7-Tips-For-Healing-And-Finding-Your-Tribe-For-Support
Jillian Burne, CHC, NTC, FDN, Contributor
Thyroid Nation

7 Important Healing Tips And Finding Your Tribe

I want to thank Danna for having me contribute to Thyroid Nation. As I considered what to write about I realized that it really wasn’t hard for me to come up with a topic: I’m a big champion for healing diets, recovery programs and functional medicine protocols. As a practitioner I really don’t deviate too much from the “formula” because I’ve seen it work time and time again, but I have found some areas that I like to tweak for people. There’s seven aspects related to healing that I feel can really make or break someone’s path to wellness.

1). Light

The autoimmune community is heavily focused on vitamin D as an immune regulator, but the emphasis is often put on supplementation to build healthy levels of vitamin D. I like to take that one step further and consider my clients relationship to light, both natural and artificial. Working the nightshift, leaving for work before the sunrises and getting home after the sun sets, or working under fluorescent lights are common scenario’s I hear from clients. So I like to try to balance natural light exposure to artificial sources and encourage my clients to make a point to either get outside at least three times during the day or to work by a window so the eye can register the natural progression of the sun throughout the day. It’s also worth investing in healthy essential fatty acids both in the food you eat and the sunscreen you wear. A high quality sunscreen that contains EFA’s and antioxidants is probably far better for you long term than any chemical-laden spray sunscreen.

2). Breath

The underdog of nutrients is definitely oxygen. Stress, chronic pain, trauma and changes in facial development can all play a role in dysfunctional breathing patterns. This is important when you consider that we breathe 30 to 40,000 times a day. It’s particularly important at night to sleep with your mouth closed. In fact, what happens at night may have the largest impact on how you feel during the day. It’s estimated that people with sleep apnea never enter into truly restorative sleep. And people who don’t breathe through their nose may have great oxygen saturation, but without nitric oxide (made in the nasal cavity) hemoglobin can’t release oxygen to the tissues and cells. Dysfunctional breathing is a silent epidemic that needs to be explored in greater detail for most of my clients.

3). Hydration

How often have you felt like you can’t drink enough water. No matter how much you drink you are still thirsty. I hear this a lot. Surface tension is a very real phenomenon that prevents water from being properly absorbed by the cells. Poor electrolyte balance is also a problem when it comes to hydration. The single biggest problem we have though is counting diuretics towards hydration instead of against it. Teas, juices, fermented beverages are great in addition to, but not in place of eight to ten glasses of water a day. Skipping tap water is key to reducing your exposure to unwanted chemicals and toxins. Quality and quantity go a long way when it comes to water.

4). Nutrients

Here’s an area that I can’t say enough about doing the work and spending the money to personalize your diet. I know there’s a place for every diet out there on the spectrum, but I’ve seen dietary theories chosen for philosophical reasons over physiological reasons drive people deeper into a state of dis-ease. I’m also a big advocate for discovering hidden food sensitivities and eliminating them from the diet. All too often clients come back sensitive to staples in their diet, ones they would never had suspected were causing their issues. It’s so important to get diet right.

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5). Movement

Plain and simple: movement is brain food, it boosts endorphins, improves circulation, aids in detoxification and helps maintain overall muscle tone. I live in New York City, so by default I’m forced to move. I get around by the power of my own two feet, but I will admit that I can be a little lax-ed about lifting weights, doing cardio or carving out time for yoga. A little burst training goes a long way. Establishing a consistent routine and maintaining it is well worth the effort.

6). Love

Just like you can’t be a little pregnant, you can’t be angry, frightened, or sad at the same time you are happy, grateful, or loving. The body is very binary in this regard. If you want to be healthy its important to focus your efforts on the feel good hormones and let any negativity go – it will only tear down your immune system and will make your healing that much more difficult. As the song says “Be happy, don’t worry.” Excellent advice.

7). Community

I think at this point we have all witnessed the power of community online or on social media. I’m not denying there is a fair amount of haters in the world, but nothing compares to finding your tribe, interacting with like-minded people and developing a community that appreciates and acknowledges you for your contributions. I can tell right away if someone will have the social support needed to heal by asking questions about their community. We all need information and inspiration from people we admire and trust to successfully navigate a healing journey. Go out and find your tribe.

Healing

You really can’t go wrong if you take the time to explore any or all of the above. If you need help or don’t know where to start, please feel free to reach out to me. 

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About the Author

Jillian_Burne-AboutJillian Burne, CHC, NTC, FDN is a certified Functional Diagnostic Nutrition practitioner. She received a certification in nutritional therapy by the Nutritional Therapy Association and health coaching by the Institute for Integrated Nutrition. She’s completed continuing education hours in functional blood chemistry, thyroid, brain chemistry and the neuroendocrine immunology of environmental triggers, Lyme disease and co-infections, as well as detoxification. Take a moment to check out her website, JillianBurne.com and be sure to follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

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Questions or anything to add about healing? We want your thoughts and questions in the comments, please. You may just help someone else in need.