Kids, Stress and ADHD

If you, your child, or someone you love has been diagnosed with ADHD, you will be familiar with the memory problems, anxious thoughts, difficulty concentrating, agitation, moodiness and irritability.

These are also signs of stress in (apparently) neuro-typical individuals. Children with ADHD particularly are more prone to stress than other kids which can compound symptoms, making symptoms worse and increasing stress further still. This is because executive function is located in our prefrontal cortex, which is especially vulnerable to the elevation of brain chemicals caused by stress. The prefrontal cortex matures later in childhood. This maturity is delayed in kids with ADHD. In short, stress makes ADHD worse.

Reducing stressors is an absolute must for all beings, but especially our neuro-divergent loved ones, particularly our children. Spending time in nature with our feet in the grass or sand. Fun and laughter. Interaction with friends and family. Daily exercise in the sunshine. Avoiding processed foods, artificial colours and flavourings and prioritising good sleep are essential for healthy brain function and development.

This is where adaptogenic herbs can gently help reduce stress response and improve cognition, memory and learning. Depending on the individual, there are a range of nutraceuticals that also show good results in improving ADHD symptoms. You can read about some of these here. It’s pertinent to note that there are a range of pathologies and intolerances that contribute to ADHD, or that may exist as a co-morbidities to ADHD, and taking a bottle of vitamins off the shelf may include ingredients that elevate symptoms rather than calm them.

Natural medicine is effective at improving ADHD symptoms. If you’d like to explore the options available to you please book an appointment. Through Wild Grace Health you can access extensive testing and a full health assessment to determine a personalised treatment plan for you.

19 tips for good sleep

 If you need to be woken up in the morning – either by an alarm clock or by another person, then you’re not getting enough sleep. Many of my naturopath and massage clients report they have trouble sleeping. You can give yourself a better chance of a good night by following your body’s natural rhythms and these guidelines. .

 Below I’ve listed nineteen - yes that’s NINETEEN - things you can do to improve your sleep at night.

1: Get out of bed at the same time each day.

Have a regular time of getting up out of bed. Regardless of what time you were in bed the night before get up at the same time each day. 

2. Don’t lay in bed worrying.

Avoid lying in bed for long amounts of time worrying about sleeping. If you’ve been in bed for more than 30 minutes – or what feels like 30 minutes and your worried about sleeping – get up and go do something else in dim light (a few yoga stretches are ideal here) and then go back to bed when you’re sleepy. 

3. Cut your day naps.

Avoid napping during the day – limit to a 20 minute powernap in the afternoon if necessary. 

 4. Get some sunshine.

Spend time outside in natural light during the day 

 5. Lay off irritants.

Avoid eating foods that may interrupt sleep such as acidic citrus, wine, beer or fatty foods that may cause indigestion. 

 6. Go natural.

Avoid Bright light exposure late in the evening, particularly blue light from electronic device screens. Turn off your devices at least half an hour and ideally an hour before bed. Sorry, no more scrolling your phone in the middle of the night. 

 7. Wind down

Avoid big heavy meals or sweaty workouts in the three hours before bed as the can be stimulating for your body and brain.

 8. Be in the dark.

Make your room as dark as possible – remove all sources of light, such as digital clocks and the little lights that might be admitted from electronic equipment such as stereos or laptop charging plugs. This is because light interrupts your production of melatonin, the sleep hormone.

 9. Get comfy.

Use a comfortable mattress and pillow for comfort and support

 10. Don’t work in your bedroom.

Reserve your bedroom for sleeping and making love 

 11. No problem solving

Avoid thinking about troubling issues before bed. Allocate time earlier in the evening or day to worry and problem solve 

 12. Lay off the stimulants.

Eliminate all stimulants such as caffeine, sugar, soft drinks and nicotine, completely if possible but particularly after 3pm 

 13. Avoid alcohol

Reduce or eliminate alcohol – even one glass of wine interferes with healthy sleep and you wake feeling tired. 

 14. Avoid illicit drugs

Avoid illicit drugs – these mess with you and your sleep 

 15. Try and keep pets out of the bedroom .

Avoid having pets in the bedroom, and children (joke!). This is a tough one, obviously this comes down to personal choice and many of us choose to sacrifice good sleep in order to make our loved ones feel secure. The kids may take a few years to grow up and forgo their midnight cuddles, but if you can at least make a special sleeping space for your pets that’s not on your head, your health will be better for it.

16. Drink sleepy herbs

Try drinking a herbal tea before bed. Chamomile is wonderful, so is lavender, passionflower, lemon balm and oat straw. I’ve put all these gorgeous sleepy herbs in a delicious Sleep Tea blend, available in the Wild Grace Tea Shop.  

17. Have a Bath

Have a warm bath before bed – extra points for placing Epsom or magnesium salts in the bath, lavender essential oil is wonderful for inducing sleep also.

 18. Get the temperature right.

19 degrees celsius is the optimal temperature for good sleeping.

 19. Create a routine

Create a bedtime routine for yourself: Set aside 30 – 60 minutes for winding down with a bath, self massage, breathwork, yoga, a meditation and listening to sleepy music. Spotify have some great playlists. 

Herbs that can help when you're feeling grumpy

Some days are much harder than others. When things go wrong, or a spanner is thrown in the works  emotions bubble up and you find yourself being a little bit snappy. Wouldn't you know it though, there's a herb for that. 

I practise herbalism on an energetic basis. We all have our different personality's, dispositions, and energetics. What's right for you will be different to what's right for me, and I love finding the right plant medicine for the right person. 

I mixed up the below formula for myself last week when I was a grumpy mcgrump pants, and it worked a treat.

Korean Ginseng 

This one is powerful. So powerful that I find many herbalists shy away from it. it's quite stimulating, so wonderful if you're feeling tired and havn;t had enough sleep. Which was me last week, a combination of staying up a bit too late and my kids needing me in the middle of the night. It's indicated for loss of physical stamina, exhaustion and tiredness, and diminished concentration and memory Just what I needed. I find a few drops of korean ginseng prior to a long drive is excellent for helping concentration. 

Sage

Sage is one of my personal herbal allies and finds it's way into many of my personal blends. It contains rosmarinic acid which is an antioxidant and really good for your brain. Matthew Wood lists one of sages traditional uses (of which there are many) as indicated for 'withered dry skin and withered tendons.' Yes exactly how I feel after not getting enough sleep for a week. Also has traditionally been indicated for mental lethargy, depression, melancholy and poor concentration. There are many other uses - this plant is complex and full of magic as far as I'm concerned - the uses I've listed above seem the most apt here. 

St Mary's Thistle

A powerful liver healer, this herb prevents and reverses damage to the liver induced by alcohol and life in general. Wonderful for strengthening the liver to process all those nasty toxins you don't need. In traditional chinese medicine the liver is associated with the emotion of anger, so by nurturing the liver you nurture your anger. 

Zizyphus

Has a mild tranquilising effect - perhaps downplaying all those irritable emotions. It's indicated for anxiety, nervous exhaustion, restlessness, irritibility and insomnia. Perfect. I always expected this herb to be quite sedative but have found when taking it, it actually has more of a calm your nerves type vibe. It helps you get off to sleep because it calms your irritability and anxiety allowing you to destress. I’ve found it doesn’t make you drowsy if you want to stay awake.

Ginger

Another herbal ally for me that I consider a master healer. just so much awesomeness in one little root. Full of anti-inflammatory, calming goodness, and a little bit of ginger tincture added to a herbal blend improves the taste an awful lot. 

This is by no means an exhaustive list of herbs that can help your mood - there are many more. This mix was exactly what I needed at the time. After taking this blend all noises and mess and annoyance dulled and faded. I managed my tiredness for the rest of the day, and of course, made sure I got into bed early for a goods night sleep. 

If you'd like to experience the gorgeous support offered to us through our herbal allies, please book in for herbal medicine appointment. Appointments are available online or in person in South Fremantle. 

Herbal tincture

Anti-Anxiety herbs for you: Kava

The numbing of the tongue and throat is immediately noticeable when first taking Kava. I find the relaxation and anti-anxiety effects are obvious within minutes. Studies have shown that the higher your level of anxiety, the better Kava works at settling your nerves.  

Kava has been used as a ceremonial drink in the Pacific Islands for thousands of years. When taken, it brings relaxation, sociability and a mild euphoria followed by a relaxing sleep. Partakers wake refreshed and hangover free. Until a couple of years ago, Kava was prohibited in West Australia, but that prohibition has now been lifted.  

Kava is an important anxiolytic. It offers just as much anti-anxiety action as more standard anti-anxiety pharmaceuticals yet doesn’t result in the bad moods that accompany these medications.  

Kava connects the mind with the heart, binging a deeper sense of love and security. If taken just before retiring it will help lull you off into a deep and relaxing sleep.  

In the early 2000’s liver disease and a few deaths were attributed to Kava consumption. A herb that had been used for over 3000 years was suddenly not safe. However in 2008 WHO declared Kava safe for use. It was determined the alcohol based extracts, the use of leaves and branches instead of just the roots, and possibly the varieties of Kava were the cause of the adverse affects. Piper Methysticum (which translates to intoxicating pepper) prepared traditionally or in a water based extract is completely safe and too important as an anxiolytic and sleep aid to not use.  

Kava not recommended for pregnancy and breastfeeding, or for long term use. Overuse can result in stupour and a scaly rash. Traditionally it was used ceremonially, not as an everyday thing. However one group of study participants took Kava for 6 months without adverse effects.

I’m open for online herbal medicine consults, and herbs can be posted out or picked up in South Fremantle.

Anti-Anxiety herbs for you: Passionflower

There was a magnificent passionflower vine in the backyard of a long term rental house I had in my twenties. I was enchanted at the rather trippy flowers with their intricate and unusual structures, shapes and the colours. This is an artful plant indeed. 

When I started studying herbal medicine I was amused to learn that passionflower is an anxiolytic, nervine tonic and - in higher doses - a sedative. It’s as if the flower gives clues to it’s medicine. Working with the plant opens doors to alternative insights, the bigger picture, and enables relaxation and enjoyment at the same time. It can be used to support withdrawal from opiates, alcohol and cannabis. It can be used for anxiety, insomnia and restlessness and is safe in children (in adjusted doses).Passionflower is especially great for gastrointestinal problems related to anxiety and nervousness. 

One small study found that in a group of 36 people with Generalised Anxiety Disorder, passionflower was just as effective as reducing anxiety after four weeks as Oxazepam - a benzodiazapene -  and it was better tolerated. Another study found that patients given passionflower 90 minutes before surgery scored much better on anxiety scores than a placebo group. 

The anti-anxiety relax and chill out vibe of passionflower and it’s aphrodisiac properties can make this a rather nice herb to have around in these housebound isolation times. 

Passionflower is contraindicated in pregnancy due to uterine contractions. 

If you would like some herbs for yourself please book in for an online appointment with myself. There are many herbs out there and different herbs are suited to different people - and I’ve got quite a knack for matching herbs with people. I’ve created a new appointment type - A herbal medicine consult - which is shorter than a traditional initial naturopathic appointment and is more affordable. $88 includes a 200ml herbal, a personalised flower essence and postage . Or $66 for a 100ml herbal, flower essence+ postage. After your initial appointment refill’s can be arranged for the cost of herbs + postage (or pick up in South Fremantle). All initial appointments are online with zoom, follow ups can be over the phone or video link.

Book your herbal medicine consult here through this link.

4 things about mental health

One

Stress causes cortisol to rise, and high levels of cortisol affect brain function. As you know, we all have stress, stress is normal, some of us deal with it better than others. Some times of our lives are way too stressful. Too much stress causes problems, and so can too little. So self care, giving yourself breaks. Investing time in your relationships, allowing time for play, and laughter. Giving yourself down time and allowing for adequate sleep. These will all help keep you well. If you can’t destress adequately on your own, there are herbs for that, seek help.

Two

It’s understandable to reach out for numbing when we’re down in the dumps. Ciggies, alcohol, caffeine , drugs, junky food, sugar, fried things, too much TV, no exercise.
 These things cause inflammation in your body- including -your brain in varying degrees. Some of these things cause neurotransmitter imbalances that lead to depression.  The subtle inflammation in your brain degrades your mental health.    

When in the habit of excessive use of any of these numbing behaviours your mental health suffers. All the discomfort of addiction is caused by the withdrawal of the substance your using. Continuing to use perpetuates the discomfort. The only way to end it is to break the cycle and sit through the discomfort.  

Three

It’s been conventional to treat mental illness purely as a physical imbalance in brain chemicals. Patients are treated with medication, a bottle of pills … or several.. .depending on how ’serious’ your mental illness is, and sent home.

But this isn’t working, consistent data from scientific reviews shows that targeting one or two neurotransmitters with pharmaceuticals often fails to provide overall meaningful clinical efficacy. Enormous amounts of randomised controlled trials have been used to study antidepressants, with the majority demonstrating only moderate superiority compared to placebo, leaving many patients experiencing treatment-resistant depression.  Medication helps, no doubt it helps, and many people really do need their meds to function from day to day. But while benefitting from the ‘balance’ found through the meds, patients need healing. Mental illness is every bit spiritual as it is physical I have no doubt. And we are severely doing a disservice on the spiritual healing side of things for the average mental health patient in our country. They are given a bottle of pills and left to their own devices. - And this means not even assisting to get in to see a psychologist. The psychiatrist doesn’t do any cognitive therapy anymore, they just prescribe in 15 minute appointments.   

Four

You need a good healthy gut and a solid nutritional profile to be mentally well. Most of your serotonin - aka happy juice - is made in your gut. You need a complete amino acid profile, healthy fats, some nourishing carbohydrates and all the colours of the rainbow for minerals and vitamins to keep your neurotransmitters firing happy. You need to eat well to be well. If you are deplete you are not going to be as well as you could be. There are a range of nutritional supplements and herbs that can help you get to where you need to be, so book a naturopathic appointment for help to make some health goals, get some investigations done and receive evidence based guidance on what you need to eat and take.

Tea: Chill out and stop worrying / sleep peacefully

When worry and anxiety takes a hold this soothing concoction will calm your nerves. It's also wonderful for aiding the onset of sleep. A good pinch of lavender

A good pinch of chamomile flowers

A good pinch of lemon balm (I used fresh but dry is also available)

Steep for 5 - 10 minutes in hot but not boiling water. Strain and stir with the intention of calm. Inhale the aroma, sip gently.