Truth be told, I've never been a runner.  I've always thought it was boring and painful and not something I was particularly good at.  For most of my adult life I've preferred yoga as my favorite form of exercise.  In yoga I found an exercise that built strength through resistance, helped me develop a solid core, balanced strength with flexibility and most importantly yoga taught me how to calm my mind through meditation. 

When the pandemic hit New York last March it upended not just my exercise routine, but really everything.  With uncontrolled community spread here, rising cases, hospitalizations and deaths, it was a dark and scary time.   Stuck in the apartment with my family I found that just practicing yoga wasn't working for me.  I was nervous, on edge and my mind couldn't settle.  

In Chinese Medicine we call this Qi stagnation.  It happens when our internal energy gets stuck because things are out of our control and when there is a lot of uncertainty.  I commonly see this in patients when they are stressed about something and it can easily happen in the course of normal life.  Covid made my Qi stagnate like nothing I've ever experienced before. 

Given that we were only allowed to go outside for necessities and to exercise I decided to start running.  It was still boring and painful, but I found that on the days I ran my mind was more settled, my Qi less stagnated.  It allowed me to do my yoga practice later the day and more fully get the benefits out of it.  Running also allowed me to spend time outside, where even through my mask, I was getting valuable fresh air for 30 minutes a day. 

As spring wore on and cases come under control in May and then really plummeted in June, much to my surprise I continued to run.  Surrounded by social unrest and political turmoil there were still plenty of things going on to keep me on edge and running had now become a powerful mental health tool in my toolbox.  Surprisingly, I also discovered that it was becoming more meditative and instead of being boring it became an activity I started looking forward too. 

Reduced stress and anxiety were not the only benefits I've gotten from running.  Better flowing Qi lead to better sleep, better mood and fewer menopausal symptoms. 

Now I can firmly say that I am a runner.  I'm still not particularly good at it, but I am stronger and can run farther and faster than last spring.  My intention is to continue to run through the rest of Covid and beyond. 

Enhance your sleep cycles and calm anxiety with topical magnesium!!

In the past seven months, since Covid 19's arrival in New York City, our patients have consistently shared with us their issues with anxiety and sleep.  While cases here have been down for the past few months, despite things gradually opening up, there is still much to be anxious about.  With many people returning from places they escaped to in the summer, schools starting, colder weather returning and a few covid hot spots, NYers are concerned about a second wave.  Additionally, with cases still surging in many parts of the country as well as the globe there is also worry that visitors may bring the virus with them.  Ongoing stress over social justice issues also contributes to our patients telling us they are still not getting the best night's sleep. 

In this article, we'll discuss the bodies stress response, why people are feeling anxious and how this impacts sleep patterns.  More importantly, we'll also discuss strategies to help manage these issues through acupuncture, diet, exercise, sleep hygiene and supplements, plus introduce our New She Mind Body product, Calm Mag+ Oil.  https://www.shemindbody.com/

During times of high stress the body responds by releasing cortisol into the blood stream.  Cortisol is often referred to tas the "stress hormone."  You may have also heard of the stress response called the "fight or flight" response, which has helped humans respond to dangerous situations for thousands of years.  A small amount of cortisol helps regulate blood pressure and blood sugar and keeps us alert.  The problem occurs when we are in a chronic state of stress and our body never calms down from this heightened state.  Too much cortisol contributes to increased blood sugar levels and can lead to weight gain, digestive issues, heart disease, a suppressed immune system and poor sleep. 

Normally cortisol has a regulatory effect on the sleep/wake cycle.  In the early morning cortisol levels start to rise and peak around 9 am.  This brings heightened alertness to begin our days.  Similarly in the evening, cortisol levels drop and hit their low around midnight, thus promoting sleep.  When cortisol levels remain high all day due to stress the result leaves us with a feeling of anxiety and fitful sleep patterns. 

There are several healthy ways to combat stress and high cortisol levels.  Daily exercise and meditation are proven methods to reduce stress.  Reducing sugar and alcohol in the diet will also help.  Other techniques include; getting into the practice of going to bed at the same time each evening, turning off your electronic devices by 8 pm and avoiding highly stimulating news late in the day.  Regular acupuncture treatments calm the nervous system and helps regulate cortisol levels. 

The stress generated by Covid and social justice issues was the inspiration for our new She Mind Body product, Calm Mg+Oil, designed to help our patients manage their stress and anxiety during these difficult times.  Magnesium is a necessary mineral for health and wellness, and because it can be difficult to consume adequate levels through diet we have developed a transdermal application that offers you a secondary application to internal supplements and diet. 

Our innovative blend of magnesium chloride, St. John's wort, aloe, arnica extract and lavender helps to boost magnesium levels while offering a calming effect to sore muscles and stressed out nervous systems.  It is best used each night before bed, massaged into sore muscles, chest and wherever your body feels tense.  On sale now at https://www.shemindbody.com/ 

References: 
"Beware High Levels of Cortisol, the Stress Hormone,"  Feb. 5th, 2017, Premier Health, Retrieved from: https://www.premierhealth.com/your-health/articles/women-wisdom-wellness-/beware-high-levels-of-cortisol-the-stress-hormone

Breus, M., April 10, 2020, "The Effects of Cortisol on your Sleep,"  Psychology Today, Retrieved from:  https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/sleep-newzzz/202004/the-effects-cortisol-your-sleep

As the parent of a high school senior who is applying to college during COVID, I realize the unique stressors this group is under making what is normally a difficult process even more challenging. 

The parent class representatives from my daughter's school recently asked for tips on how to support your daughter.  As I wrote these down it occurred to me that the advice might be beneficial to parents outside of our school as well. 

1.  Be available to talk when she want too, but don't bring up stressful subjects on your own. 

2.  If you have an argument about college, ask your daughter to inquire about the subject with the school college counselor who should be a neutral source of information. 

3.  Provide a protein based breakfast every day.  This helps keep blood sugar levels stable throughout the day and helps keep her mood steady.   

4.  Have healthy snacks on hand for when she needs one (apples with peanut butter or yogurt with nuts are my favorites), to help her avoid eating junk which can also negatively impact mood. 

5.  Avoid too much reliance on stimulants like caffeine and sugar as those tend to exacerbate stress. 

6.  Encourage her to exercise daily.  Evercise of any kind is a great hormone regulator and again helps maintain a steady mood. 

7.  If your daughter is open to it, daily meditation is a wonderful lifelong tool to have.  Both Calm and Headspace are great apps to try for beginners. 

8.  Acupuncture can help boost them up when they are exhausted or calm them down when they are stressed. 

9.  Magnesium is the original anti-anxiety aid.  This can be taken before bed to help with sleep or they can take and epsom salt soak or use magnesium oil on the neck and shoulders that may be stiff and fatigued from too much zoom time. 

10.  Encourage your daughter to spend some time with friends.  It is easy right now to take a masked/socially distanced walk in the park or eat outside.