How to Never Get Headaches

Headaches are common -- but they are not normal.

When you are feeling "normal", everything is working as it should be. Your hormone levels are balanced, blood pressure, circadian rhythm, etc...is operating at full function.

Because headaches are so prevalent, some people just pass it off as part of the human experience.

When I was young, I used to snack on doughnuts and grape soda while watching cartoons, as part of my after school ritual. I would frequently get pounding headaches.

I didn't have the knowledge I do now about glycemic index and the dangers of processed foods.

So here are some other tips about preventing headaches I'd like to share:

Nutrition and Hydration 


Speaking of doughnuts and grape soda, eating properly is probably the number one way to avoid getting headaches. This means going no more than 5 hours during the day without eating and no more than 12-13 hours after sleeping.

One of my rules to live by: 10 by 10:  eat 10 grams of high quality protein by 10 a.m. (eggs; organic/all-natural bacon or sausage; whey; hemp or rice protein for vegetarians [no soy!]; unpasteurized dairy, etc...).

Try to eat at similar times of the day if you can and always eat a balanced meal. Every major meal should include veggies (which are carbs), protein and a little natural fat (avocado, olive oil, coconut oil).

I'm not a big fan of fasting, unless it's a once in a blue moon occurrence for religious purposes. Fasting can cause severe headaches. And so can not drinking water. Make sure you start your day right away by re-hydrating yourself with at 2-3 cups of water. Drink steady, small amounts frequently or as needed throughout the day.

Remember: Drink before you feel thirsty and eat before you feel hungry!

Sleep Patterns


Getting too little or too much sleep can potentially cause headaches. Try going to sleep at roughly the same time every night, especially during the week you should really begin winding things down by 10 p.m. and shutting down the laptop and other electronics.

Hormones


Especially for females who are on their cycle, headaches, including migraines, can be closely associated to estrogen levels. Immediately before menstruation estrogen is at the lowest level, thus possibly triggering headaches.


Although there's not much a female can do about ovulation menopause, there are ways to make sure hormone levels are balanced in general. One way to do this is a simple saliva test which measures cortisol (the stress hormone) and sex hormone levels. Contact me at 858.442.6861 for more information on this simple test.

Activity Level


According to Buddhist principles, life is all about taking the middle path. Moderation is key. Exercise should be no different. People engaged in highly strenuous workouts like boot camps and other forms of extreme fitness are at risk for developing headaches.

Blood vessels swell up as a result of the head and neck muscles needing extra blood flow. Too much exertion can cause pounding headaches. Unless you're a pro athlete or training for a competition, do daily moderate intensity exercise. The low end of high-end intensity training should be the limit.

Stress


Unless you're living in a third-world country with no access to clean water and readily-available healthy food sources, you really need to take a breath and learn what's truly important in life. Have an attitude of gratitude every day for the daily abundance you were lucky enough to be born into. Over half the world's population would love to trade places with you.

If you think about your problems that are needlessly plaguing you in this light, and start a daily meditation or yoga practice, your stress levels will go way down and perhaps those pesky headaches will go away.

Remedies


There are too many remedies to name, but for immediate relief of headaches, acupressure might do the trick, especially the Large Intestine 4 pressure point. No, you're not going to rub your large intestines; this meridian point can be found in the fleshy skin between the thumb and pointer finger. Apply pressure with your thumb and pointer finger or middle finger with your other hand.

If that doesn't work, take 2 aspirins and call me in the morning!

Dangers of Practicing Yoga

Yoga and its associated health and spiritual benefits have been around for approximately 5,000 years.

In the U.S., beginning in the 1960s with the New Age and counter-culture movements, yoga has increased dramatically in popularity over the last 50 years.

It's only been in the last two decades that yoga has really gone mainstream. And it seems like it's an exercise fad that's here to stay; that is to say, it's not a fad at all, unlike some fly-by-night exercise routines like Tae-Bo, Richard Simmons videos, Jazzercise, and Jane Fonda aerobics.

As yoga has grown in popularity so too have the number of injuries from yoga.

This is far from a recommendation to avoid yoga, although some people may benefit from other forms of exercise....more on that below.

If you're overweight or new to yoga or it's been a while since you've practiced, it's advisable to exercise caution with certain poses.

Keep in mind that when asanas (postures) were divinely inspired, if you will, (if you won't: created), the population in the ancient subcontinent of India didn't have problems with obesity and sedentary lifestyles.

Certain yoga poses performed by certain segments of the contemporary population can wreak havoc on inflexible joints and ligaments.

The lotus pose, which is commonly the beginning meditative position in a yoga class, can put extreme stress on the knee, ankle and hip joints. Women are more susceptible than men are to injuries of the ACL joint in the knee and lotus may perhaps increase that risk.

A spinal twist called Marichyasana III can place heavy stress on the lower back ligaments and tendons, which can lead to back pain and spinal instability.

There are other examples of yoga poses that place excessive stress on the joints.

It's important if you fit into the category of being overweight or being a yoga neophyte to find a good teacher who knows how to make sure you stay in your safe zone. Yoga props such as blocks and straps will also help you stay safe.

It's common in yoga class to see some women with very low body fat that are hyper flexible, easily capable of twisting themselves into pretzels. Perhaps they have reached their peak in yoga and are actually too flexible and a better exercise protocol would be weight lifting.

Proper muscle tension is essential for any activity. Think of your muscle fibers as guitar strings. If a guitar string is too loose or too tight, it'll snap and won't create a properly resonant sound. Muscle fibers are no different--they should have a good tension balance.

Conversely, muscle heads who can't straighten their arms overhead definitely should put the weights down for a while and get their butts into the yoga studio.

It all comes down to balance in more ways than one in yoga. Listen to your body and don't force any postures in yoga.

Despite the words of caution, if you're reading this article and haven't been exercising lately, yoga is perhaps the best form of exercise to get back into shape and de-stress from the modern world.

Eating Organic --- Is it Really Healthier for You?

Don't Panic -- It's Organic!

Is this really a mantra to live by? Are we really any healthier if we eat organic foods rather than those conventionally grown? Is anything truly organic anymore, meaning, if a crop is grown without pesticides, does that necessarily mean that toxic or slightly polluted runoff doesn't seep into the soil of "organic" pastures?

The truth is, I really don't know, nor does science have a definitive answer.

But there are some rules of thumb I follow. Perhaps the following will be news to you. If you already know this, then this will be good review.

A non-profit called the Environmental Working Group released results of a 2003 study of pesticide levels in many American produce items.

Although it's not definitive if eating organic will add years to your life or prevent illness, the study by the EWG showed that Americans can reduce their exposure of pesticides by 90 percent by avoiding a dozen of the most contaminated and conventionally grown fruits and veggies.

The dirty dozen are (in order from most to least contaminated:

1. Peaches
2. Strawberries
3. Apples
4. Spinach
5. Nectarines
6. Celery
7. Pears
8. Cherries
9. Potatoes
10. Sweet bell peppers
11. Raspberries
12. Grapes

The study also listed a dozen of the cleanest conventionally grown fruits and vegetables. They are, from least to most contaminated:

1. Sweet Corn
2. Avocados
3. Pineapples
4. Cauliflower
5. Mangoes
6. Sweet Peas
7. Asparagus
8. Onions
9. Broccoli
10. Bananas
11. Kiwis
12. Papayas

In general, it is thought that fruits with hard shells can be eaten conventionally with minimal concern for contamination.

The bottom line for most people is budget. Sometimes organic produce can cost several dollars more than conventionally grown produce. And until there is definitive proof that organic makes a profound difference in my health, I don't plan on buying organic 100% of the time. I will, however, keep this "dirty dozen" list handy when I go to the market and try to buy organic.

It's also important to include what "Certified Organic" really means, as some may not really be able to define this term. It means that produce was grown on land free of chemicals for at least three years and on land with no sewage, irradiation, fake fertilizers or genetically-modified organisms (GMOs). Look for a USDA Organic label to know you're getting the real deal.

But if you have the money, buying organic probably is better for the environment, after all, herbicides used in conventional produce seep into our groundwater. 

Considering that organic farming was used for millenia before Frankenscience became the norm, it would be logical to conclude that eating organic is the way to go. Too bad we can't prove just yet how much so.....

A Wellness Coach’s Confession to Falling off the Wagon

Margaritas, tequila, beer, cookies, cakes, more cookies…for the last couple months, I was not practicing what I preached. I admit it. I indulged and it felt great. "Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we all die" was my motto.

No longer was I so vigilant about eating so healthy. Eating for my blood type, eating for metabolic type…I just had to let go temporarily and enjoy life more, guilt-free like the Europeans do.

And now my health has suffered for it.

I have just picked up a nasty sinus infection, my fourth or fifth in the last few years. Surfing cold water with elevated bacterial levels from heavy storm-drain runoff is probably the catalyst that crashed my immune system.

Surfing cold, dirty water normally wouldn’t get me sick.

Combining poor eating with surfing crashed my immune system.

After trying Ayurvedic remedies and homeopathy and over the counters to no avail, I resorted to antibiotic usage.

No natural wellness coach in their right mind would tell one of their clients to take antibiotics, but after getting no relief for several days, I decided to go the allopathic route.

Most people know by now that antibiotics override your immune system and kills not only harmful bacteria and causes of infection, but also beneficial gut flora that’s necessary for a healthy immune system.

I learned that when going to a regular physician or doctor, it’s best to write down a list of questions. I asked my doctor if I could take probiotics in conjunction with antibiotics. I was told I could in fact do that, but it was recommended to take them a few hours apart.

I could just blame this latest sinus infection on the downside of being a surfer. I probably wouldn’t ever get significantly sick if I didn’t surf.

But holistic health tries to find root causes and not just treat symptoms. That’s why I became certified in Functional Diagnostics, which has also taught me that my adrenals probably will be stressed from this sinus infection, hence, taking bio-identical hormone drops of DHEA can help me rebalance my hormone levels.

I’m outright jealous of my surfing friends who not only don’t catch sinus infections, but also have a less-then-optimal healthy lifestyle, smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol on a daily basis.

So why then was I overindulging? I just felt like it. Holidays, vacations, birthday parties …. Sometimes it’s hard, even for me, somebody who usually just says “no”, to not be tempted by the devil.

The devil, for me, is sugar and yeast.

I don’t know why but in the run-up leading to my infection, I had frequent cravings for beer. I was having fun drinking socially and felt great, so why not let the good times continue to roll?

But I’ve learned that my system is very susceptible to crashing if exposed to higher than normal amounts of processed sugar and yeast.

If you need to drink alcohol and want to keep the love handles off, it’s probably better to drink one stiff drink with vodka or tequila than having beer or even wine.

Too often, yoga teachers and other health professionals are placed on a pedestal and expected to be perfect pillars of health.

For once, I have been knocked off, but I’ll climb back on, eating at least two healthy salads a day, taking probiotics, exercising with moderate intensity, ensuring that I don’t stress my system even more and of course, avoiding sugars.

It’s a hard pill to swallow knowing that I can’t eat whatever I want, like I thought I could.

The lesson, of course, is moderation. But when you’re trying to purge and rehabilitate from an infection, the best course of action is to be super strict and avoid any antigen responses from bad food choices until you're completely recovered.

I look forward to living the 85-15 rule again: Eat right for your type 85% of the time, eat whatever you want the other 15 percent.

Off to make a salad I go….