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Six Ways To Solve PMS Naturally

Six Ways To Solve PMS Naturally

by | Jun 18, 2015 | Exercise, Herbs, Irritability, Nutrition, PMS, Self-care, Supplements, Uncategorized |

Teray Garchitorena Kunishi, ND

Dr. Teray offers natural and integrative programs for healing anxiety & depression, chronic fatigue, and digestive conditions. She is a licensed naturopathic doctor, wellness coach, author, and creator of the Deeply Happy Expert Series. She serves clients globally via phone and video consultation.
Get in touch at http://www.deeplyhappy.com/contact/

Latest posts by Teray Garchitorena Kunishi, ND (see all)

Many of my patients suffer from fatigue, depression, anxiety, and irritability, which gets worse just before their monthly period. Conventional medicine typically treats premenstrual syndrome (PMS) in one of two ways: Birth control pills or antidepressants. But many women do not want to be on pills or medication. What’s the alternative? Here’s my perspective on PMS: It’s important to alleviate suffering as much as possible, without losing the wisdom that it can provide. Let’s start with wisdom by way of biology. In the earlier half of your cycle, your hormonal activity is designed to maximize your chances of being pregnant. Hormones flow abundantly, and testosterone is at a relative high. As a result, many women feel more energized, attractive, and aroused during this time. I like to think of this as a “hormonal buffer”, which allows you to tolerate things that bother you, in favor of the deeply ingrained biological imperative to make babies. In other words, if the paelolithic equivalent of dirty socks on the floor caused your cavewoman ancestor to have a meltdown while she was ovulating, you may not be here reading this today. Makes sense so far? Now let’s look at the second half of the cycle, where there is a possibility that a sperm and egg have now combined. It becomes biologically important for the female to become protective and wary of unwanted circumstances. The hormonal buffer is no longer running high. Things that you don’t like become painfully obvious, and you react – sometimes in a way that you regret. Here’s the important part: The things that bother you just before your period...
A Shamanic Cure for Depression

A Shamanic Cure for Depression

by | May 8, 2015 | Community, Depression, Happiness, Shamanism, Support, Uncategorized |

Teray Garchitorena Kunishi, ND

Dr. Teray offers natural and integrative programs for healing anxiety & depression, chronic fatigue, and digestive conditions. She is a licensed naturopathic doctor, wellness coach, author, and creator of the Deeply Happy Expert Series. She serves clients globally via phone and video consultation.
Get in touch at http://www.deeplyhappy.com/contact/

Latest posts by Teray Garchitorena Kunishi, ND (see all)

Leave me alone to complete the business of my life, and know that I will never forget you. This is what author Andrew Solomon was instructed to say, to the spirits that had caused his depression. He did this as part of a Senegalese ritual known as ndeup, which is performed to cure mental illness. While the idea of evil spirits causing depression may seem superstitious to the western mind, there is a certain beauty to the way the Senegalese perceive mental illness, and most especially, it’s cure. Once an individual is understood to have been cursed, it becomes the role of the community to restore balance, and bring her back to herself . This point of view is fairly incompatible with  traditional western psychology. Solomon recounts the words of a Rwandan he met on his travels: “We had a lot of trouble with western mental health workers who came here immediately after the genocide and we had to ask some of them to leave… Their practice did not involve being outside in the sun … which is, after all, where you begin to feel better. There was no music or drumming to get your blood flowing again when you’re depressed, and you’re low, and you need to have your blood flowing. There was no sense that everyone had taken the day off so that the entire community could come together to try to lift you up and bring you back to joy. There was no acknowledgment that the depression is something invasive and external that could actually be cast out of you again. Instead, they would take people one...

When Medicating Depression is Not the Answer

by | Apr 18, 2015 | Depression, Medication, Supplements, Uncategorized |

Teray Garchitorena Kunishi, ND

Dr. Teray offers natural and integrative programs for healing anxiety & depression, chronic fatigue, and digestive conditions. She is a licensed naturopathic doctor, wellness coach, author, and creator of the Deeply Happy Expert Series. She serves clients globally via phone and video consultation.
Get in touch at http://www.deeplyhappy.com/contact/

Latest posts by Teray Garchitorena Kunishi, ND (see all)

There’s a dangerous standard in mainstream medicine. One that treats illness like an external enemy to be eradicated at all costs, instead of an internally generated signal regarding important inner workings gone awry. Nowhere is this trend more disturbing than in psychiatry. In a commendable effort to remove the stigma from depression, there is a move to frame depression as a disease. According to the disease framework, depression has nothing to do with the individual, and how they live their life. Depression is given the role of a villain, and the patient the victim. The hero, of course, is the prescribed medication and treatment. But the worst part about the disease framework for depression is that it implies that only happy states are good and healthy. I disagree wholeheartedly. For me, depression was a painful, terrifying, yet crucial experience that ultimately led to understanding myself better than I ever had. Without going through depression, I would not be as clear about my purpose and as committed to living my truth. The key phrase here is “going through.” Not “getting rid of” or “treating” or even “curing.” It was only by surrendering to the process that I got the lesson I had already paid for in the form of pain and suffering. If I had taken an antidepressant and it helped me feel less terrible, I’m not sure that I would have experienced the transformation that I did. It was the agony, and the belief that I had something to learn from it, that pushed me to go deeper. But our culture is obsessed with painlessness. You see this in...

Is This Good Enough?

by | Mar 12, 2015 | Enough, Enoughness, Happiness, Needs, Satisfaction, Uncategorized |

Teray Garchitorena Kunishi, ND

Dr. Teray offers natural and integrative programs for healing anxiety & depression, chronic fatigue, and digestive conditions. She is a licensed naturopathic doctor, wellness coach, author, and creator of the Deeply Happy Expert Series. She serves clients globally via phone and video consultation.
Get in touch at http://www.deeplyhappy.com/contact/

Latest posts by Teray Garchitorena Kunishi, ND (see all)

Accept only the best. While this seems like a good motto, evidence shows that it’s a recipe for unhappiness. You’re deluged with an abundance of choices everyday. No doubt you feel some pressure to make the smartest decisions – choose a car with the best bang for buck, hire the most talented nanny, go on the most awesome vacations. In short – have the best life ever. The problem is, striving for the best life ever is fueled by dissatisfaction. Because there is always something “better.” And it usually belongs to someone else. Or happened yesterday. The quest for best is a bottomless pit, where nothing is good enough. Least of all, you. Hard to feel fulfilled with that mindset. Here’s the cure  – embrace good enough. Simply put, people who have lower standards feel happier. But how do you live your potential and cultivate a life of purpose, while embracing good enough? Living purposefully means being in full acceptance of who you are, and following your interests and talents. In this way, you enjoy your daily life, and are more likely to create a positive impact in the world. In the everyday practice of purpose, you can allow yourself to be content with simple, doable actions in the service of your deepest intent. Author Jennifer Louden puts it really well when she outlines the Conditions of Enoughness in four steps: 1. Name what is enough in simple, measurable facts.  Whether it’s about what you do (I will drink a green smoothie), or a circumstance (I have one friend I can reach out to). 2. Set a time (daily,...

Taking Over-the-Counter Sleep Aids? They Could Be Putting You at Risk.

by | Feb 28, 2015 | Alzheimer's, Anxiety, Dementia, Insomnia, Medication, Panic, Sleep, Supplements, Uncategorized |

Teray Garchitorena Kunishi, ND

Dr. Teray offers natural and integrative programs for healing anxiety & depression, chronic fatigue, and digestive conditions. She is a licensed naturopathic doctor, wellness coach, author, and creator of the Deeply Happy Expert Series. She serves clients globally via phone and video consultation.
Get in touch at http://www.deeplyhappy.com/contact/

Latest posts by Teray Garchitorena Kunishi, ND (see all)

If you’ve used an over the counter sleep aid in the last year, you’re not alone. Millions of Americans use brands like Zzzquil or  Simply Sleep. These medications contain the active ingredients diphenhydramine HCL, and according to the latest in a string of studies, those who use them may be at a greater risk for developing Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. Why? These medications suppress the activity of a part of the brain called the cholinergic system. The cholinergic system keeps synapses firing, triggering alertness, memory and muscle tone. This is why a common side effect of diphenhydramine HLC (also the active ingredient in Benadryl) is drowsiness. The problem is, it’s precisely the cholinergic system that seems to be in decline with dementia – and this is why Alzheimer’s drugs are called “pro-cholinergics.” Because of the latest data, researchers are now warning against the prolonged use of these seemingly-safe medications. Even occasional use, over time, may have a cumulative effect. Thankfully, there are many natural remedies that support restful sleep, without suppressing this valuable part of the nervous system. Here are five sleep-supportive supplements that I use regularly with my patients: Melatonin – This is a hormone secreted by the pineal gland, in response to darkness. It helps you fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and also appears to have antioxidant qualities. It is an essential part of your circadian (day/night) rhythm and is great for jet lag. Pro tip: Exposure to light suppresses melatonin. Turn down overhead lights, and stop looking at computer or phone screens, at least 2 hours before you want to fall asleep. L-Theanine – An amino acid found in green tea,...

GAME PLAN FOR LATE NIGHT PANIC

by | Nov 24, 2014 | Uncategorized |

Teray Garchitorena Kunishi, ND

Dr. Teray offers natural and integrative programs for healing anxiety & depression, chronic fatigue, and digestive conditions. She is a licensed naturopathic doctor, wellness coach, author, and creator of the Deeply Happy Expert Series. She serves clients globally via phone and video consultation.
Get in touch at http://www.deeplyhappy.com/contact/

Latest posts by Teray Garchitorena Kunishi, ND (see all)

The other night, I bolted upright at 5AM. Way too early, and waytoo awake. My heart was pounding. I heard the voices of all my fears, whispering in my ear. I squeezed my eyes shut, willing myself to fall back asleep. But you know as well as I do, that never works. I got up and scrounged through my cupboards, pawing blindly for something to eat. Finally, I sat on the couch, closed my eyes acknowledged in the depth of my heart: I’m scared. So, so scared. Of doing it wrong. Falling on my face. Following a dream with no guarantees. Then, I reached for my favorite “medicine book”, Make Me Your Own by Tosha Silver. She writes about the Divine, who calls out insistently through billboards, random strangers and 90s pop songs, singing: “Why waste your time / you know you’re gonna be mine / you know you’re gonna be mine / you know you’re gonna be mine…” I laughed out loud. Closed my eyes again. Ignored the mental chatter and focused on my breath. Found an utterly unexotic mantra that cleared my head. Wanna hear it? “Mindfulness” Over and over I said it silently. I reminded my mind that paying attention helps me catch mistakes, sometimes before I make them. Slows down time. Makes large projects easier to handle. Then I wrote down the insights that tumbled out of the slowness. Then, I slept. In the morning, I shared this with trusted friends. Then I reached out to my mentors. Practiced procedures save lives. Pilots know this. Doctors know this. And I want you to know this....