Purging the poisons: how to support natural body detoxification

For many years, the term “detox” referred to breaking free of alcohol or drug addiction. Nowadays, detox means removing all toxins from the body — not just poisons from substance abuse, but also heavy metals, chemical additives, allergens, and other toxins in our food, water — even the air we breathe.
Conventional medicine tends to be skeptical of “new age” practices like body detox, but detox methods have been around a lot longer than traditional practitioners might realize. Many ancient cultures embraced natural body detox, with Native American sweat lodges and Indian Ayurveda (panchakarma) being just two of the methods that survive today. But if your conventional practitioner dismisses your questions about how to maintain effective body detoxification, don’t take it personally... Preventive therapy is still an up-and-coming idea in standard medicine, which centers on “rescuing” the body from illness. In effect, the conventional perspective says wait until you get sick, and then we can help you. But I know that most of my patients would rather stay well now than get well soon!
That’s why effective, ongoing detoxification is so powerful: it truly helps prevent illness later in life. Once you begin to support your detox ability, your body’s “normal state” tends to shift toward health instead of inching toward illness. Like most of my functional medicine colleagues, I believe that effective, natural detoxification can improve your quality of life and prevent many kinds of disease — and it’s particularly important in our stress-filled and toxin-laden world. There are practical, proactive steps you can take to support your natural ability to detoxify, and to keep toxins from entering your system in the first place.

Natural detox: your body knows how

Your body is detoxifying all the time. The natural processes of metabolism create streams of waste, and we’re also ingesting, inhaling, and absorbing pathogens, chemicals, allergens, and other toxins. Our bodies work continually to deactivate and eliminate these harmful substances.
Natural detox is a collection of responses that occur throughout your body, literally without pause. And the human body is remarkably successful at disassembling and removing the majority of toxic substances and metabolic wastes.

Overloaded and overburdened detoxification systems

Usually, it’s only when our finely-tuned detox systems can’t keep up that we see problems. Diet and lifestyle choices can influence our ability to detoxify, but so can genetic make-up and extended exposure to toxic elements. If toxins build up inside the body, a wide range of effects are possible, with some potentially serious consequences.

Possible symptoms of internal toxicity
fatigue	nausea	hives	coughing
irritability	indigestion	skin rashes	sneezing
fuzzy thinking	bloating	acne	wheezing
headaches	constipation	joint pain	chest pain
sinus congestion	insomnia or sleepiness	backache	allergy-like responses

Research shows a troubling link between the impaired ability to detoxify and a number of diseases, including cancer, Parkinson’s disease, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue/immune dysfunction syndrome. But many other conditions are also related to toxicity in the body: thyroid dysfunction, arthritis, heart disease, eczema, allergies, asthma, cirrhosis, fibrocystic breasts, gastritis, pancreatitis, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease... and the list goes on.

Did you know?

A common sign of detox imbalance is unwanted weight gain.

In my practice, I often see detoxification imbalance at the root of a patient’s symptoms and health issues. It can also underlie other internal imbalances, including those involving digestion and inflammation — as well as a woman’s overall hormone balance.

The Women to Women perspective on detox

Because our modern world exposes us to new poisons and substances — both naturally occurring and manmade — I see an increasing need for efficient and effective detox. My experience with patients has helped me develop a comprehensive approach to supporting detox for women. Healthy detoxification is based on two simple principles:

• Provide a steady supply of the raw materials your body needs (food, key nutrients, water, and other fluids).
• Create living and working conditions that enhance your body’s ability to manage toxins.

I advise patients to eat, drink, work, play, and even rest, in ways that support their natural detoxification processes. Making smart choices that help you detoxify well will have a direct impact on both your short- and long-term health.

Toxins, toxins, everywhere

“Civilization is being poisoned by its own waste products.”
— William Ralph Inge, author

In addition to the old-school toxins we’ve encountered for years, we now have an array of allergens, by-products, wastes, chemicals, and organisms that our bodies simply do not know how to process. It’s true that the human body is amazingly adaptable, but our systems have not yet adjusted to these diverse “foreigners to life,” or xenobiotics. Instead, these outsiders become part of an enormous “toxic load” we carry indefinitely.
Where are all these toxins — old and new — coming from? They’re all around us — in the air, water, food, and environment, and they may be disguised in some clever camouflage:

• Air, water, and environmental pollutants (including jet fuel residue)
• Food contaminants, such as pathogens and by-products of certain industrialization processes
• Chemicals we absorb, inhale, or ingest (from construction materials, furniture and flooring, clothing, cleaning supplies, personal care products, and more)
• Pharmaceutical medications (antibiotics, HRT, NSAID’s, etc.), recreational drugs, second-hand smoke, and alcohol
• Radiation and electromagnetic fields
• Heavy metals, aluminum, and toxic halides
• Hormones and endocrine disruptors
• Mold, mildew, and “superbug” pathogens
• Free radicals

In addition, problems with detoxification can occur right inside us. Because the gastrointestinal tract is your body’s initial interface with a large percentage of the toxins it encounters, any chronic digestive issue can interfere with detox. If you have IBS, for example, you may have trouble detoxifying — but an imbalance in your gut flora can also limit your gut’s natural detox function.

“Resentment is an extremely bitter diet, and eventually poisonous. I have no desire to make my own toxins.”
— Neil Kinnock, Welsh politician

What’s surprising is that we ourselves generate some of the strongest, or most reactive, poisons and toxins. Many lifestyle factors have a grave impact on health, including poor diet, low water intake, lack of exercise, and inadequate rest. But emotions can be poisonous, too. Stress, anxiety, depression, and even “toxic” relationships affect you physically and add heavily to the load your body is trying to detoxify.
Some people have innate limitations in their ability to detoxify. In some cases, these factors can be “pathological” (leading to disease) when left unaddressed. Either they’re born with genetic traits that interfere with healthy liver function (such as a GSTM 1 polymorphism) or normal metabolism of nutrients (for example, an MTHFR polymorphism), or they develop detox issues as a result of lifestyle influences or hormone imbalance during perimenopause.
Even under such challenging conditions, toxicity is not your destiny. There is a tremendous amount you can do — right away — to limit and offset the effects of toxins. And of course, stopping poisonous substances from entering your system in the first place should be a top priority.

Natural detoxification systems — the whole-body concept

Detoxification is accomplished by many internal systems and organs working in unison to identify, deactivate, and eliminate toxic substances. These mundane reactions help clear out toxins and purify your internal environment.

• Respiration: breathing (gas exchange), coughing, sneezing, clearing mucus
• Skin: sweating, sebaceous (oil) gland secretion, tears
• GI system: liver function, intestinal tract function (our “first line” defense), including stool excretion
• Kidneys: acid/alkaline balancing, urination
• Circulation and lymph systems: blood flow, lymph circulation, node function

Because all these systems cooperate for whole body detoxification, problems in any one can allow toxins to accumulate, or interferes with the removal of highly reactive compounds, which can then move in and camp out in your organs and tissues.
Let’s take a closer look at how the job of detoxification is divided up.

Liver

The liver is the powerhouse of detoxification, since one of its primary functions is to isolate and biotransform toxic molecules so they can be eliminated. With its ability to create various enzymes and chemicals, the liver quickly deactivates most poisons you take in or create. Our special page on liver function shows how you can provide support to keep this critically important organ functioning well.

Kidneys

Your kidneys act as an advance filtering system to catch wastes and toxins circulating in your blood and eliminate them through urination. If this process becomes sluggish or begins to fail, poisonous substances build up, and your health can deteriorate rapidly. Supporting kidney function involves eating an alkalizing diet, with mineral-rich fruits and vegetables, and drinking plenty of pure water (distilled, filtered, or spring). Alcohol, particularly in excess, can be very hard on the kidneys.

GI tract

When the gut isn’t healthy...

“Leaky gut syndrome” occurs when the lining of the GI tract becomes porous, allowing food particles to directly enter the bloodstream. Such particles are considered toxins by the immune system, so leaky gut can be the starting point for some food allergies and systemic inflammation.

For natural detoxification, there is nothing more important than good digestive health. Your gut is the gateway for most pathogens, but it is also your initial defense against toxins, germs, and unwanted substances. Taking care of the GI tract starts with choosing non-toxifying foods, and results in better elimination — the prime vehicle for toxin removal.
Your GI tract is lined with a mucous membrane that, when healthy, forms an “intelligent” barrier that helps prevent toxins from entering your bloodstream and allows escaped xenobiotics to pass back into the intestines for elimination (called “antiporter” detox). Good GI health through proper diet can help keep this membrane intact and functioning well. A healthy supply of “friendly bacteria” in the gut helps you handle the food you eat and wards off any pathogens lurking in your food. Gut flora can also stop pathogens from re-entering your system until your body can dispose of the intruders.

Detox and hormone balance

When you follow a detox diet, you create better health in two of your most active hormone-balancing locations — the gut and the liver. A detox diet eliminates top food allergens and foreign substances to which your body may be reacting adversely. (These irritants disturb hormone balance by ramping up the immune response, spending raw materials better used elsewhere, and clogging the liver’s detox pathways.) A detox diet also fosters beneficial bacteria in your gut and de-stresses your liver, which together can dramatically improve the body’s ability to handle its own hormones.
Reference for detox and hormone balance.

Moving the bowels regularly figures prominently in detoxification because stool transit time is not just a factor in your physical comfort. You want to keep things traveling along the digestive tract at the right pace so that your body has time to extract nutrients from food. But once that’s done, you don’t want waste lingering in your lower GI tract because toxins and poisons can be reabsorbed (sometimes called “auto-intoxication”). Adequate intake of fiber and water are key elements for bowel health.

Respiration

We breathe in life-giving oxygen and get rid of carbon dioxide, a waste product, when we breathe out. But the nose, lungs, bronchial tubes, throat, and sinuses also filter, process, and remove airborne toxins and inhaled pollutants.
Supporting respiration-related detoxification is clear-cut: don’t smoke; avoid “congesting foods” such as red meat, refined grains, and sweets; and get regular exercise. Yoga and other practices that emphasize deep breathing help you inhale more oxygen while massaging your internal organs.

Skin and dermal function

The saying “Don’t sweat the small stuff” does not apply to detox. The skin is very porous, so perspiring is a great way to get rid of toxins. You can work up a good sweat when you exercise, or enjoy a session in a sauna, steam shower, hot bath with Epsom salts, or traditional Native American sweat lodge. I also recommend dry-brushing the skin to keep pores open and remove dead cells. Sebaceous glands and tear ducts help mobilize toxins out of the body too.
Because your skin covers so much territory, any poisons or allergens on your clothes can generate toxic reactions, so choose laundry and personal care products without harsh chemicals to help with sensitivities.

Lymphatic system

Your lymphatic system is your body’s best-kept detox secret — I call this amazingly complex network of channels and nodes the body’s “sewer system.” It interfaces with the rest of your internal systems at regular points throughout your body, circulating lymph fluid in one direction as it carries away metabolic wastes and poisons. Silent, percolating lymphatic flow is stimulated by exercise, deep breathing, and regular body movement. Problems occur if lymph fluid does not flow freely, which traps toxins instead of ushering them out of the body.

What detoxification is not

We recommend avoiding extreme detox regimens
such as

• Prolonged juice fasts
• Colon cleanses
• Colonics
• Coffee enemas
• Hours-long saunas
• Excessive doses of antioxidants or minerals
• Foot detox pads (Kinoki)
• “Mucoid plaque” removal
• Extreme or “amateur” chelation

Typing the word “detoxification” into an internet search engine will return almost five million results. In 2008 alone, we were introduced to 54 new products with the word “detox” in their names. Crafty advertising may tempt you, but be careful! Many products and procedures are not based in science, and some may be downright unsafe.
When products simply don’t work, you’re out the money you spent. But I worry most about ads for radical juice fasts and extreme colon cleanses. Using methods like these to compensate for poor diet and lifestyle choices can take a tremendous toll on your body without delivering on the rapid weight loss and “body purification” claims made in the advertisements.
Fasting is an age-old practice associated with many religious and spiritual traditions, and I believe that under planned and controlled circumstances, it can be fine. But extreme fasting is almost always bad for you, and can unleash toxins too quickly, making you feel awful. And if you’re considering fasting to lose weight, my advice is simple: don’t.

The most elegant way to detoxify: naturally

Support your ability to detoxify!

DON’T:

• Smoke or knowingly take in other poisons or toxins
• Use toxic cleaners and beauty products
• Eat processed foods
• Eat sugar, gluten or refined grains, artificial sweeteners, or trans fats
• Take unnecessary drugs
• Expose yourself to noxious chemicals and poisons

DO:

• Eat right and reduce red meat consumption
• Exercise to the point of sweating and to keep blood and lymph circulating well
• Get enough rest
• Address long-term emotional issues that cause tension, stress, and worry. Try support groups, therapy, or targeted techniques like Byron Katie’s The Work and the Hoffman Quadrinity Process.
• Try yoga to encourage deep breathing and improve elimination
• Keep your skin clean

The ability to detoxify naturally is a limited resource, and if you’re not choosing well when it comes to lifestyle, emotional health, and diet, your system can quickly become overloaded. Maintaining good detox capability depends a lot on what you don’t do. If you avoid eating harmful foods and drinks, limit your caffeine and sugar intake, steer clear of drugs when possible, and beware of “toxic” emotional states, you’ll go a long way toward preserving your own natural detox capability.
At Women to Women, we talk a lot about a woman’s burdens. If your “load” is too heavy, it can be a tipping point for your detox systems. In my own quest to detoxify well, I found that mercury-laden fillings in my teeth were causing problems. When I had them replaced, I felt better almost immediately.
I urge you to do the same sort of toxic burden inventory for your own life, to improve the balance between the demands being placed on you and the amount of support you provide your body, mind, and spirit. With the help of your healthcare practitioner, you can create a “detox profile” that isolates the toxic elements that might be affecting you. Food sensitivities and alcohol and caffeine use are a great place to start.
Once you begin to detoxify, stored toxins and substances are released into the system for removal — so you may feel worse for a short period. But if you wait it out, this sensation passes and you will soon feel much better, and be rewarded with clearer skin, more energy and vitality, better sleep, fewer aches and pains, better bowel health, improved mental clarity, and loss of excess “toxic weight.”

How to support your natural ability to detoxify

Basic support for natural detoxification is like many things — simple, but not always easy to accomplish. You need to provide proper nourishment, with extra fruits and vegetables; avoid processed, refined, and fatty foods; ensure steady hydration; and get lots of rest.
For additional support, consider some of these foods and supplements: a high-quality multivitamin/mineral complex, a probiotic supplement, antioxidants (vitamins C, A, and E, but never in excessive amounts), glutathione, amino acids (methionine, L-cysteine, tyrosine, taurine), tea (all kinds), and essential fatty acids.
A wide variety of herbs also are known to support “natural cleansing” and detox ability, including garlic, red clover, Echinacea, dandelion root, sarsaparilla root, parsley leaf, goldenseal root, senna or Cascara sagrada, clove, eucalyptus, and peppermint.

Marcelle’s Super 6: bonus tips for detox

1. Pay attention to your overall detox capacity. Be mindful of “clearing out the clutter” of toxins that may interfere with your body’s metabolic conversation.
2. Your body isn’t “dirty” — avoid aggressive colon cleanses, prolonged fasting, and other extreme detox activities.
3. Heal your gut first and foremost, starting with becoming aware of sensitivities and allergies. Your body makes its first pass at detoxifying in the GI tract and the more you can ditch then and there, the better.
4. Detoxify your emotions, through therapy, acupuncture, massage, and/or exercise. Try to resolve toxic relationships and choose enjoyable social activities as often as you can.
5. Talk to a functional medicine practitioner about special testing to determine if you have a genetic polymorphism that affects your ability to detoxify. Take steps to support your liver function as necessary.
6. Keep your house clean, and consider investing in air and water purifiers and filters. Change vacuum cleaner bags often, and use “green” cleaners and food storage.

There is a lot to think about when it comes to managing and supporting your systems of detoxification. But I have seen the lives of so many women improve dramatically once they knew which toxic elements were contributing to their symptoms and health problems. Even if you start with just one or two adjustments, you’ll be moving in the right direction, and small changes can make a big difference!

Herbs for healing digestive imbalance

Long before Pepcid, Alka-Seltzer, TUMS or Pepto-Bismol hit the shelves of your local “apothecary,” people everywhere regularly turned to the plant materials that grew around them to heal their digestive system complaints. Today, many of these same botanical remedies remain in widespread use for common symptoms of digestive system problems. Bouts of nausea, motion sickness, morning sickness, vomiting, heartburn, dyspepsia, bloating, belching, flatulence, or diarrhea, when occasional or mild, can all be self-treated, frequently to good effect. More serious or persistent digestive disorders, such as a parasitic infections, chronic acid reflux, Crohn’s, or peptic ulcers, among others, should be discussed with a qualified professional. While these more problematic digestive concerns can also be treated with herbs, results can be much more variable, and professional guidance will help ensure you a better outcome.
Meant for the milder or occasional GI upset, this is an introduction to a handful of gentle, “kitchen-garden” remedies still being cultivated, blended, and administered today to good effect. Most women can safely use these herbs as antidotes to the occasional GI upsets we nearly all experience from time to time. (If your GI symptoms persist or worsen, please do consult with a qualified healthcare professional for assistance.)

The botanical nervines

Because digestive system problems and disturbances are so often tangled up with stress, anxiety, and tension, we favor a group of herbs known as botanical nervines. For those whose digestion is easily disrupted by emotional upset, botanical nervines can have a pronounced positive effect on the nervous system that is followed naturally with GI relief.
The way in which botanical nervines generally improve digestion is by reducing the stress response — an adaptive triggering of the sympathetic nervous system accompanied by a simultaneous turn-off of any other bodily function not required in an emergency for survival. In essence, these herbs help heal our nervous stomachs by making us more serene — but they do this in a range of intriguing ways that we’re only just beginning to understand.
We’ve learned that one of the most valuable features of plant medicine (phytotherapy) is that certain plants have what are termed biphasic effects, or adaptogenic effects. This means they may have complementary and overlapping actions, depending on the particular conditions existing within the body at that moment in time. In the case of nervines, some herbs can function both as relaxant nervines — which are thought to work by relaxing constricted or contracted tissues in relation to the nervous system — and as stimulant nervines — thought to stimulate lax or stagnant tissues in relation to the nervous system. Others are more nutritive for the nervous system. Here are five great botanical nervines that aid digestion.

Peppermint (Mentha x piperita and Mentha ssp.) for digestion

The digestive benefits of herbs in the mint family derive largely from the aromatic oils and phenols that accumulate within tiny, hairlike glands — trichomes —that lie scattered along their fuzzy square stems and leaf surfaces. The use of essential oil of peppermint as a digestive aid probably dates back to ancient Greece; several thousand years later, a body of scientific research now exists that supports its use, particularly in the form of delayed-release, enteric-coated peppermint oil capsules for symptomatic relief of irritable bowel syndrome. An enteric coating on the capsule allows for the oil of peppermint to pass undegraded through the more caustic upper regions of the GI tract to the lower intestine, where, as reported in The Lancet nearly 30 years ago, it has the effect of a gentle smooth-muscle relaxant, calming digestive spasm, inhibiting GI contraction, relieving gas, and reducing pain and discomfort.

Herbal preparations — some terms

What’s the difference between a tea, a tisane, an infusion, a decoction, and a tincture? Here are some of the many methods we employ to capture the essential oils and additional active constituents found in medicinal plants.

• Tisane — an herbal “tea” brewed in water from any plant materials other than the true tea plant (Camellia sinensis).
• Infusion — similar to a tisane or decoction, but generally more potent, with the plant materials left to steep in oil or boiling water for some time.
• Decoction — prepared by boiling ground-up or mashed plant materials in water, then straining the preparation.
• Tincture — an extract prepared by placing herbs or other plant material in a jar with ethanol or another form of alcohol, allowing to stand for a couple weeks or longer, shaken periodically, then strained. Vinegar or glycerin is sometimes used in place of alcohol.

A cautionary note: enteric-coated peppermint is well-tolerated at the commonly recommended dosages, but higher doses may cause adverse effects. Caution is also urged with anyone with GI reflux, hiatal hernia, or kidney stones — please see a qualified naturopath or herbalist for proper advice and oversight.
Additional applications include its topical use: Soak a clean towel in hot water with a few drops of peppermint oil, then apply to the abdomen for 20–30 minutes, two to three times daily, as a comforting compress for bloating or distention.
But you need not suffer from a digestive disorder to enjoy peppermint, at least not in the form of peppermint tea. No adverse reactions have been reported from peppermint tea, and it may well be the mostly widely consumed, single-ingredient herbal tisane. The most delicate and the most “cast-iron” of stomachs alike will find an after-dinner cup of peppermint tea quite soothing, thanks to its delicate aroma, flavor, and all the beneficial effects on digestion described above. If you have a sweet tooth but high-carb desserts bother your digestion or your sleep — especially after the evening meal — try it with or without a dollop of honey or agave nectar in the place of dessert. Your digestion will thank you.

Chamomile (Matricaria recutita, M. chamomilla, Chamomilla recutita) for digestion

Chamomile is another botanical nervine that is popular for digestive symptoms, used singly or in combination, as a tisane, tincture, or homeopathically. Sometimes referred to as “mother of gut,” chamomile has traditionally been prescribed in the treatment of both acute and chronic gastric distress, such as inflammation and cramps of the digestive organs. Though scientific studies on humans are limited, there is research on extracts of dried chamomile flowers demonstrating spasmolytic (spasm-dissolving) and anxiolytic (anxiety-dissolving) effects, and together with chamomile’s antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties, these actions may explain its overall soothing effect on digestion.
Numerous chemical compounds have been isolated from chamomile flowers, including apigenin. The pharmacologic effects of this phenolic flavonoid are not fully understood, but apigenin has been noted to have an affinity for the GABA receptors in the brain, where it may exert a natural inhibitory effect on our central nervous system. (GABA receptors also have sites where the action of barbiturates and anti-anxiety drugs takes place.) Generally recognized as safe and well tolerated, chamomile may, however, rarely cause allergic symptoms in those sensitive to plants in the sunflower (Asteraceae), celery (Umbelliferae), or onion (Amaryllidaceae) families.

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis); rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis); and valerian (Valeriana officinalis) for digestion

Often formulated into combination products, lemon balm, rosemary, and valerian are three additional botanical nervines that are used to help dispel digestive spasm, relieve gassiness, calm queasiness, and diminish pain. There is somewhat limited clinical evidence to support their use, but based upon observation and available research, these herbs are generally well tolerated and can be taken orally to help reduce symptoms of GI disturbance.
Lemon balm, also known as bee balm or Melissa, is another member of the mint family used internationally for centuries to allay gas, spasm, and dyspepsia, as well as to increase “calmness.” Rosemary is noted for its antispasmodic effects, and the German Commission E has approved the use of rosemary leaf for the treatment of dyspepsia. Research into the active constituents of medicinal plants often turns up biochemical similarities between different species. Rosemary and lemon balm, for instance, share the polyphenol compound known as rosmarinic acid. While valerian is better known for treatment of restlessness and nervous sleep disturbance, and is often formulated with other herbs such as hops or lemon balm for use as a mild sedative or anxiolytic, one of its nicknames is “all-heal,” and historically valerian has been used for a wide range of gastrointestinal indications, including constipation, GI cramps, flatulence (gas), colic, nausea, IBS, and viral gastroenteritis.

Other herbal digestive aids

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) for digestion

With origins in traditional Ayurvedic, mid Eastern and Mediterranean basin medicine, preparations of fennel leaves and seeds are noted to help prevent and relieve gassiness and diminish bloating, heartburn, and constipation. Fennel is also believed to promote the secretion of digestive enzymes and to improve a weak appetite. To infants with colic, fennel has also been traditionally given as a tea, in combination with other medicinal herbs, or as a fennel seed emulsion. In one small trial there was significant relief of colic symptoms noted, with no side effects reported. Fennel is generally recognized as safe but may rarely cause an allergic reaction. It is not recommended for use in pregnancy.

Ginger root (Zingiber officinale) for digestion

Ginger root has been used and studied extensively for a range of biological activities, but people have been using it medicinally for so long we’re not even sure of its origins. One of the oldest known written records dates back to at least 2000 BC China, where its use was first mentioned in the herbal compendium of the Divine Plowman, Emperor Shen-Nong. Some 4000 years later, there is considerable experimental data, collected by scientists worldwide, regarding ginger root’s ability to strengthen and mildly stimulate the stomach and intestines, as well as to calm nausea and vomiting. The active constituents are thought to be chemical compounds called gingerals, which function as inhibitors of proinflammatory chemicals called prostaglandins. Ginger formulations have been relied upon to soothe travelers’ queasiness both on land and sea — even (experimentally) in space! — as well as by women in first-trimester pregnancy to quell morning sickness. Some of the diverse “stomachic” qualities attributed to ginger include antiulcer, gastric secretory and antisecretory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antinauseant (antiemetic), and anti-motion sickness. It can be used in the form of fresh gingerroot or ginger juice, in teas or decoctions, gingerale, or dried and encapsulated gingerroot powder.

Digestive bitters

A bitters formulation may be an infusion, tincture, or distillation (usually in some type of spirits), of aromatic herbs, barks, fruits, and roots with a range of medicinal qualities, but with a primary overall effect of improving digestion. This digestive effect is thought to arise predominantly through enhanced production of digestive enzymes, by nutritive support of the epithelial lining of the GI tract, and by downregulating intestinal irritation and inflammation.
Many different bitters formulations exist, handed down through the ages from elders familiar with the native flora. Swedish bitters, probably the most well known here in the West, has its origins in 16th-century Europe, where it was used for a number of indications, including stomach cramps. One “original” recipe is believed to have been a tincture of aloe, myrhh, saffron, senna leaves, camphor, Angelica root, rhubarb root, and other ingredients of a somewhat esoteric nature, in a mixture of several different spirits. Nowadays there are a number of different preparations labeled “Swedish bitters” that contain more variable combinations of herbs from around the globe. Turmeric (Curcuma longa), cardamom seed, milk thistle seed, fennel seed, dandelion root, gentian root, ginger root, and other herb leaves, flowers, bark, roots, or seeds are among the many plants used. Citrus essences such as bitter orange or lemon frequently added as flavorings to bitters formulations.
Angostura bitters, which most people think of a cocktail ingredient, was originally compounded as a remedy for stomach maladies. A few drops in mineral water to taste makes a welcome digestion-enhancing alternative to the drink menu list of sugary sodas, alcoholic beverages, and fruit juices. It owes its refreshing taste to the bark of the angostura tree and gentian root, among other ingredients.

Digestive herbs — more than just for taste

These are just a few of countless herbs with a long tradition of use as phytotherapy for digestive upset. Look for these herbs at your health food or grocery store, in your garden, or at a local naturopath or herbalist, and give them a try. Keep in mind that no one treatment will work for everyone in the same way, and there are myriad additional components to a natural approach to healing digestion. And as always, before using herbs to treat an ongoing or chronic digestive condition, it’s wise to consult someone a qualified herbalist, naturopath, practitioner of Oriental medicine, or functional medicine practitioner. You can heal your digestion naturally, given time and the proper support, but sometimes it takes professional assistance — from someone who has dedicated their life to studying and helping others achieve better health through natural means — to create a platform from which you can then draw on nature’s herbal compendium to maintain your digestive wellness.

Avoiding holiday stress

Behind the joy and beauty of the holidays is tremendous stress for women. Every year from Thanksgiving to Christmas women pour into our medical practice with physical manifestations of stress like heavy or irregular bleeding. Many feel depressed. Other women call in reporting that their menopause symptoms have roared back to life again — they have no idea why. And how many of us have friends or relatives who get sick every Christmas?
From the thousands of women whose lives I’ve shared as their health practitioner, and from my own personal experience as a daughter, wife and mother, I’ve come to understand that holiday stress arises from our own personal histories. It’s as though we are scripted, both in our actions and our reactions.
Luckily, we all have the power to rewrite our inner holiday scripts, just as we have the choice to provide our bodies with additional support during this demanding time. I’d like to explain how.

The power of the past

Outwardly it may appear that we are all exposed to the same stressful seasonal factors: overeating, overspending, drinking too much, holiday travel, staying up too late, and family dramas. But some of us sail through the holidays in good cheer and health while others just feel awful. Obviously external factors make up only part of the story.
Studies have proven without a doubt that past emotional experiences affect our health. This becomes more obvious at this time of year, when so many of us try to incorporate family tradition — or lack of one — into our own holiday. Not only are we trying to stage a major production (often all by ourselves!) but we are unwittingly following a script, whether we like it or not. I came to understand this the Christmas after my mother died. Up until then, the holidays were just an exhausting, debilitating enterprise.
When my mother was a child, she moved around a lot and never had any family Christmas tradition. Then as I grew up in Australia, I watched her drive herself wild each year, creating the perfect Christmas for all of us. She hand-made our gifts and painstakingly crafted realistic pine Christmas trees (which don’t grow in my native soil). We lived 30 minutes — by ferry — from the nearest town and still my mother managed to create a magical Christmas feast that must have taken several trips to supply. My memories of my father at this time were of the time he spent with us keeping us out of my mother’s hair.
I loved Christmas Day as a child — who wouldn’t? And Christmas to me was connected with my mother’s effort. So when I became a mother, guess what? I spent this time of year in a similar frenzy, spending every free moment recreating the legendary Christmases of my youth. I did it because I believed that was what a mother was supposed to do. By the time my family finally sat down to Christmas dinner, I felt so sick and exhausted I could barely pick up my fork. I was hesitant to admit how bad I felt because I never remembered my mother complaining.
The year after my mother died was the first year that my family and I celebrated our own version of Christmas. I chose to celebrate a few of my mother’s traditions, but we mostly forged our own. And you know what? It was fantastic!
I missed my mother, but I felt as if a 50-pound weight had been lifted from my chest. I didn’t have anything to prove anymore. Having my own Christmas did not weaken the memories of my mother or my childhood, but enhanced them. And, more importantly, my family came together on our own terms, in the present — not as a reflection of my past.

Redemption and co-dependency

How many of us avoid going to church or temple all year, only to show up on a high holy day like Christmas? One of the emotional pitfalls of the holidays we all tend to share is using the month between Thanksgiving and Christmas to redeem a year of disappointment or shortcomings.
We reach out with holiday cards to people whom we’ve ignored all year. We buy expensive gifts to show our loved ones how much we care. We bake cookies for the neighbors, make gingerbread houses with the kids, adorn our homes and entertain ferociously to make everything perfect for everybody.
In addition, we cram all this into 30 days without much help from others. It’s as if you’ve decided to stage an extravaganza for a large audience with only one stagehand — you!
Normally we would know instinctively to avoid such a production, but during the holidays we tend to get swept away. As keepers of our family and religious traditions, women often feel it is their sole responsibility to create an idealized holiday experience — and our culture perpetuates this role.
Since life isn’t perfect, this perfectionism is bound to disappoint us. And the sad part is that by doing it all alone, we end up feeling all alone. This can manifest itself as resentment and bitterness towards the very people for whom we are putting on the show.
Inherent in this is a kind of co-dependency — a sense that in some way we are responsible for everyone else’s happiness. Women are conditioned from birth to think of others before themselves. As a result we tend to lose sight in adulthood of where we end and our loved ones begin. This is why knowing yourself and asking for help when you need it is so important. Moreover, allowing others to help (even if they don’t do something the same way you would) paves the way for the holidays to become a time of happy collaboration. It allows your family and friends to give back to you in a meaningful way. The art of graciously receiving such a gift is a wonderful thing to learn to do — now and at other times of the year.

Holiday depression

Death, divorce, absent loved ones, empty-nesting — these experiences create feelings of grief, sadness or loneliness that may seem out of place during the holidays. Most of us have had at least some happy holidays, and those tend to be the ones we long for when they’re gone.
It’s important to honor those feelings rather than trying to suppress or ignore them. Make time to remember lost or absent loved ones and enjoy fond memories. Trying to suppress or ignore those feelings may lead to compensating behavior like eating or drinking too much.
We know that social support — family and community — is a crucial factor in long-term health. Women who have satisfying relationships have been shown to ward off chronic diseases better. Those positive connections support physical and psychological health in profound ways.
It stands to reason then that one way to protect ourselves from some of these feelings is to establish meaningful ways to connect with others. Luckily, the wonderful spiritual aspects of the holidays can provide many ways to step out into your larger community. So honor the lost or absent connections, but make new ones, too.

Emotions and stress

In my personal and professional experience I have come to know, unwaveringly, that we have to look at a woman’s whole life picture to find the underlying causes of her health concerns. We simply cannot underestimate the importance of emotions and memories as a source of additional stress.
In the comprehensive Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) study, researchers found a direct correlation between emotional trauma in childhood and health problems in adulthood. The correlation was so strong that one of the authors observed that it called into question the conventional theory of disease.
Our bodies do not seem to differentiate between physical and emotional sources of stress. Both trigger a release of cortisol and adrenaline from the adrenal glands. Confirming what all of us have known instinctively for years, a recent study by scientists at UCSF documents the link between psychological stress and aging at the cellular level. Women who experience a lot of stress show measurable signs of premature aging: weaker immune systems, higher levels of free radicals and shortened telomeres (the caps of DNA at the ends of chromosomes that determine cell life). In the women with the greatest stress, their telomeres resembled those of someone ten years older than their chronological age!

Holiday stress and hormonal balance

Think of your hormonal balance like a teeter-totter: on one side are the demands you make on yourself, on the other are the support mechanisms you have in place. The stress of the holidays is like throwing a 100-pound weight on the demand side.
If you’re not yet familiar with the ways in which your body responds to hormonal imbalance, I encourage you to read about the symptoms of hormonal imbalance, then take our on-line hormonal profile to assess your own symptoms. You’ll see that when your hormones are out of balance, the effects are pervasive. Fortunately there is a lot you can do to restore hormonal balance, even during times of holiday stress. The first step is to identify the relevant factors that are affecting your own hormonal balance.

Sources of holiday stress — the demand side

In addition to the emotional factors we discussed above, some of the common external sources of stress that affect our hormones during the holidays are:

• Poor nutrition: Holiday parties, office noshing, cookie-swaps, and gifts of sugary treats all contribute to a big spike in simple carbohydrate intake. This can throw our metabolism out of kilter and lead to intense mood swings; digestive upset, weight gain, and increased insulin insensitivity. Lots of women accumulate most of their adult weight gain during the holidays — a few pounds each year that they never lose.
• Lack of sleep: Not getting enough sleep for an extended period of time (more than two days) sets up a vicious cycle that upsets our natural circadian rhythm. We stay up too late, then need caffeine or some other stimulant to wake up. This gives us a temporary boost that leads to a crash a few hours later, which makes us crave carbohydrates (or more caffeine) for energy. We feel better in the moment so we take on more activities, which keep us up too late yet again, and the whole cycle repeats itself.
• Alcohol use: Indulging in some eggnog or champagne is a rite of the holidays. But we tend to overdo it. Wine, in particular, contains a lot of sugar. Alcohol is a depressant; it initially triggers a gush of serotonin that makes us feel happy and relaxed until the levels recede. This sets up another binge-and-crash cycle like the one we discussed above. Too much alcohol also dehydrates and inhibits healthy liver function — which in turn influences the production of cholesterol, the mother molecule for estrogen and progesterone.
• Lack of exercise: Skipping your morning walk because you stayed up too late or passing on the gym to get some shopping done undermines a significant source of support for your body. At the very time when we most need to get and stay moving for added energy, a lot of us put exercise on the back burner and rely on caffeine and sugar to keep us going.
• Time/money management: In trying to make our inner holiday movie a reality, we tend to fill up all of our available time with errands and obligations. Some of us throw our budget to the wind. This kind of overload exhausts the adrenals by saturating our bodies with cortisol (they don’t know the difference between stress caused by a physical threat and stress caused by a massive holiday traffic jam or credit card bill). Extended exposure to cortisol affects insulin levels, exhausts the adrenals and impairs brain function.

Avoiding holiday stress — the supply side

So now that we know why our bodies are under such stress at this time of year, what can we do about it? Luckily, women have an enormous capacity to adapt and renew. Incorporating even a few of these suggestions into your holiday routine will help you feel better.

• Examine your inner holiday “movie.” Think about what made your family traditions (or lack of them) so influential. Acknowledge their importance but try to single out certain experiences that mean the most to you and let others go.
• Be present for your loved ones. Find a time when you can sit down with the most important people in your life and spend time with them. Maybe it is a holiday gift-wrapping party or a cookie-baking afternoon. Turn off the phone, put away the to-do list and have fun with the ones you love the most.
• Delegate responsibility. Remember that this is supposed to be a time of joy — for you as well as your family. Instead of taking everything on yourself, ask others to do certain things. Include members of your family or friends in your tasks. This will show them that you want your holiday to be a joint effort and alleviate any feelings of resentment and anger.
• Plan ahead. Shopping early, freezing meals, and wrapping presents ahead of time are all good ways to relieve pressure. If you accomplish the bulk of your holiday tasks early, you will be able to give your family and friends your time and attention.
• Incorporate some of the spiritual aspects of the holidays into your life. Going to a local church or synagogue is one way of connecting to a larger sense of the holidays. Even if you aren’t religious, listening to a sermon, watching a holiday pageant, singing hymns or lighting candles can be a comforting way of opening yourself up to the more profound joys of the holidays.
• Reach out to others. The best way to feel connected is to get connected. It is also good for you — now and beyond the holidays. Research indicates that caring for others physically activates hormones that alleviate stress — just don’t overdo it! Volunteering during the holidays at your local hospital, school, or shelter is a good way to make first steps into the larger community. Many hospitals ask for volunteers on the pediatric wards this time of year. Finding a way to be with children and share in their joy is a wonderful way to celebrate.
• Communicate. If you are having a hard time or feel overwhelmed with other people’s expectations or the commercial aspects of the holidays, try to find someone to talk to. If you can’t turn to a friend or family member, there are many counselors and clergy people who are available for temporary counseling during the holidays.
• Make time for yourself. Take 15 minutes each day to devote to yourself. Read a poem, take a bath, sit quietly, breathe and meditate, or do some simple stretches. In the midst of trying to please everyone else, take a moment to tune into your body and your emotions. Give yourself some well-deserved love and nurturing.
• Eat well and often. While we aren’t asking you to deny yourself your favorite holiday treats, it’s a good idea to stock up on healthy choices in between. Don’t skip meals if you’ve overindulged the day before. Eat protein and a serving of vegetables or fruit at every meal and snack. Drink a lot of water to help your body detoxify. Remember that Christmas is only a day — you don’t need to go on a month-long celebration.
• Take a complete multivitamin. This is especially important this time of year. For more on the enormous healthful effects of a well-rounded supplement, please see our article on health and vitamins.
• Set yourself a bedtime: Studies have shown that adults consistently need 7-9 hours of sleep for optimal brain function and mood regulation. If you know you are going to be out late, schedule an early night the next night. Or set a bedtime that you can stick to whenever you are home — regardless of what needs to be done.
• Limit alcohol. If you are feeling symptoms of hormonal imbalance, try to reserve alcohol for very special occasions. Alternate an alcohol drink with sparkling water at parties. Avoid eggnog, holiday punch, and champagne because of their high sugar content.
• Get moving. Park your car a good distance from the mall entrance and walk. Take several trips back and forth to stow shopping bags and you will have accomplished a good portion of the recommended 30 minutes a day of activity for health. If you are currently exercising, make it a priority. Exercise is one of the best ways to fight stress by boosting metabolism, leveling out cortisol, and increasing endorphins.
• Fight the urge to spend indiscriminately. Most likely the gifts you remember from your past were not the most expensive, but the most meaningful. If you don’t leave everything until the last minute you can take your time to create a unique handmade gift or treat. Or, shop wisely and purchase an item that truly reflects your relationship with or the desires of the recipient.

It’s all about how you feel

The key is to listen to your body and tune into your emotions, particularly when you are experiencing a period of increased external stress — like the holidays. Make sure to replenish your own cup before pouring out your largesse. If you feel happy and well while doing what you do, by all means pursue it with gusto. If you don’t feel good, you need to look beyond the surface to figure out why.
Obviously balance is a year-round goal; it’s just harder to maintain it through the holidays. If your holidays wipe you out, experiment with some of the things we’ve discussed. Enact a few changes and see if you feel better. Hopefully by the time Christmas Day rolls around, you’ll be as cheerful and radiant as the lights on the tree.

How emotional experience determines your health

The conventional theory of medicine says that your health is a matter of your genetics, exposure to infection and lifestyle. But with rare exceptions, your emotional experience is a greater factor than any of those. That’s not just our assertion — there’s now solid science behind the correlation of emotional experience and a host of diseases and health conditions, from heart disease and depression to obesity and chronic pain.
At Women to Women, we learned long ago that no one can really be well without dealing with their emotional health. This may seem like a radical idea, but for so many women with intractable health problems, there won’t be any progress on a physical level — no matter what therapy is used — until there is progress at the emotional level. As Alice Miller expresses it in the title of her book, “The body never lies” — even if the emotional problem developed 50 years ago.
The good news is that you can do so much to heal your emotional self. And if you are at mid-life, you should know that in menopause your body is asking you to deal with unresolved emotional issues. This is the time to work on your emotional and physical health — together. So let’s explore the role of your emotional experience and how to use it to reclaim your self.

Proof of the link between emotions and health

While there are hundreds of studies that explore the emotional roots of disease, the most insightful place to start may be the breakthrough ACE Study.
In the 1990’s over 17,000 patients of a large health plan were enrolled in a study to assess the link between emotional experience and adult health. (The Federal Centers for Disease Control co-designed the study.) The results were stunning; as the authors wrote, “…they have given us reason to reconsider the very structure of primary care medical practice in America.”
Participants were asked whether they had experienced any of eight forms of personal abuse or dysfunctional family behavior before the age of 18 (each called an “adverse childhood experience,” or ACE). More than half of the patients had one ACE or more.
Even more surprising was the correlation to health outcomes: those who had experienced an ACE were between 4 and 50 times more likely to have an adverse health condition or disease as an adult. The adverse health outcomes covered a surprisingly wide range, including heart disease, fractures, diabetes, obesity, alcoholism, and more.
The authors concluded that the ACE Study “…documents the conversion of traumatic emotional experiences in childhood into organic disease later in life.” How does that conversion occur? Before we explore that central question, let’s dwell a moment on just what we mean by adverse emotional experience.

We’re all affected by adverse emotional experience

The ACE Study focused on a relatively narrow set of easily-measured adverse emotional experiences from childhood and found that half of the adults in the study had suffered one. But if we include all dysfunctional family behaviors, plus other emotional traumas (such as death of a loved one) and adult experience, it’s obvious that virtually everyone has suffered an adverse experience by the ACE standard.
So if the ACE Study found that adverse emotional experience was the biggest single factor in predicting adult health, and virtually all of us have had such experiences, what does that say about our approach to preventative health?
The truth is that all emotional experience affects our health, whether positive or negative, and whether it occurs in the past or the present. But negative experiences appear to have more lasting health effects, perhaps because we don’t deal with them.
Let’s back up a step. A feeling is the body and mind’s response to any given situation. Some psychologists and scientists believe we have five basic feelings: joy, fear, anger, grief and love, with other feelings being variations on these five states. An emotion is what your body does with one of these feeling states.
What we all learn from our families, abusive or dysfunctional or loving, is how to take action with our feelings. If our mothers responded to grief or loss by withdrawing, or dealt with suppressed anger by becoming hypercritical of those they loved, chances are our own responses will be similar. We tend to model our own emotional habits after our parents’ or family’s emotional habits.
What’s the health significance of this emotional modeling? Consider the subject of stress. That’s something we all have, right? The Center for Disease Control estimates that 90% of all visits to the doctor are stress-related, and there are hundreds of medical studies linking stress to a host of diseases. But what exactly is stress?
Most women think of stress as the demands on them that they can’t do anything about, like an unreasonable boss or taking care of an aging parent. But why do some women find those factors stressful and others don’t?
I believe it’s because stress is personal — I find something stressful because of my personal emotional history. So do you. Moreover, each of us tends to recreate stressful emotional situations in our lives — at least until we resolve the old emotional issues that give the stress its power over us.
There’s a commonplace idea that women have greater emotional health than men because women surface and talk about their feelings so much more. That’s true, but it doesn’t mean women’s emotional patterns are healthy. My patients (all women!) have almost all been conditioned to put others ahead of themselves, to “stuff” their emotions (especially anger), to feel unworthy of love, to feel responsible for making others happy, to demand perfection of themselves, and so on. None of those patterns are good for our emotional wellbeing or our physical health.
Let’s return to how adverse emotional experience translates into health problems. Then we’ll talk about how to turn things around.

Your biography becomes your biology

Our language is filled with expressions of how emotion affects the body: tension and stress gives me a knot in my stomach, overwhelming sadness makes me feel all choked up, a difficult person is a pain in the neck.
More seriously, a recent study showed that sudden emotional shock can cause heart attacks even in healthy people. Called “broken heart syndrome,” these heart attacks were related to the loss of a loved one, fear of an event or activity, or sudden accidents. Notably, most of the sufferers were women.
How does a fleeting feeling have lasting health effects? Research on this is still in its infancy, but there are at least four paths we already know about.
First is the general effect of stress, which triggers the adrenals to produce cortisol and adrenaline. Cortisol is very helpful in small doses (as part of the fight or flight response) but sustained high cortisol levels (the result of unremitting stress) have very destructive effects on the body, including weight gain, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, suppression of immune function and acceleration of aging. (For more on cortisol, read our full article on adrenal fatigue.)
Second is the effect of unresolved emotional issues on systemic inflammation. Medical research has recently implicated inflammation as a contributing factor in a host of diseases, including cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s. (For more on systemic inflammation, read our full article.)
Third is the effect of emotions on particular organs. Many alternative practitioners attribute illness in a specific organ to a specific cause. While this is controversial in Western medicine, it has been well documented in medical literature that “Type A” personalities have much higher rates of heart disease, and that women who suffered childhood sexual abuse have higher rates of dysmenorrhea and pelvic pain. The mechanism of action may be peptide chains formed as part of the biochemistry of emotion that bind to receptor sites in specific organs, a concept pioneered by the renowned biochemist Dr. Candace Pert. We believe many more links will be discovered as research in this area continues.
Fourth is the effect of emotions on behavior. The ACE Study revealed a cause and effect link between adverse childhood experience and negative health habits like drinking, smoking, overeating, and sexual promiscuity. The authors recognized these negative habits as self-medication for unresolved emotional pain. But over time the suppression of all that pain through these self-destructive habits has terrible consequences.

The myopia of Western medicine regarding emotions

Despite research like the ACE Study and hundreds of others, conventional medicine is blind to the causal role that emotional experience plays in the development of illness and disease. Instead of looking at root causes, it only treats symptoms. No wonder so many patients find themselves going steadily downhill despite the best conventional treatment.
I was once asked in what percentage of my patients were the problems purely physical, that is, lacking any emotional component. After a moment’s thought, I answered “about one percent.” That’s not a statistic, but it conveys the truth: very, very few women’s health problems are just about a physical problem.
Western medicine insists on dealing with each disease or condition as a separate and distinct issue. But that is just not how the body works. That’s why at Women to Women it takes two hours for your first appointment — we need to know your full history — including a full hour with your practitioner.
Western medicine used to emphasize the full history. But specialization has pushed us to dissociate each aspect of the body from the whole, and managed care has pushed the average appointment time down toward six minutes — and too many people don’t get even that.
Like conventional doctors, many of my patients are so conditioned to think of health as a purely physical issue that they are floored when I suggest their symptoms may have an emotional component. I hope this article helps you connect the dots. Like so many other parts of your life, you are going to have to take responsibility for your emotional health. And if you are at mid-life, this is the perfect time to deal with it.

Menopause and emotional health

It has been said that menopause is largely about “the reclaiming of self.” After a lifetime of taking care of others, “stuffing” our emotions, finding fault with ourselves, and ignoring our feelings of hurt and anger, our biology requires us in menopause to straighten things out, to find our voices, and to reclaim our lives. That’s one reason why so many women are motivated to take control of their health at this time.
Let me give you an example. A patient came in to see me describing constant heavy bleeding (menorrhagia). We tried dietary changes, supplements and other purely physical approaches, with only minimal improvement. I began to probe for the emotional basis of her condition. She shared a description of her marriage to a man who did not support her emotionally and was often verbally abusive. I helped her see the connection between her relationship and her symptoms. One day a few months later, she came into my office and told me she had finally found the courage to leave the relationship. Her heavy bleeding stopped the next day, and has not returned. It was tough to face — but she took control of her life and reclaimed her self.
Menopause provides a natural venue for this work of exploring your emotional environment and your history. It’s like adolescence in reverse: your body asks you to question who you are, what you’re passionate about, and what’s working or not working in your life. All the pieces that haven’t been resolved come up now for healing and transformation. Depression, mood swings, hot flashes, and other symptoms of menopause have a physical origin but also an emotional root — and you need to deal with both at the same time.

The intractable medical condition — no such thing?

The role of the emotions is a big reason for two problems we see every day: the woman who goes to a conventional doctor for her symptoms and is given antidepressants; and the woman with a condition that resists conventional treatment. Many of these women are not going to feel better until they begin to deal with the emotional root of their illness.
In a monograph on the long-term medical consequences of childhood trauma, Stephanie Dallum, FNP talked about the connection between emotional experience and unexplained physical symptoms. The medical term is somatization — physical symptoms with no medical diagnosis. But the insomnia, headaches, obesity, gastrointestinal distress, palpitations, chronic pain and fatigue caused by adverse emotional experience in her study are very real.
With new patients at our medical practice, we generally begin with the physical issues and treat with dietary changes, nutritional supplements, exercise and other lifestyle changes. We tend to use prescription drugs as a bridge to a more balanced natural state, rarely as an ongoing solution. The more severe or intractable the symptoms, and the more receptive the patient, the sooner we introduce the connections to emotional issues. The good news is that those who are willing to tackle both the physical and emotional aspects of their health almost always see the improvement they want.

Mapping your emotional inheritance

At Women to Women we have a shorthand expression for this process of exploring your emotional inheritance and resolving issues — we call it “your work,” as in, “She’s just begun to do ‘her work’ but she’s already feeling so much better.”
There is a tool called a genogram that therapists use that may be helpful to you as well. A genogram is a specialized family tree that lets you explore the patterns and relationships running through your family history. We’ve found free genogram software on the internet if you’d like to try it.
As you use the genogram to map out your emotional inheritance, ask yourself questions to find the parallels between you and your family members. For example, if certain interactions with your husband affect you badly, ask yourself who he is being like in your family — and who are you being like? What emotional patterns can you see from generation to generation? What family conflicts or secrets have never been resolved — and why not? What emotions have been “stuck” — like grief or anger or pain — and how might they be dealt with now?

How do you heal past emotional experience?

There’s plenty of evidence, both from our clinical experience and from medical research, that emotional healing creates positive physical changes in the body. So how to accomplish that?
In a perfect world we would all be able to afford a few years of therapy — and with the right therapist! We do ask women to view that cost as an investment in their health. We especially recommend therapies based on family of origin. But not all of us can make that investment.
There are group therapy options that are affordable and can be helpful. You may be able to make progress with a like-minded friend or family member. The Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) has been helpful for many women; there is free on-line information about EFT as well as reasonably-priced EFT workshops.
Yoga, meditation, exercise and other stress-relieving techniques are helpful as part of your overall health plan, but unfortunately they are not a substitute for “your work.”
You may also benefit greatly from books. We recommend No One Is to Blame, by Robert Hoffman, creator of the Hoffman Process that underlies the therapeutic method now known as the Quadrinity Process. We also suggest using The Whole Person Fertility Process by Niravi Payne as a workbook for exploring your emotional inheritance.
Unfortunately reading is not a very emotional experience, and thinking about your emotional issues isn’t going to resolve them. That’s why therapy — one on one, in a group, or with a self-help method like EFT — is so important. We suggest you think of this as an ongoing process, just like the other parts of your health program.

Deal with the past and move on

It may take courage and faith to examine your own life, to face the past with kindness and gentleness for the person you have been and the people who have caused you pain, and to support the person you feel yourself becoming. Healing your past emotional experience helps create a joyful, healthy present moment and opens the doors to the life you want for yourself.
We love the study of centenarians (those who live to be 100+) done at Harvard Medical School a few years ago. The oldsters were found to be surprisingly healthy and active. Dr. Margery Silver, one of the authors, said in an interview, “…there is a particular characteristic that is typical of centenarians. And that is that they are able to manage stress very well. And this doesn’t mean that they’ve had stress-free lives…some of them have had really very difficult, and even traumatic lives. There are holocaust survivors, there are women who were widowed at an early age and scrubbed floors to raise their children, and yet they seem to have the ability to roll with the punches…they seem to accept their losses, grieve them and then move on.”
This is a vision of emotional health we wish for all of us — to face our emotional pain with honesty and openness, and get on with our lives.

Release negative patterns — heal yourself emotionally and physically

Many years ago, I had a patient named Rebecca. She was in her 30’s and had grown a successful business crafting jewelry. As we talked, she seemed confident and well-adjusted. But something changed when Rebecca got up on the exam table. Her shoulders and knees tensed up, her arms stiffly crossed over her belly. She seemed frightened and defensive as I did her pelvic exam. When she was dressed again, I asked her about it. Rebecca told me she had been having intense pelvic pain on and off for years. In our conversation, it came out that this pain had caused problems in her marriage. Rebecca hadn’t been intimate with her husband in months and now he was seeing another woman. I asked if there was anything else going on emotionally, but she simply looked at me and said, “What does that have to do with my pain?”
One of the biggest problems with our current medical system is that we don’t understand how to work with patients’ emotional needs. And these emotional blocks, when not addressed, tend to manifest physically. I’ve referred women to therapists, but for many of them, including Rebecca, it was too easy to “talk around” the therapist and convince themselves they could manage on their own. I’ve seen other patients and friends struggle with antidepressants, claiming that when they take them, they just don’t feel anything. The bottom line is that we’ve all developed negative emotional patterns, and our tools for fixing these patterns don’t always help us to find the joy, creativity, love, and good health we’re seeking.
In all the years I’ve been working with patients, I’ve been looking for a program where I can send women for help with emotional healing and feel confident that it will work for them. For the past 16 years, the Hoffman Institute has been the place I recommend most often. It is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people heal emotional wounds, identify self-defeating behaviors, and learn more effective ways of living. Although Hoffman’s program is not for the faint of heart, I’ve found that for those who are brave enough to undertake it, the results are beyond your wildest dreams in terms of emotional freedom. It doesn’t make your life “perfect” when you’re finished, but it helps you understand patterns of behavior that may trouble you, and it will change how you look at and interact with other people.
I spoke with Raz Ingrasci, President of the Hoffman Institute, about their process and how women can become more aware of negative patterns in their lives before these patterns get in the way of their overall health. The Hoffman Institute has worked with thousands of women on these issues. Let’s take a closer look at what the Hoffman Process tells us about how you can heal your emotions and become the healthiest version of yourself.

The power of the emotional brain

We often tell ourselves that our negative feelings aren’t productive, so why dwell on them? The answer to that question is that if those feelings aren’t resolved in some way, they won’t simply go away — and they can cause you both emotional and physical pain for years until you work them through. I know a woman named Charlotte who was deeply hurt by her husband. He’d lied to her for years about their monetary situation, and the truth was only revealed when there was no choice but to file for bankruptcy. All those years, she had trusted her husband to be responsible for the money they both worked hard to earn. When the truth came out she felt betrayed, humiliated, and so physically sick that she could not eat or sleep. But because Charlotte had a high-powered job and because the logistics of the bankruptcy had to be worked through, she assessed that there was no time left for her to feel. She put her feelings in a box and went to work to find a way out of the mess her husband had created. Amazingly she got them out of financial hot water, reworked all their expenses, and even managed to secure a promotion at work. But the painful emotions she had stuffed throughout her ordeal were never fully addressed, and they continue to creep back into her life unexpectedly.
According to what Raz has seen at the Hoffman Institute, our emotions largely determine the quality of our lives. Emotions direct our attention, motivate our behavior, influence our sense of self, and attribute significance to whatever is happening around us. Many of us walk around spending most of our time “in our heads,” believing that we’re very rational about our decisions and actions. Yet in reality, our actions are mostly guided by how we feel.
Burying our emotions only means they will resurface some other way, some other time. They may manifest as physical problems or again as unwanted emotional states, but you can be certain that repressed emotions will come back. You may have read about the Adverse Childhood Events study, which looked at the way emotionally troubled childhoods manifested in adults as physical ailments. The data were astounding: the more emotional stress people endured as children, the more likely they were to suffer chronic health concerns like heart disease and cancer later on in life.
But when we recognize the power and significance of our emotions, we can begin to overcome the past and dramatically improve our lives. To tap into this emotional power, Raz suggests “the best strategy is to become aware of your feelings and move with them, not judge or criticize them and not act them out, but rather, to allow yourself to experience your sensations and emotions." This is how we work through problems and eventually heal. But many of us, like Charlotte, have been taught to push these feelings down.

Negative love and our family patterns

Is negative love running your life?

Think back to an experience in childhood, where a parent did something that hurt you. Now reflect on whether you have similar experiences in your adult life. Are you in relationship where someone “does” this hurtful thing “to” you; do you “do it” to someone else; or, are you “doing it” to yourself?

Can you remember when you were a small child? I’m sure you recall being told No! while in the midst of exploring the world around you. From the time we were toddlers, our parents and other caregivers told us how we should and shouldn’t act. From this guidance, we learned that their love and acceptance were dependent upon our behavior. You may have heard: “If you’d only act more like your sister and stop being such a cry-baby, you could come out to lunch with me more.” Or something along those lines. As adults, we tend to reproduce the very behaviors we used to win our parents’ love. And because repeating these behaviors is rooted in the feeling of not getting enough love, Bob Hoffman, creator of the Hoffman Process, called this the Negative Love Syndrome. From birth, we learn by emulating the attitudes, moods, behaviors, and beliefs of our caregivers, including those that were negative. That exposure and learning shaped us.
These behavior patterns play out in our adult lives as well. Many of us end up seeking and cultivating relationships that are similar to what we experienced with our parents because this is how we learned about love. These “negative love” patterns often continue from generation to generation virtually unexamined.
I have one patient, Anne, with small children, who promised she would never force her children to bury their emotions the way she was taught to as a child. But as one of her sons was entering and the other leaving the “terrible two’s,” their house was filled with tension and drama. To alleviate the stress, Anne found herself doing exactly what her mother had done: trying to return the house to peace and quiet by stifling her sons’ emotions. The amazing thing for Anne was that addressing her negative patterns enabled her to simply enjoy her children. She told me the other day that without the worry of trying to make everything perfect in her home, it seems like she suddenly has more time and space.
In order to become our authentic selves, we have to examine where our emotions and motivations stem from. If you find that your critical attitude toward others comes from one or both of your parents, Raz would suggest you ask yourself, Do I really want to be so critical of the people I love? Is this really who I am? If the answer is no, take comfort in the fact that you don’t have to carry the burden of your parents’ traits. Nor do you have to blame them. They probably learned this behavior from their own mother or father and most likely were doing the very best they could raising you.

The Hoffman process of change: how we forgive, heal, and find our true selves

“I can tell you as a biologist that when we step into the part of ourselves that doesn’t judge, that is simply open to the possibilities of the moment, that what happens is we feel a sense of peace and gratitude. Enormous biochemical changes accompany that, changes in the neuropeptides from the emotional center of the brain, changes in our immune system and our cardiovascular system that are all consistent with good health.”
- Dr. Joan Borysenko, co-founder of the Mind-Body Clinic at Harvard University

You’re probably wondering what happened with Rebecca. After some convincing, she decided to work through some of her emotional issues by attending the Hoffman Institute. While she was there, she realized many things. For the first time, Rebecca was able to fully address and explore the sexual abuse she experienced in her early teens from her uncle. Though she'd never forgotten this traumatic experience, she hadn’t seen how it had shaped her relationships with everyone, and how it had played out in her life. Coming to this place of acceptance also helped Rebecca recognized a pattern in herself of extreme criticism and judgment, especially when it came to her interactions with other people. She had a habit of negative self-talk — You’re too sensitive... Lighten up... You’re never happy. These were the words her family often used to chastise her, and she’d been replaying the "recording" in her mind for over 15 years. Now Rebecca can go forward in her relationships having explored probably the most traumatic experience of her life. It certainly doesn't make the experience go away, but she can be free of its hold on her.
Addressing these deep emotional issues gave Rebecca a freedom she hadn’t felt since she was very young, freedom from the expectations of her family, freedom from the hold her uncle had had on her body, and most of all from the negative chatter inside her own head. When she got to this quiet place, she told me it was almost scary because she realized, If I’m not all these things my family has been telling me I am, then who am I? And so she began the work of redefining herself. Although things didn’t work out with her husband, Rebecca firmly believes that her marriage ended for the right reasons. She is also completely free now of the pelvic pain she'd suffered for so many years.
Here is an overview of the transformative steps taken by Rebecca and other Hoffman Process participants. I offer them for your personal consideration and practice, and if you find you would like more guidance, you can look into the Hoffman Institute.

• Awareness. Awareness is a simple, yet monumental first step in healing negative patterns in your life. If we can allow ourselves to simply feel and name what we’re feeling, the reflection often comes easily. For Rebecca, it was mostly fear. She was living her life in fear of what intrusion might come next. She was always looking over her shoulder, always second-guessing, never trusting anyone. When we become aware of this programming, we can look at where it comes from and find a more productive response. On the other hand, if we see the programming is good — which much of it can be from loving parents — we can incorporate it more fully into our lives. (See our list of emotions and sensations — our amazing spectrum of emotional expression.)
• Expression. When we discover that one of our negative patterns comes from a parent or caregiver we felt close to, it can sometimes make us angry or frustrated. Repressed and unexpressed anger often evolves into hostility, depression, or despair. Expressing this frustration is integral to the healing process. We hold anger and resentment in our physical bodies, so it makes sense that we need to release them in a physical way. Dancing, running, drumming, hitting a pillow with a whiffleball bat, or simply letting it out in tears are all ways to physically release your frustration and anger. It’s important not to confront the individual who is triggering you while you are highly emotionally activated. In most cases, carrying this anger into a conversation leads us right back to the very pattern we’re trying to understand and de-energize.
• Forgiveness. As I mentioned before, the negative patterns we notice in our lives have most likely been carried down for several generations. This means our parents and caregivers probably learned to act out these negative patterns to win love from their parents, so it feels natural, almost instinctual, to treat their own children that way. If you can think about your parents as young children trying to decipher the rights and wrongs of the world, you know that they were doing as they were taught. And in most cases, all parents are truly doing their best and acting out of their understanding of love. Finding emotional forgiveness toward your own parents and caregivers for teaching you unproductive behaviors is another step toward healing your heart and finding inner peace.
• New behavior Once you permit yourself to unblock painful emotions and reflect upon them, life can become much richer, and you may begin to feel more alive than ever before. With each emotional situation you encounter, you can get into the routine of feeling first and then looking closely at those feelings. Perhaps you need to work on expressing some pain, addressing a fear, or forgive yourself for something you feel shame about. Practicing a more reflective, rather than judgmental approach when you realize you’ve reacted negatively will get you into the habit of stepping back and saying, Wow. That’s interesting. I need to work through that. Instead of, Why am I such an idiot? I can't believe I said that!

Trigger healing, not disease

Raz once asked me, “You know why we’re all so good at using negative patterns? Because we’ve been practicing them since early childhood.” It’s so true. And we can take comfort in the fact that health-defeating interactions with others are learned behaviors, behaviors that we can unlearn with time and practice. The best part is that when we release these patterns and come from a place of love, emotionally, it can trigger healing physically in the body.
The quadrinity of mind, body, spirit, and emotions make us who we are. And according to Raz, much of the work done at the Hoffman Institute involves differentiating emotions and identifying positive alternatives that allow people to lead proactive rather than reactive lives. Raz admits, “It requires intention and practice. I don’t want to make it sound simplistic. It’s something we will spend our whole lives doing.” But I can say from my own experience and that of my patients, it’s work worth doing.
It’s been said that the greatest journey we will ever take is to travel the distance from our head to our heart. The Hoffman Quadrinity Process takes individuals on that journey. It’s a path of incredible discovery, freedom, and love — a path of healing and finding oneself.