Vegetables Don't Taste Good!

Excuse Me!

During my slow and transitioning month of May, I turned on daytime tv. I came across an infomercial with Montel Williams. Did you know he promotes a juicer/blender? And every person who hates vegetables came to the taping? I was appalled.

I am the most adamantly against the in-your-face “do this or you’ll miss your chance” promotion techniques. Or in this case, this is the only way a vegetable will ever be palatable. This could be why I have a moderate practice; I am the first to admit I am the worst promoter of my services. I am a “here I am, this is what I do, if you are ready and we mesh, you will come; if not, you are meant to go another way” nonviolent promoter. So, to hear that no one likes the taste of vegetables and maybe people eat 1 to 5 servings PER WEEK and maybe that is just the lettuce and tomato on their sandwich, I wanted to just shut off the tv. Well, I did. I questioned why I am even in this profession. Why am I writing about dandelion greens and collards and kale if no one wants to ingest the more benign flavored carrots, cauliflower or broccoli.

The easiest way to improve your overall health is to increase consumption of “real food” – food our grandparents ate - not the new food - processed, packaged, soy or wheat gluten products (literally NON foods). Specifically increasing the daily intake of vegetables and omega 3 oils will have an impact on your life within a few months of the switch (this is the most in-your-face I will get). According to national standards we should be consuming about 5 servings each day or 5 cups of vegetables. I’ve had the recent opportunity to observe the carb-heavy diets of my generation and know why they are drinking coffee, fiber drinks and eating fiber bars and looking to doctors for prescriptions for abdominal discomfort!

Then I caught a glimpse of my t-shirt “eat more greens”; remembered that I have some distant facebook friends who are raw foodists; and remembered that a previous roommate recently said she’s loved kale since I introduced it to her and she converted her boyfriend. My nonviolent promotion has been effective and others out there must be eating these vegetables. The only saving grace of Montel’s shock-lisa-infomercial was that everyone miraculously loved juiced and blended vegetable by the end of the taping. Whew! Another happy ending in Hollywood.

one of the many of my favorite green things

Dandelion Greens are making a comeback! These super-nutritious leaves are one of my favorites and local chefs are catching on.

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Calm amidst the Chaos

Where do I begin! I generally touch on time-for-oneself around the Winter holiday season when we are pulled in all directions – family gatherings, hosting and attending parties, thinking of gifts, finding those gifts, in addition to the regular daily routine. We are all feeling the additional stresses in this time of economic and social change, so it feels aptly appropriate to discuss me-time at present. I am reaching out in different directions and feel on the precipice of change. I am constantly mentally aware of all signs and opportunities, bringing into focus anything in the periphery, turning these over in my brain for their meaning to my current state. Really? This means my energy is all on the surface and I am really not present at all.

I recently asked for a sign and received a dream of a tornado. In reality I have only witnessed three tornadoes. Directly in its path, one hopped over the house; one gained momentum through a field of crops as I rode along side on a motorcycle; and the other raged in the opposite direction in the distance. In the past, dream tornadoes elicited fear in me, either the funnel passed in front of me or I woke before it approached. This time, wider than my vision, it whirled toward the building. I calmly though quickly sought shelter but was turned away, I clung to the steel stair in the hallway as I was pulled into the funnel, eyes shut, aware of the tension in my arms, only to observe as the dream ended I now clung to the wing of a jet safely landing on the tarmac.

A tornado is considered "the finger of God", so I think He personally provided me with the sign. Unfortunately I wanted clear direction when I requested a sign, but I only asked for the sign not the clarity. Tornado, a combination of wind and water, can be likened to a combination of change and emotion. Yes, I am experiencing that! Feng shui – a technique of harmonizing external/environmental qi – translates to wind and water. So I need to change my environment, but does this mean finding the new apartment I am in pursuit of, a new position, or take a jet to a new location. I don't know! All dreams are a service to our health and wholeness, provide opportunities for self-knowledge and evolution. All I know is I need to chill out because this is chaotic.

Now comes the me-time. Studies show that even a few minutes to relax and unwind can decrease stress and increase productivity. I have plenty of time on my hands, but it is busied with simultaneously walking down all the avenues unlike the ordered path of a tornado! So here is what I have to do and what we all should do. First catch the chaos before it is out of control. Prevention is key. Just like any mode of transportation needs tune-ups, so do we. I am well aware that calming the mind, giving the autonomic nervous system a break, mindfully exercising the body will provide clarity or at least a little added insight. Once I stop the energetic and mental chatter, I will 1. Learn more from that dream, 2. Gain clarity for my direction, 3. Boldly move with the change.

Taking some time each day to focus on your needs allows you to:

• Have the energy you need to continue caring for everyone and everything else in your life
  
• Become a healthy role model to those around you.
  
• Experience less stress
  

If you are committed and have the time, take a yoga class or practice daily meditation. Don't sabotage yourself if you don't have the time; just follow these easy suggestions that only take minutes of your day.

• Start your day with a morning walk.  10 minutes up and down the street will do. This is NOT the hurried dash to the train but a calm walk.
  
• Close your eyes and take 5 deep breaths. This takes about 1 minute. If
  you are having a particularly stressful day, set your alarm for the top of each hour and breath in renewed energy and exhale the old .
  
  
• Take a lunch time stretch break.  First TAKE a lunch break! Reaching your arms up over your head or a few neck rolls are a good place to start.  1 to 2 minutes.
  
• End your day quietly snuggled up with loved ones, reading a good book, listening to soft music or indulging in a warm bath. Do this one as long as you like. Keep the TV off as long as possible, it depletes energy.
  
• Practice gratitude by taking some time to be thankful for the new day you've been given and for the people around you to love and care for. Gratitude helps keep life in perspective. Do this one for a lifetime.
  

Allowing yourself these minutes of me-time will lessen the effects of stress, and calm will emerge.

© 2009 Lisa Reichert

 

 

Spring

Seasonal changes affect everyone on some level. Our responses to the shift, thanks to being an individual, can be varied, subtle or frustrating. Some of us know the seasons are shifting by our allergies and others by a change in sleep patterns or changes in energy or moods.

Wood is the element associated with spring. We are the reflection of nature, we are emerging from winter's hibernation, the seed's vital energy is awakening, and will soon emerge from the ground. With that emergence comes a renewal of energy which sometimes sputters and spurts as it starts or surges or becomes a little unruly. The energy of the Liver is part of the Wood element and controls the free flow of energy throughout the body. That irregularity of movement of energy at this season's start is due in part to the strength and awakening of the Liver energy.

I see Spring coming a little earlier than most. At the start of February, my flower bulbs have fully emerged into new growth and while walking throughout the densest areas of the city I see robins, rabbits, and other creatures that should hiding away. I feel like I am usually a few weeks ahead of the shift. This year I was annoyingly restless between one and three am, wide awake between three and five in the morning, and ready to crash again just as the clock turned to 5:01 am. Some people are unluckier and are wide awake until 3 or 4 am or later. Clients have been coming in with sleep issues for a few weeks, annual exacerbation of shoulder pain, and a few are just starting to arrive with sinus aggravation.

It is at these times that I figure the Liver needs a little love and support. It is time for castor oil packs. If you don't think you have time for this, you are wrong. If you are surfing the web, losing time on facebook, or watching tv, you could be doing that with a castor oil pack. I suggest avoiding using castor oil packs while pregnant, breastfeeding or during menstruation. If none of those applies to you go out and buy some castor oil and tea towels. Ideally "they" would like you to use undyed wool or cotton flannel, but I just use old white tshirts or tea towels. I run hot water over the cloth, wring it out, apply a thin layer of oil to one side and slap it over the Liver region - the right upper abdomen and rib cage. You can place a large piece of plastic wrap on the towel to insulate it and protect your clothes from the oil and dampness. "They" also suggest soaking the cloth in castor oil and keeping the cloth warm with a hot water bottle. You can improvise. You can reuse the pack multiple times. Store covered in the refrigerator.

I also use herbs and essential oils in conjunction with the castor oil packs and will concoct a combination that will also support the Liver energy.

Essential Oils

Spearmint or Peppermint – to vent heat

Fennel, Lime, Spikenard – to mildly detox

Juniper, Lemon, Oregano – to tonify and calm

Geranium or Rose – to quell mood shifts

Herbs

Herbal recommendations from a consultation with a practitioner are ideal, but the most accessible mildest supporting herbs are dandelion leaf, milk thistle, turmeric.

You could just drink a packaged herbal tea – Everyday Detox tea or dandelion tea. You want to avoid any detox or weight loss tea that contains rhubarb or da huang if you don't have issues with constipation. Reduce the caffeine and alcohol, and increase the water, green veggies, and green tea. Increase cardio to assist the consistency in energy flow. Just a short walk through your neighborhood will help or a yoga class.

Happy Shifting into Spring!