BARBARA'S PEARLS

WINTER 2016

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orangutanOn February 8th we begin The Year of the Monkey. According to Chinese Astrology monkeys burst with energy, humor and motivation. This is a year to uncover creative solutions to old problems. Monkeys are not burdened with self-consciousness, so tell someone you love them. Businesses tend to flourish in a monkey year. Break out of old thought patterns and let your creativity and wit shine. It’s also a good year to increase exercise to burn off some of that excess monkey energy and calm the “monkey mind’.


According to the Five-Element theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), winter is the season of the Kidney, the element is water and the emotion is fear. In TCM an organ includes the entire system. In the case of the kidney the adrenal glands (which sit like caps on the kidneys) are a part of that system.

chaseOne function of the adrenal glands is to respond to danger, i.e. if a bear chases us, the fight-or-flight response kicks in. Adrenal glands release stress hormones and our physiology goes into a kind of hyper-drive as blood surges into our muscles, our immune system sets off an inflammatory response, glucose pours into our blood stream and our eye-sight grows more acute. The fight-orflight response can give us a kind of ‘super power’. A recent example is a mother who fought off a car-jacker to protect her two small children strapped into the backseat.

Unfortunately ongoing stress keeps the fight-or-flight response in the “on” position and the very physiology that can save our lives begins to damage our body. Functional MRI’s show that chronic stress actually changes our brains. The amygdala grows larger and the pre-frontal cortex shrinks. The amygdala is a primitive part of the brain that fires in the presence of fear. This shapes our reality. Our brain filters incoming information and tends to see things that reenforce our world view. This chronic stress can lead to hyper-vigilance and a tendency to expect bad things to happen. These fearful thoughts keep the stress response engaged.

That is not the end of the story. Exciting times like the beginning of a relationship, anticipating a vacation, swishing down a ski slope or learning new skills also sets off this response, the brain does not change in the same way. Instead we frame the rush of adrenal hormones as a positive experience. The prefrontal cortex is unique to humans and modulates these primitive brain activities. It acts like the wise one in the room who draws on successes from the past and recognizes the potential for resilience. So how can we harness that strength and adaptability? This question led me to study Wellness Coaching. Wellness Coaching empowers clients to take steps towards greater well-being, to build the pre-frontal cortex by succeeding at challenges, to reframe stressful situation. and make lifestyle changes that support health and resilience.

Whether the stress and over-stimulation are experienced in a positive or negative way, over time they can deplete the kidney energy. When the yin energy is deficient the body is prone towards warmth and flushing (particularly in the afternoon and evening). Nervousness, anxiety, and insomnia are other keynotes of a lack of kidney yin. Yang deficiency looks a lot like hypothyroidism with coldness, paleness
and a lack of vitality and libido. The kidney yin and yang are well supported by TCM herbal treatments. I find that acupuncture tends to turn on a deep relaxation response. Functional Nutrition has many
strategies for nourishing the adrenals and supporting the relationship between the brain and adrenals.

nowThere are many things that we can do starting today to foster ease in our lives. When we are the middle of that stress response it is helpful to stop for a few minutes a few times a day and consciously
exhale all of the breath from our lungs. Let the inhalation happen naturally. Do this five times and then return to the task at hand.

Notice the stories that are shared over and over with friends, family and co-workers? Do they evoke a sense of well-being or do they make us feel out-of-control, angry or sad? Remembering times when we were challenged and succeeded gives us the wisdom and perspective to handle stressful situations in our lives. We can also draw on times where we felt relaxed and safe, and feed the relaxation
response. Happiness research has shown that our minds tend to notice negative experiences more than positive ones. It takes two positive thoughts to outweigh the negative emotions. Taking time to honor what is working in our lives feeds positive thinking.

Sustained aerobic exercise burns off excess adrenal hormones and natural feel-good hormones are released. Simple things like stroking a beloved pet also calm down the stress response. Reaching out to
people with kindness and having a higher purpose have also been shown to ease stress. Our phones beep and buzz regularly and can be a source of overstimulation, but there are also apps available that
support relaxation through hypnosis and progressive relaxation. Eating a low carbohydrate diet with regular protein and lots of vegetables supports healthy blood sugar and calms down inflammation. Tulsi tea is a great tea for supporting the adrenals. Mice given a tulsi extract experienced significant reduction in stress levels when compared to mice given only water or ginseng.

treeI often tell clients that nourishing the kidney energy is like growing deep roots. We can actually change our brains and nourish our adrenals, but it takes time. Researchers have found that right up to the end of life it is possible to grow new neurons. It can be helpful to reflect on a child’s eagerness to learn. They don’t care about being a beginner when they are learning to walk. They practice and practice and practice…


The information in this newsletter is not intended to replace the relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge from research and experience of B. Mahler, LAc.


Barbara A. Mahler, LAc has practiced
Traditional Oriental Medicine and
Nutrition since 1987 and happily continues today.
For information go to barbaraamahler.com.

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