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 The Art of Extreme Self Care
By Sharon Hwang
I was talking to a girlfriend last week who confessed that in the past 3 months she has needed 5 "emergency" massages and 2 chiropractic adjustments due to bodily pain. Unfortunately, she is one of many that still believe caring for oneself is self-indulgent or luxurious. For her, it is not about the money, but dedicating time out of her hectic schedule to maintain her mind and body.
In today's crazy busy world, caring for yourself is a necessary, cost-effective part of life.
Avoiding Self Care
In our busy, over-extended lives, where many of us are just trying to get through the day, the idea of self care is a completely foreign concept. We are too wrapped up in living our high-paced, over-committed life, which can eventually cause:
- Burn-out
- Anxiety
- Irritability
- Bad decisions
Physically, your body also suffers. It is, most likely, constantly releasing adrenaline into the system, which in the long-term, can lead to major health issues, such as chronic fatigue, diabetes, fibromyalgia and thyroid imbalances.
What is extreme self care?
Extreme self care is the art of putting yourself first. It is the choice to create a life where you are unwilling to compromise your health, happiness or well-being to make others feel better. It is not an easy task to put yourself first, especially when we were taught to put others first and sacrificing our needs for the needs of others is ingrained in our culture.
Extreme self care is about saying no to certain things, events and people. It is inevitable that you will disappoint others, but this is one of the first steps in taking care of yourself - not doing things out of obligation or habit, but doing something because it feeds your soul.
Click here to learn more about extreme self care.
Stress is not going away. In America, we have to learn how to manage our stress levels in the midst of financial crisis, family upset, or unexpected health issues that come into our lives or the lives of those that we love.
Managing stress is also a facet of extreme self care. It is not something that you do when you are in pain or on the brink of emotional collapse. It is the steps you take to prevent yourself from going over the edge or snapping. By not taking care of yourself today and waiting until you are in pain, you are sacrificing your overall quality of life and could be potentially creating in-reversible health issues for yourself in the future. What each of us needs to do is consider the cost of not engaging in extreme self care.
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 Wellness Tip: Alleviate Allergies Naturally This Season
Does it feel like your allergies are worse this Spring? Due to an unseasonably warm and dry winter in Colorado, the level of pollens are extremely high. This is causing many of the over 35 million Americans that suffer from seasonal allergies to be sneezing, constantly blowing their nose and feeling especially run-down this Spring.
What is an Allergy?
An allergy is an over-aggressive immune response triggered by ingesting certain foods, touching certain substances or inhaling an irritant, such as pollen or animal dander. Allergies arise when the body's immune system goofs and identifies a pollen/food as a threat. It responds by releasing the chemical histamine, which initiates sniffling, itching, sneezing and coughing.These symptoms alone are a nuisance, BUT untreated allergies over time weaken the adrenals and immune system and can lead to sinus problems and bacterial infections.
Natural Allergy Support
From a Naturopathic viewpoint, allergies are often associated with weak adrenal, immune and digestive functions. Natural treatments are used to support and improve those functions and to alleviate hay fever symptoms. For seasonal allergies, beginning natural treatments 1-2 months before the season starts can help reduce the severity of symptoms. Good health can help ease allergy symptoms and good health starts with nutrition. People sensitive to airborne allergens may also be sensitive to certain foods, which over time, can lead to weaken adrenals and increased inflammation throughout the body. Identifying and removing those foods from the diet can greatly improve health and reduce allergy symptoms. If you have never been tested for food allergies, we recommend a specific food allergy panel that tests your sensitivity of over 96 different foods, the cost is: $126.00 and you would need to book a 15 minute appointment with Dr. Binder to get the test completed.
Rather than take Benadryl this season, which just masks your symptoms and doesn't address the root cause, you can reduce the inflammation caused by allergies naturally with no side effects, depending on the severity of your allergies. If your side effects are minimal, such as daily sneezing and the sniffles, you can purchase a bottle of Quercetin + Nettles, a dietary supplement. Nettle leaf has anti-inflammatory actions which are thought to be caused by nettles preventing the body from making inflammatory chemicals known as prostaglandins. Quercetin is used for its anti-histamine and anti-inflammatory properties. Quercetin also helps protect LDL cholesterol from being damaged and also has anti-estrogenic effects.
Acupuncture Helps Too...
From a Chinese Medicine perspective, acupuncture has proven to be a very effective method for dealing with seasonal allergies. People generally get an immediate response and relief from sneezing, itching, watery eyes and congestion after their first visit. Many patients who have not found relief with medication and allergy shots seem to respond well to acupuncture. Acupuncture and Naturopathy work well together to build up the immune system and create a strong resistance to colds and allergies. Acupuncture treatments will provide immediate relief, enabling most patients to significantly reduce or eliminate their dependence on allergy medications.
If you are interested in learning more about natural approaches to health and wellness, please come in for a complimentary consultation with one of our doctors.
Call to book today! 303-357-WELL (9355)
For more information on allergies or to get an allergy panel test done, please go to www.wellnessdenver.com.
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Join us for our group Cleanse May 2nd!
 Have you thought about doing a cleanse, but haven't found the
right time? Spring is the perfect time to cleanse the body of toxins and impurities. And what better way to cleanse than to have a whole team of people doing
it with you?
Come learn more about Toxicity in America and the benefits of Nutritional Cleansing at our complimentary workshop:
Tuesday, April 21st from 6:00-7:00pm
Upstairs Inside Whole Foods
Presented by Sharon Hwang and Dr.Tim Price
Can't make it to the talk but still want to join us? Feel free to call and book a complimentary personal analysis to see if this cleanse is right for you. 303-357-WELL (9355)
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