Cocoa Pods
Podcast - Cocoa Pods Series: A feature of the Birth Center Foundation.
We discuss all things' women, all things' pregnancy, all things' after. Reasons why women fall very sick ( morbidity) or die (mortality) before pregnancy (adolescent girls and young adults),during pregnancy and after are discussed in this maternal morbidity and mortality reduction academy; especially with an emphasis on minority women, all over the world; and ways for all involved in care to work together collaboratively and mitigate and or eliminate risks in women’s health.
Cocoa Pods
The Healing Power of Nature:Stress,Sleep and Community
Can reducing screen time before bed really enhance your sleep quality? Learn from Dr. Jessica Patella as she shares transformative lifestyle tips that promote better mental and physical well-being for women in maternal health; and really for all.From the secrets of improved sleep hygiene through melatonin production to the importance of setting healthy boundaries with digital devices, this episode is packed with practical advice. Dr. Patella and Dr. Bola Sogade also discuss how engaging in outdoor exercise and connecting with nature can significantly reduce stress, fostering a sense of community and spiritual well-being, especially for new mothers.
Celebrate the miracle of motherhood with us as Dr. Patella highlights the extraordinary capabilities of the female body. We delve into the profound blessings women bring to the world, emphasizing the role of natural health in this awe-inspiring journey. Dr. Sogade’s commitment to her profession shines through, and we express our gratitude for the deep insights shared in this heartfelt discussion. Tune in for an enlightening conversation that will leave you inspired and appreciative of the incredible impact of maternal health and naturopathic medicine.
There's something to be said about praying to a higher power right and recognizing that we don't have to carry this weight. We don't have to carry this load alone.
Dr Bola Sogade:Hello and welcome to CocoaPods podcast. My name is Dr Bola Sogade. I'm a women's health specialist. We have been talking to Dr Jessica Patella, a naturopathic physician, who has been talking to us about naturopathic medicine with respect to maternal health.
Dr Jessica Patella:So I'm teaching at the classical school during the day.
Dr Bola Sogade:As somebody that does lifestyle counseling, how do you work with people, with patients, to make positive lifestyle changes, including stress management? You know life event, stress management, exercise and sleep hygiene.
Dr Jessica Patella:Yes, absolutely. I think I'm going to kind of take that in reverse and start with sleep hygiene. So we know now almost everybody has a screen of some sort in front of them almost all the time and we know that affects, you know, that light is coming into the eye which is affecting, you know, the brain and the melatonin production, and so one of the best things to do for sleep hygiene is try to turn those screens off before you before you're going to bed. And if you have a hard time winding down even just having a, you know, a lamp and getting an old fashioned book and reading that to help before bed, but trying to get away from that screen and lower the lights is very, very helpful as far as sleep hygiene goes.
Dr Jessica Patella:And that kind of leads into some of that stress. There's a lot of stress that comes from having a device, whether it's some of your younger patients and there's like the stress of the social media and the comparison, or if it's as people are getting older and it's just. You know you used to be at work. I mean it's a little bit different for doctors, but you were at work and it's the end of your day and you're done and you get to go home and then you go back the next day, but when you're at home it's all shut off, right. And now people want you all the time, right, they're going to send an email at 10 o'clock at night and they expect an answer. Now again, obviously it's different. You're on call as a physician for mothers that are laboring, but I feel like having those healthy boundaries. If women can have that boundary and say you know, listen, I, I go home and then my job becomes mother, wife, you know, auntie, friend, whatever it is right. There's another role that happens outside of work and trying to keep those boundaries as far as not being available all the time. I think that helps with stress as well. And then obviously, the exercise. I feel like there's such a benefit of getting outside and obviously that you know if somebody can get to a park, if they feel like the park is safe enough to spend time, and you know that is going to help with your sleep hygiene because now your brain is being outside, it's, you know it's connecting with the natural light. You're breathing the fresh air, you're being, you know, around the plants which provide more oxygen. So it's, it's very beneficial to have the time in nature, more oxygen. So it's it's very beneficial to have the time in nature and then kind of the.
Dr Jessica Patella:To go back to the other question, as far as stress, I would always ask my patients about their spiritual practice and I think we can become again, going back to that device, we it's like, well, we're connected to people, but only through that, and there's such a benefit and strength that comes from being involved in community, and a lot of times that community is related around somebody's church or their place of worship, and we know, right. Going back to your research question, we know from research that those that attend services actually live longer I forget how many, but it's years longer just from being in that community. There's something to be said about praying to a higher power, right, and recognizing that we don't have to carry this weight. We don't have to carry this load alone. And when you're in that community, hopefully then especially if it's a single mama that you have or somebody that's trying to do all of this on their own hopefully then they have community that they can reach out to when they need it, because none of us can do all of this alone, right?
Dr Jessica Patella:All of us need support, all of us need people that are behind us. No matter what your walk of life is and what your profession we all are going to have hard times that we need people to come around us and support us, and so I think that's really important to have patients understand, right, like, what is your support system, who can you call on, especially in those early days of being a mama when you are like sleep deprived and you don't know what's day, what's night, what's happening, right. So having you know, that's that idea of the community of women, right, having other people come alongside you, whether it's to bring you food or something. If you can have that and have that community, it helps so much with stress.
Dr Bola Sogade:Well, thank you so much for that, and you did kind of talk about the mind-body connection, so there's definitely a mind-body connection. What are the techniques incorporated into naturopathic care to address mental and emotional well-being? To address mental and emotional wellbeing.
Dr Jessica Patella:Again, this is one of the things I love about homeopathic medicine is because it is it addresses so much of that mental emotional picture versus just whatever the physical symptom is. When we did shifts in medical school on for homeopathy, we had the DSM, which is essentially the diagnostic tool that's used for mental health, and we would have that out and we'd be saying, okay, what does this look like? You know, what is the most likely diagnosis here? Are these typical symptoms? And that would help lead us to know what homeopathic remedy might be the best fit for that person. So I think all of that kind of lines into that.
Dr Jessica Patella:And then with the mental emotional health, again, just I really truly believe getting outside, you know, even walking around barefoot, right, we're in the South, we can do that and feeling the earth underneath you and feeling that connection and you know, finding a park that is a good place to be. It helps your mental health to have that, that little bit of space, even if it's just, you know, 10 minutes outside, getting the natural sunlight, the vitamin D, it. It helps your overall state of health, wellbeing, your mind and, again, having that, that spiritual practice helps as well mind and, again, having that, that spiritual practice helps as well.
Dr Bola Sogade:Yeah, you know, for the woman, apart from getting outside, if they think the mental stress and emotional stress is too much, we want them definitely to find a professional and talk to a professional and we keep looking for areas of collaboration, you know, because I would love that and we keep looking for areas of collaboration.
Dr Bola Sogade:Yes, I would love that and I think definitely, with what you do, you should be a stakeholder in maternity care, looking for the big collaboration. You know, not just open minds psychologists, mental health specialists, and you know, I don't even think they know enough about naturopathic doctors to include them because they talk about lactation specialists. And you know, I don't even think they know enough about naturopathic doctors to include them because they talk about lactation specialists. So many other things dietitians, doulas. There's also this part of the holistic approach, which is naturopathic medicine.
Dr Jessica Patella:So all we can do is try and, you know, just go from there. I mean, I feel like that's the biggest frustration, just because there's nowhere in the South that recognizes it. And you're like chiropractors they're recognized or acupuncturists, which are recognized, and, like you said, doulas, right, we have doctors that won't even let them in the room here, and so you know, I have, I have education. It is a bit frustrating, but we just have to stay positive and keep hoping that eventually, you know, I'm to the point where I'm like, well, maybe it'll be for the next generation and not for me, but it probably will be.
Dr Bola Sogade:At least we're paving the way. We're paving the way for that, you know. That's right, that's right. So you know, as we close, I want to ask you where can a woman find a naturopathic doctor in her area and I guess maybe we'd follow the lines of finding a therapist or a mental health counselor, and you know where is just a good place to find resources on all the points we touched on today.
Dr Jessica Patella:Absolutely so. If it's for a naturopathic doctor, I would recommend that they could do a simple search naturopathic doctor and then put the town that they're in and just check the school that they graduated from. If it's an unlicensed state but our national organization has a lot of information It'll help you to know whether the state is licensed or not, whether the state has different insurance programs or not, and that's naturopathicorg, which is the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians. So that has a wealth of knowledge for the woman that's interested in finding out more about naturopathic medicine.
Dr Bola Sogade:But as we go to closing thoughts, we really want to thank Dr Jessica Patella for coming on CocoaPods podcast today. So do you have any final advice or words of encouragement for people who may be listening and wanting to know more about non-conventional medicine?
Dr Jessica Patella:Yes, well, thank you so much for having me. I'm so grateful to be here. I would say to the woman that's interested in this just keep, keep staying strong, keep researching, keep looking, because there are those of us out there that have that same mindset, and hopefully you can find an amazing naturopathic doctor to connect to in your area, and hopefully some medical doctors will find some, too, to connect with. And my biggest thing that I want to leave the women with today is just remember what an absolute miracle your body is. You have the ability to create life within you and that is just, it's the most awe-inspiring gift. I know that. That's why Dr Sogade is in the profession she's in, because every time a child is born, it's a miracle and it's this beautiful gift that you just can't help but you just can't help but feeling that from your heart. And so just remember that you are a blessing to this world, that your body is a miracle, and we are so grateful that you are here and interested in natural health.
Dr Bola Sogade:Wow, wow. Thank you very much. I want to extend my most grand appreciation to you, dr Jessica Patella, in the Florida area, for your willingness to participate in a podcast that can make change. We're very grateful to you and shed a lot of light on this topic for us. Thank you for coming to CocoaPods podcast.
Dr Jessica Patella:Thank you.
