Ella Grace Holistic Health

23/02/2024

In Part 5 of this series on Tay Gendron's 'banishing anxiety for good', we take a look at Nervous System Dysregulation. This term simply means our body has become stuck in the Sympathetic Nervous System (more commonly referred to as the flight, flight or freeze response to stress).

We naturally and automatically switch between the Sympathetic Nervous System (fight, flight or freeze) and the Parasympathetic Nervous System (rest & digest).

When we feel danger, threat or stress (whether real or imagined) our body activates the Sympathetic Nervous System to helps us get away from, freeze or fight the danger or threat.

Think about a near-miss car accident or scary sound in middle of the night and what you noticed at the time - rapid heart rate and breathing, flushed skin, shaking (caused by adrenaline being dumped into your system) etc. All of these responses are designed to get you out of that situation fast. You did not have to activate it - it just happens!

But when the danger or threat is over, our body should switch back into the Parasympathetic Nervous System so we can rest, recharge, digest, sleep and heal.
And our ability to bounce back like this after a stressful event is call resilience.

However, for some people. their body gets stuck in the Sympathetic Nervous System and their nervous system becomes dysregulated. We can get stuck for all sorts of reasons - unresolved trauma, burnout, feeling under too much stress for too long, not actively managing our stress levels, not sleeping well, not eating well etc.

Thankfully, once we can recognize the signs of nervous system dysregulation, there are lots of simple techniques we can do to bring our nervous system back on track. Take a look at the suggestions below to see what you can do today to start to regulate your nervous system if you feel yours is out of balance.

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16/02/2024

In Part 4 of this series, we take a look at how hormonal imbalance can impact our mood and mental health.

Hormones are chemical messengers that tell our body what to do and when.

For example, thyroid (or energy) hormones control our metabolism.

Stress hormones are released when we perceive some kind of threat or danger to ourselves and our body prepares to "fight" or "flee" the threat (think rapid heart beat, shaking hands, fast breathing etc).

Our s*x hormones help regulate many bodily processes such as sleep, appetite, growth & our s*xual development.

Changes to any of these hormones can cause you to feel irritable, stressed, anxious, depressed, fatigued or experience mood swings.

Take a look below at what causes hormonal imbalances and what steps you can take to balance hormones naturally and/or with medication.

What is one step you can take today to help support your hormones?

15/02/2024

09/02/2024

In part 3 of this Tay Gendron Anxiety Banishment series, we look at the impact the nutrient deficiencies has on mental health and wellbeing.

To function at its best, our brains require a good supply of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, healthy fats from the food we eat and for some, supplements, to support brain health.

However, this supply can be impacted by things such as low stomach acid, a poorly functioning liver, small intestine permeability (more commonly know as leaky gut) and an imbalance of the bacteria in our large intestine.

Thankfully, there are a number of things we can do to support digestion and absorption of our food from digestive support to lifestyle changes to reducing environmental toxin exposure.

What is one thing you can do to support your nutrient intake, digestion and absorption? Please comment below.

02/02/2024

In Part 2 of this series looking at Tay Gendron's recommendations for banishing anxiety, we look at Dietary Choices.

In summary,
ADD more:
Protein
Fiber
Healthy Fat
Fruits and Veges

REDUCE:
Gluten
Dairy
Refined Sugar and Refines Carbohydrates
Corn
Soy

Aim to eat more protein, fiber, healthy fats and fruits/veges 70 - 80% of the time.

Take a look at slides for why Tay recommends these dietary changes for better mental health and wellbeing.

12/01/2024

Over the summer break, I have been researching how to rid ourselves of chronic anxiety and if in fact, this is even possible.

I stumbled across Tay Gendron, who had suffered from crippling chronic anxiety and panic attacks for years, even with medication and going to therapy.

But after completing a nutritionist course, she decided to take matters into her own hands and see if she could reduce her chronic anxiety using food.

Fast forward to now, and she is free of chronic anxiety and she no longer has panic attacks! She hasn't just reduced her anxiety; it is gone.

How did she do it you ask? She changed her diet, which impacted her gut health, her neurotransmitter health, her hormonal balance, her nervous system became regulated and she made lifestyle choices that support her mental and physical wellbeing and committed to practice them daily.

This is NOT a quick fix; this is hard work. But with commitment, discipline and determination, Tay has proven that we can send chronic anxiety packing!

Over the next few weeks, I will cover her 6 root causes of anxiety and share tips for each cause, so stayed tuned....

13/12/2023

The things we choose to focus on in our lives have such a huge impact on our mental health. We can choose to focus on things that can either increase or decrease our anxiety levels.

Sometimes we think we are doing good things for our mental health, when in fact they are impacting our mental health negatively.

Like scrolling . . . I'll just take 5 minutes to relax and scroll while I am on a break. Scrolling = procrastination - stopping us from doing a healthier habit such as taking 5 minutes to make a cup of herbal tea or drink some water, taking 5 minutes to do some deep breathing exercises, taking 5 minutes to rest our brains from information overload, taking 5 minutes to talk with someone.

You have the power to choose how to spend your time. Choose anxiety decreasers, not anxiety increasers.

Comment below . . . what is one anxiety increaser that you want to replace with an anxiety decreaser? Start with just one thing to replace, build it into a new habit and then the next week, choose another. You got this!!

03/10/2023

Do you struggle to stop your mind from racing or worrying incessantly? Rather than try to tame or control your mind (hard but not impossible to do), try to quiet your unease, distress or anxious state through your breath which will then help quiet your mind and thoughts.

The physiological sigh is a breathing technique that very quickly reduces feelings of stress or anxiety.

Start by taking a deep breath in through your nose, but before you exhale, take another short breath (kind of like a sniff) in. Then exhale slowly, either through your nose or through your mouth. The exhale (or sigh) should be longer in duration than the inbreath.

Repeat these steps until you feel calm.

I have found to get an even better result, I add in humming through my nose or making a "ohmmmm", "voooooo" or "ahhhhhh" sound as I exhale through my mouth as this stimulates my vagus nerve which is another way to switch off the sympathetic, "fight or flight' stress response.

How does the physiological sigh work? When we are stressed, we typically and subconsciously shorten our breath or breathe more shallowly, and by doing so, we do not fully expand our lung capacity which signals to our body that we are in 'danger'. So by taking this 2nd short breath at the end of the long, deep inhale, we fully expand our lungs and according to Ari Whitten, we are able to offload as much CO2 as possible, which reduces our stress or anxiety levels and helps calm the mind. Clever!

Drop me a YES if this technique works for you. It may take some practice, but stick with it to enjoy the lovely calm feeling afterwards.

29/08/2023

Do you love the beauty and healing powers of crystals? Are you curious about how crystals work and what they support?

Please visit our website at https://www.ellagraceholistichealth.co.nz/crystals to see our range of crystal bracelets and explanations of what each type of crystal is known to help with.

These are the perfect gift for yourself (self-care) or someone you love. Prices start as low as $11.30 plus shipping or if you live locally in Wellington, you can pick up for free.

We also make up gorgeous crystal collection packs that support mental health, physical health, increase self-love, bring protection, improve sleep and more.

Yours in health,
Ella Grace Holistic Health xx

08/08/2023

Mental Health Tips . . . lets share our collective knowledge and experiences and let others know the top 3 things that have helped you improve your mental health and wellbeing. Comment below and help others who may be struggling right now. Lets spread the love 💗 I'll start . . .

03/08/2023

Anxiety is not always ... well anxiety!

What do I mean by this? I mean that some underlying medical and health conditions can cause anxiety-like symptoms but they are NOT anxiety.

It is important to know the difference between what is anxiety and what can mimic anxiety. You do not want to be treated for anxiety when the symptoms you are experiencing are not caused by anxiety as the treatment is unlikely to work and your underlying health condition could become worse if left untreated.

Take a look at the list below and please see your GP if there is any doubt about what is causing your anxiety-like symptoms. Once any underlying medical or health conditions have been ruled out, you can then start working with a health coach to begin to adjust any lifestyle factors that may be contributing to or causing your anxiety.

A health coach will work with you to figure out which lifestyle factors may be contributing to your anxiety symptoms and help you make small, consistent and sustainable lifestyle changes to reduce your symptoms and to enhance your overall health and wellbeing.

Please visit www.ellagraceholistichealth.co.nz to see if health coaching is right for you.

25/07/2023

Have you heard of Health Coaches? My guess is probably not as the role of Health Coach is relatively new on the scene.

Many GP practices in NZ are beginning to employ Health Coaches so that patients can quickly be seen to help them on their healthy journey. However, many Health Coaches also practice privately, especially if they specialize in specific areas.

I practice privately as I specialize in mental health, mental fitness, wellbeing and resilience from a holistic point of view, meaning I work with clients to explore the mind (thoughts and feelings), body (behaviour and actions) and spirit (values and drivers) as well as the connections between all three.

I can help you:

~ Identify your current mental state or the cause of your mental state as you perceive it.

~ Increase self-awareness of your thoughts, feelings and behaviours as well as identify any self-limiting beliefs, self-sabotage or what is keeping you stuck.

~ Clarify your current values and needs (finding your purpose or your 'why').

~ Identify your strengths, building self-confidence and feelings of self-worth.

~ Challenge your old, outdated beliefs and rewriting new, healthy, true beliefs that serve you better.

~ Introduce tools, education, resources or activities to reduce your stress and anxiety and build resilience.

~ Choose small actionable steps to take and problem-solving obstacles that may stop you from achieving them.

Swipe to find out more about Health Coaching.

Or visit our website to find out more or to contact me at: www.ellagraceholistichealth.co.nz