Valencia Ray MD - Mind-Body Integrative Medicine

Peace and Many Blessings to All!❤️

Hiking thus weekend at Mount Shasta area, this time Castle Lake and made it up to the peak… Heart Lake. Spectacular views!!!😍😍😍 Wow!

STRESS - is a silent killer and cause of 95% of chronic disease. There are 4-Key stressors and I find that most people do not realize at all what they are, and how they are connected.

Stress and its side effects are something that I have a deep interest in as it connects the dot between mental, emotional, physical and spiritual realms of health and healing. And, I had to find this path for myself. As we understand what it is and how we are inflicting it upon ourselves, we are better equipped to take control of it.

Below is a link to my FREE guide on Why Stress is to Blame for most of your health conditions and insights into what you can do to help and/or change your trajectory. You will receive:

👉A short questionnaire to help you to understand which of the four areas you are most impacted by
👉Discover the top 4 stressors that cause 95% of disease
👉Understand how to test for stress (you can't get this done in the conventional medical system)
👉Learn effective tools and techniques to mitigate stress naturally
👉...And so much more!

Click in the COMMENTS section below 👇👇👇 to access the PDF Guide.

Mount Shasta, California is a natural, pristine gem for a spiritual retreat getaway… refreshing and simply….marvelous! 😍🌹🙏🏼💕🔥

Be YOU, Magnificently! 🔥💕🌹🙏🏼

Ahhh, the healing power of love, nature, and leading a balanced (for my definition of balance) life. 💃🏻✨🌹🙏🏼🦋 What inspires you?

As women go through perimenopause, estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone all drop which can mean interrupted or poor-quality sleep. Estrogen can affect the body’s magnesium levels; a mineral that actively helps muscles relax. As estrogen levels drop, this can lead to restless, twitchy legs at night and even muscle cramps.

But this doesn't only affect women - men’s hormones are also affected by getting older, with lower testosterone levels being linked to similar sleep issues to those women face. When testosterone starts to drop, so do levels of feel-good neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin, adding stress and anxiety into the mix.

Do you suspect your hormones may be messing with your sleep? Check out our latest article in the comments to learn more.

Insomnia is the inability to attain a good night’s sleep - despite having the opportunity and environment to do so - with negative next-day consequences.

You have trouble falling asleep, sleep poorly, wake up tired or exhausted, and your next day is miserable because you don’t have the capacity to navigate it well.

Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder affecting approximately one third of all adults.

Insomnia can take three forms:

Transient Insomnia occurs for one week or less. It is often the result of stress or environmental factors such as excessive noise or light.
Acute Insomnia occurs for up to one month. It is often the result of stress and usually dissipates once the stressor is no longer present.
Chronic Insomnia occurs for at least three nights per week and lasts three months or longer. It is often the result of long-term stress, grief or even a medical condition.

Our blog this month is all about sleep. Read more in the comments.

As a society we seem to be increasingly accumulating sleep deficits because of chronically poor-quality sleep, or simply going to bed too late. 😟

Modern work demands, the increasing rarity of work/life balance, and the emergence of ‘hustle culture’ often celebrate our ability to get much done on little sleep. We are expected to do more on less rest, and sometimes that is to the detriment of our physical and physiological health. 😔

Despite this, there is a lot you can do to improve the quality of your sleep and your health. Check out the link to our blog this month in the comments for tips on improving your sleep. 😴

Link in comments below. 👇

Did you know that your ability to think clearly, regulate your emotions, and find joy in life is directly linked to how well you are sleeping at night?

And it’s not only your brain that’s affected by poor sleep patterns, your body has many functions that rely on the deep sleep phase. Inadequate sleep can interrupt detoxing functions, disrupt hormones and contribute to a roster of health problems.

If you feel your sleep isn't cutting it, check out our lates article which talks all about sleep, and how to improve it in the comments.

Do you ever get “hangry”?

The technical term is Reactive Hypoglycemia, also known as the blood sugar roller coaster. Here's how it works:

1 - A high sugar snack is eaten (candy bar, pastry, sweet cereal)

2 - Blood sugar levels rise fast, causing the pancreas to send out an emergency flood of insulin.

3 - Blood glucose drops fast due to the flood of insulin, making you feel hungry again, with a particular craving for a sweet treat .

4 - You reach for another high sugar snack to feed the craving, inadvertently starting the roller coaster ride all over again.

Our latest article is all about blood sugar levels, and the changes you can make to help reduce your chance of developing diabetes.

Please check comments 👇 to learn more.

Some common symptoms that are often blamed on stress or aging may in fact be due to long term issues with high blood sugar.

Do these sound familiar?

- Mood Swings
- Carb Cravings
- An “Abdominal Apron” of belly fat
- Hormone Imbalance

Living with your blood sugar constantly out of balance is not only emotionally hard, it also increases your risk of pre-diabetes.

Read our blog to learn more, please check comments 👇.

A deficiency in vitamin D is very common, and problematic.

The body makes vitamin D when we go outside in the sun, however even the sunshine states post an alarming 40% rate of vitamin D deficiency.

Poor fat digestion can also lead to reduced Vitamin D levels.

Not only is this fat-soluble vitamin crucial for supporting the immune system, it has also been shown to improve the function of pancreatic cells that make insulin and increase your body’s responsiveness to insulin.

Getting your vitamin D level checked needs to be part of your regular health maintenance as does making sure you get enough daily.

Our blog this month is all about simple things you can do to take charge of your blood glucose and insulin and reduce your risk of serious issues down the line, see comments to learn more.

Exercise helps maintain healthy blood sugar levels by increasing insulin sensitivity and making your muscles more efficient at glucose absorption.

Studies suggest high-intensity interval training is the most effective at burning sugar, but any form of cardio that you can maintain over the long haul, along with some resistance training, is an excellent and sustainable approach.

Yoga and Pilates have a good mix of strength, cardio and relaxation and have been researched for their positive impact on stabilizing blood sugar in diabetes patients.

Taking a walk around the block after dinner each night is an excellent habit which allows your body to burn off some glucose so that you sleep better - and as controversial as it may be in some families, being the one who does the dishes and tidies up before bed can be just as effective.

👉 Check out our article about blood sugar support, check comments to read more.

Ninety percent of the body's serotonin is produced in the gut.

Serotonin is the "feel-good" hormone that ensures our moods are balanced and we experience feelings of well-being, calmness and happiness. So it makes sense that having low levels of serotonin contributes to developing chronic conditions such as anxiety and depression.

Maintaining good digestion and a healthy gut microbiome are key elements in keeping our serotonin levels high.

Our blog this month is all about simple steps you can take to help support your brain health and mental wellbeing. Check the comments to learn more.

Are you being proactive in protecting and supporting your healthy immune system? With the right approach, you can help prepare your body to the coming cold and flu season.

Check out our latest article all about supporting your immune system, see comments now!

What are the long-term effects of compulsive use of hand sanitizer practices on the immune system?

The immune system becomes stronger over time by reacting to bacteria, fungi, parasites and viruses that pose a threat to our health. By severely restricting our exposure to these microbes via regularly sanitizing our environment, we risk not creating our usual natural immunity to common bacteria and viruses. Potentially leaving us more vulnerable to passing illnesses in summer.

Supporting our natural immunity needs to be top of mind right now. By focusing on what we can control - like being in top physical and mental health - we can maintain a strong first line of defense during these challenging times.

Our blog this month is all about simple steps you can take to support your immune system naturally. Learn more in the comments.

It’s important to regularly challenge your brain and keep it stimulated daily to help prevent cognitive decline and reduce the risk of dementia later in life.

One way to do that is by socializing regularly and having stimulating conversations or friendly debates. This can be with a friend, collegue or a local meetup group focussing on an area of interest to you.

Talking, listening and formulating your responses all get blood flowing to different parts of the brain, making you more adaptable and flexible, and improving your thinking skills and memory.
Check out our latest article about maintaining a healthy brain. Link in the comments.

We are heading into the hot summer months, time to pay extra attention to hydration!

- Water is the vehicle that moves nutrients between cells, and as such it plays a very important role in how well your healthy diet is able to do its job of nourishing your body

- It helps your cells to detoxify while you sleep, flushing cellular waste out via the lymphatic and urinary systems

- Proper hydration helps the immune system as well, by strengthening your body’s first germ barrier - the skin

- And being well hydrated helps the various muscle groups in your body to function optimally so that you feel strong and energized.

Make it a goal to drink 8 - 10 glasses of clean, filtered water a day, and replace afternoon caffeine breaks with a tasty and hydrating herbal tea. You are bound to notice a difference!

Read about more ways to help your body stay strong and resilient all year round on our blog. Check comments for more info.

Do you know how to really listen to your body?⠀
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The body is constantly communicating with us. Except we are never taught to properly listen or even to understand its language (aside from being able to interpret tummy growls!)⠀
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We truly aren't trained at hearing the whispers.⠀
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At our office we often have patients who will say "I feel healthy", but when we get talking about their health history, it turns out they don’t sleep well, they’re constipated, complain of achy/tight muscles, and/or headaches, often skip meals (cause they 'aren't hungry'), can't quite shake a bit of weight they used to be able to lose and are stressed, low mood and/or fatigued often. ⠀
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Then we run their functional diagnostic tests, and sure enough, the results show that the body WAS signaling to them over and over, they just didn’t pick up on it!⠀
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Let us help you tune into what your body is actually trying to communicate to you - visit our website, check the comments.
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Did you know that long term, chronic stress has a shrinking effect on the prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain responsible for memory and learning?

Research has also established a connection between long-term stress and cognitive decline as we age - that is on top of the known ill effects of chronic stress on sleep patterns, inflammation and heart health.

While we can’t always control what happens to us, we can adapt to stressful situations using established stress reduction strategies, and live happier and better lives while contributing to our brain health and cognitive function into old age.

Here are some key practices:
- Meditation
- Tai Chi
- Journaling
- Acupressure
- Exercise
- Talking to a Friend

Check out more tips for optimal brain health in the comments.

Functional movement exercises are designed to counteract the physical decline and bad habits that sedentary modern living tends to cause, and to strengthen the everyday functions required of the musculoskeletal system.

This means that you are exercising with a goal of purposefully improving your real-life biomechanics - bending down as if to pick up a ball, turning quickly as if you just heard a crash, or strengthening the specific joints and fascia involved in walking up a flight of stairs.

Are you incorporating functional exercise into your workout routine?

Check the comments to learn more.