One of my favorite things to do is review case studies. This is where a practitioner gives a detailed analysis of a client’s medical history, symptoms, test findings, protocol, and outcome.
While reading 1 Timothy 5:23-24, I noticed the protocol Paul gave to Timothy: using a little wine for his stomach and often for his infirmities, which led to a series of WHY questions.
Why was his stomach upset, and why did he often have infirmities?
When evaluating a client’s health history, you consider the whole person: physical, mental, and emotional history. For today, we are evaluating his ministry…
We know he’s a young and somewhat inexperienced pastor.
There is no written scripture to cover the situations he’s dealing with in his church, so he's winging it.
He doesn’t have a phone to call Paul and discuss the situations he’s dealing with.
Then he gets a letter from Paul, which gives a lot of reproof and instruction on some heavy topics.
He was dealing with issues like people teaching other doctrines, women’s apparel, and subjection to authority, as well as the requirements of bishops and deacons.
He was also addressing those who departed from the faith and the crazy things they were teaching. He was dealing with the difference between young widows and widows indeed.
Then there was Hymenaeus and Alexander, the blasphemers. He had a lot of spiritual warfare going on.
Let's face it, dealing with people is hard! Situations like these take a spiritual, emotional, and physical toll on the body, mind, and spirit! No wonder his stomach was in knots and he was often sick!
What was happening physically to Timothy was that the sympathetic nervous system was responding to mentally perceived threats or confrontational circumstances. When activated, it increases heart rate, elevates blood pressure, and releases adrenaline, cuts off digestion, and shuts down the immune system.
The problem is when we stay in a state of anxiety, and the body can’t return to homeostasis, the "rest and digest" mode, which appears to be what was happening to Timothy.
Pauls Protocol:
First, Paul reminded him to nourish up in the words of faith and a good doctrine. I see this as a spiritual nourishment; when we're not well, our time in the word can sometimes be put on the back burner.
Next, he instructed him to refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and told him that bodily exercise profits little. Don't let other interests and hobbies distract you from your calling.
Then he begins the famous “Let no man despise thy youth” challenge. Here, he reminds Timothy that taking action in exhorting others and using the gifts he’d been given helps keep our minds off our troubles.
Lastly, he told him to use a little wine as a medicine. Something to help calm the mind and nervous system. This indicates to me that he was seriously struggling!
Through the Holy Spirit, Paul must have known Timothy was on a slippery slope because he said, “...for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee.”
I hope this is helpful if you’re having mental and emotional stress. Timothy is a perfect example that mental stress does happen to believers and those in ministry.
For more tips on managing stress and anxiety, read “Stress-Busting Techniques to Calm the Mental Chaos.”
Imagine navigating through your monthly cycle like a seasoned sailor amidst ever-changing seas. When your body struggles to adapt to a tumultuous hormonal environment, it creates physiological stress that can impact a variety of organ systems.
Together, let's embark on this journey with biblical, natural solutions, that you may sail through your cycle with renewed faith and vitality. Chart your course towards holistic well-being, incorporating the insight God intended for you. Whether you're tending your family's needs or serving in ministry, remember your Creator has equipped you with everything you need for a bountiful voyage.
Let's talk about three critical storms of your cycle and ways to navigate them for calmer sailing.
Cravings, Nausea, and Digestive Issues
Cravings, nausea, and digestive issues are part of that journey, indicative of tumultuous waters beneath, aka our digestive system is calling for attention. Just as sailors adjust their sails with the changing winds, we must tend to our gut health to steer towards smoother waters.
Hormones are intricately linked to gut health, much like the compass guiding a ship. When chronic gut inflammation leads to intestinal permeability, or leaky gut, the storm of PMS symptoms such as cravings and nausea worsens.
Navigating away from these rough seas begins with quelling the inflammation and healing the leaky gut. One effective route is an elimination diet, a cleansing voyage tailored for each individual.
Alternatively, consider embarking on a Metabolic Reset, which includes movement, hydration, a whole food nutrition plan, and a superfood supplement. This reset is like lifting the fog from your inner compass, helping you combat inflammation with clarity and purpose.
Follow or combine it with beneficial supplements for a comprehensive approach. Supporting digestion is akin to reinforcing the hull of your vessel.
Enzymes - for helping your body pull all the vitamins and nutrients from the food you eat. Enzymes are essential for the body and are depleted with age; so supplementing is a great choice for overall digestion.
Probiotics - A daily probiotic is a cornerstone of a healthy gut! We want a healthy balance of good bacteria, and replenishing those bacteria daily is key.
Cleansing - A colon cleanse is a wonderful idea when it comes to supporting liver health, gut health, and overall health! Ideally, you do a cleanse in the fall, but anytime the bowels have become sluggish, it's time to do a cleanse.
Tenderness, Headaches, and Irritability
Beyond digestive issues, ailments such as breast tenderness, headaches, and irritability point to detox problems, signaling your body’s need to clear its pathways for toxin disposal.
These toxins could weigh down your vessel; they aren’t just the chemicals embedded in everyday products like personal care and cleaning products. They are in medications (OTC and prescription), alcohol, foods, water, and even the environment.
Enhancing your detox pathways ensures smooth sailing through murky waters. Supporting these pathways is essential:
Some of my favorite ways to improve detox pathways include:
Liver support - with sources of choline, berberine, and dl-methionine, which helps with normal excretion and recycles glutathione, the body's innate, natural antioxidant. They are perfect for liver detoxification and support. Add a castor oil liver pack with liver liver-supporting essential oil blend for another layer of improvement!
Lymphatic support - The lymph system is a one-way fluid movement circuit that circulates throughout the entire body to eliminate waste and toxins. Movement, dry brushing, and lymphatic massages are fantastic support!
Blood cleansing. Cleansing the blood is simpler than it may seem. Using a tincture of herbs and essential oils in this supplement is beneficial for immune support, digestive health, lymphatic function, supporting the body's response to inflammation, and toxin elimination.
Fatigue, Sickness, and Feeling Lethargic
Fatigue, sickness, and the feeling of being rundown often accompany the ebb and flow of our cycle, reflecting nutritional deficiencies much like a compass in need of recalibration. Nourishing your body with lots of green leafy foods can reignite the vitality within you, enabling smoother navigation through the waves of your menstrual cycle.
The best place to start is liver support, as mentioned above, but feeling exhausted likely means you have some nutritional deficiencies that need to be addressed.
The most common ones are B vitamins, magnesium, and minerals!
My favorite supplements for this are:
The superfood drink mentioned above is a must every single day. Energy levels, skin and hair health, decreased stress, better sleep–this one supplement affects so much.
B Complex- B vitamins are synonymous with healthy energy levels, but they also affect hormones! Because they are water-soluble, we need to replenish them daily, so supplementing makes sense.
Magnesium- Magnesium is essential for over 300 reactions in the body, including energy production and muscle contraction! It helps with physical stress on the body and improves sleep.
Minerals - a supplement combining the benefits of ionic minerals with Lemon, Cinnamon, and Peppermint essential oils to create a formulation that is quickly and fully absorbed by the body.
Sleep -Aid- When you need a little more help with sleep, a melatonin-free supplement is safe for long-term use and incredibly effective for helping you fall asleep and stay that way!
Ready to explore new shores of health and peace? Try taking my Body Symptom Quiz, which I created to help you focus your attention in the right areas. OR, you can Shop the Products I recommend.
Your menstrual cycle is like a built-in health report, giving you clues about your body’s overall well-being. It’s not just about tracking the start date of your period; your cycle reflects everything from your hormonal balance to how stress, diet, and lifestyle choices are affecting you.
Paying attention to it can help you feel more in tune with your body and take charge of your health before things get out of hand.
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Are you feeling the weight of midlife changes?
Navigating through perimenopause and menopause can feel like an uphill battle, but it doesn’t have to be! With these five transformative strategies, you can maintain a healthy weight and nurture your well-being.
This week's blog post offers five powerful strategies to help you manage mid-life weight gain effectively. Additionally, learn when it’s time to seek holistic help to overcome the health challenges that are stalling your progress.
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In midlife, women often struggle with changes in their skin, including increased dryness, fine lines, and uneven texture. While these changes are a natural part of the aging process, adopting several essential beauty care routines can help promote glowing, radiant skin during this transformative time.
By nourishing your skin from the inside out and implementing a consistent skincare regimen, you can embrace the beauty of midlife with confidence and grace.
