Artisanal Incense Crafting: What you need to know

I make your health my priority so you can make your dreams your priority!

LET’S GET YOU FEELING AWESOME SO YOU CAN DO AWESOME!!!!

Making homemade incense

If you’ve been following me for any amount of time, you won’t be surprised to learn that I’ve demanded we be a scent-free home for over two decades.

With the amount of harmful toxins in body care, beauty care, and cleaning products, I have forced scentless products on my family for years. Most of my herbal products and herbal courses have been geared towards the often scent-free medicinal aspects of herbs. Any pleasant smells were secondary to me. And if you read about my pregnancy experience, you know I tend to go to extremes when keeping toxins away from my kids. (It’s ok, you can laugh at me).

So when I first heard about homemade incense, I really wasn’t interested for myself. I had lived without scent as a part of my life for so long it just wasn’t something I missed anymore. But my kids are finally teens, and my oldest is super into synthetic stick incense. But like many people, synthetic incense gives me an enormous headache from the instant “charcoal” and synthetic fragrance chemicals.

So you can imagine the power struggles that fake incense created between me and my carbon-copy-rebellious-spirited oldest child.

After I learned everything I could about creating homemade incense and my house was full of deliciously smelling powdered herbs being turned into homemade sticks and cones, my oldest was….fine with it. *imagine the biggest eye rolls; so big you can smell them over the incense*

But my youngest totally got into artisanal incense crafting so much that she created her own business selling it! This new passion also introduced her to creating other whole-plant scented body and beauty care products, which keeps her away from her former obsession of spending all of her allowance at synthetic-smell hot spots at the mall. Super win!

And here’s the thing. My hubby has tolerated my smells-ban, but he really does love a scented house. So he has fully embraced the reintroduction of smells into our household. And, truly, I have loved it, too! In fact, now I’m the main incense burner in the family.

Traditional uses for incense

But incense isn’t just about making your house smell great. Humans have used incense for thousands of years for medicinal, spiritual, and ritual reasons. Properly formulated incense blends can be antimicrobial, provide respiratory support, calm the mind, help with focus, and lighten moods. Incense is mentioned in religious texts as important tools for ceremony. Incense is embedded in many cultures as part of daily ritual.

And with good reason. The aromatic oils in plants used to create incense stimulate something in the brain called the limbic system. When you smell these oils, they travel straight to the limbic system influencing mood, memory, behavior, and more. So real incense is powerful stuff, and humans have known it for a long time.

But traditional incense with made whole plants and synthetic incense are very different products.

Using herbal resins in homemade incense

One main difference is that synthetic incense is made with synthetic fragrance oils that are often toxic, cause headaches, and just don’t benefit the body the that aromatics from real plants do.

One group of plant compounds traditionally used in incense creation are herbal resins and gum-resins. Think frankincense and myrrh. But there are hundreds of resins and gums, including Palo Santo resin, pine, spruce, elemi, benzoin, mastic, labdanum, cottonwood buds, and so many more. Each resin has it’s own strong aromatic oil profile allowing endless combinations of scents and myriad medicinal benefits. Unfortunately, many gums and resins have been overharvested so take great care to make sure your plant sources are being harvested sustainably when making and buying your homemade incenses.

A side note cool thing about resins is that they are processed a bit differently than other herbal compounds. I teach many herbal medicine making classes, and I was surprised to learn that resins have several variations when creating herbal tinctures and oils compared to tinctures and oils made with other plant parts. So learning to work with resins for incense and additionally homemade herbal perfumes and body care products can be a fun endeavor for even very experienced herbalists!

But utilizing the benefits of resins isn’t the only difference between synthetic and real incense.

Traditional vs. synthetic incense: what you need to know

So what other differences can you expect if you plan to make or buy traditional homemade incense?

1) There is no wooden stick in the middle, so sticks are often curved. They just dry that way. It’s ok.

2) There is no synthetic instant-light charcoal. This means no headaches or carcinogens for you, but it may take longer to light and you may have to relight a few times. This is ok, too.

3) You won’t know what it smells like until you burn it. Whole plant material smells different when it’s burning vs not burning. So something may smell awesome as a spice but smell terrible as a burning incense. Expect some surprises as you experiment with your own recipes.

4) Real incense sticks are thick, boy! So regular incense stick holders won’t cut it. You can buy some $40 holders for real incense on Etsy, or my kiddo amended these below on the cheap with a drill for her incense business. Maybe not as polished, but it will hold your incense. It also has holes for your synthetic incense, so it’s a double whammy. You can also just lay your stick on a ceramic or non-flammable surface.

5) It ain’t your fake incense, so it ain’t coming to you at fake prices. If you use real herbs, sustainably and ethically sourced, and organic when possible, the cost will reflect that. But the peace of mind from crafting incense that won’t harm you or the earth, and that is harvested in a way that make the sources be there forever, is totally worth it.

Ok, so how do you make homemade incense from whole-plants? Let’s get to it!

Types of homemade incense

The first thing to know is that there are two types of homemade incense: noncombustible loose incense and combustible stick and cone incense.

Noncombustible incense is loose incense not formed into sticks or cones.

Pros of noncombustible incense:

1. can be made with any combination of plant material that smells good when burned; it doesn’t require a burnable wood in the formula, and can use more resins (resins are harder to burn) compared to combustible incense
2. doesn’t have to powdered

Cons of noncombustible incense:

1. You can’t just light it on fire and walk away. In other words: it’s noncombustible.
2. You have to use non-instant-light charcoal in a proper incense holder (called a censor) or an electric incense heater (like this one here or here). The first option takes lots of prep time and the second option has a one time pretty high cost.

But if you are willing to learn how to use incense charcoal to burn loose incense, or you are willing to spend a little more upfront, loose incense is a fun way to use incense because creating loose incense is super easy.

Combustible incense is incense that you light on fire and it keeps burning.

Pros of combustible incense:

1. It’s combustible
2. You don’t need special incense holders or timely set ups to use it.

Cons of combustible incense:

1. Formulating is a bit harder to make sure it stays well formed while also making sure it stays lit, and smells good. Some ingredients, like resins, are difficult to burn for long periods of time, and consideration to this must be taken into account or your incense just won’t work.
2. You herbs must be powdered, which can be tricky for resins and woods and time consuming.

If you decide to make combustible incense, the second thing you need to know is the list of ingredient requirements for combustible incense cones and sticks.

Ingredients required for combustible incense cones and sticks:

1. Combustible woods: these are woods like sandalwood (from sustainable sources only), cedarwood, and makko wood that can be aromatic themselves (makko is not) but are used as the source of combustion. You have to have enough combustible wood, or your incense won’t burn.
2. Aromatics: this can be any plant that smells awesome when burned. Be careful: some things smell amazing as a spice but smell rotten when burned. Experiment with very small batches until you figure out which smells you enjoy. Some aromatics, like resins, need to be used in smaller amounts because they reduce the burn ability of your incense. No more than half of your aromatics should be resins. Tip: clove can be added to increase combustion if you want to use a more resinous cone or stick. A good rule to start with is to use 3x the volume of wood ingredients as you do non-wood aromatics.
3. Binder: this is the material that holds the shape of your cones and sticks. You don’t need very much. Too much can make your formula too sticky/gooey, and can even make your incense so hard that it won’t burn. Binders are gums like guar gum or tragacanth that are only binders, or woods like makko that are both a binder and combustible. I like to use makko as a binder when I don’t want to use an aromatic wood like sandalwood but I still want to make a stick or cone that will burn on its own. You only need a pinch of binder, like an 1/8tsp to several tablespoons of total formula.
4. Water: this is what will activate your binder and turn your powdered herbs into a ball of dough that you will shape into a cone or stick. You can use hydrosols, wines, or even honey (talk about messy!) for added scent diversity. It doesn’t take much to go from too little water to way too much water. Add water 1/2tsp at a time until your dough holds into a kneadable ball but doesn’t stick to your hands in an unmanageable mess.

Creating homemade incense

To create your incense, follow these steps:

1. Mix your woods and aromatics, all powdered, together
2. Add your binder using a sifter to evenly spread over your powdered herbs, then mix everything together
3. Add your water a tiny bit at a time
4. Knead your dough for about 10mins
5. Shape into a cone (your cone base should be the width of a pencil) or roll into a stick. You can also use an extruder like this one to create your sticks. Use the smallest hole option.

And viola! Purely herbal homemade incense!

Homemade incense allowed me to bring the magic of aroma safely back into my life!

Homemade incense resources

How can you learn more about making homemade incense? Here are a few resources:

1. You can join my online course to learn the ins and outs of homemade incense. I have dozens of hours of formal and self-study on homemade incense making, and have the title of “Artisanal Incense Crafter”. I take these dozens of hours and condense them into a short course that teaches you everything you need to know to start making incense at home. You will be making your own homemade incense by the end of this course! Follow my Facebook page or sign up for my email list to find out when registration starts!
2. This book describes in detail how to make incense and has a zillion recipes. If you are a book reader and self-taught learner, this is the book for you.
3. The school that taught me how to make homemade incense has a free webinar series every now and then. Follow my Facebook page or sign up for my email list to find out when the next one rolls around.

I hope you enjoy making or buying your own artisanal traditional incense!

Now my house smells awesome and I know my family and the earth aren’t being harmed!

Know someone who might love making their own incense?

Share this post!

Make sure you don’t miss future posts from Lori Rose Holistic:

Click here to subscribe to my e-mail list!

I make your health my priority so you can make your dreams your priority!

Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook here!

Or check out my podcast with Weight Free Wellness here!

Learn about my e-books, Herbs for Energy, and All Natural Herbal Bug Repellents.

Lori Valentine Rose, PhD, CNP, BCHN, FDN-P, RH (AHG), NBC-HWC, is a college biology, nutrition, herbal, and wellness instructor, national board certified nutrition professional and holistic nutrition consultant, Functional Diagnostic Nutrition® Practitioner, board registered herbalist, national board certified health and wellness coach, wife, mother, organic vegetable, fruit, and medicinal herb gardener, school garden planter, city class teacher, and passionate Zumba dancer!  She created, developed, and instructs the Hill College Holistic Wellness Pathway, the most thorough, affordable, degreed wellness program in the country.  She also has a video podcast here where she interviews people that have helped her truly embrace real mind-body-spirit holistic wellness.  She loves spreading love and light, and helping others feel awesome on the inside and out so they can live their dreams and make this world more awesome!  Lori Rose Holistic does not replace medical advice or working with your doctor, and she does not diagnose, treat, or cure disease.  Her goal is to educate, and any actions you take are voluntary and of your own free will.

If you are tired of doctors that only spend 5 minutes with you only to give you medications that are band-aids and don’t address the root cause of your issues,

If you are tired of counting calories and failed diets,

If you are tired of feeling overwhelmed, helpless, and hopeless with exhaustion, pain, and illness,

If you are looking for a practitioner to finally take the time to listen, empathize, encourage, and empower you with the tools to take control of your life again,

If you are ready to start feeling awesome so you can start doing awesome,

Then you have come to the right place!  I am a passionate, educated, skilled practitioner that promises to work on an individualized plan designed just for you so you can start feeling like yourself again!

If you are ready to learn the tools and skills needed to get the vitality back into to your life then email me at loriroseholistic@gmail.com !

Read reviews from my clients here!

LET’S GET YOU FEELING AWESOME SO YOU CAN DO AWESOME!!!!

Book Review: Herbal Medicine From the Heart of the Earth, 3rd edition, Tilgner

I make your health my priority so you can make your dreams your priority!

LET’S GET YOU FEELING AWESOME SO YOU CAN DO AWESOME!!!!

Book Review: Herbal Medicine From the Heart of the Earth, 3rd edition, Dr. Sharol Marie Tilgner

One of the most difficult parts of creating and teaching the Hill College Holistic Wellness Pathway is finding one book that contains it all: herbal materia medica so students can dive into each herb, a thorough list of formulas for body systems so students can see how multiple herbs work together, useful dosage recommendations for herbs and formulas, and conversions between different herbal medicine types (tincture vs. powder vs. bulk herbs).

Usually, my students have to buy multiple (albeit amazing) books and thumb through all of them while creating their herbal protocols for their clients in the Holistic Wellness Pathway clinic.

And it is certainly rare to find an herbal book that discusses the herbs and formulas from both an energetic and a scientific perspective (two concepts crucial to the herbal training in the Holistic Wellness Pathway), making it difficult for my students to apply what they have learned in class to what they are reading in their books.

In her 3rd edition of Herbal Medicine from the Heart of the Earth, Tilgner has once again erased all of those difficulties in one single text: a clinical herbal teacher and student’s dream!

Materia Medica in Herbal Medicine from the Heart of the Earth

The first and second editions of Heart of the Earth were amazing as is. In this 3rd edition, Tilgner has not only updated the list of herbs, but has added a section for “mechanisms of action” for each herb.  This new section combines the already thorough coverage of herbal properties with the scientifically supported ways each herb has been shown to influence the body!  Tilgner was so thorough in scientific coverage that there are over 900 references in the book!

The students of the Hill College Holistic Wellness Pathway participate in a science poster conference every semester where they present their own data from their own experiments over nutrition and herbal topics.  Tilgner’s thorough inclusion of herbal scientific evidence will be a magnificent source of inspiration for student experiment topics!

Incredibly refreshing is the inclusion of contraindications for each herb, a fact that my students usually have to find in completely separate, expensive texts as they are researching herbs for their clients.

Something truly unique to Tilgner is her inclusion of low-dose herbs (herbs that live on the line between helpful and toxic, even deadly) in her materia medica.  I will talk more about this in a little bit, but I had to give a shout out in this section as well.

I also really love the “mental picture” description of the client presentation that each herb might be useful for.  It creates a palatable, relatable visual for students to make sure and pair the right herb with the right client, as opposed to just a grab-bag selection from a list of possible useful herbs.

 Thanks to Tilgner’s 3rd edition, now the tradition, science, energetics, dosage, and safety of herbs can all be found in one place together!

Formulas in Herbal Medicine from the Heart of the Earth

This might be mine and my students’ favorite part of this book.  It is extremely difficult for students to take the study of single herbs and expand them into creating herbal formulas.  The Holistic Wellness Pathway students spend hundreds of hours on the topic of herbal formulation.  However, most clinical herbal books only teach single herbs.  And the herbal formula books that do have formulas generally don’t explain WHY each herb is in the formula.  This prevents students that are practicing with actual clients (something else we spend hundreds of hours doing in the pathway) from customizing the formulas in a way that uniquely matches their clients.

But not in Tilgner’s Heart of the Earth. Tilgner not only gives percentages of each herb in each formula so that they can be increased or decreased depending on the needs of the practitioner reading the book, she also describes the energetics and uses of each herb in the formula right there next to the formula.

This empowers the clinician to both fully understand the synergy of the formula, and adjust the formula as needed.

And, generously, she still includes words of caution and contraindication next to each formula so that students don’t have to go back thumbing through the materia medica for each herb in the formula.

It’s all right there in one spot.

What did I tell you?  An herbal teacher and student’s dream! 

The Doses in Herbal Medicine from the Heart of the Earth

The content on doses at the back of Heart of the Earth is what caught my eye the first time I saw the previous editions.  I immediately included the book in my program thanks to the incredibly thorough grouping of charts and tables on doses that I hadn’t seen in any other herbal book. Incredibly useful charts on

• dosing different % tinctures of the same herb,
• dosing herbs to kids vs. adults vs. the elderly, and
• frequency and duration suggestions for herbs.

I was drooling.

But the most unique section is on how to dose low-dose botanicals.  There is a TWO-PAGE table on figuring out how much low-dose herb should be included in a formula with other herbs!  As in how many DROPS per ounce to include in a formula. That’s how low I mean by low-dose.  I have never seen this information in any other herbal book.

This alone makes it worth the buy, but considering all of the above makes this book a must-have for every herbal teacher, student, and practitioner.

The Medicine Making and Harvesting in Herbal Medicine from the Heart of the Earth

One of the reasons Tilgner was able to create such an incredible resource for herbal practitioners is that she is a practicing clinician herself.  The book is full of experiential brilliance.

But Tilgner isn’t just a clinical herbalist. She is an herbal gardener and medicine maker, too.

One of the unique aspects of the Hill College Holistic Wellness Pathway is that it combines clinical nutrition and herbalism with herbal medicine making, gardening, and wildcrafting.  As a group, we install school veggie and herb gardens in local elementary schools every semester in the hopes of reconnecting our youth with their plant allies.

Again, it had always been difficult for me to find one text that covered all of those angles for my students.

But thanks to Tilgner’s thorough interconnection with her gardens and her clients, the 3rd edition of Heart of the Earth includes

• incredibly descriptive medicine making techniques with unique herbal preparations not found in other clinical texts, and
• a harvesting chart including best season for harvest, best harvested fresh or dry, and best tincture ratio for over 60 herbs!

If I had to choose just one book for my students to buy, it would be Tilgner’s 3rd edition of Herbal Medicine from the Heart of the Earth!

Know someone who might love this book?

Share this post!

Make sure you don’t miss future posts from Lori Rose Holistic:

Click here to subscribe to my e-mail list!

I make your health my priority so you can make your dreams your priority!

Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook here!

Or check out my podcast with Weight Free Wellness here!

Learn about my e-books, Herbs for Energy, and All Natural Herbal Bug Repellents.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lori Valentine Rose, PhD, CNP, BCHN, FDN-P, RH (AHG), NBC-HWC, is a college biology, nutrition, herbal, and wellness instructor, national board certified nutrition professional and holistic nutrition consultant, Functional Diagnostic Nutrition® Practitioner, board registered herbalist, national board certified health and wellness coach, wife, mother, organic vegetable, fruit, and medicinal herb gardener, school garden planter, city class teacher, and passionate Zumba dancer!  She created, developed, and instructs the Hill College Holistic Wellness Pathway, the most thorough, affordable, degreed wellness program in the country.  She also has a video podcast here where she interviews people that have helped her truly embrace real mind-body-spirit holistic wellness.  She loves spreading love and light, and helping others feel awesome on the inside and out so they can live their dreams and make this world more awesome!  Lori Rose Holistic does not replace medical advice or working with your doctor, and she does not diagnose, treat, or cure disease.  Her goal is to educate, and any actions you take are voluntary and of your own free will.

If you are tired of doctors that only spend 5 minutes with you only to give you medications that are band-aids and don’t address the root cause of your issues,

If you are tired of counting calories and failed diets,

If you are tired of feeling overwhelmed, helpless, and hopeless with exhaustion, pain, and illness,

If you are looking for a practitioner to finally take the time to listen, empathize, encourage, and empower you with the tools to take control of your life again,

If you are ready to start feeling awesome so you can start doing awesome,

Then you have come to the right place!  I am a passionate, educated, skilled practitioner that promises to work on an individualized plan designed just for you so you can start feeling like yourself again!

If you are ready to learn the tools and skills needed to get the vitality back into to your life then email me at loriroseholistic@gmail.com to set up your free 15 minute introductory consult!

Read reviews from my clients here!

LET’S GET YOU FEELING AWESOME SO YOU CAN DO AWESOME!!!!

What you need to know about healing the emotional and physical aspects of autoimmune-related depression

I make your health my priority so you can make your dreams your priority!

LET’S GET YOU FEELING AWESOME SO YOU CAN DO AWESOME!!!!

-This blog series was written by my holistic nutrition intern, Chrissy Spencer. Enjoy, and check out her bio at the end of the blog post!

In case you missed the first blog post of this series, you can read here about the “what” behind the gut-brain axis bidirectional communication between the digestive system and the brain. This gut-brain communication has huge impacts on both mental health and physical autoimmune flares. 

It is important to understand what is happening in the body when these flares occur so that we can calm the flames.  In the second post of this series, we will look more closely at the “how” of the links that exist between body and mind, and how food and therapeutic options can help alleviate these symptoms.

The how: break down in the gut

If the constant circle of messages between the gut and brain is flawed, the circle can deteriorate and become a perpetuating cycle of misinformation and chaos.  This can result in both physical and mental symptoms in autoimmunity. 

With 80% of the serotonin created in the gut, healing the gut is an important place to start in healing autoimmune-related depression.  One problem often found in individuals with these symptoms is a lack of diversity of microbial life in the microbiome. Specifically, there can be fewer strains of probiotics that produce serotonin.  

The how: break down in the mind

While you are focusing on healing the gut, you should also make sure you are tending to your mental health.  Common factors that can lead to mental health issues for people who are dealing with autoimmune condition can include:

• The diagnosis itself
• Past trauma events
• Leaky gut (see how we just cycled back to the gut? It’s a circle!)

1. The diagnosis

Getting an autoimmune diagnosis is a heavy weight. Regardless of the possible treatments available, there is the realization that life is not going to be the same again.

There is often a loss of the sense of self. 

Sadly, another issue is that our loved ones may be unaware of what autoimmune diagnoses mean and how they affect our lives. While well meaning, they can say things that can be hurtful as we start on our healing path.

To make matters worse, we may shy away from joining autoimmune help groups.  Finding online and/or in-person groups for people with your disorder is crucial to avoiding the isolating feeling that you are all alone.  Another important option is obtaining the help of a mental health counselor.  

Holistic healing often involves teams of experts.  Don’t be ashamed to add support groups and mental health professionals to your team to find the hope and connection that we all need.  

2. The link between past trauma and autoimmune disorders

It has been observed that individuals who have had a significant traumatic event in their childhood are at least 70% more likely to later develop autoimmune conditions. 

In one study of 8,295 women and 7,064 men, they studied the link between hospitalization due to autoimmune conditions and links to two or more adverse childhood events (ACEs).  The results were astounding:

• 70% had an autoimmune situation with the Th1 mediated disease. These are organ specific diseases like multiple sclerosis or irritable bowel disorder.
• 80% had an autoimmune condition the Th2 mediated disease. These are systemic diseases like lupus or sjorgens.
• 100% had an increased risk for rheumatoid disorders. 

Unhealed trauma alone can explain depression symptoms.  Add a chronic disease with a dire prognosis (at least where conventional medicine is concerned), it’s no surprise that autoimmunity and depression are so closely interlinked.  

Therapeutic approaches to emotional healing

In dealing with an illness that affects our bodies and our brains, it is important to look at healing approaches that can help both physical and mental symptoms as well.

Two therapies have high success rates in addressing emotional healing: Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).

In Cognitive Behavior Therapy, one learns to 

• first identify automatic thoughts and assumptions that arise, and then 
• to distinguish between facts and irrational thoughts. 

EMDR is a processing technique that believes that a trauma event gets compartmentalized in the brain where the person is unable to process the negative emotions that surround that event. Through eye movements brought about by blinking lights or hand-held buzzers, the unpleasant memory is broken down into manageable parts. The client focuses on the event along with physical sensations associated with accessing this memory, while also tracking eyes back and forth. This breakdown procedure allows both sides of the brain to process and create new associative links for the trauma event, ideally leading to physical and emotional healing.

Exploring these therapies along with support groups and mental health professionals can feel like an unrelated necessity for a physical autoimmune condition.  But the gut-brain axis explains how committing to healing past trauma is a crucial step for physical healing as well.   

3. The link between leaky gut and autoimmune disorders

Individuals with autoimmune conditions are more susceptible to leaky gut, a condition directly linked to both gut and mental health. 

Leaky gut occurs when the intestinal cells have unwanted gaps between them.  These gaps allow particles out of the intestines and into the blood that aren’t supposed to be there.  Like having a gap in your neighbor’s fence, their dog comes over, poops in your yard, and leaves you with a mess to deal with. 

When food and toxin particles escape through the gaps in our intestinal cells, the immune system attacks them as unwanted foreign invaders.  This leads to inflammation in the body and often causes future autoimmune-related physical symptoms. 

Inflammation of the GI tract places stress on the microbiome through the escape of cytokines and neurotransmitters. Cytokines are protein molecules that help the body’s immune system. Neurotransmitters are the chemical messaging system from the brain to the body.  When the circle of messages between the gut and brain are working properly, they are a good thing. 

But when there is increased intestinal permeability (the fancy term for leaky gut), cytokines and neurotransmitters move outside of the intestines to the wrong side of the gate. Once outside, these rogue molecules cross the blood brain barrier, sending the wrong message to the wrong recipient.  This combines the physical symptoms of autoimmunity with the often-linked mental health issues.

To eliminate this mess, you’ll need to patch up the hole in the fence, so the dog stays where he’s supposed to be.

While this whole thing sounds scary, there is good news: this cycle can be broken!  The fence CAN be mended.  

Foods to help with leaky gut

A diet that supports decreasing inflammation is crucial for autoimmune conditions. 

This usually entails a whole-foods based diet focused on the following:

• Vegetables (6-10 servings per day, half of those being dark leafy greens)
• Fruit (whole, not juiced)
• Clean sources of protein: organic, pastured eggs, beef, chicken, and fish 
• Cultured foods: sauerkraut, kimchi, and tempeh (found the cold section)
• Cultured dairy: kefir and yogurt (plain and sugar free; dairy free options are regularly available as well)
• Beverages: Tea and bone broth are great additions to calm inflammation and support the microbiome.  Specifically, pureh tea and peppermint tea have been found to help digestion and rebuild the intestinal barrier. Bone broth contains glutamine that helps heal the mucosal lining in the gut.

Foods to avoid with leaky gut

Just as it’s important to add certain nutrient-dense foods to the diet, it is equally important to eliminate other foods that can cause inflammation, harm the good gut bacteria, or help grow bad bacteria.

• Gluten containing food, including baked goods (remember, just because something says “gluten-free” on it doesn’t make it a health food; read the ingredients)
• Refined oils
• Artificial sweeteners

These inflammatory foods have negative impacts on good bacteria, but are also typical offenders for triggering varying digestive issues.

What’s fabulous in making this shift in dietary habits is that these foods also help support mental health. So in giving up the inflammatory foods and adding in nutrient-dense whole foods, you will be addressing both sides of the gut-brain axis at the same time! Double-whammy!

Herbs for leaky gut and depression

If you are interested in using herbs to supplement the suggestions above, this blog post suggests several herbs for leaky gut, my Herbs for Energy e-book contains a recipe for leaky gut tea, and this blog post covers herbs for depression.

In the next blog in the series, I will discuss probiotics and how they can alleviate both physical and mental autoimmune symptoms.

Know someone who might be struggling with autoimmune physical or mental symptoms? 

Share this post!

Guest blog post by:

I am Chrissy Spencer and I am a French teacher by day. I graduated from the University of Michigan 2004 with my bachelor’s degree in French and then from the University of Southern Mississippi with a master’s degree in linguistics and language pedagogy. While living and teaching in the Middle East, I was diagnosed with a form of autoimmune arthritis. At the onset I was scared of what that meant for my future, but then that fear shifted into wanting to learn as much as I can about the body and how nutrition is crucial to my well being. I am now studying at Nutrition Therapy Institute, and will have my Certified Nutrition Therapy Practitioner degree in February 2020. I love learning about how nutrition impacts one’s health and am excited to start sharing what I’ve learned with others.

Make sure you don’t miss future posts from Lori Rose Holistic:

Click here to subscribe to my e-mail list!

I make your health my priority so you can make your dreams your priority!

Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook here!

Or check out my podcast with Weight Free Wellness here!

Learn about my e-books, Herbs for Energy, and All Natural Herbal Bug Repellents.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lori Valentine Rose, PhD, CNP, BCHN, FDN-P, RH (AHG), NBC-HWC, is a college biology, nutrition, herbal, and wellness instructor, national board certified nutrition professional and holistic nutrition consultant, Functional Diagnostic Nutrition® Practitioner, board registered herbalist, national board certified health and wellness coach, wife, mother, organic vegetable, fruit, and medicinal herb gardener, school garden planter, city class teacher, and passionate Zumba dancer!  She created, developed, and instructs the Hill College Holistic Wellness Pathway, the most thorough, affordable, degreed wellness program in the country.  She also has a video podcast here where she interviews people that have helped her truly embrace real mind-body-spirit holistic wellness.  She loves spreading love and light, and helping others feel awesome on the inside and out so they can live their dreams and make this world more awesome!  Lori Rose Holistic does not replace medical advice or working with your doctor, and she does not diagnose, treat, or cure disease.  Her goal is to educate, and any actions you take are voluntary and of your own free will.

If you are tired of doctors that only spend 5 minutes with you only to give you medications that are band-aids and don’t address the root cause of your issues,

If you are tired of counting calories and failed diets,

If you are tired of feeling overwhelmed, helpless, and hopeless with exhaustion, pain, and illness,

If you are looking for a practitioner to finally take the time to listen, empathize, encourage, and empower you with the tools to take control of your life again,

If you are ready to start feeling awesome so you can start doing awesome,

Then you have come to the right place!  I am a passionate, educated, skilled practitioner that promises to work on an individualized plan designed just for you so you can start feeling like yourself again!

If you are ready to learn the tools and skills needed to get the vitality back into to your life then email me at loriroseholistic@gmail.com to set up your free 15 minute introductory consult!

Read reviews from my clients here!

LET’S GET YOU FEELING AWESOME SO YOU CAN DO AWESOME!!!!

What you need to know about the link between autoimmune disease and mental health

I make your health my priority so you can make your dreams your priority!

LET’S GET YOU FEELING AWESOME SO YOU CAN DO AWESOME!!!!

What you need to know about the link between autoimmune disease and mental health

-This blog post was written by my holistic nutrition intern, Chrissy Spencer. Enjoy, and check out her bio at the end of the blog post!

Autoimmune disease is when the immune system becomes overactive and starts attacking parts of your own body as though it were an invader. There are currently 80 identified autoimmune conditions, and they can run the spectrum from mild to dire.  While an autoimmune diagnosis is plenty to deal with on its own, unfortunately it is a little-known fact that a higher prevalence of mental health conditions are reported among people who also have an autoimmune disease.

While it can feel like a bit of the chicken and the egg scenario of which came first, what we do know is that there are links between having an autoimmune condition and a higher incidence of a mental health diagnosis.  

But there is good news: healing the gut with food and natural remedies can help alleviate both aggravating physical and mental health issues that stem from autoimmune health issues.

How is autoimmune disease typically handled by mainstream medicine?

For conventional medicine, pharmaceuticals that band-aide symptoms are the only treatment option for patients diagnosed with autoimmunity. For many individuals, this treatment keeps their disease in remission and allows them to function where without they could be immobilized and in serious pain. 

However, there are other natural options to addressing autoimmune issues that most conventional doctors aren’t trained to know. 

Food is a huge part of our lives and what we consume on a day-to-day basis drives how we feel. When I was first diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, I knew food would be an important part of my protocol.  

I just didn’t know how.  

My personal experience 

Flashback to my early twenties: I had been given my first medication to alleviate depression symptoms. There was no dialogue about food or nutrition at that appointment. Just ¨here, take this pill.¨ The only time a doctor even encroached the nutrition topic was to say ¨You need to lose weight.¨ 

Thankfully, shortly after that encounter, the light bulb went on. I realized that maybe I was feeling like crap because I was eating crap.  Then with the help of a fantastic holistic doctor, we discovered multiple food allergies and started eliminating the caustic foods. It didn´t take long to see an improvement in how I felt.

However, my story doesn’t stop there.  

Ten years later, symptoms of physical pain led me to my new autoimmune diagnosis.  I told the rheumatologist I was starting the autoimmune-paleo protocol and listed the foods I was eliminating in hopes of reducing pain-causing inflammation. The gist of the response was, “Food doesn’t matter. Here, take another prescription with you. I want you to take the highest dose as soon as possible. ̈  

To my credit, I didn’t roll my eyes. But at that point in my life, I had only taken two college science classes and still instinctively knew that what I ate would make a difference in how I felt. 

And now, after years of study, I finally understand the “how”: through the gut-brain axis. 

To naturally address autoimmune conditions, my counsel is to explore two main questions: 

• Is the food you’re eating aggravating your condition through the gut-brain axis? 
• Could adding in prebiotic and probiotic foods substantially reduce your symptoms?    

What is the gut-brain axis?

The gut-brain axis is one of the hot topics in natural health.  With just a few minutes of browsing web pages, you will likely see the term.

So what the heck is it? And why may it be crucially important to people who are dealing with autoimmune issues?

The gut-brain axis is the bidirectional communication between the brain and the gut that resides in the stomach and intestines. For decades, science researchers thought all information initiated solely from the brain and then passed directly to the body.

What we are now learning is that there is much more to it. While our brain does communicate with our gut, the inverse is also true- our gut microbiotica equally sends messages communicating with the brain.

It turns out that the phrases ̈gut feeling ̈ and ̈gut instinct ̈ were spot on and decades ahead in their accuracy.  Our microbiome is sending us messages, and we are finally piecing the codes together to interpret the messages.

The messages sent from our microbiome travel up to our brains via the vagus nerve. It is one of the main connections from the digestive system back to the brain, informing it how our immune, digestion and other essential body functions are working. 

What is the microbiome?

The microbiome is ALL the microbes that live in our bodies, including protozoans, bacteria, and fungi. There are over 100 trillion microbes in our bodies, and most of them live in the stomach and intestinal areas. Thankfully, most of them are good guys digesting food, creating vitamins like Vitamins B and K, and fighting off harmful pathogens.

Behind the scenes, the microbiome also works to keep our immune system functioning. In fact, 50-70 percent of our immune system resides in our gut. 

Now we know that when someone has an imbalanced microbiome, they are more likely to deal with a multitude of health issues:

• a common cold 
• high blood pressure 
• cancer 
• obesity
• irritable bowel syndrome 

• Type-one diabetes
• various forms of arthritis
• celiac disease
• other autoimmune diseases
• mental health issues 

I would like to bring special focus to the effect a maladapted microbiome can have on one’s mental health.

What is the link between autoimmune disease and mental health?

So what is the link between autoimmunity and mental health issues, and what does the microbiome have to do with it?

Contrary to the original model that all neurotransmitters are made in the brain, many of the neurotransmitters that control emotions are created via the microbiome. Serotonin, one neurotransmitter that controls happiness and lowers anxiety, comes 90% from the digestive tract. 

However, for individuals contending with autoimmune disease, it is likely the messages between the gut and the brain are being hijacked or misinterpreted due to the body being under attack from the immune system. Knowing how crucial communication between the gut and brain is to immune and mental health, it is important for people dealing with autoimmune issues to learn how to balance our internal systems and right the mixed messages in our bodies.  

Over the next three posts, I will dive deeper into how we can use food, probiotics, supplements, and herbs to strengthen the good bacteria in the microbiome in hopes of calming down both the physical and mental autoimmune symptoms to bring peace back to our lives.

Know someone who might be struggling with autoimmune physical or mental symptoms? 

Share this post!

Guest blog post by:

I am Chrissy Spencer and I am a French teacher by day. I graduated from the University of Michigan 2004 with my bachelor’s degree in French and then from the University of Southern Mississippi with a master’s degree in linguistics and language pedagogy. While living and teaching in the Middle East, I was diagnosed with a form of autoimmune arthritis. At the onset I was scared of what that meant for my future, but then that fear shifted into wanting to learn as much as I can about the body and how nutrition is crucial to my well being. I am now studying at Nutrition Therapy Institute, and will have my Certified Nutrition Therapy Practitioner degree in February 2020. I love learning about how nutrition impacts one’s health and am excited to start sharing what I’ve learned with others.

Make sure you don’t miss future posts from Lori Rose Holistic:

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I make your health my priority so you can make your dreams your priority!

Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook here!

Or check out my podcast with Weight Free Wellness here!

Learn about my e-books, Herbs for Energy, and All Natural Herbal Bug Repellents.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lori Valentine Rose, PhD, CNP, BCHN, FDN-P, RH (AHG), NBC-HWC, is a college biology, nutrition, herbal, and wellness instructor, national board certified nutrition professional and holistic nutrition consultant, Functional Diagnostic Nutrition® Practitioner, board registered herbalist, national board certified health and wellness coach, wife, mother, organic vegetable, fruit, and medicinal herb gardener, school garden planter, city class teacher, and passionate Zumba dancer!  She created, developed, and instructs the Hill College Holistic Wellness Pathway, the most thorough, affordable, degreed wellness program in the country.  She also has a video podcast here where she interviews people that have helped her truly embrace real mind-body-spirit holistic wellness.  She loves spreading love and light, and helping others feel awesome on the inside and out so they can live their dreams and make this world more awesome!  Lori Rose Holistic does not replace medical advice or working with your doctor, and she does not diagnose, treat, or cure disease.  Her goal is to educate, and any actions you take are voluntary and of your own free will.

If you are tired of doctors that only spend 5 minutes with you only to give you medications that are band-aids and don’t address the root cause of your issues,

If you are tired of counting calories and failed diets,

If you are tired of feeling overwhelmed, helpless, and hopeless with exhaustion, pain, and illness,

If you are looking for a practitioner to finally take the time to listen, empathize, encourage, and empower you with the tools to take control of your life again,

If you are ready to start feeling awesome so you can start doing awesome,

Then you have come to the right place!  I am a passionate, educated, skilled practitioner that promises to work on an individualized plan designed just for you so you can start feeling like yourself again!

If you are ready to learn the tools and skills needed to get the vitality back into to your life then email me at loriroseholistic@gmail.com to set up your free 15 minute introductory consult!

Read reviews from my clients here!

LET’S GET YOU FEELING AWESOME SO YOU CAN DO AWESOME!!!!

What if everything you know about adrenal fatigue and HPA-axis dysfunction is wrong?

I make your health my priority so you can make your dreams your priority!

LET’S GET YOU FEELING AWESOME SO YOU CAN DO AWESOME!!!!

What if everything you know about adrenal fatigue and HPA-axis dysfunction is wrong?

-This blog post was written by my holistic nutrition intern, Shereen Hirbod. Enjoy, and check out her bio at the end of the blog post!

Did you know that it’s possible for your brain to NOT be working and you be completely unaware of it? When your body and brain are not working up to par, over time you get used to it and it becomes the norm.  It’s like a crab that is put in lukewarm water that is slowly brought to a boil. It never knows that it is dying. That’s what it was like with my chronic fatigue.

My “Adrenal Fatigue” journey

Essentially, I was dying a very slow death. This was my normal for several years. I would get sick, go to the doctor get antibiotics, then get over the illness very slowly. Repeat. I could barely function as a mom. Sadly, what I was going through was invisible.

My symptoms were:

• Extreme brain fog
• Trouble getting out of bed in the morning-exhausted despite 8 hours of sleep
• Extreme body pain that rotated areas of body
• Migraines-several migraine aura’s
• Sick every time a virus passed my path
• Faintness upon standing
• Inability to tolerate stress
• Feelings of complete overwhelm over the smallest tasks
• Trouble speaking or following conversation
• Pain in the eyes with bright light
• Extreme anxiety-elephant on chest, gasping for air
• Flu like symptoms
• Pressure in head as if it was pumped full of air
• Inability to tolerate smells/chemicals
• Poor digestion
• By 3-4 pm I was out of energy and would crash

Since there were no visible signs of what I experiencing, those around me couldn’t understand it.

I would try to push through because I thought, “Maybe it is just in my head”.

The doctor certainly made me feel that way. If you were given antidepressants 3 times after explaining the same symptoms, on three separate occasions, it would probably make you feel that way, too.

When your source of health care is not validating you, what are you supposed to do?

I decided to find a Functional Medicine Practitioner near me to figure it all out. I was sick and tired of being sick and tired.

I was diagnosed with “Adrenal Fatigue”. I was in my thirties, and though I was drained of mental and physical energy I was relieved. I finally had an answer and it was not a figment of my imagination!

But did I really have “Adrenal Fatigue”?

Getting my “Adrenal Fatigue” diagnosis

The practitioner listened to my entire story from childhood up to that moment, spending an entire hour with me. She told me she would run some tests, but pretty much suspected that I had “Adrenal Fatigue”. Omg! A doctor who wanted to run tests to find answers! Did I (almost) die and go to heaven?

A saliva test confirmed her suspicions that I had low cortisol levels throughout the day, with a steep drop at around 3 pm. This explained why I had such low energy levels.

Around this time, I came across the book Adrenal Fatigue the 21^st Century Stress Syndrome by James Wilson (1998), and as I read it, I wept.

It all made sense! Of course, I had “Adrenal Fatigue”!

I marked off more than 30 of the symptoms and related stressors in the questionnaire!

So why had my primary care doctor not done the same test? Why had she given me antidepressants and made me feel like it was all in my head when, clearly, there is a test showing, I had Adrenal Fatigue, which is a very real and diagnosable syndrome?

As it turns out, my two different practitioners were both right AND both wrong at the same time.

Does “Adrenal Fatigue” exist?

When I started researching Adrenal Fatigue for this blog, the first definition I got was this one from the Mayo clinic website, which states:

“Adrenal Fatigue is a term applied to a collection of nonspecific symptoms, such as body aches, fatigue, nervousness, sleep disturbances and digestive problems. The term often shows up in popular health books and on alternative medicine websites, but it isn’t an accepted medical diagnosis. Signs and symptoms of adrenal insufficiency may include:

• Fatigue
• Body aches
• Unexplained weight loss
• Low blood pressure
• Lightheadedness
• Loss of body hair
• Skin discoloration (hyperpigmentation)

Adrenal insufficiency can be diagnosed by blood tests and special stimulation tests that show inadequate levels of adrenal hormones.

Proponents of the Adrenal Fatigue diagnosis claim this is a mild form of adrenal insufficiency caused by chronic stress. The unproven theory behind adrenal fatigue is that your adrenal glands are unable to keep pace with the demands of perpetual fight-or-flight arousal. As a result, they can’t produce quite enough of the hormones you need to feel good. Existing blood tests, according to this theory, aren’t sensitive enough to detect such a small decline in adrenal function — but your body is.

It’s frustrating to have persistent symptoms your doctor can’t readily explain. But accepting a medically unrecognized diagnosis from an unqualified practitioner could be worse. Unproven remedies for so-called adrenal fatigue may leave you feeling sicker, while the real cause — such as depression or fibromyalgia — continues to take its toll.”

So essentially, the study says that, yes, symptoms are happening, but there is no such thing as “Adrenal Fatigue” as a medical condition because the adrenals do not actually get depleted. The “real cause” is depression or fibromyalgia, which are essentially allopathic terms for “It’s all in your head,” and, “You’re having body aches and we don’t know why, so we will make up our own name.”

Hello? Couldn’t they see that my symptoms and the ones I listed are almost identical? Yet doctors are telling me it’s not real? This is making me crazy!!

Were adrenal fatigue or depression my only diagnosis options?

So, to prove them wrong I looked up “Adrenal Fatigue” on google scholar and found a shock instead.  In a 2016 systematic review of all the research related to adrenal fatigue, authors showed that adrenal fatigue is not a viable condition in that it has no real scientific diagnosis or testing that has confirmed it.

What the heck?

But the symptoms are real!! I have experienced them! How can you tell me this?

 If it’s not my adrenals causing my silent, excruciating fatigue, then what the heck is it?

(Side-note.  If you do have depression, see this blog series.)

That time they gave “Adrenal Fatigue” a new name: HPA-axis Dysregulation

It turns out that while my symptoms were very real, it wasn’t necessarily faulty adrenals that was causing them. I discovered that many people in the health community had come to this conclusion and abandoned the name “Adrenal Fatigue”, and replaced it with something a bit more complex.

The adrenals are just one organ affected in the dynamic of the body experiencing extreme forms of stress. A new coined term for the chaos that happens in the body under extreme stress is HPA axis dysregulation. This term contributes my symptoms to the connection between the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and adrenals, which are the primary mode of regulation in the body during stress.

When stress is on hyperdrive, so is the HPA-axis. Under chronic stress and trauma, these three don’t shut off easily, leaving the body in a hypervigilant state.

This hypervigilant state of the HPA axis is sometimes (but not always) found in those suffering from “Burn Out” and “Chronic fatigue” (two fatigue-based conditions actually found in scientific literature).

So “Adrenal Fatigue” became “HPA-axis Dysregulation”, and that’s where most people in the health field landed on the subject. 

 But are they wrong, too?

The real cause of Chronic Fatigue

So, what was the real cause of my debilitating fatigue?

What I have learned from my time getting my Masters in Holistic Health Education at John F. Kennedy University, is that in this information-overload culture, you have to dig deeper to get to the truth.

 In the past two years of studying nutrition, I’ve learned that the body is a complex system in a dynamic state. It is a powerful, efficient machine, constantly balancing and checking itself to keep you alive. I also learned just how much the modern body is bombarded with wrenches in the system that can alter, disrupt, and impact its efficiency.

While we are all looking for a simple solution to complex problems, the understanding of how our modern lifestyle, affects the energy source for our bodies, at the fundamental or cellular level, is crucial in getting to the root of the chronic fatigue problem.

What’s mitochondria got to do with it?

Everything! Do you guys remember mitochondria from 7^th grade biology?  You know, the “rod shaped power house of the cell”? *snicker snicker* The little guys that make ATP, or energy, for our body? Mitochondria are “life”. They provide the cellular process that forms ATP, without which many functions of the body cannot take place. Mitochondria are responsible for metabolism, cell signaling, aging, innate immunity, apoptosis, and cellular homeostasis.

What I discovered is that these little guys were hiding the answer to my problems all along!

Though the mitochondria are like the Mighty Mouse power house of the cell, they are susceptible to environmental, physiological, and chemical stressors that they are exposed to.

In my Master’s program, I had to do a presentation on mercury and its relationship to autoimmunity.  I learned that mercury disrupts the function of the mitochondria by binding to its sulfhydryl group, which causes it to reduce its ability to produce ATP.  Our modern exposure to toxins is one source of fatigue via reducing mitochondria function.

As it turns out, stress is another factor that affects mitochondrial function.

What is stress, at the level of the cell?

It doesn’t matter what the source of stress is, our bodies can’t tell the difference between physical, chemical, mental, emotional, or spiritual stress when it comes to our mitochondria.

Some possible modern sources of stress that can affect mitochondria, and therefore ATP are:

• Emotional or psychological trauma in childhood or adulthood, like Adverse Childhood Events, PTSD, CPTSD, and depression
• Spiritual stress, like feelings of loneliness and isolation, or negativity and pessimism
• Inflammatory conditions, such as chronic diseases, hormonal imbalances, poor gut function or leaky gut, or blood sugar imbalance
• Nutritional deficiencies (including calorie cutting diets)
• Environmental pollutants such as heavy metals, plastics, or pesticides and free radicals
• Inflammatory foods, like diets with sugar
• Pathogens like bacteria and viruses
• Physical injury

When environmental factors, as well as emotional psychological factors affect the function of our fundamental producer of energy in the body, is it any wonder that people are in a chronic state of fatigue in their lives?

I personally had emotional stress, psychological stress and trauma, heavy metal toxicity, pathogens, unavoidable exposure to endocrine disruptors (plastics), leaky gut, weight fluctuations, and genetic predispositions for sensitivities to these stressors.

I was the perfect host for mitochondrial dysfunction. 

What I really had: Mitochondrial Dysfunction

I now realize is that Mitochondrial Dysfunction seems to be at the root of the physiological issues presented in so-called “Adrenal Fatigue” or “HPA-axis Dysregulation”.

In this podcast by fatigue expert Ari Whitten from the Energy Blueprint, CFS expert Dr. Sarah Myhill, discusses the topic of mitochondrial function.  Dr. Myhill posits that lack of ATP production is the link to fatigue in mitochondrial dysfunction. She developed an “ATP profile” test to measure ATP production in patients suffering from CFS of which only 1 out of 71 fell into normal range.

Interestingly, low cortisol levels and HPA-axis Dysregulation, were only found in a subset of fatigue patients, while mitochondrial dysfunction was found in almost all fatigue patients!

 This shows that mitochondrial dysfunction is a remarkable marker for fatigue.

Why are mitochondria so important?

Here is the breakdown. Mitochondria are responsible for several functions in the body, not just the production of ATP.

Mitochondria control:

• Apoptosis: or programmed cell death as a means to control cell populations, or as a defense mechanism against pathogens.
• Autophagy: which is the destruction of damaged cells in the immune system, cancerous cells, damaged organelles, and pathogens during a nutrient-deficient state like fasting.
• Aging, cancer, and metabolism.

Ok, we get it.  Mitochondria are important.  But what does that have to do with stress?

How exactly does chronic stress affect the mitochondria?

When environmental factors, internal pathogens, inflammation, chronic conditions, and all the other stressors from the world we live in bombard the body, the mitochondria can purposefully stop making ATP and go into what is called Cell Danger Mode.

What is Cell Danger Mode?

To put it simply, if animals stay in a heightened state of stress, they go into shock and die. Their bodies are designed for short bursts of stress, followed by rest and relaxation. Our bodies are also designed that way. This is explained beautifully in the book called “Why Zebra’s Don’t Get Ulcers” by Robert M. Sapolsky.

When we experience unrelenting chronic stress, the mitochondrial metabolism and energy levels shut down.

Why should the body continue to produce energy in a body that is self-destructing? Wouldn’t that only push it into further decline?

Cell Danger Mode is the “slow-down” mechanism of the metabolism to reduce energy production, attributed to fatigue or lack of energy to the system for the system. It is also the reaction to a bioaccumulation of all the different types stressors to the mitochondria.

Cell Danger Mode is a type of hibernation where mitochondria no longer produce abundant energy because they are spending their resources dealing with chronic stressors.  They shut down energy production as a means of protecting the body from over working itself.

 When the resources for the body to maintain homeostasis has surpassed, or the demand exceeds supply, a cascade of events that result in a detrimental pathway that if not suspended and stopped can result in chronic disease. It is the pathogenesis of many chronic disease.

Essentially The body is saying: “STOP!”

So, what I was experiencing was fatigue to the point of dysfunction, because my body was telling me “NO”.

NO: you can’t keep ignoring my warning signs!

NO: you can’t keep putting inflammatory foods in me!

NO: you can’t keep exposing me to extreme emotional stress!

NO: you can’t keep this much mercury in your body!

NO: you can’t have this pathogen and expect me to work!

NO: you can’t expose me to pesticides in your food anymore!

NO: you can’t demand more energy from me without rest and relaxation!

NO: I won’t give you any more energy because you need to STOP!

When the mitochondria don’t function, the organs don’t either. Not the immune system, the digestive system, the endocrine system, nor any of the other systems of the body. All the dynamic process the mitochondria is responsible for are halted. It’s not death, but it feels like it. They all slow down so that the body had no choice but to stop.

Fatigue is all about the mitochondria!

Now I really, truly had answers!  But knowing all this information, what the heck could I do about it?

The good news is that it’s not hopeless! We know how to support and increase the mitochondria!

How to support the mitochondria and stop Cell Danger Mode:

There are nutrients, supplements, and lifestyle choices that can support mitochondrial function. They not only can up mitochondrial function but also increase the number of healthy mitochondria in the body.

Nutrients and supplements for the mitochondria:

One of the best places to start recovering from mitochondria dysfunction is by adding mitochondria supporting foods and supplements.

Foods for the mitochondria:

Mitochondria require various vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, proteins, and fats to function (for a full list, see this post).

Essentially a diet rich in good fats, seafood, clean grass-fed and pastured proteins, whole fruits and vegetables that are rich in phytonutrients, and mineral-rich sea vegetables are a great way to provide the mitochondria with what they need to function.

In general, some foods that are beneficial to the mitochondria are:

• Wild caught shellfish
• Pastured, organic animal protein
• Avocados
• Nuts and seeds
• Pastured, organic eggs
• Seaweeds
• Dark leafy greens (1-2 servings with each meal)
• Other veggies and fruits (6-10 servings each day)

Supplements for the mitochondria:

Some supplements that have been shown to increase mitochondrial number and function are:

• Shilajit
• Phospholipids
• Astaxanthin
• Glutathione
• Resveratrol
• B-Vitamins
• EDTA
• Co-Q-10
• D-Ribose
• Omega-3s
• Carnitine
• NAC

Lifestyle choices to support the mitochondria:

Sleep

You have to sleep.  And you have to sleep enough and at the right times.  This allows our bodies to rest and recover, and aligns our bodies with their natural circadian rhythm.  Some helpful strategies to improve sleep efficiency are:

• Getting in bed before 10 and waking up around 7
• Darkening your room with blackout curtains
• Wearing blue-light blockers and installing them on your electronic devices
• Blocking out noise with a fan or white noise machine
• Making sure the thermostat is still to 68 or below about an hour before you go to sleep
• Movement throughout the day each day
• Going outside throughout the day each day
• Using sleep-assisting herbs
• Not exercising within a few hours before bed (it heats up your body too much)
• Writing down your to-do list for the next day before bed so you don’t lay there and think about it

Hormesis

According to fatigue expert Ari Whitten, the best thing to do lifestyle-wise is to build resilience of the mitochondria with hormesis. Hormesis is essentially building the mitochondria’s energy “muscle” by building its resilience through small exposure to specific stressors.  Such stressors include the following:

• Moderate exercise (read about how to exercise the right way here; it’s not what you think!)
• Intermittent fasting (read how to do that here)
• Carbohydrate and fats cycling (read about the healthy way to eat carbs here, and the healthy way to eat fats here)
• Cold exposure (cold showers, swimming in cold water, going outside when it’s cold)
• Heat exposure (aka, sun or saunas)
• Infrared light (aka, sun or saunas)
• UV light (aka, sun or UVB lights)
• Hypoxia (deep breathing with holding your breath)
• Caffeine cycling
• Phytochemicals (in other words, lots of colorful vegetables, fruits, herbs, and spices)

It’s important not to add hormetic stressors until your body is strong. 

That’s why I listed foods first.  You need to be eating good foods and sleeping enough before you add these small stressors.  Otherwise you can send your body right back into cell danger mode.  If you are just starting your recovery, you can do short walks and 15-20min in the sun daily until you are strong enough to add in more of these lifestyle strategies.

Reduce toxic burden

In addition, exposures to bioindividual inflammatory foods such as dairy, gluten, and processed foods, exposures to toxic chemicals such as VOCs, glyphosate in pesticide treated foods, BPA’s, and EMFs in cell phones and WIFI in the home must be reduced. This reduces the body’s overall chemical/toxic load to decrease the chances that your mitochondria will switch from energy making mode to cell danger mode. (see the link from the title for details on how to reduce your toxic load)

Other strategies

Check out this blog post on how Lori Rose Holistic recently recovered from her experience with burn out.

Bottomline:

I know this information can be overwhelming at first. I’ve been there.  Thankfully, our bodies are our gift to take care of so that we can live vibrant lives.

The fantastical physiology of our body knows when something is wrong, and it tells us. It is up to us to reconnect to our bodies and listen.

It is up to us to stop when it says to stop, and give it what it is telling us it needs.

Addressing physical and mental stressors like leaky gut, infections, nutrient deficiencies, and hyperactive stress are critical to ease the mitochondria out of Cell Danger Mode.

Supporting the mitochondria with phytonutrient-rich and nutrient-dense foods, as well as supportive supplements are crucial to help the mitochondria heal and function.

When we are feeling vulnerable with fatigue, diminished brain function, and overall lack of wellbeing, it is hard to reach out. However, I hope that this information I have shared can be a resource for those who are going through what I have gone through. To know you are not crazy or alone, it’s not all in your head, this experience is a real thing, and there is hope. You can heal and feel better and live a much better quality of life.

I have seen dramatic changes in my energy and health.   You can too.

Know someone who might be struggling with cell danger mode?  Share this post!

Guest blog post by:

My name is Shereen Hirbod. I have a BA in kinesiology from St. Mary’s College in Moraga and an MA in Holistic Health Education with a Specialty in Holistic Nutrition from John F. Kennedy University. I also am a certified Health Coach. My passion is working with people from a holistic perspective, encompassing all aspects of a person’s life to empower them in making changes in their health and well-being. As a health coach I use coaching tools, to validate, support, encourage, empower and hold accountable clients to attain the health and well-being they strive to achieve.  As a Holistic Nutritionist, I do nutritional consulting that encompasses getting to the root causes of health concerns with the help of a thorough health history, from an evolutionary perspective. This includes blood chemistry, base line evaluations, and a nutrition plan, including nutritional supplements to reach vibrant health. I do not diagnose nor am I medical practitioner.  I believe in the power of nutrients from whole foods, a healthy way of eating, as well as a holistic perspective covering mind, body, and spirit to bring about health and well-being.

Make sure you don’t miss future posts from Lori Rose Holistic:

Click here to subscribe to my e-mail list!

I make your health my priority so you can make your dreams your priority!

Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook here!

Or check out my podcast with Weight Free Wellness here!

Learn about my e-books, Herbs for Energy, and All Natural Herbal Bug Repellents.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lori Valentine Rose, PhD, CNP, BCHN, FDN-P, RH (AHG), NBC-HWC, is a college biology, nutrition, herbal, and wellness instructor, national board certified nutrition professional and holistic nutrition consultant, Functional Diagnostic Nutrition® Practitioner, board registered herbalist, national board certified health and wellness coach, wife, mother, organic vegetable, fruit, and medicinal herb gardener, school garden planter, city class teacher, and passionate Zumba dancer!  She created, developed, and instructs the Hill College Holistic Wellness Pathway, the most thorough, affordable, degreed wellness program in the country.  She also has a video podcast here where she interviews people that have helped her truly embrace real mind-body-spirit holistic wellness.  She loves spreading love and light, and helping others feel awesome on the inside and out so they can live their dreams and make this world more awesome!  Lori Rose Holistic does not replace medical advice or working with your doctor, and she does not diagnose, treat, or cure disease.  Her goal is to educate, and any actions you take are voluntary and of your own free will.

If you are tired of doctors that only spend 5 minutes with you only to give you medications that are band-aids and don’t address the root cause of your issues,

If you are tired of counting calories and failed diets,

If you are tired of feeling overwhelmed, helpless, and hopeless with exhaustion, pain, and illness,

If you are looking for a practitioner to finally take the time to listen, empathize, encourage, and empower you with the tools to take control of your life again,

If you are ready to start feeling awesome so you can start doing awesome,

Then you have come to the right place!  I am a passionate, educated, skilled practitioner that promises to work on an individualized plan designed just for you so you can start feeling like yourself again!

If you are ready to learn the tools and skills needed to get the vitality back into to your life then email me at loriroseholistic@gmail.com to set up your free 15 minute introductory consult!

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LET’S GET YOU FEELING AWESOME SO YOU CAN DO AWESOME!!!!

5 things you need to know about how to recover from burnout

I make your health my priority so you can make your dreams your priority!

LET’S GET YOU FEELING AWESOME SO YOU CAN DO AWESOME!!!!

5 things you need to know about how to recover from burnout

This is for the doers who do too much until they do themselves in.  And then still keep doing.  You are not alone.  I understand you.  I am you. And my story can help.  ❤

“Hey, for a minute there I lost myself, I lost myself.” Radiohead

Right before my grandma died, I told her all the nutrition, coaching, and herbal schools I was in.  I told her I was going to create an affordable, integrated holistic wellness program that has never existed before, and I was going to do it in less than 1 year.  She looked me straight in the eye and said “Be careful; you are going to burn out!” I looked right back into her eyes, weeks before she died, and laughed “I don’t burn out, Grandma!”

Because until a few months after that, I never had.

I still remember the exact moment I traded my passion for glory (that’s the song lyric I use to describe my descent from energizer bunny foodie, Zumba enthusiast, and gardener extraordinaire to burnt-out computer zombie).

It was November, and I had started 8 hibiscus plants from seed the January before.  It’s my favorite plant in the garden.  Store-bought hibiscus just doesn’t hold a candle to homegrown.  I lovingly kept them alive through the scorching summer. After almost a year of tender care, my now-huge hibiscus babies needed to be harvested before the first frost.  However, first-frost night happened to fall on one of the 2 eighteen-hour weekends each month that I had my clinicals course.  I told myself that I couldn’t miss clinicals,  even though the classes were recorded and I didn’t have any clients myself that day.

What would my instructor think?

I watched the clock as daylight turned into night and freezing temps, while I consciously decided to let my year’s worth of hibiscus harvest go to waste.  Holistic wellness is about balance between the mind, body, and spirit.  With that one decision, I had opened the door to choosing mind over body and spirit for the next two years.

I started off slow enough to stay well enough, even though I had to let a few more passions go, like Zumba, gardening in general, and trips to my local organic grass-fed cow and veggie farmers.  So I plugged away actualizing my dreams at record speed with seemingly no consequences.  For a while.

The real damage was done when all of my big dreams happened to funnel into actuality at the exact. time. same.

Picture this: national board certifications from 3 different holistic boards completed, the epic start of the school program that I founded that I now had to actually create and teach (all from scratch),  finally moving out to land after 10 years of dreaming for acreage (while also helping my in-law’s and sister move that exact same season), and starting and finishing the FDN program (another dream come true), all within the same few months.  Oh, and my daughter happened to land a 2-minute part in the play of her dreams, so I was having to take her to that for 3 hours every night for a few months after doing all of, this, all day.

It was all wonderful.  I was living my dream. Dreams. I was really so, so happy.  But it was a lot. Even for me, who “never burn’s out”.

At one point, a colleague asked me to do a small extra task at work that was truly probably my responsibility, and at first I said yes, because.  Then I started crying, knowing there was no way I could do that and all the other stuff I had to do.  I re-emailed my colleague to say no.  This person still won’t talk to me to this day.

“Be careful what you wish for, cause you just might get it all.” Chris Daughtry

Looking back, I can really see how insane it all sounds.  Who would do this to themselves? I am surprised I didn’t crash worse than I did.

Sure, I noticed that I had gained 40 pounds in just a few months after being a steady weight for pretty much the last decade. Sure, I noticed that I started to say “no” a lot more when the kids asked if I wanted to play something active with them because I really was too tired to move off the couch.  Sure, I noticed that I started sleeping through my alarm more and more when usually I was an annoyingly energetic early riser.  Sure, I wondered why I started craving sugar again after decades of a sugar-free diet, or why I was craving night time snacks all. night. long.  I really just thought it was normal old-age type stuff.

You know, 35-year-old old age.

I didn’t really pay attention until I got my FDN lab results back from a few lab tests I took as part of their course requirements: no adrenal hormones! Like, at all!  Low cortisol, low estrogen, low progesterone, low testosterone!  My blood work analysis that I used to teach my holistic wellness students how to analyze lab work showed depletion in everything.  Well, that was an embarrassing day of class!

These lab results, combined with the clinical correlation of my 2-year sedentary lifestyle, a return to a fast-food diet, a large amount of (good) stress all at once, and rapid weight gain, indicated a body in total shut down mode (what we call “cell danger response” in the holistic field).  My body didn’t have the nutrients it needed to support all of the pressure I was putting on it, so my thyroid and mitochondria had no choice but to turn off and me shut down.  To protect me. From me.

I had burned out.  Just like Grandma told me I would.

“Don’t let me get me.” Pink

It’s sort of a blessing in disguise, really.  Had this happened years before, I wouldn’t have had all the tools that I had this time.

I would have repeated my same overextend-myself pattern and used it to try and heal, thinking I was doing the right thing.  I would have elimination dieted and started a 5k and built my entire garden in one weekend, and, and, and…..

And I would have made it worse.

Lucky for me I had taken 1 million classes on holistic self-care.  In particular, my training in Ari Whitten’s Energy Blueprint program set me up for complete success in recovery from burnout.  If I listened. And practiced what I preached.  And slowed the frick down.

I decided that for once in my life I would take things slow.  I would be patient with myself.  I would do things the healthy way.  I would learn from other people’s burnout recovery mistakes.

First, I had to clear my schedule to give myself even a second of free space to, like, eat a veggie or something.

I cancelled all outside commitments.  I came home one day after class and sent a lot cancellation emails:

• No more guest blogs-I forgot to mention I was writing for 3, sometimes 4, professional bloggers/practitioners (So embarrassing and heartbreaking telling them that I was done; bye bye extra income source #1. Actually, let’s be real…these weren’t about the money; they were about the glory.  It felt good getting chosen by my teachers to write for them.  It affirmed that I knew my stuff, and made me feel like a bad ass. So I kept applying for every. writing. job.  But there was no room for ego-feeding anymore.),
• No more clients (bye bye extra income source #2; I had to refer so many clients all of a sudden, like the Universe knew I set a health boundary and it was testing me; clients started showing up out of nowhere; I referred them all to my awesome students and interns),
• No more taking extra classes (lame),
• No more teaching extra classes (bye bye extra income source #3),
• No more kid extracurricular activities that prevented us from eating real food at home (totally lost those two soccer sign up deposits) .

I stopped it all.  Only school and required work for everyone while I got better.  I was serious, y’all.

And with that choice, I gave myself the space I need for physical recovery.

Here’s what I did to recover from burnout:

1. Start with sun exposure

As much as I wanted to push myself to be exactly who I was two years ago, back before I chose to let this happen, I decided to let the old me go.  There is no time machine. There is no going backwards.  Healing isn’t about taking the body back to a previous state. That’s not how healing works.  It’s about giving the body what it needs to move forward.

There is only forward.  I gave myself permission to be who I was right then.

And me who I was right then had to start slow.

I knew that in order to get my body even ready to start moving again, I had to start with the sun.  I know that sounds weird; most people think health is all about food and exercise.  And those are important parts.  But I had already learned the lesson that health is about a lot more than food and exercise (although the last two years taught me you can’t leave those out, either, haha).

So why the sun?

Check out this excerpt from my free Sun Health e-course about the amazing benefits of and human body requirements for sun:

• “Bright/white light: The sun doesn’t just give us Vitamin D. It also helps us connect to our circadian rhythm. The increase of light from the sun in the morning and the decreased light from the sun at night triggers our natural wake and sleep cycles, as well as internal hormonal and metabolism signals. Dysregulation from this natural cycle is linked to increased rates of disease, obesity, fatigue, insomnia, anxiety, depression, and decreased lifespan. To maximize this gift from the sun, go outside every morning within 30 minutes of waking.
• Red light: Red light at night, think sunset light, stimulates ATP production (for those
  non-biology nerds out there, ATP is the energy molecule of our cells that is required for every chemical reaction to occur) and cell regeneration (creating new cells for growth and repair, repairing damaged cells, etc.), as well as triggers you to get ready to sleep (as long as you block those blue lights inside once the sun goes now). Now you have an excuse to watch the sunset each night!
• Far and near infrared: The far and near infrared lights from the sun at any time of day are crucial for ATP production and heat hormesis (stimulating mitochondria and body resilience through mild stress). You will be getting these by going outside for your UV rays mid-day.”

I started with 5-10 min/day, naked y’all, and moved up to at least 30min per day on both sides.  Every day.  Even if it was cold.  And it was.  I really wanted to heal.

This going out into the sun thing was a triple whammy, really.  I was getting the light therapy that I needed, but I was also getting cold exposure, which was making my cells more resilient, and time in nature.  I was getting to watch the hummingbirds fly around the forest, and the amazing sunset that put me in a state of wonder, gratitude, and awe.  I was getting to smell the aromatic oils from the plants around me, relaxing my nervous system and smooth muscles.  As simple as it sounds, creating space to incorporate green time, gratitude, and awe is a crucial part of holistic wellness and is often where I start with my own clients.

And it was free!  (Well, to be honest, we got me a floatie so I could float in the kids’ pool wtihout getting wet, at all-it was March, y’all-, and I had to have one with a cup holder big enough for a quart mason jar-high maintenance much?.  Also, we had to get black-out fabric for my fence line because my husband was not cool with highway drivers getting a sneak peak view for some reason. So, not totally free.)

2. Just add veggies

Yes, I was the nutritionist who wasn’t eating veggies.  Judge me.

The truth is, I had no time. At all.  I overextended myself so much for so long that I went from growing, cooking, and canning every single plant food in our house to not even knowing how to cut up an onion anymore. I’m not kidding.

I was giving protocols to clients with recipes I had used for years that I had completely forgotten how to cook or eat.  Or even remember.

It was really embarrassing.  And confusing.

At the end of my burnout, I was even doubting who I was.  I was doubting if I even liked real food anymore.  If I even cared about real food anymore.  Did I lose my passion for nature and holistic living? Was this just not who I was anymore? Could I be the holistic wellness pathway founder and teacher but just not care about holistic wellness anymore?  The hypocrisy was really eating at me, pun intended, and it was eroding my spiritual well-being.

In reality, I was just so literally depleted and busy that I couldn’t care about anything.  I had to get the job (jobs, so many jobs) done.

And perhaps there was a bit of perfectionism at play, thinking “If I can’t grow it, why should I cook it? Let’s just eat out.” And so we did.  Every day, almost every meal.

So instead of starting back where I was before, which was clearly impossible at this point, I had to start small with something that I knew would have a big impact: at least 6 servings of veggies each day.

No eliminating anything, no meal prepping, no special recipes; just making sure that before I sat down on the couch for the night, I had shoved some plants into my mouth.

“No plants in the mouth, no butts on the couch.”

And it worked.  Duh.  I teach this stuff guys. I know this stuff.  I believe this stuff.  I just forgot to do it. 

Immediately, my sugar cravings went away (of course I was craving glucose; I wasn’t eating any glucose from plants!).  I started having healthy bowel movements again (sorry guys, health practitioners talk about BMs a lot) because, duh, fiber.  I also lost my night-time food cravings to just eat on the couch all night because, duh, my brain and body had the nutrients they needed.

Check out this excerpt from my free, 4-week email course from the lesson about the benefits of adding veggies:

• “Mitochondria: These little guys live inside your cells and turn your food into energy.  However, they don’t work without the vitamins and minerals found in all the different colors of the veggies and fruit.  Without the rainbow, we feel fatigued and we gain weight as our food is stored as body fat instead of being turned into energy. However, with the rainbow of veggies our mitochondria can turn our food into ENERGY and lead to WEIGHT LOSS as we burn those pounds into energy, too!
• Phytonutrients: These awesome molecules roam around our body fighting the HEART DISEASE and CANCER causing chemicals that hurt our blood vessels and our DNA.  Each different rainbow color provides different phytonutrients, increasing our body’s ability to destroy these cancer causers and heart damagers.  These guys also boost our immune function by being generally antimicrobial, and so daily consumption of the rainbow’s colors serves as an ILLNESS prevention strategy!  As if that wasn’t awesome enough, antioxidants from food support our adrenal glands when dealing with STRESS.  Without antioxidants from food, our body has to use other antioxidants usually used to protect our adrenals, and we eventually run out and become big balls of overstressed sick people.  The more colors of the rainbow, the more our adrenals are protected and the better we handle our stress!  As an added benefit, the better we are dealing with stress the easier to is to LOSE WEIGHT.
• Fiber: Most of us are very low in fiber, although we hear over and over that fiber helps decrease our risk of CANCER and alleviates CONSTIPATION and BLOATING.  Although we are told whole grains provide the most fiber, the fact is that veggies provide 2-4x as much fiber compared to grains!  Fiber also feeds beneficial gut bacteria, which you will learn below is important for dealing with mental health and hormone issues!  Fiber also helps flush out toxins from our body, which decreases our stress response to these toxins and supports WEIGHT LOSS.
• Vitamins: We all hear that it is important to eat your vitamins, but the why is usually left out.  One of the many important uses for vitamins from veggies includes mental health: decreasing ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, and PMS, increasing SLEEP, and supporting RELAXATION.  Vitamins, B6, B3, and C are required to make the neurotransmitters that help us deal with STRESS, help us have feelings of joy, help us sleep, and help us relax.  Vitamin B5 is required to create our stress and sex hormones, important for a healthy LIBIDO and stress control.  All of these vitamins are found in veggies!!!
• Minerals: Many people think that heart burn is caused by too much acid in the stomach, but really the opposite is true.  Diets low in veggies are low in potassium, and potassium is required to create acid in the stomach for proper digestion.  Without stomach acid, our food gets stuck undigested in our stomach and creeps back up into our esophagus letting what little acid is in the stomach splash into the esophagus.  This causes the excruciating pain of heart burn.  Including green veggies with every meal provides the potassium we need to create stomach acid, allowing digestion to occur without the pain of HEART BURN.
• Magnesium: Diets low in magnesium can exacerbate HEART DISEASE, cause a lack of SLEEP, and increase symptoms of PMS.  Most diets are low in magnesium because magnesium is found in green foods!  Making sure you get a green food at every meal can provide the magnesium to support a healthy heart, proper sleep, and decrease symptoms of PMS!
• Gut Bacteria: Last but not least, the fiber in veggies feeds the bacteria in our gut.  This doesn’t sound that awesome, but our gut has been called our second brain and second immune system.  Over 70% of the immune system is in our gut, and the majority of our neurotransmitters and hormones are produced there if our gut bacteria are properly fed with fiber.  Without our good gut bacteria, we experience DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, SLEEP ISSUES, SKIN ISSUES, INFLAMMATION, HORMONAL IMBALANCE INCLUDING THYROID ISSUES, and a decreased IMMUNE SYSTEM! Making sure we keep these helpful critters well fed is crucial to our health!”

See. I told you I knew veggies were important. But had I been eating them? No.

After I started feeling better from the veggies, then I relearned how to make all of my old recipes, got the energy to plan and eliminate some things, and I fell in love with food again.

I did still love real food!  I just hadn’t seen her in a while.

And this slowly progressed to meal planning with the family, bulk meal prepping, eating garden food again, canning again, and more.

I slowly started to get reacquainted with Me.

And the hypocrisy-shame started to wear off.

And I started to shine again.

(PS: I do not promote perfectionism.  We still eat out a few times a week.  I still eat Taco Bell sometimes.  And gluten (gasp!).  It’s about balance, guys, not obsession.  I’ve got that lesson down, at least!)

3. Just a little movement at first

When it came to exercise, I had a very difficult time letting go of expectations to be the previous version of me.  Two years ago.  I wanted to build a 6 raised-bed garden in one weekend.  I wanted to start doing Zumba 5 days per week.  I wanted to start back at my Ashtanga Yoga routine 3 days per week.  And I wanted to start it now (are you seeing a pattern here? unrealistic expectations, much?).

Instead, I gave myself permission to listen to my teachers.  In fact, I didn’t even start with exercise. I started with sun and veggies.  After about two weeks of routinely going outside in the sun and walking just a little each day, I was ready to get moving.

And I did not go straight to Zumba classes and raised-bed building.

Instead, I shoveled one truck load of mulch each week for my garden. That’s it. It was so hard. And I was so proud of myself!  Both for the shoveling, and for the stopping after one load.  That whole stopping thing was completely new for me.

Instead of starting with Zumba and Yoga classes, I started with one Zumba song a few days a week, and 10 (nope, that was too much!) 5 Sun Salutations each day (give or take a few days). You heard that right.  One song.  One.

I was so much weaker than I realized!

And I could have pushed it.  I could have.  But I knew from hearing others’ experience that it would have shut down my body.  So I didn’t.  **ring the lesson-learned celebration bells**

But I didn’t give up, either.

After a month of slowly increasing to being able to do a 30 min Zumba class at home-a month!-, I went to my first group one-hour class.  It was brutal.  And I didn’t pretend it wasn’t.  I didn’t dance passionately; I just showed up and moved.  I gave myself permission to not unleash the overly passionate, intense Zumba goddess dance moves. Yet.

I even had a few come-back injuries when I first started back: an Achilles tendon thing, and a back thing.  Usually I would have tried to push through those and ended up with a bigger injury.  But the second I felt something was off, I stopped. In the middle of class, you guys!

I honored the call to rest. For once in my freaking life. And it paid off.

Now, after 6 months of 2-3x/week of Zumba, I am as (or at least close to) energetic as I was before, dancing my butt off as passionately as ever.  I have 6-raised beds again (that I built slowly, one by one, over many months), and I shovel a couple of loads of mulch and compost every few weeks as I am slowly recreating my herb and butterfly habitat.

And God, it feels good.

(PS.  I tried Yoga a few times, but truth be told I still haven’t gotten strong enough to start back up for real, and I quit the Sun Salutations.  My shoulders kept popping out of socket.  I have some more internal, structural connective tissue building to do with food first.  I gave myself permission to let enough be enough, and to let slow and steady really mean slow. I bought an Ashtanga Yoga DVD and I do plan on working my way up to that strength again.  But I really wanted to make sure I had made Zumba part of my routine before I started something else…especially when I realized how extremely challenging it was going to be. One challenge at a time is how real habits are made.  Can you believe I just said that??!!!!)

4. You have to sleep

I put this towards the end, because luckily this was the one strategy I had implemented all throughout my entire overdoing-it escapade thanks to hearing wise words from my teachers Rosalee de la Foret and Ari Whitten. I truly believe that the fact that I had already strictly committed to sleeping before this all happened is the only reason I didn’t get more sick than I did.  But this step should probably be one of the first strategies, really. Sleep, sun, and veggies before any other major movement goals.  The reason why it’s hard to put those in order is that the sun and veggies will help you sleep better, and sleep will help you have energy to commit to making veggies and going outside.  They all go hand in hand.

Here’s the thing: You. Have. To. Sleep.  There is so much repair that goes on when you are sleeping that doesn’t get done when you don’t.  If you don’t sleep, hormones get imbalanced.  Your brain stops working.  Your thyroid shuts done from the stress.  Then your mitochondria go into cell danger mode.  You just have to sleep.  You have to.

You will be amazed at how much more you get done when you commit to sleep.  It makes you more productive, not less.  Sleeping isn’t laziness.  It’s a necessity.  Put it on your to-do list so you get to mark it off first thing in the morning. See, I understand you. I really do.  ❤

There are some really great strategies to help you sleep better:

• more sunlight during the day (covered that),
• putting the thermostat down to 68 or lower about 1 hour before bed,
• blackout curtains and making sure the only light at night if needed is red light,
• blue light blocker glasses after the sun goes down,
• a bed time ritual including a hot bath/sauna about 1 hour before bed,
• not exercising within 5 hours of bed time,
• no caffeine after 2pm, and really trying to reduce it as much as possible,
• making sure to be in bed by 10, 11 at the latest, and
• a stress/task journal to get all of your to-dos out of your head before you get in bed.

 

5. Herbs can really help

Let me be clear: there are no herbs that are going to miraculously make you prioritize sleep and rest and slowing down. That’s your spirit, and your limiting beliefs, and your perceptions of what is important that need to be challenged for you to know that it really is ok, no, required, to slow down.

But once you do that, herbs can really help.

The excerpts below are from my Herbs for Energy e-book (citations for studies/doses can be found in the e-book), which is a much more thorough look at many different options for using herbs to decrease fatigue.  Here, I am just going to cover the ones I used for my journey.

There are so many categories of herbs that can help you recover from burnout, and the ones you use will depend on what you need.  My lab results (and knowing the crap I had been eating for two years) told me that I needed nutrients.  Two herbal categories are used to directly and indirectly nourish the body:

Nutritive herbs:

“Nutritive herbs are food -like herbs with little to no toxicity that are kid-friendly and can be used every day in large amounts. In fact, not getting enough of these herbs is probably the only “danger” to avoid. Nutritive herbs are indicated in situations of fatigue caused by malnourishment and/or low absorption. To take nutritive herbs, buy them in bulk and create “nourishing infusions”. Nourishing infusions (NI), encouraged by herbalist Susun Weed, are 1 oz of dried herb by weight steeped in 1 quart of just-boiled water, covered and steeped for 4-8 hours (generally overnight). Strain the herb and drink the infusion throughout the day. Many herbalists use NIs as their daily “multivitamin”. They can be combined with smaller amounts of phytonutrient-rich herbs like rosehips and elderberries, or other spices like cinnamon, ginger, peppermint, or lemon balm for flavor. Many NI herbs are cooling and drying, so you can add warming (ex: ginger) and/or moistening herbs (ex: marshmallow root) to help balance them to
your constitution if you are already cool and/or dry. You can switch them up daily, weekly, or monthly.”

On Sunday, I make 7 quarts ahead of time and put them on my counter without adding water.  I tend to rotate through nettles, oatstraw, violet, and burdock, adding licorice, cinnamon, rosehips, and/or marshmallow when I can.  Each night of the week, I fill up one, cap it, and then strain it in the morning.  When I don’t make my 7 on Sunday, I miss the whole week.  That’s just me. Know thyself.

There are tons of herbal options here: stinging nettles, oatstraw, violet, chickweed, mullein, burdock, hawthorn, rosehips, and alfalfa.  They all have different nutrients and different qualities (drying/moistening, warming/cooling) that I cover in great detail in my Herbs for Energy e-book.

Adaptogen herbs: I almost don’t want to go here because this category of herbs is misused, a lot.  Adaptogens indirectly nourish the body via immune and stress response systems, depending on the herb.  Some are stimulating, like ginseng, and should really be saved for those people who never had any energy to begin with, not for people who are over-energized and drove themselves into burnout by not tampering that energy.  These are the most misused, because, ‘merica.

But there are others that gently support and nourish the body, and if you choose the ones best matched to your body (explained in detail in Herbs for Energy) can be quite helpful.

• “Tulsi , or holy basil (warming and drying), has been shown to improve general anxiety and depression, improve several immune system parameters (including NK cells and helper-T cells), relieve arthritic and inflammatory pain, and to be anti-cancer in in-vitro studies (no human trials have confirmed this). The adult dose ranges from 1 tsp-2 cups daily, steeped 5-10 min covered. Tulsi may have anti-fertility properties, is slightly blood thinning, and slightly blood-sugar lowering, so consult a doctor if indicated. Tulsi grows best during the hot, summer months.
• Ashwagandha (warming, moistening) might improve thyroid function , might improve cancer-related fatigue, has been shown to increase 4 different immune cells, and improve anxiety. You need to use ashwagandha for several weeks before you notice an affect. Roots would normally be harvested in the Fall before a freeze, but in native climates it grows year round. The adult dose is 3-6g powder or 20-30g decoction per day, and has traditional been taken with fats for better absorption. As mentioned above, the whole-herb is considered preferable to the single-constituent extracts. Don’t use with barbiturates or if you have nightshade allergies. Avoid use during acute upper respiratory mucus conditions.
• Shatavari (warming and moistening) contains immune-modulating  polysaccharides, is used as an anti-inflammatory, and commonly used for fertility issues (it translates literally to “she who has hundreds of husbands!). Adult doses use up to 20g powdered, decocted root per day. Shatavari is harvested in late winter/early spring.”

I used a drink of

• 1 tsp powdered ashwagandha,
• 1 tsp powdered shatavari,
• 1 tsp powdered bacopa (these three were recommended to me by colleague and then practitioner Redeeming Vitality),
• 1 tsp cacao (I added this and the below ingredients),
• a sprinkle of cinnamon and ginger, and
• 1 TB coconut milk
• stirred into 1 cup of hot water every morning for a few months.

The first three herbs were therapeutic, and the rest were for flavor, balance, and absorption.  I made 7 cups of the dried ingredients on Sundays, then added the wet ingredients to one cup each morning.

There are a lot of mason jars and coffee cups on my counters.  It’s worth it.

Now, I drink 1-2 quarts of holy basil and hibiscus tea (store bought at first, but I am happy to tell you I now have a great storage of my own from this year!) as often as possible, just as an ongoing way of getting herbal support.  I just grab a handful of each, throw in a cinnamon stick or a few spearmint leaves, maybe some sumac berries, and put them in the fridge overnight.  Easy peasy, yummy breezy.

Relaxing nervines: If you need some help falling asleep or slowing down, check out my dream dust tea recipe here.

Hopefully my story let’s you know that you aren’t alone, that there is hope, and gave you some strategies you can start implementing right away. Slowing down may be a huge pain in the over-productive over-achiever’s butt, but it is worth it.  You’ll produce so much more in the long run if you don’t run yourself into the ground.  ❤

One part of the story that I left off is how over-extending myself like this affected how I treated others around me.  I teach and value wholehearted living, including assuming the best in others and responding instead of reacting.  What I didn’t realize is how much space is required to live out these values.  I was too busy to assume, well, anything, and that led to me reacting, um, most of the time.  I made a lot of apologies in 2018, and luckily received the grace I didn’t deserve.  Mind, body, and spirit.  ❤

“And the call wasn’t out there at all, it’s inside me, like the tide, always falling and rising. I am Moana!!!”  Moana

Do you know someone who needs to hear this? Share it!

Make sure you don’t miss future posts:

Click here to subscribe to my e-mail list!

I make your health my priority so you can make your dreams your priority!

Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook here!

Or check out my podcast with Weight Free Wellness here!

Learn about my e-books, Herbs for Energy, and All Natural Herbal Bug Repellents.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lori Valentine Rose, PhD, CNP, BCHN, FDN-P, RH (AHG), NBC-HWC, is a college biology, nutrition, herbal, and wellness instructor, national board certified nutrition professional and holistic nutrition consultant, Functional Diagnostic Nutrition® Practitioner, board registered herbalist, national board certified health and wellness coach, wife, mother, organic vegetable, fruit, and medicinal herb gardener, school garden planter, city class teacher, and passionate Zumba dancer!  She created, developed, and instructs the Hill College Holistic Wellness Pathway, the most thorough, affordable, degreed wellness program in the country.  She also has a video podcast here where she interviews people that have helped her truly embrace real mind-body-spirit holistic wellness.  She loves spreading love and light, and helping others feel awesome on the inside and out so they can live their dreams and make this world more awesome!  Lori Rose Holistic does not replace medical advice or working with your doctor, and she does not diagnose, treat, or cure disease.  Her goal is to educate, and any actions you take are voluntary and of your own free will.

If you are tired of doctors that only spend 5 minutes with you only to give you medications that are band-aids and don’t address the root cause of your issues,

If you are tired of counting calories and failed diets,

If you are tired of feeling overwhelmed, helpless, and hopeless with exhaustion, pain, and illness,

If you are looking for a practitioner to finally take the time to listen, empathize, encourage, and empower you with the tools to take control of your life again,

If you are ready to start feeling awesome so you can start doing awesome,

Then you have come to the right place!  I am a passionate, educated, skilled practitioner that promises to work on an individualized plan designed just for you so you can start feeling like yourself again!

If you are ready to learn the tools and skills needed to get the vitality back into to your life then email me at loriroseholistic@gmail.com to set up your free 15 minute introductory consult!

Read reviews from my clients here!

LET’S GET YOU FEELING AWESOME SO YOU CAN DO AWESOME!!!!

Everything you need to know on how to use comfrey safely

I make your health my priority so you can make your dreams your priority!

LET’S GET YOU FEELING AWESOME SO YOU CAN DO AWESOME!!!!

Everything you need to know on how to use comfrey safely

Comfrey is a very controversial herb.  It is extremely effective at what it does, and thus has been used traditionally for hundreds of years.  However, recent deaths have been documented from certain constituents in comfrey that cause liver damage.  This doesn’t mean that comfrey can’t be used safely, though.  It does mean that you need all the details before you decide how you use this powerful herb.

Click here to read my guest post on Mommypotamus on everything you need to know on how to use comfrey safely!

For related posts on using herbs for natural health remedies, check out my posts on how to use dandelion, catnip, arnica, yellow dock, yarrow, rose, and chicory, this post on herbs to avoid in pregnancy and nursing, this post on how to make herbal dream dust tea, all-natural allergy remedies, or my podcast interviews of amazing herbalists Sam Coffman, Rosalee de la Foret, and Kami McBride.

Make sure you don’t miss future posts:

Click here to subscribe to my e-mail list!

I make your health my priority so you can make your dreams your priority!

Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook here!

Or check out my podcast with Weight Free Wellness here!

Learn about my e-books, Herbs for Energy, and All Natural Herbal Bug Repellents.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lori Valentine Rose, PhD, CNP, BCHN, FDN-P, RH (AHG), NBC-HWC, is a college biology, nutrition, herbal, and wellness instructor, national board certified nutrition professional and holistic nutrition consultant, Functional Diagnostic Nutrition® Practitioner, board registered herbalist, national board certified health and wellness coach, wife, mother, organic vegetable, fruit, and medicinal herb gardener, school garden planter, city class teacher, and passionate Zumba dancer!  She created, developed, and instructs the Hill College Holistic Wellness Pathway, the most thorough, affordable, degreed wellness program in the country.  She also has a video podcast here where she interviews people that have helped her truly embrace real mind-body-spirit holistic wellness.  She loves spreading love and light, and helping others feel awesome on the inside and out so they can live their dreams and make this world more awesome!  Lori Rose Holistic does not replace medical advice or working with your doctor, and she does not diagnose, treat, or cure disease.  Her goal is to educate, and any actions you take are voluntary and of your own free will.

If you are tired of doctors that only spend 5 minutes with you only to give you medications that are band-aids and don’t address the root cause of your issues,

If you are tired of counting calories and failed diets,

If you are tired of feeling overwhelmed, helpless, and hopeless with exhaustion, pain, and illness,

If you are looking for a practitioner to finally take the time to listen, empathize, encourage, and empower you with the tools to take control of your life again,

If you are ready to start feeling awesome so you can start doing awesome,

Then you have come to the right place!  I am a passionate, educated, skilled practitioner that promises to work on an individualized plan designed just for you so you can start feeling like yourself again!

If you are ready to learn the tools and skills needed to get the vitality back into to your life then email me at loriroseholistic@gmail.com to set up your free 15 minute introductory consult!

Read reviews from my clients here!

LET’S GET YOU FEELING AWESOME SO YOU CAN DO AWESOME!!!!

The best-kept secret tool to easily learn to use herbs that no one knows but everyone has

I make your health my priority so you can make your dreams your priority!

LET’S GET YOU FEELING AWESOME SO YOU CAN DO AWESOME!!!!

The best way to learn about herbs

I feel so fortunate that when I first started learning to use herbs from my garden, I found my teacher and mentor Rosalee.  She taught me the best-kept secret about an easy way to learn how to use herbs with something we all have: taste.

After watching the Grow Network’s Home Grown Food Summit for years, I was honored to be re-invited as a speaker in the 2018 Home Medicine summit to teach you everything I could about this secret in one hour!

Listen to my free talk to learn

• The 7 taste profiles of herbs
• How to match a person to the perfect herb for them
• How to know your constitution hot, cold, dry or damp?
• Using Ancient Greek medicine in modern herbal healing
• How the taste of an herb can tell you its healing action
• 9 constituents of herbal biochemistry
• How to know if your herb is water, alcohol, water, or oil soluble
• Why and oat straw or nettles tincture won’t get you much medical value
• And so much more!

Click here to watch my 2017 Grow Network talk on how to create successful school garden programs that last!

Make sure you don’t miss future posts:

Click here to subscribe to my e-mail list!

I make your health my priority so you can make your dreams your priority!

Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook here!

Or check out my podcast with Weight Free Wellness here!

Learn about my e-books, Herbs for Energy, and All Natural Herbal Bug Repellents.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lori Valentine Rose, PhD, CNP, BCHN, FDN-P, RH (AHG), NBC-HWC, is a college biology, nutrition, herbal, and wellness instructor, national board certified nutrition professional and holistic nutrition consultant, Functional Diagnostic Nutrition® Practitioner, board registered herbalist, national board certified health and wellness coach, wife, mother, organic vegetable, fruit, and medicinal herb gardener, school garden planter, city class teacher, and passionate Zumba dancer!  She created, developed, and instructs the Hill College Holistic Wellness Pathway, the most thorough, affordable, degreed wellness program in the country.  She also has a video podcast here where she interviews people that have helped her truly embrace real mind-body-spirit holistic wellness.  She loves spreading love and light, and helping others feel awesome on the inside and out so they can live their dreams and make this world more awesome!  Lori Rose Holistic does not replace medical advice or working with your doctor, and she does not diagnose, treat, or cure disease.  Her goal is to educate, and any actions you take are voluntary and of your own free will.

If you are tired of doctors that only spend 5 minutes with you only to give you medications that are band-aids and don’t address the root cause of your issues,

If you are tired of counting calories and failed diets,

If you are tired of feeling overwhelmed, helpless, and hopeless with exhaustion, pain, and illness,

If you are looking for a practitioner to finally take the time to listen, empathize, encourage, and empower you with the tools to take control of your life again,

If you are ready to start feeling awesome so you can start doing awesome,

Then you have come to the right place!  I am a passionate, educated, skilled practitioner that promises to work on an individualized plan designed just for you so you can start feeling like yourself again!

If you are ready to learn the tools and skills needed to get the vitality back into to your life then email me at loriroseholistic@gmail.com to set up your free 15 minute introductory consult!

Read reviews from my clients here!

LET’S GET YOU FEELING AWESOME SO YOU CAN DO AWESOME!!!!

Natural Poison Ivy Remedies

I make your health my priority so you can make your dreams your priority!

LET’S GET YOU FEELING AWESOME SO YOU CAN DO AWESOME!!!!

Natural Poison Ivy Remedies

I am horribly allergic to poison ivy.  When I was a child, I spent one entire summer covered in pink lotion and getting steroid shots thanks to a systemic outbreak of poison ivy.  I slept in socks to avoid exacerbating the rash in every. nook. and. cranny.  I didn’t learn how to ID poison ivy until I was an adult, so I was frequently suffering from the painful, oozing, itchy rash.  I even got poison ivy from a dog!   Multiple times!  I take poison ivy very seriously….this is my husband and me getting ready to clear some poison ivy on our new property.  I don’t play around with this stuff.

So I was delighted to guest write this article with Mommypotamus on natural remedies you can use if you or your littles ever suffer a similar fate.  Luckily, since learning to ID poison ivy, I haven’t had a single outbreak!  While that is a great topic idea for a future post,

click here to read my guest post on Mommypotamus with natural remedies for poison ivy!

 

For related posts on using herbs for natural health remedies, check out my posts on how to use dandelion, catnip, arnica, yellow dock, yarrow, rose, and chicory, this post on herbs to avoid in pregnancy and nursing, this post on how to make herbal dream dust tea, all-natural allergy remedies, or my podcast interviews of amazing herbalists Sam Coffman, Rosalee de la Foret, and Kami McBride.

Make sure you don’t miss future posts:

Click here to subscribe to my e-mail list!

I make your health my priority so you can make your dreams your priority!

Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook here!

Or check out my podcast with Weight Free Wellness here!

Learn about my e-books, Herbs for Energy, and All Natural Herbal Bug Repellents.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lori Valentine Rose, PhD, CNP, BCHN, FDN-P, RH (AHG), NBC-HWC, is a college biology, nutrition, herbal, and wellness instructor, national board certified nutrition professional and holistic nutrition consultant, Functional Diagnostic Nutrition® Practitioner, board registered herbalist, national board certified health and wellness coach, wife, mother, organic vegetable, fruit, and medicinal herb gardener, school garden planter, city class teacher, and passionate Zumba dancer!  She created, developed, and instructs the Hill College Holistic Wellness Pathway, the most thorough, affordable, degreed wellness program in the country.  She also has a video podcast here where she interviews people that have helped her truly embrace real mind-body-spirit holistic wellness.  She loves spreading love and light, and helping others feel awesome on the inside and out so they can live their dreams and make this world more awesome!  Lori Rose Holistic does not replace medical advice or working with your doctor, and she does not diagnose, treat, or cure disease.  Her goal is to educate, and any actions you take are voluntary and of your own free will.

If you are tired of doctors that only spend 5 minutes with you only to give you medications that are band-aids and don’t address the root cause of your issues,

If you are tired of counting calories and failed diets,

If you are tired of feeling overwhelmed, helpless, and hopeless with exhaustion, pain, and illness,

If you are looking for a practitioner to finally take the time to listen, empathize, encourage, and empower you with the tools to take control of your life again,

If you are ready to start feeling awesome so you can start doing awesome,

Then you have come to the right place!  I am a passionate, educated, skilled practitioner that promises to work on an individualized plan designed just for you so you can start feeling like yourself again!

If you are ready to learn the tools and skills needed to get the vitality back into to your life then email me at loriroseholistic@gmail.com to set up your free 15 minute introductory consult!

Read reviews from my clients here!

LET’S GET YOU FEELING AWESOME SO YOU CAN DO AWESOME!!!!

Easy checklist to match your food choices to your hormone cycle

I make your health my priority so you can make your dreams your priority!

LET’S GET YOU FEELING AWESOME SO YOU CAN DO AWESOME!!!!

Easy checklist to match your food choices to your hormone cycle

In case you missed it, I did a 6-week long guest series for KitchenStewardship on how to balance your hormones.  It’s like 6 posts of gold, jam-packed with pretty much the exact 6-month protocol I would do with any client with a hormone issue, from PMS to PCOS to endometriosis to infertility.  By the end of the series, you learn that once your hormones are balanced, each week of your cycle has its unique magic hormone-based powers, and that different lifestyle, activity, herbal, and food strategies can be used to maximize your potential each week.

Well, KitchenStewardship has found a way to make applying these strategies easy for the busy mommas out there with “week of the cycle” food lists that you can tape up around your pantry!  She takes all the decision-making stress out of each week, allowing you to feed fast and get back to doing all your awesomeness in the world.  These lists are incredible.  You don’t want to miss them!

Click here to get your hormone-matched food checklist from KitchenStewardship!

For other health-related posts, check out this series on holistic ways to address depression(don’t miss the free webinar in the last post of the series), and this post on ways to naturally address seasonal allergies for good!

Make sure you don’t miss future posts:

Click here to subscribe to my e-mail list!

I make your health my priority so you can make your dreams your priority!

Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook here!

Or check out my podcast with Weight Free Wellness here!

Learn about my e-books, Herbs for Energy, and All Natural Herbal Bug Repellents.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lori Valentine Rose, PhD, CNP, BCHN, FDN-P, RH (AHG), NBC-HWC, is a college biology, nutrition, herbal, and wellness instructor, national board certified nutrition professional and holistic nutrition consultant, Functional Diagnostic Nutrition® Practitioner, board registered herbalist, national board certified health and wellness coach, wife, mother, organic vegetable, fruit, and medicinal herb gardener, school garden planter, city class teacher, and passionate Zumba dancer!  She created, developed, and instructs the Hill College Holistic Wellness Pathway, the most thorough, affordable, degreed wellness program in the country.  She also has a video podcast here where she interviews people that have helped her truly embrace real mind-body-spirit holistic wellness.  She loves spreading love and light, and helping others feel awesome on the inside and out so they can live their dreams and make this world more awesome!  Lori Rose Holistic does not replace medical advice or working with your doctor, and she does not diagnose, treat, or cure disease.  Her goal is to educate, and any actions you take are voluntary and of your own free will.

If you are tired of doctors that only spend 5 minutes with you only to give you medications that are band-aids and don’t address the root cause of your issues,

If you are tired of counting calories and failed diets,

If you are tired of feeling overwhelmed, helpless, and hopeless with exhaustion, pain, and illness,

If you are looking for a practitioner to finally take the time to listen, empathize, encourage, and empower you with the tools to take control of your life again,

If you are ready to start feeling awesome so you can start doing awesome,

Then you have come to the right place!  I am a passionate, educated, skilled practitioner that promises to work on an individualized plan designed just for you so you can start feeling like yourself again!

If you are ready to learn the tools and skills needed to get the vitality back into to your life then email me at loriroseholistic@gmail.com to set up your free 15 minute introductory consult!

Read reviews from my clients here!

LET’S GET YOU FEELING AWESOME SO YOU CAN DO AWESOME!!!!