The majority of my practice and the majority of the people I come across in my daily life have something in common. They each tell me their own unique story of having too much to do in too little time, not getting enough sleep, and their minds are just ricocheting from thought to thought and from task to task. This is followed by a varied through rather typical list of physical and emotional concerns.
That's not what life is meant to be! My heart goes out to each person who shares their story, and I try to offer a sentiment or a technique that will guide them through. Knowing that I have plenty of insight on nutrition and herbs can be useful for the physical symptoms of stress and overwhelm and techniques for the mind and the spirit, I decided to do more.
Last week, a few friends and I attended a weekend Qigong workshop. We couldn’t pass it up. Thirty-two hours of continuing education class for under $100 – unheard of! If that wasn’t enough, Green Smoothies and food healing were on the agenda. I was sold.
Qigong, a system of self healing encompassing gentle movements, breathing, and meditative practices, was part of my master’s in Oriental Medicine curriculum. Last weekend’s workshop taught the same movements as I learned in school but I understood and could perform the movements better/more fluidly this time around. Qigong works and to be honest I don’t exactly understand it and I’m ok with that. I’m a pretty accepting person. I believe “Each to his or her own”. And, I will try just about anything without question, well sometimes with a slight raise to the eyebrow.
I didn’t feel the energy flow during the class way back in school, but I did experience symptoms of cultivating energy. The world was much more vivid when I left class at 8 pm, I experienced amazing clarity, and I was wide awake all night energized. Not the best use of energy, but still yes it works. In last weekend’s workshop I experienced the presence, the density, the movement of energy emanating from my hands and moving within my body. It was a remarkable feeling to know where I had blockages and which side was more receptive. And, yes, I was wide awake at night for 3 days and the exercise prompted other physical symptoms of flow as well. I now engage in qigong exercises only in the morning so I have that clarity and alertness all day instead of all night!
I get excited for the Winter Solstice; I look forward to noticing the one minute lengthening of days just like I watch for the onset of Autumn’s color changes! The little bright spots sustain me, what can I say.
The remedy in ancient days for this time of less sun, more cold was community, food, and activity. And what do we modern, evolved people do? We do the same - gather with co-workers for co-mingling, with family for celebrations, with friends for parties.
This is a time for us to connect with resources and people, rekindle the wonder and magic of this time of year. It is a time that brings forth the energy of sharing, not the commercial gift giving, but true sharing and connection.
Way back when, winter was the starvation season. To avoid this, cattle were slaughtered due to lack of feed thereby providing warming, sustaining food for people during the winter months. Grains and grapes from summer and fall harvests fermented and were ready for consumption. And the people gathered together toasting and eating around the fire that also extended their exposure to light. This was all that was needed, plus a little dancing and sparring, to get through until March or April.
Insufficient sunlight increases circulating melatonin in the body which throws off circadian rhythm with longer sleep cycles. Many patients mention seasonal affective disorder - the combination of cold, lack of sun, tiredness, malaise, decreased activity and therefore increased melatonin, decreased serotonin and depressive symptoms. What is the remedy for this?
Exercise. Most people start up a winter regime in the New Year. It does help. Even 30 minutes of vigorous activity 3 times a week. If you don’t want to join a gym, take advantage of the community donation yoga classes (usually on Sundays) or take a dance class.
Negative Ions. A room full of green plants will improve your wellbeing. The visual bursts of green will improve your mood, and the negative ions they produce will physically/chemically improve your symptoms.
Light therapy. Devices abound for increasing light exposure – tables, desk top models or just full spectrum bulbs. Get outside midday just to get a little sun despite the cold temperatures.
These will reinvigorate the body from the seasonal lull, decrease melatonin production and increase serotonin production.
But what I really want you to find is the inner light. Winter is the time to restore, go inward, the time for ultimate potential. The germination of a new life cycle starts with a spark, the inner light. When the external light is limited, find your inner light that which excites you, the creative potential that arises from delight, joy, wonder, magic and miracles.
My holiday mailing to patients contained a quote from Les Miserable
“Children instantly and familiarly accept rejoicing and happiness because that is their natural element”.
If you cannot feel the wonder and joy in your current moment, reference a childhood memory. Wonder, magic and joy are there. I remember the wide-eyed kid rushing on December 7 to see what St. Nick magically left in her tube sock stocking! I was delighted by coloring books, fruit and chocolate. Two magical days just weeks apart, St. Nick leaving surprise gifts then Santa leaving (a portion) of the exact gifts written in the letter I sent him. I remember with fondness how my father encouraged the belief by leaving cookie crumbs, ho-ho-ho-ing and jingling bells late on Christmas Eve. Wonder and joy were and remain our natural element deep inside the heart and being. This inner light is sparked by wonder and joy deep within our core; it shines through warming, fueling, lighting the way through the dark months, the dead of winter.
Wishing you months of basking in the glow of your inner brightness this Winter Solstice!
They” call them superfoods or next level foods, I call them seeds and berries and algae. I do add to my smoothies seaweeds and other superfoods. Items within this category of power-packed foods vary depending who is making the list!
Gillian McKeith, controversial nutritionist, divides superfoods into 5 categories: Green, Bee, Herb, Sea, and Leafy. But she doesn’t include Brendan Brazier’s or living foods/whole plant food enthusiasts or most of the raw foods community favorites on her list: cacao, acai, goji berries, quinoa, hemp, maca, among others.
Essential qualities in my opinion for a living thing to be deemed superfood be it from a bee, the sea, a tree, or a leaf are:
Contains a higher concentration of vitamins, minerals or trace minerals than others in its grouping of food coupled with either essential fatty acids, protein, fiber, a more alkaline profile, and possibly some sort of “anti-“ properties anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-aging…
The idea is consume high-net gain foods – nutrient dense foods - therefore less food. Get more nutrient bang for your buck and effort! We don’t need all the food that we eat, our bodies need a certain daily allowance of building blocks to maintain homeostasis. If the body doesn’t meet that allowance, the specific cravings (I need cheese or chocolate) or vague cravings (I want something I just don’t know what) start.
So if I am making a green smoothie today containing 3 veggies, 1 fruit, and 2 superfoods that contain these high concentrations of good stuff, I am giving my body premium fuel and all it needs to run optimally. I obviously eat other meals throughout the day, but I am satiated longer, eat smaller quantities, and have no cravings.
The body will use less effort compensating for a lack of essential amino acids and lack of electrolytes and other good stuff for all the muscles (heart and brain and other organs included!) creating more energy available to get through your day. Believe me, I tested it. Months of green smoothies, green smoothies with superfoods, a few days of no green smoothies, days with more fruit based smoothies, and back to green smoothies. Once you are accustomed to a certain energy level and multi-tasking ability, when it wanes you notice.
Yes, I used superfoods in meals that did not require a straw. Sprouted quinoa is a favorite in combination with veggies and legumes. Hemp seeds or powder satiated hunger for hours! Seaweed salad and nori-wrapped creations are right up there too. I suggest slowly introducing foods and those that seem more palatable. If you haven’t soaked seaweeds and combined them with other ingredients, ask someone or get a recipe or check out pre-made salads at your natural grocer. You don’t want to thwart your progress before you begin!
By the time I post, I will be well into my Thrive Journey. I was asked by Maya Henderson to join her and a few others on the Thrive in 30 challenge. Can you eat raw for 30 days the way Brendan Brazier eats raw? Are you ready to experience more energy? Are you ready to be free of cravings? Are you ready to get all your nutritional needs met? Even the nutritional needs of a triathlete? Are you ready to handle stress more easily? Are you ready to sleep great?
I picked up the book, Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life ,and read it one Friday night. I felt like I was hearing my own words on many of the pages. Brendan Brazier is a professional Ironman triathlete. He is a vegan. He tried lots of ways of eating. He developed this way of eating and developed the Vega product line. I do use and love to use the Vega EFA oil blend. If his energy bars didn’t contain wheatgrass, I’d love those too. I am allergic to the stuff, really allergic like go to hospital throat closing up allergic. If I had zero time in my life, I would also use his smoothie powder, but I have enough time to toss in my own ingredients. I also had enough time to try some of his raw recipes: energy bars, nut and seaweed pates, crackers, and my favorite kale wrap.
As some of you know I’ve been drinking a quart of smoothied green veggies and a little fruit every day the last five months. You may have seen a facebook status or a twitter post stating my smoothie ingredients of the day. Some weren’t so palatable, but most were awesome. The program I followed from the summer forward, of which the smoothies was only a portion, increased my energy, eliminated cravings, deepened my sleep and began the physical and emotional cleansing I needed.
So I can say Thrive maintained those achievements, educated me on some foods, and posed some time management challenges. Had I not gotten my feet wet with the summer smoothie adventure into raw food, I don’t know that I would have stayed with the Thrive Challenge. Life has been chaotic and the Thrive food prep took a mind shift, a little forethought, and an extra bag to carry every day! Unfortunately many of the ingredients since they are raw or a bit obscure must be purchased at a natural grocer. You aren’t going to find hemp seeds, maca, raw cacao, or raw goji berries, nuts or seeds just anywhere. Sometimes the Raw and Macrobiotic bars at the local natural grocer were lunch, snack and dinner for me. Not cost effective but exactly what I needed.
Did I have days that were not entirely raw? Heck yes. Two consecutive days - PMS days, mild irritation amplified to high stress and I ate bread. Good bread. Local bakery bread. And a not so good 10-pieces of bite size Halloween chocolate binge. My body rebelled with a flare of mouth sores. Nice.I ate a few eggs. I went out for Indian another night. I had a couple glasses of wine and a bloody mary. I wasn’t craving a drink, I wasn’t stressed, I was just out and enjoying life. So 2 of the last 30 days were stressful, while 5 of the last 30 days were off the Thrive wagon. Those aren’t terrible statistics.
Post script: in the three weeks since the end of the Thrive in 30 challenge, I ate a cooked Thanksgiving dinner complete with turkey and lots of vegetables; I ate real pizza; I ate ice cream. I was low spirited and low energy and a little reactive. This isn’t how I want to feel or present, so I do my best every day. I drink my quart of veggie smoothies; I grab nuts and fruit if I didn’t prepare meals for the day; and reserve the deviations from a raw vegan lifestyle when with friends and family.
