by Jen Owen, N.P. | May 17, 2021 | Mind-Body Medicine
One of the most interesting things about my work is how often people already know exactly what’s going on with them. They already know the foods that bother them, the lifestyle changes that would make the biggest difference for them, and the general idea of why they feel they way they feel.
The challenge is in trying to figure out why they aren’t already doing “all the things”.
One of my life lessons and I’m guessing one of your is to stay present enough to actually listen to what my body is telling me.
I know it sounds a little silly and it’s so true.
When I listen to the nudges to eat/not eat certain foods, exercise, spend time outside, etc., I feel the best. When I ignore those nudges, I feel way less optimal.
Here’s what I’m talking about.
You know when you reach for that 3rd cookie and that little voice inside your head tells you not to eat it? And, you eat it anyway. And, you feel like crap? That’s what I mean by listening to your body.
Your body is in a constant state of trying to help you and it truly wants you to be well.
It’s giving you cues all the time:
Don’t eat that.
Go to bed.
Lie down and take a nap.
Stop scrolling social media
And on….
What’s your body telling you?
Are you listening?
Sometimes we need some outside support to help us get clear on what we already know deep down.
If I can help, you can schedule with me here.
by Jen Owen, N.P. | May 10, 2021 | Pelvic Health
I’ve gotten a lot of interesting reactions over the past 6 years since I began doing Holistic Pelvic Care™ (HPC), a technique that combines inter-vaginal massage with breath work to help women* clear stagnation and other issues in the pelvic area.
Some people have thought it was odd, and even gross, that I would want to do this work. To me, this sums up a lot of issues for women right here. We are taught culturally from a young age to be ashamed of our bodies, that our periods are awful times and should be hidden, that women should not be sexual beings or they are “promiscuous”, and on and on.
No wonder women are experiencing issues in their pelvic areas from menstrual cramps to fibroid tumors to prolapses, and every thing in between.
Don’t you think it’s interesting that most of us are more than willing to have someone rub our back and shoulders, but the idea of some one rubbing the large and intricate muscles inside the pelvis is weird and gross?
Initially, because of cultural and personal views, many women are hesitant to have a provider touch them in such a private place and perhaps do wonder how I’m able to do this work. By the end of a first session, most state that this should be a regular part of every woman’s annual pelvic care, because they feel the tremendous changes in their bodies.
Conventional medicine rarely emphasizes preventative healthcare. Pelvic care is only offered when there’s a problem. Most women are unaware of their pelvic imbalances, because initially they likely don’t show outward symptoms.
Meanwhile, because of posture, emotional stress, energy blocks, trauma, injuries, or other events, the pelvic muscles become imbalanced. This can cause one area of muscles to do more work than the others. This one area compensates for an imbalance in another causing the muscles to lose their dynamic balance. Over time, this affects a woman’s stability and pelvic health, and symptoms will begin to show. Holistic Pelvic Care™ as prevention prevents problems from ever occurring.
For example, I had trouble in my right hip since my (now 23) son was born. I carried him often on that hip causing my pelvis to be unaligned. This problem went on for years. I tried Chiropractic, Massage, and Yoga to try to heal this, but nothing entirely worked. During my training for HPC, after I had received several treatments, I was walking down the street and felt some very gentle pops within my right pelvic area and I have not had the same kind of pain since.
When women do have pelvic issues, they often don’t know where to turn and don’t know about pelvic care. They will suffer silently without the awareness of available treatments. Others attempt to talk to healthcare providers or family members about their symptoms, only to be told that what they are experiencing are normal results of aging or birthing a child.
The female body deserves more care. Women must understand the language of the body to alleviate tension patterns that inhibit energy flow. Modern women are carrying chronic tension in the pelvis that interferes with the physical and energetic flow in the whole female body. By learning to pay attention to her root patterns, a woman can enhance the flow in her core.
A good portion of this work is meant to teach women how to better care for their own bodies. As women learn to do pelvic care techniques, they restore vitality to the root muscles (the pelvic floor), the strongest and most integral muscles supporting the female body. In bringing awareness to this part of the body, women find that they have much greater creativity, energy, and confidence.
“When the female body is cared for at the root, women come to know and love the feminine place in themselves”. (Quote from my teacher, Tami Lynn Kent.)
You can learn self pelvic care by reading the book Wild Feminine by Tami Lynn Kent. This book will lead you through many exercises to teach you how to connect to your pelvic area and clear tensions yourself.
Many women find that they need a nudge to get going or benefit from the care offered by a professional. This is why I offer Holistic Pelvic Care™ in my office. If you would like to experience this profound healing modality to work through a symptom or to promote pelvic balance, I invite you to schedule an appointment now.
Please share this information with all the amazing women you know. Imagine what the world would look like if every woman stood in her full power of creativity every day. Pelvic care is the best way I know to make this happen.
*Holistic Pelvic Care™ is supportive and beneficial to all humans with a vagina regardless of gender identity.
by Jen Owen, N.P. | May 3, 2021 | Food Medicine
When cholesterol levels are elevated in otherwise healthy people, I begin to wonder if it’s an issue with soluble fiber intake.
A lesser known reason for elevated cholesterol levels has to do with what happens to cholesterol once it reaches the gut. After the liver processes unused cholesterol from the body, it’s released into the intestines. Here, it should bind with fiber from the food you eat and be excreted in the stool. When you don’t eat enough fiber, especially soluble fiber, the cholesterol can actually be recycled back into the blood stream, causing elevated cholesterol levels.
When soluble fiber mixes with liquids, it forms a gel that moves through the digestive tract undigested, absorbing cholesterol and clearing the intestines, thus reducing heart disease by decreasing LDL (“bad cholesterol”) and total cholesterol, among other benefits.
Sources of soluble fiber also causes the stomach to empty at a slower pace, which keeps blood sugar levels from spiking, reducing the risk of diabetes. This also gives you a feeling of fullness in the stomach, causing you to eat less, and possibly lose weight. Soluble fiber decreases constipation and diarrhea, reducing hemorrhoids and possibly colon cancer.
All one has to do to reap these benefits is add more soluble fiber to your diet. Here are some of the foods highest in soluble fiber:
- oats and oat bran
- psyllium husk
- flax seeds
- nuts
- beans, especially black, navy, kidney, and soy
- vegetables, especially avocado, brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, asparagus, and turnips
- fruits, especially figs, oranges, pears, apricots, nectarines, grapefruit, and mangoes
All sources of fiber help with this process, but the above foods will help to keep things moving in the digestive tract, hopefully lowering your risk of heart disease, type II diabetes, and colon issues.
Please add your comments and questions below and be sure to share this post with your family and friends who will benefit.
If you would like more support with your cholesterol, feel free to schedule a consultation with me.
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