December 18, 2017 by Dr. Nicole Myers, D.Ac., L.Ac.
This past couple of weeks I have had some great talks with my patients. It's that time of year for reflection and it's been wonderful. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM who shared with me told me how much better they felt because of the changes they’ve made. My entire practice is morphing into helping people get to the root of their problems. Although most don't come in with digestive issues as their main complaint and most don’t even realize they have this issue, if they seek permanent change it's imperative that's where we begin.
When I was at my sickest and was seeking medical help, no doctor asked me what I was doing for my health. I wasn’t asked about my food intake, my sugar intake, my stress level, my PMS issues, or my sleep (unless I offered my insomnia issues and then they offered medication). Their focus was on blood tests and prescriptions, but never on the things I could do FOR myself at home to help make permanent changes. Unfortunately our system is set up this way, but I do hope it will be changing sooner than later. We have brilliant medical doctors who don’t have a lot of time with each patient and often the symptom(s) mentioned is followed by a blood test, but if nothing shows up what do you do? Have more tests done? Pop more pills? One doctor took my blood work and focused more on what my body was lacking and I loved this approach. He also happened to be a great teacher of mine, and I’m grateful. Typically nothing was offered in the way of nutritional ideas to improve my health. On that note, nutrition is great and beneficial but if you have poor digestion, how are you going to get the nutrition out of your food and into your system?
This is the perfect time of year to reflect on where we struggle, where we want to be in the near future, and who might help us get there.
You may not even be aware of what your root problem might be! I recently had a patient tell me, “I don’t have any digestion issues!” then later in the appointment when I was explaining a finding from my exam she said, “I don’t have a gall bladder.” Well, THAT’S A MAJOR PART OF DIGESTION and THAT’S AN ISSUE! The good news is I can help with that very issue.
I leave you with this thought: If your body is properly functioning, will it be satisfied or will you continue to overeat, overdrink, over…whatever? Will you feel happy and motivated? Will it function like a carefully tuned machine when you wake up in the morning or only after you’ve moved around for 30 minutes? I say, “YES” it can in 2018! Let’s work as a team to make it happen!
Let’s all get our bodies revved up for an amazing year ahead!
Happy holidays and Happy New Year!
November 5, 2017 by Dr. Nicole Myers, D.Ac., L.Ac.
“The weird thing, Nicole…it did happen over night!”
Have you ever looked in the mirror and thought, “man, I look different today!” or maybe, “I aged overnight!” or, “My eyes look cloudy and don’t have their sparkle anymore.”
I worked with an amazing esthetician once. She was gifted. The wonderful thing about going to her for a facial was you just felt love…raw, pure, nonjudgmental love. Her touch was amazing, but there was a quality she possessed that allowed you to just *be* while in her presence. Her name was Angela and when I walked into her space, time seemed to slow and my body completely relaxed. It was a feeling I rarely felt in my day-to-day life. She held the space for you and you simply felt at peace. People would say, “she’s the best!” but they couldn’t put into words why. It was a feeling. An experience.
One day, I noticed the wrinkles around my eyes were more pronounced and it seemed like it happened overnight. It was so strange. I didn’t think I had changed a thing, but I was no doubt looking older in a matter of days. Angela, being a skincare specialist, was my first point of contact about my newly found issue. She told me she had noticed them too and thought it was interesting. She didn’t try to sell me anything, but held the space for me in hopes I would figure it out. She admitted she thought it was weird, but didn’t know what the reason was behind it (talk about being real and honest).
This happened in my early 30s (I’m now in my later 40s). A lot has happened since that day. My body has changed in so many different ways. I’ve been diagnosed with a couple different serious conditions. I’ve been on horrible prescription medications as well as Eastern and Western herbs, supplements (synthetic and whole food) and different types of body treatments (acupuncture being my favorite). I’ve spoken with numerous doctors and talented, highly educated practitioners and learned from the best in the integrative health field, all leading me down the path of my wonderful journey. And recently, I even learned about certain wrinkles that appear around our eyes and one of the major possible causes.
Although my wrinkles showed up very quickly, they didn’t just happen overnight and they didn’t go away overnight, either. One cigarette doesn’t cause cancer, but you may get a headache or shake after taking your first puff (body cue?). Nothing happens overnight (unless you’ve been involved in some sort of an accident), although it may appear that way, especially with a serious diagnosis.
As for those wrinkles, they improved and became finer and less apparent. Unfortunately, with the passing of time they have returned, although more gradually and not as bad as many years ago. I could get injections or use creams to diminish them, but I choose to try my hardest to embrace and love those little gifts that guide me on my path to being the healthiest possible. To be completely honest, accepting aging is a daily struggle for me. I am not a fan at all, but I know the signs help me to figure out my body’s imbalances. I recently learned, “those wrinkles that appear around the eyes,” A.K.A. crows feet, “ are signs of essential fatty acid absorption”, or lack thereof. That’s exactly what I found to help improve mine. Those “crows feet” were a gentle sign from my body that something was off and it turned out to be my digestion. I wasn’t absorbing the crucial nutrients due to an imbalance in my digestive tract.
Our bodies speak to us and give us the most amazing cues. Gray hair, dark circles under our eyes, thyroid issues, dry mouth, dry eyes, heavy arms and legs, low energy, plantar fasciitis, body pain, constipation, diarrhea, vivid dreams, insomnia, adrenal fatigue, bloating, swollen ankles, cancer, heart disease, auto-immune issues, hormone issues…the list goes on and on! Your body’s cues aren’t unsolicited advice; it’s you! “You” aren’t separate from your body, but the mind and body are a whole. A delightful, incredibly strong “team” that communicates by a simple language; a language our mind often ignores until the subtle hints from our body become screams that are impossible to silence. What is your body whispering to you?
