Center for Natural Anxiety Relief

This theme has come up a lot in my recent appointments with clients so I feel it important to share.

The solution to our frustration towards others as a result of unmet expectations is not to lower our expectations or force others to change, but to create and enforce boundaries. Expectations are what we think, feel, and/or say. Boundaries are how we act.

Like or comment below if this relates. Blessings on your healing journey.. sensitive souls 🙏 True empathy and solid boundaries go hand in hand.

The solution to our frustration towards others as a result of unmet expectations is not to lower our expectations or force others to change, but to create and enforce boundaries. Expectations are what we think, feel, and/or say. Boundaries are how we act.

Like or comment below if this relates. Blessings on your healing journey.. sensitive souls 🙏 True empathy and solid boundaries go hand in hand.

The neurobiology of perfectionism 🧠🤯

The anterior cingulate area of the brain pictured above is implicated in error detection, attention, motivation, amongst other functions. It has connections to both our limbic system (emotional processing) and prefrontal cortex (cognitive/rational processing). In simple terms, it is the "internal checker" or "oops!" part of our brain that indicates when there is a discrepancy or mismatch between our internal representation of the world and the external world/our environment. When this part of the brain is overactive, that "oops" becomes very loud as it sends signals to the limbic system to elicit an emotional response that can feel very distressing. While the evolutionary purpose of this is for our protection, in cases of maladaptive perfectionism it is often generalized to many aspects of life that are not urgent life-or-death situations. So next time perfectionism rears its head, thank your "internal checker" for its attempt to protect you and alert you of this mismatch between the environment and your internal representation. Perhaps you can even negotiate with it and allow for this particular mismatch to exist for the time being. Over time, our tolerance and flexibility around unexpected outcomes will improve in many aspects of life.

For World Mental Health Day, I am reminding myself of simple ways to support mental health. When we are in a triggered emotional state, we often try to force ourselves to "fake it til we make it." This usually only works for mildly triggered states, not for more pronounced dysregulated states. Here are the signs of a dysregulated state:
1. Fear, shame, guilt, anger, despair
2. Looping and repetitive racing thoughts, often of past events
3. Dissociation from our present lived experience e.g. sensations in the body, sights and sounds around us, difficulty connecting with others in interpersonal situations
4. Physical tension in the body e.g. chest tightness, stomach knots, neck and back tension, headache
5. Feeling of powerlessness over our present mental and emotional state.

If you are in a dysregulated emotional state, don't try to "fake it til you make it." Instead, ask yourself, "how can I soothe and comfort myself in this very moment?" It may mean taking a bath or shower, listening to soothing music, lying in your bed with a fuzzy blanket, cuddling with your pet, eating some food that reminds you of home, hugging or talking to a friend or loved one, asking for help. It doesn't matter how simple it is, your body will tell you what it needs in this moment. The demands of the future CAN wait.

When we learn to self-soothe rather than "fake" a dysregulated emotional state, we build resilience, and learn to love and comfort ourselves, which is so powerful.

Wellness and preventative care is the only REAL health insurance.

The purpose of life is simple: to find out the truth of who you are.

Got a gap in my patient schedule at 4PM tomorrow, Friday 5/22 so I am offering a ONE time discount of $100 for a Neurofeedback treatment (usually $150-$250). Send me a DM if you want that spot! I treat myself almost on the daily to optimize memory, focus, mood and concentration. Your brain will love it!

May is Mental Health Awareness month. This May is especially challenging given how much our routines, lives, and relationships have been altered by the COVID lockdown. I've noticed a surge in refractory cases of anxiety and depression in my patient population over the past few months...Bring particular attention to your internal mental and emotional state and really try to nurture yourself. This month, I've ramped up my mental and emotional self-care practices with the following routines:
1. High intensity run in the morning followed by yoga/stretching and then a cold shower
2. Taking lots of supplements for neurotransmitter and brain support based on my genes (and epi-genes!)
3. Listening to binaural beats while I work
4. Neurofeedback
5. IV Nutrients (Don't try at home! Did a poor job yesterday and bruised my arm. You need a provider (with 2 hands available!!)
6. Wear blue light blocking glasses at night
7. Sleep early
8. Meditate
9. Connect to friends and family

Wishing you all a peaceful and happy May quarantine.

“I’ll sleep when I’m dead” - such a comon American attitude 🙂
When did this unhealthy attitude started?
In 1735 Benjamin Franklin warned people that getting up late will make people trying to catch up on the lost time…
Franklin’s own sleep habits were fairly normal 10PM-5AM. And what’s yours sleep regime?

Hiking and spending time in nature is my medicine. I will admit- these past 2 months have been rough, but I am grateful for partial reopening of beaches and hiking trails in San Diego. It has made all the difference in my mental state and work-life balance. What are you doing to stay sane during quarantine?

When I read “the bigger the plate or the more food given to us, the more we’ll eat” I realy felt that 🙂
We mostly rely on social cues to tell us when to stop eating rather than listening to our own bodies…

Almost everyone thinks they’re not affected by marketing- it turns out that, when it comes to food, there are some marketing tricks that work on everyone.
Good marketing can make food seem more appealing.

When is the last time you got tricked into buying some food that you realised is junk ? 🍿🍨🍡🍩

So, what are Superfoods? From mushrooms to greens to cruciferous vegetables, superfoods have one thing in common: high amounts of great nutrients and phytochemicals that help our bodies heal!
What’s your Superfood 🦸?

Garlic’s medicinal properties make it something of a universal healer! Even in ancient Ming Dinasty that ruled China for centuries, garlic was considered a remedy for parasites, ringworms and dysentery. Maximize the health benefits of garlic by eating it raw or cooking it as little as possible.

Modern medicine treats the symptoms rather than adressing the root cause. 💊Aside from emergency cases, modern medical care is rather regressive.
🏥Two most popular drugs prescribed for type 2 diabetes ilness actually increase the risk of congestive heart faliure. Type 2 diabetes, along with many other health issues, is the result of insufficient exercise and high calorie, low nutrient diets.
Drugs rarely treat the cause…

@ San Diego, California

Not so fun fact: So many individuals are allergic to eggs.
Why?
Because eggs contain the protein albumin, which is used as a preservative in many vaccines. We are injected with vaccines from a very young age so that our immune system can be strengthened in response to a virus or bacteria, but in so doing, it creates an immune response to albumin. So, when we eat eggs which naturally contain albumin, our immune system is reactivated and this can lead to symptoms of allergies such as hay fever, gas, bloating, abdominal discomfort, migraine and fatigue. The more food allergens we eat, and the more exposed we are to environmental allergies such as mold, pollens, and dander, the more likely we are to have these troublesome allergy symptoms.

Want to know if you have food allergies or sensitivities? DM me and I will give you information on testing.

Detoxing can help restore the functions of our body that are being damaged by toxins.

☠️Unfortunately, these days there’s an abundance of toxins in our enviorment, which damages our bodies ability to fight diseases.

🌫While companies have been quickly manufacturing stronger pesticides and chemicals to spray on food that we eat, our bodies haven’t had the time to develop a resistance to these toxins. It’s taken a toll on our body’s defense systems.
But, we CAN do something about it :)

☠️

What is deep play? It is any activity that’s mentally absorbing, providing new contex for your skills and gives a deep sense of satisfaction as well as a connection to your past.
Art is one and most famous form of deep play, and you don’t have to be talented at all :)
Chess, hiking, cooking, etc. - give it a try!

The longer you work, the more you’ll get done- huge misconception!
Hitting your targets and achieving success isn’t about grinding it out endless hours at your desk…
It is about finding a balance between work and rest, nutrition, sleep hygiene, nurturing creativity by easing your stress hormones.

“But first, coffee” ☕️ So many people nowadays fuel themselves with caffeine and other drugs just to be hyper-productive, interfering with cortisol balance and sacrifising their sleep and rest cycles. 😴 Rest and relaxation are often seen as time-wasting activities. But if you depend on caffeine to get yourself going, this is a sign of an underlying adrenal imbalance with cortisol, and you actually need the opposite of stimulants, you need rest!
I've been hearing from a lot of my patients that they can't sleep. COVID related insomnia is becoming a thing!
How have you been sleeping lately? Write in comment section and let’s keep the dialogue going...

Why should you consider Intermittent Fasting?

1) Because it can work for your goals.
2) Because it simplifies your day.
3) It requires less time (and potentially less money)
4) It promotes stronger insulin sensitivity and increased growth hormone secretion, two keys for weight loss and muscle gain.
5) It can level up your brain, including positively counteracting conditions like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and dementia.

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Autophagy is the body’s way of cleaning out damaged cells, in order to regenerate newer, healthier cells. Autophagy literally means “self-eating.” So, it makes sense that intermittent fasting and ketogenic diets are known to trigger autophagy.
While that may sound like something you never want to happen to your body, it’s actually beneficial to your overall health. One non-diet area that may also play a role in inducing autophagy is exercise.
This process can reverse cancer, chronic illness and regenerate immune system.

In 2016 this man won The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2016 "for discoveries of mechanisms for autophagy". His name is Yoshinori Ohsumi and he is a professor at Tokyo Institute of Technology's Institute of Innovative Research. Oshumi started his research on autophagy in 1988 and spent almost almost 2 decades on the project.

What exactly is autophagy? Find out on the next post…

I understand the feelings of uncertainty, isolation, boredom and anxiety.

Your health is more important now than it ever was. Managing societal depression, anxiety, and chronic disease is imperative so that we can get through this. So that we can be healthy enough as a collective - mind, body, and spirit. Let's face it - when some of us suffer, we all suffer.

What do you need from me? I am here for you.

Walks outside with my sweetheart are my only solace during this lockdown. My family in the Philippines is in complete lockdown and is not allowed to take walks outside until April 12th. There, police officers are fining individuals who walk outside for even a block. Even though this is a trying time, I am grateful for the freedom to enjoy the San Diego sun.

Me at home trying to make the most of social distancing