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Month: March 2022

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Growth Health and Wellness

Why Your Body Needs to Rebalance

When you’re going through times of stress, trauma, and betrayal, your adrenals (which output cortisol) are going to have a visceral reaction. At first, your cortisol levels can go extremely high as you’re in stress mode and your body is looking to support that. There’s a demand and you’re using a tremendous amount of cortisol. It’s as if you’re running from a tiger and your body is adapting so you have the energy and stamina needed to run to safety.

Here’s what happens over time

Over time, through stress, that output is going to start to drop because the adrenal glands just can’t keep up with the demand anymore. It’s as if the tiger is no longer a threat but you’re still running because you’re sure you’re still being chased and at risk of being attacked.

The highs and lows

The high phase is going to feel like overdrive – you can’t ramp down. You probably notice this, especially at night. You want to wind down in order to have a restful night’s sleep but your mind just won’t stop racing.

The low phase is going to feel like burnout – you have no energy. This is the phase where everything feels like an effort. You feel like you’re pushing against a force that’s pushing you back as you’re trying to move forward. If you’re going up a staircase, instead of using the railing as support, you’re using it to pull you up each step. Everything feels twice as hard as it used to feel and the only thing you want to do is collapse on the couch and call it a day.

Giving the body the raw materials it needs is key and having the right combination of nutrients that can support your adrenals is crucial.

So what nutrients are needed and how do you help bring the body back into balance?

Talk to your doctor to see what’s right for you first. Here’s more about the key nutrients the body needs to help balance out the highs and lows to support your adrenals during stressful times:

Panax quinquefolius (American ginseng)– The ginseng family of herbs possesses a unique property of aiding in the regeneration and enhanced function of hypothalamic cortisol receptors, providing an amphoteric effect (can act as a base and an acid), which allows the body to better self-regulate cortisol levels. American ginseng may also improve energy levels, benefit brain function and boost the immune system. It can also help to lower blood sugar.

Glycyrrhiza glabra (Licorice root) – Licorice extends the serum life of cortisol, thereby lessening the demand on the adrenal cortex during stressful conditions. What does that mean and what can do for you? It helps to regulate and manage cortisol. It may also help with upper respiratory issues while reducing inflammation and digestive upset.

N-Acetyl-tyrosine–A critical building block of various neurotransmitters, thyroid hormones, and catecholamines (often depleted under chronic stress conditions). It can also act as a precursor for the important brain neurotransmitter dopamine, which impacts your energy and mood.

What are some other nutrients that are helpful to support your adrenals and the rebalance of your body, mind, and mood?

Vitamin C, pantothenic acid (B5), vitamin B6 (as Pyridoxal-5-Phosphate), and vitamin B2 (as Riboflavin-5-Phosphate), all play critical roles as enzyme co-factors in the balanced production of stress hormones.

Where can you find these quality nutrients in the right amounts to help support your adrenals?

Panax quinquefolius (American ginseng) is a root that can be steamed, added to teas, stir frys, soups and water.

Glycyrrhiza glabra (Licorice root) can be found in licorice- no, this isn’t an excuse to head out to the candy aisle of your favorite supermarket or candy store!

N-Acetyl-tyrosine is found in protein such as fish and turkey. Also in dairy such as cheese, yogurt and milk (organic is best if using dairy at all). It can also be found in pumpkin and sesame seeds, avocados, and more.

You can also find it in Rebalance. Check out Rebalance here:

While our bodies are beautifully adapted to respond to a stressful situation, we overly tax our bodies when the message isn’t conveyed that it’s time to rebalance because the thread is over. Through breathing, meditation, journaling, adrenal support and other lifestyle changes, it’s time to let the body know that the threat is over and healing is underway.

Dr. Debi
Founder and CEO, The PBT (Post Betrayal Transformation) Institute

Categories
Growth Health and Wellness

Embrace Serendipity – Opportunity Knocking

What do these things have in common?

You’re sitting next to someone on a plane who turns out to have a need for your services and becomes your next client or boss. Or having a spouse with a rare disease and running into a specialist at a friend’s party who happens to be the leading expert on that disease and winds up saving your partner’s life. Or buying a lottery ticket from a store that’s about to close and having a big win. Or it could be something on a smaller scale such as having a hummingbird hover right in front of you.

These are moments of serendipity when seemingly random events occur as if by chance in a way that benefits us or brings us joy and happiness unexpectedly.

Over the past few weeks I can think of at least three experiences I had that felt like serendipity in action:

Las Vegas

I was invited to attend and speak at an event in Las Vegas on The Future of Blockchain and Web 3.0 entitled The Takeover and hosted by Real Vision, a media company I had been unfamiliar with until then. It was a highly curated event of some of the most progressive, bright, forward-thinking entrepreneurs and leaders in the space.

I met a lot of interesting and amazing people during the course of the event. But one individual and I connected pretty deeply across multiple dimensions; he was truly a kindred spirit, and we bonded instantly.

Weird things kept happening to us as if we were in our own little orbit. We’d discuss something rather abstract or obtuse, and the next thing you know someone would join us out of nowhere and bring up the topic we had just been talking about. Or we’d say a strange uncommon word and someone would show up next to us and say it right after. It was noticeably odd and this phenomenon repeated itself time and again.

We experienced the bulk of the event together from then on, and have remained connected since. That depth of connection just doesn’t happen that often. I feel like I’ve met a great new colleague, friend, and possible collaborator. Serendipity in action.

Safe Travels

Then when all the chaos was going on during the holidays with thousands of flights being canceled, I just sailed out of my home airport with ease and my arrival at my destination couldn’t have been smoother. When it was time to reverse course, my flights were delayed heading home (from two different airports), and when I arrived at the second airport, the flight departing prior to the one I was booked on, (which was delayed by a couple of hours) happened to be boarding just as I arrived at the gate — and I was able to hop on and secure a preferred seat near the front. I felt like I was being looked after and treated with kid gloves. It was all so seamless.

An Old Friend Reunited

I was recently running an errand and was led to take a detour down a side street I never go down where a childhood friend lives that I’d been estranged from for 20 years. She happened to be outside in front of her house, which she never is, and recognized me as I was driving by. She yelled “is that you,” and I stopped. We spent three hours together catching up, which was deeply healing for us, and we are now back in each other’s lives. I’m thrilled.

Why does it seem like some people experience more serendipity than others? I guess the question is, can we prepare ourselves to find things we’re not looking for when they show up? Are these events purely random or can they be cultivated?

3 Tips for Bringing More Serendipity into Your Life

  1. Stay alert and aware — I believe there’s a certain pattern recognition you can foster within yourself that allows you to be receptive to seeing connections and opportunities that others might miss.
  2. Be receptive — If you’re curious and open-minded, you’ll naturally be operating within the realm of possibility and that tends to foster and dare I say “encourage” (and even anticipate) more of these moments arising for you. It can help to assume you have special powers that allow you to perceive opportunities like antennas that may alert you to clues (and patterns as referenced above) where you may connect the dots more readily than others.
  3. Trust your intuition and follow it — We all have a built-in guidance system that some feel is tied to a higher power (myself included), which is geared to guide us to optimal outcomes if we just honor it when it arises. The three examples I provided above are just a few ‘chance’ encounters that happen for me more consistently than not, and intuition can work for you as well if you tune in and follow where you’re being led. The right people, opportunities, and circumstances can line up in your favor when you do so; it happens to me too often to be considered random.

Give some careful thought to all of this and resolve to pay better attention moving forward. Be better prepared when opportunity knocks. Then enjoy the moments that follow.

Categories
Growth Health and Wellness

Why Your Body Needs to Rebalance

When you’re going through times of stress, trauma, and betrayal, your adrenals (which output cortisol) are going to have a visceral reaction. At first, your cortisol levels can go extremely high as you’re in stress mode and your body is looking to support that. There’s a demand and you’re using a tremendous amount of cortisol. It’s as if you’re running from a tiger and your body is adapting so you have the energy and stamina needed to run to safety.

Here’s what happens over time

Over time, through stress, that output is going to start to drop because the adrenal glands just can’t keep up with the demand anymore. It’s as if the tiger is no longer a threat but you’re still running because you’re sure you’re still being chased and at risk of being attacked.

The highs and lows

The high phase is going to feel like overdrive – you can’t ramp down. You probably notice this, especially at night. You want to wind down in order to have a restful night’s sleep but your mind just won’t stop racing.

The low phase is going to feel like burnout – you have no energy. This is the phase where everything feels like an effort. You feel like you’re pushing against a force that’s pushing you back as you’re trying to move forward. If you’re going up a staircase, instead of using the railing as support, you’re using it to pull you up each step. Everything feels twice as hard as it used to feel and the only thing you want to do is collapse on the couch and call it a day.

Giving the body the raw materials it needs is key and having the right combination of nutrients that can support your adrenals is crucial.

So what nutrients are needed and how do you help bring the body back into balance?

Talk to your doctor to see what’s right for you first. Here’s more about the key nutrients the body needs to help balance out the highs and lows to support your adrenals during stressful times:

Panax quinquefolius (American ginseng)– The ginseng family of herbs possesses a unique property of aiding in the regeneration and enhanced function of hypothalamic cortisol receptors, providing an amphoteric effect (can act as a base and an acid), which allows the body to better self-regulate cortisol levels. American ginseng may also improve energy levels, benefit brain function and boost the immune system. It can also help to lower blood sugar.

Glycyrrhiza glabra (Licorice root) – Licorice extends the serum life of cortisol, thereby lessening the demand on the adrenal cortex during stressful conditions. What does that mean and what can do for you? It helps to regulate and manage cortisol. It may also help with upper respiratory issues while reducing inflammation and digestive upset.

N-Acetyl-tyrosine–A critical building block of various neurotransmitters, thyroid hormones, and catecholamines (often depleted under chronic stress conditions). It can also act as a precursor for the important brain neurotransmitter dopamine, which impacts your energy and mood.

What are some other nutrients that are helpful to support your adrenals and the rebalance of your body, mind, and mood?

Vitamin C, pantothenic acid (B5), vitamin B6 (as Pyridoxal-5-Phosphate), and vitamin B2 (as Riboflavin-5-Phosphate), all play critical roles as enzyme co-factors in the balanced production of stress hormones.

Where can you find these quality nutrients in the right amounts to help support your adrenals?

Panax quinquefolius (American ginseng) is a root that can be steamed, added to teas, stir frys, soups and water.

Glycyrrhiza glabra (Licorice root) can be found in licorice- no, this isn’t an excuse to head out to the candy aisle of your favorite supermarket or candy store!

N-Acetyl-tyrosine is found in protein such as fish and turkey. Also in dairy such as cheese, yogurt and milk (organic is best if using dairy at all). It can also be found in pumpkin and sesame seeds, avocados, and more.

You can also find it in Rebalance. Check out Rebalance here:

While our bodies are beautifully adapted to respond to a stressful situation, we overly tax our bodies when the message isn’t conveyed that it’s time to rebalance because the thread is over. Through breathing, meditation, journaling, adrenal support and other lifestyle changes, it’s time to let the body know that the threat is over and healing is underway.

Dr. Debi
Founder and CEO, The PBT (Post Betrayal Transformation) Institute

Categories
Culture Growth Health and Wellness Human Resources Leadership

Is It Time for a Parent-Teacher Conference About Your Parenting Style?

If you’re reading this, chances are you’re a Conscious Parent eager to raise your kids using effective communication and active listening. Perhaps you’ve even joined us for the 90-Day Parenting Reset and are practicing the principles of the Guidance Approach to Parenting at home.

But what happens when your child steps outside their protected family bubble? How do you explain the Guidance Approach to Parenting to teachers, child care providers, and even grandparents?

The adult caregivers in your child’s life don’t need to subscribe to the same parenting method as you, but they do need to respect your decisions on how to raise your children.

Talking to Caregivers and Teachers About How to Treat Your Child

These proactive discussion points can help you effectively communicate your parenting style to adults who interact frequently with your kids:

  • “I treat my kids with the respect every human being, regardless of age, deserves.” At the core of the Guidance Approach to Parenting is the conviction that children are humans too—which means they deserve to be seen, heard, and respected. This fundamental value should lead any conversation you begin.
  • “We encourage self-direction instead of reward vs. punishment.” Explain to your child’s teachers that instead of a punitive approach to “bad” behavior, you prefer self-directed resolutions. If your child has an altercation with a classmate, ask their teacher to help identify the root of the problem. Was there an unmet need or a misunderstanding? Once both sides of the story have been heard, the conflicting parties should collaborate on a solution that makes everyone happy.
  • “We use acknowledgement rather than praise.” Praising a child’s looks or intelligence teaches them to measure their self-worth based on superficial traits and what other people think of them. It also brings the poison of measuring their self-worth from external factors.
    Acknowledgment connects a child to their own sense of accomplishment so they can more clearly see their own skills and competencies, and sense into how they feel about themselves.  After all, the cornerstone to solid self-esteem isn’t seeking others’ approval or praise.
    Assure grandparents that they can congratulate their grandkids for a job well done, but that they should emphasize hard work and self-discipline as opposed to empty praise for being “smart.” For example, “I admire how hard you worked on that.” “Congratulations!” “Did you know you could do that?” and “You seem proud of yourself.”
  • “I refrain from using negative adjectives to describe my kids (e.g. calling them “spoiled” or “bad”). There’s a big difference between pointing out that a child made a mess and making them feel like they are a mess. No one likes to be called names! Ask the adults in your children’s life to use non-blameful descriptions of behavior and to avoid names or labels that can undermine your kid’s confidence or sense of self.
  • “Our children know when we talk down to them.” When my daughter Pia was in elementary school, she came home one day absolutely indignant at how a friend’s mother had spoken to her. “Mom, she never would’ve talked to you that way,” she said. She was right. Adults assume that kids won’t catch the nuances in our communication, but they can tell when they’re being talked down to. It can’t possibly feel good to be marginalized and viewed as “less than” just because you’re a child. Caregivers should always be aware of how they’re talking to children.

Sharing your perspective with people who don’t hold the same beliefs isn’t always easy. And altering someone’s point of view won’t happen overnight. But you owe it to yourself and your kids to have these tough conversations.

If you need further guidance starting a dialogue with the adults in your children’s life, our private parenting Facebook group can offer support and help you build your confidence. We stream live every Tuesday at 6 pm PST. You can put your questions and concerns in the comment thread and get them addressed right then and there.