We have prepared a three-part interview with the amazing Lenka Ptáčníková for you. In the first part, we will talk about the connection of her field of naturopathy with women's health, in the second part about menstruation, PMS and hormonal imbalance, and in the third part, Lenka will recommend herbs, vitamins and minerals to support women's health.
Lenka is a qualified naturopath and guide on the path to balance. She focuses on the lifestyle of her clients and uses herbs, vitamins, minerals and diet to support the body's important regenerative processes. Together with clients, she looks for the context of the emergence of problems on the physical and emotional level. With respect and humility, she uses the powers of nature to restore health. You can contact Lenka on her website www.telomysl.cz or via Instagram: naturopatka.lenka
For those who are not yet familiar with naturopathy, please tell us what naturopathy is all about?
Naturopathy is a new field here. It takes a holistic approach to health , uses the power of herbs, helps with diet, harmonizes lifestyle and nourishes the body with vitamins and minerals. In layman's terms, I am a trained herbalist.
What brought you to this field?
Since I was a child, I was attracted to herbs, natural trends, a healthy lifestyle and exercise. I graduated from a sports gymnasium in České Budějovice, then I continued to Charles University in Prague, where I chose the field of Health Education, Physical Education and Sports. However, I still did not find fulfillment and did not find what I was looking for . I started to attend development courses, seminars about health, body and mind. The first practical step towards health for me was a retraining course in massage, where I gained experience and spent several years working with the body. Unfortunately, the natural directions that I was interested in could not be studied in our country and were mainly available abroad. During my master's studies, I received information three times in one month about a new school opened in our country that focuses on naturopathy. I took it as confirmation and applied to the school. It was a more demanding period, because for me it meant studying two schools at the same time. Anyway, at school Clinical Naturopathy , founded by an excellent naturopath Kateřina Boesenberg BHSc. ND. I found what my heart longed for. A comprehensive approach to health, the study of herbs, functional nutrition and an insight into functional medicine . We studied in depth the influence of diet, the effects of herbs, vitamins, minerals and other supplements. I really liked that naturopathy looks at the body as a whole and tries to harmonize imbalances. It explains when and which herbs, vitamins, minerals to use and when not to use.
Another great advantage of the study was that we had subjects from classical medicine so that we could understand medical reports, our Western way of treatment and could become full-fledged partners to doctors who would like to cooperate with us. I must say that I find this really beneficial in today's practice. I cooperate with several doctors and When the open minds of doctors and naturopaths come together, beautiful things are created . The same positive and very beneficial I also see connections with other fields. such as physiotherapy, psychotherapy, TCM and homeopathy. I use another science, which is essential in my consultation and therapy, is psychosomatics . Thanks to this study, my view of health has become more comprehensive and the therapy has become better.
I apply my practice not only at the Endala clinic in Prague , where the chief physicians are MUDr. Jan Vojáček and MUDr. Zina Kaucká. At the same time, I also devote myself to We have our own practice, our office on Senovážné náměstí , where I collaborate with physiotherapist Mgr. Anetta Prokopenková and psychotherapist PhDr. Ing. Petr Kroh.
At Femvie, we focus on topics related to the menstrual cycle, hormonal imbalances, and PMS symptoms. Do women come to you to solve problems with their menstrual cycle? What do you solve most often?
This year I have a lot of clients with whom I deal with hormonal imbalance, painful menstruation, fatigue before and during the cycle, mood swings, inability to get pregnant, gynecological problems and discharge. I have noticed a few common denominators of these problems , especially with painful menstruation. From my practice and from the perspective of psychosomatics, I have observed that it is a total depletion of a woman's energy reserves , both physically and psychologically.
How do you help women with these problems at the clinic?
I'm trying look at health and the body from several angles. The first thing I do is to address the body's nutrition. I look for what the body lacks or has in excess. I use visual diagnostics to do this – nails, hair, eyes, posture, pimples and spots on the body. For example, I can see what minerals the body lacks by looking at the spots on the nails. Because on There should be no spots, ripples, nor should they fray or break. I always address diet and drinking regimen. If the body does not receive quality food and hydration daily, in the long term it cannot function fully. My clients I translate it into real food , teach them to prepare their own food at home, and explain to them seasonality of food. If you eat well and to your heart's content, you don't need to eat every hour, but fasting can also be included. There is one main principle to fasting. A person who is not tired and exhausted can fast, otherwise there is an additional burden on the body and energy is drawn from reserves. This is the so-called adrenal exhaustion of the adrenal glands, which are endocrine glands that produce the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol can be easily tested from saliva and shows us how our body reacts to stress. If the body has too much of this hormone, or too little, for example, fatigue, painful menstruation, exhaustion and poor-quality sleep occur.
Everyone can do it. your own test on yourself, just observe whether he falls asleep peacefully after 10 pm, sleeps continuously 7-8 hours without waking up and feels sleepy in the morning. If you have this, it means that your adrenal glands are producing hormones at the right rate. However, if you repeatedly wake up at night, usually between 1 and 3 am, or you can't fall asleep and then wake up tired in the morning, this is one of the symptoms of adrenal exhaustion. So what to do about it? The first thing you can do is start taking care of your sleep.
What role does sleep play in our health? And what can we do to achieve quality sleep?
Sleep plays an irreplaceable role in our health , prevention and treatment. Everyone must examine their own conscience to see how much attention they give to sleep. During sleep, the body regenerates, cleanses itself and restores its reserves. The ideal bedtime is after 10 p.m. and about 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. What can everyone do to achieve this? Ideally, be calm an hour or two before bedtime. Do not work, do not watch emotionally demanding films or shows, which means ideally turning off the TV. Do not watch the news at all, because these days it is more of a black chronicle. If possible, turn off electronic devices. Have a light meal in the evening and eat 2-3 hours before bedtime. At night we need darkness, coolness and silence. Therefore, always make sure that the curtains are drawn. Thanks to darkness, the body gives a signal to release Melatonin . This is an important hormone that helps balance the correct level of Cortisol. It is involved in immune functions and blood pressure regulation.
In the next episodes, Lenka and I will talk about the menstrual cycle, herbs, vitamins and minerals that can help us with PMS symptoms or hormonal imbalance.
Thank you Lence for introducing us to the world of naturopathy. We are already looking forward to the continuation. Follow us on Instagram or Facebook , where we share the latest articles and information.
