Salubrious Life

For every Ying, we must have a Yang

In Chinese history, there is an important Daoist philosophy that asserts that in order to achieve harmony in the universe we must always have a composition of opposites.  Strong and weak, winter and summer, fast and slow, happy and sad are just a few examples of these opposing forces. 

Similarly, BALANCE in the Webster’s Dictionary is defined as “physical equilibrium” or “stability produced by even distribution of weight on each side of the vertical axis.” 

We all aim for the “perfect” balance.  But what is a perfectly balance lifestyle?  If both Daoism and Webster are correct, and stability is produced by even distribution of weight on each side, wouldn’t an overall balanced lifestyle mean embracing even the times when we feel most off-kilter?  In other words, a more probable perfection is being absolutely complete with our imperfections, and to love our quirky random deviations that sometimes make us feel most temporarily off balance. 

We should be fortunate for the times when we feel most off kilter.  These are the times when we can greater appreciate the other side of the see-saw.  Both sides are equally important to living a harmonious lifestyle.

Consider this individual symphony:

Obsessively punctual, and flexible enough to wait

Conservative views, liberal career

Fast-talker, calm behavior

Lives presently, ponders potential

Peanut butter & jelly one day, sushi another

Sporty attire, loves the occasional high heel

Trusts everyone, but moves cautiously

A planner who loves spontaneity

There is no true “perfect” balance in life. Perhaps the perfect balance in life IS in fact the ability to embrace composure and content under our most seeming imperfect and imbalanced of times?

Too much self-confidence can be detrimental to your health

Source: LOHAS Weekly Newsletter

The world we live in says you are entitled to self-satisfaction, fulfillment and accomplishment. While there seems nothing wrong with having self-confidence or self-esteem how you build it could be detrimental to your physical and mental health if the boundaries of moderation are breached. Here's how, in lifestyle statements that cover the body, mind and spirit:

Body

"I'm lazy." Nobody ever said you have to remain active 24/7 of your time. But by claiming laziness, you justify not exercising, working, getting off your butt. Studies have shown that couch potatoes do end up as shapeless as potatoes themselves. More and more studies reveal that people who move less are more prone to illness than their more active counterparts.

"I'm starved." The stomach, if you study digestion, is hardly ever empty. Because the entire process takes anywhere from three to five hours, by the time snacks are served, your lunch is in still the final stages of digesting.

So when hunger pangs seize you, don't be dismayed. Eat something raw, like fruits and vegetables. This way, they get to occupy your tummy leaving less room for foods you normally crave for. Giving in to cravings may become a habit which could eventually become a lifestyle.

"I'm tired." When your body speaks to you, listen. Much like a traffic light, this message means a yellow warning. Slow down. Take it easy. Tiredness is only a signal to practice the three R's--relax, rest, recharge.

"I'm sick." Sickness is the stage you reach probably because you ignored the yellow signal. Definitely, you will need to stop all activity and have complete rest. At this time, detox yourself by rehydrating your system with liquids--water, coconut water as well as vegetable and fruit juices.

Mind

"I'm depressed." The rhythms and drives of your mind are connected to the brain, so closely linked that hormonal changes released by the brain directly affect your emotions. Before you declare yourself as depressed, study your pattern. Find out the stressors in your life that are causing it. Do some mind-body relaxation regimens like yoga, walking, swimming. Basically, exercise can stimulate your brain to release endorphins which can put you in a state of ease. Drink calming herbal teas. Have a massage. If all else fails, see a doctor.

Caution: There are some people who take pleasure in their pain and who enjoy misery. While this may only be an unconscious drive on their part, it pays to find a sympathetic ear who is aware of this pitfall.

"I'm a loser." The mind is a highly programmable computer. If constantly bombarded with negative thoughts such as this, it will eventually start believing it by triggering the self to fail in all aspects of living--relationships, career, health, finances and personal outlook.

Spirit

"I'm invincible." To adopt a stance of indestructibility places undue pressure and demands on the psyche. Since the fine line between spirit and mind is unclear and undefined, this statement could be interpreted as a state of mind. Telling yourself that nothing and no one can harm you may make you callous to realities like viruses, germs, bacteria, pollution, malnutrition, stress.

By thinking of invincibility, you may not take precaution nor gear yourself against illness. Just like in the case of a friend, a 50-year-old marathoner who took no supplements and would boast to friends that he never got sick. While he might have had a physically appealing physique, little did he know that one day he would collapse due to a heart attack. Apparently, his body was deprived of magnesium for so long. He has since recovered and is now living a more balanced lifestyle.

Daily invocation

The art of invoking positive thoughts and feelings is perfected by the heart but borne of the mind. Much like prayer, it seeks to receive blessings with gratitude. Invoke daily something good, whether big or small. And watch the days ahead unfold dramatically. Example: "Every day, blessings come my way."

Love and light!

Swim with Dolphins and Drop Your Prozac?

A new research study that offers a cure for depression depresses me.

Swimming with dolphins appears to be an effective treatment for mild to moderate depression, according to new U.K. research.

The randomized controlled study was conducted at the Roatan Institute for Marine Sciences in Honduras and involved outpatients recruited from the United States and Honduras from November 2002 thru December 2003.

A total of 30 people with mild or moderate depression were involved: Half of them were assigned to swim and snorkel with bottle-nose dolphins for an hour a day for two weeks. The rest also swam and snorkeled but not in the presence of dolphins.

All the study volunteers discontinued antidepressant drugs or psychotherapy at least four weeks before the start of the study and did not take any drugs during the study, the researchers said.

By the end of study, those people who swam with the dolphins had a greater average reduction in the severity of their depressive symptoms than those who did not. The findings appear in the Nov. 26 issue of the British Medical Journal.

"To the best of our knowledge, this is the first randomized, single blind, controlled trial of animal facilitated therapy with dolphins. The natural setting itself is also an important factor that has to be considered in the treatment of emotional disorders. This is confirmed by other studies," the authors wrote in their study findings.

"The effects exerted by the animals were significantly greater than those of just the natural setting," they added. "The echolocation system, the aesthetic value, and the emotions raised by the interaction with dolphins may explain the mammal's healing properties."

This is not new thinking. In fact, there's a term for using Dolphins to assist humans and it's called DAT (Dolphin Assisted Therapy) One of the groups that is most dedicated to proving DAT as a medical treatment is the AquaThought Foundation.   Here people bring children with Autism, Adults with all kinds of issues - with the hopes that a swim with these wild creatures will cure them.

And what of the ethical question of disrupting the natural environment of these intelligent creatures in order to help humans?  Is there harm put to the animal?  Surely interaction between any species which is forced and un-natural can not be good for either.  Dolphins for their part are not the Flipper like characters we know from television. In the wild they can be aggressive and have been known to injure humans attempting to swim with them.  Why not?  I would.

Isn't this just another example of us exploiting nature to cure what we think ails us? 

Researchers conducting this survey make the point that "human health and well-being is dependent on the human connection with the natural world"   Valid. But would you not agree that we should not disrupt the natural world to gain that connection?

More on Omega 3 Fatty Acids: Mind and Body!

President Bush is in “near perfect health,” and according to his doctor, he takes one supplement a day, Omega 3 Fatty Acids.  At least we know that Bush is taking care of himself in the midst of our world crisis and political struggles.

Omega 3 coined the “miracle” fatty acid, claims to have several benefits even beyond heart disease and stroke.  A recent article in Science Daily describes the tremendous comeback of a man with terminal cancer who started taking high doses of Omega 3 Fatty Acids given to him by his doctor when he was only expecting to live for a few more months.  Five years later, the patient is still alive, and the cancerous tumors in his lungs have shrunk to 10% of what they were in 2000.

Research has also indicated that Omega 3 Fatty Acids will also help the preservation of our brain.  The brain is made of 60% fat, and all nerve signals and impulses pass through the fat-rich cell membranes.  In order to maintain the positive functioning of brain cells and cognition, it is important to provide the brain the proper nutrients and ingredients: Omega 3.  In relation to this, much evidence shows that Omega 3 helps with mood swings, mental decline, and even depression. 

We can absorb this fatty acid in its pill form, or by eating foods rich in Omega 3.  Some of the main foods that contain Omega 3 include tuna fish, salmon, flax seed, and canola oil.

Doing AND Being Simultaneously?

C. K Brighball wrote “The future will belong not only to the educated person, but to the person who is educated to use his leisure wisely.”

There have been many articles written creating opposition between the act of being and the act of doing. Most articles discuss the importance of putting down one’s “doing” occasionally and just experiencing the art of being. Just being. But just being what?

Recently I had this discussion with a friend of mine. I said to him “You don’t always have to be doing something ya know; maybe you should try simply ‘being’ for awhile.” I asked him this question perhaps with a bit of frustration in my tone, as he always has something on his plate, whether it be a person to network with, an alumni affiliation meeting, or one of his many different business ideas/responsibilities/plans to work on (I won’t even go into the range of them) that pull him in several different directions. I admire him for his ambition and his drive. He seems to love moving at 110% and also manages to squeeze in a little time to date here and there. Perhaps this is a mirror image of myself, which is why his response was so spontaneously well articulated, and resonated so well with me. He left me speechless.

His response was this: “Why can’t we all be both? Personally, I feel as though too many people today spend there time trying to practice “being” but end up doing nothing. Every moment that I am doing, I am also being. And if I am not doing (and therefore, not being), that’s when I feel least satisfied.”

Totally immersed in the things he loves, he made a very valid point – he is being in the doing. When he reads, he is being. When he is doing business, he is being. When he is networking, he is being. Etc, etc. I got the point, because I can relate. If I make a conscious decision to take a day off from doing anything, these are the days I feel least satisfied and overall discontent in my life. Psychologist, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, says “people who learn to enjoy their work, who do not waste their free time, end up feeling that their lives as a whole have become much more worthwhile.”

As a rapid-fire culture, are we evolving into a place mind and body where we can more frequently combine doing and being at the same time?

Watsu aquatic Body Work - latest in spa treatments

I am no stranger to spa treatments.  I've tried so many because I think part of the fun is seeing how various kinds of treatments and styles can affect the mind and body.

Here's one I have yet to try but am intrigued by:

Watsu, like reflexology, employs ancient principles used to unblock the free flow of energy through the body. Watsu combines water and shiatsu, a form of Japanese "finger pressure" massage applied to the meridians of chi.

 

Floating in a heated salt water and supported by the Watsu practitioner, the Watsu receiver passes into a state of complete relaxation as gentle stretching is applied to specific points. More than just a massage, Watsu involves a series of free-flowing movements that increase flexibility and strengthen muscles.

The buoyancy of the water takes the weight off the vertebrae, facilitating movement in ways not possible on land. Watsu's gentle stretching and pulling promote flexibility and suppleness of the spine.  Pregnant women benefit greatly from Watsu; as do athletes, those suffering from sore muscles and joints, and conditions such as fibromyalgia (chronic pain in muscles and soft tissues surrounding joints) and multiple sclerosis.

Watsu is said to be calming and may even take you to relaxation states so great as to unlock childhood memories.

Watsu waiting for?  Jump in with both feet.......(oh...and let me know how it was....I'm kind of against cradling myself and regressing with a total stranger)

Natural Remedies for Stress

Because of the side effects associated with antidepressants and benzodiazepines, a growing number of health care professionals advocate the use of dietary supplements instead. Relora, L-theanine and phosphatidylserine are among the latest substances that Tcan be used to replace these prescription-based products.

Relora
Relora is a patent-pending substance that contains extracts of Magnolia officinalis and Phellodendron amurense. Next Pharmaceuticals, based in Irvine, Calif., began marketing Relora in 2001. “The extracts in Relora contain compounds that act on some of the same benzodiazepine receptors that many of the prescription drugs for anxiety do, but not on the ones that cause sedation,” says Chief Executive Bob Garrison. “The combination of extracts used in Relora complement each other to make a more complete anti-anxiety agent than either one alone.”

A study published in 2001 in Psychopharmacology found that Relora had nonsedating, anxiolytic activity in eight-day-old chicks following a separation stress procedure. The study concluded that Relora “may be useful in modulating anxiety states.”

L-theanine
L-theanine is an amino acid found in green tea. It is believed to be a nonsedating relaxant that works by stimulating the brain’s production of alpha waves and other calming amino acids (dopamine, gamma-aminobutyric acid and tryptophan). Alpha brain waves are associated with a state of relaxed alertness, and studies show that people who produce more alpha brain waves have less anxiety.

“A cup of green tea might give you 10 or 20 mg of theanine,” says Talbott, “but as a really effective relaxation agent, you need 50 to 200 mg, so supplemental theanine is your best option.”

Unlike valerian and kava, which depress the central nervous system and have a mildly tranquilizing effect, L-theanine is nonsedating. New York-based physician and nutritionist Fred Pescatore uses L-theanine in his practice. “It can stop an anxiety attack and can also work on the underlying neurotransmitter issues associated with chronic stress,” he says.

Phosphatidylserine
Phosphatidylserine is a phospholipid found in concentrated amounts in brain cells. PS is believed to play structural and functional roles in muscle metabolism and immune system function. “PS may have a long-term ability to modulate cortisol levels and overall exposure to stress,” Talbott says, “but it’s not something that people are going to take and feel immediate effects from.”

Originally, supplemental PS was derived from the brains of cows, but concerns about mad cow disease have prompted manufacturers to use soy sources instead. Supplemental PS can be found in tablet, softgel or capsule form and is recommended in two daily doses of 100 mg each.

Next Pharmaceutical’s Garrison says there has been a consumer misperception that dietary supplements are ineffective in treating the symptoms of stress and anxiety. “Consumers need to know that there are some well-researched products out there that can really help treat the symptoms of anxiety.”

The Beligerance of a BMI

In September of this year I seemed inundated with the concept of Body Mass Index or BMI.   I had three of 'em giving me trouble.  More trouble than the Dow or NASDAQ.

It would seem that my 4 year old has a BMI slightly higher than it should be.   I too, after a summer of indulgence am a couple points higher than I should be - and my dog too. WHAT? my dog?   It would appear that bmi can also be applied to our canine friends and mine seems to have one a few points North from perfect.

So how does bmi differ from other means of identifying weight problems?

Body mass index, or BMI, is a new term to most people. However, it is the measurement of choice for many physicians and researchers studying obesity. BMI uses a mathematical formula that takes into account both a person's height and weight. BMI equals a person's weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. (BMI=kg/m²).

Rather than using weight as a measurement, we are talking about measuring the amount of fat on a person's frame instead.

With children BMI is used differently than it is for adults.  It is referred to as BMI- for age. In the case of my 4 year old, it's not that he's fat, but a higher than normal BMI at this stage can set the scene for obesity later in life. You really want to keep them at a normal level as systems set themselves for the long haul........or so I am told.   Since September, after replacing juices with water, chips and salsa with carrots and dip - he's exactly where he should be.As for my dog Charlotte (looking deflated after learning of her elevated BMI) is now two weeks into a serious "no human food consumption" rule is already right where she should be.

Good news on the first two index issues - the third one.....well......that's not so easily remedied.  No 18 month old canine or 4 year old kiddie am I.  It will take a while, but I'll get it down to where it should be and when I do........I'll post a picture of myself along side Charlotte the dog.

Pick your battles…and deal with them right!

I was driving down the road the other day and saw this fantastic bumper sticker that read, “An eye for an eye would leave the whole world blind.” 

What makes people feel the need to always get revenge, or “get someone back” for a wrongdoing?  Instead, why not believe in the Karmic cycle, and just have faith that the person that did you wrong will get their fair share somewhere down the line, and move on with your own life; even if you don’t believe in the Karmic cycle. 

At the same time, I also believe that it is important to stick up for yourself and not let someone take advantage of you.  Through meditation, yoga, and self-awareness, we create mental clarity to find better solutions as to how to handle situations where we feel we’ve temporary lost our peace or sense of self in the midst of an offense committed against us.  This in turn, gives us a better ability to clearly communicate to the other person how he/she may have slighted or offended you.

Depending on the “battle,” turning the other cheek or communicating to the other person in a self-assured manner may be the best alternative to suppression, showing anger, resentment, or vengeance. 

Stay peaceful. 

Too Clean? Are we actually healthier?

Can one be too healthy?  It seems like a bizarre outlook to consider.  There are so many dietary and nutritional theories out there today, I personally feel overwhelmed with all the information and beliefs people commit themselves to: Low carb diets, all protein diets, raw food diets, all organic, all natural, probiotic, ayurvedic focus, eating for your blood type – the list goes on and one.  I can't keep them all straight.

Can being compulsively focused on one of these dietary ways be hazardous to our health in the long term?  Could our body go into shock and have an adverse reaction if we were to change the portrait of our eating habits after being so rigidly focused on just one?  Could it be healthier in the long term if we ate everything in moderation but with some portion control?

Consider this analogy.  Twenty one years ago when I was just 6 years old, my parents did not have the options of cleaning products available today.  My mom used alcohol, chlorine bleach, and hydrogen peroxide. Period.  My mom always kept a sparkly “clean” house. With the occasional winter cold, I never got sick.  In fact, my mom sometimes LET me stay home from school on occasion for a “mental health” day.  I had an immune system like bull. 

Compared to our capacity to clean today, my mom’s house was probably considered DIRTY back then.  Today, there are so many cleaning products available to us, we can wipe out any form of bacteria or germ instantly.  There’s antibacterial everything!!   While we can keep our environment clean, is this also creating negative implications for young childrens' immune systems? YES.

An article written in June quoted Tufts University microbiologist:

"The image that germs should be destroyed, and kids should be raised in a sterile home is a mistake. If we over-clean and sterilize, children's immune systems will not mature," says Dr. Stuart Levy, the director of the center for adaptation genetics and drug resistance at the Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston. "What worries me is that if we continue using antibacterials, we won't see [problems] until children get older, maybe 10 years from now," he says. 

Could the same hold true for our nutrition habits?  What happened to the triangle I grew up with, the good ‘ol retro Food Pyramid?  I still very rarely get sick, and I feel a healthy balance with my diet, without falling into any of the complicated and confusing categories for diet theories available today.