My Recipe for a Stress-Free Holiday Season

By Cindy Pitts Gilbert, Gwinnett Citizen December 2016

Dear Sister Knowitall,

Can I avoid the stress and anxiety I feel during the holidays?  I want to be present and enjoy time with friends and family. Sometimes I really just want to hop on the Polar Express and run away for the holidays.   ~Sincerely;  Mental Leedone

Dear Mental Leedone,          

Ah the time of year for peace on earth and joy to the world right?  For many of us it is anything but.  We have two opposing hormones working in our bodies based on how we react to life. Cortisol the fight or flight, stress hormone. Oxytocin the comfort and trust, love hormone. To get stress-free it makes logical sense to raise oxytocin and lower cortisol .  Oxytocin actually counters the effects of cortisol therefore, one might say that where there is love there can be no stress.  

photo credit: freakingnews.com

Here’s my recipe for a stress-free holiday.

Breathe  into the bottom of your lungs, count to 10.  Breathe out slowly.  Repeat 3-5 times.  Instant relaxation.  Try a deep yawn, exhale to release cortisol from your body. When that pesky auntie sends your peace of mind off the cliff, yawn. She’ll think you are bored and cortisol goes down.

Stop worrying about what other people think.  Do your best, then let  go. Those who matter know your heart. What other people think of you is none of your business anyway. 

Don’t sweat the small stuff. We all have our Christmas calamity stories.  If you have one of your own this year, laugh it off. Like the year I spilled Ambrosia all over my dad. It can be funny memory for years to come.

When we cuddle hug or kiss, we get a dose of  Oxytocin thus the nickname the love hormone.   Get under that mistletoe, grab your partner, here we go, give’em  a hug and dose-si-do.  No partner?  Call your mom, her voice releases similar levels as being in close proximity or a hug. You know that bear hug kind of friend? Seek them out this season. They are oxytocin inducer for sure.   

Enjoy an epsom salt and lavender bath. Lavender is an essential oil known for relaxation. Epsom salt  pull toxins from the body and relieves tension in achy muscles.

Sitting daily,  15-30 minutes,  in mediation or prayer can make a huge difference in your approach to life. We see things more clearly and it creates a sense of centeredness. Enjoy the calm of twinkling lights or glowing flames of your holiday decor.

Picking the right gift may stress us out but the joy of giving to those in need can’t be matched. Have an attitude of gratitude; Accept where we are in life.  Smile and you’ll get one back. Laughter and exercise increase endorphins that are released by your brain to make you feel good.

Stressed spelled backwards is Desserts? Coincidence?  Munch on Strawberries dipped in dark chocolate the Vitamin C in the strawberries fight free radicals, reduces cortisol and dark chocolate releases endorphins. Win win.

Singing offers feelings of pleasure again from endorphins. Group singing is cheaper than therapy, healthier than drinking, and certainly more fun than working out.  Caroling anyone?

Save this link: http://tinyurl.com/babiespuppieskittens . Enjoy pictures of babies, puppies and kittens to put a little love in your heart. 

Naturally Healing Trick for an Ingrown Toenail

I used to suffer from ingrown toenails as a younger Sister Knowitall, when I really didn't know much at all.  I got some great advise about how to treat and forever be healed from an ingrown toenail. Ingrown toenails are caused from wearing shoes that don't fit properly or pointed toe shoes.  Why we feel it is necessary or beautiful to squeeze 5 toes that are slightly slanted but yet mostly square shape into a point is still a mystery to me, I'm not going to tell you to stop wearing them because you won't listen to me.  So wear them if you must just be sensible.  Never wear them two days in a row. Swap to a more comfortable shoe more than you wear the pointy ones.  When you do get an ingrown toenail it is important to take care of the issue before it becomes infected and medical attention is required.  Epsom Salt soaks are helpful for inflammation and infection as is pouring alcohol on the nail. The keep your toenails cut straight across. This  picture is borrowed from webmd.com and shows a trick I have known for years and it absolutely works. The idea is to help to train the nail to grow out over the skin rather than into the skin around the nail.  Most nail salons will cut the corner off of the nail which causes the situation to become worse as the nail grows back out it will again embed itself into the skin causing the ingrown nail to reoccur. I would also put some anti bacterial ointment on it as well. I use my Sister Knowitall salve for that but you can use, an essential oil like tea tree, (melaleuca) lavender or frankincense.  I hope you are able to find some relief from the pain. Take care of your feet and they will take you all the places you'd like to go. I

Lemon Water for Aches and Pains

Dear Sister Knowitall,
I consider myself a healthy person. I try to play tennis and lead a fairly active life. I am starting to feel more aches and pains.  Am I becoming arthritic or just old?
Signed Achn'

Dear Achin',
You are as old as you allow yourself to feel.  Sometimes living hurts. We forget to do the simple things that keep our body healthy. 

The first question I would have for you is:. How much water are you drinking per day?  If the answer is not easy to answer or too easy as in one or two glasses a day, then you are not drinking enough.  Cars need lubrication to run smoothly. Water is the body's lubrication.  The second answer to your question is Lemons.  Squeeze lemon juice into your water. Preferably organic.  I drink 12oz every morning before I eat or drink anything else. I was feeling very arthritic myself. Did some research and decided to give it a try.   If you cannot find organic wash them thoroughly with soap and water or a fruit wash a great antibacterial wash  is Agrisept,  before using.  There is no point in removing one toxic substance from your body to replace it with toxic pesticides that cling to the rind of your lemon. 

So why does this help?  The body sometimes has a build up of  uric acid which is a crystallization in the joints. This acid causes inflammation in the joints and results in aches and pains, as well as  the feeling that arthritis is setting in.  I get up every morning and drink lemon water. I cut up a full lemon and place the pieces into a ziplock bag in my fridge.  Every morning while my coffee is brewing I drink a full 12 oz and then through out the day I drink water infused with lemons. I notice an improvement gradually in my hands first.  I truly feel an amazing difference in the way I feel thoughout the day. When I get "too busy" to drink my lemon water or even drink water throughout the day my body retaliates with aches and pains in my heels fingers and all over really.  The body is really very vocal about what is wrong if you know what to look for. If you have chapped lips brittle nails, hair and cuticles or dry skin. Give your body a break and give it much needed water. 

Other Benefit's of Lemon water:  It aids digestion, gives the body a boost of Vitamin C and can help the body rid other toxins and bacteria. It can also boost your metabolism helping your body lose weight.  I have just recently learned that Agrisept listed above is also known for aiding in weight loss and removing yeast from the body.  I will be exploring that more.  So I hope that this helps you feel better soon. I'd love to hear some of your success stories.

The link below is an interesting article from ABC News they also did some research on lemon water benefits.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/truth-lemon-water/story?id=30313519

Happy Healing,
Sister Knowitall

Help I Can't Sleep

Dear Sister Knowitall,
I'm having trouble sleeping.  I was wondering if you could advise me of any essential oils to help me sleep.
Sleepy Author

Dear Sleepy Author,
Sleep is such an important part of living a simple, healthy, life.  There are simple things you can try to help you sleep. Some work like  a charm for a temporary sleeping issue.  The key is understanding why you aren't sleeping.  You first must examine what is going on in your life.  What you are eating?  Are you writing  late at night?  Do you have trouble shutting down your mind at night?  Do you have any other symptoms?  I would recommend that you start journaling especially if your problem persists?
The quick answer to your question is Lavender Essential Oil.  You can pour a couple of drops onto the edge of your pillow case every night or get a diffuser designed for essential oils. Chamomile tea is also a great option for relaxing the body. You should really avoid  caffeine after 6pm.  There is also a possibility that your issue is stress related, if so then you have too much cortisol.  Yawning helps remove it from the body as does over stimulated or hormone related.  If you are over the age of 30 perimenopause is a possibility at anytime.  Night sweats and hot flashes often cause sleeping issues. There are an innumerable list of  things that interfere with sleep, another is a mind that can't shut down because it is over stimulated.  The age of the cell phone, tablet, e-readers and computer laptops are now accessible in our beds at night and we use them to "relax"  Unfortunately, they over stimulate the brain and keep us from being able to fall asleep naturally.  It is best to avoid looking at any of these devices or even your  TV 30 min to an hour before going to bed. This options may seem impossible, you have to find what works best for you. Reading doesn't seem to do the same stimulation that the electronic items do so read a good book.   Mix up a nice Chamomile tea about 30 minutes before bed. 
I really love taking a nice hot bath about an hour before bed with some Sister Knowitall lavender bath salts.

A few final thoughts for you; keep a water bottle next to your bed, if you wake up and have to use the restroom, resist the urge and if possible go back to sleep this will keep you from waking up too much and preventing you from falling back to sleep.  Alcohol can also interfere with sleep a nice glass of wine may be very relaxing but will often make you wake up shortly after you fall asleep.