Mental health - Part 1

A few weeks ago it was Mental Health week here in Western Australia, which also included World Mental Health Day on the 10th of October. And according to The World Health Organisation, 50% of mental health illnesses begin at the age of 14! Almost half (45%) of people aged between 16-85 years of age will experience mental illness.Mental health statistics are on the rise, and according to the Black Dog Institute, 1 in 5 (20%) Australians will suffer from a mental health condition during their lifetime.Mental illnesses/disorders cover a range of conditions (not just limited to) such as:

• Depression

• Bipolar

• Schizophrenia

• Post traumatic stress disorder

• Anxiety disorders

Why the rise in statistics?

Have I just opened a can of worms?There would be very few people that would be able to pin point WHY they may now suffer from a mental illness/disorder. There are definite obvious reasons and risk factors that someone may be more susceptible than others. They can be:

• Experiencing a traumatic event

• Family history of mental illness (genetic)

• Environmental

• Toxicity

• Substance abuse/addictions

• Chemical imbalance

The list can go on. But in recent years the added impact of social media use (especially at a young age), can greatly contribute to mental health and the added pressures that go along with this (low self esteem, social pressures etc.)Or is it just the fact that we are becoming aware of this growing issue, and as a society becoming more empathetic?I will just let you ponder on that for a moment!

One of the first things I do within my clinic is have my clients take a blood test to make sure that their nutrient levels are at optimum levels.

Nutrients play a huge part in our mood and so does inflammation. So you can understand that if you are deficient in a vitamin that plays a massive part in mood (e.g B12), then it's worth getting tested. The main food sources of B12 actually come from dairy, fish/meat and eggs. Vegans are a big risk a being deficient in this vitamin and should be taking supplements to compensate this. But B12 also needs a substance called intrinsic factor. Intrinsic factor is secreted from the small intestine; and when there is inflammation within the small intestine, intrinsic factor secretion can be inhibited.To know if you have inflammation within the small intestine, you can determine this by what symptoms you maybe experiencing. You may have:

• diarrhoea

• constipation

• stomach pain

• food intolerances

• auto immune condition

• post infection

But that is just looking at B12!To understand if you have inflammation within your body, doesn't necessarily mean you will be in pain. I think we often think they always co-exist, but they don't necessarily.Basic blood tests that you get from your GP, can identify if you have inflammation within your body system (systemic inflammation).Examples are:

• Liver enzyme- GGT

• Bilirubin levels

• White cell count

• C Reactive Protein levels

• Homocysteine levels

• Cortisol levels

• Histamine levels

If you would like to know more about how you can manage your mental health, please contact via my online booking tool.  var initResizer = function() { iframes = iFrameResize({}, "#widget-inline-embed"); }

Correcting Cortisol

A question I always ask my clients in an initial consult is"How do you feel when you wake up in the morning?"The answer to this can give me such great insight into a persons cortisol levels.You see, your cortisol levels should be at their highest in the morning. According to The Sonic Pathology Handbook, your blood cortisol levels should be tested between 8-10am. Personally, I think they would be at its peak between 6-8am. But not all pathology clinics are open at that time are they?So it makes a lot of sense when you see kids in the morning, that they can rise out of bed and are full of beans. This is because their cortisol levels are performing at an optimal range.Cortisol is released from your adrenals and is usually released when we need a burst of energy or is called upon to assist in an inflammatory response. All hormones have a time when their levels are either the highest or lowest. So when cortisol is behaving correctly, it will slowly decrease as the day progresses and be at its lowest at night time when you are ready for bed.But if I ask someone when their best time of the day is, and they say at night.....well this can give me an indication that their cortisol levels may be unbalanced.Testing your blood cortisol levels can give a brief snap shot of how your adrenals are functioning, your overall energy levels and whether you need a boost or something to calm. This is extremely important to consider in naturopathy treatment. If cortisol levels are not tested and you might think that your client needs an energy boost (but in actual fact they might have extremely high levels), your treatment protocol will send them through the roof!The ideal blood cortisol ranges are:Collection between 8-10amRandom sample 130-650 nmol/LEarly morning 160-650 nmol/LIf you have received an unusually high reading you may need to consider the following:Were you feeling rushed before the blood test?Were you stressed at the time of the blood test?Did you exercise prior to your blood test?Some prescription medication may also give you a high level of cortisol too.To give you a even bigger picture of your cortisol levels you can also have a saliva cortisol test. This can be done in the comfort of your own home and tests the unbound levels of cortisol. This test can be performed as soon as you wake up (yep, in your jarmies in bed), and another test can be done later in the day to check if there has been a decline.By understanding your cortisol you can support it in two ways:Boost- Siberian ginseng & Korean ginsengReduce- Phosphotidlyserine, Nervous system support- B vitamins, calming herbsAdrenal Support- Licorice, Rhiodola, Withania, Vitamin C, RehmmaniaIf you would like to know what your cortisol levels are and see if your adrenals need support; fill out the contact form below.[contact_bank form_id="2" form_title="show" form_description="show"][/contact_bank]  

Herbs that calm

Whenever I think of the word 'calm' I imagine myself resting, reading a book with not a care in the world. A scenario that doesn't really occur for the majority of us; unless we are on holidays.Creating a calmer mind involves our nervous system, stress response and mindset.Herbs are a brilliant way to help calm your nerves. There are many herbal tea blends available now, that help with relaxation. The most common ones being:

• chamomile

• lemon balm

• lavender

• passionflower

• valerian

According to the Oxford dictionary, calm the verb, means to be tranquil and quiet.

I often think of calm is just the opposite of being stressed. I also picture live electrical wires, that need to be soothed (in the scenario-calm).Calm can also include a process. To 'calm' your beating heart; the definitions and interpretations are endless. Everyone has there own take on what calm is or may not be. For some people, it may just involve not reacting/snapping to another person.As a naturopath, we have learnt the value of using herbs to either support someone's vitality, increase or decrease the function of an organ or body system, or as healing agent that can repair damaged cells or tissue.Herbal teas are great, but using the herb in a tincture, is a totally different level. Ethanol is used to draw out the active compounds of a specific herb. sometimes the whole herb is used, the roots, seed, fruit, or just the leaves. It really depends on what herb it is and what studies have been used for the beneficial outcome. This is why herbal tinctures are far more superior than using herbs in a tea or in cooking.I think I must of been born to be a herbalist. One of the down sides of taking herbals is that they can (more than often), taste pretty rank. I love it! It makes me feel alive. But if using alcohol is a concern for you, there are suppliers out there now that use glycertract instead of the alcohol. This makes the herbal taste better for the kids too.

Some other herbs that help calm you are:

• Zizyphus- According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), zizyphus is used to nourish the heart and calm the spirit.

• Schisandra- Another TCM herb, schisandra is used for irritability, insomnia, stress and palpitations.

• Saffron- One of my all time faves! The worlds most expensive spice! Saffron is used for anxiety and depression.

• Skullcap- Used for nervous disorders and muscle twitching (epilepsy, tremors and restlessness).

• Rhodolia- Well known for it's adrenal support, helps with fatigue, mental focus and stamina.

If you are feeling like your nervous system needs support or would like to know other ways herbs can support you. Please fill out the contact form below and I will get back to you as soon as I can.[contact_bank form_id="2" form_title="show" form_description="show"][/contact_bank]  

Stress & Your GUT

Stress often gets a bad wrap. It's our bodies natural defence mechanism kicking in to allow us to deal with external dangers (you know...when you want to run away from the sabre-toothed tiger) and mental stress (exams, money concerns, balancing work and family). If your cortisol didn't kick in when you felt or experienced any of these situations, we wouldn't cope at all!It's only when stress is long term that things start to get a bit tricky. Long term stress can leave you not only exhausted and feeling drained. but it can impact your body on a physical level as well. It just can be a lot harder to see (until the damage is done).There has been a lot of research on the Brain-Gut connection and how the gut is often referred to as the '2nd brain'. The brain and gut communicate with each other via the central nervous system (the vagus nerve) and the hypothalamic-pituitary-axis (HPA).Your gut not only contains 70% of your immune system, but it produces 90% of your serotonin (your happy hormone) and other feel good hormones such as dopamine and GABA.

So it's no wonder that when our gut is not feeling great, we don't feel so great either!

When you are stressed you release cortisol from your adrenals. But cortisol (bless its little cotton socks..) can promote intestinal barrier dysfunction. To bring it back a few steps, our gut has a protective layer (intestinal barrier), that is there to not only help absorb all the nutrients from the food you eat.  It also acts as a wall to keep out the nasties such as bacteria, fungi, environmental toxins and parasites.

Stress affects the gut in the following ways:

• Gastric secretion (your digestion slows down)
• Gut motility (this could slow down or speed up your digestion)
• Gut function and mucosal blood flow
• Visceral sensitivity (stomach pain)
• Increases inflammation (that word again)

Continual stress exposure can lead to the following digestive conditions:

• Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• Peptic ulcer disease
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Inflammatory bowel syndrome
• Food allergy
• SIBO

So what can you do to reduce stress when it's out of control??Let's do some exploring........

1. Do what brings you joy!

Honestly....have you stopped doing something because you're too busy?We often put other family members first before our selves. But a little self care is needed, and trust me. If you come down like a tonne of bricks, the rest of the family will to.List 3 things that you love doing, pick one and start doing it.

2. Meditation

Yeah, yeah....I know you've heard it all before. But there is so much research to prove that it works (that's why it keeps popping up all the time!) If you aren't feeling too confident in starting by yourself. There are now Apps available that can give you guided sessions. Have a look at these...HeadspaceSmiling MindHealthline

3. Get back into nature

Fresh air, no distractions, physical activity and feeling the earth beneath your feet. What more do you need?

4. Delegate

Spread the burden! How many times do you say you're ok, when you're clearly not?This is when family and friends come in handy.

5. Talk to someone

Sometimes by talking over what is troubling you can make you feel so much better. Friend, family member or seek professional help if need be.

6. Time Management

This is a goody if you need to be in 2 places at once or there are a lot of deadlines coming up. It's an oldie, but a goody.

7. Community

See what help is available within your community. The local library is a great place where community events and resources are kept. And a lot of them will be FREE!

REFERENCES

Cahn, Br. et al. 'Yoga, Meditation and Mind-Body Health: Increased BDNF, Cortisol Awakening Response, and Altered Inflammatory Marker Expression after a 3-Month Yoga and Meditation Retreat', Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 2017 Jun 26;11:315. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2017.00315. eCollection 2017.Farmer, Adam D. Holly A. Randall and Qasim Aziz, 'It's a gut feeling: How the gut microbiota affects the state of mind', Journal of Physiology, 592. 14 (2014) pp 2981-2988Gladwell. VF et. al. 'The Great Outdoors: how a green environment can benefit all', Extreme Physiology & Medicine,  2013 Jan 3;2(1):3. doi: 10.1186/2046-7648-2-3.Konturek, P.C., Brzozowski, T. , Konturek, S.J. ' Stress and the gut: Pathophysiology, clinical consequences, diagnostic approach and treatment options'. Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology, 2011, 62, 6, 591-599Pokorski, M & Suchorzynska, A. 'Psychobehavioural Effects of Meditation', Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, 2017 Jun 25. doi: 10.1007/5584_2017_52