Resources for Practicing Self-Care this Holiday Season—even if you or your loved ones are really sick!
A Message from Beth O'Hara
Click the 12 Days of MCAS Friendly Self Care
below for Tips, Supplements and more..
To read more click the plus sign + on right side of the page below
It’s Day 1 of our 12 Days of Self Care Series for those with MCAS!
Today, I’d like to talk to you about Reducing Reactivity (and some tips too).
How are the holidays for you? Do you look forward to the time with friends and family or does it give you the heebie jeebies?
When I was really flaring and had a lot of food intolerances just the thought of going to a holiday event would sometimes set off anxiety for me.
Thoughts rolled through my head of:
- What am I going to eat?
- What if everyone thinks I’m weird?
- How do I turn down my aunt’s potato salad or say no to the ham?
- What if I pass out from perfume or mold exposure? Yikes!
Eventually, I figured out some foolproof tips that made a huge difference for me so I could enjoy holiday events again!
Also, there’s a supplement that was such a game changer for me. I improved on it and developed my own version to work even better. I’d love to share my Diamine Oxidase (DAO) supplement in case it can help you, too.
I’d love to hear from you – what are your favorite go to tips for the holidays? So that our community can learn from what’s worked for you, could you please share in the comments on this Facebook post here?
If you’d like to learn 6 Tips for Thriving at Special Events, I wrote a free blog post with more information for you. Click here to view that now.
This holiday season, I hope you’ll practice gentle self care. And find the tips I share helpful to keep mast cells calmer and stay healthier. Plus, be prepared with safe supplements like my Histamine Digest 360 with DAO, that will help you thrive, even after a flare from some of those fun special events.
Yesterday, I mentioned having anxiety around the holidays because of food worries at events and whether I’d be triggered by perfumes, etc. Holidays can be stressful enough, but with chronic illness, like MCAS, it can be extra stressful.
Today is Day 2 of our 12 Days of Self Care Series for those with MCAS!
I wanted to share with you about a very special adaptogen herb that isn’t talked about enough. It’s been a game changer for me in addressing Stress.
Have you ever tried it? It’s called mulungu. You can learn about mulungu here.
And, what if you can’t take oral supplements yet? There’s also a topical version I love. I’m using both the capsule and the topical. You can put the topical one on the top of your neck, behind your ears, etc.
>>> Click here to learn about the BeSerene Daily capsules.
>>> Click here to learn about the topical BeSerene Instant Relief.
Just remember if you’re sensitive, to start with a sprinkle or tiny drop to let your nervous system / immune axis get used to something new. And then increase the amount gradually. Drops and sprinkles!
If you’d like to learn more, I have a free blog post with more information for you. Click here to view that now.
This holiday season, I hope you’ll practice anxiety care for the holidays.
Here’s to lower stress and a more fun holiday season!
It’s Day 3 of our 12 Days of Self Care Series for those with MCAS!
Today, I’d like to talk to you about Sleep.
Sleep has been one of the most challenging aspects of my health to recover. I mean, the amount I’ve done to recover my sleep eclipses nearly everything else I’ve done. It took me years of trial and error. But I’ve found things that work really well for me and many of my clients. A few of my favorite things to aid with sleep:Of course, you have to also see what your body needs. And you may need to try a few things to find your right combo. This blog post will help get you started.
But restorative sleep is recoverable! (Just don’t forget to work on those root causes at that same time so you can have your best sleep long term) If you’d like to learn more, I have a free blog post with more information on insomnia and improving sleep for you. >>> Click here to read my blog post on sleep. I recommend trying supplements to help with sleep in this order. Magnesium Try Magnesium first because it is inexpensive and is essential in so many processes in the body. This is likely the most essential supplement from the list to try. (Magnesium L-Threonate is the best form for sleep. 5HTP After a few days try the sublingual 5-htp, since it also supports melatonin. Melatonin After that, melatonin would be a good bet. Magnolia Bark Extract If you still need more support, then try the Magnolia Bark extract. L-theanine After that, you can try the L-theanine. But remember that if you are an over methylator, it might make you anxious. So again, just try one thing at a time. GABA If you are still needing more support, then you could try GABA. Pycnogenol, CBD Oil, Olive Leaf Extract – any of these could be tried next, based on what your body needs. If you’d like some of my top recommendations for MCAS friendly products about sleep, anxiety care, and nervous system support check out these items here. This holiday season, I hope you’ll practice self care by working towards getting restorative sleep, daily! It’s Day 4 of our 12 Days of Self Care Series for those with MCAS!
Today, I’d like to talk to you about having a Flare Plan.
Every January we get flooded with emails and client calls because of holiday flaring.
At the holidays, you probably either get excited, want to feel normal, or just can’t say no to that high histamine holiday dessert or wine! And then just as soon as you recover it’s New Year’s Eve and time to indulge again!
The flood of emails and calls led me to make this blog post to help you enjoy the holidays and avoid flares.
What helps you recover from a flare? I want to hear your ideas too!
Need a flare plan? Click here to get started.
This holiday season, I hope you’ll practice self care by ensuring you have what you need to recover from a flare.
It’s Day 5 of our 12 Days of MCAS Friendly Self Care Series for those with MCAS!
Today, I’d like to talk to you about Balancing the Nervous System.
My top recommendation to my clients over the holidays is to carve out 15-20 minutes daily for a nervous system reset.
>>> Watch today’s Facebook Live replay where I explain how I personally use NuCalm.
Why is this so important when you have Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS)?
Because your mast cells take direct information from your nervous system about whether or not it’s safe to calm down. This means you can calm flares and over time, make a big impact on your MCAS with a daily practice.
But not just any meditation is effective.
Now, you may have heard me talking about different apps in the past. I’m always looking for something that works even better, and this year I’m so excited to have found these 2 listening apps that are working the best for our community!
1. NuCalm (**see below for details on a coupon for our community)
2. Nerva (available on Google Play or the Apple Store)
You might want to use a trial and see which one you like better for you. Or do what I did, which is to use both – 1 in the morning and the other in the evening. This synergy was exponentially better for my health than using just 1 or the other!
Feel like you don’t have time to practice? Me too! That’s a story I tell myself all the time, especially when I feel responsible for making sure our community and clients have the best information for their MCAS.
Here’s a cute Buddhist saying that changed my perspective – “If you have time to meditate, meditate for 20 minutes every day. If you think you don’t have time to meditate, then meditate for an hour.”
Part of the reason I like the apps I mentioned above is because it doesn’t require me to do ‘one more thing.’ I can just plug them in and relax. It’s a really helpful way to get that nervous system reset in each day.
If you’d like to learn more about balancing the nervous system, I also have a free blog post. Click here to view that now.
This holiday season, I hope you’ll practice self care by taking time to slow down and reset your nervous system each day.
It’s Day 6 of our 12 Days of Self Care Series for those with MCAS!
Today, I’d like to talk with you about the basics – like the Air we Breathe.
Did you know we take about 20,000 breaths each day?
That’s a lot of opportunities to help our bodies heal and stay healthy. And clean air is one of the most important things we can do to improve or maintain our health.
Air quality goes down for most people in the winter because we aren’t opening the doors and windows as much for fresh air.
Remember, for our best health, we have to start with the basics – quality air, water, and food! If we don’t have the basics, nothing else works as well.
When leaving the windows open for fresh air isn’t practical (like during the winter, high pollen seasons, or areas with bad air quality), a good air filter can really help indoors!
These 2 favorite filters are the ones I use in my own home. They’ve made a big difference for me. And the HypoAir Air Angels are small enough that I use them when I travel, too.
Air Doctor
>>> Get up to $600 off the AirDoctor when you click https://mastcell360.com/AirDoctor
HypoAir Air Angel
>>> Click here to get 10% off your order at https://mastcell360.com/HypoAir
If you’d like to learn more, here are free blog posts with product reviews:
>>> Click here to read my HypoAir review
>>> Click here to read my AirDoctor review
You can also use these easy Back to the Basics tips for cleaner air:
- Take Your Shoes Off – to help prevent tracking in dust, mold spores, bacteria, and other debris
- Improve Ventilation
- Circulate air by opening your windows on clean air days
- Check that gas heaters and stoves are venting to the outside
- Run a fan for better air circulation in areas that generate a lot of moisture like bathrooms. This can help reduce mold growth.
- Change the filters – on central heating and cooling systems regularly
- Choose Non-Toxic and Fragrance-Free Products
- Reduce VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds)
- Use no VOC paints and choose natural fibers for flooring
- Look for non-toxic furniture options. Just do your research on the companies. I’ve seen many companies “greenwash” so be aware!
This holiday season, I hope you’ll practice self care by working towards creating a space where you can breathe easier.
Happy Holidays!
To your health,
Beth
PS: If you’d like some of my top recommendations for MCAS friendly products that address the other basics – water and food – you can find more information below:
- Water – Contaminated water has made me really sick in the past. Clean water is important! But you might be surprised which filter came out on top. Read about all of that here >>> https://mastcell360.com/aquatru-water-filter
- Food – Eating can be a struggle but it can get better! Learn about supporting your body with healthy foods on a low histamine diet for MCAS and Histamine Intolerance here: https://mastcell360.com/low-histamine-diet-plan
You can also find more information on:
It’s Day 7 of our 12 Days of Self Care Series for those with MCAS!
Today, I’d like to talk to you about Personal Care and Pampering.
So, I have a confession to make. I love to pamper myself from time to time. I don’t give myself that permission often (working on this one though because we all deserve pampering, and even more so when we’re dealing with chronic illness).
It doesn’t always have to be complicated or expensive. I used to pamper myself with delicious, healthy foods (even if it was a perfectly ripe strawberry). But when I got down to 10 foods I couldn’t do that anymore. Hard to make chicken and rice feel pampering every day!
So, I started to pamper myself with skin care.
What are some of your favorite ways to pamper yourself?
Over the years I’ve tried several organic, non-toxic skin care lines. And I’d like to share some of those with you, in case you are looking for them, too.
Here are my hands down favorites!
>>> Click here for Primal Life Organics Unscented Body Butter
>>> Click here for Primal Life Organics Carrot Seed Elixir
>>> Click here for Annmarie Gianni Basic Skincare Bundle
>>> Click here for Annmarie Gianni Ultimate Skincare Bundle
What if you have salicylate intolerance and can’t use herbals topically? When I was struggling with salicylates, emu oil was my go-to because it made my skin feel silky and it’s sals-free!
>>> Click here for the Walkabout Emu Oil
If you’d like to learn more, I have a free blog post with information on skincare and personal products, and what to watch out for with MCAS for you.
>>> Click here to see MCAS Friendly Skincare options!
This holiday season, I hope you’ll practice self care by treating yourself to something that feels a little pampering whatever that may be.
Happy Holidays!
To your health,
Beth
PS: If you’d like some of my top recommendations for MCAS friendly personal care and beauty products, you can check out these items.
>>> Click here for Low Salicylate Personal Care Products by Cleure
>>> 100% Pure Cosmetics (Not all of their products are mast cell friendly, so make sure to read the ingredients to see if they will meet your needs. Their products feature natural and blended ingredients from pigments of fruits, flowers, vegetables, and herbs. They have nice choices for foundation, blush, and eye shadow.)
Today, I’d like to talk to you about Gut Health.
Did you know that over 90% of the people I see in the clinic have gut problems?
I had awful gut issues for years!
So much of the immune system is in your gut. Along with massive amounts of mast cells.
So, an inflamed gut creates inflamed and unhappy mast cells.
Even if we eat perfectly (which how many of us do over the holiday season), just the excitement and stress can get to our guts easily.
We’ve talked in prior emails about how to help manage stress and its effects on our body systems, like the gut. We have covered healthy tips for:
- Participating in parties
- Managing stress
- Improving sleep
- Supporting and resetting your nervous system daily
- Putting flare plans together
- And clean basics like
- Air
- Water
- Food
Managing stressors is a great first step towards better health all around.
And when we add a few key supportive supplements for our gut, it can make an even bigger difference.
I’ve tried a lot of supplements over the years for gut health! And I have found a few that helped best. I see how useful they are for people in the clinic, too.
So, I’d love to share my favorites for you to consider in making sure your gut stays in the best shape possible over the holiday season. They are:
- HCL Guard+: https://mastcell360.com/HCLGuard
For $15 off your first order use the links above to automatically use coupon code MASTCELL360 when any of these supplements are in your cart!
If you’re like me and like to learn more, I have a free blog post with information about how these supplements help support and heal, suggestions for introducing them, plus alternatives if you’re not tolerating many supplements yet. Click here to view that now.
This holiday season, I hope you’ll practice self-care by taking some simple steps towards gut health.
Happy Holidays!
To your health,
Beth
PS: If you’d like my top recommendation for MCAS friendly gut healing information, catch the Leaky Gut 2.0 course with Steve Wright, my gut mentor. He’s one of the most knowledgeable people I know.
And they’ve given our Mast Cell 360 community a generous $100 off! A 50% discount.
>>> Click here to automatically apply coupon code MASTCELL100 to Leaky Gut 2.0
*If you want to use both the coupon for the course and the coupon for the supplements, you will need to place separate orders. One for the supplements you want, and one for the course. One coupon per checkout cart.
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PS: Traveling and staying out of town?
I also have some helpful tips for traveling with MCAS!
Here are my favorite useful items for traveling:
- HypoAir’s Air Angel – use code MASTCELL360 for 10% off!
- Seventh Generation Disinfectant Wipes and Seventh Generation Disinfectant Spray – to disinfect hotel rooms, rental cars, and planes
- BioBalance Haven Mist Travel Kit – to help lower mold exposure
And here are my favorite cleaning products for a healthier home:
- Total Clean by HypoAir – non-toxic, antiseptic, fragrance free
- Norwex Cloths – my favorite antibacterial cleaning tools
- Norwex Envirocloth and Window Cloth Bundle – general use and windows
- Norwex Counter Cloths – great replacement for paper towels
- Norwex Body Pack – for hands and faces
- Seventh Generation Free and Clear Dish Detergent – enzymatic and actually cleans the dishes. I also use white vinegar diluted 50% with water in a glass container on top rack instead of glass rinse aid.
It’s Day 10 of our 12 Days of Self Care Series for those with MCAS!
Today, I’d like to talk to you about Learning!
I always carve out some quiet time at the end of the year to rest, reflect, and catch up on some reading. It’s one of my favorite forms of self-care.
There are some books I read for fun, some for education, and some that have completely changed the course of my life. What books have changed your life?
If you’d like to see my favorite books from this year, and a few all-time favorites, you can find my list here: https://mastcell360.com/mcas-resources-books
And, of course, the team and I have spent a lot of time putting together many additional resources for the community on the Mast Cell 360 website. All of that information is free!
You can search by topic, any time, any day, from anywhere.
Give it a try >>> www.mastcell360.com/blog
This holiday season, I hope you’ll practice self care by taking some time to sit back, relax, and read. Whether it’s for learning, fun, or both.
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PS: If you’d like some more MCAS friendly recipes, you can check out my entire collection here: www.mastcell360.com/recipes/
>>> White Oak Pastures
>>> Vital Choice
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It’s the final day of our 12 Days of Self Care Series for those with MCAS!
Today, I’d like to talk to you about Protection from Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs).
EMFs have been a topic of much debate lately.
Many people have been wondering – is this really a big deal?
One of the world’s top mast cell researchers, Dr. Theoharides, has shared with me that the longer you are exposed to EMFs, the more likely you are to have symptoms.
People with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, Histamine Intolerance, Heavy Metal Toxicity, Mold Illness, Lyme, and certain genetic variants are much more sensitive to EMF radiation.
Before you can protect yourself, you need to know where EMFs are coming from.
Any device that uses electricity is likely to create some type of radiation. That’s why I have an EMF meter and use it to check my house, office, and even places I travel to.
Whenever I am away from my home, I use a a small personal protection device that I keep on me at all times — whether in my pocket or purse. The Phiwaves Graphene provides me with 5G+ EMR protection that will protect a 3-Dimensional range around my entire body.
>>> Get 10% off the Phiwaves Graphene. Use code MASTCELL360
This exclusive offer expires on Thursday, December 14th at Midnight.
For the last year, I have been doing a deep dive into Electro Magnetic Frequencies (EMFs). It all started because I was having dinner at a Korean restaurant that I had been to before.
I always felt fine when I’d gone. But I usually sat closer to the door.
This time we were seated near the bar.There were two big screen TVs behind the bar.
I was feeling chatty and happy when I arrived.
After sitting down, I noticed my mood started to tank.
I began feeling anxious and down.
My head started burning on the left side too. Just the left side – that was strange.
I just couldn’t seem to pull myself out of it. About halfway into dinner, I noticed my head stopped hurting. My mood started lifting, too. I looked over and saw the TVs had been turned off.
I kept seeing these kinds of connections again and again with EMFs.
Another confirmation of my EMF sensitivity came when I was visiting my sister. My bed was next to the router, which I was careful to turn off each night.
The last night I was there I just couldn’t fall asleep.
I was having a lot of pain. And it felt like my brain wouldn’t shut down.
When I got up after a very restless night, I saw I had forgotten to turn the router off.
I had to find a solution to help me protect my body from EMFs.
Now, I wear these blue light blocking glasses at night. I put them on around 8 or 8:30 pm to help my body transition to sleep.
The next thing I got was a Phone Case Shield and Air EarTubes from Shield Your Body.
Use coupon code MASTCELL20 for 20% off Shield Your Body products.
I call myself open-minded, yet skeptical. I’m open to any possibilities, but I also want to see some science behind it.
>>> Click here to read the science and learn more about EMFs
Simple and Easy Practical Strategies for Reducing EMFs:
- Leave the room when the microwave is running
- Don’t stand next to high powered blenders or refrigerators when running
- Make sure your bed is not next to breaker box or power lines entering house
- Ground as much as possible by walking outside barefoot
- Optimize your anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory supplement plan
- Keep cell phone on airplane mode at night if possible
- Turn Wifi and Bluetooth off for any devices in bedroom
- Keep all electrical devices at least 8 feet away from bed when sleeping. This includes digital clocks, cell phones, cordless phones, tablets, laptops, and any other electrical devices.
- Use hard wire internet connections, rather than using WiFi
- Turn off the router at night (can put on a timer switch) and keep the router at least 10 feet away from your body at all times
- Move cordless phones, digital clocks, and other electronics away from the bed
If you’d like to learn more, watch the replay of today’s interview with Dr. Roger Billica on Easy and Effective EMF Remediation to Help Reduce Your Mast Cell Activation, Sensitivities, Headaches, and Insomnia.
>>> Click here to watch my interview on Easy and Effective EMF Remediation with Dr. Roger Billica
This holiday season, I hope you’ll practice self care by learning the easiest ways to protect your mast cells, heart, and brain!
Happy Holidays!
To your health,
Beth
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