Are YOU STRESSED?
Are YOU STRESSED?
Seventy to
95% of all human diseases are related to stress.[1]
Whether it’s
a chronic disease like high blood pressure, diabetes or a nagging headache or
neck or back pain, or any autoimmune disease such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis,
rheumatoid arthritis, or a gut issue like reflux, I find having a lot on your
plate (and not managing it well) can literally make you sick.
It can come
from work, finances, divorce, and other difficult relationships, not sleeping
well, paying for school, being in debt, illness, death, the news, and the
pandemic.
In addition,
positive stressors can affect us as well, like getting married, paying for your
son or daughter’s wedding, buying a new home, raising kids, paying for college,
and caring for a loved one.
Whatever the
case, it weighs on you. First know there is hope and always seek professional
help if you need it.
Someone can
appear happy but be crying and hurting inside. Pay attention and listen to
their needs, as well as your own. Seek expert guidance!
One may feel
fine and still be stressed out.
Don’t
Guess, Test
A valuable
test I recommend is to check your salivary cortisol levels x4. This useful lab can
tell YOU how well you manage your stress levels. It’s now offered by Quest or
LabCorp, so it will likely be covered by your insurance.
We all need
cortisol to live, but levels that are too high or too low can compromise our well-being
and result in poor health.
Personally,
I like to combine this meaningful test with other comprehensive studies to get
a full picture of what’s going on with my patients.
WHY are they
getting sick (or not feeling well) and what is the ROOT Cause?
I don’t like
to just mask symptoms with medications. There is a place for prescriptions,
and that is why I prescribe them, but I also workup the person so they can get
WELL LONGTERM.
“It’s not
just looking at a disease but looking at the person who has the disease!”
For example,
if they have reflux and they’re on an acid blocker like Prilosec (and it’s
helping), I still want to know WHY they’re getting heartburn. Because as you
probably know, Prilosec or any of the other PPI’s (Proton Pump Inhibitors), antacids
like Zantac and TUMs (even though they may be over the counter) are not benign.[2]
Side effects
of PPI’s (like Prilosec):
1.Lowers stomach
acid (which is naturally produced to digest food and help absorb nutrients)
2.Increased
risk of infections like C diff (which can lead to severe diarrhea)
3.Increased
risk of nutrient deficiencies including Vitamin D deficiency
4.Increased
risk of bone loss and fractures
5.Increased
risk of cancer [3]
6.Increased
risk of depression[4][5]
For my
patients, I order an in-depth gut study to look at the microbiome (see my blog
on Gut
Health). In addition, I suggest checking their nutritional status and
toxicity levels, along with allergy testing and hormones. The cost of these
tests has come down, and many are now covered by insurance.
My approach
contains the best of both worlds, where I incorporate many tools which draw on traditional
and holistic evidence-based approaches to medicine.
My
philosophy is much like Grandmaster Steve’s, for the Blackbelt Leadership
Training Program, where he uses numerous tools to help us become great leaders.
That also
means being a good follower and heading to Krav at least twice a week to
practice with skillful teachers such as Shihan Harley, Shihan Thomas, Shihan
Carolyn and/or Sensei Sarah, Sempei Charlie or Sempei Scott to name a few.
Dedicated and passionate about what they do, we are truly BLESSED to have them
in our midst.
As for
STRESS, we all have it in our lives. The question is how do we handle it?
Here are
some simple recommendations:
1.Breathe
Mindfully with a SMILE & Upright Posture, gazing towards the heavens.
This is great to do outside (if possible) and get close to nature for at least
5-10 minutes a day! (Yes, you can make the time and YOU’RE Worth it!)
2.Practice
Gratitude Many of the great leaders recommend this, including Grandmaster
Steve, as he writes about it in his book, “Developing YOUR Superpower”. I also
list it in my book “7 Habits of Extremely Happy People”. To get your FREE copy,
email Drew at: Andrew.Gold@saintleo.edu
with subject
“KMMA Rocks”,
include your name and 3 things for which you are grateful. To make this a practice, write or passionately
exclaim at least 3 different things you appreciate each day. It feels marvelous
to do this first thing in the morning! 😊
3.Stay
Active: Krav is a great outlet for building your resiliency to managing
Stress. In addition to Krav, I also like to run, lift weights, dance, jump on
my trampoline, meditate, and do yoga. Join me for a FUN gentle yoga class on Youtube
at DrGoldfunyoga. What movements do you enjoy? Please share.
4.Supplements
to help manage stress:
a.Ashwagandha
(evergreen shrub that grows in India, can help calm the nervous system and has
been shown to help with anxiety)[6]
b.L-theanine
(active ingredient in green tea and very calming)
c.Rhodiola
(perennial flowering plant that grows naturally in North America, very relaxing)
d.Melatonin
(hormone produced by the brain’s pineal gland, may help with sleep, improve
mood, energy and behavior)
*Many of
these supplements come in various forms: liquid, capsules, and powder. Please check
with a knowledgeable health care provider on dosing. Choose from reputable
brands with the USP or GMP labelling. I prefer organic non gummy forms, as the
gummies may contain excess sugar and/or artificial colors and/or dyes.
**Please
note the above information does not constitute personal medical advice. Consult
with your health care provider before making any changes.
Next
Wellness Wed: What to Eat to Lose Weight
Upcoming
Events with Dr. Gold’s Optimal Living Institute
For
10% OFF Use PROMO CODE: KMMA10
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Goat Yoga with Dr. Gold (Multiple Dates Starting Feb
20) Starting Sunday February 20 Held at The Dancing Goat Farm 12502 Maverick Court Tampa, FL
33626
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Spa Day With Dr. Gold and Erica (Multiple Dates) Starting Sunday February 27 at 4:00 pm Held at Dr. Gold’s Optimal Living Institute 2901 W Busch Blvd, Suite 604 in Twin Lakes Office
Park Tampa, FL 33618
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Empower
YOUR Health!
1.
Patient focused – Dr. Gold is a compassionate listener and spends time with her patients (average appointment is 1 hour). Her goal is to treat the ROOT CAUSE of their problem(s) and get them well LONG TERM. Don’t take her word for it. Check out her testimonials on her website: DGoli.com
2.
3. 
Environmentally conscious: Use real
cups for water, plates and silverware and cloth napkins, all natural cleaning
products and recycles (the office minimizes paper waste).
4. 
Dr. Gold specializes
in helping women over 40 to get stronger, healthier and happier. Often, they
are busier than ever working, managing a household, being a caretaker, that
their health needs get neglected. She helps them realize that to prioritize
their own health, is to ensure that they can take better care of everyone else
and feel so much Better!
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5476783/
[2] https://www.thehealingduo.com/blog/are-you-popping-tums-like-candy-why-this-may-be-detrimental-to-your-health#:~:text=Tums%2C%20as%20mentioned%2C%20also%20contains,to%20heart%20and%20kidney%20problems.
[3] https://www.cancercenter.com/community/blog/2019/06/long-term-use-acid-reflux-drugs-cancer#:~:text=Two%20studies%20conducted%20in%202017,pylori.
[4] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28899441/
[5] https://www.seattletimes.com/life/wellness/drugs-to-battle-heartburn-linked-to-depression/#:~:text=People%20taking%20a%20PPI%20were,in%20elderly%20patients%20on%20PPIs.%E2%80%9D
[6] https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318407
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