Lots of people have symptoms and don’t know what potentially can be the cause, nor how to naturally treat the problem….
HAIR LOSS. The most common reason for hair loss is stress. If you are in a very stressful situation, you will likely have hair loss – the hair loss will continue for up to six months after the situation has been resolved. Another reason for hair loss is iodine deficiency (discussed in another post). Other reasons for hair loss include poor nutrition, hormone imbalance, some medications, major surgery, having a baby, diabetes, lupus, hypothyroidism, and fungal infections of the skin.
You can promote hair growth by understanding how it is made and what damages it. Hair is made up of protein and amino acid chains. I can remember as a child my mother telling me to brush my hair 100 strokes every night. The brush massages the scalp and pulls the natural oils from the scalp down the shaft to moisturize each follicle. People with short / shoulder length hair should wash it no more than every other day. Once your hair gets over your shoulders you will need to slowly expand that to once a week and rinse it with white vinegar daily. Shampoos and conditioners (even holistic ones) will strip your hair of the natural oils needed to keep your hair strong. Once it gets brittle and dry, it breaks. Check the shampoo and conditioner you are using. Your skin is the largest organ in your body – it is the first to be hit with outside toxins. Artificial colors and chemicals can not only cause your hair to be brittle but can also cause additional issues like cancer.
Foods that help fight hair loss are rich in protein, silica, iron, pectin, and vitamin E. Protein sources are not only meats but also include dark green leafy vegetables, sea vegetables, beans, and nuts. Silica can be found in grains. Vitamin E in avocados, nuts, seeds, and olive oil. And Pectin in your fruits with an edible skin – apples, cherries, grapes. Gelatin also helps (flavored gelatin like Jello or unflavored) as it is made from crushed bones. Vitamin C should also be raised in your diet as it helps build collagen and aids in a healthy immune system.
Foods that can cause hair loss include excessive vitamin A, and all those things I keep harping about to quit eating – sugar, fast food, junk food, high fat content, fried foods etc… In addition, dairy products, a raw foods diet, citrus fruit, and tomatoes also can cause hair loss.
This is a great link that explains additional reasons and ideas when faced with hair loss http://www.holisticonline.com/remedies/hair/hair_loss-diet.htm
INSOMNIA. I am sure we have all suffered from insomnia at least once in our lives. The most common reasons for it are anxiety, stress, excessive caffeine, menopause, and depression. Other factors include iodine deficiency, hypothyroidism, hormone imbalance, too much light, medications, mental illness, irregular sleep patterns, and alcohol.
Chronic insomnia can be very unhealthy for the body and your mental well-being. The first things to change are your diet patterns, you should eat nothing the last 2 – 3 hours of the day and drink only water after dinner. You should change your light /sound patterns. Light triggers chemicals in the brain that tells us that it is time to be awake. 2 – 3 hours before your normal bedtime start turning down lights and sounds in the house. If you are not in a room, make sure the light is off, turn on the lowest possible wattage light, if necessary, in the room you are occupying at the furthest distance from where you are. Turn down the music or the TV to a lower level, this also changes your brain activity and makes you concentrate more to hear what is being said or sung. Don’t sleep with the TV on (I know, this can be a difficult transition – to wean yourself, turn down the volume more and more each night; once all the way down, turn off the TV and turn on a nightlight in the room – then move it out of the room but where it still lights the room – then off) soft instrumental music is better than TV if you need noise. Read your medications – some side effects are insomnia – can you do without them? are there any other alternatives? Only go to bed when you are READY for sleep. Don’t lay in bed if you are unable to sleep. Get up and go for a short walk (please be safe), read a book, listen to soft music, meditate or write in a journal. Stress and anxiety are the most common reasons for the inability to sleep. You must work out these things – unwind from your day in order to sleep well. Turn down the temperature in your house, most people sleep better when their sleeping space is cooler. If you are heating your home, shut off the bedroom and close the vents part way. In the summer months, use a fan to cool your space.
Foods / herbs that help relax you and calm the mind include peppermint (tea and oil), Chamomile tea. Rice, oats, barley, ginger, and bananas help promote melatonin. Soy nuts / beans, lean animal protein, nuts, and seeds all contain tryptophan that is a sleep invoking chemical in the brain. Both dill and basil also help calm the brain. Cherries and almonds are my go to for nighttime snacks when I can’t sleep.
Foods to stay away from, again are our “standards” – fast food, processed white sugar / flour, frozen prepared foods, junk food, fried foods, anything with a high fat content, sodas and any artificial sweeteners.
Additional reading: http://www.holisticonline.com/remedies/sleep/sleep_ins_food-and-diet.htm
Additional reading: http://www.helpguide.org/life/insomnia_treatment.htm
HALITOSIS (BAD BREATH). Obviously our dental hygiene is the MOST common reason for bad breath, so we won’t touch this one. Additional reasons for bad breath include cancer, diabetes, liver failure, acid reflux, certain medications, ear / nose / throat illnesses, dry mouth, dehydration, certain foods, smoking, and alcohol. If you are eating the right diet, you shouldn’t have bad breath and won’t need to brush your teeth as often as the dentist recommends.
The first recommendation is to drink more water. Water helps remove toxins in the body and will help remove the bacteria in your mouth. Certain foods (like garlic) cause bad breath, remember to brush after eating these wonderful foods to reduce bad breath. Cinnamon and mint aids in removing bad breath as well as killing the bacteria. If you have “dry mouth” and you are drinking sufficient amounts of water daily these herbs will help stimulate your saliva which is necessary for good dental hygiene – Coriander / cilantro, spearmint, tarragon, eucalyptus, rosemary and cardamom. Greek yogurt (not the pudding yogurt that we Americans are used to) and its live cultures will help fight bacteria. Eat fresh produce that requires a good amount of chewing – celery and apples are good choices – they naturally rub against the gums and in between the teeth to remove bacteria.
BODY ODOR. Again, there are very common reasons for body odor – hormone changes in tweens and not using deodorant being the two most common. But body odor can be a sign to more serious issues. The body has several ways to remove toxins from the body – sweating is one of them. The body is trying to tell you there is a problem – infection / disease / imbalance – somewhere. Dehydration is one cause – when there isn’t sufficient water in the body to remove toxins they will be stored in the muscles of the body and attach to certain fat cells. When the body then is stressed – as in exercise – those toxins are released back into the body. Other causes can include diabetes, UTI, infection, some medications, cancer, liver / kidney / bladder / gastrointestinal imbalances, stress, hypoglycemia, hypothyroidism, and a host of others. It is important that you determine which is the problem and correct it. Most all causes have other symptoms, which combined will point you in the right direction.
A couple suggestions – ensure you are drinking enough water, change your clothing choices – look for things that are made from natural fibers that allow air and moisture to pass through, stay away from our “standards” list of bad food choices, eat more leafy green vegetables and combine it with a walk in the sun to activate the vitamin D, get more magnesium and zinc in your diet which helps to balance your metabolism. This is the most important thing to remember about body odor – what comes out of your body reflects what you put in.
Additional reading: http://www.health911.com/body_odor
I will continue this list in the next blog post… if you have anything you specifically want me to focus on – please post a comment or hit me up on Facebook.
As a reminder, everything in my blog is informational. I am not a practitioner and am not able to provide medical advice. Ensure you are tracking your challenges and speak to your doctors if suggestions do not work for you. Additionally, ensure you are not allergic to anything new you are trying. Read up on all the herbs and foods – you are the guide to your own heath.
Blessings – E