by Jen Owen, N.P. | Apr 9, 2021 | Mind-Body Medicine
A common thing that happens in my office every day is that I give people permission. I give them permission to take care of themselves first, to say no to things that drain their energy, to rest when they need, and permission to be who they really are.
This seems rather obvious and you may be rolling your eyes and thinking, ‘I don’t need permission for these things’. And, you don’t, really, yet most people I work with feel deep down like they do.
Here are 3 ways you can grant yourself permission:
1. Permission to say no
You know when you’re talking with someone and they ask you if you want to do something and you know immediately that you don’t want to do it? What often happens is that you say yes anyway. You ignore the ‘no’ and you say “yes”.
These are usually the times when you are miserable doing the thing, you cause a whole bunch of grief for your family, you get exhausted from doing it, etc.
Sound familiar?
What if (especially right now during these times), you only said “yes” when it’s a “heck yeah!”? You only say “yes” when you know with certainty that you want to do the thing.
If it’s not a “heck yeah!”, then it’s a “no”.
You don’t have to feel bad, worry that you’re disappointing people, or fear that people won’t like you.
You have permission to “just say no”. Period.
Try it and see how much better you feel inside yourself when you do this every time.
2. Permission to rest
We live in a culture that values hard work. Rest comes after you’ve proven that you worked hard enough and never before. We are trained that rest equals laziness. We value clean houses, perfect lawns, shapely bodies, and home cooked organic meals.
We don’t value rest.
Where in the world did this come from? Who decided this?
What if we valued listening to our body’s call for resting?
How much more productive would we be when we have energy if we rested when we don’t?
There’s a little voice inside of us that keeps repeating, ‘I’m so tired, I’m so tired’ or ‘I just need a break’ or ‘If only I could lie down for just a few minutes’. Yet, what do we do? We drink more coffee or a Red Bull, we eat some sugar, or we rally ourselves in some other day.
We don’t generally listen to that voice.
Now, if you’re like most people I know, a little rest goes a long way. Why not try resting when you get the cue that your body needs it?
I’d love to hear back from you about how much better you feel when you do this.
3. Permission to shine
I can’t tell you how many times in my life I’ve had other women say to me things like, “You have to be the perfect one” or “Way to make the rest of us look bad” or “Tone it down a notch”.
You know those times when you’re really excited about something, you’re in a great mood, or something wonderful has happened and you’re celebrating, and there’s that person that has to say the mean thing to take a little bit of it away from you?
I give you fill permission to stop listening to them (or to release them from your life if that’s better for you).
I’m not sure where this came from either. People (especially cis women) can’t stand it when someone else is happy or successful, so they say take a little jab to bring us down.
What if we all shined as brightly as we could? What if we stopped dampening our lights because they make others uncomfortable?
It’s a practice, for sure and it’s SO worth it!
You are special, you are beautiful, you are unique, and you are the ONLY YOU!
Shine brightly my friend and let’s all be part of supporting one another instead of brining one another down!
What permissions do you need in your life right now?
What would be better if you just started giving yourself permission now?
These types of conversations are typical in my integrative practice. I’d love to support you with a consultation soon, and please be sure to share this blog with others in your life who need to hear it, too.
by Jen Owen, N.P. | Apr 5, 2021 | Mind-Body Medicine
Last week on the blog, I talked about giving yourself permission to say no, to rest when needed, and to shine as your best self. You can read that here if you missed it.
This week, I want to go one step further and give you permission to be loved.
I know that seems obvious, we all deserve love. And yes, of course that’s true.
But, do you really allow it?
For many people, when they were children, love got associated with being “good”, getting good grades, doing what you’re told, or being “nice”. Love came in the form of sugar, money, or a quick pat on the back.
Many people I’ve worked with don’t even know what the truest form of love actually is.
If you’re religious or spiritual, you may have felt love from God/Spirit. If you love nature, you may have felt divine love from the trees, mountains, or the ocean.
That’s the form of love I’m talking about.
So, often I see and feel (when I’m working in the pelvic bowl) how many of us have put up a shield of armor around ourselves (and our pelvic bowls) to protect ourselves from being hurt. We’ve had negative experiences with those who are supposed to love us, so we block all forms of love from us.
What has been helpful for me is to realize that love that has any conditions or requirements attached isn’t really the kind of love we all need anyway.
We need that divine love I talked about earlier and we all deserve to receive it no matter if we are “good” or if we achieve our goals.
One way I recommend remembering what that kind of love feels like is to do daily grounding exercises (learn more here).
Another way is through meditation and prayer.
Mostly, it’s about healing your relationship with yourself so that you can feel worthy of receiving pure love all the time.
Holistic Pelvic Care™ is one of the best ways to connect with yourself if you were assigned female at birth. Click here to learn more.
My friend, you are worthy of love. Real love in all of its forms. Let’s help you believe it.
by Jen Owen, N.P. | Apr 2, 2021 | Integrative Medicine
Written by our Integrative Medicine Nurse Practitioner, Jen Owen
Every year at springtime, I’m asked a lot of questions about detoxing. I, myself, have tried just about everything there is for cleansing the body: complete fasting, juice fasting, supplement regimens, cleanses, etc.
The main thing I’ve learned from all of this and from working with people who have tried the same, is that 99% of the time, the body will detox itself, if you allow it to. One of the main ways our bodies detox is from a powerful antioxidant called glutathione.
Glutathione is constantly being produced and can be found in almost every cell in a healthy individual.The highest levels are found in the liver, making it very important in detoxification. Levels of production are reduced by pollution, stress, foods that cause inflammation, toxins, medications, radiation, aging, etc.
Glutathione acts very similarly to a sticky bug tape, going through the blood stream and sticking to toxins, viruses, and even heavy metals. It is normally recycled and reused. When the toxic load becomes too great, glutathione production and recycling decreases.
When we can no longer detox properly, we become sick. Low glutathione levels have been found in chronic infections, chronic fatigue syndrome, cancer, autoimmune disease, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, asthma, Parkinson’s disease, liver disease, kidney issues, and much more. Glutathione is very important for the proper functioning of the immune system and for keeping every cell in the body healthy.
Tthere are many ways you can change your way of living to positively affect this detox process. One of the most obvious and most often ignored ways is exercise. Exercise increases your glutathione levels, which will increase your detoxification and immune system actions. Be sure you are getting cardiovascular exercise, such as fast walking, jogging, aerobics. Start with 5-10 minutes per day and work up to 30 minutes daily for optimal health.
The next obvious, but often ignored way to increase your glutathione levels, is eating supportive foods and the rainbow diet. Processed foods, fast foods, factory-farmed meat and dairy often contain preservatives and other chemicals that increase the burden on the detoxifying mechanisms in our bodies.
This leads to more work and eventually less glutathione production. Sulfur-containing foods, such as onions, garlic, and cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, kale, cauliflower, cabbage, collards, etc.) actually increase your glutathione production, so be sure to eat some of these every day, if they you tolerate them well.
The other way to increase glutathione levels is by using supplements. There are several that can be added, including liposomal glutathione, N-acetyl cysteine, selenium, vitamins B6, B12, C, and E, alpha lipoic acid, and more. I usually wait to add supplements until I am sure the person is exercising and eating the rainbow. The only way to fix problems for good is to fix the reasons they got there in the first place, which is often from eating less ideal foods and lack of exercise.
I think we can all agree on that, right?
So, if you are thinking of trying one of the oh-so-popular detoxes or cleanses out there for “spring cleaning”, first examine your day-to-day habits.
Are you eating the most optimal foods possible for your body?
Are you getting your blood pumping on a daily basis?
If not, save your money and start there!
You’ll be amazed at how much better you feel, how much better you sleep, and how much your life will improve when you care for yourself daily through excellent food and movement!
What are your thoughts about all of this? I would love to hear from you in the comment section below and please share this article with your friends!
And if you need extra help, I’m here for you. Schedule an appointment with me here.
by Jen Owen, N.P. | Mar 4, 2021 | Integrative Medicine
I don’t know about you, but for me, getting regular exercise has been one of the challenging parts about this pandemic. Pre-COVID, I had a regular routine of attending a Nia dance class three times per week. On the other days, I would walk or do a pilates video or hula hoop in my yard.
Without my regular class routine, I’ve had trouble having any consistency. I’ll get all motivated on Monday and by Tuesday, I’m back watching Netflix during my regular exercise time. Sound familiar?
The things I’m most consistent doing regularly these days are the ones that feel more like having fun. I thought you might need more fun with exercise, too, so I created this list for you:
“Fun” Exercise Ideas:
Dance to your favorite tunes
Play Wii games
Hike in nature
Rough house with your kids
Play on a playground
Play a game you played as a kid (hide-and-seek, kick-the-can)
Do sit ups or push ups on commercials during your favorite show
Climb a tree
Play frisbee
Hula Hoop
Carry your kids around on your back
Geocaching
Jump rope
Hopscotch
Slacklining
Jump on trampoline or rebounder
Jumping Jacks
Biking
Skiing or Snowboarding
Kayaking
Have sex
Yoga
Another thing I’ve been doing is meeting friends for masked walks outside. Wet get to hangout safely, while walking and talking.
I hope this helps to bring a little inspiration to your body movement ideas.
Remember, it doesn’t have to be perfect, just do something, and HAVE FUN!
What other ideas do you have?
Post them below.
by Jen Owen, N.P. | Jan 28, 2021 | Integrative Medicine
I know that the COVID-19 vaccine has brought up a lot of questions and concerns. We’re not used to being treated with anything that doesn’t go through years of trials.
I get it. I had my concerns as well.
And, as more and more people have become vaccinated, I’ve felt much better. I’ve had both doses of the vaccine myself.
I don’t believe in any of the conspiracy theories and I also know that we’ve been making vaccines for a very long time. I’ll leave it up to you as far as what you decide to do for yourself and your family.
If you do choose to receive the vaccine, I thought it might be helpful to know what ingredients are actually in the 2 approved vaccines, and how you might give your body a little extra support before and after the injection.
Update 2-25-21: The one dose vaccine is now approved, but isn’t covered in this article.
Active Ingredient in Both Vaccines (Moderna & Pfizer):
Messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA)
The mRNA molecules contain the genetic material that provide instructions for the body on how to make a viral protein that triggers an immune response. The immune response is what causes the body to make the antibodies needed to protect from getting infected if exposed to the coronavirus.
After injection, the mRNA from the vaccine is released into the cytoplasm of the cells. Once the viral protein is made and on the surface of the cell, mRNA is broken down and the body permanently gets rid of it. The mRNA doesn’t enter the nucleus of cells so there is no chance of it altering DNA.
Lipids:
Lipids are present in both vaccines to protect the mRNA and provide somewhat of a “greasy” exterior that helps the mRNA slide inside the cells.
Lipids in the Pfizer vaccine:
~(4-hydroxybutyl)azanediyl)bis(hexane-6,1-diyl)bis(2-hexyldecanoate)
~2[(polyethylene glycol)-2000]- N,N-ditetradecylacetamide
~1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine
~cholesterol
Lipids in the Moderna vaccine:
~SM-102
~polyethylene glycol [PEG] 2000 dimyristoyl glycerol [DMG]
~cholesterol
~1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine [DSPC]
Salts:
Salts are present in vaccines to balance their acidity.
Salts in the Pfizer vaccine:
~potassium chloride
~monobasic potassium phosphate
~sodium chloride
~dibasic sodium phosphate dihydrate
Salt in the Moderna vaccine:
~sodium acetate
Other:
Other ingredients in the Pfizer vaccine:
Sucrose is present to help the molecules keep their shape while frozen.
Other ingredients in the Moderna vaccine:
The following ingredients are present to work together to maintain the stability of the vaccine after it’s produced:
~tromethamine (acts as a buffer)
~tromethamine hydrochloride (acts as a buffer)
~acetic acid (like vinegar; maintains the pH)
~sucrose (help the molecules keep their shape while frozen)
Ingredients NOT found in either vaccine:
~Fetal cells
~Blood products, like red blood cells, white blood cells, plasma or platelets
~COVID-19 virus cells
~Mercury
~Egg
~Latex stoppers
~Pork products
~Preservatives
~Microchips
How to support your body before & after
Be aware of possible Side effects:
~Injection site reactions: pain, tenderness and swelling of the lymph nodes in the same arm of the injection, and redness.
~General side effects: fatigue, headache, muscle pain, joint pain, chills, nausea, and vomiting.
More severe reactions have been rare and would resemble an allergic reaction like shortness of breath, swelling of face and throat, rapid heartbeat, rash, or weakness.
Support your immune system and don’t over support
You want your immune system to activate somewhat in order for the vaccine to do what it’s intended to do. At the same time, you don’t want to over support and cause an overreaction. Yes, certain herbs and supplements activate the immune system, so be careful with those.
Easy Support Before and after the vaccine:
First, from what I’ve been reading, it’s important not to take anti-inflammatory medications before the vaccine. Examples include, ibuprofen (Advil) and naproxen (Aleve). You want your body to have a small reaction to the vaccine. It’s thought that these medications might dampen your antibody response. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) might be preferred if your pain or discomfort aren’t tolerable as it doesn’t have as much of an anti-inflammtory effect.
I want to be clear that none of these suggestions have been studied in connection to the COVID-19 vaccines. I’m basing these suggestions on my experience and expertise alone and sharing what I did for myself. As always, this blog is for educational information only
1. Vitamin C:
Vitamin C is known for its assistance in both supporting the immune system and assisting the body with detoxification. It’s also a natural antihistamine, so could help avoid allergic reactions.
I took 700mg of Buffered Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C designed to be easier on the gut) every hour for 5 hours before getting the vaccine and for 5 hours after.
2. N-acetyl cysteine (NAC):
NAC promotes the production of glutathione, one of the master detoxifiers in the body. NAC might help the body release what’s not needed from the vaccine.
I took 500mg of NAC for 5 days after the getting the vaccine doses.
3. Arnica tablets:
This is the one thing I didn’t do that I wish I had done after the first vaccine.
Arnica helps avoid bruising after an “injury”.
My main side effect of the first vaccine was arm pain. I did use it after the 2nd and I do think it helped my arm be not quite so painful.
4. Epsom salts:
Get in a salts bath right away. Epsom salts relieve muscle pain, eliminate stress in the body, and might help with detoxification.
I did this after both doses and I think it helped to lessen my symptoms.
This blog talks more about the benefits of Epsom salts.
5. Prepare your immune system now:
The tips in this article still stand. It might be a little while before you can get your vaccine. Get your body ready now.
**Update after 2nd vaccine:
I highly recommend planning a rest day the day after you receive the 2nd dose. Despite all my interventions, I still felt run down and had some sweats. It wasn’t too bad, but I appreciated having the day off to rest.
If you need help getting your body ready, schedule your visit now.
I’d love to hear other things you’re doing or have done to prepare and support your body with this vaccine. Please comment any thoughts below.
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