September 2011

Volume 2, Issue 19

Quote

“When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.”
~ Maya Angelou  

Welcome

Now that Fall is in the air - days are getting shorter - mornings cooler - and the heat is losing some of its fire, I start to notice projects I want to pursue. The wood furniture needs oil, the corners need an organizer. Fall is always a catalyst for me. I enjoy the "back to school" energy of new projects, new goals, new settings. I love to travel in the fall, when the cooling air is bracing but not bitter.

One of my new projects for this Fall is to plant a container garden on the deck at my condo on the river. I've been planning for awhile to put in a potting bench with a sink and a small irrigation system. Then I'll be able to garden to my heart's content at both houses!

What new directions and new projects are you planning this Fall?

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Making Empowered Health Choices

Do you believe that you create your own (health) reality? That what you think, believe and decide can determine the state of your health at any time? Even if you don’t believe this completely (or at all), it’s still a valuable position from which to consider your life. Because it’s the most powerful position to take. And when you operate from a position of power, you make better choices.

Especially when our health is challenged, or we've received a diagnosis that's frightening, it’s easy to think we have to find the “right” authority, whether that is a particular doctor, the author of a bestselling health book or some other practitioner, and turn our health over to them. The problem with this approach is that it is dis-empowering. It places our power outside of ourselves, in the hands of a person who can't possibly know as much as we do about ourselves and our needs. It places our power seemingly beyond our own reach, and we can forget that it was us alone who placed our power so.

Now I'm not suggesting that you have to "go it alone" or worse "pay for your mistakes" somehow. It can be very powerful to ask for help and to allow yourself to receive help. The key is not to give your power away in the process. To stay in charge of your own health and realize that you are always the author of your own experiences.

When you learn to take personal responsibility for your own health, everything changes. It's like how they teach you to pick up a box. You don't want to bend over with arms straight out, knees straight and grab that heavy box. You want to bend your knees and center your weight, picking the box up slowly while keeping it close to your body. When we try the former approach, everything is harder. The box is heavier and we tend to wrench our backs a lot. When we pick up the box correctly it's a breeze. We're centered and we're using our muscles effectively. It's much easier.

The same is true when we take our power back. Suddenly things get easier, safer and more fun. When we take personal responsibility for our own health, we start to work with bigger and better resources. We can tap into the awesome biocomputer we were gifted with at birth - our own amazing body. We can also learn to tap into the part of ourselves that goes beyond our conscious minds, and knows everything we need to know to heal.

One way we can learn to tap into this knowing is by listening to our own bodies - that's right - our super-bio-computers. We look for an approach that may help (based on a health care practitioner's advice or our own research), then we try it and listen to our bodies. We might be trying dietary changes or new supplements or herbs, or a different type of treatment such as acupuncture or chiropratic. Then we ask ourselves: How did it make us feel? If we feel better we continue that something. If not, we try something else.

In this self-empowerment approach, the mindset is not one of virtue, but pragmatism. Approaches that demonstrate positive results are continued, while those that don’t are weeded out and replaced. In other words it's not about "being good" or "eating right". It's about figuring out what works best for the unique individual that you are.

So what does empowerment mean to you when it comes to your health? When you think of empowerment do any particular people come to mind? Perhaps a teacher or healer you've known, or a particularly empowered friend.

I'd love to hear about your experiences with making empowered health choices.

Last month we explored some green superfoods to try adding to your diet. This month let’s continue with the green superfoods – although the weather is cooling off somewhat, it’s still a good season to utilize the cleansing, cooling effects of green superfoods. We’re in what Chinese medicine considers the Late Summer season – a time of transitioning from summer to the cooler fall and winter months. It’s a good time for light cleansing which can reduce the amount of mucus your body will produce in the cooler months and fortify your immune system for the coming season.

• Wheat Grass - Wheat grass is the sprouted grass of a wheat seed. Unlike the whole grain, because it has been sprouted, it no longer contains gluten or other common allergic agents. Wheat grass is super alkalizing and is excellent for promoting healthy blood. It normalizes the thyroid gland to stimulate metabolism thus assisting digestion and promoting weight loss due also to its high enzyme content and cleansing effect.
  

• Green Leafy Vegetables -   Green leafy vegetables are so readily available and so highly nutritious, however most people do not eat enough of them. Studies continuously confirm that populations that eat a diet high in green leafy vegetables run a far lower risk of heart disease and cancer. Fresh raw green leafy vegetables contain high doses of chlorophyll, easily digestible proteins, enzymes and a wide range of vitamins and minerals. These particular vegetables act as mini-transfusions for the blood, a health tonic for the brain and immune system and a cleanser of the kidneys. Try any of the following: rocket, spinach, dandelion greens, kale, watercress, parsley, lettuce, endive, chicory, broccoli sprouts and mustard sprouts.

• Green smoothies (basic recipe):  A few chunks of apple or pear; A dash of juice or coconut water, if desired; A tablespoon of almond or other nut butter (optional); One to three leaves of kale; Half cup or so of ice. Blend all until icy and smooth. (Adapted from my friend Diane’s recipe!)

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Free CD: Success Secrets

If you would like to have a copy of the "Success Secrets They Don't Want You to Know About," Please reply to this email with your name, phone number and address.

This CD introduces a very powerful CD set called "Your Wish is Your Command." If you are interested in the CD set after listening to the introductory set, I will either loan it to you or sell it to you at a reduced price. (Your choice.)

Request this CD first and then you will know if you want the full set. If it is of no interest to you, that's 100% OK with me.

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About Us

Laura Brown is a Certified Health Coach (CHC) and the founder of Intuitive Wellness. Combining the principles of Integrative Nutrition and years of hands-on experience, Laura Brown helps clients tap into the healing power of food in their lives -- one meal at a time.

Call or email to schedule a free health consultation with Laura:
770-953-0534, or laura@intuitive-wellness.com.
See www.intuitive-wellness.com for more information.