When to Address an Issue

How Do You Know When to Address an Issue

Poor sleep, digestion upset, hormone imbalance, high stress.

We mention these often,

but how do you know when:

your sleep is poor?

 your digestion needs support?

your hormones are off balance?

your stress is too high?

They may seem like million dollar questions – especially when we learn to live with unusual symptoms, but in all seriousness, how do we know when enough is enough and it’s time to address an issue?

The answer may lie within you.

Throughout school, we are educated on things about our bodies- what the brain does, what our hormones are for, how important the liver is, etc., but we aren’t necessarily taught how to listen to them.

For many of us, we just go about our daily lives, adapting to small symptoms that pop up, not realizing that some of these can be our body’s way of telling us that something needs attention.

And it’s not just about living within recommended guidelines.

Each of us has a sort of personal baseline for optimal health: how many hours we need to feel rested, how much caffeine we can consume before feeling jittery, how much stress we can take before our mood begins to decline, etc.

So while there are guidelines that we can use to understand averages and “ideals”, the best guidance may be what your body is telling you.

How do you do that?

Let’s take a look at common issues and ways to determine if they may need addressing.

Sleep

How do you know if your sleep is poor?

If you’ve always been a good sleeper and all of a sudden you are experiencing insomnia and/or not being able to stay asleep, that’s obviously a sign that something is disturbing your slumber.

In addition, if going to sleep at your preferred bedtime and staying asleep (other than waking up to go to the bathroom or to readjust and falling back asleep within 15-20 minutes) hasn’t been your nightly routine in who knows how long, you may also need to take a deeper look.

Ask yourself:

• do I feel rested when I wake up or shortly thereafter?
• is my mind clear throughout the day?
• do I have energy for my work and/or daily tasks?
• is my mood consistent?
• is my weight staying maintained?

Even though it’s ideal to get 7-8 hours of restful sleep each night on average, your body can tell you when you just haven’t gotten enough.

Schedule a 15 minute complimentary phone consultation with Dr. Graves to talk about your sleep issues.

Digestion

How do you know if your digestion is off?

Some days are so busy we can forget to take a bathroom break, but bowel movements are key to proper digestion.

If you are experiencing:

• less than one solid, easily passed bowel movement per day
• cramping and/or diarrhea
• constipation
• nausea
• burning in your stomach, throat, or esophagus

your body may be telling you that it’s time to seek support for your digestive track.  To learn how naturopathic medicine may be able to help your gut, schedule a free 15 minute phone consultation with Dr. Graves.

Hormones

How do you know if your hormones are unbalanced?

Hormones can be tricky.

Although blood, urine, and saliva tests can show if hormone levels are within “normal” ranges, if they aren’t balanced, “normal” may not mean as much.

Symptoms of hormone imbalance can vary widely depending on what hormone(s) is depleted or in excess.

However, some can include:

• fatigue
• hair loss
• weight gain or loss
• mood changes
• insomnia or other sleep issues
• low libido
• acne
• headache
• digestion upset
• inability to slow down/relax

These can be due to an imbalance of sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone) as well as cortisol and thyroid.

Schedule a free 15 minute phone consultation with Dr. Graves to discuss hormone testing and naturopathic treatment options that may help.

High Stress

How do you know if you are under high and/or chronic stress?

It’s easy to think, “I’m not that stressed,” even though you really are.  And when we just keep going, it’s hard to take a step back to really see what we are going through.

But before brushing off stress as just the busyness of life, consider if you are experiencing:

• anxiety 
• depression
• fatigue
• the inability to relax
• appetite changes
• sleep disturbances
• digestion issues 
• little patience
• angered easily
• weight gain and/or resistance to weight loss
• resentfulness
• feelings of being overwhelmed

or other unusual symptoms that have cropped up because stress can be the root cause of many issues.

As mentioned, each of us has an individual “normal” for optimal health.  It’s up to you to listen to your body and be your own health advocate in seeking the right care.

If you are questioning whether a symptom you are experiencing is something that should be addressed, don’t hesitate to ask us!

Please call us at (303) 688-6698 or click here to schedule a 15 minute phone consultation with Dr. Graves to talk further.

The CNMA office offers naturopathic medicine, acupuncture, supplements, holistic counseling, and massage in-person to those in Castle Rock, Castle Pines, Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Centennial, Parker, Larkspur, Monument, Colorado Springs, and the greater Denver metro area as well as virtual appointments for those outside of these areas.