I have been treating young mothers for over 20 years. I have observed that mothering, as busy and demanding as it is, takes precedence to individual maintenance of physical and emotional health. Early in my career while in school at ASU for my undergraduate in Exercise Science, I noticed how much better everyone felt upon starting a regular exercise routine. It seems to immediately lift the mood and improve stress response to daily tasks.
I also quickly noticed that eating three meals daily also lifted energy and endurance aspects of life. Most important appears to be the consumption of a good breakfast with some protein. Of recent we are becoming more alert to the contributions of sleep. Sleep is the time for our body and mind to recover from stress of the day. When we are able to move through the different stages of sleep and spend adequate time in the deep sleep, we wake rested and feel recharged to take on the next day. So many of our patients appear to have issue with falling asleep, staying asleep, or feeling rested on waking. Although prescription medication exists to assist in improving sleep, they all have some side affect or long term consequence. Natural medicine really shines in this arena due to the number of non-invasive and affective therapies for helping improve sleep. Lab tests are able to provide insight into the neuro-chemistry involved in sleep regulation. Remember sleep, exercise, and an adequate diet support a healthy mind and stress response. We wish all our mothers a Happy Mother’s Day and the rejuvenation they deserve.
Dr. Porter’s recommendations work! I have had sleep problems throughout motherhood, partially due to depression and stress. After testing, Dr. Porter put me on natural medicine and I sleep 7-8 hours a night again. When I am rested, I can handle most problems. Thanks Dr. Porter and EVND!