I​nterest in working with Reiki energy has increased since Covid. This pandemic and the ensuing regulations have changed our lives in many ways, for some, quite drastically. For many, challenging us in ways we have not been challenged in our lifetime. There is a spiritual reason for everything that happens in our lives and to humanity as a whole. Our biggest growth, individually and collectively, comes when we are pushed to the edge of our comfort zone or even to the brink of disaster. One of the results of this universal nudge (or shove) may be that we begin to desire to know the spiritual/energetic aspect of ourselves.
 
Universal life force is flowing around us, at all moments whether we realize it or not. Whether we choose to acknowledge and understand its flow is up to us and for many becomes the entry point to the spiritual journey. We spend our lives gathering our inner forces to come into our own strength, our full potential. Once we choose to come into our full power, we stop giving our authority to someone or something else. Deciding to learn about and work with Reiki energy, we acknowledge that it is time to stand in our own light. This begins the process of self-healing and bringing strength and healing to others.
 
Many things can trigger that feeling of wanting to explore ourselves deeper and to become more conscious of our inner wisdom. A health crisis, a relationship break, a job loss, financial difficulties, loneliness and isolation. When that feeling comes it's almost like receiving an etheric tap on the shoulder; “it's time.” Time to emerge and meet unexplored parts of ourselves and tap into new potentials.
 
And there is the polarity of this tap coming at a time when the world feels uncertain and maybe frightening. This signifies that it’s time for a breakthrough moment, for us individually and for the collective. Breakthrough moments are not always easy but they bring us to a new shore, a place of peace and wholeness that our inner self is moving towards. Learning to work with Reiki energy allows us to more deeply embrace our true essence and the magnitude of who we are. Our life takes on a new meaning, expanding and revealing, urging us to proceed and to trust in ourselves and in our life path.

For upcoming Reiki Trainings, Levels I, II and Master/Teacher level, or for a Reiki session contact Nicole Fey at [email protected]

Just garden variety stress is enough to keep us tossing and turning at night, but in the midst of a global pandemic, insomnia has become a major problem for many people. One of the key components of health and a strong immune system is a good night’s sleep.

Here are two great yoga exercises that can be done morning or evening that will help relax your body and mind. (And I’ve added 9 more Tips for Deep Sleep and Conquering Insomnia). Sleep tight!

PRANAYAMA
Pranayama (or mastery of the breath) is an ancient technique for controlling your mood and your thoughts.  Doing pranayama relaxes your body and mind to assist in falling asleep.  It has other great benefits as well.  It can help with focus, concentration, creativity, emotional balance and a feeling of connectedness to a higher power.

For falling asleep, LEFT NOSTRIL BREATHING*: promotes calmness and relaxation.
Sit with your spine straight.  Place your left hand resting on your left knee, palm up, with your thumb and pointer finger touching.  Bring your right hand up to your nose and close off your right nostril with your right thumb.  Breath slowly and deeply through your left nostril, inhaling and exhaling in equal increments.  Breath in for 8 counts, breath out for 8 counts. (This count can be adjusted lower or higher if need be, as long as the increments are equal.) Do this for 3 minutes every night.

​
For alertness in the morning, RIGHT NOSTRIL BREATHING*: promotes vigor and readiness-for-action.
Sit with your spine straight.  Place your right hand resting on your right knee, palm up, with your thumb and pointer finger touching.  Bring your left hand up to your nose and close off your left nostril with your right thumb.  Breath slowly and deeply through your right nostril, inhaling and exhaling in equal increments.  Do this for 3 minutes every morning.

MEDITATION
One of the best ways to heal your sleep patterns is to do a meditation before bed.  This will help regulate your glandular system, heal your nervous system and cleanse your subconscious of thoughts that cause emotional and mental turmoil.  Try doing this meditation for 40 days and see the difference in your sleep patterns.

Click here for a Guided Meditation for Deep Sleep and Radiance

MORE TIPS TO HELP YOU SLEEP BETTER

· Eat lightly at night.  Make dinner the lightest meal of the day and finish at least 2 1/2 hours before bed time.  This way an overactive digestive system isn’t keeping you awake.

· Avoid consuming refined sugar, sugary drinks and caffeine right before bed.  They stimulate the nervous system.  In fact, eating a lot of sugar and/or caffeine during the day confuses the nervous system by artificially stimulating it when it may in fact, need rest and repair.  Long-term, this could impair the thyroid and immune system.

· If you are waking up due to hunger, you may be suffering from low blood sugar.  Learn how to eat correctly during the day to assist in balancing your blood sugar.  For people suffering from low blood sugar, having a small snack before bed can help, one that contains some protein, non-refined carbohydrate and some good fat.  (A cracker with avocado and goat cheese for instance.)

· To regenerate the body the most important hours to get sleep are between 10:00 PM and 2:00 PM so be sure to get to bed by 10 PM if you can.

· Remove all electronics away from your head.  Electromagnetic radiation (EMR) can interfere with your sleep and at the very least, stresses your immune system.  All electronics should be at least 9 feet from your head.  If EMRs are a real problem for you, consider installing a “kill” switch in your bedroom to shut down all electricity in your room.  Also, examine what is on the other side of your headboard wall.  If it is a large electrical appliance or circuit box, try moving your bed.

· Look at the Feng Shui of your bedroom.  A large mirror reflecting the bed keeps you awake.  A ceiling fan over the bed can disrupt sleep or cause distress to the body part it is hanging over.  TVs and work areas/computers in the bedroom make for energetic distractions from sleep.  The bedroom is for rest and rejuvination, so keep your work and TV out of the room.

· Try massaging your feet with essential oils.  My favorite oil for falling asleep is called Peace & Calming by Young Living.  It smells delicious and calms the mind almost instantly.  (To order Young Living oils, contact me through email and I can assist you with wholesale pricing.)

· Give some thought to the air quality in your bedroom. Mattresses off-gas toxic chemicals for years, as does new carpeting, rugs and furniture. Make sure your room is well ventilated (open the windows!) or at least run an air-purifier.

· Consider other elements that contribute to your sleep.  Does the mattress need to be replaced?  Do you need a blackout blind to block out a street light? Is your bedding comfortable?

· This is common sense, but I’ll say it anyway.  Turn off your cell phone.

Let me know if these yoga exercises and sleeping tips help.  I would love to hear from you!

Interested in improving your overall health and nutrition? Contact me for Health Coaching. [email protected]

Nicole Fey, HHC, AADP, is a Certified Nutrition Counselor and Holistic Health Coach accredited by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners.  Nicole studied Eastern/Western nutrition at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York City.  She is founder of The Master Your Midlife Program and True Nourishment Program, teaching men and women to prioritize and master their self-care.

Nicole specializes in detoxification, digestive disorders, and weight-loss through high-end nourishment in a way that is empowering, fun and do-able!   Nicole is also a certified Personal trainer, Yoga Instructor, Feng Shui consultant, Reiki Master and Essential Oil consultant.

For more about Nicole Fey Wellness


#deepsleep #sleepforhealth #health #wellness #healthylifestyle #healthyhabits #goodnightssleep #healthcoach #cleanse

 Are you in midlife and notice your weight slowly creeping up year after year?

Are you sick and tired of having your weight and energy levels keeping you from living your best life?
 
You may find the pounds that came off so easily in your 20’s and 30’s, have become impossible to budge in your 40’s and 50’s.  I call this the “Midlife Fat Trap.”  You may be exercising everyday, cutting down on portions and carbohydrates and still, the scale won’t budge.  Inflammation, stress-levels, hormone levels and blood sugar all play a part.
 
Try these 7 Steps to Midlife Weight Control
 
1. Quell the Inflammation: Increase your intake fruits, vegetables and “good fats” (olive oil, flaxseed oil, avocado, seeds and nuts) and decrease sugar especially soda and high-fructose corn syrup.
 
2. Decrease your stress levels:  scientific studies show a correlation between stress and weight gain, especially in fat around the abdomen.  Midlife and/or menopause, many times bring on new stressors for people:  empty-nest syndrome, relationship changes, health challenges, caretaking elderly or sick parents, etc.  Besides causing weight gain, stress can exacerbate menopausal symptoms.  Yoga, breath work and meditation are instrumental in lowering stress levels.
 
3. Take stock of your carb intake:  Refined carbohydrates cause your blood sugar to spike.  The pancreas secretes insulin to lower the blood sugar.  Insulin is the “fat-storage” hormone.  Excess blood sugar over time leads to insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome and Type II Diabetes. I find most people underestimate that amount of refined carbohydrates they are taking in daily.
 
4.  Exercise:  It may be time to switch your exercise routine.  The body adjusts to your current level of activity so you need to challenge your bodies’ systems (a training principle known as “muscle confusion” breaks the body out of habituation to a type of exercise.  Example:  if you’ve been walking as your sole means of exercise, you may need to add weight training to challenge your muscles.
 
5.  Reduce chemicals in your food and environment:  New studies are confirming that chemicals alter your hormonal response.  Leptin, the hormone that signals to us that we are full, and Ghrelin, the hormone that controls our hunger are both susceptible to the effects of toxicity in the body.  A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed a significant association between BPA Bisphenol A (a chemical found in many plastics and linings of cans) and the prevalence of obesity in children.
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1360865
 
6 . Improve the efficiency of your digestion
When your digestion is compromised, your bodily functions of assimilation and elimination are also adversely affected. Undigested food passes into the large intestine and ferments, leading to constipation, inflammatory bowel disorders like IBS and diverticulitis, as well as leaky gut syndrome. Likewise, when food is not digested, it is not broken down and the body cannot assimilate the nutrients from the food you’ve eaten. This can lead to nutrient deficiencies as well as chronic fatigue.
 
The key here is to eat a diet that can be digested well. Transitioning to a whole foods diet many times is a crucial piece to this. In addition, eating  a diet specifically designed for your unique biochemisty and metabolic type will also greatly improve your digestion. As digestion improves, assimilation and elimination improve as well.
 
7. Cleanse Your System: After many years of eating less than healthy foods, your organs and bodily systems become less efficient. Your liver for instance, your main filter, is not filtering toxins as well. Your large intestine which eliminates bodily waste becomes inflamed and sluggish. If your thyroid can become hypo or hyper active greatly affecting your weight and energy levels. I utilized many different methods of detoxification when working with my clients but my favorite is juicing because it’s fast, natural, relatively inexpensive and very effective.
 
Need some support? As a Healthy Eating Specialist and Health Coach, I work closely with clients to transition to a healthier way of eating that helps them to lose weight, have more energy and to regain control over their health.

What you can expect:

• A comprehensive review of your health history and current diet
• Ongoing and consistent support, motivation and accountability
• We will go shopping together
• I will customize menus for you
• You will master meal planning​
• You will learn how to eat healthily while traveling and eating in restaurants
• We will develop a game plan of how to deal with sabotagers (including yourself)
• You will receive lots of simple, healthy recipes
• You will learn how to eat for your individual biochemistry
• As your Nutrition Counselor and Health Coach, I will be available to answer all your questions and concerns as they arise​

In our work together, we will address:
Food Cravings
Sugar Addiction
Eating While Traveling
Eating Out
Eating At Family And Work Functions
Feeding Your Family
Eating While Going To School
Hard To Lose Weight
Chronic Fatigue
Digestive Disturbances
Inner inflammation
​Food Sensitivities
​Feeding picky children
Self-Sabotage And Ways To Overcome It
Tools For The Time-Strapped Individual ​
 
If you have been wondering if working with a Health Coach is right for you, let’s set up a time to talk. [email protected] or 865-548-8208
 
Nicole Fey
www.nicolefeywellness.com

If you’re like most people, you are so busy that you’re running out the house for the day without snacks in hand. Maybe you’re thinking, "I’m not a child, I don’t need to pack snacks for the road..."  Wrong!  What if you get hungry and you’re blood sugar levels start to drop?  When blood sugar drops, the intense hunger can trigger cravings, lead to out of control overeating and the willpower drops to zero.  Not to mention headaches, shakiness, moodiness that often occurs as well. With no preparations from home, those vending machine will start looking better and better.  Or the donuts that someone (lovingly) brought in. Or worse yet, the need to contend with roadside snacking which rarely gives you a healthy choice.

Here are 15 snacks you can prepare at home that meet my criteria of a healthy snack, criteria being 1) must contain protein 2) contain no added sugar 3) contain a“good” fat
1.  Hummus and celery sticks
2.  Guacamole and chips
3.  Olives and cheese
4.  Tapenade and carrot sticks
5.  Celery with almond butter
6.  Dried fruit and raw nut mix
7.  Rice cakes with peanut butter
8.  Plain yogurt with cut up fruit (sweeten with Stevia)
9.  Dates stuffed with sunflower butter
10.  Cold quinoa salad with cut veggies and olive oil mixed in.
11.  Smoothie made with cashews, bananas, tbsp. coconut oil, handful of raw spinach, tsp. stevia to sweeten.
12.  Salted edamame
13.  Sardines
14.  Half a sweet potato, topped with broccoli and goat cheese
15.  Sprouted date bread topped with tahini
​
Yum.  That should get you through to dinner...

Contact Nicole for your FREE Nutrition Consultation

For Upcoming Nicole Fey Wellness Events

For Upcoming Yoga Retreats

The face of detoxification has changed. It used to be, we could do a few cleanses a year, one per season, lets say. And that would revitalize our energy and improve our bodily functions at least for a while. Well, those days are gone. The air is more polluted, the water is more polluted, and the food we eat is conventionally treated with antibiotics, growth hormones and is highly processed with chemicals, (unless you are eating strictly whole foods).

With all that to contend with, habits like drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes, and plain old stress just add to the toxic soup. Its come to the point that we really need to constantly detoxify the body to prevent toxic overload, a term that is self-explanatory. Some signs that you may have hit toxic overload:

• you feel physically terrible most of the time
• consistant headaches, migraines, rashes, constipation, digestive disturbances, fatigue
• everything you eat upsets your stomach
• you look and feel bloated
• you are chronically sick, unwell
• you're hungry all the time and have gained weight that you can not lose
• joint pain
• chronic illness
• you feel unhealthy

This is just a short list, but you get the idea. 

My solution for consistently cleansing the body on a daily basis is a juicing and yoga routine.

Juicing assists in cleansing the colon, the homestead of old fecal matter (catarrh), viruses, bacteria, parasites, yeast and mucous. Colon cleansing is the cornerstone for detoxification. In other words, if you colon is congested, vibrant health will not reign. The science of juicing was studied at length by nutrition pioneers, Dr. Bernard Jensen, Dr. Norman Walker, Paavo Airola and even John Harvey Kellogg as early as the early 1900's. In other words, juicing has been around for a long time as an important and effective method of cleansing the body's systems. I was drawn to juicing because it is simple, inexpensive and something you can do everyday that nourishes the body as well as cleansing it.

In conjuction with juicing, I practice and teach Kundalini Yoga. This yoga is a technology for cleansing the physical as well as pranic body (respiratory system), balancing the glandular system, strengthening the nervous system, calming the mind and building physical and mental resilience. The teachings of kundalini yoga includes the yogic diet and lifestyle. This lifestyle promotes cleansing the body of toxins on a daily basis. Yogi Bhajan brought Kundalini to the west from India in 1968. He taught his students that this yoga and the need to detoxify the system from impurities would become more and more essential in the coming years to maintaining health and balance in the body. He was right!

The basic properties of a food must be that it should be nutritious, sustaining, and balanced. Balanced food is that food which can be digested without drawing on your health. It should not put a strain on the body. 
-Yogi Bhajan, Beads of Truth Winter 1999

About Nicole Fey, HHC, E-RYT-200

Nicole Fey, self-proclaimed "sickly kid" and "sugar-addict," credits her poor eating habits and myriad health problems as the catalyst into an intense journey of self-healing and self-care through juicing, whole foods and a holistic lifestyle. Nicole is founder of The Master Your Midlife programs and author of The Ultimate Juicing & Holistic Health Program and The 7-Day Juice & Yoga Detox. Now, settled into her health coaching practice in Knoxville, Tennessee, Nicole works with private and corporate clients and elementary schools sharing her expertise and enthusiasm for juicing, whole nourishment and radical self-care for real life health transformations. Nicole credits green vegetables for her turnaround in health and is honored to be able to share their incredible healing properties with the world.

Disclaimer:  The information contained herein is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Nicole Fey and her community. Nicole Fey encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional.

Always work with a qualified health professional before making any change to your diet, supplement use, changes to your prescription drugs use, lifestyle, or exercise activities. Please understand that you assume all risk from the use, non-use or misuse of this information.

Probiotics help bring intestinal flora back into balance.

How do you know if you're intestinal flora is out of balance.  Easy.  Your digestion isn't functioning well.  Signs of this are: bloating, gas and stomach discomfort after eating a meal, belching, acidic conditions such as acid reflux and heartburn, chronic constipation and diarrhea and the myriad symptoms of toxicity including  skin conditions and rashes, headaches, migraines, chronic fatigue, weight gain, hard to lose weight, bad breath, body odor, etc.  

The best way to work on healing your digestion is to 1) take foods that you are sensitive or allergic to, out of your diet 2) further clean up your diet by eliminating foods that fail to nourish you, while taxing your digestion (refined grains, sugar, processed foods, alcohol, junk food)  3) work on bringing your gut flora back into balance.  

Unfortunately, along with all the uncomfortable symptoms of poor digestion, an overgrowth of yeast, called Candida will commonly occur and compound the digestion problems.  Candida is actually a fungal infection and many people with perpetually poor diets high in refined sugar and carbohydrates, can have Candida in their gut for twenty years or more.  It is not an easy infection to get rid of because you need to build good bacteria in your gut while simultaneously using anti-fungal agents and cleaning up your diet. Addressing just one of these pathways will not be enough.  

I specialize in working on all three pathways with my clients when we are dealing with Candida: food sensitivity testing, elimination diet and repairing the gut.  A good probiotic is an integral part of this process.  I most often recommendGarden of Life Raw Probiotics for Women, Garden of Life Raw Probiotics Women 50 & Wiser (for women over 50), Garden of Life Dr. Formulated Probiotics for Men, and for children, Garden of Life Dr. Formulated Probiotics Organic, (in tablet or powder) to my clients.  I like the Garden of Life probiotics because they are raw, gluten free, soy free and have no binders and fillers.  

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome or Ulcerative Colitis, VSL #3 is widely recommended by physicians and health practitioners.  With 112.5 billion live bacteria, it contains more than any other probiotic.  It is best to work with your physician in treating IBS, UC and Candida and always consult with them before starting this or any supplement.

Many of the symptoms of Candida are the same as the symptoms for poor digestion and toxicity in the body.  Therefore it is difficult to distinguish which is the culprit or which came first.  A blood test for Candida will reveal if you are suffering from the infection.  But regardless, taking a good probiotic is now a necessity for most people.  Because of the onslaught of toxins on a daily basis in the form of air and water pollution, pesticides and herbicides, antibiotics and hormones in our food (eat organic to avoid this), the prevalence of processed, chemicalized food in the American diet and the high stress levels most people maintain, protecting your gut health is a smart thing to do.

If you are seeking a certified health coach to work with you on your diet, on changing sabotaging lifestyle and food choices and to break cycles of poor eating, weight gain and digestive issues, email me for a free Nutrition Breakthrough session to talk about your choices for moving forward with your health goals.

It has been found that the total costs of low-back pain in the United States exceed $100 billion per year.Reports have shown that the average cost of a back injury related workers comp claim can be $40,000 - $80,000 per employee.[1]

We all know of someone that has chronic, if not debilitating back pain.  It's a nightmare to work with back pain.  It decreases productivity and increases absenteeism not to mention healthcare costs.  Here are some effective ways to reduce or completely alleviate back pain at work.

1.  Try the No-Chair
With an adjustable base and back height, these "no" chairs force you to sit up straight.  One of the causes of back pain from sitting is due to the loss of the lordotic curve.  This the large natural curve in your lower spine.  The tendency when sitting for long periods is to bend forward in the lordotic area.  This way of sitting also causes kyphosis, or an excessively rounded upper back.  Both situations can be avoided or alleviated by sitting up straight when sitting for long periods of time.  Many people swear by these balls so if poor posture is your issue, you may want to give this a try.

2.  Start taking yoga classes
There's nothing like sitting for long periods of time and being sedentary for reducing flexibility in the muscles and reducing mobility in the joints.  And once the stiffness sets in, well it just feels bad in our bodies.  I often tell my yoga students that loss of flexibility is not about aging, its about becoming sedentary. Have you ever seen an 80 year old yogi.  They can be perfectly flexible.  Because they never stopped stretching those muscles.  Its a matter of "use it or lose it."  Luckily, you can regain flexibility in a relatively short period of time.  After working with participants of my yoga program at Newell Rubbermaid in Maryville, TN, every person in the class has shown marked improvement in all areas of flexibility.  

If you've considered bringing yoga to your workplace, set up a consultation [email protected] for an overview and price quote.

3.  Invest in a lumbar support for you car
A lumbar cushion and neck pillow for the car can make a big difference in reducing back pain.  Second only to sitting at a desk all day, driving in the car is ergonomically treacherous for the spine.  Most every car seat gives inadequate lumbar support and no neck support.  If you suffer from back pain, going from poor sitting posture at work to unavoidable slouching in the car, compounds your problem.

4.  Use a Standing Desk
For some people, this completely alleviates all their back pain.  I try to stand whenever I can, while working.  Some standing desks Ergonomic Solutions allow you to simply transform your existing workstation into a standing one.  My advice is to get one that adjusts easily.
Bottom line is that sitting all day is disastrous for the spine and for most people, this fact has become glaringly obvious.  Take some steps today to help your back pain.
​
[1]  Katz, Jeffrey N. "Lumbar Disc Disorders and Low Back Pain: Socioeconomic Factors and Consequences." The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Inc. . Print.
For your Holistic Health Consultation, contact [email protected] or 865-548-8208

Many people use stress as a motivator to get things done.  After all, when you're "under the gun,"  you have to make things happen.  But, in the case of ongoing long-term stress, just the opposite happens.  It impairs your ability to focus and can greatly affect your ability to work.
 
Stress in the short-term causes adrenaline to rush into the bloodstream, giving us extra energy, ability and stamina as our senses are heightened.  But after a while the senses start to become too heightened and we are easily distracted. Concentration becomes impaired.  And because people tend to use stress as a motivator, so begins a self-defeating cycle with trouble focusing.
 
Impaired focus can have many causes besides stress.  Poor nutrition, lack of sleep, nasal congestion and even your physical environment can all affect your ability to concentrate and focus throughout the day.
 
Here are some tips to lower stress levels and improve focus:
 
1.  Take 5 minutes each morning to do long deep breathing.  When you breath deeply and fully, you regulate the parasympathetic nervous system, which relaxes you and slows the heart rate.  It brings the brain to a new level of alertness, and it regulates the body's pH (acid-alkaline balance), which affects your ability to handle stress.
 
Breath with me on my YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxaPu7E4XK4
 
2. Eat leafy greens daily.  Leafy green vegetables such as kale, chard, spinach, bok choy, watercress, arugala, lettuce and broccoli, improve our ability to concentrate. High in antioxidants and carotenoids, they improve brain power, memory and focus.  If you are not getting enough leafy greens, or vegetables in your diet, try a green juice every morning for a week.  You will definitely notice a difference!
 
Here's a recipe out of my book, The Ultimate Juicing & Holistic Health Program.
 
Glorious Greens Drink

• 3 stalks celery
• 1 cucumber
• 3 stalks of chard or kale
• 3 cups spinach
• small handful of parsley
• 1 green apple (optional: substitute a lime)

 
 
3.  Sleep more.  Many people short themselves 1 -2 hours of sleep a night.  That makes a big difference on your mood, energy levels and ability to concentrate the next day.  A lack of sleep impairs attention, alertness, concentration, reasoning, and problem solving.
 
Trouble sleeping?  Try essential oils.
 
Lavender oil: use a high-grade essential oil.  I recommend Young Living.  Put a few drops on a tissue and put near your nose so you breath it in while you sleep.  You can diffuse it into the air or rub it on the bottoms of your feet.  SleepEssence is a blend by Young Living that also helps with sleep.
 
4.  Skip the refined carbohydrates before bed.  Consuming a lot of refined carbohydrates depletes serotonin stores and B vitamins required to convert amino acids into neurotransmitters, our chemical messengers.   Eating too many refined carbohydrates overall can lead to blood sugar imbalances and cognitive impairment.
 
5.  Clutter clear your office.  Energetically, extraneous belongings and clutter will overload us mentally and emotionally.  Anything in your immediate environment has an affect on you.  A picture of a relative that gets on your nerves, a pile of mail that reminds you that you procrastinate, a dying plant that makes you feel bad every time you look at it.  There is a saying, "Use it, love it, or lose it."  There is a whole profession of people that offer clutter clearing and organizational services.  Clear your space and clear your head.
 
For clutter clearing and Feng Shui services.
 
6.  Clear nasal congestion.  Inflammed sinuses definitely make it difficult to focus.  Anyone who has had allergies can tell you that.  Nasal congestion can be caused by allergies, a food intolerance such as dairy, dust or mold spores in the air, and air pollution.
 
Try clearing out the nasal passages with a netti pot.  You can buy one at a good pharmacy or online.  Some other suggestions are to put an air purifier in your office, get tested for food sensitivities and dust your workspace more often.
 
7.  Balance your gut flora. UCLA researchers now have the first evidence that changing the bacterial environment, or microbiota, in the gut can affect brain function.  In the study, women ingesting probiotics (beneficial bacteria) improved their brain function.  The connection of brain function and gut flora and intestinal health is now be widely studied. 
(for Nicole's recommended probiotics)
 
According to Dr. Emeran Mayer, a professor of medicine (digestive diseases), physiology and psychiatry at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, "There are studies showing that what we eat can alter the composition and products of the gut flora — in particular, that people with high-vegetable, fiber-based diets have a different composition of their microbiota, or gut environment, than people who eat the more typical Western diet that is high in fat and carbohydrates," Mayer said. "Now we know that this has an effect not only on the metabolism but also affects brain function."

For appointments for Health Coaching: [email protected]
For a Workplace Wellness consultation: [email protected]
 

According to Inflammation and the Host Response to Injury, a large-scale collaborative research program supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), autoimmune diseases occur when the immune system mistakes its own tissues as foreign and mounts an inappropriate attack on the body. Overblown inflammation is a common thread in these chronic conditions. Examples include multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, Crohn's disease, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis.

In the case of autoimmune diseases, overproduction of cytokines and chemokines leads to inflammation of a body tissue. For example, too many cytokines in the joints can lead to rheumatoid arthritis. This condition worsens when chemokines summon more and more destructive immune system components — cells such asmacrophages, neutrophils, and T cells — to the joint, amplifying the inflammatory response.

Science is now recognizing the connection between the GI tract (gut health) and the immune system. GI tract inflammation is a mark of how the gut is reacting to external and internal challenges including pollution, toxins, stress and food sensitivities.  Inflammation in the gut compromises the immune response and can lead to autoimmune diseases such as Fibromyalgia, Arthritis (inflammatory), Crohn's Disease, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, IBS and Ulcerative Colitis.

When we eat foods that we are sensitive to, it damages our gut lining.  This lining when healthy, is semi-permeable, not allowing any waste, toxins or partially digested foods from the intestines to leak out into the bloodstream.  When this lining is damaged, a condition known as leaky gut occurs triggering an autoimmune response and many uncomfortable symptoms including migraines, joint pain, digestive issues, fatigue, brain fog, depression and skin disorders.

An unhealthy diet, overeating, food sensitivities, medications, stress and toxic overload all contribute to the condition of leaky gut.  Once you reach a point of leaky gut, a domino effect occurs, leading to systemic imbalance in the body that effects myriad aspects of your health that completely disrupts the body's systems including the nervous system, endocrine system, digestive and eliminatory systems, and metabolic systems.

Join me for a 6 week Autoimmune Series where we will be transitioning to an anti-inflammatory diet, reducing toxins, pinpointing food sensitivities and learning stress-management techniques.

​Click here for information and to register for the Autoimmune Series.