TIDBITS / TAKEAWAYS FROM PAST WELLNESS PRESENTATIONS

Can you believe that this will be the final Wellness Presentation for the year, scheduled to resume again in the fall?

When I first started these presentations in September, I was a little nervous about coming back to my hometown and putting myself out there. I have done many talks and presentations on health and wellness over the many years I lived in Florida, but this felt very different. However, this was something I felt guided to do and I have learned during this journey to always follow my guidance.

This has been an amazing path for me. I have learned so much on this leg of my journey, not only from my research but mostly from you special people. You have made these presentations exactly what they have turned out to be – a learning and sharing together.  I want to thank you all for this and I hope that you have taken away from these presentations some tools to help and guide you on your special path during this lifetime.

First I would like to ask if there is anything you would like to share here this evening?

Is there anything in particular that any of you have learned that you have already implemented into your daily routine to become a healthier version of yourself?

Or, is there something that you are in the process of adding but are unsure how to go about it?

This evening will actually be a culmination of the high points from the previous presentations during this past year.

I have delved deeply into all these topics, so now I am just going to take from this some things you can do to live happier and healthier lives;  if you so choose to do so.  Remember the song ‘‘Choices”.

You can attain all the information in the world, but it is useless unless you act upon it; unless you do something about it.

THE BRAIN

Ok, let’s start with our computer, no not our laptop, but with the most advanced & complex computer there is – the brain.

Let’s first just do a few tests to see just how healthy our brains are.

These are what’s called windows into the brain.

(1) Make the Figure Eight; now do it with your eyes closed. 

Next, use your non dominant hand;  now do it with your eyes closed.

How easy  or  hard was this to do???

(2)Next let’s do the finger tap test.  Take your index finger and your  thumb and repeatedly open & close. 

Now, start with both hands, thumbs & index fingers and move on to the next finger and back again. Keep going faster and faster.

This is a window into the frontal cortex which is involved in focus, concentration, coordination and fine digit control.

—  If you practice these you will gradually become better at doing these exercises, plus your brains will also become healthier.

Now, what else can we do to strengthen our brains?

First, let me tell you that we can definitely make changes in the brain.

Does anyone remember the terms “neuroplasticity” and “neurogenesis?’

Neuroplasticity states that we can “rewire the brain” – make new neuronal (nerve) connections.

Neurogenesis states that the brain can also make new brain cells.

So, how can we do this?

(1) The brain is made up of 80% water – hydration is critical to brain health.

So, make sure you are drinking enough water. How much is needed daily?

Remember, a rough rule of thumb is ½ your body weight and preferably warm or room temperature.

In fact, water is an essential key that allows all of our cells to function well.  Lack of hydration increases the body’s inflammation, places us in stress mode / fight or flight mode, attributes to an unbalanced microbiome in the gut between the good/bad bacteria and can lead to a dehydrated brain.  

(2) The solid weight of the brain is 60% fat.

Your brain needs good fats  –  Omega 3 fats.

(3) Neuroplasticity Exercises such as:

– Write 3 things you are grateful for – 21 days. At the end of the 21 days your brain starts to retain a pattern of scanning the world for positive not negative input.

– Memorize new information — Write and reflect — Random acts of kindness

– Meditation rewires your brain — Set a goal every day — Learn to play a new instrument

– Count your blessings — Take more walks — Learn a new language

– Spend more time in nature — Learn to juggle — Yoga and Tai Chi

– Mild to moderate exercise – this grows the brain’s growth hormone BDNF.  It increases the blood supply to the brain. The brain becomes clearer.  It has a calming effect on the brain.  Exercise helps balance the brain – the Yin (negative, feminine) and the Yang ) positive., masculine.

– Learn a new dance.  When you combine learning with activity, it intensifies the effectiveness of the action.

(4) Palming:  Rub both hands together to generate heat. Then close your eyes and place your hands over your eyes with only gentle pressure on your eyeballs.  Take 3 deep breaths and slowly exhale.

Very slowly (this is important), very slowly open your eyes.

This helps avoid being affected by the stress response of the light.

(5) Breathing Techniques:  See section on “The Breath”.

ELECTROMAGNETIC FREQUENCIES  (EMF’S)

These invisible frequencies are actual poisons that affect everyone without them even knowing it.

They are very detrimental to the entire body, especially the brain.

One indicator of this is if the device says “smart”, like a smart T.V. or a smartphone. They really are not smart for our health.

This 5G network causes overstimulation of the Vagus Nerve, keeping us in the fight / flight mode, instead of the rest, relax and restore mode.

Severity of symptoms and resulting illness usually depends upon:

 1.. How often we use them. 3.. How strong the frequencies are.

 2.. How physically close they are to us. 4.. How long we leave then turned on.

We live in a 5G era;  so, what can we do to protect ourselves?

 1.. First we need to educate ourselves on these potential hazards.

      Knowledge is power  –  this is your health.

 2.. Distance is your friend.

 3.. Never put your cell phone to your ear. Use airtube headphones.

      You only have one brain.

 4.. Periodically switch off your wireless function;  give yourself a                  

      break from all these poisonous frequencies.

 5.. Do not overuse texting; it can cause tingling/problems with your

     fingers and hands.   

 6.. Use an EMF protective case for your cell phone.

 7.. Use your cell phone on maximum bars, it is less dangerous.  

 8.. Do not keep anything electro magnetic in your bedroom.   

LIMIT YOUR EXPOSURE                

.

THE BREATH

Life begins with the very first breath we take, and life ends with the last breath we take  –  the beginning and the end of life on this earth as we know it.

There are many things we need to sustain life, but none as important as the breath.

When our breath is out of balance, our health is out of balance.

One of the most important ingredients for working with the breath is mindfulness.

4 keys to healthy breathing:

1.. light    2.. slow    3..  nasal   4.. belly breathing

4 Stages of Perfecting the Breath:

1.. Meditation  –  Remember, meditation can be in many forms.

The calming & quieting period we do before we start the presentations is a form of meditation.

A walk in nature, gazing at a beautiful sunset, getting lost in a work of art. All of these, plus many other activities are a form of meditation. The most important thing is to be mindful of what you are doing – be in the moment.

2.. Breathing / Release Techniques:

(a) Tarzan technique     (b) Gentle rapid breathing technique

3.. Grounding and Strengthening Techniques.

(a) Solidifying the Breath – Squeeze your thumbs for a min. or so.

(b) Meditation on the heart beat – Synchronize breath & heart beat.

(C) Strengthening the heart. Do both a & b at the same time.

4.. Breath Balancing Techniques: (In and out breaths).

(a) Gentling the breath – Inhale and visualize bringing the air up between your legs, up into your body.

(b) Correcting the Pause: Pause should only be a split second.

Do (a), then do not linger after the exhale.

©  Strengthening the Out Breath:

Do (a), then upon exhale thrust the air from your lungs by contracting your diaphragm with a moderate amount of force.

The air will then want to rush back into your body with a renewed amount of energy and vigor.

BE MINDFUL OF YOUR BREATH

TOXINS

Our 5 senses are constantly being bombarded by toxins each and every day. These are substances that are harmful and many are poisonous to humans. The negative impact of these toxins creates illness and disease in the body.

1..Environmental Toxins:  The environment is a toxic soup of chemical pollutants. So, what can we do to protect ourselves?

(a) Stop polluting, and teach our children & grandchildren to respect the earth and not pollute.

(b) Schedule time to help clean up areas in our community.

©  Recycle – this can help decrease the accumulation of toxins.

(d) Let’s take care of our earth; it is the only place we have to live.

2..Inhalation Toxins:  When we smell anything, good or bad, it goes right to the brain. It does not have to cross the blood/brain barrier.

(a) Household cleaners are notorious toxins. The worst ones are oven cleaners, drain cleaners, toilet bowel cleaners, carpet cleaning sprays, furniture polish (I use cocoanut oil), ammonia and bleach.

Options:  ECO Hub website – Environmental – not harmful to the environment.

(a) Furniture Polish:    ½ cup white vinegar and ½ cup olive oil.

(b) Oven Cleaner   :    3 parts baking soda and 1 tbl. H2O2.

©  Tube/Tile Cleaner:  1 cup baking soda and 1 Tbl. H2O2.

3..Skin toxins:  What is the largest organ of the body? The skin, and it gets bombarded every single day with so many chemicals – soaps, lotions, cleansers, perfumes, creams, shampoos, conditioners, after shave, etc., etc.

Most personal care items contain two toxic chemicals, parabens and phthalates (plastics).

Options:  Read the labels.  Be kind to your skin.

(a) Use products without scents – buy unscented.

(b) Purchase products from a reputable health store.

©  Do your homework. If you don’t know what an ingredient is, then look it up. If you do not recognize it or cannot pronounce it, then most likely it is not healthy.

– Remember, the skin eats whatever you put on it.

4.. Emotional Toxins:  We literally have thousands of thoughts every single day. Just think for a minute – how many of them are positive, uplifting, thankful, fun filled, etc.? Probably not many, and why is that? Most likely because we dwell so much on the negative.

I watched a webinar recently and the presenter called this “stinkin thinkin”; probably not the best language, but it does get the meaning across.

Be careful of the spoken word – it does carry immense weight.

If you want to change your life, change your thinking.  Then change what comes out of your mouth.

Negative thoughts and words cause stress in the body which can lead to illness and disease.

Also, be careful of what you say about someone else.

Gossip never helps anyone  –  only say kind things.

We live so much in the past with anger, hate and/or resentment against someone we feel has hurt or wronged us.

This festers within us and also leads to illness & disease.

What is the greatest healer ????  FORGIVENESS.

We also spend a lot of time in the future with fear, worry and anxiety about what could happen. Needless waste of energy because we have no control over it anyway.

Plan, prepare and then LET GO.

5..Noise Pollution:

The constant bombardment of noise in our everyday lives activates our sympathetic nervous system and puts us in fight/flight mode.

This caused tremendous stress, affecting our entire being.

Options:

(a)  Schedule some quiet time.

(b)  Noise on the job – wear ear plugs.

(c ) Limit time on our devices .

(d)  Turn them off at night.

ENERGY

We are energy, we are energy beings. Quantum physics states that everything is energy. Energy shapes the physical body; but the mind/ consciousness overrides this physical body, this is a physical reality.

If our consciousness is not in harmony, our health is not in harmony.

Actually, ⅔ of all healing is based on the mind; or, I should say, what the mind believes.

So, doesn’t it make sense to create positivity/good health in our minds rather than negativity/ill health.

A positive belief or a negative belief, one is just as powerful as the other, but has opposite effects.  The choice is ours

We are creating our own lives; it is up to us what we want to create.

It is our conscious mind that drives this vehicle, this body. Unfortunately, we are rarely in the present; we are usually in the past or the future, as I stated a little earlier.

We need to make a conscious effort to be mindful, and create positive, healthy thoughts and actions.

When we are in a negative state of mind, it zaps our energy, and this energy is vital for healing.

Healing is returning this vital energy to our bodies.

So, how can we bring more Energy into our bodies?

We can do this by tapping into Source, into the Divine.

When we do our opening meditation we consciously reach up to the Divine and ask that this Energy extend down into every cell or our bodies. This Energy is what is called our Life Force.

We also do this when we balance our chakras, as we ask the Divine to balance our chakras, as this Life Force is coming through us, in us, and around us.

We also help to increase this energy by spending more time in nature, by doing yoga, tai chi, meditation, prayer, acts of kindness, helping the needy, good deeds, etc., etc.

The utilization of this energy is one of the most important and beneficial modalities we can use to heal our entire being – physical, mental, emotional and spiritual, with a healthy dose of social thrown in – our holistic health.

EARTHING

Remember, everything is energy, it cannot be created or destroyed; It can only be converted from one form to another.

However, it can be added to from the outside  –  one of these sources is the earth.

The earth’s electrical energy maintains the order of our bodily functions.  

All our movements, behaviors and actions are energized by energy.

If this is so, then how can we increase this energy.

(1) Go barefoot as much as possible.

(2) Sit or lie on the ground.

(3) Connect with nature any way you can.

(4) Walk on grassy areas rather than asphalt.

(5) Sit with your back against a tree and visualize the energy of the tree coming up through your feet & legs, through your perineum into your very self.

(6) When walking in the woods, reach out and touch the branches of a tree and visualize its energy coming into you.

XXX   Intention and visualization have great powers.  XXX

BONE HEALTH

Bone is a living tissue that is composed of materials that keep our bones alive and healthy.

Every year about 10% of our bones will turn over.

In order for this to take place, we need to replace these materials.

—The process of bone formation requires a constant supply of nutrients, including minerals, calcium (MCHC), magnesium, phosphorus, vit. D3 plus K2/MK7 which is a form of vit. K that increases bone mineral density and promotes bone quality and strength. Check with your doctor before taking vit. K2.

—Trace minerals are also needed for this process  –  iron, zinc, boron, copper, selenium, and manganese plus fatty acids.  If you eat a healthy diet with lots of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds and lean protein you should be able to get most of the nutrients needed to keep your bones healthy and functioning well.

—Estrogen is the necessary bone building hormone, and when we lose estrogen, we lose bone.

80% of those with osteoporosis are women and largely they are menopausal women.

— A healthy diet for the body is also healthy for the bones.

Eat whole foods.  Avoid preservatives, dyes,sugar, soft drinks and diet drinks. It can also be helpful to avoid gluten and dairy.

The kidneys are energetically closely related to the bones.

Foods that are helpful for the kidneys are dark in color, like dark green leafy vegetables, black radishes, red beans and various other beans.

— Exercise is extremely important to healthy & strong bones.

90-95% of falls in the elderly result in fractures.

Strengthening your muscles and improving your balance decrease your risk of falls. Besides walking and regular exercises, the bones need resistance and strengthening exercises. These types of exercises are essential for maintaining healthy bones.

— Remember, everything is energy, even the bones.

The energy of the kidneys and adrenal glands regulate your low back, knees and all of your bones.

So, gently tap and do circular motions around the kidney area.

Also, pat your low back, down the back of your legs, up the inside of your legs, up to your belly.

— Sleep – you need 7-8 hours of quality sleep each night.

— Healthy breathing techniques.

— Avoid or limit all toxins especially EMF’s

—Social connection. People who have a strong social connection have been shown to be healthier and recover faster after an injury or illness.

— Healthy posture. Depending on how well your skeleton is aligned , will depend on how well the ongoing ground forces and the forces of gravity are stimulating your bones. Mindfully and gently align your spine every day.

— Avoid medications that are harmful to bone health such as acid blockers, antidepressants, prednisone and various other medications.

FRACTURE PROOF YOUR HOME:

Remove throw rugs, install appropriate handrails, fix broken steps, remove obstacles in pathways, provide adequate lighting.