Taking Care of Yourself Can Be a BreezeI have been studying the principles of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine and they contain some very elegant and easy tips to bring balance to your life. Personally, I have been tapping into my inner type “A” recently (and seriously, what’s with all the type A bashing? I’ve learned from experience it’s best to face what must be done in life head-on; it definitely saves one from future problems and helps one to build and create one’s own life and happiness). Vital aspects of my type A lifestyle include: taking my supplements–they help me feel and perform my best, when my life demands that I be “on” much of the time; eating clean–keeps me feeling light and flexible, so that my food does not end up being an obstacle to reaching my goals in life; exercising regularly – for the same reasons I just mentioned.
A life full of activity requires some mindful rest. Here is where I have learned much from the principles of acupuncture. Mindful rest is not merely zoning out or indulging in escape behaviors. From experience I know distraction or escape behaviors cause stress to build up. Even though it may be just out of conscious awareness, a feeling of unease creeps up, and pressure builds from suppressed and repressed emotions, which then tends to be projected outward onto others (who in general do not deserve it) or expressed in other inappropriate ways. So by mindful rest I mean when you are consciously engaging in an activity to renew. Mindful rest activities include: prayer, surrender, meditation, getting a massage, playing with your dog, spending quality time with your loved ones, reading an interesting book or otherwise feeding the mind, listening to uplifting music, spending time in nature or making yourself a healing tea.
If it seems like I am biased toward the principles of acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine, I am. Now that I am supporting my body’s healing process through Nutrition Response Testing, I feel that Dr. Sheehan and I can begin to benefit from some of the more subtle effects of the acupressure and acupuncture. An now, with an acupuncturist on staff, Guinevere, we are ready to take our healing process to the next level. The journey of healing of self and others is such an exciting and scintillating journey!
I made just such a tea this morning. It was one extra simple step at breakfast time. Here is the recipe:
1 small piece of fresh ginger, sliced
Peel from 1/3 of a large lemon, cut up into large pieces
3 sticks of cinnamon
1 quart of water
I simmered this until the water was reduced by 1/3, about an hour. It make the entire second floor smell heavenly!
So, to recap, here are the simple steps for self-care: take your supplements, eat clean in general, exercise, and engage in mindfully restful activities. You can start now by making this delicious tea 🙂
Here is my beginning-of-the week diet log. So I have been on my good behavior for the last couple of days.
Monday, September 28, 2015
Breakfast: 2 chicken sausages, almonds, coffee with butter and coconut oil
Lunch: Turkey Chili (from California Tortilla, they make a mean chili), spinach
Afternoon Snack: CC Meal Bar
Dinner: piece of salmon, avocado, and baby carrots
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Breakfast: a piece of salmon, avocado, almonds, coffee with butter and coconut oil
Lunch: Leftover chili, purslane from the yard mixed in, avocado
Afternoon Snack: celery and peanut butter
Dinner: 3 organic hot dogs with spinach, baby carrots, blue cheese dressing, and mustard
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Breakfast: salmon, avocado, almonds, coffee with coconut oil
After breakfast: delicious cinnamon-lemon peel-ginger tea
Lunch: 1 burger, sauteed beet greens, 1 hot dog, mustard, black coffee
Afternoon snack: we’ll see
Dinner: I am planning on going to DipCo and getting a dozen wings, a Greek salad, and a beer.
