Moderation

"In societies where excesses are the norm, we need to apply wise judgment and moderation. Moderation means restraint within reasonable limits and refraining from excess. We can exercise moderation when deciding how much and how often we need to eat and by resisting media messages that encourage unwise eating habits that can bring unwanted health risks.

"Another way to show moderation is to avoid trying to fill emotional emptiness with food... A better approach is to fill our emotional hunger through service to others.

"Moderation doesn't mean never enjoying dessert; nor does it mean we must eliminate even occasional treats. It simply means we should use good judgment."

-Beverly Hyatt Neville
Dietitian and Health Educator
(link to article)

God is Bigger Than...

We have dug into the new year now for a whole month! Many of us made New Year's resolutions...and many of us have lost the vision of them already.

I am one who balks at the prospect of making a resolution just because it's January, because I feel it's important to be regularly making new goals to improve throughout the year. And with each new thing I learn about, study, and eventually write about on this blog comes a sense of responsibility to make the associated changes myself.

If you find yourself needing additional ideas on how to make some of the health changes you've been wanting to--whether they're physical, financial, or emotional/mental--or just need a jump start to get back on track, feel free to peruse my previous articles on this topic. Not that I am an expert, by any means, or have everything perfect myself, because I don't! We're all on this journey together.

One blog I have particularly appreciated lately is Heavenly Homemakers. Last month Laura wrote a post for every day of the month, under the theme "31 Days of Real Food Reality." I love her down-to-earth attitude, her openness about what works in a real family and what doesn't, and her focus on faith throughout this whole health journey. Prayer, she points out, is what makes it all work out, because God will help us if we ask Him.

One of Laura's posts particularly hit home with me, entitled "God is Bigger than a Free Range Chicken." Definitely humorous, but such a good and needed reminder. Sometimes I forget to think about these issues on such a simple (and profound) level. Sometimes I feel guilty about feeding my family things that aren't as healthful as I know they should be, even though quite often the problem is money-related (or the lack thereof). But Laura is so right: "Not able to make a meatloaf with grass fed beef? Raw milk too far outside your budget? Stop feeling guilty. Stop worrying. God knows your desires and your ideals for your family. He will bless your efforts to feed your family nutritious food."

And I love her reassuring words of wisdom: "God is big, bigger, biggest. Take all the complicated details out of the process of switching your kitchen to a real food kitchen, and just focus on going back to the basics – whatever that may look like for you right now."

Nutrition and Intuition

Last week I was honored to be a guest author at A Peace of Soul, an inspirational blog written by my friend, Leslie. She is an RN, a Simply Healed practitioner, and an NAET provider who also uses the Emotion Code. (I first mentioned her here.) Her incredible gift for healing has blessed the lives of my immediate and extended families, and there is a very peaceful spirit about her. I love reading her messages because they uplift me and make me think about things in a different way. You can find my post about the connection between good nutrition and good intuition here.

Improving Your Emotional Health in 2013

So many of us--particularly women--do a lot of negative self-talk on a daily basis. Most of us probably aren't tuned in with this or realize how often we cut ourselves down, but we do it a lot. What if there were a way you could undo this and learn to be kinder to yourself and spread that positivity to others?

In modern Western society as a whole, we not only neglect our physical health, but also our emotional health, which gets even less attention--and I'm not talking antidepressants. Yet, how can we be truly whole or feel completely healthy if we are not emotionally sound?

For the last couple years I have heard of  "Tapping" from a few different people but didn't really know what it was. So I recently looked into it and realized I've already done it while being treated with NAET and the Emotion Code. But I didn't know I could do it on my own and that I don't have to go to an alternative medicine practitioner to experience the benefits--much like the Emotion Code. So I decided to try it to improve how I feel about myself in a specific area (and who can't use a little of that?). So far, so good!

"Tapping," or the Emotional Freedom Technique reminds me of the Emotion Code in its use of positive thoughts and energy, its focus on letting go of negative emotions, the way it works in concert with prayer (if you are religious), and how it teaches you to accept and love yourself while you do all of the above. One thing that makes Tapping different from the Emotion Code is how it uses the psychological acupressure points "based on the same energy meridians used in traditional acupuncture to treat physical and emotional ailments for over five thousand years, but without the invasiveness of needles" (Source). This helps you retrain your emotions to think and feel positively about yourself, instead of reverting to all that negative self-talk. Doing this improves your emotional health but can also:

• Reduce Food Cravings
• Reduce or Eliminate Pain
• Implement Positive Goals (like weight loss or diet/lifestyle improvements)

There are other websites that detail the Emotional Freedom Technique, but the Mercola website (linked above) is the one I have been learning from the most. If you are tired of thinking and feeling negatively about yourself, I invite you to learn about this technique and try it for yourself!

I also recommend reading this article, Drops of Awesome, by a regular mom who came to what I think was an epiphany about how to recognize the daily good she does, one little drop at a time. This way of making our self-talk positive is something I've been trying to work on ever since I read the article. 

I hope you will join me as we work together to improve our emotional health this year!

Dealing with SAD

I write this post in the hope that it will help others with SAD (seasonal affective disorder). 

HappyLight 2500 Energy Lamp Twin Pack - Light Fixtures (Google Affiliate Ad)Though I have never been officially diagnosed with this condition, I think I have actually suffered from it for many years. I always dread the fall, even though I know it brings needed rest (from gardening and other outside activities) and a good change of pace. But even knowing that the holidays (which I love) are fast approaching doesn't necessarily help my spirits. I always feel that the impending winter--which I dread, because to me it means severe cold and bleakness for months on end--brings with it a feeling of hopelessness. Not until recently did I realize that not everyone feels this way and that maybe my symptoms were more than simply a rough transition back into life indoors.

The information I've been reading shows numbers anywhere from 5-25% of the general population experiencing SAD at varying levels of severity (see one article here). Some articles talk about "winter blues" vs. SAD, and while I understand that some people have "winter depression" worse than others, I kind of resent the distinction (just as I dislike the term "baby blues", meaning less bad than "postpartum depression"). Regardless of whether you're going through "the blues" or depression, your sense of well being has been sabotaged and just getting through each day is difficult.

And difficult might be an understatement. This year, SAD muddled my thoughts so much that for many weeks I didn't even recognize how difficult things were for me, or what was going on. I felt like I was wading through mud each day, all day, as I tried to go about my daily activities. I didn't know what was wrong with me! When I finally gained enough clarity of thought to recognize this wasn't normal and started researching online, I came across a list of symptoms that I identified with all too well. (One list, provided by the Mayo Clinic, can be found here.)

If these symptoms are familiar to you, too, what can you do?

While I recognize that some people really do need medication to stabilize their systems and get their lives back again, I also feel that antidepressants are way over-prescribed and that there are many things we can do in this situation to help ourselves regain our mental and emotional health. So here are some things I have found that have helped me, and I hope they will help someone else as well:

• Prayer- If you have religious convictions (or even want to have them), put your faith into action by imagining yourself happy and functioning well, and praying to God to help you gain those blessings. Other spiritual activities, like attending church services and reading the Scriptures, can also give you peace.
• Light- While light therapy is an option that helps many people, for some of us, simply leaving more lights on wherever we are--particularly when it's gloomy or dark outside--can make a positive difference. And for days when it's not too cold, actually spending time outside where the sun's rays (and all that vitamin D) can reach you, can also be helpful.
• Music- Whenever you can, go out of your way to turn on music that lifts your mood and helps you feel happy or peaceful. Music is a very powerful tool. (By the same token, be sure to avoid music that has the opposite effect on you.)
• Essential oils- If you use essential oils, like I do, make it a point to use mood-elevating oils topically or aromatically as often as you can. Just to name two options: The citrus oils (lemon, orange, etc) are great for lifting one's mood, and lavender helps calm anxiety. It's amazing how much such a small, subtle thing like this can help. 
• Emotion Code- Something as simple as releasing your trapped emotions can improve the symptoms of SAD. (If you haven't read my post on the Emotion Code, you can find it here.)
• Exercise- Of course, we all know that exercise releases endorphins, which give us a sense of happiness and well being. But when you're feeling low and unmotivated it can be very difficult to force yourself to exercise. This is when it becomes especially important to find (or maintain) an activity you enjoy so that it becomes something you want to do. And if that still fails to motivate you, see the next bulleted item.
• A List or Schedule- I'm one of those people who gains a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment by crossing things off a list or setting a schedule for myself that I am able to follow (and thus cross items off). I realize that not everyone operates this way, but for those who do, I found that if, in my more lucid moments, I could sit down and write a list or a desired schedule for the following day or week, it helped immensely. Then, instead of feeding my lack of energy with despondency over not being able to clearly prioritize what I needed to do, I could regain some clarity and sense of direction by checking my list or my schedule and following it. This is helping me wade out of the "mud."
• Cod Liver Oil- I haven't actually tried this idea yet, but I know it could be very helpful, especially since cod liver oil is chock full of vitamins A and D. Vitamin D is the "sunshine vitamin" we all need and can't make on our own, and vitamin A is needed to assimilate it. So especially for those living in places where the sun rarely makes an appearance during the winter, cod liver oil could be particularly beneficial. By the way, not all CLOs are created equal, so do your research before purchasing. And FYI: you can actually get a flavored variety so it's more palatable. (You can read lots more about cod liver oil at the Weston A. Price Foundation.)
• Talk- We all have different levels of the need to communicate, but I think everyone can benefit from talking to at least one person about what they are going through. Often, expressing yourself in this way can help you sort out your own thoughts and feelings, not to mention receiving encouragement and empathy from the other person. Just knowing someone cares helps a lot.

If you find any of the above actions helpful in your struggle against SAD, or have found other things that help you, I would love to hear about them.

The Emotion Code

I am reading this book right now and my moderate skepticism and non-understanding is turning into enlightenment and excitement. Welcome to a whole new world of health and healing!

My mother found out about this method a few months ago from the NAET specialist she is being treated by (who has almost completely cured her chronic headaches!). It struck a cord with her and after reading the book and learning how to detect and release trapped emotions, she began treating herself and family members. It sounded a little weird to me at first, but I was open to the idea, since I had read the NAET book and was acquainted with the ideas and truths behind non-Western ("alternative") healing*. And I was further intrigued when I learned how it had helped my parents and young siblings in surprising ways. As Mom told me more about it, I realized it was definitely worth trying on my oldest daughter, in particular, and on myself. So I was quite excited when I got a hold of a copy of the book over Thanksgiving.

I love how Dr. Nelson explains the real science behind trapped emotions and all the havoc they can cause on the body, and why his methods work to heal people. On first glance, I'm afraid this sort of thing looks bizarre to a lot of people and psychic-like. But it's really not like that at all. It's real, powerful stuff that everyone needs!

I keep thinking of people I know who had something terribly traumatic happen to them when they were young and are still suffering the affects of it. Or adults who have experienced failed marriages or long-term job loss and are inwardly hurting from their perceived failures. Or individuals who are suffering from chronic pains or allergies that continue to baffle doctors and for which no treatment has alleviated their symptoms. Or teenagers who are just having a difficult time with life. Or children with irrational fears or behavior problems. Honestly, since everyone experiences trials and difficulties, there probably isn't anyone who hasn't developed one trapped emotion or another. And it's intriguing how many of these emotional blockages are causing chronic and serious health problems.

The coolest thing about the Emotion Code for me is that I was able to actually experience it firsthand over the Thanksgiving break, thanks to a treatment by my mom one day, and then more intensively another day by the nurse who is treating her. At the conclusion of both sessions, I felt lighter--even thinner--and happier and more content. (My husband even commented on how happy I seemed afterward.) But the biggest difference I noticed was the improved nature of my relationship with my oldest daughter and her improved response to me, other adults, and different situations. And though things aren't perfect or completely free from difficulty, that improvement has been permanent. My belief is that, due to the difficult nature of my pregnancy and labor with her, and the very dark and difficult few weeks following her birth, some of those negative emotions I felt during that time were trapped inside my body and hampering my relationship with her. It is so good to be free of them after all these years! (Don't get me wrong, though: I'm sure there are many others I need to work on.)

Even without knowing at the time if I completely believed in the Emotion Code or the idea of releasing emotions, I discovered that it does work and it is powerful. I look forward to continuing to learn how to find and release trapped emotions in myself and my family to improve all of our health and well being!

I encourage you to feed your curiosity and learn more at the following websites:

The Emotion Code Introductory video
Dr. Nelson's official website
The Emotion Code website
Pure and Simple Healing (another blogger's review and explanations)

*NAET and the Emotion Code are not affiliated with each other but have some similar elements.