Reclaiming Wellness

AWOL and Stress

Oh yes, I have been AWOL and for that I do apologize.  Somehow the weeks have flown by and even with the best of intentions, I have not submitted any new postings.

The past few months have been a reminder to me of the consequences of too much stress: not sleeping well, not eating as well as I should, not scheduling my time well, not focusing well, not always following up the way that I should...not a good way to live life.  Even the health coach sometimes has to take a step back and re-evaluate her response to life.

Hans Selye, M.D., Ph.D.,D.Sc., was one of the first researchers to study the physical consequences of too much stress and as such is known as "the father of the stress field".  The simple explanation is that Dr. Selye found that when we are overly stressed, our bodies maintain a constant "fight or flight" state with all of the accompanying hormonal and physical changes.  This "fight or flight" response is essential to our survival as a species!  It prepared our ancestors to run away from tigers and other predators, and while our stressors are different today, we also need “fight or flight” in order to survive significant threats.

What is important to know is that our bodies are not meant to be in the "fight or flight" state constantly.  When that is the case, our bodies never enter a vital rest period and over time, our bodies will exhaust themselves.  While reading Dr. Selye’s research is very interesting, it is not required in order to understand that being constantly stressed is not a good thing.

So, what to do?  There are countless resources available today that can help with stress reduction; the key is to find what works for you.  I can share what I have done and perhaps it will help you also. 

·        I absolutely love classical choral music and have been listening to it a lot. 

·        I am exercising more.

·        I am eating better.

·        I make sure that I laugh out loud even if I don’t always feel like doing so.

·        I make sure that I stay connected to family and friends, especially those wonderful grandchildren!

·        I take slow, deep breaths whenever I start to feel stressed (especially when I am in traffic…)

·        I take quality supplements.

·        I am reading more, both fiction and non-fiction.

So, where are things now?  Our house is on the market, I am still in Maryland and David is working in Virginia.  Other than being apart during the week, things are more stable than they have been for some time and that is a good thing!

A favorite saying of mine is “Let me live as a child in the sun”.  Imagine a child playing outside on a beautiful, clear day; this child has no cares or worries and is truly present in this moment.  May all of us be blessed to live our lives as that “child in the sun”.

I wish you peace, joy and many blessings,  Jana

Life Changes

"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans"...John Lennon

I don't know about you, but that quote speaks to me all the time.  My own life journey has certainly followed a different path than I expected and continues to do so.  While that can be exciting and has definitely opened places and events to me that have been unexpected and wonderful, it can also be stressful.  My husband and I are now in the midst of one of those unexpected life changes and the story is yet to be finished.

David has taken a position in another state and will be commuting home on weekends until our house can be sold.  Our house does need some work, so I will be overseeing that and getting it ready to put on the market.  Given that the real estate market is not what it was a couple of years ago, we are not sure how long we will be living in this state of change.

Moving to a new state means far more than just picking up possessions and transporting them to a new house.  It means leaving all that is familiar - places, people, patterns, expectations - and going to a place that has many unknowns.  I have spent most of my life in the same area; I know how the wind blows in a storm, when I can plant flowers, I can anticipate traffic patterns, and I recognize the feel and smell of the place.  I know that I will learn those things in my new city and home, it will just take some time.

I'll be sharing this journey with you as it progresses.  There will no doubt be some wonderful surprises along with the sense of loss that is an integral part of such a major life change.

I wish you peace, joy and many blessings - Jana

Does this make sense?

How often have we seen this happen...take this pill, don't take this pill...eat this food, don't eat this food...don't do this exercise, better start doing this exercise...Is it any wonder that all of us are confused by what we see in the media?

I'm no different than any one else and I find the many mixed messages sometimes frustrating and annoying.  So, I have come up with a solution that works for me and offer it to you!  It is, simply, to ask the question "Does that make sense?".  My daughter (the music teacher) is the one who introduced me to that simple question; it is one that she taught my granddaughter to use when she was struggling with math.  Very simply, look at the formula/issue/report and ask yourself "Does this make sense?"

Let's look at an example.  Recent reports have stated that eating beef may increase the chance of getting cancer (enter "eating beef and cancer" in your search engine and see what comes up!).  Honestly, that does not make sense to me.  After all, humans have been eating beef for centuries and it does not make sense that it has suddenly become toxic to us.  However, if the reports are accurate, then what has caused the sudden change?

Here's my take on this and what I believe has caused the change.  A very large part of our food supply no longer comes from family owned farms; food is now big business and the process of raising cattle is no exception.  They are fed food that is not natural to them (grain instead of grass), they are pumped full of hormones, antibiotics and who knows what else, they don't get to wander in pasture, and they are stressed.  Hmm, maybe that beef is not so good for us...

My solution?  Eat beef that has been naturally raised!  It is amazing how good pastured, also known as grassfed, beef tastes and yes, it is actually good for us.  It is interesting that when food tastes really good that we are satisfied with smaller servings, and I certainly find that to be the case with pastured beef (and dark chocolate...)

I buy mine from West Wind Farm (www.westwindfarm.biz), a family-owned farm that is located in West Virginia.  If you happen to live in the Washington, DC / Baltimore MD area, they deliver locally; unfortunately, they do not ship.  However, there are sources available all over the country and I encourage you to search them out.  A good resource is www.eatwild.com; you can also enter "grassfed beef" in your search engine and explore what comes up.

Does this make sense?  What a great question!

I wish you peace, wellness and abundant blessings,

Jana

Your Amazing Body!!!

Do you know that your body is an absolute miracle?  That it is smart, intuitive and knows exactly what you need?  When we give our bodies what they need, amazing things can happen!

In the United States today, our healthcare system - more accurately known as a sickcare system - is in chaos and is failing.  We have a great trauma system but are 37th in the world in wellness health indicators.  Given that we spend more on healthcare than any other industrial nation, these statistics are very humbling.

How did we get to this place?

Stay with me here...we're getting to the good news...

A major source of our healthcare crises is toxins, most of which did not exist in the early part of the 1900's.  Clearly our toxic world is far different from the world of our ancestors!  Our immune systems were not designed to protect us against the many thousands of toxins that we are exposed to on a regular basis and our bodies are struggling.  The consequences of our diminished immune systems are shown in our increased acute and chronic disease rates.

We're almost there...

Another large piece of the puzzle is our modern food supply.  When was the last time you ate a fresh-picked, home-grown tomato that is still warm from the sun?  There is no comparison between that delicious tomato and the majority of tomatoes that are available in our stores today.  Our food is highly processed, shipped thousands of miles, plucked green and hybridized.  As a result, the nutritional content of even the best foods is often not what it was in prior years.

The good news!

If you find this information depressing then all I have to say is STOP!  Don't let it be, because there are simple steps that you can take to enchance your health!  In the coming posts we will explore all of these topics - and many more - in detail.  Knowledge is power, and understanding the challenges to optimal wellness gives each of us the ability to choose to take the steps that will enhance our health.

Here's your first tip and it's free!  Laugh, not just a chuckle, but a deep, roaring belly laughing out loud laugh!  Laugh every day, at least 15 minutes a day, even if you have to pretend.  Your face and body will relax and your immune system will thank you.  And, before you know it, everyday laughter and joy will be a natural part of your life.

I look forward to this wellness journey with each of you!