Tapping Into Possibilities

Cast in Stone or Just a Blueprint

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My great grandfather was both an architect and a builder in the late 1800’s/early 1900’s in Washington DC. I like the idea that while he designed the structure and drew up the plans, those plans were not cast in stone. As the house evolved, he could make changes and the finished home could look significantly,or just slightly,different from the original plans.

Everybody’s talking about DNA and your genes these days. Do you have this marker or that predisposition? Everybody’s talking as though this blueprint is cast in stone.

Or is it?

Nurture vs Nature? My money’s on the Nurture, again.

Like my great grandfather, I want to be able to alter those blueprints if I want to and I’m glad to report I can.

Research shows that lifestyle i.e. how you live and what you eat is 3 times more important than what your genes “say”. 30-40% of who you are is determined by your genes and the rest is up to you (60-70% are pretty good odds to me).

While your DNA may be passed down, it is NOT fixed. Your lifestyle CAN modify your genes.

Research from the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State shows that cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage and spinach can protect a baby’s genes in utero from mutation and toxins such as BPA. You really are what you eat.

What we hear about is Genetics: the study of genomes (our chromosomes and the inherited DNA they contain).

What we don’t hear much about (yet) is Epigenetics: the study of epigenomes which is the cellular material on top of your genomes that can be altered.

Think of genomes as the hardware in your computer and epigenomes as the software.

And how do I rewrite that software? Well, I think we all know the answers; now we just need to make them a priority. Real Food. Exercise (walking and dancing do count) and Stress Reduction i.e. figuring out how to create “ease” in your life which for me is more breath work, meditating and getting rid of stuff.

The world would have you agree with its dismal dream of limitation. But the light would have you soar like the eagle of your sacred visions. Alan Cohen

NURTURE YOUR HEART

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Nurture: to feed and protect, to support and encourage, to educate and train.

My father had a heart attack at 44 playing tennis (he was overweight, smoked and drank martinis at lunch); 30 years later (he was his ideal weight, he didn’t smoke or drink martinis at lunch) he had a pacemaker installed and 10 years later died of a heart attack on the golf course. Current “medical” wisdom may say, I am “predisposed” to heart disease but I put my money on Nurture not Nature.

There are many heart healthy foods and many not so heart healthy foods. You can find lists and list of foods that will explain all the reasons you should eat them but the important thing is to find foods you love that also love you.

Just because a food loves you (take Mackerel for instance) doesn’t mean you’ll love it or even eat it for that matter so enjoy as many of the foods listed below as often as possible.

Foods I Love that Also Love My Heart
Sweet Potatoes – high in carotenoids which protects the heart from free radicals
Dark Chocolate – contains phenols which are anti-inflammatory keep arteries unclogged
Walnuts – rich in omega-3 ALA which appear to have blood thinning benefits
Garlic – a fresh clove a day will keep that doctor away
Green Tea – loaded with anti-oxidant polyphenols which block LDL absorption in gut
Oatmeal – soluble fiber which helps eliminate LDL (bad) cholesterol & fatty compounds
Tumeric – eat lots of curry as the curcumin stops artery clogging fatty deposits and cellular waste
Papaya – full of potassium which is needed for a healthy heart beat
Oranges – high in flavonones which decrease LDL, increase LDL
Dried Plums aka Prunes – high in soluble fiber and antioxidants & frozen make a great dessert for dieters
Asparagus – high in saponin which reduces LDL
Wild Caught Salmon – omega 3’s which help prevent oxidation of LDL
Olive Oil – rich in monounsaturated fats that lower LDL
More Foods Rich in Soluble Fiber: lentils, apples, strawberries and black beans

Foods which You May Love (but I don’t) that also Love Your Heart
Cayenne – capsaicin improves circulation, lowers cholesterol, prevents blood clots
Mackerel & Herring- loaded with omega 3’s that reduce plaque & risk of arrhythmia
Flax seeds – vegetarian omega 3’s

The thousand mysteries around us would not trouble but interest us, if only we had cheerful, healthy hearts. Friedrich Wilheim Nietzsche, 19th c German philsopher

Disclaimer: The information provided on this website is not intended to substitute for medical counseling. Intentional Health does not treat, prevent, cure, or diagnose any disease or ailment.

HEART 101

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Textbook biology teaches us that your Cardiovascular System pumps blood around the body and consists of the blood, heart and blood vessels (arteries, veins and capillaries). The Heart is a hollow muscle made of two pumps side by side in your chest and is responsible for pumping blood, oxygen and nutrients to all parts of the body and removing wastes and toxins.

We have been told forever that the heart is a pump. The father of “modern cardiology” was William Harvey, an English physician who in 1628 (“modern”/1628? Go figure!) wrote An Anatomical Study of the Motion of the Heart and described in detail the circulation of the blood being pumped by the heart to the body.

Your Heart is about the size of a fist and weighs less than one pound. Every day your heart beats about 100,000 times and moves approximately 1900 gallons of blood through your body. It only takes about 60 seconds for your blood to travel the more than 60,000 miles of veins, arteries and capillaries in your body.

Your Heart is vital to everything that goes on in your body; it works 24/7 and it doesn’t ever take a vacation. Talk about pressure and stress!

Even though we are still taught, and modern medicine accepts, that the heart is a pump, scientists don’t actually know how this small organ can generate the pressure to move the thick blood uphill and with so much resistance.

Tom Cowan, MD, explains in The Fourfold Path to Healing, that “the heart is best described not as a pump, but as a hydraulic ram, a device engineers use to push fluids short distances up hills.” Cowan goes on to write, “the heart does not pump, what it does is listen. This amazing organ senses what is in the blood and then calls for the necessary hormones so that homeostasis is maintained and the cells can function optimally. The heart serves the cells not by pushing blood toward them but by balancing and integrating the blood’s chemistry. The heart also senses and integrates our thoughts, our emotions and our will to carry out tasks. The heart, then is not a mechanical pump, but actually a sensitive integrator of all our experience.”

And we take this Miracle for granted?

Miracles

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     There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle.     The other is as though everything is a miracle. Albert Einstein

Twice in one week I came across this quote – first in a book and second from my teacher at the end of a yoga class. I made a note the first time that I liked this simple philosophy of life. The second time I paid closer attention because in between I came across a quote from Thich Nhat Hanh, who most of you know is a favorite of mine:

People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don’t even recognize: a blue sky white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child – our own two eyes. All is a miracle

And if you don’t believe everything is a miracle take a moment to watch a Symphony of Science video or just sit quietly, breathe and listen to your heart beat.

Stop, In the Name of Love

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America is a country of broken hearts. Since the beginning of the 20th c, heart disease has been the number one killer of men and women. A few years ago, it was the cause of one in four deaths, now its one in three and the cost has soared to over $400 billion per year. The American Heart Association reports that more women die from heart disease each year than from all cancers combined.

And only in America do we have a month or a day to celebrate everything from National Wear Red Day to Valentine’s Day to American Heart Month.  Did you know there is actually a calendar available that lists the day, week or month that we celebrate, or should I say, try to make you aware of, more than 100 diseases/infections/problems, called The 2012 National Health Observances Calendar!

But back to the Heart….

Open Your Heart. Don’t Go Breaking My Heart. Total Eclipse of the Heart.  Unbreak My Heart. My Heart Wasn’t In It. Broken Heart. Heart Attack. Heartless. Faint of Heart.  Anyone Who Had a Heart. The word Heart is used in so many songs, expressions, slogans that we’ve almost become immune to its importance.

We’ve become a country of not just physically broken hearts but of emotionally and spiritually broken hearts.

Since Hearts are getting lots of attention this month, I thought it would be appropriate to work on opening my own heart and not just that pulsing, pumping muscle in my chest.

The way is not in the sky. The way is in the heart.                                                                                                  Buddha

COLD AND FLU, WHAT SHOULD I DO?

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First off, a disclaimer, I do not get flu shots, nor does anyone in my family. One of my children had a life threatening severe reaction to a flu shot in 2002 which was mandated by her employer.

Yet, without ever having had a flu shot, no one in my family has had the flu. Are we a statistical anomaly or do we just practice regular PM i.e. preventive maintenance?

Your car won’t get sick if you change your oil on time, check your tire pressure, use the correct fuel, etc. Doesn’t it make sense to practice a little PM on yourself?

The PM practices we use are easy and inexpensive.

Sleep: If you don’t get enough sleep, it weakens your white blood cell activity and reduces your number of natural killer cells. Reduced NK cells increases your risk of getting sick. A Carnegie Mellon Study showed if you got less than seven, yes 7, hours of sleep per night you were three (3) times more likely to get a cold. NK cells are one of your first lines of defense.

Seven hours you might say is impossible but this time of year, more than any other, is the time to sleep, rest, hibernate. It is the “natural order” to sleep more this time of year. Look at the trees, the animals.

Wash your hands and don’t double dip. Viruses can live for several hours on hard surfaces, hands and tissues. Viruses easily spread from your hands to your face. Washing your hands for 20-30 seconds with soap literally forces the viruses off your hands and is much more effective than hand sanitizers even those with a 95% alcohol content. Don’t use an antibacterial soap as they can lead to antibiotic resistant bacteria. Regular old soap works just fine. A Clemson University study showed that 3-6 double dips left behind 10,000 bacteria so skip the dip at your Super Bowl party.

Vitamin D3:  In a Yale Medical School study, participants with low D levels (below 38 nanograms per millileter) were 51% more likely to catch a cold or upper respiratory infection. According to the Endocrine Society and Michael F. Holick, M.D., professor of medicine and physiology at Boston University Medical School 2000 iu per day is the basic maintenance dose but you may need more depending on your levels. See your doctor and have your Vitamin D levels tested.We take 6000 iu daily and when we’re feeling sniffly 50,000 iu daily for 3 days to give our system a little boost. See Past Articles above for more information on Vitamin D.

Use a Neti Pot. A neti pot or nasal irrigator will keep your nasal passages moist and flush out the bad guys. Cold causing viruses survive longer in dryer environments. A neti pot is also great for sinus congestion, pressure and headaches.

Reduce Sugar Intake and Take a Probiotic. Comfort food is not your friend during flu season. Bacteria and viruses feed on sugar. Sugar is acidic and bad guys love acidic environments so increase your fruits and veggies which are alkaline and decrease sweets and alcohol. A healthy immune system begins in the gut. Probiotics repopulate the gut with good bacteria and there is evidence that these good bacteria boost the immune response, reduce inflammation and may help fight infection.

For more ideas to Prevent and Combat, keep reading.

Disclaimer: The information provided here is not intended to substitute for medical counseling. Intentional Health does not treat, prevent, cure, or diagnose any disease or ailment.

COLD & FLU, WHAT ELSE CAN I DO?

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There is no “cure” for any virus but there are ways you can defend your body against infections and strengthen your immune system. These Natural Remedies, some of which have been used for centuries, which have also been university studied and published in peer reviewed journals, are staples in our medicine cabinet.

Prevent:

Emergen-C – 1000mg vitamin C plus vitamins, nutrients & electrolytes. Vitamin C amps up the production of infection-fighting white blood cells. This is not just for cold prevention. Better than Gatorade for restoring post work out electrolytes plus it gives you a boost of energy from the B vitamins for that afternoon slump. Purchase from iherb.

Carlson D drops 2000iu per drop. Numerous studies have shown the relationship between low D levels to increased respiratory infections and flu and that D stimulates virus killing proteins. 1 drop per day, no taste, what could be easier. Increase at first sign of cold/flu. Purchase from iherb.

Thieves Waterless Hand Purifer – containing natural anti viral/anti bacterial essential oils – clove, peppermint, eucalyptus, cinnamon and lemon. These oils were used in the Four Thieves or Marseilles Vinegar used by grave robbing bandits to protect themselves during the 15thc plague. Purchase from Young Living.

Combat: Try these natural remedies if you are just getting sick or are already sick.

Oscillococcinum – homeopathic remedy (I know some are skeptical but we’re not), in production for 65 years and the #1 flu remedy in France, reduces and relieves the symptoms of flu and cold. Purchase from iherb.

Black Elderberry Extract – antiviral properties against 10 different strains of influenza. Mix 2 tsp with hot water, a drop of peppermint oil and raw honey. This “recipe” is an old Amish formula for symptoms of colds, flu, coughs and fevers and it tastes good. Black Elderberry extract has been studied extensively inIsrael and is used by the Israeli army for immune support.  We use Natures Answer Sambucus. Purchase from iherb.

Peppermint Oil – is an expectorant (loosens congestion), clears sinuses, reduces fever. Several drops rubbed on feet reduces fever, 5-7 drops diluted with 1 tablespoon almond or olive oil rubbed on chest and neck, inhale to clear sinuses, behind ears and on neck to eliminate all kinds of headaches. University tested for alertness, concentration, focus and memory. We use Young Living. See more information on Peppermint Oil, one of my favorite essential oils, above in 2012 Articles.

Raw Honey – contains propolis, a phytonutrient that fights bacteria and viruses and increases the water content in bronchial tubes. Honey, and the darker the better, has been proven to have antimicrobial and immune fortifying properties. Add to Black Elderberry Extract and add hot water to make a soothing “tea” or swallow 2-3 tablespoons and follow with 2 glasses of water.  iherb carries a number of brands but buying locally is best.

Fisherman’s Friend Menthol Lozenges – menthol is made from peppermint and other mints, has an anesthetic effect on sore throats. Purchase from iherb.

Thayers Slippery Elm Lozenges – used by Native Americans for centuries. Slippery Elm contains a mucilage that coats the throat. Use for coughs and sore throats. Purchase from iherb.

www.iherb.com Use coupon code BOT164 on first purchase for $5 discount.  Great source for supplements, natural personal care products and organic foods.

www.youngliving.com use my id 744096

Disclaimer: The information provided here is not intended to substitute for medical counseling. Intentional Health does not treat, prevent, cure, or diagnose any disease or ailment.

I’m Back

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I’m back after a 6 week drought.

Drought: 1) a period of dryness 2) an extended shortage

Busy holidays and college vacations that are way too long are perhaps the external excuses but the real reason, a lack of inspiration, can’t be blamed on external factors alone. I let the external factors distract me from mindfulness.

As Thich Nhat Hanh wrote in Living Buddha, Living Christ, You can not bear fruit unless you abandon distracting thoughts.

I was so busy doing, talking, multitasking, informing, performing (active states)  that I didn’t spend much time listening, writing, breathing, watching, relaxing and receiving (receptive states).

During the holidays, mindful breathing, meditation, writing my morning pages became something on the “to do” list, not a practice.

No wonder I wasn’t inspired.

 Inspire: an interesting word with two meanings. 1)  to inhale, to breathe life in to or upon    2) to influence, animate, motivate one’s mind with creativity

We live in a world that has elevated busyness to a virtue and has convinced you that doing for others is more important than giving to your self.Amanda Owen from The Power of Receiving.

Sound familiar? We all do it. And some of us, spend all our time, not just the holidays, in active states. It’s so easy to get off schedule, to get off track and it’s so hard to get back on.

Without stillness, quiet time and pausing to listen I wasn’t able to hear what I needed to say.

Wisdom comes from the ability to be still. Just look and just listen. No more is needed. Being still, looking and listening activates our non conceptual intelligence. Let stillness direct your words and actions. Eckhart Tolle

 

 

 

THE TWELVE DAYS of, I mean, BEFORE CHRISTMAS

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If you’re still making that list and checking it twice, here are some ideas from my list and this year it is all about nourishment.

NOURISH – Old French “norir”- to feed, care for. To support, encourage, supply with what is necessary for life, health and growth.

Give a gift of nourishment to your self or a loved one this holiday season. Feed your whole self – not just your physical self but also your emotional, spiritual and mental self – with some of the following ideas.

Soaps and Bath Salts from The Joyful Bath Co. Bethesda resident Rochel Roland made a career switch to create the most heavenly bath salts and soaps. All natural, no preservatives or artificial fragrances using mineral rich salts from the Mediterranean and Dead Seas  and other natural ingredients like coconut oil, ginger root, green tea. My favorites are N’lla Buttermilk with buttermilk powder. The soap has buttermilk and coconut powder and coconut oil and is gentle enough to wash your face with. I also love Green Tea Glee with Peppermint. Available this year at certain Whole Foods or from www.joyfulbathco.com

The gift of Sangha/a practice community. While you can easily buy a dvd and practice your yoga at home or download a guided meditation, Buddhism places a high priority on having a community of practice in order to cultivate and maintain and continue the energy of mindfulness. Consider a Gift Certificate to The Mindfulness Center in Bethesda MD. This gem on Elm Street has a wonderful balance of yoga, tai chi, NIA yoga dance, meditation and breathing classes to appeal to all ages and stages of ability. www.themindfulnesscenter.com

Forbidden Rice from Lotus Foods available at www.iherb.com . AKA Black Rice and the Emperors Grain, this fragrant, dark purple, nutty, organic heirloom rice was once grown exclusively for the Emperors in China. Forbidden Rice is grown on small family farms in China and is rich in antioxidants and iron. They also carry all the Lundberg Rices (my favorite) is Jubilee. If you’re not familiar with this site, it is a great discounted source for your favorite supplements, personal care and health food needs. For first time shoppers, enter coupon code BOT164 for a $5 discount.

Oil of Peppermint – Don’t just think candy canes. There are over 100 studies on PubMed (The National Library of Medicine) on peppermint oil including tension headaches, “emotional irritation”, depression, athletic performance, concentration, mental accuracy and the list goes on. Oh, and did I forget to mention, peppermint stimulates the brain’s satiety center and curbs appetite!

There are many good brands, just make sure it is menthe piperita therapeutic grade essential oil and is not diluted. My favorite brand is Young Living. See product purchase information in the Product section above.

More Nourishing gifts and ideas tomorrow…….

A Habit to be Grateful For

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Gratitude: A feeling, emotion or attitude of thankfulness or appreciation. The quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation.

How many times have you been told to make a list of what you’re grateful for and often thought, not much? How many gratitude journals have you started – note, I didn’t say finished?

When I picked up the book The Power of Receiving byAmanda Owen in September to read as my Personal Development Book of the Month, I didn’t realize that part of the deal was doing the exercises and doing the work in each chapter.

Why am I not surprised that lack of consistent energy, procrastination, too much to do, too tired and not enough time seemed to be recurrent themes in my life?

I committed to the exercises mostly because I was being held accountable by several friends.  One exercise was to find at least five (5) things to be grateful for every day and to write them down.

Some days are harder than others especially when there are problems and even crises’ but there’s always a great cup of coffee to be grateful for or an easy commute and even if you don’t make it home quickly, you’ve made it home safely.

And three months later the habit is as ingrained as brushing my teeth and for that I am grateful.

I am also grateful for….my yoga teacher, Dave Zyck, who reminds us each class to find something to be grateful for, and who shared the following quote with us last week.

Can you see the holiness in these things you take for granted – a paved road or a washing machine? If you concentrate on finding what is good in every situation, you will discover that your life will suddenly be filled with gratitude, a feeling that nurtures the soul.   Rabbi Harold Kushner

As you race around during this holiday season, find five things you are grateful for every day. This might just be the best gift you’ll receive.