Feeling out of control? Get back into the driver's seat for a healthier you
This is sponsored content for Kingston Natural Therapies.
With uncertainty our constant companion these days because of COVID-19 many people have the unnerving feeling of their lives being a little out of control, like a car hurtling down the road with no-one at the wheel.
Routines have been disrupted as life as we knew it disappeared and the new normal took over bringing with it added pressures and feelings of anxiety, difficulty sleeping, and exhaustion.
"We've been seeing a rush on patients who are fatigued and their mental health is suffering," said Canberran naturopath Luke Clews who operates Kingston Natural Therapies.
"We're seeing people with anxiety, depression, and insomnia. All of these things come when people are pushed to the limit and held there for some time.
"Parents have been home schooling while also trying to work from home, or wondering if their business is going to be shut down. We've been under pressure now for six months or more - let's not forget the fires. And this is on top of our normal life stresses. It's tough."
Falling by the wayside during this time of high tension have been some of the essential forms of self care that help people cope with stress - like eating the right foods, getting enough exercise, and sleeping well.
"These routines have been going out the window because you are just in emergency mode," said Mr Clews.
The good news is there are some easy steps you can take right now that could help you get back on track, grab hold of that steering wheel and start heading down a healthier path.
Making some small adjustments and getting the basics to good health right can act as a tune-up to your body to put the brakes on and prevent more serious damage in the future if left to build.
A tool Mr Clews urges his patients to keep in mind is the mnemonic SEED - sleep, exercise, eat (your veggies) and digestion.
"Those are the fundamentals. If any of those isn't working then you are in trouble," he said. "At this time you don't want to be thinking about getting a whole new routine, a whole new diet, because that would be enough to stress a person out. Just making a few small adjustments can add up very quickly."
Sleep
Sleep is as fundamental as it gets basically," said Mr Clews. "If you don't sleep well you're in deep trouble. There's no substitute for it. It's recommended that adults have a minimum of seven hours of quality sleep a night - but in my experience eight is better for most busy people.
"Take the time to understand the concept of sleep hygiene and use it to boost your sleep quality. No screens in the bedroom etc etc, there's a whole list of things."
Exercise
"Your body is designed with exercise in mind," said Mr Clews. "Physical activity is part of the basic blueprint for the human body and some physiological processes just will not proceed efficiently without it.
"It's even more important now. When we're feeling stressed the levels of hormones like adrenaline and cortisol star to rise but the fastest way to get those hormones out of your system is exercise. If you do 15 to 20 minutes of good medium intensity exercise you feel better."
Eat your greens
"There are two very important things that make getting enough veggies in your diet even more vital now," said Mr Clews. "When you're stressed, one, you use more nutrients and, two, your body is not as good at digestion. You want be eating something that's highly nutritious and easy to digest. That's vegetables, not a burger.
"Vegetables are a source of nutrition you don't get anywhere else; basically half of what we eat needs to be plant matter. But studies show only 3.5 per cent of Australians got their five serves of veggies a day - and that's skewed by kids under three and the over 70s.
"By eating your greens your body repairs itself more efficiently. You don't have a choice - do this or be sick. Just start by adding an extra serve of veggies to your plate - it also means there's less room for some other things."
Digestion
"It's now been shown quite conclusively that gut inflammation influences everything from our cognition and our ability to stay calm and reason all the way through to diseases like ADD," said Mr Clews.
"They're looking at MS, Alzheimer's, arthritis and finding that all of these have their basis in inflammation and the genesis of inflammation is the gut. So if you aren't eating foods that promote inflammatory changes well you're ahead of the game.
"The health of the gut flora, inflammation of the stomach lining, all of these affect our ability to break down food and absorb the nutrients of the food. All these things are tied together."
Kingston Natural Therapies has been helping patients get healthy since 1984. It is a local, family run business built and operated by Guy Clews, one of the most experienced naturopaths and herbalists in Canberra, and his son Luke Clews. To find out how they can help you and your family head to the website , call on 02 6295 6660, or email info@kingstonnaturaltherapies.com.au
This is sponsored content for Kingston Natural Therapies.
