Tapping Into Possibilities

I Love REM

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I Love REM…. no, not the 90’s band (though I like R.E.M. as well)….. that wonderful anti-aging sleep cycle.

The reason we need 7-8 hours of Ambien free sleep no matter what our age is that we need to go through the natural/normal/why our ancestors went to bed when the sun went down sleep cycles that include REM and N(non)REM (stages 1-4) sleep.

Ambien may seem like your best friend if you’ve had sleep issues but studies have found that it increase NREM cycles and decreases REM cycles.

Why should you care whether you have enough REM cycles or not? REM sleep is when you repair and regenerate.

Think: When I’m awake I degenerate; when I’m asleep I regenerate.

Healing happens during REM. Lack of REM impairs our ability to complete and learn tasks. It is also where we have memorable dreaming. REM is when the information you gathered during the day is put in to context and stored for future use.

And it just isn’t what lack of sleep does on the inside but what it does on the outside. Participants in a 2013 study from University Case Medical Center in Cleveland showed visible signs of aging including reduced skin elasticity, fine lines and uneven pigmentation, slept fewer hours and spent less time in REM sleep

“Take a rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop.” Ovid

Free Alzheimers Prevention Rx!!!

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Free Alzheimers Prevention Rx:  GET MORE SLEEP!

Nothing scares me more than Alzheimers. I’ve had too many of my friends having to cope with this devastating disease with their aging parents.

Sleep deprivation causes all sorts of things we don’t want: hair loss, impaired vision and hearing, sexual dysfunction, weight gain.

Why? Sleep and your immune system are intricately entwined.

Not enough sleep leads to increased inflammation. Inflammation can turn on genetic switches…meaning the aging process speeds up. If your mother has/had Alzheimers you may be genetically programmed for Alzheimers at age 70 but if you are sleep deprived that gene could turn on earlier.

Studies indicate that the less you sleep and the worse your sleep patterns are, the more amyloid plaque your brain has. Amyloid plague is a marker for Alzheimers. There is no causal link (yet) between lack of sleep and Alzheimers but we do know lack of sleep causes so many other of the down sides of aging, why not make Sleep a Priority.

C is for Cacao cont’d…..

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What’s important to know are the health benefits of cacao and what form is the best way to get those benefits.

If you read part 1, you’ll note that for centuries cacao was consumed in liquid form though not the Swiss Miss instant variety. Look for Raw Unsweetened Cacao Powder. Look for Dark Chocolate with 70% cacao. And my favorite, Cacao Nibs.

To be considered “dark”, the chocolate must have at least 35% cacao but please note, the research and resulting benefits have all been done with dark chocolate with 70% cacao.  Although 70% is considered bittersweet, it is satisfying and you won’t keep craving more and more as in that big bag of M&Ms I used to devour at the movie theater.

Health Benefits from Recent Research:

Better Mood: The carbohydrates in cacao raise serotonin levels in the brain.  Cocoa contains tryptophan, an essential amino acid required for the production of the neurotransmitter serotonin. Enhanced serotonin levels can lower anxiety levels and improve mood.

Reduced PMS Symptoms: whether it’s the magnesium or the tryptophan, who cares, it works!

Eating cacao also helps to release endorphins, the “I feel good” natural high. Perhaps, this is why we have so many chocoholics.

Just the smell of cacao can increase theta brain waves. Think relaxation.

Healthy Heart and Lower Cholesterol Levels:  Cacao is full of antioxidants called flavonoids.  Flavanoids help to prevent clogged arteries and make platelets less sticky which can reduce the risk of blood clots, heart attacks and strokes.

Cacao contains healthy monounsaturated fats which help raise the good cholesterol (HDL) levels.

Suppress  Appetite: A cup of cacao before a meal will reduce your hunger. Cacao contains the mineral chromium which helps stabilize blood sugar.

More Energy: Cacao contains a substance called theobromine, a central nervous system stimulant. It helps boost your energy during that afternoon slump.

Chocolate is a perfect food, as wholesome as it is delicious, a beneficent restorer of exhausted power. It is the best friend of those engaged in literary pursuits.  Baron Justus von Liebig (1803-1873), German chemist

 

Disclaimer: The information provided here is for educational purposes only and is not intended to substitute for medical counseling. Intentional Health and DIY Health & Wellness does not treat, prevent, cure, or diagnose any disease or ailment.

 

B is for Breath

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Life begins with your first breathe and ends with your last.

Just watch a baby breathe. Breathing is an involuntary action. Or is it?

While breathing is mostly involuntary, your breathing is nothing to take for granted. Breath is the fuel of life. Your breath carries oxygen to every cell, all 70 trillion of them. Breathing eliminates toxins and stressors.

Breath helps us to communicate, to calm, to center, to circulate (not just oxygen, but thoughts and insights).

 For breath is life and if you breathe well,                                                  you will live long on  earth. Sanskrit Proverb

Many mystics and ancient cultures have believed for centuries that breath is evidence of spirit and that working with breath is a spiritual practice. In many languages, including Sanskrit, Greek, Latin and Hebrew, breath and spirit are the same word.

Today, science is proving the importance of “breathing well” and its ability to heal. How you breathe affects you physically but also your state of mind and how you feel. Different breathing techniques are powerful tools.

                             We need to learn how to breathe “more slowly, more quietly,                              more deeply, and regularly”, says Dr. Andrew Weil.

How you breathe can be invigorating; it can be calming; it can bring clarity and done improperly (shallow chest breathing) can be a health hazard. We thrust our chin and neck forward especially while on the computer; we hold our breath; we stiffen our spine; we shrug our shoulders.

Healthy breathing strengthens and improves the function of your diaphragm, which will keep your spine flexible and your core strong.

Your most important tool for well being and reducing stress is your breath. You may not be able to see it but it is an invisible force.

Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.                                                                             Thich Nhat Hanh, Vietnamese Buddhist Monk

And the good news is you don’t have to be in a yoga class or have a dedicated meditation practice (though it’s a good idea), to begin breathing well.

 

Disclaimer: The information provided here is for educational purposes only and is not intended to substitute for medical counseling. Intentional Health and DIY Health & Wellness does not treat, prevent, cure, or diagnose any disease or ailment.

12 12 12

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Not the date and not an alternative to Herman Cain’s 9-9-9…..

Simply, in the 12 months of 2012, the 12 favorite books (actually 12 authors, 15 books) I’ve read…..in no particular order.

I read to laugh, cry, learn, explore, wonder, question, escape, grow and ponder.

The Invisible Bridge (2010) by Julie Orringer

Tiny, Beautiful Things. Advice on Love & Life from Dear Sugar (2012) and Wild by Cheryl Strayed

Navigating the Collapse of Time (2011) by Dave Cowan

The Wolves of Willoughby Chase (1962) by Joan Aiken

The Presence Process (2010) by Michael Brown

The Hunger Games Trilogy (2008-2010) by Suzanne Collins

Learning to Breathe (2011) by Pricilla Warner

I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman (2008)  by Nora Ephron

A Simple Thing (2012) by Kathleen McLeary

When the Killings Done (2011) by T.C. Boyle

Choose To Be Happy: The Craft & Art of Living Beyond Anxiety (2001) by Swami Chetanananda

The Language of Flowers (2011) by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

I usually have 3 books going at once. Some take longer than others to finish. Some just days, others weeks. I like to learn something new every day, something that stirs my imagination or makes me have an “ah ha” moment. Reading is about taking flight in your imagination, observing, discovering and exploring your world, both inside and out.

My morning books are my books for personal and spiritual development. Ones that help me expand my world, my appreciation, my awe, that affirm or rock my belief systems that make me grateful that I am here in the here and now. My evening books are are often fiction, but always for relaxation, entertainment, escape, that take me across the world, across time, that explore human nature. And the mid day reading (books/journals/articles/studies) are for personal and professional development in my field (and sometimes not) because there is always more to learn and better ways to communicate and share what I know.

Some might say it’s a luxury that I read so much. Rather, I think it’s a necessity.

I think of reading as part of my anti-aging regimen and definitely as a component of keeping my mental body healthy.

Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. Henry Ford

What I’m reading this week: The Great Work of Your Life by Stephen Cope, The Beginners Goodbye by Anne Tyler and The Essential Rumi translated by Coleman Barks.

“There is something called the rapture of the deep, and it refers to what happens when a deep-sea diver spends too much time at the bottom of the ocean and can’t tell which way is up. When he surfaces, he’s liable to have a condition called the bends, where the body can’t adapt to the oxygen levels in the atmosphere. All of this happens to me when I surface from a great book.”  Nora Ephron from I Feel Bad about My Neck and Other Thoughts on Being a Woman

 

 

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.

 

 

Breathing In/Breathing Out

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Below is the first meditation technique I learned 10 years ago from a teacher in Arizona who attributed it to Thich Nhat Hanh, the exiled Vietnamese Buddhist monk, whom I had never heard of at the time.

I noticed almost immediately a difference in how my day unfolded, in how I reacted to stressors and in how I slept. I followed the requisite, “it takes 21 days to change a habit” and then continued on for years but the busier I became and the more hectic my mornings became, the easier it became to make excuses for not doing it.

But I did learn the folly of my ways and now a breathing practice, a meditation practice, a mindfulness practice or whatever you want to call it is right up there at the top of my “if you want to get healthy to do list”.

First thing every morning…… or anytime. Just Do It.

Sit in a quiet and comfortable place with your spine erect. Sit with arms and legs uncrossed. Close your eyes.

While inhaling (a deep diaphragmatic breath filling your abdomen) say to yourself, “I am ALIVE”. Even though you’re saying this non verbally, put a lilt/an emphasis on Alive).

While exhaling, say internally “SMILE” and physically SMILE.

Yes, it seems silly/weird/awkward to actually SMILE but don’t worry nobody’s looking. You only need to do this for 10 minutes. If you go longer great but no need to.

Since my initial introduction to “Thay’s” breathing technique, I’ve practiced many of his Breathing In/Breathing Out suggestions such as,

Breathing In I know I AM alive and fully in the here and now

Breathing Out I smile to the life in me and all around me

or the one I need to do more than once a day!

Breathing In I AM determined to practice deep listening

Breathing Out I AM determined to practice loving speech

This last one is a particularly good one to do before making a phone call or going in to a meeting or dealing with a wayward teenager!


 

 

 

 

 

 

Hands Down, Best Hands in Town

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A good massage is easy to find. A great massage, not so, but if you’re ever in Rehoboth DE a visit to Konrad Noebel at Bodymind www.bodymindrehoboth.com is worth every minute, every dollar.

But don’t for a minute think getting a massage is a luxury. In my book, a massage is a necessity.

Hands are amazing.

We were raised hearing “Hands are for helping, not for hurting” but hands are made for so much more than helping.

Hands create, build, mend, lend, support, connect, relieve, relax, restore, renew.

Hands heal. Hands sense Hands know.

Hands give and receive, and not just things; they transmit energy; they transmit love and healing. The power of touch is well documented in premature infants and children failing to thrive.

Did you know that Americans are one of the “lowest contact cultures in the world” according to Dr. Matthew Hertenstein of Depaw University. Whether it’s our puritanical history or our litigious society, we are missing out on the power of touch. Could there be a connection to our high rate of chronic diseases?

Numerous studies have shown touch lowers stress and boosts the immune system, decreases glucose and decreases auto immune symptoms, decreases pain and anxiety and even improves wound healing.  Symptom benefits have been show for asthma, high blood pressure and migraines.

Wherever you find yourself this summer treat yourself to a massage, reflexology, reiki, a pedicure or just a hand, head or foot massage a loved one (that means you too) gives you. Remember, that hugs count too and every touch is magic.

There is no such thing as too much hug. Winnie the Pooh

Are you getting enough ZZZZZ?

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March was National Sleep Awareness Month if you missed the press.

Here’s the bottom line: Figuring out how to always (or almost always) get a good night’s sleep every night should be a priority for you every day not just in March or when a new study is released.

If you think sleep is just a luxury and not a necessity, think again. Lack of sleep leads to premature aging and not just those bags and circles under your eyes.

When you are awake your degenerate. When you sleep you regenerate

If you believe all the advertisements that all you need it a couple pills to solve your sleep issues, think again on that as well. The bottom line is sleep medications (the kind you need a prescription for) numb the brain for 8 hours but they don’t allow you to go in to deep restorative sleep. If you are not dreaming you are not going into deep sleep.

Why is sleep so important? Lack of sleep puts us at higher risk for high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease. It also makes us more susceptible to pain and gut problems. It may be a causative factor in depression not to mention just making all of us more irritable and grumpy.

And lack of sleep is not a friend of your waistline. Lack of sleep is a form a stress. Stress causes an increase in cortisol and an increase in cortisol causes you to crave those fatty/salty/sweet comfort foods.

To learn more about the importance of Sleep and Tips to Improve Your Sleep Habits, click on Articles above.

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.