by Jen Owen, N.P. | Jul 9, 2021 | Food Medicine, Mind-Body Medicine
This blog is about returning to the basics.
I’m not sure what it is about our society. We seem to have an “all-or-nothing” approach to health. If we’re not greatly restricting food, exercising in a bootcamp style, or majorly pushing our limits, we don’t really do anything.
I see this time and time again. People show up to my clinic exhausted. When I ask about their health habits, they tell me they try to do those things I mentioned above, but haven’t been able to maintain them.
Well, of course they can’t, and I couldn’t either.
When people focus on hard core health changes and can’t keep with it, they feel like they failed and then they forget to do the very basics to keep their bodies and minds well.
So, today as you read this blog, I want you to do a check-in about each area of life I discuss.
How are you doing in each category?
If any of the basic categories aren’t being fulfilled, start there.
If you’re doing all of these things every day, then come in for an appointment and we’ll dive into what else might be going on.
Water
I know this probably sounds very basic and yet, we all need water to survive. The old adage of drinking 8 glasses of water each day still works pretty well for most people. Yet, when I ask my patients how much water they’re drinking every day, the response is often 2-4 glasses.
And, remember that caffeinated drinks and alcohol are actually dehydrating, so you need extra water if you drink those.
Check-in: Track how much water you drink today and increase if needed.
Tip: Use an opaque water bottle or mason jar for your daily water so you can literally see how much you’re drinking.
Air
Another basic one, I know. During the vitals signs assessment, I check the oxygen saturation of my patients. The level that should be 100% (yes, even with a mask on). Most people come in around 95-97%.
This means that they are likely shallow breathing a good portion of the time.
When we’re running around in fight-or-flight all the time, we don’t take enough deep breaths, so we don’t circulate adequate oxygen to all of our parts. This leaves us feeling even more tired and when our brains don’t get enough oxygen, we can feel light-headed or experience foggy-thinking.
Check-in: Are you getting enough deep breaths in throughout the day?
Tip: Check out this blog and Stop and Breathe.
Food
Another interesting societal norm is that when we want to change our eating patterns, we almost always start with taking things away.
I actually recommend adding things in first. And, I start with the most obvious foods: fruits and vegetables.
Fruits and vegetables are full of the antioxidants our bodies require for proper cellular function and detoxification.
Check-in: Are you eating every color of vegetable/fruit every day?
Tip: Start first by eating the “Rainbow Diet”. Read more about that here.
Sleep
I know you know sleep is important for every cell and system in your body. Yet, it’s often one of the least valued components of flourishing health.
Many people stay up too late or don’t take advantage of times when they can sleep in.
I work with a lot of parents of small children who tell me that after the kids go to bed is the only time they have alone together. I get this. Time alone together is important. And, is there another time you could work out to be alone together? Maybe you could trade with another couple and each take each other’s kids once a week? Get creative.
Sleep truly needs to be at the top of the priority list.
Check-in: How much good quality sleep are you getting every night?
Tips: Sleep when your kids sleep. Go to bed early and relax with a good book if you don’t feel tired yet. Practice good sleep hygiene (Google this term if you don’t know what this is.)
If you still can’t sleep, come in for an appointment and we’ll get this sorted.
Next steps:
Once these four basics of human body function are met, you can start looking into body movement, love, joy, etc.
Those are basic human needs as well, yet when we’re not breathing, drinking water, eating foods that nourish us, or sleeping, not much else can fall into place.
At my clinic, I focus on treating the whole person and my practice has gotten more and more simple over the years. I’ve realized that more than anything people need help with life.
They usually don’t need complicated protocols or extensive health plans. They need help finding balance, peace, and more FUN!
Please stop beating yourself up with restrictive diets and rigorous exercise regimens.
Start with the basics and you’ll be amazed at how much small shifts in your daily life can bring about big changes.
Ready to dive deeper into the basics?
My online program, Health Transfomations is for you!
Work at your own pace on your own time and transform your life in 8 weeks.
Join the program and get started now!
by Jen Owen, N.P. | Jun 21, 2021 | Mind-Body Medicine
Life is getting more and more open. Things are slowly returning to normal.
Yet, many bodies are not.
I’m seeing more and more people who are concerned about weight gain they haven’t been able to resolve with diet and exercise, fatigue that doesn’t go away after rest, and/or trouble sleeping that isn’t helped with the usual sleep hygiene principles or supplements.
When we check labs, we’re finding elevated DHEA levels and cortisols that don’t follow the normal diurnal pattern. Cortisol should rise in the morning and gradually decrease throughout the day until becoming low at bedtime when melatonin takes over.
The lab findings we’re looking at are based on the adrenal glands, which are located just above your kidneys. The adrenal glands secrete hormones that help the body suppress inflammation, utilize fats, proteins, and carbohydrates, regulate blood pressure, and increase blood sugar when needed. When the brain senses stress, it signals the adrenal glands to secrete these hormones. To learn more, check out this blog where I go into more detail about the anatomy and physiology of the adrenal glands.
In times of acute stress, the adrenal glands will secrete extra DHEA and cortisol to help the body adapt. This is perfect when we’re running from a bear. When there is no bear, it can be less than optimal and cause all the symptoms my patients are concerned about.
It seems that dealing with a pandemic and everything else that’s happened over the past 15 months is left many of us in a state of chronic stress.
In order to get out of this, there are two main recommendations I’d like to make:
- Rest More, and
- Have More FUN!
After having many conversations with my patients about all of this, I’ve come to the conclusion that the real issue comes down to control. Most of us feel the need to have control of everything that happens to us.
I’m not judging. I get it.
The problem is that over the past 15 months, we’ve had very little control.
And, the stress this has caused in us is making us sick.
I’d love for you to ask yourself how much fun you’ve been having lately. I mean TRUE FUN where you let your hair down, laugh raucously, or lie in the grass and watch the clouds.
When lab findings reveal issues with the adrenal glands, I’m finding that most of my patients then want to control this, too. They do hours of research on what’s going on and ask me about stringent lifestyle or supplement regimens.
This is the opposite of what needs to happen to resolve the issues.
The best way to fix your adrenal issues is to rest and have fun. Seriously. That’s it.
What times of the day are you most stressed?
What people or activities cause you stress?
What phone calls make your heart rate rise?
What does your morning routine feel like?
How do you relax in the evening?
Could you be over-exercising and causing even more stress to your body?
Take a look at your lifestyle, find your causes of stress, and do what you can to eliminate them. If stressful situations occur, take time to rest afterward. Let yourself yell and scream when you become angry. Dance, cry, shake it off, have fun with your family and friends, stop and take some deep breaths, whatever, just stop the cycle of the stress response.
Not sure where to start, here’s a blog to help.
Are you concerned about your adrenal function?
Feel free to schedule an appointment and we’ll dive into this together.
Otherwise, focus on fun and allow your body to rest completely.
And, be sure to share this article with friends who need to hear it, too.
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. | 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. | Jan 15, 2021 | Mind-Body Medicine, Seasonal Health
If you missed Part One of my New Year’s Musings: Why I Like “Intentions” Better than “Goals” or “Resolutions”, check that out here.
There are a lot of opinions about how to best write intentions. There are very feminine ways of dreaming, visioning, and creating that leave a lot of space for what’s possible. Then, there are the very masculine ways of setting goals that are SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time bound).
I like a process that’s somewhere in the middle, a more balanced approach. Most of the people I work with are high achievers anyway, so setting masculine goals doesn’t support the need to also have time to rest and play and be creative.
Below is my 5 Step Process for creating intentions that work.
Step one:
Take some time to think about what you want to see come to fruition in the near future in all areas of your life:
~Home
~Work/career/business
~Health
~Money
~Relationships
~Personal Growth
~Other?
Step Two
Write a few sentences about why each one of the things you want to see come true are important to you.
Why do you want these things to happen?
Step three:
Think about how you’re going to feel when you get each one.
What emotions will achieving this evoke for you?
Get specific….feel it in your body like it’s already true.
Write down these feelings.
Step four
Who are you going to need to be to make these things happen?
What character traits do you already possess that will support your intentions?
Are there any new character traits you’d like to begin embodying to create the life you most want?
Add these to your list.
Step five:
Write your full intentions in a sentence that you can read aloud to yourself.
Read your intentions at least twice daily, once in the morning and once right before bed.
Consider reading them many times per day, making them into the background on your computer or phone, create graphics of them, write them over and over.
Each time you read your intentions, be sure to feel into the feelings you’ll feel once they come true.
example:
I’m going to give you a really practical example from one area of my life, so you can get the idea.
Step One: What do I want…
I want to wake up to a clean kitchen every morning.
Step Two: Why do I want it…
When the kitchen is clean, I’m more motivated to cook more complicated meals that include more fresh vegetables.
Step Three: How will I feel when I get it…
More fresh vegetables mean better digestion for a more healthy gut and more energy. I’ll feel light and energized so I can show up as my best self for myself and my clients.
Step Four: Who do I need to be…
I need to be organized in my time management and dedicated to making this a priority.
Step Five: Putting it all together…
I stay organized and dedicated to cleaning my kitchen every evening, so that I’m motivated to cook more vegetables so I can feel light and energized every day.
Do you see how different this feels than me just telling myself that I have to do the dishes every night? Dishes are my LEAST favorite household chore and I tend to walk away from the dirty kitchen after dinner.
When I do that and I wake up to the chore I like the least, it brings down my mood immediately, so I already don’t feel as energized as I could.
Then, because I don’t have time to do them in the morning, the pile is still there at the next dinner time and I’m more likely to grab a quick, less optimal meal so I don’t create more mess…a vicious cycle.
This is a very practical application of the process. You can use it for anything. Maybe you want more time with your sweetie? Maybe you want to move your body more often? Maybe you want to be more organized at work?
It doesn’t matter. What matters is that you get into the “why” of what you want and the feeling behind it, because what we really care about is how we feel.
Now, when I don’t feel like doing the dishes, I can ask myself, ‘Do you want to have energy tomorrow?’
The answer is almost always a resounding, “Yes!”.
Give this process a try and let me know how it goes.
If your intentions include upleveling your health and wellness, I hope you’ll consider scheduling a session with me for support. And, I’d love to have you join my in my one-time only 8-week program, Health Transformations.
Happy 2024!
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