing with negative, repetitive mental dialogue, it’s like your mind is stuck on a hamster wheel, and this can quickly become a downward spiral.

You end up wasting all that mental energy worrying about things that haven’t even happened yet, and that can make you feel exhausted.

Fun fact: Your brain uses about 320 calories per day. And no, overthinking will not help you to lose weight!

 Embracing The Positive

Now, let’s imagine what would happen if you spent as much time thinking about positive things in your life and embracing what is before you in the present moment as you did on all those “what ifs” that take up so much mental space and sap your energy.

Obviously, you’d increase your vitality because you wouldn’t have wasted all that energy. Also, you’d have a lot more room in your heart and soul for positive emotions that promote healthy thinking patterns and increase the production of feel-good endorphins.

Unfortunately for many of us, it seems tough to be positive, and we tend to be way too hard on ourselves without even realizing it.

But if you try to be mindful of these tendencies, then you can become aware of what you’re doing, stop negative thinking in its tracks, and choose to embrace the positive.

For instance, instead of telling yourself that you’re not trying hard enough, or what you’re doing isn’t good enough, you can decide to be more patient with yourself, believe you’re doing your best, and understand that your best is subject to change based on your present circumstances.

It reminds me of a quote from renowned philosopher and spiritual teacher, Jiddu Krishnamurti.

 He talked a lot about how negative thought patterns will drain your energy, how they tend to come from a place of fear, and how that fear causes us to obsess over what should be instead of accepting what is.

“But to run away from fear is only to increase it,” he said.

“If the mind, in which is included the brain, tries to overcome fear, to suppress it, discipline it, control it, translate it into terms of something else, there is friction, there is conflict, and that conflict is a waste of energy.”

In other words, when you think negatively, choose not to accept what is, obsess over what might happen, or what you think should be, you’re rejecting positive emotions, and wasting vast amounts of energy in the process.

Therefore, it’s better to embrace the positive emotions as much as possible, and reject the negative ones as often as you can.

With that said, let’s talk a bit about how you can do that.

 Rejecting The Negative

At this point, you’re probably wondering how you can make the conscious decision to embrace more of the positive, and reject more of the negative.

Well, one of the things you can do, which I already mentioned above, is to be as mindful of your thoughts and emotions as you can, which means you need to step back and observe the way you’re thinking and feeling.

This makes me think of a quote from Richard Utt’s Attitude with Essence, which says, “What I am feeling and how I feel about it is the essence of my experience, and as such is also the essence of both my development and my degeneration.”

In other words, when you’re more decisive about how you react to your thoughts and emotions, it can give you the power to choose development or degeneration. Believe it or not, you do have the option to embrace either positive or negative emotions.

And when you have this level of conscious awareness, you can really take control of your mood, and pull yourself out when you feel stuck in a negative rut.

One thing you can do, which is incredibly empowering, is to realize the power of your own free will and simply make the decision to change your state of mind.

Remember, you are not a puppet being pulled on strings. Your state of mind is something that you and only you have any influence over, and you have the power to change it in any way you see fit.

When you understand that you have this power, that your emotions are simply a part of your reactionary fight or flight survival system, and that it’s perfectly normal to have them, then you can become the master of your own emotions by utilizing emotional intelligence, and learning how to balance emotions.

By placing yourself in the driver’s seat and taking back authority over yourself, it’s so much easier to recognize when that little hamster is on a negative roll, and you’ve just got to stop.

This can allow you to bring greater balance to your emotions and avoid getting stuck in a negative rut by embracing more of the positive and rejecting more of the negative.

 Techniques for Taking Control of Your Emotions

Before I continue, I want to make sure you’re not getting the wrong idea about what I’m saying.

When I say, “take control of your emotions”, what I’m referring to is taking control of how you react to your emotions, and whether you choose to embrace the positive ones or the negative ones.

Repressing your emotions, or trying not to feel them is typically not a good idea, and it can actually cause much bigger problems.

What I’m recommending is to learn how to control your reactions to emotions and how to choose which ones to embrace and which ones to reject.

I don’t recommend trying to suppress or ignore your emotions, so keep that in mind.

Now, when I want to change my thinking and take control of how I react to my emotions, I like to use positive affirmations.

This means saying things to yourself like:

“I am so happy now that I am making healthy changes in my diet so I can feel great in that new dress I bought.”

“I’m so grateful that I have this wonderful job and it allows me to provide for my beautiful family.”

“I am so happy I have a phone that allows me to stay in touch with my loved ones.”

 When you make use of this kind of optimistic thinking, you can really get on a positive roll, and experience how your energy gets a magnificent boost!

There’s also another method I use for this. There are three steps for this method, and you can use them in combination with positive affirmations, or try other tactics if you’d prefer.

1) Stop

Once you’ve realized you want to take control of how you react to your emotions, admit to yourself what you’re doing, stop, take a breath, and then take a minute to observe how you’re thinking and feeling.

2) Change Your Thoughts

Based on what you’ve learned in step one, you can decide how you’re going to change your thoughts, which emotions you want to embrace, and which ones you want to reject. Using positive affirmations can really help during this step, but just use whatever works for you. 

3) Find a Positive

Take some time to consider the things that are positive in your life. No matter what you’re dealing with, there’s usually a way to turn a negative into a positive. If you feel like you can’t do that at the moment, then just think about all the things you’re grateful for.

Another way to help mitigate negative feelings and emotions is by using essential oils.

Some of the best oils to use when you’re feeling afraid and/or anxious include basil, cassia, cypress, lavender, and juniper.

 If you want to learn more about essential oils, click here. And if you’re feeling like you could benefit from an attitude adjustment, feel free to contact me and sign up for my Attitude with Essence program. It can help you to resolve hidden stressors, and gain greater awareness of yourself and your emotions.

Christine Plumb

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How the Bowel Influences Digestion + Wellness Strategies to Ensure it’s Functioning Properly

A Crash Course on Bowel Function with Healing Techniques and Wellness Strategies to Help You Ensure the Proper Function of Your Bowel

Could the position of your bowel influence your digestion?

This article will give you some background on the structure of the bowel, discuss how it functions, explore some issues that can arise when it’s not functioning properly, and provide some tips on how you can support healthy bowel function and position.

To start things off, let’s go over some fun facts about the bowel, which you might not know.

The large intestine, which is part of the bowel, is about 5 feet (1.5 metres) long!

It is made up of a few different segments:

The ascending colon is the first part of the large intestine and runs up on the vertical axis in the right abdomen. The very bottom of it is where the appendix sits. The food that passes into the colon from the small intestine is controlled by a little valve called the ileocecal valve.

The transverse colon sits horizontally across the abdomen about level with the navel or just slightly higher.

The descending colon runs vertically down the left side of the abdomen to the sigmoid colon and rectum. This is where the waste materials are held before elimination.

Photo by CDC / CC BY-SA 4.0

Did you know 80% of what enters into the colon is reabsorbed back into the body?

No wonder it’s so important to pay attention to the unique function and structure of this wonderful sanitizing organ, which provides so many benefits for the body.

If you neglected your home’s sewer system you would have a blockage creating all kinds of problems, and the same goes for your body.

Just as you’d call a plumber to unblock your sewer system, when your bowel is not functioning properly, you have to find healing techniques and wellness strategies to deal with the problem.

What is the function of the colon?

Food is received into the ascending colon and is semi-liquid. It is in this area where the water is withdrawn and absorbed.

Good bacteria play a role in the completion of the digestion process. Billions of friendly bacteria synthesize valuable nutrients by digesting the fecal mass. Vitamins like K and B, as well as other nutrients are produced from this amazing process!

Alkaline fluids aid in the completion of digestion.

Digested food is pushed along through the bowel by something called peristalsis, which is a unique movement the bowel makes that is initiated from the muscles in the bowel wall.

As digested food moves, positive bacteria and more water are withdrawn and waste from the blood system is received and carried with the fecal material to the rectum.

The movement and passage of this material should be regularly evacuated in a consistent and effortless way.

Colon problems and their negative effects on the body

Photo by Scientific Animations / CC BY-SA 4.0

Diverticulitis, colitis, spastic bowel, ballooning, strictures, and prolapsus are all concerns that can inhibit the natural movement and function of the bowel.

What I want to pay specific attention to here are the concerns associated with prolapsus.

When the transverse colon sinks down due to an overload of accumulated waste, the “droopy” part of the colon is now sitting on the lower body organs. This is a huge concern for women, in particular.

The abnormal pressure needed to force the feces towards the descending colon becomes increasingly problematic if the transverse colon has dropped down.

The positional stress created with the prolapse may be corrected with a unique type of massage, which is part of the body management modality I practice. This massage for the bowel works great as a “reset”.

In any case, things like fatigue, sickness, lethargy and poor digestion can all be attributed to the bowel’s poor function due to positional stress.

I’ve been performing this unique massage with clients, friends and family for more than 20 years and the results are truly amazing!

Healing techniques to support healthy bowel function and position

Eat fibre-rich foods

Drink water

Exercise!

Consider calling me for a unique, non-invasive abdominal massage (Body Management Session)

Do a colon cleanse, which entails a specific supplement regime whereby I will do a photo comparative blood analysis session to determine the best approach to cleansing for your specific needs

If you have a specific issue with your bowels and digestion you need help with, click here to schedule a 30-minute free phone consultation to discuss your unique needs.

Helping you live the life you love more naturally, Christine Plumb

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Energy Healing Techniques to Help You Gain Greater Control of Your Emotions

These Energy Healing Techniques Will Help You Deal with Low Energy by Taking Control of Your Emotions Instead of Running Away From Them

Have you ever been sapped of energy by your highly emotional life experiences? You know, the ones that leave you feeling exhausted as the day progresses?

You drag yourself along throughout the day praying the veil of heaviness leaves and then regain ground on the energy front, only to find out the veil gets heavier and heavier as the days go on.

You could have emotional toxicity holding you back and hindering your daily potential and vital energy.

This blog will explain emotional toxicity, how that relates to low energy, and provide an analogy and some strategies that will empower you to better deal with these issues.

Energy Healing Techniques to Take Control of Your Emotions and Deal with Low Energy

When there is a strong emotion surging through your body it creates chemicals, and some of those chemicals can become toxic to you.

At this point, you’re highly stressed, and these emotions are unresolved, so there is no break in the emotional chain and no true rest for the body, mind and soul. This effect is known as emotional toxicity.

One of the primary emotions we feel is grief.

Grief is a fight/flight emotion because it is associated with survival. It is also an amygdala emotion, and when we feel grief, a hormone called adrenaline is released as a response.

Adrenaline helps you react to a perceived threat. But once that threat passes, another hormone kicks in called cortisol, which is a hormone that can make you feel exhausted.

So now you’re thinking, “Holy smokes, is grief a threat?”

Well, it sort of is and it sort of isn’t. Let me share an analogy with you.

Emotions a-knockin’ at the door

You’re sitting at the kitchen table enjoying a cup of tea, and there’s a knock at the front door. You open the door and immediately are faced with grief – an old friend you know all too well and thought you’d dealt with already.

Instantly, you slam the door shut. You go back to your tea and decide it’s just not worth letting that grief back into your home.

The last time grief showed up in your life it resulted in you devolving into that deep ugly cry, curled up in the fetal position, and you found yourself embarrassed and exhausted as you slowly awakened from your sobbing hot mess.

You swore you were not about to let yourself succumb to that again. So there you sit, with grief on one side of the door and you on the other.

Then you hear it knock again, and a hit of adrenaline makes you jump, so you decide to move to a different room.

Moving further away from grief seems reasonable, and you start to settle into a good book, but it happens again. However, this time the knocking is loud and the doorbell starts to ring. So you put on a TV show and attempt to drown out the noise of grief.

Winding down now, you decide it’s bedtime and you know you need to relax so you have a cup of chamomile tea and get all nestled into bed.

Then, just when you get to the beautiful, dreamy, almost asleep space, that damned doorbell rings again and your mind starts to race.

“No! Not GRIEF! Not again! Not now!” you cry, while the mental and emotional turmoil leaves you feeling raw and vulnerable.

It’s 3 a.m., you’re exhausted, and you’re lying awake in fear, wondering if grief is going to come back again.

You wake up the next day feeling sapped of energy and you know grief is near and it wants to move in –  you just know it.

At this point, you feel defeated and you spend the next week avoiding grief and feeling exhausted as a result.

This is an unfortunate pattern that can go on for weeks, months, or in some cases years if it’s not dealt with.

Now, let’s look at this from a different perspective.

Inviting your emotions in for tea

You’re sitting at the kitchen table enjoying your cup of tea when along comes grief, and it knocks on the front door.

But this time you do a quick body scan to make sure it’s grief. You confirm within yourself that indeed, it is, and you quickly realize you’ve already dealt with this monster in the past and it wasn’t very pretty.

Moving forward, you find yourself on the other side of the door and you say, “GRIEF! I know it’s you. I know how you work, and I know you want to consume me! So, here’s the deal: I’m going to open up the door and let you in, but only for 10 minutes! I’m going to set the timer on the stove and when it dings you’ve got to go, but I promise to give you all of my attention for 10 minutes.

So you go over to the stove and set the timer for 10 minutes and then open the door, allowing the grief to slowly move in. You grab your pen and some paper and write down everything grief has to share with you. You write down all the hurt, with as much description as possible, until you hear the ding of the stove timer.

But as you look up after hearing the ding you realize grief has already left your home.

This analogy offers a great example of how taking control of your grief gives you the opportunity to deal with it and defuse it, instead of ignoring it to the point where you’re no longer getting a good night’s sleep, and you’re fighting to keep it away from you.

This method allows you to temporarily permit grief to “Come on in,” rather than spending all that energy running away from it.

Consciously deciding when you have time and energy to deal with your grief, and doing so in a healthy way, empowers you so you can stop running from grief and invite it in for tea – on your terms.

When that emotion is knocking on your door, you have to take the time to honour yourself, heal, and save your energy by allowing for a safe way to cope.

Otherwise, that emotion banging on the door can lead to greater emotional toxicity and keep you from living your best life because your brain is having to work really hard to keep thinking of ways to keep grief out.

These healing techniques work to prevent emotional toxicity, and can even stop it altogether.

Reaching out for help and healing techniques

Sometimes stress becomes too much and you know you need support.

This is where someone like me, who’s trained in specialized kinesiology, can really help.

We use advanced acupressure, along with muscle testing to help you narrow down exactly which emotion is at the root of your exhaustion and possible emotional toxicity.

By using advanced energy healing techniques, like emotional stress release, attitude with essence, and specific chakra attunements, I can help you to deconstruct that which no longer serves you and reconstruct how you want it to be.

I use a variety of support tools in my 1-hour long emotional release sessions, including sound healing, visualization, essential oils, advanced amygdala support, and gentle specific massage, which can all help to create a new blueprint for how you want to react when emotions come a-knockin’.

A session with me can give you greater confidence and peace of mind by knowing you have the strength to better cope with your emotions, and the strategies to defuse the negative stress associated with them.

This will leave you feeling calm, centred and focused and get you back on top, with vital energy and better emotional regulation.

If you’d like to book a session with me regarding your emotional toxicity and the exhaustion that accompanies it, click here to book a free 30-minute phone consultation or you can call me at [phone].

Helping you live the life you love more naturally, Christine Plumb

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How Live Blood Cell Analysis and Proper Nutrition Provide Solutions for Sore Joints

Learn how red blood cells are related to sore muscles and joints and how the right nutritional support can offer answers for how to manage pain.

Did you know your sore muscles and joints might be telling you your digestion is off?

If you’re wondering how this could be true, let me explain.

I practice photo comparative live blood cell analysis, and one common complaint I get from those whom I consult with is how stiff, sore and achy they feel.

It’s truly astounding what the blood can reveal about your body and what could be contributing to these sore muscles and joints.

This post discusses how red blood cells function, how they’re related to pain, and how proper nutrition can offer solutions for how to manage that pain.

How Live Blood Cell Analysis Relates to Pain

Let me give you a little science background, from the perspective of a photo comparative blood analyst.

Red blood cells should be free-floating and separate because each cell has a negative charge that repels the others.

When we see individual cells, this indicates that the person’s nutrient absorption is good. If we see red blood cells all stuck together it indicates that there is a positive charge on them and this means that the assimilation of nutrients in the small intestine is poor, which contributes to inflammation in the body.

Generally, this is triggered by a lack of enzymes in the upper digestive tract and organs like the liver, pancreas, and gallbladder, which all work together to help with the chemical digestive process.

If intestinal permeability is compromised and the enzyme action is poor, then those larger undigested food particles like proteins and lipids may compromise the gut membrane. This can trigger increased intestinal permeability, meaning bacteria, toxins, and proteins can go through the intestinal wall, out into the blood, and create that positive charge on the red blood cells, which causes them to attract instead of repel one another. We observe this as rouleau or stacks of red blood cells in the sample.

I’ll use an analogy to further explain the function of red blood cells so you can see how this all ties into your stiff, sore, achy muscles and joints.

Red blood cells are like a bus. They work on surface area, so if they’re all separate and free-floating then the bus doors open easily and things flow freely off and onto the bus. However, if they’re all stuck together in a traffic jam,  then those doors can’t open or close efficiently because they’re stuck.

What gets off and on the bus, you ask?

Red blood cells are responsible for transporting oxygen to your body’s tissues. Your tissues produce energy with the oxygen and release waste, identified as a metabolic byproduct. This waste is taken to the digestive system and other organs so your body can remove it, via red blood cells.

So, if your red blood cells are separate and free-floating (not in a traffic jam) then your body can easily remove the waste from your metabolism. But, if those red blood cells are all stuck together then their carrying capacity to efficiently remove waste is significantly reduced.

Over time, the metabolic byproduct that doesn’t get removed contributes to inflammatory concerns, which are often to blame for stiff, sore, achy muscles and joints.

This brings us back around to what causes the blood cells to stick together in the first place.

One big answer is the lack of enzymes in the small intestine. You see, we need to have enzymes and healthy gut flora to break down those proteins, fats and other food particles and prevent red blood cells from sticking together.

Enzymes get secreted by digestive organs and your body also works with the enzymes in your food so you can break those food particles down more efficiently and stop the problem before it manifests to the next level of muscle and joint pain.

Luckily, there are enzymes in certain foods that work synergistically together and make great combinations when it comes to supporting this natural digestive process.

Foods that offer solutions for how to manage pain

One of the ways you can do this is to eat your fruits separately from all other foods.

Simply eat your fruit in the recommended combinations below either 30 minutes before a meal or two hours after. But make sure to eat melons separately from all other fruit!

The exception to this rule is that pineapple, papaya, and kiwi can be eaten with any other food. These fruits are rich in enzymes like papain and bromelain, which help to break things down and reduce inflammation.

There are lots of different ways to use your food as a tool to help your stiff, sore, achy muscles and joints, but let’s start with one small dietary change at a time. At any rate, fruits make a great snack!

If you’re interested in having your blood analyzed, or you just want some advice on proper nutrition, click here to book a free 30-minute phone consultation.

Helping you live the life you love more naturally, Christine Plumb

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Adapting to Stress and Promoting Optimum Wellness with Holy Basil

How The “Queen of Herbs” Can Help You Deal With Stress and Improve Overall Health

Stress is a multifaceted topic. Understanding stress requires you to consider several aspects of your being, including emotions, physical aspects, environmental overload, nutritional/dietary deficiencies, and mental components, among many other things.

Gaining this kind of wholistic awareness of stress can be tough, and finding ways to help yourself feel rejuvenated, regulated, and support overall, optimum wellness can be even more difficult, depending on the nature of the stress.

Having the ability to adapt to stress is sometimes easier with a little extra support, which can often be provided by introducing certain foods to your diet.

One of these foods is called tulsi – otherwise known as holy basil. This amazing herb can promote wholistic wellness by helping our body adjust to the stresses of daily life.

Holy basil is an adaptogenic herb – meaning it will help you come back into a state of balance or homeostasis by supporting your vital energy, or qi. It meets the requirements of being an adaptogenic supportive herb because it too has had to learn to adapt and thrive in its surroundings just like we do.

This beautiful “queen of herbs” can help you adapt to the stress in your life by:

Protecting organs against chemical stressors and pollutants

Alleviating physical stress from exertion, excessive noise, or exposure to cold

metabolic balancer of blood glucose, blood pressure, and lipid levels

Providing positive psychological effects on memory and cognitive function

Tulsi is a fragrant plant of the basil family, and it’s native to India. It is used as part of Ayurveda’s wholistic approach to health. In Hinduism, it is recognized as sacred, and some Greek Orthodox churches use tulsi to create their holy water.

This herb may promote and/or support:

Relaxation

Wellbeing

The immune system

The respiratory system

The digestive system

Heart health

Oral health

In addition, holy basil can also help with:

Regulation of blood sugars

Breaking up catarrh (mucous)

Itchy skin

Fatigue

Mood

By supporting all the aspects listed above, tulsi/holy basil can greatly improve your body’s stress response and help you to achieve wholistic wellness!

You can try growing this beautiful adaptogen in your garden and harvest these beautiful, tender leaves once the plant is around six inches tall or about four months old.

Once you’ve harvested it, you can use it for this delicious tea recipe:

Add 1 tsp of tulsi to 1 cup boiling water

Steep for 15 min

Add honey or stevia to sweeten, if desired

Try starting with small amounts and then increase the amount over time. But make sure to avoid holy basil if you’re lactating, pregnant, or trying to conceive.

If you’d like to learn more about this herb, you can read the study referenced below. Also, if you want to order holy basil/tulsi in supplement form so you can use it on your journey towards optimum wellness, click here to check out my dispensary.

And if you’re curious to know more about how herbs can influence your energy and support the physical, nutritional, and emotional aspects of your health, click here to learn more about “Western Herbs For Eastern Meridians”, which is just one of the many workshops I offer.

References

Cohen M. M. (2014). Tulsi – Ocimum sanctum: A herb for all reasons. Journal of Ayurveda and integrative medicine, 5(4). 251–259. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4296439/

CONDITIONS OF USE AND IMPORTANT INFORMATION: This information is meant to supplement, not replace advice from your doctor or healthcare provider and is not meant to cover all possible uses, precautions, interactions or adverse effects. This information may not fit your specific health circumstances. Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your doctor or other qualified healthcare provider because of something you have read. You should always speak with your doctor or healthcare professional before you start, stop, or change any prescribed part of your healthcare plan or treatment and to determine what course of therapy is right for you.