The Best Digestive Enzymes to Boost Digestion & Cure Bloating for Good

Digestive Enzymes are like “health insurance” for your body—they help insure you’re digesting your food thoroughly. Here’s all you need to know about how digestive enzymes work and the best digestive enzymes and supplements to take to boost your own gut health.

WHAT ARE DIGESTIVE ENZYMES?

You have hundreds of digestive enzymes in your body—primarily in your mouth, stomach and small intestine. 

Digestive enzymes help break down the food we eat, releasing nutrients for energy production, cell growth and repair.

In essence, digestive enzymes act like “Pac Mans”—helping your digestive system break down foods into simple, soluble substances [so you fully absorb all the vitamins, minerals, amino acids (proteins), fatty acids and glucose (energy)!]

Not all digestive enzymes are the same. There are four primary types:

FOUR TYPES OF DIGESTIVE ENZYMES

• Salivary Enzymes (enzymes like amylase that digests carbohydrates and lingual lipase that digests fats in your mouth)
• Gastric Enzymes (enzymes in your stomach, like pepsin that particularly help digest proteins)
• Pancreatic Enzymes (enzymes in your pancreas that help balance blood sugar and metabolism; pancreatic enzymes digest proteins, carbs AND fats)
• Small Intestine Enzymes (enzymes in your small intestine that help fully break down all partially digested foods, like lactase the enzymes that help digest carbs, fats and proteins in dairy)

For optimal digestion, you need a variety of the best digestive enzymes for proteins, fats and carbs. Here’s how they work during the process of digestion:

PROCESS OF DIGESTION & DIGESTIVE ENZYMES

Step 1: Salivary Enzymes Digest Carbs & Fats in Your Mouth.

With your first bites, salivary enzymes (salivary amylase and lingual lipase) are released in the mouth, breaking down carbohydrates and fats into smaller molecules before passing them on to the stomach.

Step 2: Food Enters the Stomach & Protein Digestion Begins.

As food comes on down the hatch into your stomach, the cells of your stomach trigger the release of hydrochloric acid, pepsin and other enzymes that specifically break down proteins, as well as continue the digestion of fat and carbs in your stomach, forming chyme (a semifluid mass of partly digested food).

Step 3: Nutrients Are Further Broken Down in the Small Intestine.

After an hour or so in your stomach, the chyme “juice” moves into the duodenum (upper small intestine), where it begins the long winding digestive process of the small intestine (6-8 hour process). Enzymes continue to break food down into smaller molecules. 

Step 4: Pancreatic Enzymes Assist Small Intestine Enzymes to Help Balance Your Blood Sugar & Energy Levels.

As your food moves through your small intestine, the pancreas releases hormones (like insulin), bicarbonate, bile and tons more pancreatic enzymes (like lipase, trypsin, amylase and nuclease) to help break down food more and deliver energy to all your cells. The pancreas is responsible for balancing blood sugar, ensuring your cells get the right amount of energy. 

Step 5: Liver & Gallbladder Digest Fats and Get Rid of Toxins.

While your pancreas is busy at work, the liver and gallbladder go to work too. The main function of the liver and gallbladder is to detox toxins and form a substance called bile, a yellowish-green liquid that is required to digest fatty acids.

However, if your digestion and enzyme production is already under-functioning, then the gallbladder is NOT triggered to create and release bile, resulting in further impaired digestion.  Other side effects of a sluggish liver or gallbladder may include gallbladder attacks, pain in the right side of your body or between your shoulder blades, fatigue and/or feeling nauseated when you eat fats. 

Step 7: Poo Time.

Remains of any undigested food particles end up in your large intestine where the final stages of digestion occur: Elimination (your poo). However, if your food was not fully broken down in the first place (due to LOW enzyme supply) then constipation, loose stools or slow-bowel transit time can occur.

The moral of the story? Digestive enzymes are essential to keeping the “flow” of digestion going throughout the entire process. 

DIGESTIVE ENZYME DEFICIENCY & SYMPTOMS

Natural digestive enzyme deficiency is common.

While no formal “digestive enzyme test” exists stool testing can help assess the health and quantity of digestive enzymes. In addition, self-assessment of your own gut health symptoms and how you feel is a good barometer for gauging if your digestive enzymes are up to speed. 

Typical symptoms of digestive enzyme deficiency include: 

• Bloating
• Constipation
• Indigestion
• GERD/Heartburn
• IBS
• Liver or Gallbladder Dysfunction

• Acne & Pimples
• Eczema & Rashes
• Other non-specific gut-related symptoms (like acne, allergies, brain fog, anxiety, etc.)

 

How do you get digestive enzyme deficiencies in the first place? 

Common triggers of digestive enzyme deficiencies over time include:

• Low stomach acid
• Pathogenic bacteria in your gut
• Gut infections
• Medications, NSAIDs and Antibiotics
• Eating food too fast, on the go or mindlessly
• Poor quality foods (packaged, processed)

• Artificial sweeteners and sugar
• Conventional meat and dairy consumption
• Toxic burden (cleaning products, environment, beauty products)
• Tap water
• Chronic stress
• Sedentary lifestyle or overtraining (stressing the body out)

 

HOW TO GET THE BEST DIGESTIVE ENZYMES FOR YOUR BODY

Fortunately, if you don’t have enough natural digestive enzymes, digestive enzyme supplements can help.

Digestive enzyme supplements come in different forms:

• Some are better for protein digestion (pepsin, pancreatic enzymes)
• Some are better for carbohydrate digestion (amylase, protease, lactase, cellulase, pancreatic enzymes)
• And some are better for fatty acid digestion (lipase, pancreatic enzymes), and bile secretion (ox bile) to help break down fats. 

Take 1-2 capsules with each meal, preferably with the first couple bite of food to go ahead and get those enzymes triggered to start going to work.

CHOOSE THE BEST DIGESTIVE ENZYMES FOR YOUR GUT 

How to know which enzyme formula is best for you?

Pay attention to your signs and symptoms around meal time.

1. Protein Enzymes

Feel like meat or protein sits in your stomach when you eat it? You may be low on stomach acid and pepsin enzymes—the necessary “ingredients” for protein digestion.

Recommendation: 

• HCL (hydrochloric acid) with Pepsin like Spectrazyme-Metagest 
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Pancreatic Enzymes  
• Note: If you are on PPI drugs or pregnant, do not take HCL directly, use Apple Cider Vinegar.

2. Carbohydrate Enzymes

Bloated, gassy, loose stools or constipated when you eat carbs? Even if you eat “healthy carbs,” if you don’t have enough digestive enzymes to digest sweet potatoes, apples, broccoli, spinach, rice, squashes, or other glucose sources, your body may need some extra carb-enzyme support.

Recommendation: 

• Carbo-G by Transformation Enzymes 
• Gluten Manager by Integrative Therapeutics)
• Pancreatic Enzymes  

3. Fatty Acid Enzymes

Do fats (even “healthy fats” like salmon, butter/ghee, coconut oil, nuts, etc) make you sick or nauseated when you eat them? Bile support with lipase enzymes may be helpful for you.

Recommendation: 

• Beta Plus by Biotics if you don’t have a gallbladder
• Bilemin by APEX or Beta TCP by Biotics if you still have your gallbladder. 
• LypoZyme by Transformation Enzymes

ONE-STOP SHOP

Not particularly struggling with one food group in particular and just want a quality “broad spectrum” support?

Try Digest by Transformation Enzymes or Digestezymes for a blend of enzymes that target all foods for optimal digestion. 

3-STEP GAME PLAN TO BOOST DIGESTIVE ENZYMES

Now what?! Here are 3 simple steps to boost your digestive enzymes, banish bloating, curb constipation and improve your gut health all around:

1. Take 1 tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar in 2-4 oz. of water 2-3 times per day
2. Take 1-2 digestive enzymes with meals (before or during)
3. Chew your food really well, put your fork down between bites and practice mindfulness (taste your foods)

The post The Best Digestive Enzymes to Boost Digestion & Cure Bloating for Good appeared first on Meet Dr. Lauryn.

Source/Repost=>
https://drlauryn.com/gut-health/best-digestive-enzymes-boost-digestion/ ** Dr. Lauryn Lax __Nutrition. Therapy. Functional Medicine ** https://drlauryn.com/

How to Cure Migraines & Headaches Naturally: 7 Essentials

Are you looking for natural ways to cure migraines and headaches naturally? Tired of popping Tylenol or Advil? You are not alone. Headaches and migraines are among the most common neurological disorders worldwide, affecting approximately 50% of all adults every month, with prevalence among women more than twice as high as among men.

Here’s all you need to know about why headaches happen plus 7 essential steps to kick headaches to the curb and cure migraines.

Headaches 101

A headache is a “pain felt in the head, characterized by common characteristics including: throbbing, squeezing, constant, unrelenting, or intermittent. 

Headaches are an inflammatory response in the body, most headaches happen in the nerves, blood vessels, and muscles that cover a person’s head and neck. There are many different ways to cure migraines and headaches.

Although it may seem like it, a headache is not actually a pain in your brain. Instead, the brain tells you when other parts of your body hurt or are inflamed; your brain doesn’t necessarily physically experience the pain itself (it just feels like).

Different Types of Headaches

There are more than 150 different types of headaches. Some of the most common types include:

• Tension Headaches (episodic or chronic)

Mild to moderate pain and come and go over time and usually have no other symptoms.

• Migraines

Often described as pounding, throbbing pain. Migraines can last from 4 hours to 3 days and usually happen one to four times per month and there are ways to cure migraines naturally. Along with the pain, people have other symptoms, such as sensitivity to light, noise, or smells; nausea or vomiting; loss of appetite; aura (seeing spots or a spinning room); and upset stomach or belly pain.

• Cluster Headaches

Intense and feels like a burning or piercing pain behind or around one eye, either throbbing or constant. Called “cluster headaches” because they often occur in groups. You may get them one to three times per day during a cluster period, which may last 2 weeks to 3 months. Each headache attack last 15 mins to 3 hours and often wakens the patient from sleep.

The headaches may disappear completely (go into “remission”) for months or years, only to come back again. The pain can be so bad that most people with cluster headaches can’t sit still and will often pace during an attack. On the side of the pain, the eyelid droops, the eye reddens, pupil gets smaller or the eye tears.  The nostril on that side runs or stuffs. It is very important to cure migraines and headaches to feel better.

• Sinus Headaches

Deep and constant pain in your cheekbones, forehead, or bridge of your nose. Sinus headaches happen when cavities in your head (sinuses) get inflamed. The pain usually comes along with other sinus symptoms, such as a runny nose, feeling of fullness in the ears, fever, and swelling in your face. A true sinus headache is from a sinus infection so the nasal discharge is yellow or green, unlike the clear discharge in cluster or migraine.

• Hormone Headaches

Women can get headaches from changing hormone levels during their periods, pregnancy, and menopause. The hormone changes from birth control pills also trigger headaches in some women. Fortunately, there are simple ways to cure migraines and headaches.

• Exertion Headaches

Headaches brought on from the constriction of blood vessels in your body during exertion, such as intense exercise, heavy lifting or overtraining.  Exercise induces a stress response, accompanied by a spike in blood glucose. (Fun fact: People with blood glucose of 70 have reported upwards of 140 after exercising while fasted). What this means for your head? Elevated glucose and/or stress, elevates cortisol, which also elevates inflammation. 

• Seasonal or “Allergy” Headaches

Inflammation in the brain and body brought on from a histamine (allergic or sensitivity) response to either allergens in the air or foods. 

• Oral or Dental Headaches 

Connected to the dental work and oral health, such as tightening of braces, TMJ (lock jaw), or structural and chemical imbalances in the mouth (cavities, mercury fillings, need for a root canal). 

• Secondary Headaches 

A secondary “side effect” due to trauma, infections, disorders, withdrawal from medications, drugs or alcohol, or structural imbalances in the body (such as spine, neck or other body parts connected to cranial nerves). 

For instance: A food intolerance in your gut may trigger a histamine response that in turn feels like a headache in your head. 

For others, sometimes people also get headaches when they are sick —such as a sinus headache when you get a cold, flu, or allergies (“pain” in the immune system).

Another example: Cortisol imbalances from stress (i.e. lack of sleep, overwork, overtraining, under-eating, inflammatory foods, etc.) can cause headaches, felt in your brain too–even though the pain is really somewhere else (your hormones).

And one more: People who drink a lot of caffeinated drinks might get caffeine-withdrawal headaches, and some headaches are the side effect of taking a particular medication–both signs of imbalance in the body and unwanted stress.

What Causes Headaches?

The pain you feel during a headache comes from a mix of signals between your brain, blood vessels, and nearby nerves. Specific nerves of the blood vessels and head muscles switch on and send pain signals to your brain. Good thing you can address this and cure migraines naturally.

Lots of different things can trigger headache signals, including:

• Dehydration
• Gut pathologies (SIBO, yeast, fungi)
• HPA-Axis dysregulation (hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal; chronic stress)
• Hormone imbalances (PMS, menstruation, birth control)
• Over-exertion/exercise
• Low stomach acid
• Thyroid dysfunction
• Too much screen time (Circadian rhythm stress)
• Macronutrient imbalance (Low protein intake, low quality fat intake, low carb intake)
• Toxic chemical exposure (plastics, dryer sheets, toxic cleaning/beauty supplies)
• Mold exposure
• Dental fillings or dental work
• TMJ (lock jaw)
• Mercury overload/heavy metals
• Food intolerances
• Environmental/pet allergens

• Poor immune function
• Gluten & Conventional dairy
• Low serotonin (90% is produced in the gut) and/or low dopamine
• Liver/gallbladder pathology
• Eating out a lot (poor quality oils, gluten, fillers)
• Bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine
• Long term medication use
• Nootropic supplements or neurotransmitter supplement mis-use (5-HTP, Gaba, etc.)
• Antibiotics
• Nutrient deficiencies [particularly Magnesium, Zinc, Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Fatty Acids, Coenzyme Q10 and B2 (riboflavin)]
• High caffeine or sugar intake (and/or withdrawal)
• High carbohydrate intake, or low carb diets without enough fat or poor fat absorption
• Low protein diets
• Structural imbalances (head, neck, spine)

 

One Root Cause

Although there are TONS of different triggers to headaches and the “mixed signals” in the brain and blood vessels, all headaches share one root cause: Inflammation, or stress, on your body. Not just mental stress, but physical stress too.

When your body experiences stress—be it stress on your immune system from allergens in the air, stress from a traumatic brain injury, or stress from hormone imbalance (like high cortisol)—your brain signals and neurotransmitters may send signals to your brain telling it, it’s under stress or “in pain.” You will need some remedies to cure migraines and headaches.

One of the top sources of this headache-causing stress? Your gut health.

Gut Health 101

Your gut is the gateway to your total body health and inflammatory processes. 

In fact, you have more than 100 trillion gut bacteria throughout your body (not just located in your GI tract, but relocated to other places too, like your mouth, skin, heart and endocrine glands)—that is 10 times more gut bacteria than actual human cells. 

Although the word “bacteria” may sound like a bad or dirty word, the vast majority of your gut bacteria are non-pathogenic (non-disease causing)—at least when your body is healthy.  

Every person different types and amounts of gut bacteria, and those people with “healthier strains” of gut bacteria and a “wider, more diverse variety” of gut bacteria (not just the same strains) are generally healthier as a whole—metabolism, hormones, immune function, weight, energy and lower amounts of headaches. 

What Do Gut Bacteria Do?!

The main role of your (healthy) gut bacteria is to keep all your body’s daily essential processes “healthy” and in running smoothly including:

• Nutrient absorption (making the Vitamin C in your orange actually be used by your body)
• Immune system function
• Hormone balance
• Maintaining a healthy weight and metabolism  
• Maintenance of your intestinal lining (preventing “leaky gut” and digestive wors)
• “Feeding” ALL of your cells and neurotransmitters to function properly (including your brain health)
• Fighting off inflammation and protection against “pathogens” (bad guys, toxins, pesticides, illnesses)

In short: gut bacteria play an important role not only in digestive health, but in wider aspects of health, including weight, metabolic health, hormone health, immune function and…fending off headaches.  The role of gut bacteria in headaches, mental health and brain health is known as the “gut-brain” connection. 

The Gut-Brain Connection

The gut is often referred to as the “second brain” in the scientific literature. Get these brain-gut connection facts:

• You have more than 100 million neurons in your gut—cells and signals that talk directly to the brain.

• More than 90% of your serotonin (your “feel good” brain chemicals) that calms inflammation in the body is produced in your gut.
• More than 30 hormones that govern “homeostasis” and balance in your brain and body are produced in your gut.
• In addition, more than 80% of your immune fighting cells (Th1, Th2, Beta Cells, Th17) are produced and housed in your gut (the immune fighting cells that fight inflammation in your body)
• Your liver (your body’s #1 anti-inflammatory and cleansing organ) detoxifies unwanted toxins in your body and metabolizes hormones, like cortisol (stress hormones) and all of your neurotransmitters (including serotonin), signaling them to properly “work” in your body. However if your liver is sluggish, congested or overworked (from toxins, pesticides, non-organic foods, artificial sweeteners, longterm medication use, environmental stressors, etc.), then your brain (and body) suffers, since your hormone balance (cortisol levels) and brain chemicals are unable to function properly.
  
• Your vagus nerve, the nerve that governs your digestive process and your brain frontal lobe (“clear thinking”) function is directly connected from the top of your stomach to the top of your brain. 

The Bottom Line:

The “gut-brain” connection plays a BIG role in how your body experiences stress and inflammatory process experienced in your brain and body when headaches strike.

If your gut health is “out of whack” and you have lots of inflammation in your gut, guess where you may experience that inflammation? Your brain. 

The Result?

• Your neurons are unable to fire properly.
• Your cortisol (inflammation fighting hormone) is in “stressed out mode.” 
• Also, your “feel good” anti-inflammatory brain chemicals are suppressed.
• You get headaches.

How Does My Gut Get Unhealthy in the First Place?

Gut “problems” and bacterial imbalances don’t happen overnight, nor are they attributed to on thing. Instead a variety of stressors and triggers accumulate over time, causing a disruption in the balance of healthy gut bacteria, introducing more unhealthy or dysbiotic bacteria (overgrowth of certain strains), or spurring on a yeast overgrowth or pathogenic infection (like a parasite). 

Common gut bacteria disruptors include: 

• Not chewing your food thoroughly
• Being born as a C-section baby or formula fed (preventing the formation of early life healthy gut bacteria)
• Low stomach acid or digestive enzymes
• Nutrient deficiencies
• Eating too fast or in a hurry (preventing proper food breakdown)
• Lack of food diversity and variety
• Low quality protein, low starchy tuber/prebiotic fiber and/or low healthy fatty acids in the diet
• Eating gut-irritating ingredients and chemicals your body DOESN’T recognize as “food” or can’t easily digest (conventional meat with hormones and antibiotics, Quest Bars, Halo Top, Instant Oatmeal, sugary granola bars, Diet Coke, frozen dinners, hydrogenated oils)
• Long-term use of medications or antibiotics
• Environmental toxic exposures (hygiene, cleaning, beauty supplies)

• Antibiotics
• NSAIDS, birth control pills & other long term medication use 
• Low thyroid function
• Mercury overload (fish, fillings, metals)
• Mold exposure (house, environment)
• Chronic stress (under-sleeping, overtraining, constant worry or anxiety, high alcohol or smoking exposure)
• Food poisoning
• Sedentary lifestyles or overtraining
• Circadian rhythm disruption that throws off internal balance in your body (such as: “off” eating, sleeping or waking times; artificial light exposure at night)
• Chronic infections (Lyme, Ebstein Barr, hepatitis) 
• Disordered eating habits (binging, purging, restriction, etc.)
• History of Infections or Illness (bacterial, virus, heavy metals, fungal overgrowth)
• Lack of fermented foods and fibers (probiotics and pre-biotics)
• Other digestive problems, like SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth), liver/gallbladder dysfunction, parasites, food intolerances, etc. 

 

This list is not exhaustive, but as you can see, a variety of stressors on physical health can impact the health, variety and diversity of your gut bacteria. 

Headaches, Gut Bacteria & Stress 

While it may sound simplistic, a disruption of gut bacterial health in combination with stressors that influence your stress hormone balance (cortisol) provoke inflammation in the body. 

If your gut health is disrupted or your body is overburdened by stress (physical and mental), 

• Your liver is unable to detoxify toxins and foods and metabolize hormones and neurotransmitters properly; 
• Your gut is unable to break down and digest “inflammatory” foods in your diet (like gluten, sugar or hormone, antibiotic-rich dairy); 
• And, your immune system is unable to fight off pathogens; 
• Inflammation overtakes your body as a whole

…Leading to headaches for those who are most susceptible to them. 

Headache Treatment: Conventional Approach

Unfortunately, headaches (especially migraines) are hard to treat and very difficult to prevent with conventional approaches. There are many options when you are looking for ways to cure migraines.

The top go-to’s for headache treatments include NSAIDS (advil, tyelenol, ibuprofen), sometimes a recommendation for “more water,” and other prescription medications. These are popular to those who wish to cure migraines.

There are also a ton of preventive drugs prescribed to regular migraine sufferers— calcium channel blockers, beta-blockers, anti-seizure medications, antidepressants, and more –all of which work poorly (if at all), and they also come with a host of by side effects (including purposeful paralyzation of the neck muscles just to make the headaches stop!). 

The problem with all these approaches is that we are simply seeking to treat (and mask) the symptoms, instead of first addressing the root cause of the headaches (to keep them from happening in the first place), leaving sufferers to “deal with headaches” (and pray they don’t happen) for most of their lives. 

Headache Treatment: Functional Approach

The functional approach to headaches takes a different path—seeking to figure out the root cause(s) behind headaches, and addressing inflammation and total body wellness (as a whole) in order to not only curb headaches (in the moment), but also prevent them from happening in the first place. 

7 Natural Hacks to Cure Migraines and Headaches

So how do you “heal” or cure migraines and headaches naturally?! 

Boost your body systems that curb and fight inflammation—namely your gut health! 

“Loving your gut,” along with the implementation of anti-inflammatory practices (through foods, lifestyle factors and smart supplementation) is the no-nonsense solution to kicking your headaches to the curb. This will be very helpful to cure migraines too.

Here are 7 do-now hacks:

1. Address Underlying Pathologies & Stressors

It’s crucial to figure out what triggers and stressor(s) are driving your headaches:

Are they “seasonal?” Food intolerances? Environmental related? Allergies? “That time of the month?” Medications? Caffeine? Diet?

Once you identify your trigger(s), then dig even deeper behind the trigger(s): “What is “pulling the trigger in the first place?”

For instance allergies are rooted in immune dysfunction (in your gut, where 80% of immune system cells are produced). High caffeine intake messes with both cortisol levels and sometimes gut bacteria. Medications thwart cortisol balance and affect liver function, causing inflammation in the body. You are always more susceptible to headaches if and when your gut health (including liver health) or HPA-Axis (hormone and cortisol balance) is off. This is a very important step to get the best remedies to cure migraines.

The top “underlying” stressors behind regular headaches, especially migraines include:

• Gut Imbalances (Yeast, SIBO, infection, parasites)
• Food Intolerance/Allergies (Especially gluten, corn, soy, sugar)
• Chemical Triggers (nitrates in deli meats, sulfites in wine, pesticides in food—especially non-organic foods)
• Heavy Metals (mercury in dental fillings, food exposure, steel braces and retainers)
• Environmental Toxins (mold, chemicals in cleaning, beauty, chemical products)
• Hormonal Imbalances (often from poor liver metabolism and clearance; or elevated cortisol—stress hormone)
• Nutrient Deficiencies (especially Magnesium, Zinc & B-Vitamins—often from lack of them in the diet and poor gut health absorption)
• Mitochondrial (cell function) Imbalances

If you get headaches frequently, consider partnering with a healthcare practitioner who digs deeper beyond symptoms to figure out root cause(s). A further customized treatment protocol and testing may  be necessary, such as: Adrenal-hormone testing; stool analysis; SIBO breath testing; heavy metals testing; comprehensive functional blood chemistry. 

2. Build a Healthy Gut Ecosystem 

Your gut is the gateway to health. Heal the gut and practically every other body system “domino” often falls into place (headaches included). Our gut bacteria dictate the physiological processes inside our bodies, so if your gut bacteria are unhealthy or out of whack, then other systems and processes (ie. metabolism, hormones, detox pathways, elimination, nutrient uptake, cardiorespiratory, blood sugar, etc.) may get out of whack too. Build a healthy gut ecosystem with gut-loving supports–particularly for your liver-gallbladder processing (your body’s filtration and recycling system).

Some basic essentials include:

• Daily soil-based probiotic and fermented foods (1-2 condiment servings: sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, fermented yogurt, kefir)
• Prebiotic supplement and foods (starchy tubers, soluble fibers and root veggies)
• Boosting stomach acid with apple cider vinegar shots and/or HCL tablets and digestive enzymes
• Cooking your own food, more than eating out
• Chewing your food really well and not eating in a hurry or on the go

3. Hydrate 

Water is crucial for all life (to cure migraines and headache relief). A dehydration headache is a headache, caused by not having enough fluid in the body and inflammation mounting in the brain. The body requires the proper balance of fluid and electrolytes to function properly, and every day, the body loses water through daily activities, such as sweating and urination.

Typically, the amount of fluid lost is easily balanced through drinking or eating fluid-rich foods.

However, sometimes the body loses water faster than it can be replenished.When the body is dehydrated, the brain can temporarily contract or shrink from fluid loss. This causes the brain to pull away from the skull, causing pain and resulting in a dehydration headache.  Once rehydrated, the brain plumps up and returns to its normal state, relieving the headache. The bottom line: Water does a body good. Aim to drink half your body weight in ounces of water daily. 

4. Eat a Nutrient Dense Diet

When we eat, we not only feed ourselves, but we also feed our gut bugs. What are you feeding yours? More and more research shows that certain foods can trigger headaches more than others—particularly the highest inflammatory offenders, like gluten, conventional dairy, eggs, nuts, 

Eat This:

• organic, sustainable meats & poultry
• wild-caught fish
• fresh veggies and fruits
• fermented foods (pickled veggies, sauerkraut, kefir)
• starchy tubers & roots (sweet potatoes/potatoes, plantains, carrots, beets, squashes)
• healthy plant and animal fats (coconut, avocado, olives, ghee, grass-fed butter, lard, tallow)
• herbal tea
• Bonus: magnesium-rich foods: dark leafy greens, avocado, bananas, raw soaked pumpkin seeds, soaked beans

Limit

• eggs (especially egg whites)
• nuts
• alcohol (4-6 glasses per week)
• coffee (more than 1 cup)
• nightshades (chili powder, spices, vegetables)

• legumes (unless you soak and dry to cook)
• Dairy (fermented and grass-fed sources)
• Pork (pastured, organic preferred)

 

Avoid

• soy
• sugar/artificial sweeteners
• gluten
• corn (including cornstarch in foods, high fructose corn syrup)
• soy
• conventional dairy & meats (hormones, antibiotics)

• processed and refined foods
• industrial seed oils (canola oil, grape-seed oil)
• peanuts
• grains
• instant coffee
• any other foods you are intolerant to (such as FODMAPS)

 

Try this approach for 30 days and see how you feel. This helps to cure migraines.

Take it to the Next Level: Consider a Low Histamine Diet

Histamine rich foods cause an “immune” response in the body that triggers inflammation—particularly headaches. If you’ve been eating the basic anti-inflammatory diet for more than 30-60 days, but still keep getting headaches, consider experimenting with a low-histamine diet for 30 days, and see how you feel. Note: A histamine intolerance is often a BIG sign that something in your gut is “off.” Many people find when they eat any histamine foods, some extra gut love during the day (digestive enzymes and hydrochloric acid tablets with meals, and an extra dose of prebiotics and probiotics), along with immune boosting support supplements (like D-Hist by Orthomolecular or Trizomal Glutathione and Tumero Active by Apex Energetics) can be “game changers” for digesting those foods (and fending off histamine responses).

Histamine Rich Foods to Avoid on a Low Histamine Diet (30-60 Day Experiment) 

• Ketchup
• Food additives
• Citrus fruits, bananas, strawberries, pineapples
• Cocoa (chocolate)
• Nuts
• Legumes/beans
• Eggs/egg whites
• Slow cooked bone broth (for more than 48-72 hours)

5. Incorporate Anti-inflammatory Lifestyle Practices (Kick Stress)

Once you’ve identified potential triggers of your headaches, and commenced a gut-loving protocol, the last tier of kicking headaches to the curb is anti-inflammation–supporting healing of your headache through supplemental supports that gently calm down the pounding in your “head” (and body). While inflammation is NOT always a bad thing (inflammation is a natural response for healing), chronic (lingering) inflammation from ongoing stressors does more harm than good. Your body (and brain) needs some regular anti-inflammatory love to “cool down.”

Anti-Inflammatory Lifestyle Practices: 

• Sleeping (7-9 hours each night)
• Regular daily exercise and lifestyle movement (but not overtraining)
• Mindfulness Practices (yoga, tai chi, meditation, journaling)
• Limiting over-screen exposure (taking regular breaks)
• Stretching and massage/body work
• For those who regularly fight headaches, consider “bio-hacking” techniques like: acupuncture, bio-feedback, mindfulness based stress reduction and neurological-feedback, hot-cold therapy, and ozone therapy. 

6. Love Your Liver

As a matter of fact, our liver is the organ responsible for metabolizing hormones and neurotransmitters, as well as filtering and detoxing toxic chemicals and pathogens in the body. Ultimately, to fight inflammation and keep your body balanced. However, if your liver health is “off,” then you’re more likely to experience inflammation commonly associated with headaches. Especially, migraines—since serotonin production (calming, soothing neurotransmitter) is drastically reduced. With the right approach, you could cure migraines.

Regular headache suffers should pay special attention to loving their liver with these essentials:

• Drink fresh, clean filtered water in a stainless steel or glass water bottle. Also use glassware containers and stainless steel food containers and pans. 

• Ditch alcohol and coffee for 30 days to see how you feel without it in your system
• Eat liver loving foods including: beets, fresh herbs, turmeric, garlic, oregano, apple cider vinegar, lemons, cruciferous veggies, dark leafy greens, organ meats, apples, carrots, grapefruit, green tea, cabbage/fermented sauerkraut
• Gradually replace toxic products with natural products. Get rid of dryer sheets, Windex and other non-natural cleaning, hygiene and beauty supplies.
• Do a 7-day gentle liver cleanse

After addressing the “basics” with your anti-inflammatory gut health and lifestyle practices, you may even consider a 7-day gentle cleanse. 

7-Day Liver Cleanse

• Add in a “Liver Cleanse” Support
  • Days 1-4: Eat 1 organic apple or take a malic acid supplement according to its instructions. Just choose one method. During this time eat clean healthy meals that are simple like lean meats, whole vegetables, fresh fruit, 
  • Days 5-7: Drink a grapefruit or lemon juice mix once per day
    • 2 chopped lemons or 1 small grapefruit (can keep peel on)
    • 2.5 cups of pure water
    • 1-2 tbsp. of virgin olive oil
    • Blend, then strain drink through a mesh, wire strainer. Add optional 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract (alcohol free) and 2-3 drops stevia for flavor if desired. 
    • Continue to eat regular, balanced meals during the day. 

• • Eat 3 balanced meals of clean and light foods throughout the cleanse, including:
    • Lean proteins (pastured chicken, wild-caught fish, organic turkey; fermented tofu and soaked beans/lentils if vegetarian/vegan)
    • Dark leafy greens (cooked and/or raw)
    • Low starch veggies (cooked)
    • Healthy fats (avocado, coconut/coconut oil, olives/olive oil, ghee)
    • Fresh fruits: 1-2 servings (especially berries, grapes, melons)
    • Gut & liver boosting foods: Bone broth, apple cider vinegar, organic organ meats, beets, herbs, fermented foods.
    • Avoid: grains/gluten, dairy, eggs, nuts, pork, red meat, coffee, alcohol, sweeteners, sugar, starches
• Go “Natural” with Hygiene/Beauty & Cleaning Products:
  • • Makeup free or natural products only
    • Fluoride free toothpaste or baking soda
    • Try coconut oil to moisturize, apple cider vinegar and essential oils for a face toner, salt and honey scrubs, yogurt hair masks and other and homemade cleansers
    • Use white vinegar and baking soda to clean kitchen
    • Buy a natural laundry detergent and dryer sheets if used (Seventh Generation, ecover, method) 

 

• Bonus Supplements*:
  Add in these supports consistently during your 7 day liver cleanse to support gut health.
  • Probiotic: 2-3 soil-based organism (like Megaspore), 3 times per day
  • Prebiotic: Partially Hydrolyzed Guar Gum, 1/2-1 tsp in water

• • Liver Cleanse Herbs:  Like Livotrit or Gaia’s Liver Cleanse or Apex Energetic’s Metacrin DX or digestive bitters, like liposomal Biocidin (if you have “gut issues”)

• • Liposomal Curcumin, 1 tsp, 2-3 times per day
  • Liposomal Glutathione, 1 tsp, 2-3 times per day

• • Optional: Daily Hormone & Cortisol “Supports”
    
    • • Female Support:  Such as FemGuard Balance or Progestaid. Contains compounds like DIM & vitex/chaste tree for hormonal-driven headaches
        
      • Adrenal Adaptogen Herbs (like ashwaganda, relora, or cordyceps) for high cortisol and general stressor driven headaches

*By using this information, you acknowledge you’re responsible for your own healthcare. Consult with your healthcare provider before taking any new supplements. 

7. In the Moment Hacks

While most of these strategies are preventative action steps you can take to kick headaches and cure migraines, what to do when headaches strike?

Also, here are a few in-the-moment headache “coolers” and smart supplements to keep on hand: 

Hack 1: Better-Than Advil Supplement Combo

Fortunately, these supplements work together to support your liver, calm inflammation naturally and boost healthy neurotransmitter function and production. Great for the everyday tension or cluster headache, as well as migraines.This helps to cure migraines.

• Beta TCP (Biotics Research), take 2-3, chew for best results (migraines: 6-8)
• Livotrit Plus (Biotics Research), take 2-3 (migraines: 6-8)

Optional Add On: Intezyme Forte (Biotics Research) take 2-3 (migraines: 4-6)
An anti-inflammatory digestive enzymes to boost your gut’s inflammatory fighting capacity) 

Hack 2: Immune Booster

A “triple threat” of immune boosting supports, particularly effective for those sinus and allergy related headaches. Use the following for up to 7 days to cure migraines and headaches. 

• Trizomal Glutathione (Apex Energetics), 1-2 tsp, 2-3 times per day.
• Liposomal Curcumin + Resveratrol, 1-2 tsp, 2-3 times per day.

Hack 3: Gut  & Immune Booster

Love your gut bugs up on the days headaches strike with:

• Double dose soil-based probiotic (2-3, 3 times per day)
• Short Chain Fatty Acids (like Sodium-Butyrate by Body Bio, 1 with meals)
• Apple Cider Vinegar shots (1-2 tbsp in water with meals)
• Lemon water and at least half your bodyweight in ounces of water during the day
• Essential Oils: Peppermint Oil, Lavender, Rosemary, Ginger, Spearmint, Chamomile, Basil (on pulse points and in diffuser) 

Hack 4: “Windex” for Inflammation

CBD oil or hemp oil activates cannabidiols in your body to fight inflammation when your body needs it most. CBD oil is derived from the cannabis plant and contains NO THC (associated with psychedelics).  But ALL the benefits of “calming” the bod in times of stress—headaches included. This hack will reall help you cure migraines.

Lastly, consider 1-3 pumps under your tongue of a high-quality CBD Oil like PrimeMyBody or Charlotte’s Web. 

*The information contained in this article is intended for educational and informational purposes only. If starting a new supplement or recommendation in this article, you acknowledge you’re responsible for your own health decisions. It is advised you consult with your healthcare practitioner concerning your health choices, as well as consult your provider for safety or interactions with any medications or other supplements you’re currently taking.  

 

The post How to Cure Migraines & Headaches Naturally: 7 Essentials appeared first on Meet Dr. Lauryn.

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https://drlauryn.com/gut-health/cure-migraines-headaches-naturally/ ** Dr. Lauryn Lax __Nutrition. Therapy. Functional Medicine ** https://drlauryn.com/

How to Heal Insomnia in Adrenal Fatigue: 7 Solutions

How to heal insomnia? You have difficult time to go to sleep? Wake up at 3 am or 4 am in the middle of the night and can’t go back to sleep? 

Your adrenal hormones may be talking to you. People with Adrenal Fatigue or HPA Axis Dysregulation often have trouble with sleep—some wake at the same time every night for seemingly no reason why, while others wake every 2-3 hours; can’t fall asleep when it’s time to sleep; or get hungry in the middle of the night. 

Day 38: How to Heal Insomnia in Adrenal Fatigue: 7 Solutions

Here’s what you need to know about insomnia and Adrenal Fatigue, plus 7 solutions to sleep through the night.

Insomnia 101

Sleep disorders, or insomnia, affect millions of Americans every year.

Nearly 1 in 3 people report having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep most nights; and nearly 70% of Americans struggle with sleep at least once a week, according to the 2016 Consumer Report: “Why Americans Can’t Sleep.” (1)

No wonder the same amount of people (1 in 3) are sleep deprived in the U.S.—getting less sleep than the recommended 7-9 hours each night, and suffering health consequences because of it—from blood sugar and metabolic disturbances, to poor exercise recovery, low immunity and increased disease risk  (2)

The solution? 

Supplements, medications and tech gadgets—including sleep trackers and meditation apps—market promising results. However, when problems still continue, many people believe they just have to “deal with it”—accepting the fact that their poor sleep habits are “the way they are.”  (3, 4)

Unfortunately, very few doctors, medication commercials and supplement labels tell you the real reason why many people cannot sleep.

Three words: HPA Axis Dysregulation. (a.k.a. “adrenal fatigue”). 

The Adrenal Fatigue & Insomnia Connection

HPA Axis Dysregulation, or “Adrenal Fatigue,” is a condition in which your body’s stress and hormone management systems—namely your adrenal-pituitary-adrenal-(and often thyroid and gonad) glands—are out of whack, often due to stress (both physical and mental stress).

Your HPA Axis is the system in your body, responsible for making sure your hormones and bodily processes (from metabolism, to digestion, to breathing, to detoxing, to sleep and restoration) are working correctly. 

If your HPA Axis is “off,” you can bet your bottom dollar that other aspects of your health will be off. For some people, this means insomnia—greatly due to imbalances in your cortisol (stress hormone) and adrenaline (“fight or flight” hormone). 

HPA Axis Dysregulation Causes 

How does your HPA Axis get “off” in the first place to disrupt your sleep?

Common stressors that wreak havoc on your body’s HPA Axis include:

Physical

• Bluelight screen exposure (long times on screens)
• Light at night time
• Less than 7 hours of sleep most nights
• Overtraining
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Imbalanced exercise (i.e. doing HIIT or chronic cardio all the time without mixing it up)
• Exposure to chemicals in beauty, cleaning and hygiene products
• Plastic Tupperware/container use and other environmental toxins
• Mold exposure
• Stress over food/diet
• Under-eating
• Shift work
• Lack of outdoor/nature and fresh air
• NSAID use (for headaches, etc.)
• Oral birth control and/or long term prescription medication use
• Disconnection from community/meaningful relationships
• High coffee/caffeine consumption (more than 1 cup quality coffee/day)

• Low water intake (less than half your bodyweight in ounces)
• Tap water (not filtered)
• Synthetic hormone use
• Jet lag
• Disrupted circadian rhythms for sleeping, eating, working and resting patterns
• Artificial sweeteners (most commercial stevia included)
• Eating packaged, refined or processed foods
• High alcohol consumption or smoking
• Frequent eating out (more than preparing/handling your food)
• Low fiber (Fermentable prebiotic fiber foods)
• Lack of greens in your diet 
• Lack of quality protein (amino acids for your brain)
• Conventional meat and dairy consumption
• Grains and “gluten free” processed products (with gluten-cross contaminants) 
• Binging/Purging and disordered eating habits
• Pain (joint, musculoskeletal)
• Infectious/bacterial disease
• Gut inflammation & Underlying gut conditions (SIBO, parasites, etc.)

Mental/Emotional

• Type A personality—and difficulty listening to your body over your schedule
• Relationship stress
• Financial stress/pressures
• Endlessly Google searching answers to your health questions
• Not talking about your stress (bottling it up)
• Lack of play/fun
• Burnout

• Serotonin suppression (“feel good” brain chemicals)
• Social Media comparison/endless scrolling
• Lack of control
• Not doing things you love
• Trying to be all things to all people/people pleasing
• FOMO (lack of downtime for yourself)
• Burning a candle at both ends
• News binging 

Although your body is pretty good at dealing with stress—if stress mounts, without relief—eventually it takes a BIGGER toll on your total health (sort of like if you were to train for a marathon, and attempt to run an entire marathon every day…eventually your body would give out). 

Cortisol, Adrenaline & Insomnia

Cortisol and Adrenaline are the shining superstars hormones in insomnia and other energy and sleep disturbances associated with HPA Axis Dysfunction such as:

• Random 3 or 4 a.m. wakeups in the middle of the night
• Feeling wired and tired at night
• Getting a second wind around 10 pm
• Difficulty getting out of bed—even on the nights you do sleep
• Needing caffeine, sugar or snacks to function 

Cortisol is your body’s natural stress hormone—designed to help you combat tough exercise, public speeches and bears chasing you in the woods. Adrenaline is another stress hormone secreted by the adrenal glands, that serves as cortisol’s “backup ammunition.” It is the second line of defense when cortisol reserves begin to poop out—especially in conditions of stress, increasing rates of blood circulation, breathing, and carbohydrate metabolism and preparing muscles for exertion.

What this means for insomnia? If your cortisol production is OFF or your adrenaline is in “high gear,” then insomnia is more likely.

Why You Wakeup at 4 am: 3 Underlying Causes

Ideally, cortisol is typically highest in the morning and decreases as the day goes on, producing the lowest levels at night. For some people though, this does not happen. That’s the reason they want to heal insomnia. 

Three common underlying causes of insomnia at night may include:

• High Cortisol at Night.

Cortisol production may be high at night —leading to a continued steady increase toward the end of the sleep cycle, triggering a person to wake up. 

• Low Cortisol.

In others, cortisol production may be SUPER LOW—nearly crashing and burning at the end of the day. When this happens, another hormone—adrenaline—kicks into high gear—nearly causing you to shoot out of bed, on high alert. 

• Low Blood Sugar.
  

For many, the underlying issue at play isn’t just about cortisol alone—but also blood sugar regulation. Cortisol plays an important role in maintaining blood sugar (glucose) levels. Although blood glucose is normally low in the early morning hours (i.e. when your body is fasting as you sleep), if you have adrenal fatigue, cortisol levels may not stay high enough to adequately sustain your blood sugar. Since blood sugar (glucose) is the main fuel for every single cell—including brain cells— if this happens, your low blood sugar signals an internal alarm (that disrupts your sleep) to “protect you,” so you can wake up and refuel.

Low nighttime blood sugar can also result from inadequate glycogen (stored glucose) reserves in the liver. If cortisol is high or imbalanced day-to-day, it causes these glycogen reserves to be broken down into more glucose so it is then available to the cells. However, when BOTH low cortisol and low glycogen reserves occur, your blood sugar is more likely to drop. The result? Disrupted sleep.In short: Waking in the middle of the night (between 1 and 4 am) may indicate low blood sugar resulting from low glycogen reserves in the liver, low adrenal function and cortisol, or all three.

The Good News

The good news? You can heal insomnia naturally!

No matter what stress conundrum is at play in your body, there are several steps you can take to kick insomnia to the curb. Check out these top 7 insomnia and adrenal fatigue solutions below to help your sleep through the night naturally. 

7 Solutions to Heal Insomnia

1. Identify the Root Causes of your Adrenal Fatigue.

Stress is the #1 driver of adrenal fatigue. Not just mental stress, but physical stress as well: From blue light at night, to high coffee consumption, lack of sleep, low fiber diets (no greens), overtraining, under-eating and more. Check out the list above and tally up what stressors have become “norms” that may be root causes behind your condition.

2. Drink 1 Cup of Bone or Meat Broth Before Bed

Protein (amino acids) in bone broth are a super weapon against blood sugar and cortisol imbalances (Adrenal Fatigue) that promote “stability” for your up-and-down blood sugar balance.

Protein is especially helpful if your cortisol, blood sugar and glycogen stores tend to run low at night—as is common in waking up in the middle of the night—since protein has a super-ability to convert into glucose in the face of glucose depletion (5). Given that Adrenal Fatigue triggers insulin sensitivity and can cause blood sugar crashes, a moderate-low carb diet, combined with adequate protein and healthy fats is generally best tolerated by Adrenal Fatigue sufferers (6). 

Bone broth also contains the amino acid glycine, which acts as an inhibitor that protects against stress and can also help improve the quality of sleep by reducing core body temperature. It is also a rich source of minerals and amino acids (from the bones themselves), making it a powerhouse support for strengthening that immune system. One of the best natural ways to heal insomnia for good.

Lastly, given that bone broth is a liquid, it is super easy to digest. In adrenal fatigue, the body often loses its capacity to digest efficiently, which is why many Adrenal Fatigue sufferers also experience digestive difficulties (bloating, IBS, constipation, poor detoxification). You can make your own broth or order it here. 

3. De-Screen & Reset Your Circadian Rhythms

Your circadian rhythm is your body’s built-in clock. If you’re waking up in the middle of the night, chances are, your circadian rhythm is OFF (since your body is ideally meant to be sleeping at night). Several stressors can affect your circadian rhythms—not just lack of sleep itself, but also artificial light exposure during the day, jet lag, lack of nature and fresh air, eating at “off” times, or staring at screens.

In fact, light and screen exposure may be bigger culprits than you think affecting your circadian rhythms AND ability to sleep through the night. The brightness of a television, computer screen or artificial lights may interfere with melatonin (sleep hormone) release, because release occurs only under dark conditions.

In short: Humans are most sensitive to light stimuli during the night, and far less sensitive to light in the middle of the biological day (7).

For instance, researchers have found that even if our sleep-wake cycle is “normal” (i.e. we sleep at night, not during the day), that our circadian clock can still be “off” from a brain function and homeostasis perspective (such as core body temperature) if we are exposed to too much artificial light at night, especially at night (7).

Another study (8) by Harvard researchers compared the effects on sleep patterns when people were exposed 6.5 hours to blue light (screens) versus green light (dimmer lights in lamps) of similar brightness. The blue light suppressed melatonin for about twice as long as the green light and shifted circadian rhythms by twice as much (3 hours vs. 1.5 hours).

Although it may seem you’re NOT in control of your body’s sporadic wake times, there are several things you can do to set your body up for success throughout the day to prep for sleep as well as get your circadian rhythm back “on line.” Here are a few keys:

• • Candle down at night. Dim the lights, and refrain from bright artificial light in the evening hours when the sun goes down.

• • Use orange-tinted (blue light blocking) glasses when using the computer or other screens, and aim to shut off screens at least 1-2 hours before bed.
    
  • During the day, aim to get at least 60-120 minutes of natural sun exposure—working by a window, taking a walk, turning off overhead lights, etc.
  • Eat meals at ideal digestive times (Breakfast: 6-8 am, Lunch: 12-2 pm, Dinner: 6-8 pm, and snacks as needed, Mid-Morning: 9-11 am, Afternoon: 3-5 pm, Before Bed: Broth or other easy-digesting protein: Within 30 minutes to 2 hours before bed)
  • Use black out curtains in the bedroom and/or wear an eye sleep mask when you sleep at night to help heal insomnia the natural way.

4. Establish a Bedtime Routine

As a kid you probably had a bed time routine—you took a bath, read books, maybe drank some water  or ate a small bedtime snack, brushed your teeth, and got tucked in—all in efforts to help you sleep well. Then you grew up, and bedtime routines did no longer happened. If you struggle to fall, or stay, asleep at night, there’s nothing like a bedtime routine to get you “back on the bandwagon.” Consider establishing an adult bedtime routine for yourself to help your body and brain prep for sleep, such as:

• • Turn the screens off several hours before bed
  • Sip herbal tea or bone broth 
  • Read a book, journal, create or connect to a loved one—no screens necessary
  • Avoid hard conversations or stressors before bed (finances, news, etc.)
  • Take a warm shower or bath
  • Cool the room down to ideally below 70-degrees
  • Listen to soothing music
     

5. Keep Water + Sea Salt by Your Bed

Sea salt, added to water, is a natural electrolyte and “stress balancer”—particularly since cortisol and adrenal function soaks up your sodium stores in times of stress. Sodium levels tend to drop in the face of adrenal stress, and thus a pinch of sea salt is a natural remedy to get your adrenals “back online.” Add a pinch of sea salt to water, PLUS a squeeze of lemon for extra liver love—the organ also responsible for glycogen storage and glucose production in the middle of the night. 

6. Lather On Essential Oils

If you find yourself bolting out of bed at 3 a.m., reach for some essential oil calmness to balance the internal stress. Dab a spot of lavender oil or peppermint oil behind your ears and pulse points to signal to the body: “I’m ok!”

Also consider Apex Energetics AdrenaCalm— a cream you can put on pulse points as well. 

7. Supplement Smart

There’s hundreds of supplements marketed to poor sleep sufferers, often promising results, but with formulas that actually may be counterproductive to your overall health, hormones and desires for sleep. In the case of Adrenal Fatigue, your body is particularly sensitive to supplemental formulas and different herbal blends.

Additionally, if you don’t take into consideration the medications or other supplements you may be taking, OR poor gut health (i.e. lack of absorption of supplements in the first place), then these supplements could be more harmful. As with most supplements, it’s always best to consult a healthcare practitioner who “gets it” and can point you—and your body—in the right direction for what formulas may be most effective for you. A couple of my favorite blends for encouraging sleep, to check in with your provider and health plan, include: 

• Vital Plan: HPA Balance &/or Adaptogen Recovery OR Gaia HPA Sleep Cycle
• Calm with Magnesium Citrate-Calcium Blend
• Adrena Calm by Apex Energetics
• Gut Love!!! (Including a Daily Probiotic, Prebiotic & Short Chain Fatty Acids)

Sources:  

1. Consumer Reports. 2016. Why Americans Can’t Sleep. https://www.consumerreports.org/sleep/why-americans-cant-sleep/.
2. American Sleep Association. 2018. Sleep and Sleep Disorder Statistics. https://www.sleepassociation.org/about-sleep/sleep-statistics/
3. Chong Y, Fryar CD, Gu Q.  Prescription sleep aid use among adults: United States, 2005 – 2010.  NCHS data brief, no 127. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2013.
4. Gu Q, Dillon CF, Burt VL. Prescription drug use continues to increase: U.S. prescription drug data for 2007-2008. NCHS data brief, no 42. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2010.

5. Franz, M. 1997. Protein: Metabolism and Effect on Blood Glucose Levels.The Diabetes Educator. 23: 6; 643-651. https://doi.org 10.1177%2F014572179702300603

6. Jens Juel Christiansen, Christian B. Djurhuus, Claus H. Gravholt, Per Iversen, Jens Sandahl Christiansen, Ole Schmitz, Jørgen Weeke, Jens Otto Lunde Jørgensen, Niels Møller; Effects of Cortisol on Carbohydrate, Lipid, and Protein Metabolism: Studies of Acute Cortisol Withdrawal in Adrenocortical Failure, The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Volume 92, Issue 9, 1 September 2007, Pages 3553–3559, https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2007-0445

7. Duffy, J. F., & Czeisler, C. A. (2009). Effect of Light on Human Circadian Physiology. Sleep Medicine Clinics, 4(2), 165–177. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsmc.2009.01.004
   
   
8. Gooley, J. Et al. (2013). Spectral Responses of the Human Circadian System Depend on the Irradiance and Duration of Exposure to Light. Science Translational Medicine. 2: 31; 31-33. DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.300074. http://stm.sciencemag.org/content/2/31/31ra33 
9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29520851

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https://drlauryn.com/hormones-metabolism/heal-insomnia-in-adrenal-fatigue/ ** Dr. Lauryn Lax __Nutrition. Therapy. Functional Medicine ** https://drlauryn.com/