There are so many families managing illnesses of loved ones every day. From temporary needs to long term, both physical and mental, many people become the primary caregiver of their spouse, parent, child and more during illnesses and diseases where healing happens at home. The role of the caregiver is a lonely, isolating, exhausting, strenuous and stressful labor of love that is also frustrating and overwhelming. There are plenty of tears, moments of laughter, and prayers of hope, every day. Then there are the moments of deep breakdowns and heartbreak in the shower covered by the sound of the water and closed door because you have to be the strong one but inside you simply don’t know if you can do it much longer or what the future will look like. Taking on the care for a loved one, making the hard decisions and carrying on with daily life is something no one is ever prepared to do. Even at first you think you are, trust me you’re not. The amount of energy alone is underestimated. I certainly wasn’t prepared for it in the least and thought it wouldn’t be that big a deal and I could push through it. There were a lot of things I didn’t know would be expected or needed or what it would do to my own health and well-being along the way. It is always the right thing do to and yet it is one of the toughest jobs there is. What caregiving looks like vs. reality On the surface, many make it look easy. They look like angels, heroes and magicians. The person they are caring for is well-taken care of and is in the best of hands. There is love, positivity, encouragement, chicken soup and magazines. You can feel the caring and devotion being poured into this person in need. It is beautiful and humbling. Honestly, looking at some of these situations you would never know anything was stressful or overwhelming to these caregivers. This is the stuff of cards and well-wishing that makes it seem it is all done with ease and no one ever gets short tempered from being tired. It is what you want if you are in need of care. That feeling of trust, love and dependence on another that you can focus entirely on healing and recovery because someone has you taken care of. Under it all though I promise you is exhaustion, stress, worry, concern, sleepless nights and lots of coffee. The late nights, early mornings, prepping for the next day, middle of the night needs, medication to keep straight, assistance dressing, bathing and using the bathroom. Even if you do nurse work as a full time job, it is different when it is your person, your loved one. It is your home, this is your spouse, child, family member who you are used to seeing active. There is a new level of need that is different than the needs we have when we are well. It is smelly, raw and challenging. It is the stuff you need to hold back from gagging on when you uncover the bandages and need to clean the wounds. There is no break between regular life and caregiving. Along the way they get blended to the point you can no longer tell one from the other as you move from task to task, each pulling on you for their own needs. You constantly move. The quiet times are spend hand holding, talking softly, soothing and comforting, watching them sleep hoping they are comforted. Even if there is other help you are still the person. You enjoy the brief reprieves you get through the support of others but you are always still the one worrying about your loved one. I even found myself hurrying to get back from breaks so I didn’t overextend the help provided out of guilt. It is challenging to relax and release for your own sanity and self-care when you are someone’s caregiver in these situations. Everyone will tell you not to let yourself go without caring for yourself but it is like being in a storm where you cannot get the shelter door open to get inside it. So instead you take cover under trees and where you can get just a slight break from the wind and rain in hopes it passes soon. It is not as easy as it looks and there are a lot of held back frustrating things you wish you could say, scream, punch and even cry over. But you don’t and most of the time you cannot because that would disrupt the care you need to give that person. You have to be their strength and grace in these times putting aside your own worry, fear and frustration. They can get frustrated but you have to be that balance for them, inching them back to the positive thinking it will all be alright. Caregivers know thoughts and words impact health. Healing requires lots of positivity and optimism. Our minds and bodies are so intertwined that not having positive energy around you can actually make your health worse. They are the ones telling their loved ones to focus on healing, giving them encouragement and being the smile to help them. We do deeply want these things too. For our loved one to feel better, recover, resume normal life, be active again. So, we often hold back our own fear, worry, frustration and concern and instead say encouraging things filled with love. What is caregiver burnout? It doesn’t matter if care needs are extensive or recovery takes a long time, all caregivers can encounter burnout. It is a risk inherent in the course of caring for another who is enduring an illness, disease, long recovery or life long disability. The caregiver burnout occurs when there is not enough support for breaks and you forego self-care to the point you do literally forget yourself. Nutrition, exercise, sleep, sunlight, hydration all suffer because your care is being poured entirely into someone else’s needs. It feels selfish to care for yourself sometimes too. When burnout stage is reached you have a tired in your bones that doesn’t go away. Your mood and energy are depleted. You feel like you’re doing your best but it’s not enough anymore. The stress of the situation is overwhelming and you even feel hopeless. One of the primary reasons this occurs is lack of support. It truly is in these times you find out how strong your network is. Everyone has busy lives and I get that. A text sometimes feels like a chore to respond to because you’re busy caring for someone. It can be assumed then you’re not wanting help or have it all under control so they leave you alone. The opposite is true of course and you’re not intending to be rude to the person’s text. It is an unfortunate miscommunication that occurs in our world. People think if you don’t ask for help or respond you don’t need them. Many families don’t have a large community of friends and family to help in these situation. Often when the illness or recovery is long even those you were relying on inch back into their own lives after a while. It is understandable and I hold no grudge. It does however mean you lack the network you can rely on to run errands, get a break or even just have someone to talk to about what is happening. Professional services including home health care, are wonderful. They are however expensive and once those benefits are exhausted care does revert back to the caregiver. Unless you’ve been through a situation like this it is difficult to understand the loneliness and isolation the caregiver can feel. Natural Support for Caregivers Having been through this with my own husband’s heart surgery recovery, I can say I have felt it all. The group texts, child care coverage help, lack of breaks, tears, laughter and more. Help will come from surprising places and you’ll be ever grateful for it. Help will also not come and you have to be ready for that. I cannot say I did it all right but I definitely learned from the experience. Here are some things I found to get through it and keep myself healthy and mentally well as much as possible. Use downtime while they’re sleeping to take care of yourself. Take a nap, walk, shower, get food, read, pray. Whatever you need do it during these times. Forget having things perfect. The house is going to get dusty and the plants will lack water. It’s ok. Prioritize what’s really important and recognize the accomplishment and progress there. The rest can be taken care of later. Hire help. If you can afford it get help. Delegate out yardwork, housework, child care wherever you can. Get reliable services you can count on and that have a good reputation. Check references. Reach out. This is hard but don’t be so proud you don’t ask for help. Even if none comes, make the effort to ask. I promise sooner or later someone will help you in some way, keep asking. Meal prep. Your person may have special diet needs but please know you do too during this time. Plan not only their meals but yours too. Freezer meals are a wonderfully practical option to ensure there is a hot meal ready when you can eat. Grocery delivery and pick-up services. Leverage whichever is available in your area. It is worth the fee. Fill your cart with veggies, fruits and healthy foods that will fill you nutritionally. Take a walk. When things get heavy or really stressful, it is ok to step away even just for a few minutes to collect yourself and release the stress. Make lists. Keep lists. This was by far the biggest help to me not only in remembering what I needed to do but when I had help I could look at these lists and delegate some things. Grocery lists, chores, care needs, medication times and types, pharmacy needs, anything at all you need to remember, write it down. Set automatic features. This is great for bills and recurring things that have the option for automatic processing. You can always remove it later but it sure beats realizing you forgot to pay the water bill at 3AM. Focus on one thing at a time. If it is your job, your loved one, preparing a meal, taking a shower, give it 100% of your attention. This is a great stress management tool. Breathe deep. Mindfully breathing especially when we feel stress will not only lower our blood pressure but reset our mind. Use the 4-3-2-1 breathing method as much as possible in your day and before bed. Use a network community app. I used Caring Bridge (caringbridge.org). This allowed a central place to post updates on progress, ask for help, share photos, get well wishes and questions and eliminated incessant texts and group texts. It really helped with ensuring no one was left out of communications and centralizing information. You can set it up too where you can ask for specific times for help, meals coverage, childcare and errand support and people can volunteer through the app. It is completely free and easy to setup. Most importantly, is you will hear a lot of people tell you to not forget to take care of yourself. These are great intentions but please realize you will be under incredible stress in this journey. Yes you need to take care of yourself. Yes you need food, water, exercise, sleep, sunlight and down time. When someone said this to me, I always thanked them and then asked if they would help so I could do those things for myself. Don’t be afraid to ask. Your schedule and time won’t be your own so have grace with yourself. It’s ok to skip some workouts. Take the time when you get it but don’t make it punishing on yourself. Use these opportunities for releasing stress, resting, gentle movement of your body and nutritious refueling for your body, mind and soul. Natural health care support Natural health care can not only help your loved one but you too. These are incredible services that focus on mind-body-spirit health and help you define a protocol to support you during stress and health needs. They are also usually very affordable. To work with me, please schedule your consultation at dragonspitapothecary.com/book-online

A scroll through social media one day identified a wellness coach, lifestyle coach, nutritional guidance coach, exercise coach and even a sleep coach. I’m sure there are a lot more but at this point I was already coached out from seeing it all. They are all showing these before and after shots of incredible results, floating in their pool, driving high end luxury cars, telling you how great their life is now that they did xyz and how you can do the same. For a cost of course. There are coaches for everything these days but I’m betting most are struggling to make that car payment and the pool is their neighbors. Not to sound jaded but how it’s presented on social media makes coaching feels like a new version of network marketing. With all the coaching available, it got me thinking. . . Do we really need a coach at all? Coaching Your Way in Life When I hear the word coach I think of a field sport like baseball or football with a team of players all marching out in brightly colored jerseys. Coaching is what happens to form those individual players into a team that wins games. It is strategic like moving the game pieces on a chessboard. Coaches are important parts of team sports. They set the tone, build the culture and impart their perspective and wisdom on the players. They create unity and teamwork through their experience and knowledge. Coaches are tenured in their field and have that special insight that makes them admired, envied and inspirational to follow. They are leaders and some of the phenomenal teachers. They didn’t just wake up one day and start promoting themselves as a coach. It took years, hard knocks and intense work to reach this status of being the coach people want to work hard for on a team. Comparing this vision of a coach to the myriad of coaches promoting their business to help me with some problem in my life simply doesn’t compare. Why would I pay hundreds of dollars to someone to tell me what I probably already know, scream at me to work harder at my own goal or push me to buy their products? Is there really value in that? There may be times in life where we do need someone to help us through something. A personal problem, weight loss help, habit forming, or even business related. In my own experience I have turned to friends, religious guides, practitioners and even therapists. It is alright to ask for help. What I have found is often I do know the answer but it may not be something I exactly like so I’m seeking validation. For longer term needs where I need more structure and accountability to reach a goal or solve a problem, a coach seems a logical person who could help. By nature, it is part of their job description. However, I think sole reliance on coaches and mentors limits our own problem solving and creativity skills. When we only follow someone else’s advice or recipe for success we end up with their solution and not necessarily our own. The good part, I guess, is if it fails, at least you can blame the coach right? Before you turn to a coach I would challenge you to seek out why you think this is necessary. What are you really trying to achieve through working with a coach and if there are better options available? I do not imply that coaches are bad or unnecessary but if we have not done our own work first, then we are not ready for coaching to take us to that next level. We have to start with our own work first to test our own commitment to solving whatever problem we have and figuring out what we are made of from it. It also helps to understand where specifically we need a coach to help us. Choosing the Right Coach Once you’ve done your own work but find you still need help, a coach can be beneficial. With so many people claiming to be a coach I would caution you on choice and expense when choosing a coach. Here are some considerations: Expectations. What is your expectation from coaching? Are you going to follow all the person tells you or are you going to personalize it for you? Have you communicated that to the coach so both of your expectations are openly shared? Experience. Does the person have a successful track record helping people with your type of problem? Are they successful following their own advice? Credibility. Has the person completed formal education, certification and accreditation in this area or topic? Are they legitimate or just some fly by night “be like me” floating in my pool on Mondays making millions? Be careful falling for the “before and after” posts of coaches. References. Can they give you references of people you can contact about their experience with that coach? Ask if the person would hire that coach all over again? Were their results sustainable? What did they like best and least about the experience. Products. Does the coach demand you use their products only? Be careful on this please. Most of the time there is a product sale it is by a coach who really is out to make a buck and not necessarily have your best interest at heart. Check out the program in detail before signing up. Posts. What do they really post on social media about their coaching business? Is it quotes from their upline? Before and after shots of their clients, themselves or someone else’s? Are they showing off their beach life and Monday grind of pool floating? While we all want to cheer for successes, make sure what is being promoted aligns with your needs, focus and budget and is not just subsidizing someone else’s lifestyle. What I have seen is most coaches with programs and products, are trying to fit you into a one-sized-fits-most scenario so they can give you their tools, techniques, products and results. If it doesn’t work for you then you obviously didn’t follow it accurately. A real coach will personalize their program for your needs and areas of interest. They meet you where you are in your journey, not theirs. They could not care less if you buy their products and are more concerned with what you need for success. The messaging is completely different and void of before and after shots of others. It is about helping you individually, personally and uniquely. Where most of us fall for coaching is in being desperate for solutions in our problems that we hear these great success stories and want that too. It sounds like exactly what you’re looking for and you slap down that credit card in a hurry to secure the last spot available to work with that person. You buy all the products, all the extras and dive into this information with hope you finally found the answer that you need. Unfortunately, if you talk to a lot of ex-coached clients, they were able to get some results and sometimes they lasted for a while but it would take more coaching to get to their goal. Most people give up before then because of cost, time, program and coach mismatch. It is expensive to learn this the hard way. Differences in Coaching and Mentoring I find there are differences between coaching and mentoring. Certainly, a coach can be a mentor. Anyone can be a mentor for that matter, but fundamentally both have different purposes and scope. Coaching and mentoring both serve a time bound purpose for specific things we are seeking in our lives. Coaching is more aimed at an established program you follow based on someone else’s design. Mentoring is where you seek answers, advice, guidance and experience from someone else and then use that to form your own solution. A good coach can provide this to you with a personalized approach and guidance that you use to fit to your own needs. A good mentor has a story to tell that resonates with you. It inspires you to take action in your own life. The relationship is based on what you can learn from someone and make your own. Mentoring is often voluntary and freely shared but you may find some charges depending on the situation. In mentoring you agree on a scope, purpose and frequency to connect. The entire process is designed around you and your questions. It requires you do the legwork in preparation and what you do with the information afterwards is also up to you. I like this aspect of it for the personal accountability the structure of mentoring presents. If you cannot hold yourself accountability for action then a coach isn’t going to be able to do it either. This is where most coaching situations fail in delivering results and you end up spending a lot of money for nothing. In mentoring, the risk of cost is nominal if any and you are completely responsible for what happens next. Depending on your situation, it may be ideal to find a person who can serve as both a mentor and coach for you. These individuals are unicorns that truly have a service heart when it comes to helping clients succeed. They are interested in you as a person and what you need but they also expect you to meet them with accountability and commitment to your goals. Professionals and the Others The price points for coaches and mentors vary but if you do your homework there are a lot of good quality professionals available. While they may have set prices and rates some will work with you on payment plans if you need them. When it comes to you health, I highly recommend professional level people. It is important not to be taken advantage of and having a person you can trust is interested in your results as much as you are. Look beyond the social media posts and ads to check out the person you are considering. Working with a natural health practitioner or holistic healer is one of the best ways to get both mentoring and coaching through a professional service offering. These individuals are looking at you as a whole person inside out and meeting you where you are in your health journey. Their interest is in your result and not whether you purchase products or programs. Everything is personalized to your specific personal needs and goals. This approach also compliments existing health care you are receiving from your doctor so you can effectively co-manage your health needs. So the bottom line is really what are you looking for in terms of help? Before you hand over your credit card understand if you are signing up with a little league weekend coach or a professional practitioner and mentor who is going to work with you on meeting your needs. How to work with me Exploring natural health care is one of the best ways to support goals and health care needs. It starts with finding a natural health or holistic health practitioner that you like and trust. Together we can define the right path to help you maximize your health and realize your goals. To schedule services with me, please visit dragonspitapothecary.com/book-online

Eating strawberries is cool … again. That makes me happy but then I always thought strawberries were awesome. A college course I took in marketing one time gave me a 1-liner that has stuck with me for many years. “There are no coincidences in marketing. Everything is intentional.” That message comes to me when I see product ads and walk around stores these days seeing all the “new” natural products. There is such a purposeful use of words like simple, organic, fresh and natural used in ads and on the labels of these types of products. Even the way they are presented and spoken of are well-thought out and very smooth. It is done in a way to invoke feelings of health, well-being and even happiness that can be captured and bottled like the sun itself. We often fall for it too. That hope in a bottle. If it has that kind of promise to make us feel better, lose weight, have energy, sleep well, and it comes in a non-animal cruelty packaged label we buy it. This type of marketing and packaging off too helps us overcome cost objections because it appeals to our sense of environmental consciousness and helps us out too. If we move past the labeling, messaging and packaging though is the product actually any good? Will it actually deliver on those results for our own health or that of the environment? What is a Natural Product? Natural products can mean a variety of things depending on brand. It can be the simplistic labeling used to make it seem organic and simply made. There are unique aromas that also lend to that experience of it being homely and good for you. Even the store position on the shelf can serve as a natural spot you’d expect to find such a thing. It creates that feeling this is a product we must have and need in our lives. In truth though it is none of these things that actually tell us if the product will work. It is an illusion painted by marketers and advertisers to sell you that product. A natural product is one that is made using natural processes, ingredients and packaging as to support environmental, lifestyle and nutritional factors. It does not contain plastics, synthetics, man-made or manufactured ingredients. It comes from nature itself and is in its most natural form with minimal processing required for you to use and enjoy it. A simple example would be an apple or carton of eggs you buy at the farmer’s market. When it comes to cleaners it could be a packaged mix of naturally derived ingredients in a recyclable or reusable container. Anything more than that definition and it is not a natural product but a stand-in that may be more or less natural but is not in itself all natural. Natural health care is also a product and service. It is field of study, philosophy and system of health that encompasses different modalities aimed at achieving wellness. This health care system focuses on non-invasive support to the body-mind-spirit that supports our needs and providing self-healing aligned with natural, organic substances and techniques. This support is provided by natural health practitioners and produces directly from natural sources. You may hear it called alternative or complementary care but in truth it is not alternative at all. When it comes to natural health care products, the distinct difference with them and over-the-counter medications is the source, quality, effectiveness, price, result and purpose. When you consider natural health is aimed at preventative care and support of self-healing you quickly realize the vast difference in health care approach from any other model of health care available. These characteristics become what marketers use to substitute for natural products in order to sell what they consider comparable or similar products. Since most natural health products are not regulated as medications and pharmacy goods, it does become a buyer beware situation in knowing what a good brand is from a fake. Natural Health Care Product Shopping Walking down any grocery or big box store these days will show you plenty of more simple, organic, greener brands available. This should be a sign we are evolving as humans to understand our use of products has an impact on the environment and our health. Unfortunately though, money still dominates and most of the products sold are not as pure as one is led to believe. When selecting a more natural version of a product is important to read the label. There are also plenty of apps available that you can use to scan a product to get labels deciphered. Specifically though you are looking at the ingredients to target indicators that tell you it is not a naturally derived, made, or packaged natural product. Consider these points: Packaging promotes recycled materials used or reusable containers Packaging that does not use plastic or is minimally packaged Aromas and fragrances that are synthetically made and not natural at all Ingredients that are chemical based or manufactured for longer shelf-life Dyes, coloring and artificial textures Natural and artificial flavoring Sugars and sugar alternatives Non-animal tested Non-GMO You get the idea that reading the label and finding the hidden clues can often times identify the fake natural products that you can then avoid. Price is not helpful in these situations unfortunately. Natural Health Services When it comes to working with doctors and natural or holistic health practitioners here too we can easily fall for less than natural product recommendations. Understanding what to expect in your natural health services and trusting your practitioner only uses reliable, highly bioavailable products is essential. Many vitamin and supplement companies allow for private labeling of their products to practitioners. Even in these cases, you should still read the label, research the company and know what you are buying and how to use. Always follow the dosage recommendations on the label. It is also important to know a few practice techniques and their uses so you can understand what a natural health practitioner can provide you. A natural health practitioner can specialize in all these methods, a select few, or other modalities not listed. Aromatherapy Aromatherapy typically uses essential oils naturally derived from plants, trees, roots and flowers to activate our sense of smell, which is closely connected with brain function and memory. Essential oils can be diffused, used topically or taken internally if they are high quality and pure. Essential oils are considered supplements. Some brands, such as doTERRA, have pharmacy graded oils that are also considered medicinal. Iridology Iridology focuses on the story the eye can tell. This modality studies the eye to determine what organs or systems may need support. Different parts of the eye relate to certain structures in the body. For example, if a spot is identified, a practitioner can then recommend a corresponding natural health support. Nutrition In natural health, nutrition represents a means to feed yourself for supporting vitality and health. Nutrition is highly emphasized and will typically include recommendations for whole real foods and plenty of filtered high quality water. Vitamins and supplements fall under the category of nutrition because they are considered food. This is why it is so important to use a high bioavailable natural supplement. Flower Essences Flower essences, not to be confused with essential oils, are a branch of natural health that uses the nature of flowers and plants to support emotions and personality traits. Herbology Herbology relies on the use of herbs to support the body. In this field, herbs are used topically and internally for nutritional support that encourages relief to the body and optimizes functions. Its applications are vast and flexible enough to meet the needs of many. Herbs such as rosemary, sage, and peppermint are also accessible and relatively easy to incorporate into your daily life via supplementation, food, and teas. Physical Activity Natural health takes a whole-person, holistic approach to fitness. This means that a person’s mental, emotional, social, spiritual, and physical states are considered when supporting the physical activity needs. Spiritual and Religious Practices Belief in a higher power and connecting with the essence of life and creation is a powerful practice for promoting well-being. Religion and spirituality not only connect us to God and our Creator, but also one another, nature, and ourselves. Prayer, meditation, service to others, religious practice, self-care and reflection, taking a walk in nature and more can promote well-being, connection, and peace. These practices can also provide us with stress management support, encouragement, comfort and hope. Reconnecting with Our Health Moving past the labeling, pretty smells and marketing of products helps us uncover many options to taking care of ourselves. What was used thousands of years ago can still be found today and be beneficial to our needs. Using natural products and natural health care empowers us to own the responsibility for our own health. It creates a channel for us to reconnect with ourselves and support our vitality in a much more direct way that can even compliment allopathic are. With the guidance of a natural health practitioner, natural health care and natural products can help us achieve results and solutions to our needs. To work with me, please book your consultation service at dragonspitapothecary.com/book-online

Men have spent their lifetimes trying to figure women out. To them, we are one of the natural wonders of the world that have no explanation of how it came to be or how it works. There are songs, poems and memes saying just how complicated we are to them. They have called us difficult, complex and mysterious. Mostly I find this true. We, like men, are highly evolved and yet differently complex in our own unique way. We have different needs, interests and cannot be neatly compartmentalized in similar boxes with each other. That makes us beautiful and elusive for men. The same challenge comes to our health care needs. Doctors and laboratories try their best to give us one sized fits all answers for the sake of medications and treatments but in many cases they don’t work. We still experience things differently, have different symptoms and heal in our own way. What works for one woman may not work for another. This is why many women find limitations in working with their health care provider and end up frustrated thinking there is no hope for their needs. Getting to real answers in a women’s health means looking at her individually and completely. It is means providing root cause that actually solves a problem instead of just covering up the symptoms. Most importantly, it often means looking past our physical pain points and considering emotional and spiritual impacts of that pain in the solution. Our tolerance for pain is higher than men so our bodies will most often than not give us signals emotionally and spiritually when there is a problem. This is where natural health can be so pivotal in helping us heal and find health. Where Vitamins and Supplements Fall in Health Care Vitamins and supplements are considered a part of natural health methods. Our bodies need vitamins, minerals and nutritional supplements in our diet. These elements provide energy, repair, growth and immunity support to our body to name a few. A body without essential vitamins and minerals will fail to thrive, grow strong or perform well. Prior to the compact convenient pill forms, gummies and liquid formats, these vitamins and essential minerals came from our food and diets. With some effort and intention we can still get much of what we need directly from food. As our modern diets became more processed, fast and convenient however, these vitamins, minerals and supplements found in food decreased in value, quantity and quality. If you look at a timeline of human health and major conditions and diseases you will see this clearly about the time farms became more commercialized, farming techniques changed and packaged foods became more prevalent. Additionally, it is also the time when seasonal foods started to become more readily accessible year-round. Vitamins and supplements are good to use when we are working to improve our health and supporting a healthy lifestyle. They are intended to supplement your diet and lifestyle. That being said it is important to realize you cannot supplement your way out of a poor diet. Meaning, you cannot just take a vitamin to make up for eating junk food all the time to compensate. Like our food choices, vitamins can also encounter quality challenges. Namely, synthetic and processed ingredients that in fact do not help us build health. This can result in seeing no benefit or results aligned to our actual nutritional needs. When to Use Vitamins As just mentioned, vitamins supplement our diet. So while eating a healthy diet is important for the best vitamins available, many of us also need to supplement. Knowing what vitamins you need is good for ensuring you align your needs with the correct nutrients. When you randomly take a vitamin that you may not need or that your body cannot use, it simply gets pushed out into waste. That is not only bodily waste but also money literally down the toilet. The other important thing to know is while you may need a vitamin for something now, it does not mean you need to take the vitamin forever. Often when we get into a good routine of taking our vitamins daily we can forget why we take them or if we even need it anymore. The best way to know if and what you need for vitamins is to work with a natural health practitioner. They can help you triangulate what is occurring in your body using various techniques, including muscle response testing. Targeting these specific needs helps you get the exact vitamins you need and helps you monitor changes in your health more closely. Another way to get the right vitamins is by listening to your own body. If you regularly crave a specific food or have other patterns occurring in your daily life these can be signals for nutrients. For example, a craving for chocolate which can be an emotional need, low energy or a magnesium deficiency. Likewise, knowing when you don’t need a vitamin is important. This involves understanding your diet, energy, sleep, alertness, mood and emotions and more. When you eat a diet rich in vitamins and minerals from foods you will know what this feels like and it is more than just you had a salad for lunch. Again, most of us are deficient even if we eat a good diet containing vitamins and minerals. The best way to know what your levels are is by working with a natural health practitioner and having lab work done. When Your Vitamin is not Working Vitamins are a multi-billion dollar industry. There is every form, type, substance and more included in the vitamin aisles. Families spend on average $140 a month on vitamins! This should also represent a very healthy society then right? Unfortunately, the opposite is true and there are several reasons behind it. The obvious ones being diet, exercise, lifestyle, stress, disease and illness. These things however are symptoms of a larger problem at the core. First let’s address the vitamins we are buying to make that multi-billion dollar profit in the vitamin industry. The truth is 90% of the products sold under vitamins and supplements is garbage. These products contain manufactured ingredients, sugar, preservatives and other ingredients that have nothing to do in building or maintaining health. They literally go in one end of our body and out the other because our digestive system and cells cannot absorb or use these ingredients. Secondly, and the biggest problem at the core, is the marketing behind vitamins and supplements. We have all fallen for the lie that we can take a pill and our problems will go away. We can lose weight. We will sleep better. We will be happier. We will have health. All with the swallowing of these pills. The best vitamins and supplements you can get are high bioavailable with ingredients directly from food. These products are 100% natural and come from reputable companies specializing in naturally derived products. The other consideration here is cost. In many ways you get what you pay for when it comes to vitamins and supplements but that is not always the case. A better approach is to look at it from a nutritional perspective. What would the equivalent of the ingredients in a vitamin cost you in food? If the ingredients are natural there can be significant savings in the vitamin equivalent. As a comparison I take the doTERRA Life Long Vitality supplements. These cost $79.50 per 30 day supply. The equivalent of groceries representing the ingredients of these vitamins is over $300. doTERRA is a natural health company specializing in essential oils, supplements, personal care products and other items specific to natural health. They are trustworthy and produce high quality products. That $79.50 per month that ensures I’m getting a high bioavailable (easily absorbed) supplement support system is worth every penny. Not to mention, they also have a money back guarantee. You can find vitamins at all price points. That is not a good indicator if the product is well made or not. The point is do your research. Treat it like an investment or high dollar purchase item. Since this is being done for your health and wellness it very much is an investment and you’re worth it. Women specific recommended supplements So back to this age old challenge of figuring out women. Our health and well-being is just as complex and individualized as we are. Therefore, there is not a single one sized fits all approach to our nutritional needs and vitamins. To speak in general terms though there are things that work best when it comes to women’s health. Using these as guideposts can help you hone in on where you may get benefit. Again, working with a natural health practitioner is really worth it. Vitamin B – supports brain function. This vitamin is especially important for pregnant moms as well as women in their 50s and older. Vitamin B helps with several functions within our body that are controlled through our nervous system triggered by brain activities Iron – supports energy and metabolism. This is also vital potential losses of iron during menstruation Evening Primrose Oil – supports PMS symptoms and relieves pain. This supplement also supports cholesterol balancing Red Raspberry Leaf – an incredible supplement for fertility, conception , morning sickness support as well as post partum well-being. Additionally, it aids in digestive health, toxin release and bacteria defense Fish Oils – hair, nails, skin support in addition to cardiovascular health Collagen – cellular health, skin elasticity and joint health Calcium – it is recommended if you supplement calcium you also ensure you have sufficient vitamin D and vice versa. Calcium and vitamin D work closely together to help build bone strength and produce bone building cells. Other natural support to consider: Essential oils – essential oils are supplements. High quality oils can be taken internally through capsules to truly personalize your vitamin and supplement with exactly what you need. Digestive enzymes, probiotics and multi-vitamins are considered foundational vitamin support most people can benefit from taking regularly. You could need specialized and targeted support beyond this list. What Women Really Want So, perhaps it is not that we are actually that complex but rather individuals with unique needs to our being. Understanding and caring for these needs becomes easier when we take the time to learn who we are and what we need for optimal health and well-being. That can best occur when we step out of the one sized fits all thinking for our health care needs. How to work with me For natural health care, including vitamin checks, schedule your consultation with me at dragonspitapothecary.com/book-online

Lymph isn’t a sexy thing to talk about. We all have it and yet there are not tons of articles and trending posts about how to keep your lymph health. It is this quiet little area of our bodies that just is there until we are sick though even then I am not sure there is a lot of understanding for its function. I know I don’t wonder daily about my own lymph and am much more concerned with the number on the scale or something more tangible in the forefront of my own health. Perhaps though lymph should be at the forefront. With increases in autoimmune disorders and cancers in lymphatic systems it seems time to look more deeply at this system and ways we can improve this system to support health and vitality. What is Lymph and the Lymphatic System? This is an interesting system that intertwines and runs parallel to our blood vessels and veins. It works in conjunction with blood flow to support immune response. This could explain why most of us don’t think about our lymph system until we encounter an illness. Nonetheless, it is there working all the time in companionship with our immune system doing its best to respond to bacteria, pathogens, viruses and everything in between. There are a few components to the lymphatic system including the lymph itself, lymph nodes, spleen, thymus gland and tonsils. The lymph vessels move lymph itself to the different areas of the body and act as an intermediary between tissue and blood. Lymph is a straw colored substance that is between the blood and tissue of our bodies. Lymph is used to kill bacteria, foreign matter and particles in our body that can harm our health and gets it to the right place for elimination. It works with our immune system to produce the cells needed for organ health. The lymph nodes located throughout our body, works to sequester pathogens so the immune system can deal with them hopefully before a problem festers. Our spleen kicks in to help by filtering out bacteria and storing extra red blood cells and platelets we need for healing. The lymph system lacks a pump to move lymph around. In the blood system for instance, blood is pushed around by the beats of the heart to reach all corners of our body. The lymph system relies on muscle contractions and body movement to push lymph where it needs to go. The more you move the more it moves. Herein lies the reason a sedentary lifestyle can add up to major health issues. If you are not someone who moves frequently or has other ways for movement to occur in your day, then lymph sits too. Lymph Health Lymph congestion is a term used to describe someone with minimal lymph flow or clogged lymph flow. It is the result of sedentary lifestyles, poor diet, stress and lack of sleep. All of these things seem simple enough to fix but for most of us with busy lives taking care of ourselves can sometimes take the back burner. Movement does not have to be extreme to be effective in moving lymph. Walking is excellent, even a gentle slow walk is good. Yoga is also good for lymph movement. Stretching, cycling and any form of movement where we contract muscles creates lymph movement. Taking regular breaks from your desk even just to stretch are marked improvements to incorporate in your day. Diet means eating foods that do not trigger an overdrive response in our body. Salts, sugars, processed foods, sodas and convenience foods all add up to things that set our immune response on active. Think of these like foreign matters our body cannot process and it creates a red flare response in our body in the way of inflammation, indigestion, weight gain and other health issues. This depletes our adrenals and wears on our lymph. It also lowers energy so we do not feel like moving. Stress impacts lymph because when we live regularly in the fight or flight mode our lymph is distracted. Our immune system is trying to respond to perceived threats from stress and over time can become weakened as a result. This makes us susceptible to illness. With our lymph system already trying to respond to the immune systems needs then an illness comes along, it can be challenged to fight back. Lack of sleep does not seem like a factor for lymph health but in fact it is a direct player. When we sleep our body performs repair work and restores levels for the next day’s needs. If we are not getting adequate sleep our body starts with a low battery from the onset making our systems work even harder the next day. Natural Support for Lymph Health In addition to diet, movement, stress management and sleep there are other natural support techniques we can use for lymph health. Dry brushing. This technique can support improving lymph circulation Massage therapy. All massages are beneficial and there is even a lymph drainage technique that can be used to further increase lymph movement Bounce, Vibrational and Rebounding – Get on your kid’s trampoline and jump with them! The motion of jumping is incredible for triggering lymph movement in our body Hydration – Staying full hydrated helps our muscles perform in the contraction process and helps keep lymph in the right consistency. I also like this massage blend of oils to help with lymph stimulation. It can be used in certain areas of the body or as part of a fully body massage. Lymphatic Mover Massage Blend 2% dilution ratio with grapeseed carrier oil 1 oz grapeseed carrier oil 2 drops doTERRA Ginger (stimulates flow of lymph) 3 drops doTERRA Geranium (supports lymph elimination of waste) 1 drop doTERRA Rosemary (stimulates lymph flow & elimination of waste) 3 drops doTERRA Tea Tree (supports body’s ability to produce white blood cells) 3 drops doTERRA Peppermint (aids in cleansing, purifying and has an antiseptic effect on mucous membranes) How to work with me For help with your natural health care needs, schedule a consultation with me. Book online at dragonspitapothecary.com/book-online

This technically relates to every diet known and unknown. Name your diet and there will be something that doesn’t work for someone on it. There are some diets that just don’t work for some of us, some that do and others that quite honestly no one should be doing, especially if they want long term results. Dieting has lost its way for how it can actually help us live healthier lives without the added weight. We are bombarded with diet products, surgeries, pills and advice and yet obesity is at crisis levels. The idea we have to be on a diet to lose weight is incredibly determinantal to achieving weight loss and building health. We in turn punish ourselves in an already challenging situation and end up giving up 99.9% of the time. We see the need to take control of our body and instantly turn to a diet thinking it the ticket to freedom but in reality it is only a surface level solution. We seek answers, quick and easy fixes so we can return to the busy lives we all lead. Who has time to intentionally diet on top of it all? Therein lies the problem though. If we don’t find a way to live with food, manage stress and be healthy then we are likely to end up where we started. Overweight, depressed, isolated and feeling like a failure at dieting. Dieting lulls us into this place where we think following this prescribed way of doing something as simple as eating will fix everything in our lives. Losing weight will make things better… and it does to some extent but it is only part of the equation. Using keto as an example in this post but there are many other diets just like it that have this mindset we must restrict, give up and never again have a certain food. We must change how we eat forever which as advantages and disadvantages. None of these diets however look beyond food as to how to keep weight off. Keto and Other Diet Myths Let’s start with keto dieting. It is in fact a wonderful framework to help us change our eating patterns. Many of us would benefit from the inclusion of more vegetables and less bread. However, not all of us need to be fasting. In fact, most of us should not, especially those with diabetes, blood and heart concerns, kidney concerns and behavioral health needs such as depression, anxiety and PTSD. Keto has the benefits of retraining us to appreciate healthy fats and addressing inflammation which are positive. The problem with keto is the long term side effects. To clarify, I do believe some fasting is good for us. It needs to be uniquely determined based on our health and body needs. Even the ancient Egyptians fasted as a way to manage illness. It can be beneficial in short, managed stretches to reset our body. If you choose to fast, please know your body’s limits and do not just subscribe to a dietary guideline that is written in general. We always need the ability to personalize a diet if we want it to be long lasting. Like most diets, keto strives to teach and instill lifestyle changes. These are good messages to a point but they only address the physical aspects of what that message actually means. The diet restricts carbs, fruits, and many foods that can be healthy for us. It also still allows for processed foods, artificial sweeteners and other products that can be harmful to our health. If you adhere to this diet, you can lose weight, and many have. Seeing a diet as only a physical change is where it and others like it come up short. Any diet that says you will never again enjoy a slice of birthday cake is a recipe for long term failure and misery. The last I checked cauliflower does not taste anywhere near a birthday cake. The point is not to live without forever, but to learn to live with foods, all foods. If we’re only dieting to lose weight then we have not chosen a method to support long term weight management or health needs. Over time we may learn to never eat cake again but our emotional and spiritual health will suffer. That in turn impacts our physical health. We also realistically know it is not reasonable to forever give up a birthday cake or special food item. The idea to give them up temporarily while you work on weight loss is positive but at the same time we need to be developing a healthier relationship with food. This means developing that appreciation of how to use it for our health and where moderation can be applied for special foods. What Happens After Our Weight is Gone? What happens when we lose all the weight? What then? For most of us we enjoy some new clothes, compliments from our friends and new found energy. It feels good and we cannot imagine ever going back to where we were before. We gladly dump those big sized clothes off at the charity store and fill our closet with new exciting items. We talk about our journey with our friends and show off pictures of our new body on social media. We show how happy we are and how much better our life is now that the weight is gone. But… is that all we base our happiness on is being smaller in size? What happens when our friends stop telling us we look great? What do we do when we’re still not in a loving relationship or are dating people who still don’t make us feel the way we want? What happens when our job still sucks or stress gets to be too much? When our distraction from our weight loss victory happens or we run into something that comes up that touches our emotional and spiritual being we can easily fall back into old habits. If these were not addressed as part of our weight loss journey, as so often is the case, then we have only lost some weight. We are still the same person, with the same stress, the same problems, the same bills and the same circumstances. The only thing that changed is the size on the tag of our jeans. We only focused on our physical body and not the hunger we have for inclusion, connection, community and love. We didn’t address trauma, pain, fear, insecurity and our own internal mind work at the time we were dropping pounds. We may have thought we did because we feel different on the outside but the norm is the same problems that existed before are still there now. We were just distracted by our weight change for a little while and they were not our primary focus. So we soon find ourselves back on the couch with ice cream and Netflix, stopping by for fast food and right back where we started with another need to diet again. This is especially true if we have used a restrictive diet to reach our goal. When we deprive ourselves, we impact not only our body but our mind and spirit too. We punish ourselves, give excessive negative self-talk and scold ourselves if we “cheat.” Our spirit feels excluded and isolated because we said no to something everyone else is enjoying and celebrating. That is not a diet, that’s a punishment! Food is part of human experience. All food. In the Bible, food is always a mentioned in the way of refueling and celebration. In real life, it is still that way today. We have to learn to live with food in peace and see it for what it is, food to be fuel for our body, at peace in our mind and lifting in our spirit. Why Keto and Other Diets Let Us Down Dieting became a fad in the 1970s and early 1980s. This was during the height of the fat is bad and eggs will kill you messaging. Heart disease became a topic everyone was scared of and cancer became more openly discussed. Products rushed to the market filled with new artificial sweeteners, preservatives and ingredients that have done little to support weight loss, heart health or health overall. Ironically, this was also the time of the diet pill and surgeries such as bariatric stomach surgery. The belief being if we could control our appetite we could control our waist and our risks decrease. Physically this can be true. However, instead of addressing the problems we sought an easy answer. The diet foods, diet sodas and diet pills. If it promised to help you lose a few pounds people scrambled for it. In many cases this is still true today. The diet products sold today are among the highest in the vitamin and supplement industry. When these fail to work or work for a short time only we search out the next newest thing to come out in search of hope. We fall for the lie that a diet can do it for us that which we cannot do ourselves. We are made to believe we need the help of diet coaches, diet products, gym memberships and more because we are too weak and incapable to manage it ourselves. Otherwise we would have by now right? That’s the marketing ploy many diet companies will use to make you question yourself. Their tactic is we need their support and products to make it easy if we only follow these prescriptive eating plans and certain types of packaged foods made for our convenience. Despite it all heart disease is still a number one killer in the United States over 30 years later. Children are now facing obesity in numbers like never before. More than 27 million people have a thyroid issue. Depression medications are the number one prescription written by a general practitioner. We are not a nation getting slimmer or healthier despite all the “help” available. Finding the Right Diet Approach for You Given the dire results in dieting, how does someone actually lose weight, keep it off and live healthier? There are truly some fabulous diets out there but we need to reset the definition of diet and personalize it to our needs. Here are some tips to achieving that: First, define your goals beyond the number on the scale or tag size in clothing. What are you really wanting to lose weight to achieve? Define it in terms of your life beyond the physical. Look at that list and see if there are things on there that you have tied to weight loss that are within your control now. There is nothing stopping you from having great things in your life despite your size. Having a weight loss goal that aligns to a bigger health goal physically, emotionally and spiritually are the goals that consider all parts of who you are. Next, describe how you eat today. What makes up the food in your fridge and pantry? When you go out to eat, what type of food is that? If you’re diet consists of processed foods, take-out, canned and poor ingredient foods that’s a great place to incorporate changes first. Rediscover your taste buds with different flavors that are healthy, whole foods. Break up with table salt and reduce sugar without replacing it with an artificial version. What do you drink in a day? If it’s coffee, wine, soda, teas, juices and more this too indicates an opportunity for improvement. The goal is to drink half your body weight in water per day. Not only that but avoid plastic and use a high quality filtered water source. A lot of problems we have in our life can be traced to dehydration. There is not substitute for water. Your brain is over 70% water so just imagine how much clearer you can think hydrated! How do you sleep? If you are getting less than 8 hours per night you are sleep deprived. Like water, we need sleep nightly to rebuild our cells and help our body reset. It takes a full 8 hours a night to do that process. Also, if you are taking medications to sleep this is interfering with your body’s process as well. Movement. This is another dieting mishap that leads to giving up frequently. We do need movement but it doesn’t have to be brutal or painful. Taking a walk, being more active anywhere in our life is a step in the right direction. Start with something and build on it the activities that you are interested in. Simply incorporating these steps is a great foundation to bigger changes in our lifestyle that can lead to weight loss, better energy and other improvements in our health. None of these cost money or even take more time to do. They are simple every day things all of us need to live and yet they are so often overlooked because we think there is a simpler and faster way. Vitamins and Supplements There are some basic things that can enhance our health journey too when it comes to losing weight. These are general I suggest to everyone but you could need more. Working with your natural health practitioner will help you identify those needs. Always use a high bioavailable product that is based on natural ingredients. Using chemical, synthetic and manufactured ingredients will not be able to be processed by your body. Multi-vitamins Omega -3 Digestive enzymes Probiotic Other diet considerations When you make the decision to work on your weight, there is a lot of other factors that go along with that choice. It can quickly feel overwhelming resulting in a sense of defeat before you even begin. I recommend the following to set yourself up for success: Take it in small pieces. Set small, intentional goals that encompass all of who you are in body, mind and spirit and where you want your life to go from this point Put support in place. Understand the beginning is the hardest part because we are changing habits that have been with us for a long time. Put in place the benches for rest, recovery and encouragement when you need it. Reward yourself. Recognize the small and big accomplishment. Progress is progress and it all adds up. Focus on relationships. The relationship with yourself, the one you have with food, the one with your body and how all of those interact. Make it a loving relationship that is based on understanding, grace, and peace that serves you well Don’t restrict. Moderation or a temporary elimination are appropriate but understand your purpose in doing that and allow it to be a time to heal that part of your food relationship. If you choose to follow a diet or eating plan, personalize it to your needs and goals. Keep it working for you instead of you trying to fit into its mold. Work with your natural health practitioner to ensure you are aligned with your essential vitamins and minerals and nutritional needs to support your goals. How to work with me For your natural health needs and support, schedule a consultation with me. dragonspitapothecary.com/book-online

Avoiding illness has taken on a new level of awareness since the pandemic. It is a silver lining positive that came out of that situation as I believe many of us have taken for granted our health and what it means to prevent illness. Before, it was common to push through a cold under the guise of just being a little bit sick or having allergies as to not scare anyone near us. Colds and other illnesses would pass freely among our co-workers and kids at school without too much guilt. These days we are all aware of the need to stay away when we are ill and take care of ourselves more. We all relearned singing “Happy Birthday” when washing our hands. No one wants to be the person who was responsible for making the entire office sick. Each year when a new school year begins it is common to see a large number of children get sick a few weeks later. A stomach bug will wipe out a classroom or a cold will come through the office. These viruses and bugs then get passed through the family until everyone has a turn at it. These situations can easily take over a month to get through the household and get everyone feeling back to normal again. All of these illnesses can be traced to our own immunity systems response when we encounter germs, bacteria and viruses. These are not things to be eradicated necessarily as we actually need them to strengthen our immunity. In fact, over doing it with toxic cleaners, sprays and other methods to kill germs can cause a reverse effect of weakening our immune system leaving us exposed to illness. Using germs to our advantage can be key to building health strength. It is when our defenses are low that we often run into problems immediately avoiding exposure that leads to us feeling under the weather. Typically, common illnesses result from being unprepared for close encounters with others and closed environments that limit our outside time with the changes in season. Preparing our immunity for these situation is the best way to prevent illness and ensure our body is best positioned for a speedy recovery if we do encounter something. Why Digestion is Key to Immunity Health Over 70% of our health is derived from the digestive process. The immune response is directly tied to the digestive system. It is the first system to respond when there is a problem in an attempt to protect the body until homeostasis is restored. Homeostasis is the delicate balance of our body’s internal environment that works to cancel out threats to how it functions. It responds quickly to trigger responses through the body’s nervous system to signal where help is needed. When it reaches our immune system it too quickly puts into place the activities needed to respond to any form of threat to our health. All of our cells rely on the digestive system for support to their functions. Energy comes into our body through foods we eat and are processed through our digestion to extract what the body needs. When our diets lack these nutrients our body shifts to a survival mode making due with what it has and alerting you for help. Over time if these nutrients are not received the body will being to weaken and further signals for help will get louder, usually in the form of illness. The ability to use our diets as a way to promote health and well-being is not new. It is however, the most overlooked when it comes to daily living. From chewing adequately to taking in good quality foods our body needs, it all matters for digestive well-being. Sadly, too many of us have a sugar and salt addiction that prevent nutritional needs from being regularly met and our digestive system struggles to maintain proper function. This of course impacts all the dependent systems, including immunity. If you struggle regularly with cravings, heartburn, IBS and other digestive problems it is a sign you need to work on your digestive health. Starting here ensures our immune system can also improve. Including a good high quality probiotic and digestive enzymes are key. It is also an ideal time to break up with sugar, fake sugar and processed foods as those are not helping your digestive system heal. Immunity is a Year-Round Maintenance Protocol While we often think of illness as a seasonal event, preventing illness is a year-round maintenance need. If we wait until autumn to consider our immune system needs we are risking our health quite literally. Daily multi-vitamins, probiotics and digestive enzymes are cornerstone to building foundational health. A diet that contains fresh and fermented foods is also important. When our cells are supported nutritionally, our immune system is best positioned to respond regardless of season. It is also common to see movement decrease once the time changes in late Fall. As the daylight grows shorter we commonly find we have less energy and do more chilling on the sofa in the evenings. Rest is important and Fall points to our natural need for more rest. Balancing the need for rest with movement is different for everyone. Pushing yourself through tough workouts and ignoring your body’s signals are sure ways to trigger immune response. Hydration is important year round. As the weather cools however, we often turn away from water even more. We seek comfort in the form of warm foods and drinks that unfortunately do not replace what our body needs in daily water. Personally, I have found when this happens to me, if I decrease the ice in my water and add in a couple drops of essential oils I can still get in water during winter months. Using citrus oils is beneficial because it will trigger our limbic system that associates citrus with happy feelings. Aim to drink half your body weight in daily water using a non-plastic source. Immunity Protection with Back to School or Office With the return of many going back to the office and school buildings, we can once again expect a normal influx of illnesses to arise. Again, while not all of this is bad, the recent pandemic will have many returning to high alert. The use of highly toxic cleaners and disinfectants is a go-to for many as a result. This can cause weakened immunity of otherwise healthy cells. Our bodies cannot process chemicals and exposure to them, even seemingly innocent ones intended to protect us, are a threat to our health. Therefore, I really see two lines of defense needed. The first for normal illness exposure and the second against the arsenal of chemicals in popular use. For the toxic exposure to chemicals in the air, on surfaces and all around us it is vital we prepare beforehand. This is where wearing a mask may actually help you. By slowing the intake of exposure our body has a chance to build defenses against those chemicals. Long term exposure to chemicals can have devastating effects to our health, including cancers. Some tips to help are: AVOID areas where multiple chemicals are applied as much as possible WEAR a mask to minimize how much you intake through the respiratory system. Normally, I find little value in masking but when it comes to chemical exposure it at least provides a little delay in how much we breathe in and can gives us a little sense of peace in these situations. GET natural air as much as possible by stepping outside CHANGE your clothes as soon as possible to avoid skin reactions and further exposure For exposure to common illnesses, again prevention is the best medicine through our immune systems. My tips for you on this include: HYDRATE with adequate water to keep your body enabled to flush out potential threats AVOID people who are sick, appear sick or have recently said they were sick. Too often people rush back to activities without much time to completely recover. Even if they are without a fever or vaccinated, they can still be carriers to others WASH your hands frequently as well as change your change your clothes after work and school USE natural ingredient hand sanitizer and soaps (there are portable versions that make this easy to have with you) DIET matters! Eat a vitamin rich diet to ensure your body has what it needs to be prepared SLEEP well. Consistently follow a bedtime routine and support your health through sleep. It is when we sleep our body does its repair work so we are strong the next day. Top 8 immune boosting vitamins from foods When you can get your vitamins through food, you get the best for your body to process those vitamins for health. Including vitamins in our diet helps us not only manage our weight but lowers risk to our body through reducing cholesterol and blood pressure for example. It also fuels our body with what it needs to make energy. What most don’t realize is our adrenal system and emotions great improve with a good diet as well. It actually feels good to us to eat good food! The article I found from the Cleveland Clinic does an excellent job listing by vitamin the top sources found in foods. (link at bottom for the full article) Vitamin C – Spinach, Kale and dark leafy green veggies Vitamin E – Almonds, nuts, peanut butter Vitamin A – Sweet potatoes, carrots Vitamin D – Fish, whole dairy, orange juice Folate – NOTE: the synthetic version of Folate is Folic Acid – beans, lentils Iron – Tuna, beef, oysters Selenium – poultry, meats, seafood Zinc – yogurt, chickpeas Supplements and Vitamins – Do we really need all those pills? Our diets, even when we follow a relatively healthy one, often lack needed vitamins and minerals. This is the result of depletion in soil, food growth and processing systems, and mass production. While it is fantastic to get summer fruits and vegetables year round, these foods are not as natural and can lack nutrients. As a result it is necessary for the majority of people to supplement their diets with vitamins and minerals. There are many different brands, types and price points for vitamins to choose from. In fact, the vitamin industry is one of the most profitable industries in the world. When choosing vitamins these are some points to consider: Bioavailability – this is the absorption quality of the vitamin. Look for pure, natural food based ingredients for highest bioavailability Testing – look for the company website details on how they test their ingredients and where it is done to check for quality Ingredients – again check for food based ingredients and capsule ingredients that are non-GMO, vegan based containers When it comes to what vitamins you need, we are all different with personal health needs to support. In general though these are the vitamins to include in your daily routine: Multi-vitamin Probiotic Digestive Enzymes Vitamin D Omegas 3, 6, 9 Zinc Magnesium Calcium Beyond these you can personalize any additional supplements based on your needs and goals. I personally like the supplements I get through doTERRA for multi-vitamin, probiotic, digestive enzymes and calcium. These are thoroughly tested and have a money back guarantee if you don’t like them. I like the fact they are based on food ingredients and consistent. (for more information on these check out: https://doterra.me/CmlxdkCt ) For Vitamin D, choose an emuslated version, often found in chewable forms. This helps with absorption through your digestion. How to work with me For help with your natural health questions and finding support that is unique to you, schedule a consultation with me. Together we can target specific support for your health needs and goals wrapping you in nature for true healing and support. dragonspitapothecary.com/book-online Citations: 8 Vitamins & Minerals You Need for a Healthy Immune System https://health.clevelandclinic.org/eat-these-foods-to-boost-your-immune-system/

My husband recently underwent some heart procedures. While major in nature, it was the best situation we could have prayed for that will likely avoid a lot of future problems in his health. During this process, we met with several doctors and surgeons who would advise of a healthy diet, specifically a low-fat to no-fat diet as part of a heart healthy lifestyle. We took this information to heart (pun intended) but everything these doctors were advising in what a heart healthy diet looks like did not add up. The information contradicts with what it actually means to have a heart healthy diet. The words low-fat and health are on opposite ends of the spectrum. So, how does a heart patient or even anyone concerned with heart health outline a good heart healthy diet? The answer is not found in low-fat, no-fat diets and lifestyles. Where Low Fat Came From The intentions of a low-fat diet are good on the surface. They appear to make sense and seem rational. Back in the late 1980s and 1990s when heart disease and cancers were on the rise, and the emphasis was on living a good life people didn’t want to face trouble in their health. This was all following the hardships of the 1970s with double digit inflation, depressive interest rates and poor job economy, the 1980s gave way to better days and the economic tide had turned. Work changed from manufacturing to computers and technology. People wore bright clothes and big hair. Music was alive again. Despite the good though, obesity was increasing, people were not as active due to the rise of office jobs and our health was suffering from stress, inactivity and a poor diet. Keep in mind this also was the prime time for Coke and Pepsi war to find favor with consumers too. Leading scientists and doctors at the time determined fat was causing all these problems and not the fact we were less active or eating junk foods filled with sugar. Nor the fact we were increasingly depressed due to changes in lifestyle, despite the colorful clothing. Divorce and health problems rose. Manufacturers quickly began producing low-fat options and fake sugary products to help people get on the low-fat, no calorie bandwagon. Doctors began advising patients, especially those at risk for heart disease and cardiovascular conditions, to follow a low-fat eating plan. There were even commercials on TV touting how eggs were bad for you because they drove up cholesterol. This would be followed by a Coke or Pepsi commercial but what stuck was the egg message. Again, on the surface this all seemed reasonable. If you want to lose a few pounds, not put so much pressure on your heart than you lower fat. Fat makes you fat, right? What was not addressed in this time was the increase in sugar found in manufactured products and a decrease in the quality of meats, vegetables and fruits. Advances in food technology now made it possible to speed up the growing process and non-seasonal foods became available year-round. As nice as this was for consumers the resulting quality of nutrients decreased. This was also the time when dairy farms started encountering corporate farming and changes in foods fed to cows changed how milk was produced to increase their rates. It is true diseases like heart attacks and breast cancer were on the rise during this time. So, eggs, fats, cheese and other staple foods became the blame. There were commercials advising people to only eat egg whites if they had to eat an egg. We were in fear of fat. Richard Simons and Jazzercise appeared on the scene to further promote the message fat was bad and we needed to burn it off and not eat it anymore. Changing the diets of millions to a low-fat, zero calorie diet with preservatives and chemically based sugars only proved to make matters worse. Heart disease and cancers would continue to take over as the top causes of death. Obesity increased. Depression and suicide increased especially among younger adults exposed to these types of foods in their regular diet. Yet, doctors, advertisers and food producers continued to push the low-fat, zero calorie diet as a way out of this health crisis that was only getting worse. Today, over 30 years later, heart disease and cancer continue to be our top causes for death in the United States. Products continue to contain these chemically based sweeteners and fat substitutes despite the over 30 year failure of this eating plan. Doctors continue to advise and promote it as a heart healthy lifestyle. If this were true the numbers would say it works because people would not continue to suffer from obesity, heart disease and cancers like we do. We would not be an obese nation killing ourselves with chemicals and prescriptions wondering why we lack energy, cannot sleep at night, are stressed and burned out and our hearts are not beating healthy. Why Low Fat is Killing Us The lack of fat and inclusion of fake fats and sugars in their place is causing tremendous damage to our health, including our hearts and brains. Our lifestyles are actually worse off than they were in the 1980s and 1990s as a result. We have further deprived our diets from real foods with the modern invention of fake meats and pink slime meat by-products that exacerbates this situation. The soil where our vegetables and fruits grow is ridden with toxic pesticides and fertilizers to accelerate growth and volume. What is touted as healthy and good for us, especially heart patients, is actually killing us faster! Without the ability to process chemically made foods, our bodies are starved from a lack of nutrients needed to produce energy. We in turn eat more to fill that void. In the majority of situations, we consume more carbohydrates and simple sugars because of the deep addiction we have to sugar. It gives us a momentarily high relief from the stress of modern living. Feeling depleted of nutrients we then experience a slow down of metabolism, energy and mood resulting in a build up sugars stored as fat in the body. This all leads to a struggle to balance hormones and maintain a healthy weight. With it comes problems with digestion, reproduction, urinary and immunity. It leaves us in the negative for supporting heart health. When our hormones begin to struggle we find an increase in depression, anxiety, lack of sleep, nervousness and digestive problems. Our body is put into a fight or flight state where our digestive, reproductive and urinary systems are slowed so the body can focus on dealing with the stress it feels. If you ever wondered why you encounter an increase in indigestion and urinary tract infections during stress times in your life, check you hormonal response! It starts with what we are eating. The age old saying you are what you eat still means something. Every function of our body relies on food that can be broken down and processed to support cell functions. The cells support tissues, organs and body systems needed to operate every day. When those processes become clouded by chemicals instead of the fats, proteins and nutrients it needs, things no longer work like they should. This is what low-fat has done to our body. It has slowed metabolism and flooded our body with chemicals it cannot process. Sugar is known to be as addictive as narcotic drugs. It quickly shuts down and rewires our body to metabolize nutrients differently. Our taste buds change and we no longer experience food tastes like we used to and instead crave the sugar and salt based foods. The full feeling generated in our digestive system is also hindered as we are unable to trigger enough of the hormones that tell us to stop eating. Our digestive acids decrease and our digestive systems clog resulting in constipation, bloating and gas. We find increased inflammation and pain in our body too. Fake sugar is worse. Due to the chemical make up of these products, the body chemically alters how it responds to treat it like a poison. Sugar is the culprit to it all and yet Americans consume well above the daily recommended levels regularly. Even those that attempt healthy eating are victimized through poorly produced foods, processed and manufactured products that contain chemicals our body cannot process. Like any addictive behavior we must work through the withdrawal of it to find a place we can effectively break up with it. We also fall for the lie that fake sugar is better so we can have it in place of sugar. This only leaves our body starved further and chemically toxic with the inability to eliminate those chemicals. Breaking up with these chemicals is even more important to our health. In some cases addiction to these types of sweeteners is more severe than regular sugar. What Really Causes Heart Problems When our diet consists of highly processed foods, simple sugars and lack of nutrients stress is put on our body’s systems. A great deal of the sugar we eat is turned to stored fat waiting to be needed for energy. That call never comes so our body stores more and more of it each time we eat. Our body produces 1 mile of additional blood vessels for each pound we are overweight. This puts tremendous strain on our lymphatic, blood and heart systems. Oxygen is deprived, metabolism slowed and everything essential slows down and no longer works well. Once our immune system begins to waver under the pressure to resolve these problems, we find symptoms begin to be noticed. Heart palpitations, shortness of breath, skin coloring changes, a lack of energy, decrease in dopamine, and overall decrease in health. Among all of this our brain is suffering from a lack of necessary fats and hydration to support our body’s functions and systems. Diet sodas do not substitute for the need of water our body and brain requires daily. When we do not feel well, most of us turn to our practitioners where we are prescribed medications to compensate for these symptoms our brain further struggles to recover and support proper function. The medicines begin to do it for us, until our organs (heart) give up. How the American Heart Healthy Diet Differs from that of India’s Heart Healthy Diet Since the American Heart Association is the primary pusher of the low-fat diet as heart healthy, I did some research. As an experiment I looked at other countries versions of the heart healthy diet. Admittedly, I thought I would find similar messaging. The differences were shocking! It did not take me long at all to find stark differences between the diets. In this example, I compared what is known as the Hindu Heart Diet to that of the American Heart Association. The Hindu heart diet specifically recommended fresh dark leafy green vegetables, grapes, and berries whereas the American diet said to use low sodium and chemically lined canned, frozen or fresh vegetables and fruits. The only oil mentioned in the Hindu diet was olive oil and eating fresh avocados, the American diet listed several kinds of oils, including margarine and canola. Flaxseed was noted in the Hindu diet, but fish noted in the American diet. Both diets contained nuts and beans. The Hindu diet spent a great deal more time describing why walnuts and beans were so important and the American diet simply mentioned them in a brief list among other things. What I find most interesting is the use of fresh targeted whole foods in the Hindu diet. It sounds much more in line with healing and vitality support. No mention of portion control was mentioned either. The American diet contained many notes about eating smaller portions, focusing on low fat and less sodium, while allowing for the occasional treat of candy or potato chips! This information was found in the Mayo Clinic’s information and other sources I reviewed, which quite frankly shocked me. It is of little wonder our American diet is in shambles, and our cardiovascular health in dire straits compared to other developed nations. How to get the Good Fats Back in Our Diet Even if you are not a heart patient, improving our diet can prevent a multitude of health problems. While there are many diets out there, I believe a simple and basic approach is best so we can personalize it to our specific needs and preferences. Here are the foundational steps to consider: Drink water. Aim for 1/2 of your body weight daily. Avoid plastic stored water. Where possible opt for filtered or high quality osmosis water . Reduce caffeine. All kinds. In the majority of coffees there is mold that can be dangerous to our health. Additionally, many of us use a sweetener in the form of sugar or sugar infused milks for our coffees. Increase your fresh fruit and vegetable intake. Avoid canned and processed versions that can contain sugar and salt for longer shelf life. Eat fermented foods such as pickles, olives, pickled beets and more. These types of foods increase your digestive enzymes and improve overall functions that influence immunity, urinary, reproductive and adrenal health. That in turn reduces the flight or flight responses from stress and heart can beat normally again. Sleep. Most Americans are not sleeping enough or well. Intentionally work to improve your sleep to get 7 to 8 hours regularly. Our body heals while we sleep and you need that long for it to rebuild many of the necessary cells to support energy. Supplement. Use a high quality pure natural based multi-vitamin, probiotic, digestive enzyme and basic vitamin C, D and Magnesium. Your body needs these vitamins to support functions and often we do not get enough from our diets. Slow down and chew. Most American meals last 10 minutes. This is not nearly enough time for chewing and digesting foods to allow the digestive system to work well. Spend more time chewing so when you swallow your stomach is not producing unprocessed foods that result in heartburn, upset stomach and other problems. Move. You do not need to work out multiple hours a day but you do need more movement overall. This can be a simple walk around the neighborhood, swim, yoga, or anything else that gets you moving. Make it fun, find something you look forward to doing. Simply get up from your desk and stroll around frequently is a huge improvement. Avoid the processed, bagged, convenient foods. This one is a bit more work but the effort will significantly improve your health. Find what works for you in preparing, planning and enjoying the process of making your meals. Discover your taste buds by experimenting with foods that you may not have tasted in a while or that are new to you. Use Himalayan or Celtic salt instead of table salt. For Natural Health Support Improving our diets to support health is needed by most of us. The lies we have been told about what healthy eating looks like has led many of us down roads of obesity and illnesses. If you are interested in finding solutions that work personally for you, let’s chat. I help clients personalize their healthcare with nature. Together we develop the plan and protocols that help you rebuild your health and take control of where it goes next. The choice is entirely yours. Book your consultation services at dragonspitapothecary.com/book-online Citations: Berge, Ann F. Oxford Academic. (2008 February 23) How the Ideology of Low Fat Conquered America. Retrieved, February 19, 2022, from: https://academic.oup.com/jhmas/article/63/2/139/772615?login=false Frontline. PBS. (2004 April 8) Did the Low-Fat Era Make Us Fat? Retrieved, February 19, 2022, from: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/diet/themes/lowfat.html#:~:text=During%20the%201990s%2C%20the%20low-fat%20craze%20changed%20the,2001%2C%20one-third%20of%20the%20American%20population%20was%20overweight. Madormo, Carrie. The List. (2016 October 28) The Truth About Low Fat Diets. Retrieved, February 19, 2022, from: https://www.thelist.com/29186/truth-low-fat-diets/ Ohlson, Kristin. Experience Life. (2017 December 1) The Trouble with Artificial Sweeteners. Retrieved, February 23, 2022, from: https://experiencelife.lifetime.life/article/poor-substitutes/ Purohit, Vikas. Mishra, Sundeep. US National Library of Medicine. (2018 January). The Truth About Artificial Sweeteners – Are They Good for Diabetics? Retrieved, February 23, 2022, from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5903011/ Uniyal, Parmita. Hindustan Times. (2022 February 4). Here’s a list of foods to maintain heart health. Retrieved, February 12, 2022, from: https://www.hindustantimes.com/lifestyle/health/heres-a-list-of-foods-to-maintain-heart-health-101643969184035.html Mayo Clinic Staff. Mayo Clinic (n.d.) Heart Healthy diet: 8 Steps to prevent heart disease. Retrieved, February 12, 2022, from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/in-depth/heart-healthy-diet/art-20047702

It’s unladylike and we don’t do that! This was what I remember of a nun in my 3rd grade math class telling us girls about manners. In this particular lesson it was about farting, because some poor little girl let one go while practicing our long division. She spent the rest of class in the corner, after being laughed at by her classmates and scolded by the teacher. She probably has never farted again publicly in her life. I am of a generation where girls were taught you don’t fart. Even if you are not from this same age, I’m betting you avoid doing so too at all costs. It’s just something us gals learn not do early on in life. Certainly not where anyone can hear or smell it. We also don’t do number 2 in public. Ever. Good Housekeeping in their 2017 article, says its because our glucose levels change when we are at home and are comfortable pooping in our own toilet. Another article I found said it’s called toilet anxiety. While interesting theories, as a woman I can assure it is because we are taught this in words and examples that it is simply something you don’t do. Additionally, we are taught the hover move so as to never sit on a public toilet seat. This of course makes any need to poop while in this position an incredibly uncomfortable ordeal. It is already quite a situation to urinate this way. I never understood these manners, or where they came from, but it was just what you did to fit in and not call attention to yourself. Fitting in is hard enough as a kid so adding embarrassing needs of farting and pooping are sure bets you won’t be included in anything. Those patterns stick too. I, like many women, accepted this and became super conscious about it as I needed to fart or have a bowel movement and wasn’t somewhere alone. This was so engrained in my thinking that I would purposely hold it and feel miserable for hours, and even days, until I could be in my home or hotel room bathroom alone. My digestive system and health would pay for price for these excellent manners too. In addition to not having body needs in public, we also don’t talk about them. It’s embarrassing and no one needs to know about it. So we don’t. We suffer with constipation, bloating, discomfort, diarrhea, heartburn and more in silence with our pent up farts for fear of shame and being sent to the corner like my former classmate. I write this post in honor of that little girl in the corner and the millions of us who have learned directly or indirectly that women don’t fart or poop in public places. Our physical and emotional health are impacted by how we feel and treat our body. Our response to farting and pooping in public is no exception. -AMY KRAMER How Digestion Works In a healthy digestive system, food is chewed well and processed through our stomach and intestines to feed our cells. We intake water to fully hydrate these processes so they can process the foods and get things where they need to be timely. Waste is collected and eliminated. This happens daily and is necessary to ensure our body is operating well. It’s a well made system designed to support us. When a digestive system doesn’t work well, multiple things reliant on this system also don’t work well. If our digestive system doesn’t work well we introduce risk to our immune system, adrenals and vital organs. If we’re lucky it is a case of constipation or mild heartburn, but over time, we are essentially poisoning ourselves. For example, if you don’t poop daily, that waste gets reabsorbed into your body. Yep, the full of crap saying comes from this very disturbing process of reabsorption because we were told it isn’t polite and ladylike to poop in public restrooms. The good news is we can rebuild a healthy digestive system. We can re-establish a thriving operation that supports our overall health and helps us eliminate symptoms like bloating, discomfort and more. It begins, particularly for us women, admitting we are human and have human functions. This requires us to release all those stupid manners we were taught about girls not farting or pooping too. I heard you gasp! This may cause some of you to stop reading right here. That is too much I know. I still struggle with it too but hear me out. I’m not saying we must turn into animals and be like men who joke about it or make it theatrical production. Rather, I’m suggesting we admit we’re human first and foremost. As a result, we admit our body has needs and we have to and need to honor them better than we have been to this point. Start with this and see your body as more than an annoying negative element when it cries out for relief or support. It truly is not trying to slow you down, make things more fussy and complicated or be in your way. Your body is trying to do all it can to help you do what you’re doing and feel your best on the way. That means it needs to get rid of things it doesn’t need. It’s a good healthy beginning in learning to love our body too. Let’s face it the more we use things like holding back what our body needs it feeds into the negative feelings we can have about ourselves. This type of messaging influences our body outlook, causes body shaming and negativity about how we feel, talk to and describe our body. There are enough things in the world that try to shame us about size, weight, shape, color and more to measure against some unrealistic beauty standards. Let’s stop adding to all that with how we talk about ourselves to our body. All of this also means we stop passing on silly things to our daughters and young women about being embarrassed about their bodies too! The Bad Stuff Happening in Your Digestion America is known as the fast food empire of the world. We do everything fast, including eating. Most meals are consumed in 10 minutes or less. This is efficient and convenient so we can return to our activities and obligations. This however, is the root of many digestive problems we regularly experience. When you do not thoroughly chew your food, as in more than 2 chews before swallowing, you are putting large chunks of food down your esophagus and into your stomach. Your stomach must then work double time to break it down. The enzymes of your mouth saliva were not used to help in that process so your stomach has to use what it has to try to compensate for that. Over time this breaks down your stomach acid, lining and protective processes and our stomach hurts from eating. We get bloated, heartburn or even vomit. Food does not go down well. We develop intolerances and even allergies from it too. When we take antacids and other over the counter medications we further inhibit the production of stomach acids and digestive enzymes that work to digest foods complicating this problem further. From there, our small intestine further breaks down food, but if we’re taking over the counter or prescription antacids, the acids in the small intestine don’t respond to food that needs work. They stop producing the enzymes to the amount they need because these medications block that trigger from occurring. This causes bloating, build up and dehydration because more water is needed to help break down food into cell energy and waste. Our large intestine also suffers because at this point it is clogged with hard waste to try to move out and eliminate. If we don’t consume enough water this is further compounded by the hardness in our stool. Any water we do have in our body is taken to support vital processes. That includes taking it from our waste sitting in the intestine. Remember my comment earlier about poisoning ourselves? Here we are. Toxic waste and fluids being reabsorbed because our body needs to use what it has to try to continue functioning. When we hold in gas or avoid pooping, this is another way these toxic wastes are reabsorbed into our blood to support functions that are struggling. We force our bodies to redirect bodily needs and this in turn disrupts operations. This leads to fatigue, immune risk for illnesses, further digestive problems, and just feeling like crap. It all sounds awful doesn’t it? Yet, many of us will put our bodies through this experience regularly. We then pile on stress, poor diet, lack of water, lack of exercise, poor sleep, too much caffeine and then wonder why we are struggling to get through the afternoon slump, not sleeping well, or irritable. Who wouldn’t be all those things and a few others given this?! All of it is controllable and preventable when we listen to what our body is saying it needs and do our best to provide it. What Your Stomach is Saying The grumbling, rumbling, bloating, gassy feelings, burning sensation and more are messages. They are SOS alerts from your stomach that it needs support. Ignoring them will only make them louder and you may even feel them elsewhere in your body, like swollen ankles, fatigue, depression and anxiety. Not to mention acne and breakouts! Yes! What you see on your face is a direct correlation to what is occurring in your digestive system. Deciphering these messages is key to starting to rebuild our health, specially in digestion first and that will influence our other body systems too. If you get your digestion working well, everything else does truly fall in place. For example, if you are regularly bloated or have swelling, check how much water you are drinking daily. Most people are not drinking enough. The recommended 64 ounces a day is the minimum we need too. The recommended is actually 1/2 your body weight every single day. This ensures proper hydration for your body to function, including in the digestive process. It also helps reduce swelling and bloating. If you have regular breakouts, check what’s going on in your digestive system. It is all tied together my friend. This is where working with a natural health practitioner will help you the most. They will focus on what is happening all around your body and build the connections to where it is stemming from. In the majority of situations, it is the digestive system. Our digestive system is responsible for 70-75% of our overall health condition. They will work with you to personalize a plan to resolve it, heal it, build it and feel better. If you have not worked with a natural health practitioner before, be sure to read my blog posts about what it means and what to expect. What to Expect When You Work with a Natural Health Practitioner: https://www.dragonspitapothecary.com/post/what-to-expect-working-with-a-natural-health-practitioner Is Natural Healthcare Right for You? https://www.dragonspitapothecary.com/post/is-natural-healthcare-right-for-you Changing the Women’s Digestive Manners Now that you know how poor these strange digestive manners are to our health, let’s make it ok to acknowledge we need to care for our bodies better. Let’s stop shaming our bodies for being normal functioning beings who need things. Let’s stop teaching our daughters through our words and actions, that women don’t fart or poop. We do and they need to as well. It’s healthy. It’s loving to our body. It’s human. To the little girl who cried about farting in math class, while she stood in the corner. I’m sorry. I’m sorry for all those years of abuse I gave to my body as a result of so-called manners that harmed my health. I’m sorry I ever let myself become one of those women who don’t fart or poop because I believed it wasn’t ladylike. I may still not be entirely comfortable pooping in a public restroom or letting a fart go openly, but I acknowledge my body’s needs are important and do all I can to support it in a loving way. Make that same promise to your body and start rebuilding your relationship with you that includes what your body needs to be healthy. How to work with me I am now accepting new clients who are interested in natural healthcare support. Schedule your consultation at dragonspitapothecary.com/book-online Citations: Good Housekeeping: https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/news/a46741/why-you-cant-poop-in-public/ How Stuff Works: https://health.howstuffworks.com/mental-health/anxiety/why-public-toilet-bathroom-poop-anxiety.htm

Our bodies have a continual goal of being in a state of homeostasis. This is where our body, mind and spirit are most aligned in harmony for supporting optimal health and well-being. It is the sweet spot where things are working properly on their own and we feel good. The struggle comes in that homeostasis is constantly under threat from things like our environment, stress, diet, sleep and lifestyle. This delicate balance has response mechanisms that help rebalance and react to these conditions, but even they can encounter limits. This is where understanding homeostasis provides us a pathway to supporting this balance and helping our systems regain this position when there are challenges to it. What is Homeostasis? Envision a bar laid out on top of the point of a triangle. The balance point where that bar is level is where homeostasis is created. This process is our regulation control system of the body’s environment to ensure everything is performing as it should optimally. When something comes into our body’s environment it is a variable that can tip that balance to a negative that our body needs to respond on. Imagine you are standing outside and get chilly. Our body gets the message and produces a response. This in turn looks like the goosebumps we feel on our arms and the action to put on a jacket. Our homeostasis process is triggering all the responses inside the body to re-establish that balance across all our systems. The body does all it can to negate the variable that’s been picked up in its environment and return the bar to this perfect position as quickly as possible. Homeostasis is a negative feedback loop structure. As variables in our body’s environment occur the change is detected by a receptor (goosebumps) that transmits the messages to the control center of our body (homeostasis). From here, we see information sent along the pathways to trigger the effector process to address the problem (cell response to warm body and putting on a sweater). The response feed to the control sensor tells it how big a problem it is and if more help is needed. The stimulus of the process works to negate the variable (the bar being rebalanced over the triangle). There are physical, emotional and spirit homeostasis influences that occur in our body all the time. Our homeostasis state is a combination of all three of these pillars in our health. It is essential for our survival. When Our Normal is Not in Homeostasis The body is a complex organism capable of adapting to a number of situations. It is well equipped to respond to threats, protecting us from dangers and changing to fit in our environments. In all of this it strives to maintain that delicate balance point of homeostasis. It is entirely possible for instance, to change our diets completely and rebalance a homeostasis state based on that change. On a large and small scale, our bodies adapt and change with the experiences it encounters every day. When we live in high stress situations, have an improper diet, poor lifestyle habits or prolonged chronic illness, our homeostasis also changes. This is where we can encounter a negative impact to homeostasis process that exhausts our systems and our body is not able to rebalance or regulate the changes to keep us going at full speed. The body will create some form of homeostasis, but in these types of situations that balance point may be askew. This is where we start to see the impact of this imbalance in how we feel physically, emotionally and in our spirit. When I hear a client say they are always tired, including waking up tired, there are a number of reasons this could be happening. Are they going to bed at a consistent time each day? Do they sleep through the night? What is their diet like? Are they drinking enough water? All of these factors contribute to our quality of sleep, but at the core is that their homeostasis is also off balance because the body cannot regulate its sleep patterns. Addressing the contributing factors, those closest to this issue of fatigue, is where we begin to rebuild that balance. How to Know if Your Homeostasis is Well This answer comes down to how you feel. Do you consider yourself healthy? Are we carrying extra weight? Do we suffer from depression? How is our diet? Do we drink enough water every day? All of these factors contribute to the state of our homeostasis. Being honest about our health and lifestyle is where we really understand how well we are doing. This is where working with a natural health practitioner can help you look at your health from the lenses of a whole picture. If you take prescription or over the counter medication it can block your receptors of homeostasis so while you feel good it may not mean necessarily your homeostasis state is in balance. Medications often mimic the functions we need our body to do and overtime they may stop doing their job. Our bodies are very efficient in how they produce and use energy in this way. The risk is long term our bodies may need to restart functions they haven’t used in a while and this can add to our healing time overall. How to Rebuild Homeostasis Again, because our bodies were made to be adaptable, it is entirely possible to re-establish a positive homeostasis state. Doing so, presents health improvements not only in our physical body but emotionally and in our spirit as well. It is usually best to start with the foundations of health. The good news is most of these are low-cost and low-impact to our daily lives. Working with a natural health practitioner can help support and coach you through making these changes. The foundations of health mean we are focusing on basic things like improving our sleep, hydration, diet, movement and mindset. While these are not quick changes necessarily they do support healing and rebuilding our body’s ability to self-regulate through homeostasis. One big factor in homeostasis health is managing stress. We all have stress and it unfortunately does not go away often on its own. Stress puts our body in the fight or flight response actions that keep homeostasis from resetting. It truly is necessary to find the strategies that work in each of our lives for managing an appropriate level of stress. Avoiding it unfortunately also doesn’t work long term. The impact of stress is felt throughout our body and can have severe impacts to our health state. Digestion and Homeostasis Our digestive system is directly aligned to our homeostasis state. It is through our digestion that we process food into the energy our body needs to get through each day. If our digestive system is not working well, or has problems, it impacts our other body systems quickly by triggering the homeostasis processes to respond. For example, it is very common that our skin reflects what is going on in our digestion. So if we are regularly experiencing heartburn it can show up as acne, rashes, dryness and more. Healing our digestive system is at the heart of many building foundational good health. These changes include slowing down when we eat, improving what we eat and supporting the digestive system as naturally as possible. The biggest change that cost nothing to improve our digestion is by chewing slowly. Americans are known for their fast food and quick meals. We have busy lives that do not always align with having leisurely homecooked meals. We also do not eat a great deal of raw foods, such as fruits and vegetables. All of this means, our digestive systems do a lot of extra work to process all that we are not upfront helping it do well. Most people would benefit from using a probiotic and digestive enzyme supplement to help improve digestive processes. Using these as tools while we make changes in how we eat is the key to rebuilding leaky gut and digestive problems like heartburn. Additionally, these tools help us digest foods properly to ensure they are broken down into what we need and get to our cells. Where digestion and homeostasis work together is when our cells are receiving nutrients and our body, through homeostasis, is not responding for calls for help. If our digestion is serving our cells it means there is not need for homeostasis interruption to deal with upset tummies, digestive discomforts and things like bloating. Endocrine System and Homeostasis The endocrine system is where our hormones and emotions are managed. This system is responsible for interacting with our nervous system, digestion and all the functions where we feel hormonal shifts and emotional changes. Many people develop endocrine system issues such as adrenal fatigue that go undiagnosed and treated. Stress is a main factor impacting endocrine health and function. If our hormones are not properly regulated there can be further impacts to our reproductive system, digestion, immune system and thyroid function. It is here we see many thyroid issues arise for people too. The main treatment of thyroid malfunction is a hormonal replacement medication. That medication does not treat the root cause however and can lead to other health concerns. Where the endocrine system and homeostasis work together is in response to our flight or fight stress triggers. Stress has a direct impact to the balance of our homeostasis. This is why taking time to rest, exercise, and release stress is so vital. Here we are looking at gentle exercises especially if our systems are already exhausted. Using methods like meditation, yoga, and massage therapies can help us find that re-balancing of homeostasis. In particular I like the doTERRA AromaTouch service that through the use of their essential oils to the spine in an orchestrated gentle massage like touch it can bring about a homeostasis balance. Cardiovascular and Homeostasis Like the other 2 body systems I’ve discussed, the cardiovascular system also has a direct tie to homeostasis. Regulating our blood pressure, ensuring cholesterol is doing a good job repairing things and not just piling up is not easy feat given our lifestyles. Maintaining good cardiovascular health is important and that is best seen through our homeostasis. Here too we can see the direct impacts of poor lifestyle, diet and stress that hurt our health long term. Preventing cardiovascular problems is much easier than fixing them when they occur. Using our indicators of homeostasis is where we can directly leverage improvements to our cardiovascular health. This is done through small changes in our lifestyle that work to improve our sleep, hydration, diet, and stress levels. How to work with me For help improving your homeostasis, it is important to work with a natural health practitioner you trust. They will work with you to develop a plan that is right for you and lets you decide how fast or slow you want to go. They will also help you build the foundations for lifestyle that work within your life and budget. To work with me, schedule a consultation at dragonspitapothecary.com/book-online

Most of us have a few or more vitamin bottles around the house. Vitamins make us feel like we are doing something to take care of ourselves even if nothing else in our life actually may look like it at the moment. With a vitamin we can be assured we did something and it all matters when we talk about our health. While most of us find the process of purchasing vitamins attractive and meaningful are they worth it? The average household spends between $60 to over $100 on vitamins and supplements every month. Industry profits are expected to exceed $196 Billion by 2028. Everyone buys and uses vitamins and supplements. Despite the numbers though, there is still debate on if we should even be taking vitamins, what they do for us and if it is worth it. What a vitamin does Our bodies need 13 vitamins and about 15 minerals for its health support of functions. These are essential to our very life. It is easy to become depleted in a specific vitamin or mineral due to stress, diet, and lifestyle. These vitamins and minerals are needed daily to support our body, mind and spirits needs for converting them to energy, performing repairs and supporting all of our needs and functions. Before vitamins were big business and formed into swallowable capsules, tasty gummies and liquids they were found in their original forms. Vegetation, fruit, roots, meats, sunshine and water gave early societies these essential vitamins and minerals. Food was pure, homegrown, untouched by chemical, watered without toxic water and fertilized by nature. It was a simple process and people consumed all they needed in their diet through this form. As the world evolved, technology and automation was implemented and people left farms for other work, food changed. Processes were needed to produce a growing population and transportation made it easier to send food around the world. This opened up the ability to eat out of season food as well as try flavors from the globe. As these advances continued our food changed even more to become more convenient to support our refocused lives and way of living. In the course of these changes, we realized our diets were no longer providing all the vitamins and minerals we needed. People were experiencing diseases, illnesses and growth challenges that indicated something wasn’t working right. This introduced the necessity and convenience of vitamins. Vitamins and supplements contain enzymes and hormones that help our body organs, nerves, immunity and more function optimally. Without this support, we can be susceptible to illnesses and diseases. If we cannot get these elements from our diets, we can supplement for them with vitamins. The preferred way to obtain vitamins and minerals is through our diet. The old adage you are what you eat relates to the vitamins and minerals we need to be active, breathe, consume information, process stress and eliminate waste. If our bodies do not receive these regular intervals of vitamins and minerals functions do not perform as well for very long. Our cells do not reproduce, we lack energy, are depressed or moody and do not feel well overall. Why take vitamins Taking a vitamin is intended to supplement a healthy lifestyle. They fill in the gaps from our diet where certain vitamin and mineral levels are less than ideal and needed for optimal body performance. This can happen as a result of access to quality foods, stress, and more. Additionally, since our food system has so many points where over processing, chemicals are introduced and preservatives added many natural vitamins and minerals are taken out of foods. Where most people misunderstand vitamins is in thinking it replaces a poor lifestyle and diet. You cannot supplement your way out of poor dietary habits. Vitamins can help build health but it truly is up to each of us individually to be taking the actions to create health. Ensuring we are eating nutritious foods and drinking good quality water are still the cornerstones of health. Choosing to take a vitamin ensures gaps in any vitamins and minerals you need are filled. It is like insurance for your car and home. With the state of food quality, vitamins are needed to ensure we do not create gaps too. The Quality of Your Vitamin Matters There are numerous brands, types and forms of vitamins on the market. Every basic store carries vitamins as well as many online stores. Prices also vary based on brand, type and form so it is easy to see why many get overwhelmed at what vitamin to choose. Ingredients is by far the most important factor to consider. Ensuring a natural whole food vitamin provides the closest match possible between a vitamin and your dietary food needs for vitamins and minerals. Many vitamins are chemically produced and flavored so while the label says they contain the essentials, your body cannot process chemically made ingredients so they are worthless. Check the label, do your research and talk to your natural health practitioner. Many natural health practitioners use professional natural products and have access to high quality vitamins you can purchase. Their guidance is invaluable when looking for good vitamins and finding one of quality right for your needs. As far as capsule, chewable, gummy or liquid forms of vitamins these are comparable as long as quality of ingredients is included. Use the form that best works for you. Price is a consideration so please work with your natural health practitioner on options and brands to get the best that fits into your budget. The Basic Vitamins – Multivitamins There are so many different types of vitamins that it can be challenging to know what you should take and what you need. Your natural health practitioner can perform tests such as muscle testing, biofeedback and urinalysis to help identify specific nutritoinal gaps. For basics, a good multi-vitamin is a great place to start. Again, look for a whole food natural product that best aligns to dietary foods. If you purchase no other vitamin, a multi-vitamin helps ensure the basics are covered. Beyond multi-vitamins we look at you specifically and what your health is needing. There are some common themes we see such as: Omega-3 Calcium Magnesium Probiotics CoQ10 Vitamin D Holy Basil Your natural health practitioner will use your health information to work with you on a plan to identify supplements that may be of use to you beyond the multi-vitamin. Focused Supplements Once the basics are covered, vitamins can be considered for specific health goals and needs. For example, someone experiencing recurring colds and flus may benefit from a boost in their immunity supporting vitamins such as Zinc. Another person considering pregnancy may benefit from additional folic acids. This is where having an honest conversation with natural health practitioner can be beneficial so you don’t end up with a cabinet of vitamins you really don’t need. In most cases, we don’t need to take focused supplements for long. These can be used as we need them as a preventative and supportive aspect of our health care. Continuing to take a vitamin we really don’t need ends up being washed from our system with minimal benefit. Given the cost of vitamins this a sincere consideration to know you only take what you need when you need it. Frequency of vitamins – do you really need to take them every day? For basic vitamin needs, such as multi-vitamins, the answer is yes. Taking them daily at about the same time daily matters. This assures your body the ability to plan it’s needs around the next anticipated delivery of vitamins and minerals so it can operate. For specialized supplements, follow the labeling on the bottle. Work with your natural health practitioner on duration and support knowing when to resume them in the future. There are vitamins that work best at nighttime instead of morning too. This is because most of our repairs, cell regeneration and absorption of vitamins occurs when we are sleeping. I advise my clients that any vitamin that supports detoxification, cell regeneration or repairs to take at bedtime or after the evening meal. For vitamins that seem to upset the stomach after taking them, check the ingredients. This can be a sign they are not naturally derived and you are having a reaction to it. Follow the label instructions if it advises taking with food. Always take vitamins with plenty of water to allow them to breakdown appropriately in your digestive system. How to find out what we need beyond that Working with a natural health practitioner to look at your whole health state and goals is key to identifying the right vitamins and supplements. Together you can outline a plan that fits your needs, interest and budget. Using vitamins and supplements to support our health helps us build foundational health that is optimal and can endure the things we bring into our body and life daily. How to work with me To work with me as your natural health practitioner, please visit my website to schedule a consultation. I’m always happy to help answer your questions and help those interested in supporting their health more naturally. dragonspitapothecary.com/book-online Citations: Statistica. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1086289/us-consumers-vitamins-and-supplements-spend-by-generation/ N.A. Fortune Business Insights. (2021 May). Vitamins and Supplements Market Size, Share and COVID-19 Impact Analysis. Retrieved, February 21, 2022, from: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/vitamins-and-supplements-market-104051 Goodman, Brenda. WebMD. (2013 December 16). Experts: Don’t Waste Your Money on Multivitamins. Retrieved, February 21, 2022, from: https://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/news/20131216/experts-dont-waste-your-money-on-multivitamins#1#:~:text=%22Research%20shows%20that%20the%20two%20main%20reasons%20people,provides%20reason%20for%20people%20to%20take%20a%20multivitamin.%22 Jalili, Thunder. Health University of Utah. (2020 February 4) Do Those Supplements Actually Work? Retrieved, February 21, 2022, from: https://healthcare.utah.edu/the-scope/shows.php?shows=0_1dum7dno

Natural health offers a variety of foundational health support that can not only help us with current health concerns, but supports overall health and well-being. It is not the same as visiting your primary care physician and many are surprised to see there are so many differences. From cost to service, natural health continues to a source of advocacy, solution and realistic support in helping you feel your best. It is important to understand that at the core of why this happens is your natural health practitioner is looking at root causes to support your whole body, mind, and spirit. They are concerned at what is a discomfort for you, but they are looking wider and deeper at how to support that while addressing prevention and support you as an entire person. That is something allopathic healthcare has simple never been able to accomplish. As you prepare to look for and include natural health support in your healthcare journey, these are some things to know and consider. What Services are Available This of course varies depending on the type of natural health practitioner you are seeing. Like doctors, some are very specialized or focus on a specific area. Most however are general and can help with a lot of different types of problems and health needs. You can see a natural health practitioner for things like: Skin problems Health concerns and problems Lifestyle change coaching Diet and weight support Sleep issues Emotional and behavioral support needs Maintaining good health help Pain and discomfort Stress and anxiety concerns and more! Natural health practitioners are here to help you find solutions to health questions, problems and goals that are based in nature. The aim is to find the most natural means available to support vitality and good health. We focus on the body as a whole. This means while we address current discomfort you may be experiencing, we are looking at what that discomfort is not only doing physically but emotionally and spiritually as well. We look beyond the discomfort to find the root cause and help you find a way to heal from the inside-out. You can see both your doctor and a natural health practitioner. It is important to advise your doctor of all supplements you are taking, including natural ones. Natural health should compliment any care you are receiving from your doctor. In many cases, once a person begins using a natural health practitioner they find the conversations with their doctor to be much more meaningful and in-depth. That’s because you learn what’s going on in your body and understand there may be more than one way to support and resolve that need. Cost Most natural health services and products are not covered by insurance plans or health savings accounts. This means you will likely encounter an out of pocket expense for your consultations and products. While this may seem like a barrier to using these services, also consider that most natural health care services are significantly less than an office visit to your primary care doctor. On average you can expect a consultation to cost $0 – $200 per visit. Yes really in some cases it is $0.00. Most natural health practitioners are more than happy to answer a question or two for you before booking a consultation. Also, your services are much more than a quick 10 minute visit as you’ll soon read about below. The information you receive through a consultation is so much more robust than any doctor’s office you ever visited. Who Can Use Natural Health Services The wonderful part of natural health is it is available for everyone from the very young to old. There is no age restrictions unless set by the natural health practitioner. For children, the parent or guardian will be asked to be present through all consultations and services. Natural health is for anyone seeking a more natural option in their health care journey. We believe the body has abilities to heal itself and our role is to support those needs and promote self-healing. By focusing on preventative health we can avoid many illnesses and diseases. We can also support many illnesses and diseases with natural means that compliment a doctor’s care plan. If you are victim of abuse or other trauma, it is also acceptable for you to have another person you feel safe with in the consultation with you at all times. You are in control of your consultation. Finding the Right Practitioner for You There are many natural health practitioner types from holistic healers, lifestyle coaches, traditional naturopaths and more working in the space of natural health. Doing your research on the type of service you are interested in and what your needs are can help you find the right practitioner. It is important to get to know your practitioner and have trust in them. If you feel uncomfortable, pressured to buy products or it just doesn’t feel right, then they are not the one for you. Service Settings Many natural health services can be delivered in an office setting or store. There will be rooms for client consultations where your privacy is provided. Just like doctor offices, natural health offers many services that can be done through the Internet using Zoom or another service. Check with your natural health practitioner before booking to see if these are options. There can be a cost difference for online versus in-person as well. There are usually websites where you can book your appointment, fill out intake forms and pay for your services and products. Check with your natural health practitioner to see what they offer. Before Your Visit It is common to receive a form asking for information in advance of your appointment with a natural health practitioner. These forms provide insight about you, your health care state, interests and health goals. If you can return these forms prior to your visit, do it. That will give your practitioner time to review them and be prepared with questions during your appointment. There will be a lot of common information you would expect to provide to a doctor asked for on these forms. Describing your current concerns, medications, supplements, and history are common. In addition to the basics however, are questions about your stress, diet, sleep and other about your information. Additionally, there will be questions about how you feel. As in how you really feel and we do really care about those answers. You are more than just your physical body and knowing how you feel is important to helping serve you the best we can. Be aware there will be some questions that you could be embarrassed to answer. Such as how often you have a bowel movement and what it looks like typically. These questions are important to understand how your body is functioning and if there is something going on that aligns with the concern you are experiencing. The more complete you can fill out these forms, the more value you will see from your appointment. You may be asked to not brush your teeth 30 minutes prior to the appointment and to avoid gums and mints. This is to help with any analysis needed of your tongue. Additionally, if you can avoid wearing perfumes and nail polish this is also helpful in looking at your skin and emotional health. Your First Visit If people knew what I’m about to tell you, then I cannot imagine anyone ever agreeing to sit more in a doctor’s waiting room than they do with the doctor ever again. This is where care and service really come alive in a natural health practice. You can expect to spend 45 minutes to 1.5 hours in your first consultation appointment with a natural health practitioner. This is significantly longer than any doctor will spend with you in their office! Most people are surprised this time duration but once you realize the amount covered in this time you’ll know why. The information forms you completed will be used to review with you what’s going on with your health and where you would like help and support. Several questions will be asked as analysis is done to triangulate body systems and symptoms to your concerns. This is extensive and will take time to go through together. We want to hear from you, in your words what’s going on and how it is impacting your health. All information shared is private. Additionally, your goals, lifestyle and other questions will be asked to determine what else could be influencing your concerns. This information also helps determine if there are other potential risks that need support. This is a great forum to ask questions, any questions you have about natural health. Your natural health practitioner may ask you to do some tests, like a urine test. They may also perform muscle response testing, biofeedback testing or other non-invasive test. Unlike a visit to your doctor’s lab, these tests are usually included in your visit charge. Depending on complexity, you may not get all the answers in your first visit. All information collected in your consultation will be used to develop recommendations to help you. Your natural health practitioner will use the information gathered to research sources and confirm their observations. It may take some time to build all that information, but they will send it to you within a couple days of your visit if that is occurs. You are able to ask any questions you think of during and after the consultation. Again, we are interested in helping you and do not mind questions. At the end of the consultation, your natural health practitioner will propose a follow-up visit to see how you are doing with the recommendations made and work with you on further health needs and interests. Please know a natural health practitioner cannot diagnose or prescribe. They will not advise you to stop following your doctor’s orders or prescription medications. Any changes to your current doctor defined health care plan need to be worked out with your doctor. The Plan After your consultation information and research is done, your natural health practitioner will review with you their observations and thoughts. They will also provide you with any resources they used and public articles for more information. Together, you will work out a plan that feels good to you and is directly aligned to the concerns you expressed in your information. They will then recommend what they think may help you. Unlike your doctor’s visit where you walk out with a couple new prescriptions, your natural health practitioner will look for the least expensive and most natural options. This can be as basic as working to increase your water intake daily to taking a supplement. They may also recommend additional services such as massage, acupressure, red-light therapy or acupuncture and acupressure. Again, here we see a distinct difference in cost and service from your regular doctor’s visit. This experience truly puts you in the controls of your health and determining what is right for you. Following Up A day or two after your appointment, expect a call or text from your natural health practitioner. This is our chance to check in with you about your consultation visit and if you have any other questions. Seriously, we care that much! Likely you will hear personally from the practitioner directly too. Some practitioners offer a service where you can have direct access to them in between your appointments for questions and help. Check with your practitioner if they have such a service. Depending on your concerns or goals this can be invaluable support. There will often be a charge for this type of service that ranges in the $20-$150 range depending on connection forum, frequency and type of responses provided. Many natural health practitioners also have social media groups that are private that you can join for community support. These are great forums to connect with other clients and get access to education and support. At your follow-up appointment, you may again be asked to update information collected from the prior consultation. This is to help identify changes and progress made during the time. The average follow up appointment duration can be 30 minutes to 1.5 hours depending on complexity, number of concerns and questions. Your natural health practitioner will let you know what they suggest but you are always free to book a time duration that is right for you. If something doesn’t seem to have worked or didn’t produce results expected, your natural health practitioner will talk to you about what to try next. We are all unique and there is not always a one sized fits all solution that works for everyone. Again, this is a huge difference with allopathic medicine where common medications are prescribed to everyone. Product Recommendations You may be able to purchase products from your natural health practitioner in their office or through their website. Natural health practitioners are picky and they only use brands and products known to be highly natural and that they have had personal experience using. Products you can expect to find recommended include essential oils, Bach flowers, supplements, foods, and most importantly filtered water. Water quality is super important to our daily health! If the natural health practitioner does not have products available through them, they may provide recommendations on where to get them. You can also use shopping sites like Amazon. You are free to choose where and if you purchase any recommended products and services. Natural health is about empowering you to make the decisions right for you so this is not a prescription or order you must follow. Follow the directions on the bottle for use. Your natural health practitioner should also remind you of this at the time you discuss products recommended for you. How to work with me If you are interested in working with me on your health journey, please book a complimentary 15 minute consultation to see if it is right for you. I’m happy to answer any questions you have and help you find the right support for your health and well-being. https://www.dragonspitapothecary.com/book-online Citations: Wilson, Debra Rose. Healthline. 2019 May 28. What is Allopathic Medicine? Retrieved, February 28, 2022, from: https://www.healthline.com/health/allopathic-medicine