In our modern day life, we are over-working our brains. We spend our resting time before the TV screen or our PC monitor. Our brains are constantly analyzing, calculating, worrying, and searching. And, at the end of the day, we wonder why we find it hard to sleep despite our exhaustion. Popping a sleeping pill or a calming sedative won’t do the trick. Studies show that these sleep-inducing medications interfere with your natural sleeping cycle. In other words, they may improve the quantity, but not the quality of your sleep.
 
Why do you need to sleep?
Besides relieving fatigue and restoring alertness, sleep has been proven to improve memory by consolidating, organizing and re-structuring the information you learn during your waking hours. It replenishes your brain performance and regenerates neurons. Sleep also lowers inflammation, boosts cells regeneration, and curbs oxidative damage. It improves your stamina, helps you better manage your daily stresses, calms down the fight and flight response, and increases your emotional stability. So much for such a ‘relaxing’ activity… isn’t it?
 
Essential fatty acids
Recent research has been studying the role of essential fatty acids (EFAs) in improving sleep. Essential fatty acids are pretty safe and well tolerated by most people. They are linked to many health benefits like reducing systemic inflammation, improving heart performance, relieving asthma symptoms, and helping in autoimmune conditions like psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, Crohn’s and colitis. They are linked to improving immune function, skin integrity, mood and hormonal balance.
EFAs have also been shown to mediate pain response by controlling the pro-inflammatory eicosanoids and cytokines. They have been proven effective in conditions like chronic pains, joints aches, carpal tunnel and fibromyalgia. They lower the risk of Alzheimer, dementia, cognitive degenerative diseases and even help with depression. Low levels of EFAs are linked to increased risk and symptoms of ADHD in children and adults.
 
Can essential fatty acids help you sleep?
EFAs improve our sleep through direct and indirect mechanisms of action.
Direct connection:
EFAs are proven to stabilize and harmonize the complex mechanism by which our body initiates and maintains sleep. [1]
Omega 3 levels, specifically DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), have been linked to better quality of sleep, reduced severity of sleep apnea and improvement in melatonin (your sleep hormone) level. [2]
In a study conducted by University of Oxford in the UK, supplementing 600 mg of DHA significantly improved children sleeping habits.
 
Indirect connection:

• EFAs mediate stress response calming your brain chatter and regulating hyperactivity.
• EFAs mediate pain response, which makes it easier for chronic pain sufferers to retire at night.
• They manage the inflammatory reaction and cell oxidative damage, which again controls pain reaction.
• Deficiency in EFA is linked to children hyperactivity
• EFAs supplementation has been shown to lower anxiety, lower elevated cortisol levels, improves fatigue symptoms and balance mood.[3]
• EFAs supplementation has been shown to be helpful in case of depression, another cause of insomnia.

 
Types and Sources of EFAs
We cannot synthesize EFAs, we need to get them from food. Our body needs a constant supply of two types of fats: omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.
Our Standard American Diet is highly loaded with omega 6 at the expense of omega 3, which shifts the balance towards more inflammatory reactions, hormonal imbalances, mood and sleep disturbance. The balance between both types of fats is very critical for brain structure and function. Omega-3 deficiencies are widespread. We all seem to consume more omega-6 (mainly from common vegetable oils), than omega-3 (present in nuts, seeds and fatty fish and fish oil supplements).
 
So, do you have trouble sleeping at night? Try adding more cold-water fish to your diet and supplementing with some good quality EFAs.
Vegetarian sources of EFAs include seeds like flax and chia seeds; nuts especially walnuts; green leafy vegetables like spinach, kale, and vine leaves; seaweeds like spirulina; cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts; and other vegetables like winter squash and leeks.

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[1] Yehuda, Rabinovitz, & Mostofsky. (1998). Essential fatty acids and sleep: mini-review and hypothesis. Med Hypotheses;50(2):139-45.

[2] Montgomery et. Al. (2014), Fatty acids and sleep in UK children: subjective and pilot objective sleep results from the DOLAB study – a randomized controlled trial. J Sleep Res, 23: 364–388.

[3] Yehuda, Rabinovitz & Mostofsky. (2005). Mixture of essential fatty acids lowers test anxiety. Nutritional Neuroscience Vol. 8 , Iss. 4
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Bella’s symptoms started 5 years ago. After the birth of her second child, Bella was always exhausted; she couldn’t shed off her pregnancy pounds and kept gaining weight as years went by. Her continuous fatigue threw her in such a bad mood that her doctor had to put her on antidepressant.

 
Bella tried many diets, went on various detoxes, joined a local gym and even enrolled in an evening meditation class. Yet, her symptoms kept getting worse. Her brain was foggy. Her weight was steadily creeping up along with her anxiety. Her period became irregular. She was now chronically constipated. Her skin was dry and her beautiful hair was falling with every morning shower.
 
Thyroid foundation of Canada estimated that 1 in 10 Canadians suffers from thyroid problems among which around 50%, like Bella, remain undiagnosed for years.
 
After 5 years of suffering in silence, Bella was finally diagnosed with hypothyroidism and she was prescribed thyroid hormone. She immediately felt better, but, with time, her symptoms were creeping back… What was going on here?
 
Your thyroid gland sets the on and off switch for your metabolism. It plays a major role in controlling heart, digestive, brain and muscle functions as well as bone health.
What Bella, and many women I see, do not know is that their Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) level could be totally within the normal range, yet still suffer from all hypothyroid symptoms. TSH is an essential piece of the puzzle, but it is far from being the whole picture.
 
Other Players in the Field

• For your thyroxin hormone (T4) to be active, it needs to be converted to T3. This conversion takes place in the liver.  A healthy liver is crucial for thyroid function.

 

• Efficient digestion, absorption and a healthy bacterial flora are essential to supply the nutrients needed for the whole process.

 

• Oestrogen dominance resulting from the use of birth control pills, hormone replacement therapy, plastics, and synthetic oestrogens in our environment affect the availability of active thyroid hormones.

 

• Stressful lifestyle is another factor. Cortisol continuously pumped by your adrenal glands down regulates thyroid hormone secretion.

 
 
Is your immune system angry?
 
Hashimoto thyroiditis is an autoimmune disease that goes largely un-diagnosed. In Hashimoto, the immune system produces antibodies that attack the thyroid.
Lots of evidence pinpoint the link between gluten intolerance and autoimmunity. Gluten is the protein present mainly in wheat, barley, rye, and spelt. The best way to know if gluten or other food sensitivities are factors, is to go on a well designed elimination diet removing gluten, dairy and other suspected food allergens, then strategically re-introducing them while tracking your symptoms.
In Bella’s case, her immune system was indeed on fire.
 
Where do you start?

• If you suffer from any of Bella’s symptoms, start by asking your doctor for full lab tests for your thyroid function including thyroid antibodies to rule out Hashimoto.
• Check for vitamin D, B12, and iron deficiencies.
• Try supporting your thyroid function with nutritional supplements: vitamin A, D, Selenium, zinc and iodine (Do not take iodine if you have Hashimoto).
• Support your adrenals with B vitamins, vitamin C, essential fatty acids and herbs like ginseng, ashwagandha, and ginger.
• Balance blood sugar levels by increasing fibres in your diet, eating at regular time intervals and avoiding refined sugars and carbohydrates.

• Restore gut integrity and healthy bacterial flora with green leafy vegetables, fibres and probiotics.
• Support liver functions with bitters, antioxidants and lowering toxic load.

 
Listen to your Body Whispers
Body Whispers® are those subtle warnings your body is sending you to tell you that something needs to change in your life. Bella’s fatigue, brain fog and random aches and pains were whispers that she brushed aside until they turned into screams. She had this subtle need to be nurtured and cared for as she was nurturing and caring for everyone around her. Her voice was trapped, as if she wanted to scream for attention but couldn’t. It was this feeling of un-ease and hunger for more out of life.
Along with supporting her body, Bella started to listen to her heart and soul. She pursued her passion for photography; she set some ‘Me’ time in her schedule and learned to ask for help around the house whenever she needed. Luckily, her husband was very supportive. Together, they managed to set their life back on track as Bella steadily but surely restored her health and vitality.


Check out Healing Body & soul consultation today


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At a point on our journey, we are forced to withdraw into our “innermost cave” where life challenges become just too much for us to bear... when we realize that it is not about power, strength, or fighting… when we finally accept that it is okay to be vulnerable.

In our innermost cave, we learn to be humble, we clearly see our limits as human beings and we acknowledge our limitations.
    
The cave is dark, cold, and scary, like the dungeon prophet Joseph (Yusuf) was thrown into… Yet, it is in this cave that our connection with God gets stronger, it is there where we realize that God is our only solace… it is there where we meet God on the deepest level… we meet Him as servants and slaves meeting their Master… we meet Him in awe and humility… we meet Him as our souls as dying from starvation and thirst… only His presence can feed our souls and only His words can quench our thirst.

Sometimes, all what we need to do is pause and connect… come back to our deepest core … to the place that Marie Schwan describes as “Home.” Home is this beautiful innermost place within us where we are truly ourselves. Home is a place where we are profoundly and genuinely connected to God, speaking to Him in our own words and mindfully listening to His reply.

    Al-Harawy (d. 1089 C.E. /481 A. H.), the eleventh-century Muslim scholar and Sufi mystic, describes human beings as travellers on a life-long journey towards knowing God. This hundred-stage journey starts with the most critical step: Awakening. For him, awakening is achieved through awareness:

• Awareness of the blessings in everyday life,
• Awareness to our misdeeds and pitfalls that might drive us away from God or throw us off track, 
• Awareness of the passage of our time. As we are running on autopilot riding the hamster wheel every morning.

 
Awareness is essential to reach this pure centre inside each and every one of us, this Home, that is still deeply in touch with its Creator… with God who is above time and space, yet who is “closer to [us] than [our] jugular vein,” (Q, 50:16).
    
​In our innermost cave, as we connect with God… as we strip bear our soul… as we become humble and in awe, we learn to surrender… We learn to let go and let God show us the way… the way to Him… the way back “Home” to who we truly are.

Also check staying connected blog
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Our brain is the most complicated organ in the universe. It is estimated that we have more synaptic connections between our brain cells than there are stars in the skies.
 
Yet, do we take proper care of this valuable asset of ours?
 
Depression, anxiety, brain fog, dementia, mood swings, phobias, ADD and loads of other mental and psychological complaints and illnesses became so common…We've become experts at labelling our conditions, yet we've failed miserably at healing them…
 
Here is a scenario I see so often… a story of everyday life: Michelle is stressed, tired, and depleted. As soon as she wakes up, she turns on the autopilot mode and rides the hamster wheel. Between her husband, her house, her kids and her work, she does not have the time to feed her body needless to say her heart and soul. She eats on the go, mainly processed carbs and sweets. She has no time to exercise, no time for social support, hobbies or leisure. Her pastime is watching the depressing news or chatting on Facebook. She bottles up her frustration and anger and swallows her pains with her morning and afternoon coffees.

No wonder her cholesterol levels shoot up. Her doctor puts her on statin. No one mentioned the side effects… her cholesterol levels become normal, but her energy goes down the drain, brain fog, fatigue, low libido and poor fat digestion… For her heartburn, an antacid was added… Again, no one mentioned any side effects. With no acid in her stomach, protein digestion and absorption became compromised. Proteins are essential to build the neurotransmitters, those magic molecules Dr. Candace Pert calls ‘molecules of emotions’… Another prescription was now essential, an antidepressant for her low mood, poor motivation and foggy brain…
 
It is my firm belief that our body and mind have a tremendous ability of heal, we just have to give them what they need… we need to properly feed our body, mind, heart and soul. Today, I will focus on my 7 essential rules of feeding your body so that you can heal your mind:


1. One-man food is another man’s poison.
I meet people with food intolerances and sensitivities everyday in my practice. You need to listen to your body: Is there any specific food that eating it makes you feel tired, depleted, anxious, irritable, moody, or makes your brain foggy? The best way to find out is to go on a well-designed elimination diet while closely monitoring your symptoms.
2. Skip that doughnut.
Refined sugars and carbs throw your blood sugar level out of balance which not only increases your risk of diabetes and heart disease, but also pumps up your fight and flight response, increases inflammation and messes up your hormones. Alzheimer's disease is now known among nutritionists as type III diabetes. Depression, anxiety and ADD have well-established links with increased refined sugar consumption. To balance your blood sugar level, you need to choose whole unprocessed grains and carbs and fiber-rich foods; you also need to eat on regular interval and include some form of protein with every meal and snack (egg, nuts, seeds, lean chicken, turkey, fish and veal are good choices).
3. We’re basically ‘fatheads’.
60% of the solid brain mass is fat… But not any kind of fat. Your choice of fat is essential for your brain health. Good choices are olive oil, coconut oil, avocadoes, nuts, seeds and fatty fish.
4. Water is the essence of life.
70% of our cells is water. I have seen cases of serious fatigue and brain fog resolve by simply hydrating properly. Make sure you drink at least 8 cups of water daily.
5. Your ‘emotions’ are made from protein.
Serotonin, dopamine and nor-epinephrine are your brain neurotransmitters. Dr. Candace Pert calls them ‘molecules of emotions’ as they are the ones responsible for your feelings of happiness, wellbeing, uplifted mood, focus, and motivation… Another close relative, melatonin, regulates your sleep cycle and heals brain cells while you sleep.
Those neurotransmitters are made from protein, or more specifically from amino acids found in high quality protein.
6. Turn off the furnace.
As we live in a highly polluted world and we are leading a pretty stressful life we set on an inflammation process in our cells. This low-grade chronic inflammation is like a low heat furnace that is cooking our cells at a very slow yet efficient pace. We need to turn this furnace off. The best way to do that is by integrating anti-inflammatory herbs and spices in your every day diet. Spices like turmeric and ginger are amazing anti-inflammatory. Other great choices are green leafy vegetables and colored fruits and veggies like berries, red bell pepper, pumpkins, and carrots…
7. Give your liver a boost.
Your liver is the primary detoxifying organ in your body and since the brain is highly susceptible to toxins, supporting liver detoxification is an essential tool in brain protection. Foods that boost liver detoxification are cruciferous vegetables (cauliflower, cabbage, kale, collard, broccoli…), artichoke, burdock root, green leafy vegetables and spices like turmeric and ginger.
 
Data shows that the rate of antidepressant use in US increased by almost 400% between the late 90s and early 2000s.[1]
 
No one of us want to be among those statistics… do we?
 
It’s time to move forward… it is time to take back responsibility of your own health…
 
Finally, it is essential to note here that to achieve mental and emotional health, you need to look at all of You: Body, Mind, Heart & Soul. Yes, you need to fix your diet and make better food choices, but you also need to dig deeper into your heart and soul, to listen to your Body Whispers and to reclaim your responsibility over your health and your life…
 
Let today be the beginning of your health and happiness journey.

The arabic word for patience is Ṣabr, a word from which the name of the cactus plant, Ṣabbār, is derived. Cactus is a plant that can grow in the toughest conditions of the desert, it adapted itself to withstand the most difficult and extreme harsh environmental conditions. Cactus represents hope, hope in the face of adversity and hardship, hope coupled with determination to survive despite the circumstances, hope that defies, hope that strives to make life worth living.
Ṣabr means more than patience… within its name you get meanings of:
resourcefulness
firmness
pursuit
resolve
persistence
perseverance
fortitude
bravery
determination
toughness
decisiveness
holding on

Ṣabr is also the Arabic name for the Aloe Vera plant. Aloe Vera is the highly bitter cactus that offers amazing medicinal properties. Herbalists classify Aloe Vera as vulnerary, meaning it helps heal wounds. It is applied to burns, abrasions, and even to bites to sooth the pain and promote healing.

Bearing those meaning in mind, now, look at our Ṣabr, It is like an acknowledgement that patience in the face of pain and suffering is bitter, it is spiky and prickly, it hurts , yet in its deep core, it is soothing and healing.

Like the cactus, Ṣabr is not passive, it does not helplessly wait for conditions to change or for water to pour down from the sky. Rather, it digs its roots firmly in the ground and stubbornly reaches for those underground invisible streams; it toughens its skin and, faces the desert harshness with determination and fortitude; it saves water for the rough days and perseveres when the sustenance is scarce. Ṣabr is an active engagement in life, it honours the struggle, the grit, the pursuit, it is motivating and empowering.
The Quran teaches: “So be patient with gracious, beautiful patience” (70:5)
“فاصبر صبرا جميلا” 
A gracious, beautiful patience is brave, assertive, honourable, determined and active.
And, “God does not change the condition of a people until and unless they changes within themselves” (13: 11)
“ان الله لا يغير ما بقوم حتى يغيروا ما بأنفسهم” 

Change is tough, but, as Anais Nin says: “and the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud is more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” Change happens when the passive, helpless patience turns into an active determine Ṣabr, this Ṣabr is the quality of the people of excellence, people who do good - people of Iḥsān.
“ واصبر فإن الله لا يضيع أ جر المحسنين” 
“And be patient, for indeed, God does not allow the rewards of those who do good to go to waste.” (11:115)

Trying to just go through life with the illusion that only by willpower we can achieve everything is just that: An illusion… Our rational, logical self-control is like a rider on the back of an elephant. The rider seems to hold the rein and direct the elephant… But, the rider can never force the elephant into a direction it does not want to go into. The elephant is the one running the show… We have always learned that Ramadan fasting is there to strengthen our willpower… it is there to train us to be more in control of our desires… but unfortunately, we got the mechanism all wrong… if we treat our fasting as mere training of self-restriction and self-control… we will be further wearing off our self-control muscle… Ramadan Fasting is not a physical exercise that trains us to withstand our hunger… Neither is it a psychological exercise that teaches us to control our desires, temptations, and urges. Ramadan Fasting is a spiritual practice… We reduced Ramadan to numbers and rituals (and an endless supply of sugars, fats, and carbs). Our heart and soul are not into it… We drugged the elephant so that it takes a nap until we finish the holy month; We dissociated our hearts from the whole process… because our hearts are already very heavy, exhausted and weary... So how can we make the best out Ramadan? How can we tame our elephants?

​Mindfulness is an integral part in my own self-care practices. I learned its value years ago during a family dinner at a friend’s house. As we set in the garden at sunset, I smelled an amazing fragrance enveloping the air. “That’s my Queen of Night,” my friend explained pointing at the alluring tiny white flowers in the corner of her garden. Those enchanting flowers release their special aroma with every sunset. “They seem to send a gratitude message to the Divine at the end of each day”, my friend told me. “They remind me to send mine,” she added.
The following day, I accompanied my daughter to her weekly karate class. I sat in the club’s playground reading a book as I was waiting for her to finish. The sun was setting and with it came this enchanting fragrance again… I looked around me and there it was, the glamorous Queen of Night!
Suddenly, it occurred to me that I have been sitting in this exact spot, at the exact same time every week for the past 4 months. The Queen of Night has always been there, sharing its beauty with whoever was mindful enough to receive it; sharing its Divine gratitude reminder with whoever is aware enough to remember. I simply wasn’t.
Mindfulness is intentional conscious practice. It differs from self-awareness in that it involves both internal and external insight. You are not just aware of your inner feelings and thought; you are also fully aware and engaged with your surroundings. I guess I was too involved in my inner environment that I lost touch with my outer setting. 

    In 2013, when I first came to Canada I was introduced to Dana, a Libyan Canadian lady who had a project in mind. Dana wanted to gather ten Arab women and help them write their stories. She wanted to collect stories of immigration, living in a new culture, leaving the homeland, feelings of homesickness, stories of hope, loss, pain and gain, and stories of helplessness and bravery. Her aim was to publish the stories in an ‘Arab Women’s Notebook’ for the world to know more about those women’s dreams, hopes, pains, and struggles, for women around the world to see their own stories in those ten women’s narratives and reshape their own stories of hope and survival.
​
     It was a long journey, and for me, it came at exactly the right time. My chapter was entitled ‘Journey of Self-Discovery’. I wrote it during a time of my life when I was wondering who am I? Where do I belong? And where am I heading? What is the meaning of life? What is my purpose? I wrote my story at a time when I had lost my grandmother, my only anchor in the world, her loss created a vacuum that seemed never to fill up. I wrote it at a time I lost my homeland, not by migrating away from it, but by it drifting away from me. I chose to leave as the land wasn't my land and the country wasn't my own. I was forever a stranger as I witnessed the collapse of the values, morals, and ethics I grew up with.
​
      The book, An Arab Women Notebook, was published in 2016. At the book-signing event, we, the authors, met many women who told us how they found their stories in ours. They told us how our stories helped them heal and empowered them to re-shape their own narrative.

My 3 big goals for 2018 are: (1) launching my signature training program "A Brave Woman's Journey of Self-Discovery" hopefully you all going to love it! I have been working on it for a long time now and it is one of the best curricula I have ever developed; (2) establish a woman circle where I live so we can actually meet and create our little community of brave, ambitious, like-minded women who support and help one another and support and help their communities. (3) finish at least 7 more courses of my Master's degree.

Now it is your turn... Take out your journal and make some reflections! 
​Happy New Year!

​What is missing in your life? Why are you unhappy, stressed or tired? Which areas of your life need your attention?
 
I saw women staying years on anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medication trying to cope with their stressful reality, life demands, and loneliness…
 
I saw women going ballistic every ‘time’ of the month and others suffering form hot flashes and menopausal symptoms just trying to survive because they had no idea what their body was trying to tell them… they did not know what those Body Whispers® meant and how to heal them...

This is why I developed the Body Whispers® system after years of studying, teaching and working with my clients. The purpose of The Body Whispers® System is to help you quickly identify which areas in your life need your attention so that you can experience getting your life back on track.

• Backache, fatigue and depression start when you have issues with safety, security and belonging.
• Bones, joints & knee pain are related to feeling out of place, or stuck… feeling that you don't belong here. Traditional systems say that the knees store your fears… and pain in the hip, legs and feet indicates your reluctance to move forward in life.
• Kidneys & bladder malfunctions are your body’s way of telling you that you’re 'pissed off', you need to let go… let go of fears, worries and frustrations
• Sex organs & female hormonal imbalance - things like PMS, hot flashes, uterine fibroids, PCOS, and ovarian cysts – are trying to tell you that you are missing joy, excitement & creativity in your life.
• Colon problems like IBS, Crohn’s, colitis, hemorrhoids, bloating, or chronic constipation are signs that you are holding on to the past, and you are unable or unwilling to let go of what no longer serve you.
• Liver & gall bladder issues are related to Anger & toxic emotions.
• Pancreas problems are related to power struggle especially in cases of pancreatic inflammation or cancer. And, if you lack sweetness in life, pancreatic problems could surface in form of lower secretions like diabetes and poor digestive flow.
• Stomach issues are about losing strength, feeling victim & helpless or unable to ‘digest’ your current situation and reality.
• Lungs and respiratory issues are related to grief and the need to make room to breathe & take life in again.
• Heart problems like arrhythmia and palpitation show issues with self-love, care & forgiveness.
• Blood & circulation problems are telling you that life is not flowing smoothly and that you need more joy, smoothness, and harmony.
• Breast cancer in women is always related to self-care & self-nurture issues… women who have been giving, giving and giving so much and neglect their own needs for care and love.
• Throat & thyroid whispers want to tell you that you need to be heard; you need to reclaim your authentic voice. This area is also related to issues with surrender and learning to align our will to the Divine will without compromising or giving up on your dream nor ignoring your authentic voice.
• Nerves and Nervous system complaints show you that you need to stop and reflect on the lessons, the meanings and the wisdom behind what is happening in your life.
• Head & brain issues like headaches, migraine, memory problems indicate resistance to life flow, over-thinking, and inflexibility in your approach to life stresses and challenges.

 
 
Now, it is your turn to take some time and reflect on each area… Listen to you Body Whispers® before they turn into screams!