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Wishing you Peace from The Wellness Nurse
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Leading You to Total Health of BodyMindSpirit
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December 2008
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CCould One Converstion Change Your Life?
As a graduate of both the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in Manhattan and the Birchtree Center for Healthcare Transformation I am trained and prepared to partner with you as your personal Holistic Nurse and Integrative Health Counselor. Would you like to create a happier, healthier life in a way that is flexible, fun and free of denial and discipline? To learn more about my health counseling business, d click here |
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Quick Links
The products listed here are wellness products that I researched, endose, and use myself. All are derived from non-synthetic whole food sources. They all fit in nicely with an optimal program for health.
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What do YOU want for Christmas?
I asked my dear friend that question last evening. We were at dinner celebrating her new job. After four long painful months of unemployment following a disabling accident that rendered her physically unable to work, she replied almost instantly. "Peace of mind, and my health." Those four month were a trial for her. She could have easily slipped into a depression because of the impact of not being able to work. Instead she looked for lessons along the way. She made sure that she did everything she could do to ensure healing, and she kept the faith. She kept gratitude alive and well. She envisioned her full and complete healing as well as being led to a job that was just the right fit. And the Universe delivered.
Peace of mind, and health. I can't think of better things to ask for. We all know that without good health, all of the money in the world means nothing. And if our minds are restless and worried, we can never really be enjoying the moment, and peace of mind will always elude us. So how do we go about making sure that we are lined up for these two very important gifts to ourselves?
When we seek peace outside of ourselves, we will always be disappointed. Most people wait for certain conditions to be met in order to feel peaceful. Peace is always in the future. "I'll be happy when I reach my goal weight, I'll have peace of mind when I land the right job, or when I find the right relationship, or when my kids graduate from college, or when the stock market returns to normal" and on it goes. Looking to the future for happiness robs us from appreciating the beauty of the moment. And there is always beauty in the moment. We just have to have to tune our minds into the present, and then use our eyes and the rest of our senses to appreciate that in the moment, there is always peace. Regretting our past and worrying about the future, although common thought patterns, do nothing to add to our growth as spiritual beings in human bodies.
And speaking of our human bodies, health should never be taken for granted. Current scientific research concludes that despite your family history, certain illnesses can't be turned on if preventative measures like clean diet, exercise, stress reduction and proper supplementation are incorporated into your life. In fact, the fatal five chronic illnesses, (cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes and pulmonary disease) are now considered preventable. Again, your father may have died of a stroke, but that does not mean you will too. Prevention is a word that we don't hear as often as we should. TV is flooded by ads that are there to offer quick pharmaceutical solutions, and contribute to creating a mindset of complacency regarding our precious health. I was inspired to read a report issued by Johns Hopkins that finally addresses the importance of prevention. You can read it here.
So as we start to wind down 2008 and enter this beautiful holiday season, rich with tradition and spirit, I wish you life's greatest blessings, good health and peace of mind.
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 Fat: Essential to the Human Body
Fat is without a doubt the most maligned nutrient of the century. Most people today believe that low fat diets help people lose weight because fat causes weight gain, and that high-fat and high-cholesterol foods increase blood cholesterol. Both of these are not true. If fat makes one fat, why did the incidence of obesity increase dramatically during the low-fat craze in the 1980's? During this craze (I know, because I followed it myself) we saw the emergence of low fat cookies, bread, snacks and yogurt so people could load up on carbs without the guilt of fat. The waistlines of Americans expanded along with the USDA's food pyramid which recommended a whopping eleven servings of grains, cereals and breads per day. Despite major studies that were conducted to prove the correlation between eating fat and getting heart disease, none of them showed a link. Dr. Walter Willet of the Harvard School of Public Health Department of Nutrition, collected data and found that the low-fat diet is unhealthy and has actually contributed to the obesity epidemic! Low fat foods can actually cause weight gain because after the fat is removed, sugar is added to make up for the loss of flavor, and we know how sugar is a culprit in the rise of both obesity and diabetes.
Good high quality fat is actually beneficial to your health. Fat takes longer to digest thus leaving you feeling satiated for longer. Fat makes food taste better. Vitamins D, E, A and K require dietary fat to help absorption. Fats are a long lasting source of energy and helped the species to survive long periods of famine or fasting. Fat is necessary to produce many hormones, including estrogen, cortisol, and testosterone to name a few. Every cell of your body is surrounded by a phospholipid bilayer which is mostly made of fat, which helps to transmit biochemical signals that keep us alive. Fat insulates you and helps you tolerate the cold. Good fats include olive oil, coconut oil, fish oil, Omega 3's, cod liver oil and flaxseed oil. Fats have 9 calories per gram versus 4 calories in carbs and proteins, so if you are weight challenged, be aware of how much fat you are taking in, but do not fear fat in and of itself.
Not all fats are good however. Some fats are actually dangerous. Before the 1920's heart attacks were virtually nonexistent, but by the 1950's, 30% of deaths were caused by heart disease. Why? Prior to 1910 natural meat, eggs cheese and butter were staples of the American diet. In 1910, hydrogenated vegetable oils were introduced to replace lard. The process of hydrogenation occurs by piping hydrogen and catalyst agents like nickel, aluminum and platinum into the oil at extremely high temperatures, causing the oil to solidify and turn into a trans fat. The hydrogenated oils become more stable, hence the reason they are used by commercial food producers to increase shelf life of foods like bread, crackers, rolls, muffins, biscuits, cookies, cakes, pies and donuts. They may cause food to last longer, however, trans fats are stripped of nutrients that were originally in the oil. The molecular structure of a trans fat more closely resembles plastic! They make the blood more viscous, and contribute to clogging up your blood vessels. These are the fats that you must avoid at all costs. Trans fats can damage your heart, make your body less sensitive to insulin, increase inflammation, cause Alzheimer's and cancer.
Food manufacturers are now required by law to list on the Nutrition Facts of the product how much if any trans fats are in the food. You will see food packages that proudly display "No Trans Fat" on the front of the package. Here is something you must know. The government has allowed the food industry to add up to 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving to food, and still claim it has no trans fat! That is 0.5 grams in every serving of the food, so if a package of cookies says zero trans fat, and there are 20 cookies in the package, there could be 10 grams of trans fat in the package. I don't know about you, but I really don't like being deceived by the food industry. Learn to read the ingredients that are in the food you eat. I pay more attention to the ingredients section than I do to Nutrition Facts. You will need good magnifying glasses in doing this because the companies tend to print this section using really small font, probably to hide all of the chemical additives. To be a good trans fat detective, look for these key words: hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated. Period. If you see these words, there are trans fats in the product.
A great read is Eat Fat Lose Fat by Mary Enig and Sally Fallon who dispel the many myths about fat. So relax a bit about fat, watch out for sugar and go enjoy a pat of real butter!
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 Why is Everyone so Tired?
Ask anyone what they would want to improve the most regarding their health, and most people would reply more energy. My observation is that there are a lot of really tired people out there trying desperately to make it through the day. It's not uncommon to hear people complain that they fall asleep exhausted and wake up tired. Lack of energy often manifests as the need to jump start the day with caffeine. Ever see the long line at a drive through Dunkin Donuts at 8:00 AM? I fear that the slogan "America Runs on Dunkin" is true. High School kids arrive gulping caffeinated beverages in the form of soda or the new and popular (and dangerous) energy drinks. Although caffeine will certainly cause a temporary boost in feeling energized, this is just an adrenaline delivery system that jolts the body's central nervous system, and will cause a crash and a craving for another pick-me-up later on in the day like more caffeine or a sugar burst. In the short term, this jolting action wakes us up and gets us going. In the long term, the constant and unnatural stimulation of our nerves and adrenal glands creates stress levels that damage the resilience of the immune system, which protects against disease.
To improve your energy level, begin to integrate changes that will create real and lasting energy, the kind of energy where you wake up feeling rested and refreshed, not needing artificial stimulation to get going. Achieve this by taking small steps in the right direction, recognizing old habits die hard. Here are some suggestions to improved health, energy and well being:
Drink more water - Most people are walking around in a state of dehydration. Thirst is one of the last signs of being dehydrated. Caffeine and sodas are both dehydrating beverages. To calculate how much water you need, take your weight in pounds, and divide it in half. That is how many ounces you need in a day at minimum. Drink the cleanest water you can get, and if it is alkaline, so much the better.
Work to improve your sleep - Most people are sleep deprived. Find out how many hours you need to wake up feeling rested, and then find ways to get there. Avoid eating large heavy meals before bedtime, and avoid stimulation like exercise or watching disturbing television shows before sleep. Give yourself permission to put worries and concerns on a "back burner" for the night. The things you worry about will not be solved anyway, so give yourself a break in order to wake up feeling clear minded. A much better way of dealing with your problems!
Eat less sugar and chemicalized artificial junk foods. Sugar is a quick energy booster. However, there is a price you will pay. An initial spike in blood glucose signals insulin to transfer the circulating glucose into the cells for that energetic lift. However after several hours, the glucose drops again, causing hypoglycemia which often manifests as tiredness and irritability and a desire to eat more carbs. Start crowding out the refined and processed foods with food that actually looks like food. An apple instead of a cookie, carrot sticks instead of a candy bar. Real food gives nourishment to the body and creates good lasting energy.
Supplement wisely . Everyone needs a complete multivitamin/multimineral supplement. Especially if your intake contains processed and refined food, and even if you eat a fairly balanced diet. Unfortunately the soil has gotten depleted over time, so fruits and vegetables of today are not as nutrient dense as they were years ago. Avoid synthetic vitamins. Your cells can't be tricked and won't absorb something they don't recognize. My favorite multi is Sealoe, which is a great once-a-day liquid whole food source supplement. The link to this product is on the left side of this newsletter.
Find physical activity you enjoy and do it regularly. Walking, swimming, dancing. Any form of movement done on a regular basis will contribute to you will feeling better, sleeping better and waking up with real energy.
Find ways to decrease your reaction to stress in your life. Although you can't change certain situations, you can work on how you react to them. EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) can help you reframe those situations that cause you stress. Meditation, yoga, prayer are all ways to develop a spiritual practice that will certainly help you de-stress and re-energize.
Remember Rome wasn't built in a day. A gradual introduction of basic changes allows you to create a larger shift without as much effort or strife.
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 The Amazing Power of our Beliefs
Mahatma Ghandi said, "Beliefs become thoughts, thoughts become words, words become actions, actions become habits, habits become values, and values become destiny".
Our beliefs are very powerful, because they are the building blocks of our personalities. Beliefs can define us as worthy or unworthy, trusting or suspicious, self-reliant or dependent, powerful or powerless. Our beliefs affect every area of our life, including our relationships, self-esteem, prosperity, mental, physical and spiritual health.
Conclusions about life are drawn from past experiences and what we learned from our parents, teachers and the world. They are stored as beliefs values or attitudes in the subconscious mind, and run just like software in hard drives of computers. Beliefs such as "I am worthy, the world is a safe place, life is easy, I am competent" are beliefs that will surely move us toward our goals. Conversely, beliefs such as "I am not really important, what I have to say doesn't matter, I have no control of how things will turn out" will influence behavior as well, and will generate a life filled with hesitation, fear of criticism and failure. As Henry Ford said, "If you believe you can, or if you believe you can't, you're right!"
Our beliefs create a filtering system through which we see the world, and how we fit into the world. The way we see the world will influence all of our choices and behaviors. How we perceive the world is like watching a giant movie screen. We see is not the world as it is, but as we are.
Many hold the belief that we are victims of our genes. So if our parents had depression or heart disease, we will eventually develop the same. Are we then doomed by our belief system? Not so, says Dr. Bruce Lipton the author of The Biology of Belief. Dr. Lipton goes on to say "The good news is that we are not victims of our genes. Advances in physics and cell biology have recently toppled the philosophical underpinnings of conventional biomedicine. A radically new understanding emerging at the cutting edge of cell science recognizes that the environment, and more specifically, our perception of the environment, directly controls our behavior and the activity of our genes. Since our 'perceptions' may be accurate or inaccurate, we may more appropriately refer to them as beliefs."
The good news is that beliefs are just beliefs, and can be changed. Beliefs that limit our growth and potential can be uninstalled. New and improved beliefs that allow us to move in the direction of where we really want to be can be installed. In the emerging world of Energy Psychology, there are many modalities that serve to do just that. Emotional Freedom Techniques is one example. Psych-K is another. Byron Katie, author of Loving What Is, teaches a unique approach to dealing with stressful thoughts called "The Work". Using four simple questions, she offers others a way to shift perception of the stressful thoughts that can cause emotional pain. If you have never heard of her, I suggest you visit her website where she demonstrates "The Work".
Of course, if nothing else works, here is a six minute video that will demonstrate a once and for all way to change your negative beliefs and behaviors.
Click here to enjoy!
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 Roasted Root Vegetables
The cold weather invites us to get grounded and warm up. Roasting root vegetables is an easy way to do both. This recipe is easy, versatile and delicious as well as very nutritious. Use this recipe, or be creative and use your own combination of in season vegetables.
Wash, peel and cut up yams, carrots, parsnips, turnips, beets, celery and onions. Arrange in a roasting pan. Add 4-5 cloves of garlic. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Add some fresh minced parsley. Roast in the oven at 400 until all vegetables are fork tender.
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Upcoming Events
Fibro Aid - an ongoing support group for people in chronic pain
This is an ongoing group that is co-led by myself and Dr. William Savanin, a psychiatrist at Metrowest Medical Center. This group is supportive and educational, and integrates complementary and alternative therapies along with traditional psychotherapy. Most insurances are accepted. If you are interested, please contact me at 508-650-7381. The group meets every Wednesday from 5 PM to 6 PM in the Medical Office Building at 67 Union Street, Natick, MA.
Use EFT to Stop Sabotaging Your New Year's Resolutions
Ever wonder why change is so difficult? Best intentions to start something new often are derailed by ourselves as we sabotage our own efforts. Come and hear a presentation about EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) and learn to "tap" away your blocks to success.
Tatnuck Bookseller
Tuesday, January 13th
6:30 PM to 8 PM
Lyman Street and Route 9
Westborough, MA
Kangan Water Demonstration
Nancy Conkling will be hosting two live demonstrations of the Kangen water system. Kangen water is used in over 100 hospitals in Japan because of its medicinal uses. Come and see for yourself why Enagic's water technology will be the wave of the future.
December 2nd and December 16th.
7:00 - 8:30
22 Payton Road
Belmont, MA
617.489.1760
And if you are unable to attend, you can watch a demo by clicking here.
"It's Not What You're Eating......It's What's Eating You"
If you stuff your feelings with food, or use food for emotional comfort, you may want to consider joining a holistic counseling group that begins in January. This group will meet 10 times over a three month period, and will be both supportive and educational, and will incorporate the use of EFT to help you address the underlying emotional drivers of compulsive eating. If you are interested in joining this dynamic and healing group, please contact me so I can set up a confidential health history with you. This group will be limited to 8 women. The cost will be $300.00 for three months, and includes nutritional and lifestyle counseling as well as instruction in learning to use EFT.
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UNTIL NEXT TIME...
It's time once again to reflect on the past year. For me, 2008 was a year I will never forget. In May, I suddenly lost my best friend and greatest fan, my dear mother, and my heart still mourns. In June I graduated from The Institute for Integrative Nutrition, and in November, I graduated from The Birchtree Center for Healthcare Transformation, and my heart swelled with pride as my vision of becoming a holistic health practitioner had emerged. Like everyone else, my life has had both wonderful, as well as the perceived not so wonderful moments this year, but if seen from the higher perspective that everything is part of a greater plan, we can come to a place of acceptance and appreciation of it all.
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Contact Information
Tina Marian
Northboro MA
508.523.7132
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