Getting a good night’s sleep can feel very out of reach for those with circadian rhythm imbalances, insomnia, or noisy and uncomfortable sleep environments. What may seem like a simple and natural part of life can be tricky to optimize when so many things play an important role in a good night’s sleep. At Richmond Natural Medicine, we are working to resolve sleep troubles all the time. Sometimes the solution is simple – sometimes it’s very complex. We have written quite a bit about solutions to disrupted sleep, and one of the things that contribute to optimal sleep is our nutrition habits. The nutrition tips for optimal sleep below can however be very individualized, but in combination with other lifestyle and health factors, can make a big difference. 

Read More: How Lifestyle Factors Contribute to a Good Nights Sleep

Things that Contribute to Disrupted Sleep Cycles

• Shift work and circadian rhythm imbalances 
• Inconsistent daily schedules (waking up and going to sleep at different times)
• Consuming caffeine or processed sugar within 4-5 hours of sleep
• Exposure to overhead lights and blue light when it’s dark outside
• Hormonal dysregulation, including cortisol and melatonin
• Anxiety or chronic stress

Nutrition Tips for Optimal Sleep

• Avoid afternoon caffeine each day (coffee, caffeinated teas, and energy drinks).
• Avoid processed sugars, desserts, and alcohol within 3 hours of sleep. These inputs can disrupt our blood sugar balance and make it either difficult to fall asleep or cause us to wake up several times during the night. 
• Consider making dinner your smallest meal of the day. If you have digestive problems that keep you awake at night, eating a large meal prior to falling asleep can be difficult for your digestion to process when your body is trying to relax into sleep. 
• Take any multivitamins containing B vitamins in the earlier part of the day. For some people, some of the b vitamins may be slightly stimulating. 
• If you wake up to urinate several times each night, try to consume the last of your water intake 2 hours before bedtime. 
• Consume magnesium-rich foods for dinner. Magnesium is very supportive of relaxation and restful sleep and is found in leafy greens, pumpkin seeds, nuts, sweet potatoes, and dark chocolate. 

Read More: The Effects of Magnesium, Melatonin, and B-complex on Insomnia 

If you need support adjusting your nutrition to optimize your sleep, consider making an appointment with Dr. Beliy  – one of our naturopathic doctors and nutrition specialist. 

With the last two weeks of December quickly coming to an end, this can be a very packed and stressful time for everyone. Below are a few of our tried and true recommendations for a holiday self-care guide: simple practices that you can incorporate every day that can support your nervous system, improve your sleep, reduce your stress, and enhance your mental health. 

Read More: How to Create a Care Plan for Yourself

Holiday Self Care Guide

• Get outside for at least 15 minutes each day. Time in nature (also known as “nature therapy”) has been shown to decrease levels of chronic stress and improve mental health. Going for a walk, sipping your morning coffee on the porch, or visiting your local park or garden is a great place to start. 

• Establish an evening sleep routine. This does not have to be elaborate. Try to keep your bedtime consistent each night, and avoid screens or blue light prior to falling asleep. 

• Remember to take deep breaths throughout the day. Taking a long, deep breath calms your nervous system and digestion, and reminds your vagus nerve to relax. Make a habit to take a deep breath with every email notification, at every red light, or before you begin each meal or snack. 

• If you’re feeling overwhelmed with too many things on your to-do list, practice asking for help, or delegating some of your tasks to someone else. It can feel hard for many people to ask for help but can serve your state of mind significantly when just one or two things can be taken care of by a helpful friend or family member. 

• Feed yourself well for at least one meal per day (more if you can!). Nourishing yourself with food is truly one of the best ways you can take care of yourself. It’s hard for you to find healthy meals every day, consider meal prepping once a week so that you predictably have at least one meal each day that you can feel great about. 

• Enjoy nourishing herbal teas throughout the day. Chamomile, tulsi, mints, and green teas are delicious and therapeutic ways to not only stay hydrated but calm you down and relax your mind and body any time of day or night. 

Read More: Support and Self-Care Practices for Caretakers 

From all of us at Richmond Natural Medicine we want to thank you for being part of our community this past year. We hope that each one of you has a safe and beautiful end of your year, and look forward to supporting you in the new year!

The upcoming winter months are often the hardest for those in need of mental health support. With shorter hours of sunlight, more hours of darkness, and consecutive holidays, winter can be a difficult season for those with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) or with mild or moderate depression. Sometimes our mental health can fluctuate with the seasons or with periods of stress, feeling up or down for short or long periods of time. Finding mental health support in the winter months can include a variety of things that are specific to your needs, and your naturopathic doctor or counselor can be helpful in determining the right combination of support just for you. Below are some things that can influence our mental health throughout the year and in the winter especially:

• Vitamin D levels
• Hormonal fluctuations, including melatonin, serotonin, and dopamine
• A diet lacking in fresh fruits and vegetables, adequate fiber, or essential nutrients
• Lack of sleep, or oversleeping
• Previous emotional trauma
• Physical illness or underlying health conditions 
• Chronic long term stress

Read More: Daily Practices to Support Mental Health 

Mental Health Support in Winter

Treatments for mental health can vary widely to include things like simple daily exercise to certain medications. What works for someone else may not be the best solution for you. Here are some general suggestions for supporting mental health that you can do at home:

• Light therapy
• Supplementation with vitamin D (once you have assessed your current vitamin D levels)
• Stress management practices such as yoga, meditation, journaling, and mindfulness 
• Pet therapy 
• Spending time outside and experiencing nature connection each day
• Maintain a healthy diet. Generally, the Mediterranean diet is an excellent one to follow for gut health and mental health support. 
• Daily exercise such as walking, swimming, running, yoga, and stretching

Read More: The Mental Health Benefits of Exercise 

If you find yourself feeling the onset of the “winter blues”, or feeling like your mood is a bit different in the winter months and need personalized support, consider making an appointment with one of our naturopathic doctors. They will have an in-depth discussion with you to review your health history, diet, lifestyle practices, stressors, sleep, and any relevant lab work to help support you in your individual needs. They may also be a great resource for referrals to local therapists or counselors if needed. Don’t hesitate to seek help or ask questions if you feel that you need support maintaining your mental health at any time. The staff and practitioners at Richmond Natural Medicine are available to help and guide you to find a solution that works for you.

If you are planning your holiday menu and are eager for a few lighter options along with the traditional holiday fare, below is our healthy holiday recipe round-up. Within, are a few healthy holiday recipes that we love to rely on here at Richmond Natural Medicine. 

Read More: Simple Ways to Pause During the Holidays 

Appetizers

Bell pepper Bisque (gf option)

Collard wraps (gf, vegan)

Big Comfy Sweet Potato (vegan)

Cabbage, coriander and sesame slaw (gf, vegan)

Dinner

Quinoa Cauliflower Kale Cakes (gf)

Butternut Squash Lasagna (gf)

Butternut, bacon & apple hotdish

Braised chickpeas with chard (gf, vegan)

Creamy chicken, vegetable & wild rice crock pot soup (gf)

Desserts

Pear Pie

Double ginger molasses cookies (vegan)

Cacao Hemp Crispy Treats (gf, vegan)

Perfect chocolate chip cookies (vegan)

Snickerdoodle cookies (gf, vegan)

Read More: Easy Practices for a Healthier Holiday

If you need personalized support during the holidays with nutrition, meal planning, stress management or to optimize your sleep, consider making a general wellness visit at Richmond Natural Medicine. Our in-house wellness specialist, Dr. Ferreira, has been practicing for 6 years in the fields of women & men’s health, hormone optimization, and lifestyle management. With her vast experience, she is able to provide patients with many ways to help the human body function optimally both inside and out with the goal of establishing healthy and new lifestyles to best support their health concerns. We would love to help you create a plan to sustain and grow through the last few months of the year. Click here to contact us. 

Naturopathic doctors seek to uncover any underlying cause for an individual’s health concerns in an effort to prevent and reverse illness, rather than simply treat symptoms. In today’s western medicine model, we are often conditioned to only visit the doctor when we’re sick or have an active problem presenting. However, from a naturopathic perspective, we are looking to maintain good health all year long, with regular check-in’s to make sure you’re staying on track with your health and wellness, optimizing your nutrition, reviewing yearly lab work, and encouraging you to implement good habits every day to keep your body vibrant and strong. 

By regularly checking in with your naturopathic doctor once or twice per year for a general wellness visit, you can rest assured that preventable health problems won’t suddenly appear “out of the blue”. Someone is tending to your health from a holistic perspective and giving you the education you need to maintain healthy habits every day. 

What you can expect from a general wellness visit:

• You don’t have to come in for your visit with anything “wrong”! Your naturopathic doctor will ask you in-depth questions about your lifestyle, diet, exercise, past medical history, and any current concerns.
• Your naturopathic doctor welcomes any health and wellness questions you may have. Do you fully understand how your body is working, or what your current medical conditions mean? Do you have questions about recent lab work or if and why supplements or medications may be helpful for you? All of these questions and more can be reviewed in your general wellness visit. 
• You can expect to be really heard. With an hour-long appointment, you have time to explain yourself and ask questions. 
• Your naturopathic doctor will create a detailed care plan for you. This may be encouraging or slightly optimizing what you’re already doing, or creating custom diet and lifestyle recommendations to support areas of your health that need a little extra attention. 

At Richmond Natural Medicine, one of our passions is to help you live a happy and healthy life that is sustainable and works for you. General wellness is all-encompassing because it requires looking at all of the unique factors that make you special. It is also important as a foundation because it paves the way for additional vitality and prevention. Some individuals don’t have a specific health concern, but rather their goal is to maximize their current health. This is what makes natural medicine different: we assess potential future vulnerabilities and also identify your strengths. General wellness through Naturopathic Medicine is one of the best ways to practice preventative medicine for a bright and healthy future.

Dr. Vanessa Ferreira, ND is our in-house wellness specialist. She has a passion for using alternative therapies in an integrative way to provide complete & balanced care and believes in empowering individuals to take control of their own health. Dr. Ferreira provides customized health plans to fit each person’s unique needs. In addition, she uses tools such as diet and lifestyle changes, supported detoxification, homeopathy, herbs, supplements, and stress management to address the underlying causes of each concern. She is committed to providing individuals with the resources to help empower their health and support them towards optimal well-being.

“I feel great! My first appointment with Dr. Ferreira was wonderful. She spent the individual time with me to understand my past and future goals and create a personalized plan.”

To schedule an appointment with her or one of our other naturopathic doctors for a general wellness visit, visit this link, or call our office. We look forward to seeing you soon!

At Richmond Natural Medicine, we are always committed to getting to the heart of your health issues. Some symptoms that become normal parts of your daily life don’t necessarily have to be something you just live with. When it comes to headaches or migraines, these can be frustrating, daily occurrences that either leave you feeling irritable or completely unable to continue your day. Headaches and migraines may be the result of other underlying health concerns or the symptom of something else that only happens occasionally. In any case, if headaches and migraines are something that you experience frequently, naturopathic medicine can offer you some insight and support. 

What is the cause of headaches and migraines?

There is no single cause for headaches or migraines, however, there can be several contributing factors unique to each person. Some of these include:

• Dehydration
• Exposure to chemicals or mold
• Consuming food intolerances regularly
• Certain trigger foods such as artificial sweeteners, MSG, or artificial additives
• Stress, tension, or emotional triggers
• Over-exercising
• Exposure to light (too bright, or strobe lighting for example)
• Genetics may play a role in migraine headaches 
• Hormonal changes 
• Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)

How can Naturopathic Medicine Help?

First, your naturopathic doctor will take a thorough look at your health history, current health state, any medications, and supplements, and actively listen to your concerns. With there being so many causes and contributing factors to the presentation of headaches and migraines, looking for patterns and small clues is essential for your naturopathic doctor to determine where to begin. Dietary changes, hormonal testing, stress and sleep support, adjustments to exercise, and supplement changes are common recommendations that will be personalized for you and your individual case. It may be very helpful for your naturopathic doctor to review a symptom journal prior to your visit that includes your dietary inputs, stress, and symptoms. Through detailed questions and follow-up visits, your naturopathic doctor will support you in finding solutions to reducing the occurrence of headaches or migraines in your life. 

Read More: The Mental Health Benefits of Exercise & Movement 

For further questions or to schedule an appointment, visit this link or call us at 804-478-0733

What is Ulcerative Colitis?

Commonly referred to as UC, ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory condition primarily affecting the rectum, colon, and large intestine. The severity of inflammation can vary from person to person. Symptoms can induce diarrhea, cramping, bloating, anemia, and pain from small ulcers caused by the inflammation in the lining of the colon. Our immune system may develop an overactive response to this inflammatory condition, and many people experience symptoms of UC for several years, making it one of the more chronic digestive conditions with the Irritable Bowel disease category. 

The cause of ulcerative colitis is currently unclear, however, the research and understanding of the interplay between the role of our immune system and digestive health are rapidly growing. The naturopathic approach to supporting ulcerative colitis will take into consideration your entire health history, as well as your individual symptoms and current research. 

The Naturopathic Approach to Ulcerative Colitis

Due to our immune system being largely impacted by the overall health of our gut, symptoms of UC suddenly “flare”, or go into remission for unpredictable periods of time. Lifestyle factors such as stress, diet, sleep, environmental exposure, or even travel can impact the state of our gut, and therefore manipulate our immune response. These are all factors that your naturopathic doctor will take a thorough look at during your consultation to determine any patterns or triggers to your UC story. 

Naturopathic medicine operates under the principle that, under the right conditions, the body has an innate healing capability. The role of a Naturopathic doctor is to determine what those unique conditions are for each person. For some people, healing may look like reassessing lifestyle factors such as their eating habits and stress levels. For others, healing may mean managing chronic inflammation or immune function with herbs or other natural therapies.

Since there is often more than one issue causing imbalance, a multi-layered approach is utilized. This approach ensures that all issues are addressed, as well as further encourages long-term results. Depending on the person, various therapies and modalities may be used to improve gut health. These can range from diet changes and nutritional supplements to herbs, probiotics, and more.

One of the most important factors to achieving optimal gut health is determining the diet and dietary choices that work best for each individual. There is no “one size fits all” approach to a healthy diet and self. Your naturopathic doctor will help determine which foods work best for you, and which do not. Many people consume common foods that their bodies simply cannot break down well. This can set up an ongoing low-level inflammatory process that leads to issues beyond just digestive symptoms, such as “leaky gut,” immune reactivity, and so on.

To schedule an appointment with one of our naturopathic doctors, click here.