"Peace, it does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work.  It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart." - Unknown

Wishing you peace for the new year,

Rebecca

What's in your food?

Organic. 

I know its more expensive.  When faced with two apples - organic or conventional - and your checking account is wringing its hands, forking over 5o cents more per pound for an apple that looks the same shade of red, is sometimes hard to do.

We know the pro-organic arguments: greater nutritional value, environmental conservation, etc. 

But the truth of the matter is, your checking account doesn't care about those things. 

So if you are concerned about the amount of toxins in your produce, but you want to maintain financial health as well, here is the Dirty Dozen list put out by the Environmental Working Group.  The foods on this list tend do contain the highest amount of toxins.  If you're going to buy organic, make it these:

1. Celery
2. Peaches
3. Strawberries
4. Apples
5. Blueberries
6. Nectarines
7. Bell peppers
8. Spinach
9. Cherries
10. Kale & Collard Greens
11. Potatoes
12. Grapes (buy USA grown)


We are what we eat!


Eat well,

Rebecca

Good breathing does more than we think

The importance of breathing is a no-brainer.  In fact, adults take on average 15 breaths per minute.  There are 1440 minutes per day which means we breath somewhere around 21,992 times each day.

That's a lot of breath.

According to Ann Boroch, CNC, naturopath and author of both Healing Multiple Sclerosis and The Candida Cure:

"75% of the toxins you eliminate will leave your body through your respiration."

Boroch recommends that to support the body's natural function to detox through breathing, two minutes, four times daily of some good deep breathing is a good practice. 

Put this recommendation into the context of a busy day, take a good deep breath whenever the phone rings or you sit down to eat. 

Be well,

Rebecca

Smiling makes you happier!

Can smiling actually make us feel happier?


Andrew Weil, physician, author, educator, says this about smiling:

The "facial feedback" hypothesis holds that physically expressing an emotion sends a biochemical signal from the facial muscles that "loops" back to the brain. It's similar to the way that sound coming from a speaker can be picked up by a microphone and sent back through the speaker as amplified feedback. This has huge significance for those who aim to improve their emotional well-being, because it suggests that we can consciously control our emotional lives much more than we might have suspected.

And its true!

As an undergrad psych major, my research partner and I created a study for a class that looked at the effects of holding a pencil in your hand versus in your mouth (which mimics smiling) while viewing the same comic strip.  The people who held the mouth in their pencils rated the comic as more amusing.

Try it out.  When you are feeling serious - smile.  Feeling grumpy?  Make silly faces in the mirror.

Now is this a solution for pervasive depression?  Probably not alone.  Will it cure illness or make pain go away completely?  Not likely.  However, it can help to balance us out just a little bit more.  Laughter and smiling is one resource we always have with us that can help us become more resilient.

Or watch a funny movie, read a humorous book, have fun - when we remember to enjoy life, we actually enjoy it more!

Rebecca

How stressed are you?

Let me preface this post by saying that "stress" can take on a variety of meanings.  How we experience stress largely has to do with the nature of the stressor and our own personalities. 

In 1967, psychiatrists Holmes & Rahe set out to study the relationship between stress and illness.  They surveyed 5,000 people and asked if they had experienced any of a list life events in the previous two years.  Through the study, they were able to rank stressful life events from most stressful to the least.  Here is what they came up with from most stressful to least:

1. Death of Spouse
2. Divorce
3. Marital Separation
4. Jail term
5. Death of close family member
6. Personal injury, illness (I add chronic pain to this one)
7. Marriage
8. Fired at work
9. Marital reconciliation
10. Retirement
11. Change in health of family member
12. Pregnancy
13. Sex difficulties
14. Gain of new family member
15. Business readjustment
16. Change in financial state
17. Death of close friend
18. Change to a different line of work
19. Change in number of arguments with spouse
20. A large mortgage or loan
21. Foreclosure of mortgage
22. Change in responsibilities at work
23. Son or daughter leaving home
24. Trouble with in-laws
25. Outstanding personal achievement
26. Spouse begins or stops work
27. Begin or end school/college
28. Change in living conditions
29. Revision of personal habits
30. Trouble with boss
31. Change in work hours
32. Change in residence
33. Change in school/college
34. Change in recreation
35. Change in church activities
36. A moderate loan or mortgage
37. Change in sleeping habits
38. Change in number of family get-togethers
39. Change in eating habits
40. Vacation
41. Christmas
42. Minor violation of law

If you take a quick scan of this list, you may be surprised that positive events such as getting married, conceiving or retirement are near the top of the list.  Why?  Because even joyous occasions such as getting married, an outstanding personal achievement, or promotion create change in our daily routines. When our daily routine are altered by even something wonderful, we may become busier with all of the exciting things that are happening, we may be spending more money, we may be busier with preparations. The theme here is change. 
The other note about this list, is that people are multi-faceted.  When we take a look at ourselves from a holistic point of view, it makes sense that one event would effect the overall balance in our lives.  For example, chronic pain as a "stressful event" could effect sleeping habits, change in recreation, etc.  Change in responsibilities at work could create difficulties in change in recreation, change in work hours, etc.

How can this list be helpful?

Sometimes when overwhelmed, it can help to break it down, to see the trickling effect of how one main event can impact our lives.  The fact that positive changes are listed also lend some validation to otherwise confusing emotions such as "I've just gotten a promotion, so why am I so stressed?" or "My kids are finally out of the house, so why am I miserable?"

Use the list to help get perspective on stress.  This act of kindness may go a long way to de-stressing.

Be well,

Rebecca

  

8 Benefits of Sleep

An average adult typically needs 8 hours a night.  While school-age children typically run well off 9 hours. Experts like those at NYU's Sleep Disorder Center and Mayo Clinic says that a good night's sleep can have multiple benefits.  Here are the 8 most frequently cited:




1) Improved Memory

2) Curb Inflammation / Decrease Pain

3) Spur Creativity

4) Healthy Weight Management

5) Decrease Stress

6) Improve attention

7) Decrease irritability

8) Strengthen Immune System


If you are struggling with sleep, Mayo Clinic offers these tips:

• Stick to a regular sleep schedule
• Create a bedtime routine that cues your body that it is time to rest
• Limit naps to 10-30 minutes so they do not interfere with nighttime sleep
• Avoid alcohol, nicotine and caffeine close to bedtime
• Increase physical activity during the day
• If you don't feel sleepy after 15 minutes in bed, get up, do something and try again

For people who are experiencing pain, illness, or high levels of stress, sometimes settling in and falling asleep becomes more complicated.  If this is the case, you may consider consulting with your physician, therapist or other professional for resources available to you.  There are many options in terms of helping you get the sleep you need.

Sleep is essential to how our health - both mentally and physically.   If it is a problem for you, make it a priority.  Check in with your habits around sleep and consult with a professional if you need more assistance.  Your well-being is worth it.

Sweet dreams,

Rebecca

Riding the waves of life

“You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.”  ― Jon Kabat-Zinn

Job loss.  Chronic pain.  Death of spouse.  Illness.  Cancer.  Fibromyalgia.  Traffic jam when you are trying to get home.

So much of life is out of our control.  Life is going to go about its business whether we like it or not.  We have choices around how we want to live it.  This does not mean what is troubling us isn't important.  It is important.  This does not mean it cannot impact us.  Life often does impact us.

Sometimes it is a matter of how we want to view our circumstances.  Sometimes it is not so simple as changing our viewpoint and we need to go to a trusted friend, therapist, pastor, spouse.  Sometimes it takes a while before the sting of our situation goes away.  Sometimes quite a while.

Give yourself a moment to image what life will be like when you are past whatever is difficult.  Imagine it in the fullest detail.  Nothing lasts forever, not this bad day, not this difficult moment.

Be well,

Rebecca

“To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don’t need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself.”

― Thich Nhat Hanh

Drink It Up

Why is water so important?

According to Mayo Clinic, "water is your body's principal chemical component and makes up about 60 percent of your body weight. Every system in your body depends on water."

Water flushes our body of toxins.  Water helps to regulate our body temperature.  It dissolves nutrients for our body to use.  It is crucial in the very first stop in our digestion: the mouth.  It carries oxygen to our cells, lubricates our joints, helps decrease pain, supports our immune systems, and on.

Not enough water and we can become tired.  Dehydration can cause us to get headaches, lightheaded, low blood pressure, more susceptible to illness.

How much water should I drink?

The answer is pretty straightforward.  Take your body weight divide it in half and translate that into ounces.  If someone weighs 200 pounds.  Then half that and he or she should be drinking 100 ounces a day.  This can include non-caffeinated herbal teas as well.

Add more water to your daily amount following exercise or yard work or high outdoor temperatures.


A good rule of thumb:

• Drink your daily amount of water before enjoying any other beverages.  This is a way to be sure you are getting all you need.

• Carry a water bottle with you everywhere.

• And as a dear friend practices, stop at the drinking fountain at work or hit your water bottle after every time you use the bathroom.

Use tomorrow as an experiment.  Keep track of how much water you are drinking in a day.  If you are not reaching your recommended amount, give it a try for a week and see how you feel.


Be well,

Rebecca