I started myself on a new protocol yesterday. My symptoms had finally reached a point where I had to act.
How does my body tell me that toxic stress is building up?
Sleep disturbance!
I wake up around the same time most nights. As it escalates, I may be awake for several hours before falling back asleep.
And any additional stressor can make it hard to fall asleep. That squeezes the window of time for rest and repair down to a few hours.
Not good! Or sustainable.
You might think I take melatonin or some other natural sleep remedy. 
You would be wrong! I only take supplements that address a known deficiency.
I did “up my game” with some sleep hygiene hacks. I knew my sleep was disturbed from travel and assumed it would resolve naturally.
It didn’t.
When I finally identified the Kryptonite yesterday, it was an eye-opener. 
And a great reminder.
It’s dangerous to suppress symptoms … naturally or chemically.
When we medicate symptoms, we drive the toxic stress further into the body.
More systems in the body are affected and more symptoms surface.
It’s a slippery slope.
So I know, it’s a big ask! 
When I tell you to avoid suppressing symptoms (and that your symptoms are clues), it forces you to take a drastically different approach to deal with health issues.
Remember, you are your best PCP … primary care person. It’s a big job, but you’ve got this!
Until next week …
Be Well!
Dr. Gala
