4 Benefits of Practicing Meditation

Meditation is great for all ages but becomes increasingly helpful during stressful times and with age. Meditation benefits spiritual, physical, and mental sectors of life. Making a goal to meditate more has the potential to add a multitude of benefits to the value of your lifestyle. Here are four specific benefits that meditation could bring to your life:

Good for the Heart 

Meditation has been shown to improve hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and high cortisol. With that being said, it could positively impact your heart health. It could provide a natural cure for conditions that harm heart health.

Regulates Sleep Schedule 

Mind tired and body wired? Meditation can help the mind and body get on the same track. This could mean an easier time going to sleep and relaxing the mind and body when the time comes. Meditation can potentially cure insomnia with practice and in combination with other holistic health practices.

Increases Strength of Mental Health 

Meditation is a way to take a step back and look at the here and now. Learning to be still and clear the mind is a skill that will be applicable in nearly any stressful situation. Practicing meditation will allow your mind to handle stress and anxiety in a multitude of situations better. Meditation has been proven to give the mind more control over sleep, which has helped some insomniacs with their struggles getting to sleep.

Meditation also helps those with depression. Studies have shown that groups who have practiced meditation have shown fewer cases of depression and anxiety. Meditation decreases ruminative thinking and negative thoughts. It also has been found to help those struggling with an addiction to alcohol or other substances.

Weight Loss 

Meditation allows the mind and body to connect and listen to each other. This might help you realize that your body wants more natural foods and physical exercise. The mind has the potential to become increasingly aware of what the body needs to live fully. Meditation allows those struggling with their weight to look within and see what is best for their body and lifestyle. It allows you to think clearly while not being self-critical. 

Meditation increases the mind-body connection that leads to a happy spiritual, mental, and physical balance. A life full of mindfulness and meditation is life on a path towards balance and fulfillment.

Five Ways to Naturally Increase Cognitive Function

Diet, exercise, mental health care and small lifestyle changes  can make a huge difference in the way the brain works. Feeding our minds the right nutrients is crucial to staying alert and focused. These five tips can make or break daily productivity, increase cognitive function and decrease the chances of Alzheimer’s.

1.Eating Certain Foods

There is no single food that can promise strong cognitive function forever, but there are foods that have been proven to increase brain power. A diet high in leafy vegetables such as: broccoli, spinach and kale may help slow cognitive decline.

Naturally fatty foods also feed the brain. Some of these foods are: coconut milk, nuts, avocados and fish. Foods high in fat can decrease chances of Alzheimer’s disease.

2. Exercise 

Regular exercise changes the brain to improve cognitive function, according to Harvard Health Publishing. Exercise reduces anxiety, helps sleep patterns and increases quality of life. Exercise is great for the brain because it often clears the mind and allows relaxation. This might seem like it would exhaust the brain, but it actually increases focus. Exercise helps the mind fall asleep better at night also.

3. Getting the Right Amount of Sleep

Exercise helps the mind and body wind down and get to sleep, which is another essential lifestyle pattern that is best for brain activity. Nobody works well or can focus with lack of sleep. It may be fine for one night, but the body and brain take far too long to recover from poor sleeping habits. This confuses the mind and decreases focus. It is important to have a steady sleep schedule so the brain can take a break at night and feel recharged for the next day.

4. Avoiding These Foods

Stay away from bread and sweets, no matter how tempting. Eating healthy foods instead of reaching for a muffin at lunch can save the mind from crashing mid-afternoon. The sleepiness that happens after lunch is from eating the wrong foods that aren’t doing the mind any favors. It may be hard to stay away from unhealthy carbs and refined sugars, but the energy levels will be rewarding and make this lifestyle change worth it.

5. Meditation 

A Forbes article discusses that meditation can preserve the aging brain. Meditation also eases anxiety and depression, which can lead to a healthier life and increased focus. One study found that just 2 weeks of meditation increased the focus and memory for students taking the GRE. In a previous Relax Holistic blog post, we discuss how to begin a meditation regimen today.

Being conscious of how lifestyle choices affect cognitive function will bring the body one step closer to a healthier, happier life. These 5 tips are doable for most lifestyles and worth trying for the noticeable increase in brain function that will follow.

5 Super Foods That Remove Nasty Toxins From Your Body

5 Super Foods That Remove Nasty Toxins From Your Body

Harmful toxins are everywhere and are increasing every day, say holistic health experts. Humans are using more pesticides, chlorine, formaldehyde, heavy metals such as lead, and other nasty toxins every day. Over time, these toxins will accumulate in the tissues and cause symptoms. Toxins produce free radicals and oxidation, which can cause problematic changes in cell structure such as mutations in DNA. There are many ways to detoxify your body. For a start, be aware of what toxins you may be exposed  to, in water, in foods, chemicals in the environment, mercury fillings in your mouth, artificial colors and flavors, pesticides in foods and wines and inhaled during gardening. Eating  50 g of fiber a day, using  detoxifying herbs and antioxidants as well as breaking a sweat daily is a start to cleaning up your blood and tissues.

Holistic health specialists know that our bodies accumulate harmful toxins over time. However, they warn, we shouldn’t wait until we start feeling bad enough to seek professional help. Your body has an amazing ability to clear itself out of toxins. However, you need to give it the right materials it needs to properly cleanse itself. So what foods can you enjoy to help your body rid itself of harmful toxins? Here are some super foods holistic health experts recommend eating more of to help your body, help itself:

Cilantro and Parsley

Heavy metals in the human body, such as aluminum, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, lead, cause many harmful health conditions. In fact, experts have found that heavy metals like these facilitate the formation of certain diseases. Studies have shown that cilantro and parsley both effectively remove mercury, lead, and aluminum. In fact, Miso and cilantro are often mentioned together as very powerful detoxifying agents. A miso broth with cilantro and green onions is not only a powerful punch to free radicals, it is also pleasing to the palate.

Onions and Garlic

Both onions and garlic are part of the allium or lily family. And both are full of phytonutrients and antioxidants. But in addition to being full of nutrition, they both help fight free radicals in your body and help boost immune efficiency. Onions are also rich in quercetin, an antioxidant that helps ward off free radicals. And Garlic is a natural antibiotic, antiviral, antifungal, and antibacterial that helps to sweep your digestive tract free of toxic waste while helping to maintain healthy intestinal flora.

Green and Black Tea

Tea leaves (green tea in particular) have been in the forefront of holistic health for thousands of years. Tea, in general, contains a high concentration of antioxidants due to a powerful presence of polyphenols.  These polyphenols help to fight free radical damage. However, green tea contains more of these powerful compounds than other leaf teas. Uses of green tea run deep in ancient Chinese and Indian traditions to help cleanse and fortify the body. Research shows that the enzymes present in green tea help increase the body’s defense mechanisms against cancer-causing toxins.

Cruciferous Vegetables

Holistic health experts are known to tout the many benefits of Cruciferous vegetables; broccoli, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts,  cabbages, radishes, and turnips. Green leafy vegetables like kale, chard, mustard greens, collard greens and spinach are also Cruciferous. Experts explain that these vegetables are widely known for being rich in glucosinolates. This compound not only inhibits cancer cell growth but also acts as a detoxifying agent. In fact, glucosinolates trigger the liver to produce detoxifying enzymes that block free-radical attacks on your DNA.

Lean Meats, Proteins, and Dairies

Amino acids, found in high-quality animal products like meat and dairy, are essential to help your body rebuild itself. Your body uses amino acids to repair the damage that toxins and free radicals do to you. Your body cannot create essential amino acids by itself and gets its supply from what you eat. Choose lean meats such as chicken or fish, or fat-free dairy like yogurt all contain amino acids. Make sure the animal products you consume come from animals that eat only their natural, native diet and raised in healthy surroundings.

Your Holistic Health Expert Has the Best Nutritional Advice

Toxins are everywhere in our modern society and are all but unavoidable in today’s world.  Beyond prescribing a healthy diet, your Relax holistic healthcare professional can perform treatments such as acupuncture, and moxibustion. These also remove toxins from your body. For those with larger concentrations of toxins, homeopathic medicine, compounds, and supplements such as red clover, dandelion, milk thistle, bentonite clay and chlorella may help as well.

 

Is your Holistic Diet and Exercise Plan Right for Your Body Type?

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Have you been doing everything right, and still struggling to maintain or lose weight? Even if you’re sticking faithfully to your diet, and getting consistent exercise, you might not get the results you see from the person next to you at the gym. Unlike what fad diets would have you think, you won’t find a single diet that works for everyone. In addition to a holistic diet and healthy lifestyle, your body type plays a big role in how well you can lose and keep off extra weight.

Everyone falls under 3 main body types, which are Ectomorph, Mesomorph, and Endomorph. If you’re an Ectomorph and you’re eating and exercising like an Endomorph, you won’t be happy with the results. On the other hand, if you exercise for your body type, and follow the right diet, you’ll see gains. Even within the body types, each body is different, and you should see a doctor specializing in holistic health to tailor your diet and exercise plan to your exact needs.

Ectomorph Body Types

If you’re an Ectomorph, you have a small frame with a light build. Your joints are small, and you’ve got lean muscles. Ectomorphs are characterized by their ability to eat as much as they want, as well as their difficulty gaining muscle mass.

Because you don’t gain weight so much as an Ectomorph, you don’t have to be as careful about what you eat. However, you will want to add protein to your diet if you want to add muscle mass. You should eat frequently, 6-8 meals over the entire day. For timing, you should get your carbs in after your workout. You probably don’t need to worry about calories. Even though conventional wisdom says you shouldn’t eat before bed, if you’re an Ectomorph, eating before bed can help prevent muscle catabolism overnight.

When you’re working out, you should make sure your workouts are short and intense. While you’re doing these intense workouts, focus on your big muscle groups.

Mesomorph Body Types

If you have a medium sized bone structure, an athletic body, and a good amount of lean mass, you’re probably a Mesomorph. Mesomorph body types find it easier to gain muscle and fat.

You should focus on having a balanced diet, splitting your food types up by 40% Carbohydrates, 30% protein, and 30% fat. This 40/30/30 balance will give you the nutrients you need for your body type. Be sure to take frequent, smaller meals just like Ectomorphs.

Like everything else with your body type as a Mesomorph, you should do balanced workouts, combining weight training and cardio.

Endomorph Body Types

If you work hard to lose weight and nothing seems to work, chances are high that you’re an Endomorph. Endomorphs have large bone structures and high amounts of total body mass. Some of the characteristics of being an Endomorph are that you’re naturally chubby, or you have a round and soft physique. You’ve probably got a slow metabolism, and find it much easier to gain weight than lose it. However, you’ve also got an easier time gaining muscle mass as well.

When you’re eating, it’s going to be more important for you to avoid sugars, high carbs, and starches. Because Endomorphs tend to have slower metabolisms, you’ll turn those sugars into fat more easily. While you’re avoiding sugars, carbs, and starches, do eat lean proteins, essential fats, and high fiber foods. Make sure those high fiber foods are more veggies than fruits though.

As an Endomorph, you’re going to want to hit the weight training, and high-intensity interval training 3 days a week. This gives your body time to respond to the intense workout regimen.

The Doctors at Relax Holistic can help you find the holistic diet and exercise plans that will work for your body type. You can start your path to a healthy and natural lifestyle at any of their 3 locations. Call (310) 838-1600 for the Culver City location, (310) 652-3200 for the West Hollywood location, and (310) 827-3200 for the Marina del Rey location. If you’d like to get in touch over the internet, you can request an appointment from any page of the website, or fill out the contact form at the bottom of the homepage.

Share Your Story

Do you want to share your story of reaching your health goals using a holistic and natural approach? You can share your story on the Facebook Pages for Our Culver City, West Hollywood, and Marina Del Rey.

How does Rapid Release work?

How does Rapid Release work?

Rapid release is a high speed vibration therapy that delivers immediate results. It loosens muscles, speeds recovery, targets problem areas quickly and effectively. Great for…

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  • Massage
  • Breaking Up Scar Tissue
  • Breaking Muscle Adhesion
  • Warming Up Muscles Prior To Athletic Events
  • Relaxing Muscles

Optimize your Mobility. Prevent Injury. Train Smarter. Recover Better.

Soft tissue disorders are usually a result of overuse, injury or surgery.

The Rapid Release Pro2 is embraced by chiropractors, athletic trainers, cross fit athletes, massage therapists and other practitioners. Professional sports organizations including teams in the MLB, NFL, NBA, PGA, Olympics and more use Rapid release.

We can get you fast relief to soft tissue problems affecting nerves, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Here is a partial list of conditions caused by scarring of soft tissue:

Rapid Release Tool

  • Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
  • Tendinosis
  • Muscle Spasms
  • Trapped Nerves
  • Range of Motion
  • Contratures
  • Neuromas
  • Adhesions
    • Back Pain
    • Shoulder Pain
    • Ankle Pain
    • Headaches
    • Knee Problems
    • Tennis Elbow
    • TMJ

Patients love the effective, relaxing treatments.

Scar Tissue forms in the body as a temporary patching mechanism for wounds caused by surgery, trauma or repetitive stress. This scar tissue is made from collagen just like our skin but without blood supply it dies, dries out, constricts and becomes brittle. Scar tissue fastened to tissues not normally connected, is called an adhesion.

Adhesions can spread, entrapping nerves, causing pain and numbness or limiting range of motion. Un-diagnosed pain and restricted mobility are likely to be caused by the adhesion. Scar Tissue Therapy ™ is focused on relief of soft tissue problems caused by scar tissue adhesion. The shearing force of planar wave energy passes safely through flexible healthy tissue, but readily absorbed by the brittle, dense scar tissue.

Scar Tissue Therapy is fast, painless and lasting.

RRT has determined the optimum frequency that resonates with the scar tissue for maximum effectiveness by using high speed video shot at 2000 frames/second. With only a 2mm stroke, this therapy is feels good and is completely safe. We believe that Scar Tissue Therapy™ is the most effective way to treat painful scar tissue. Our practitioners at Relax Holistic use this therapy to re establish improper muscular function due to scar tissue or adhesions, caused from surgery or muscle or tendon injury.

In just one visit there is noticeable improvement in range of motion and decreased Pain.

What Can Your Acupuncturist Do For Arthritis

What Can Your Acupuncturist Do For Arthritis

Arthritis is a very painful condition. At its best, it can cause constant pain. At its worst, it can make simple things difficult to do. Many people do not know that their acupuncturist can bring great relief. But first, you need to know what kind of Arthritis you have. There are many types of Arthritis:

  • Osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative joint disease. This is the most common kind of Arthritis, typically caused by repetitive force to your joints and is most common as you age. In this kind of Arthritis, the joint becomes of alignment due to the wearing down of the cartilage from an uneven joint surface. Poor nutrition, not enough blood supply, and poor nerve supply are additional factors.
  • Septic Arthritis can be either bacterial or viral. Both types of septic Arthritis generally start with joint infections.
  • Gouty Arthritis is caused by uric acid crystals getting put in the joint, which causes inflammation. This type of Arthritis is a metabolic condition. There is a more uncommon type called pseudogout. Pseudogout is characterized by painful swelling of your joints coming on suddenly. Episodes of Pseudogout can last for days or even weeks.

How an Acupuncturist can help

Acupuncture may help with arthritis symptoms, including rheumatoid arthritis. Research suggests that acupuncture can have an anti-inflammatory effect and help regulate immune function. Acupuncture may also curb pain by boosting the amount of endorphins, the body’s natural pain killers.
A study found that after 26 weeks, patients receiving real acupuncture felt significantly less pain and functioned better than those who received sham acupuncture. The American College of Rheumatology approves acupuncture for treatment of hand, knee, and hip pain.
The benefits of acupuncture can last a few days to a couple of weeks after each session. Over time, acupuncture can provide longer-lasting, or even permanent, relief from pain, inflammation, and other problems.

While anti-inflammatory medication is often given to treat Osteoarthritis, it has been shown to slow the rate that your cartilage heals. Additionally, using anti-inflammatory medicine over a long period of time may damage the lining of your stomach. Chiropractic care is a drugless approach. We work inconjunct with medical doctors, and we can prolong the need for immediate surgeries in many cases.

Acupuncturists also take care of post-surgery pain which usually involves the soft tissues.

Autoimmune Arthritis

Besides Osteoarthritis, there are many forms of autoimmune arthritis. While your acupuncturist is still helpful for autoimmune types of Arthritis like Rheumatoid Arthritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis, or Psoriatic Arthritis, there is no cure. Medication is needed to control these types of Arthritis. While your bones and joints will continue to deteriorate without medication, ask your doctor for medications that are gentler on your stomach lining.

Most people have some of the Arthritis. This is particularly true after 40 years of age. Arthritis is most obvious on an x-ray. Left untreated and allowed to develop Arthritis can become debilitating. If you think you may have Arthritis, or are feeling joint pains, The Relax Holistic Healthcare team is here to help.

Got tech neck? 6 Ways to Fight Poor Posture

Got tech neck? 6 Ways to Fight Poor Posture

You hear from an early age to keep proper posture. The impact posture has on your health is very clear. Poor posture can cause spinal pain, headaches, mood changes, blood pressure, even your pulse and your lung capacity could leave you looking for a back pain doctor. Simply improving your posture may reduce or ultimately eliminate many of your symptoms.

There are many factors in today’s lives that encourage poor posture. Computers, phones, TV, video games, and backpacks all cause people to use a “forward head posture”. When you hold your head forward you overwork and strain your neck and upper back muscles. Spending a lot of time in forward head posture can cause muscle fatigue and neck pain caused by continuous isometric contraction. Your neck muscles will suffer from less circulation which causes burning pain. Forward head posture can even damage your spinal tissues by causing them to deform and change. Long term forward head posture can create permanent changes to your spine causing frequent visits to the back pain doctor.

FHP can change or even reverse your normal neck curve, which can cause disc compression, tension headaches, and it could even cause early arthritis. In addition to those problems, FHP could leave you with TMJ, a painful disorder on its own. If you have forward head posture you should have it immediately checked by a chiropractor. You will not be able to get help from a medical doctor. Even if you’re not feeling any symptoms yet, they rarely present themselves early. Long term FHP will cause spine and nerve damage.

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How to Detect FHP

To determine if you have FHP there are a few things you can look at. Stand in front of a mirror and from a side view, your ear should line up with the top of your shoulder. If it doesn’t, or you’re already experiencing symptoms, call your back pain doctor to schedule an appointment.

 

Common Causes of FHP

Computers often encourage poor posture. If your monitor is too low you will need to strain forward to comfortably view the screen. Coupled with repeatedly moving your head to read up and down the screen, this makes your computer ergonomics very important when combating FHP. Raise your monitors up higher so that your head is level when you’re looking at them to read. Use a desk chair that can adjust to the right position and then lock to discourage slouching.

Watching television or playing video games is another contributor to poor posture. When you sit on a couch for long periods playing video games or watching television you don’t get the back support you need for good posture. Consistently sitting in one position for longer periods of time can cause your body to adapt to the poor posture easier. Try sitting in a desk chair or other seat that has strong back support and encourages proper posture to combat this.

Heavily loaded backpacks will naturally push your head forward to counterbalance the weight. This causes extra stress on your nerves, discs and joints. Try not to overload your backpacks to prevent your body from using your head as a counterweight.

Trauma such as falls and car accidents can create a muscle imbalance that pulls your spine out of alignment.  Visit your back pain doctor to get treatments for your injury and keep your spine properly aligned.

Smart Phones are a strong contributor to FHP. Most people look down at their phone resting their arms. This pulls your head forward and strains your neck muscles. Instead of holding the phone down, hold it up in a more neutral position. Your arms might get a little tired but your proper posture will be worth it.

Solutions for FHP

1. The First step in correcting your FHP is to have a chiropractor examine and x-ray your back to measure your FHP. Once they’ve gotten the exact measurements they can develop a treatment program for your FHP. This will include specific exercises and adjustments. Ask your chiropractor to point out any improvements to your ergonomics situations to discourage FHP.

2. There are exercises you can do when you’re sitting in one position for a long period. Every 20-30 minutes sit up straight and pull your neck and head over your shoulders. Hold while counting to 3. Do 15-20 reps of this.  Another exercise you can do is to stand against a wall with a small pillow in the middle of your back and move your head back to touch the wall. Hold that position for another count of 3 and do 20-25 reps.

3. Always use a pillow to support your back when you’re sitting or driving. Keeping support on your lower back will naturally move your head and neck back over your shoulders.

4. Never wear your backpack over one of your shoulders. Try to keep your children’s backpacks at 15% of their weight. Whenever possible choose backpacks that have a waist and chest belt. This will neutralize the load and keep your head from moving forward to compensate.

5. When you’re at home lay face down on the floor. When you’re laying on the floor extend your head and shoulders up and pinch your shoulder blades together. Hold this for another count to 3 for 15-20 reps.

6. Position your computer monitor so that the top third of the screen is even with your eyes and around eighteen to twenty-four inches away from you.

 

Good posture will improve your health in many areas and make you feel better every day. Between a little effort on your part and a good back pain doctor on your team, you set yourself up for a future full of the activities you love instead of pain and degeneration that you’ll get from poor posture. If you have any questions or are looking for treatment, schedule a spine and posture exam at Relax Holistic Healthcare.

 

Is your Sacroiliac Joint Causing Your Back Pain? A Back Doctor Can Help

Is your Sacroiliac Joint Causing Your Back Pain? A Back Doctor Can Help

If you’re suffering from lower back pain, you might have a problem with your sacroiliac joint, or your SI joint. Your sacroiliac joint is located in your pelvis. It links the iliac bones, or the pelvis, to the sacrum, which is the lowest part of the spine above the tailbone.  This condition is painful and a back doctor may be able to help you.

Chiropractic care los angeles

Causes of Sacroiliac Joint Pain

As with other bones and joints in the body, your pelvis bones and your SI joint can become damaged both through injury as well as normal wear and tear. Injury could cause the joint to get disrupted or misaligned, and the supporting ligaments may be damaged. Among the causes of SI joint pain are trauma in your past, or degenerative disease. Other causes of SI are unknown.

Symptoms of SI Pain

Symptoms come in either acute or chronic form. If your symptoms are immediately obvious you have acute symptoms. On the other hand, if your symptoms begin to come over time, you’ve got chronic symptoms. You may feel problems or pain in your upper legs, buttocks, or higher on the spine. These symptoms are most obvious when you’re sitting, lifting, walking, or running. You might feel your symptoms between your lower leg and your lower spine or anywhere in between. Many back doctors miss the SI joint when diagnosing your back pain. Make sure yours is checking your SI joint.

People Most at Risk for SI Joint Problems

  • Anyone can have problems with their sacroiliac joint, but some groups of people are more at risk:
  • People who’ve had significant injuries that caused a disruption of the SI joint
  • People whose pelvis motion is asymmetric. Asymmetric motion might happen if your legs are significantly different length, or if one leg is weaker than the other. Worn out or inappropriate footwear can alter your steps and cause stress repetitively on your sacroiliac joint
  • Women who have been through pregnancy. In addition, women are generally at an increased risk for problems in their sacroiliac joint due to their broader pelvises. The broader pelvises coupled with a greater curve in the lumbar spine combines to increase risks of sacroiliac problems.

How to diagnose Sacroiliac Joint Problems

Sacroiliac Joint issues are difficult to diagnose because they share many symptoms with other disorders your back doctor is going to look for. Keep these tips in mind:

  • SI joint problems often feel like spinal disc pain. Be sure your back doctor checks your SI joint if you feel spinal disc pain.
  • SI Joint problems frequently happen along with other spinal problems like degenerative disc disease, osteoarthritis, sciatica, or herniated discs. If you’ve been injured and you’ve been diagnosed with any of these problems, have your back doctor check the SI joint as well.
  • Suffering pain after your lumar spine surgery you may have a sacroiliac joint problem instead of or in addition to your lumbar problem.
  • If you’ve had lumbar surgery in the past, there’s an increased risk that you’ll have SI joint problems, even if you don’t feel the symptoms now.

Because these challenges in diagnosing your pain exist, it is important for you to bring up concerns about SI joint problems with your back doctor. Your doctor will use a variety of tests to examine your back and pelvis to determine whether SI Joint problems cause your back pain. They may use X-rays, CT-scans, or MRIs to diagnose your SI Joint disorder.

If you or someone you love shows symptoms of SI joint pain, the team at Relax Holistic will offer you a free consultation and chiropractic analysis. You can contact them at their West Hollywood office, their Marina del Rey office, or their Culver City office.

Candida and Its Effects On Your Overall Health

Candida and Its Effects On Your Overall Health

Candida is a common condition but is also less well known. Many bodily disorders are associated with Candida, so it is important to recognize if you do have it.

Candida is yeast overgrowth and it can affect many different areas of the body. Yeast overgrowth emits toxins into the body that result in chronic illness and causes a variety of symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, irritability, and ‘foggy’ brain.

If you have Candida, don’t fret. We will go over how to test for it, understand its causes, recognize the symptoms, and offer holistic care options available to you for treating it.

Testing for Candida

A simple way to test whether you have a yeast imbalance is to take the spit test. This is something you should do first thing in the morning without having put anything in your mouth yet.

You will need to grab a clear glass and fill it with distilled or filtered water. Do not use tap water as it may contain many impurities that will affect your test. Collect saliva in your mouth with your tongue and spit it into the glass. Observe what happens to your spit for 15 minutes to see if yeast colonies are present in your saliva.

Yeast colonies are present if you see:

  • Saliva stays at the top and you see thin strands that look like strings or spider legs extending downward
  • Saliva floats to the bottom and looks cloudy
  • You observe little specs floating in saliva

Symptoms

Candida can affect all parts of your body as it doesn’t discriminate. Here are different areas of the body that Candida effects and their symptoms:

Head: dizziness, fatigue, mood swings, anxiety, depression, insomnia, bad breath, migraines, headaches, poor memory, brain fogginess in the morning, cravings for sugar, earaches, sinusitis, poor vision, floaters, and learning disorders

Body: joint pains, fibromyalgia symptoms, muscle weakness, rashes, itching, eczema, chronic fatigue syndrome, sore throat, flu-like symptoms, muscle pain, digestive problems, insomnia headaches, fever, swollen glands, exhaustion, swollen body and weight gain

Digestion: abdominal gas, irritable bowel syndrome, bloating after eating, constipation, diarrhea, cramping, GERDS, indigestion, vomiting, and stomach pains

Genito-urinary: Vaginal yeast infections, premenstrual syndrome, infertility, impotence, prostatitis, jock itch, diarrhea, constipation, cramping, and acid reflux

Causes

The most common type of candida involves gut flora.  The health of intestines is key to the overall health of your body. When your gut flora is unhealthy, you will usually suffer adversely. Several other factors that influence yeast overgrowth in the body are:

  • Antibiotics – One or more cycles of antibiotics is enough to weaken the digestive system.
  • Regularly eating refined sugars, starches.
  • Regularly drinking soda or alcohol.

Candida and other intestinal conditions affect your holistic health

Curing Candida with Holistic Care

If any of these observations occur, don’t panic as Candida and most diseases of the body can be easily addressed!  It takes just a little guidance and a bit of willpower for 3 months to rid oneself of unwanted yeast. You may need to change your diet as well as consider holistic care options such as acupuncture.

Our Relax Holistic Acupuncturists can address concerns of symptoms you may have arising from yeast, with acupuncture treatments that correct yeast imbalance and dampness in the body.

Relax Holistic has three convenient locations in West Hollywood, Marina del Rey, and Culver City. Call for a free consultation and they will be happy to discuss any health concerns with you.

Erase Chronic Headaches with Acupuncture Treatments!

Erase Chronic Headaches with Acupuncture Treatments!

Headache pain comes in all forms. It can be mild and irritating or severe and debilitating. They can build up slowly or come on suddenly. Most of us can relate to what a debilitating headache can do to our day, mood and sense of well-being. Maybe you are a regular sufferer of headaches? That central pain in the forehead, a lingering pain behind the eyes, or a sensitivity to light might be reoccurring and are just as annoying as symptoms you experienced last time.

Whichever form a headache does decide to appear, most people agree they want instant and lasting relief. Holistic care options are seen as some of the best stress relieving methods of reducing headache pain since most headaches appear as a result of stress.

Acupuncture treatments are an ancient Chinese technique in which very fine needles go into points on the body. Acupuncture helps ease headaches  by correcting energy imbalances and reducing stress.

treat tension headaches with acupuncture at Relax Holistic

Tension Headaches

This is the most common type of a headache, which can be closely related to dehydration, hunger, stress or even a misaligned neck.

Characteristics of this headache include:

  • a tight band around the head
  • bilateral location
  • mild to moderate intensity
  • pain lasting from 30 minutes to one week
  • light or sound sensitivity
  • not attributed to another health disorder

Receiving acupuncture treatments are a great option to do at some of the first symptoms of tension headaches. If you are a regular sufferer, then acupuncture and chiropractic adjustments might benefit you.

Migraine Headaches

Migraine headaches are also common and may last up to 4 days. Some of their more extreme symptoms such as seeing auras around lights, nausea, or extreme pulsating pain differentiate Migraines from most headaches.

Common symptoms of migraine headaches include:

  • pulsating pain or pounding on 1 side of the head
  • moderate to severe discomfort
  • pain can be worse while standing
  • nausea and/or sensitivity to light
  • seeing an aura around objects or light

The best remedies to rid yourself of migraines is by receiving acupuncture, chiropractic care, and rest. Acupuncturists often find that Migraines can be related to imbalanced meridian circulation in the liver, gallbladder, kidneys. Acupuncture and herbal remedies to support the treatment are the best options to improve the body chemistry and stop the problem at its source.

Cluster Headaches

This is the rarest form of a headache, occurring in only about 1% of the population. The pain felt can be so severe that some people describe the feeling as having an ice pick hitting their head. The reason cluster headaches are named so is because they are known to occur in a concentrated time span of hours to days to over several weeks. A common cause of Cluster Headaches could be due to allergies and temperature changes.

Relief with Acupuncture and Chiropractic Treatments

Instead of popping a pill, try a holistic care option to relieve your headaches. This will take care of your symptoms at the source rather than covering up symptoms with medication.

Regular chiropractic adjustments or acupuncture treatment will provide relief for the longtime sufferer of frequent headaches. At the first symptoms of a migraine or a cluster headache be sure to visit an acupuncturist for early relief. Even for those pesky tension headaches, a chiropractic adjustment may be all you need.

If you or someone you know and care about suffers regularly from any type of a headache, then be sure to get in touch with Relax Holistic.  Our  team diagnoses and treats frequent or mild headaches. Acupuncture and Chiropractic care can improve and eradicate chronic headaches. We are available and open to help you 7 days a week, call for an appointment today!