Seasons of transition can take their toll on our overall well-being.

Through late winter into early spring, our bodies begin to feel the building energy that comes with increasing daylight, but this is juxtaposed with the fatigue of winter dragging on. It’s not uncommon to hear in the clinic at this time of year complaints of sluggish digestion, restlessness, dragging cold and flu symptoms and energy issues. Caring for our digestive health is an important aspect of supporting whole health but becomes even more important in this transition season.

The best description I’ve ever read about our digestive system compared digestive function to the function of a compost pile. A healthy compost pile requires just the right balance of moisture and heat to appropriately break down what’s added to it and to produce an effective product. Our digestive system works in much the same way. Digestive fluids, such as bile and stomach acid, function as the necessary “heat”, initiating breakdown and absorption through the gut. The gut lining, made up of mucous membranes and microbiome, houses the moisture that helps move food and waste along the chain for either absorption or elimination. Of course, this is a very simplified and summarized explanation.

When we have too much heat and not enough moisture, or vice versa, we can experience symptoms like irritable bowel syndrome, bloating, indigestion, slow or no elimination or elimination that occurs too quickly, malabsorption of nutrients, pain and reflux. Different foods can affect all these symptoms differently, however when we really break it down (pun intended), often what’s most helpful isn’t major diet changes so much as it is supporting the foundational needs of gut health and balancing the moisture to heat ratio.

A flavour profile that is traditionally linked to bile production and improving digestive functioning is the bitter flavour. Lucky for us, finding bitter flavours is easy to do in our western diet, though perhaps uncommonly turned to. For those who experience bloating, cramping, constipation and gassiness, adding a bitter flavour in the form of tea or taste can be an effective way to get the best of our inner composting system online and soothe the symptoms associated with imbalances.

Peppermint is one of the most well-researched and proven herbs to combat irritability in the digestive tract. Research has shown peppermint to be an extremely effective remedy for irritable bowel syndrome. Not only does it support a decrease in pain and tension through the digestive tract, beneath its fresh minty flavour there’s a mild bitter which works to stimulate the production of bile, circulation, stomach acid and appropriate breakdown of nutrients.

Citrus peel has a long history of being used as a primary bitter remedy in many cultures. The peel contains a high amount of vitamin C, too, which supports the lining of our gut while providing a pre-biotic boost to the gut biome.

Ginger provides our system with a gentle bitter and warm spice, settling and soothing while supporting nutrient breakdown.

Lemon juice with water bolsters our stomach acid and capacity for breaking down food within the gut.

The recipe offered here is for a simple digestive tea you can try at home. Ideally, this tea can be sipped warm or cool about thirty minutes prior to meals. Alternatively, you can also drink it if you’re experiencing acute digestive discomfort.

If digestive issues are common for you, it’s important to seek medical advice from a qualified health professional. While many digestive concerns can be resolved at home with nutritional and lifestyle-based adjustments, symptoms related to digestion can also be a signal of broader health issues. Speak with your trusted health providers if symptoms worsen or persist.

Digestive health tea

• 1 tbsp. dried peppermint or 2 tbsp. fresh peppermint (Any mint can be used as a substitute.)
• 1/2tbsp. fresh or dried lemon or orange peel
• 1/8 tbsp. dried powdered ginger
• 1/2 to 1 tbsp. lemon juice (optional)
• Honey to taste
• 2 cups hot water

Combine all ingredients in a tea strainer or French press and cover with boiling water to steep, covered, for 10-20 minutes. Sweeten with honey if desired and store in your refrigerator for up to three days.

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We all know that sleep is important to maintain quality of life and overall health. Unfortunately, sleep disruption is one of the most common complaints I hear from my clients.

The power of sleep to improve how we feel on all levels is often under-appreciated. Many people assume that they just aren’t “good sleepers” or that nothing will change their sleep patterns. The thing is sleep — like other biological functions such as digestion — can be improved with practice and awareness.

The quality of sleep has a direct impact on our quality of life. How we sleep affects cognitive function, our perception of the world, pain tolerance and our vulnerability to stress, illness and injury. And since many people report that their sleep is disrupted by pain, stress, tension, rumination and discomfort, there is a vicious cycle between physical wellness and sleep.

Sleep depends on our nervous system’s ability to shift into the “rest and digest” mode, but modern life requires us to react to constant demands and stimuli from our environment. This causes our nervous system to become biased towards “fight or flight” mode which means shifting into a gear that promotes restful sleep becomes a challenge.

Many sleep advice resources suggest getting rid of stimuli such as artificial light, screens, social media and TV within a few hours of bedtime to allow this shift to happen. I certainly don’t disagree; however, what’s even more relevant is finding ways to adjust our internal response to stimulus and to find ways that support the nervous system to shift toward restful states.

In my experience, one of the best ways to do this is to involve the body in countering the mind’s narrative. Our nervous system senses its environment largely through the body, while the mind functions as an interpreter to make sense of environmental cues. We can influence the mind’s perspective by using the body to promote a sense of “safe enough to rest.”

What does that look like? For starters, practice slowness, especially in the evenings as you (ideally) wind down from the day. In the winter months when the evenings are longer, see if there are routines that you can do extra slowly, for example, washing dishes, showering, moisturizing, gentle movement practices, sipping tea. Imagine pressing a slow-motion button for these daily tasks, making the movements associated with washing your face, brushing your teeth, etc., as slow as possible.

Neurologically, this slowness creates a perception of safety. Whenever we generate a sense of safety, our nervous system can more easily shift away from reaction/action mode. So, see how slowly you can brush your teeth and really focus on the sensations of slow movement. Do the same when washing your hands or your hair. Intentionally focusing on these routine actions tells the nervous system that less activation is currently required, making rest more attainable.

As you get into bed, slowly inhale to tense the large muscle groups (e.g., glute muscles, shoulder muscles, etc.) and exhale to release the same muscles. Do this for five to ten rounds to help the body settle. From there you can move from easy inhales to practicing longer exhales. Adding length to exhales signals to the nervous system that it’s a good time to settle down. If you find longer exhales challenging, start instead with a balanced breath, that is an equal inhale to an equal exhale at a pace that feels easy and sustainable. Find the easiest length of inhale then match your exhale to that length.

Interrupted sleep is something to take seriously. If implementing practices such as those outlined above is not making a difference, it is important to seek professional support. Likewise, waking up fatigued is also a sign to get a professional assessment.

Simply put, if we aren’t sleeping well, we aren’t living well. Speak to your health care providers to find out what steps you can take for better sleep.

The post FIT TO FARM: Sleep is key to a healthy lifestyle appeared first on Country Guide.

Throughout a decade working in health, fitness and physical rehabilitation, it has become clear to me that long-term physical wellness and maintaining longevity of day-to-day physical functions are dependent on a relatively simple, common truth: use it or lose it.

However, we tend to overcomplicate practicing the “use it” part of the equation. A glance at the exercise world today shows us that it’s easy to become overwhelmed by options, fads and what online influencers tell us is the best or only method to long-term physical health and function.

For most people, maintaining or enhancing overall mobility and strength — the type that helps support daily life — is relatively simple: squatting, hinging, pushing and pulling.

There are endless ways to accomplish those basic movements and engaging in them doesn’t have to be expensive, time-consuming or overwhelming. In this article, I’ll explore the squatting movement as an essential exercise for anyone, at any phase of life.

Of the four key movements mentioned above, squatting is the one I’ve noticed becoming less common in the general population. As our lives get busy and we age, we do more sitting than intentional squatting (sitting down and getting back up again). The ability to get oneself out of a seated position, or off the ground, has even been studied as a measurement for morbidity and longevity. Squatting uses our whole body in a functional way, engaging our legs in both directions, and our balance and body awareness. Even when done with no added weight it affects our abdominal strength, too.

Squatting is considered an essential movement for the human body as it’s a movement we do multiple times a day, whether we are aware of it or not. Many of our daily tasks require some level of squatting. Squatting requires us to have ankle and hip mobility alongside foot, knee and leg strength.

We require the squat motion to get up and down throughout our days: in and out of chairs, in and out of bed, on and off the toilet, in and out of the car, etc. If you’ve ever tried to settle into a chair or onto the toilet while recovering from a knee injury or abdominal surgery, you’ll likely have experienced the dynamic function of all that’s involved internally within the action of sitting down or getting up.

We also use aspects of the same biomechanics when going up or down stairs, bending down to reach into a cupboard, moving bales, working on farm equipment or cleaning the shop.

Here’s a test to try at home to check how good your squat function is. You’ll need a sturdy chair (a dining room chair works well) that places your knees at about ninety degrees when you’re seated on it, with feet flat to the ground and square below the knees. Can you sit down on the chair with control (not falling in the last part of sitting) and without lifting your heels or toes off the ground? Can you stand back up, using no or very minimal support from the hands on the thighs or arm rests? Can you repeat both movements for ten rounds and maintain control both up and down?

If you struggled to achieve the above, you now have homework! Practice sitting to standing, from a higher chair if needed, daily or at least three times per week. You’ll notice that with some practice you can achieve more depth and control over time, and you’ll be engaging in a simple exercise that might help determine independence and overall physical wellness well into your golden years.

Simply bringing attention and intention to where you’re already squatting up and down throughout your day can also be beneficial. Practice pressing your whole foot into the ground to rise out of squat positions (coming up from a chair, bed, the toilet or getting out of vehicles) and practice control on the way down, connecting the foot into the ground and pressing the hips back towards the surface you’re heading to.

If any pain disrupts your ability to squat, it’s important to seek medical advice and access qualified physical rehabilitation guidance. While injuries and discomfort certainly do happen, appropriate and timely rehabilitation guidance can go a long way towards ensuring you’re still able to “use it” and not “lose it” in the long run.

The post Use it or lose it: Maintaining overall mobility to support daily farm life appeared first on Country Guide.

Not every fall can be prevented, but a little focus and intention on our movement can go a long way toward ensuring our bodies are best prepared for resiliency on slippery, uneven surfaces.

Beyond the obvious suggestions, such as ensuring you have appropriate winter footwear and moving more mindfully than usual, let’s chat about movement practices that can support your balance, agility and body awareness.

I’ve noted some common circumstances when I hear about slips and falls from my clients. Often, there has been a recent transition to winter footwear. Heavier boots, thicker soles and more robust shoes mean good things for warmth and grip but can present a challenge for our internal body awareness, or our proprioception. Proprioception is just a big word for how our body knows where it is in time and space.

Our body is covered with proprioceptive nerve fibres that help us sense our environment, maintain balance and move with co-ordination and agility. Our feet are especially full of these types of nerve fibres. When we wear thick, robust shoes we are dulling our sense of awareness in our feet. This can set the stage for weakened soft tissues, decreased strength and an increased risk of not being able to course correct when things get slippery.

The solution isn’t to go bootless. Instead, engage your feet regularly and keep the connection between brain and body to sense the world around you, even when you’re in your winter gear.

Winter footwear also tends to limit our ankle range of motion, which changes our mobility through the entire lower body. A stiffer gait, with less control, can lead to stepping just wrong enough on ice to cause a slip.

Try these four exercises at home routinely to keep your ankle and foot moving. They take no more than a few minutes a day and can prevent falls from having an impact on your stride. As a bonus, these exercises are also great for preventing and treating things like plantar fasciitis, fallen arches and flat feet.

Slow-motion foot taps. Sit comfortably with your foot fully resting on the ground. Slowly raise your foot off the ground, keeping your heel planted. Ensure that you lift from the middle of your foot, so that your pinky toe and big toe raise levelly. Take about three to four seconds to raise up, and then slowly lower back to the ground. Do one foot and then the other. Repeat for 10 rounds per side, a few times each day. A great warm-up prior to walks or runs!

Toe curls. Sit comfortably with feet resting on the ground. Keeping your foot on the ground, curl your toes into the ground. You could place a towel under your foot (spread out) and curl the toes into the towel to drag it in towards the foot. Curl the toes in and out 10 times. If you use a towel, curl the towel in for 10 curls, then practice pressing it back out again using the toes (uncurling). You may feel the arch muscles are working to do this; this is a good thing. Repeat daily, a few rounds where possible.

Tandem walking. Take a step forward, placing one foot directly in front of the other (heel to toe). Walk forward 10 to 20 steps, stacking your feet as you go. Challenge yourself to look forward (not at your feet) while doing this. As an additional challenge, walk backward in this way to your starting point. Repeat daily, a few rounds where possible.

Tiptoe walking. For 10 to 20 steps, walk as high as you can on your tiptoes. As you walk, work to keep your weight in the centre of the forefoot, not more to the outside or inside edge of your foot. Try to walk in a straight line, sideways and backwards like this. Challenge yourself to keep eyes up and look ahead. Repeat daily, a few rounds where possible.

In addition to keeping the connection alive to your feet and ankles, I strongly recommend that regular balance challenges be added to the routine. This could be done as part of your regular workouts during the warm-up, while you’re waiting for the pot to boil on the stove or as you’re brushing your teeth.

Simply feel your foot on the ground, then shift your weight to one side. Think about pressing the ground away and engaging the same side hip muscles to balance on one leg. Stay here for ten seconds or more, then repeat on the other side.

Intentionally keep your eyes up and practice balancing on the leg with no assistance from your hands. Regularly working on balance supports healthy joint mobility and keeps our mind and body connected. It also increases your chances of not falling when facing the unpredictable outdoors this time of year.

The post Preventing winter slips and falls appeared first on Country Guide.