I’ve become a doTERRA essential oil addict!

Essential oils are so amazing!  Wait, let me say it again.  ESSENTIAL OILS ARE AMAZING!!

I had no clue that I was walking into a Gold mine last year by joining the doTERRA Essential Oil Company.

Essential oils are a fantastic, natural way to treat or lessen the effects of all sorts of health issues; from emotional to mental to physical issues. They not only treat the side effects, they tackle the root of the problem too! My friend Hope and I are having a virtual class on facebook next Monday at 5pm Pacific/8 pm Eastern and you should attend!

I promise you will learn some amazing things about how you can boost your health, immune system and mood.  Hope to see you in the class!

Here is the link:
https://www.facebook.com/events/763754457073037/

TO your great health (and mine too)-

Health Coach Autumn

Are You Affected by Gluten?

Gluten is a substance present in cereal grains ( especially wheat) which is responsible for the elastic texture of dough. A mixture of two proteins, it causes illness in people with celiac disease and others who are sensitive to it. Gluten sensitivity and allergies can produce a host of symptoms: Bloating, foggy head syndrome, gastrointestinal problems, memory problems, acne and breakouts, pain, dizziness, fatigue, hormone imbalances, headaches, inflammation, depression, anxiety…the list goes on.

So how do you know if you are sensitive to Gluten?

Get a blood test done.  You can also stay away from products containing gluten for at least one week to see If you body feels better.

Don’t know what to eat that is gluten-free?  Here are a list of grains that you can consume if you are going gluten-free:  

•Amaranth

•Arrowroot

•Bean and legume flours

•Buckwheat (kasha)

•Corn (maize)

•Coconut flour

•Job’s Tears

•Millet

•Montina (Indian rice grass)

•Nut & seed flours

•Potato, potato flour & potato starch

(white & sweet)

•Quinoa

•Rice, rice bran, & wild rice

•Sago

•Sorghum (milo)

•Soy (beans, flour)

•Tapioca

•Teff * Cross-contamination is possible

To your health!

Health Coach Autumn

Pain, Pain Go Away: What’s Causing Your Headaches?

 

by Autumn Pappas, CHHC, AADP

Whether you get them once a month or once a year, headaches can be such a pain! According to the National Headache Foundation, over 45 million Americans suffer from chronic, recurring headaches. Annemarie Colbin, Ph.D., award-winning leader in the natural health field, says that headache and pain management first peaked her curiosity after she once cured a headache within minutes by eating apple sauce. Several years of research later, Colbin devised a concept that explores six common types of headaches, their causes and remedies.  Here they are:

Expansive Headaches transpire when you’ve had too many expansive foods such as sugar, coffee, alcohol, tea, chocolate, fruit, spices or fats. To combat these types of headaches, eat salty foods like olives or nuts.

Contractive or Tension Headaches occur from working too much, getting too much sun, being too stressed out, or not getting enough food or water. You can also get these headaches from overconsumption of contractive foods like beans, nuts, meat, salt, fish, feta cheese, sea vegetables and grains. Remedy these headaches by drinking juice, eating apple sauce or drinking seltzer with lemon.

Caffeine Headaches arise when your body is craving caffeine. If you are planning on reducing or eliminating caffeine in your diet; lower your intake over the course of several days or weeks to avoid pain. It’s also important to stay hydrated while weaning yourself off caffeine.

Structural Headaches are common in those who have slipped, fallen or been in an accident. Go see a chiropractor or massage therapist if you think you may have a structural headache.

Liver Headaches can result from consuming oily food, such as potato chips, on an empty stomach. This type of headache develops three-four hours after food consumption, and can feel like similar to a migraine associated with eye strain. A great natural reliever for this kind of headache is homemade lemon tea: Squeeze the juice of ½ organic lemon into a cup. Take the juiced peel, cut it into pieces and simmer those pieces in 1 ¼ cups of water for 10 minutes on the stove. When finished, strain the lemon water into the cup of lemon juice and drink hot.

Allergic Headaches are different for everyone, since allergy symptoms vary from person to person. If you suffer from these headaches, pay attention to what you’ve consumed and stay away from common allergens such as wheat, dairy and gluten.

To your health!

Health Coach Autumn (check me out at http://www.pacificnorthwesthealth.com)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mindfulness Meditation Improves Depression, Pain and Anxiety

Mindfulness meditation programs can effectively improve anxiety, pain and depression in some people, according to a new review of studies from Johns Hopkins University researchers.

The review, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, included 47 different randomized trials that involved 3,515 people. The review showed that mindfulness meditation had small, positive effects in these three areas, with the improvements for depression in particular being similar to that of an anti-depressant. According to the study, mindfulness meditation programs involved “training in present-focused awareness or mindfulness.”

“Anxiety, depression, and stress/distress are different components of negative affect. When we combined each component of negative affect, we saw a small and consistent signal that any domain of negative affect is improved in mindfulness programs when compared with a nonspecific active control,” the researchers wrote in the study.

However, the review did not show a marked benefit of mindfulness meditation programs on substance use, sleep or weight. While few studies examined potential harms of mindfulness meditation (nine of the trials), none of them reported harm.

In addition, mantra meditation programs — such as transcendental meditation, which involves “use of a mantra in such a way that it transcends one to an effortless state where focused attention is absent” — did not seem to show any particular health benefits, though researchers noted that very few studies on mantra meditation met their criteria to be included in the review.

“This lack significantly limited our ability to draw inferences about the effects of mantra meditation programs on psychological stress-related outcomes, which did not change when we evaluated transcendental meditation separately from other mantra training,” they wrote.

Overall, the review showed researchers that more studies on meditation are needed, especially to see how greater meditation training, trainer expertise and amount of time spent practicing mindfulness meditation could potentially improve health even more. This is considering mindfulness meditation is a skill that does require time and practice, and that presumably the more and longer you do it, the greater benefits it may have. (However, many studies included in the review were relatively short.)

Indeed, in a related editorial published in the same journal, Dr. Allan H. Goroll, M.D., of Harvard Medical School, notes that most studies in the review were less than 12 months long, and that “longer study duration will be needed to address the question of maximum efficacy.”

“Nonetheless,” Goroll said in the editorial, “the small but potentially meaningful reductions in the distress of anxiety and depression associated with limited-term mindfulness programs argue for consideration of their use as a means of moderating the need for psychopharmacologic intervention in these conditions.”

Goroll noted that the benefits of mindfulness meditation found in the review are modest, with some studies finding no benefit. He postures that trendiness, the desire to establish control and potentially even capitalizing on common anxieties are all reasons for why mindfulness meditation has become increasingly popular today.

*This article was found on www.huffingtonpost.com

To your health!

Autumn (check me out at www.pacificnorthwesthealth.com)

My New Superfood: Rainbow Juice!

Hello from California!

I’m busy enjoying the warm weather in sunny California and juicing up a storm!  I made this concoction a few days ago and dubbed it “Rainbow Juice”– because it’s made from all the colors of the rainbow.

I found that Rainbow Juice was not only more tasty than I could have ever imagined, but that I was also FULL OF ENERGY after I drank it!  My achy knees didn’t even bother me that evening!

Now, do you know how important the color of fruits and vegetables are to your health?

They are vital!!

Yellow and orange fruits and vegetables are good for your digestive system. They contain carotenoids and bioflavonoids which act as antioxidants.  They also help keep your skin looking healthy, heal wounds and make your bones strong.

Red fruits and vegetables are beneficial for your heart and fight cancer because their red color comes from lycopene. Lycopene is a pigment that acts as an antioxidant and protects your body from free radicals and heart disease.

Green fruits and vegetables contain lutein which keep your eyes healthy. Green foods also have potassium, folate, and vitamins C and K.

Purple foods have antioxidants and flavonoids which protect your heart and lengthen your life.  They also improve your memory and assist in preventing cancer risks.

Eating and drinking a wide variety of colored fruits, fruit juices and vegetables will maximize your health–similar to the way a superfood would.  Therefore Rainbow Juice is indeed a superfood!

Happy Juicing!

Autumn

Do You Suffer From Back or Spinal Issues?

Back pain will affect 80% of the population at some point during their lifetime.  It is the second most common reason for missed work and the fifth most common reason for all physician visits.

Disc herniation and spinal stenosis are two common back and spine problems that affect our population. Disc herniation occurs as discs degenerate and weaken, and the outer disc shell of fibrous cartilage bulges or is pushed into the space containing the spinal cord or a nerve root causing pain. Spinal stenosis is an abnormal narrowing of the spine due to bone overgrowth, herniated discs, thickened ligaments, tumors or spinal injuries.

To differentiate the two disorders, a physical therapist may evaluate you through your history, a postural assessment, a movement analysis, sensation testing, reflexes, muscle testing, gait, instability testing, slump test or imaging studies. Treatment modalities differ for each disorder and the goal is to find the correct prescription that will alleviate the lower back pain.

There have also been advancements in spine surgery and spine hardware. Minimally Invasive Spinal Surgery (MISS) is now the standard of best practices. MISS patients get smaller lateral or front entry incisions, suffer less blood loss and tend to have shorter hospital and outpatient stays. Hardware has changed from stainless steel to titanium and plastic. Candidates for spine surgery include those suffering from degenerative disc disease, spine deformities, spinal stenosis, scoliosis, slippage of the spine, herniated discs, fractured vertebrae, traumas, tumors and infections. Research findings support better outcomes for non-smokers and people who are not overweight.

Remember, prevention is the key. Exercise and stretch the full range of motion of your back, spine, arms and legs on a regular basis. Do core and strengthening exercises to stay strong. Practice good posture. Keep your weight maintained and don’t smoke. Use your legs instead of your back to power yourself up while picking up objects. Place objects that you are going to pick up in a safe lifting zone; where your body will not be strained by lifting the object. Lastly, keep moving! You don’t have to live with back pain. See a specialist if you are suffering.

To your health!

Autumn (check me out at www.pacificnorthwesthealth.com)