Ah, here it comes again – January and the beginning of the “Season of Guilt“, as my friend Mary calls it – is here.

Whether you believe it or not, stressing yourself out due to weight gain, weight loss, etc., can lead to feeling guilty about gaining those 5-7 lbs (on the average) during the holidays.

So  what do you do about it??  Don’t kick the cat or strangle the dog since they didn’t have anything to do with what you put in your mouth at the parties.  In fact, if you’ve continued to walk the dog or chase the cat, you might have staved off some of those lbs and maintained your weight.

Made the usual New Years’ Resolutions did you?   Ok, now let’s see if they are reasonable and do-able…. But before I go there, I’d love you to check out Mary’s Tip of the Week  for the New Year:  http://aweber.com/b/1lHSF.

If you’re still laughing and/or planning a leap from the nearest chair in your red undies,  please read on.  There’s a method to this madness.

First, forget the guilt thing, it’s mind over matter and your mind does matter!  Oh, yes, it’s also exercising a little “won’t power” which involves thought and planning (yeah, you gotta DO something to make it work).

Speaking of exercising, just about 30 minutes a day of doing something that resembles exercise – like stretching and some dancing can benefit your whole psyche as well as your body.   If every day doesn’t work, go for at least 3 -4 days/week – and don’t chastise yourself if you miss a day (the guilt thing again).

If you can, take a hike – somewhere in the sun.  It’s good for grabbing some vitamin D and will refresh your soul as well.   (BTW, there’s more to this on the effects of Vitamin D on cancer and other disease prevention coming soon).

Run with the dog – outside and dance around the block.  The neighbors will wonder what you’re up to and smile as you go by.  If you can get the cat to run let me know how you do it…

While you’re gathering rays, you’re boosting your immune system, which has probably been sugared to death in the past month and needs to be cleaned out or cleansed as we say in the preventive care industry.  It’s that circulating system that helps keep you from “catching colds” or other nasty dis-eases of the season that you want to boost.

So clearing out the sweets and the lingering fats is a great idea whose time has come.   This will help get your immune system on track again and let you get through the winter in good shape, feeling good about yourself and others.

The food you eat becomes your skin, your nails, hair, eyes, teeth, organs, etc. and gets re-newed every year.     Get the picture?

Now, about those resolutions, or re-solutions as they are called…  A good buddy of mine once said to make a new start at this time of year and followed it with some suggestions that I’ll list below.

Think of NEWSTART  as an acronym, so each letter gives you part of the new start:

N – Nutrition, MOST  IMPORTANT Are you “digging your grave with your  teeth”?   Who and what you are comes from the food you eat.

E – Exercise, moves fluids through the body, gives flexibility & stamina. Whether it’s walking, dancing, yoga, stretching, choose a form you’ll stick with for at least 3 days /week.

W – Water, We are 70% water, The brain is 90% water.  WE NEED WATER. Drink at least 6-8 glasses /day, add lemon or orange juice and DRINK.

S – Sunshine, full spectrum light helps balance the body,  it’s the best source of vitamin D, and supplementing D can help your immune system.

T – Toxins, Cleanse your system of toxins; read ALL labels, check your cosmetics, toothpaste, shampoos etc. for chemical additives, preservatives and especially plastics and BPAs.  Get a stainless steel water bottle…

A – Air, Breathe deeply of fresh clean air whenever possible.   Take deep breaths while driving, sitting, walking.  Breathing deeply helps metabolism, and your brain.

R – Rest/Relaxation, are both important to a healthy body and mind.  Sleep at least 8 hours a night, take 5-10 minute breaks from your work routine and make sure your shoulders are not up to your ears….stretch, take a “dream minute” or a laugh break.  Laughter is wonderful medicine for the soul.

T – Trust/Triune, in Spirit, the Energy of the Universe, renew your body, mind and spirit and believe in yourself and your abilities.

That’s a bunch of things to consider, so if you can choose 1 or 2 of these and begin – that first step is the toughest, and you can do it, one step at a time.  Just DO  one something differently and see what happens!

Like instead of the soda to boost your 3 pm slump, drink a glass of water with lemon or a sip a juice mixed with water.  OR  grab a piece of fresh fruit and chomp on it slowly until each bite is liquified, then swallow.

May not sound like a major step at first, but watch what happens within a week of changing just one thing at a time.

Health is much more than the absence of disease…it’s vitality & energy to keep going all day and half the night.  Its KNOWING that you have the energy reserves and endurance to accomplish your goals, at work or play.

Guilt serves no one.  So dig in and challenge yourself – enlist a buddy to play along with you and see who sheds the most pounds first, if that’s your goal…  and enjoy the new year and newstart.        Feedback welcomed!

Happy 2011.

HEALING FOODS AND YOU

Everyday foods and herbs and spices add flavor to your cooking and lives and  promote healthy bodies.  Here’s how:

The use of many date back 5 centuries to Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine.  Herbs are usually leaves of plants or trees – basil, bay leaf, celery leaves, chives, cilantro, dill marjoram, mint, and more.

Spices come from the rest of the plant, such as the bark (cinnamon), root (garlic, ginger, horseradish and onion), buds/flowers cloves, saffron), seeds caraway, cardamom, coriander, cumin, mustard, sesame) berry (black, cayenne, chili pepper) or fruit (allspice, anise, mace, nutmeg and paprika). Spices are usually dried.

Coming from the same plants, sometimes herbs and spices “crossover” as both herb and spice. Coriander, is known as Chinese parsley, and in the US and Mexico as Cilantro. You can buy it in fresh form and in bottles as seeds and powder. And, different parts of the plant can taste different, so their uses in foods vary.

Some more than others truly help heal. For example:

• Mushrooms control blood pressure, lower cholesterol, kill bacteria and strengthen bones- some protect against cancers
• Oranges support the immune system (vit C) combat cancer, protect your heart, straighten respiration
• Tomatoes protect the prostate, combat cancer, lower cholesterol, protect your heart
• Cinnamon is good for circulation, cold and flu dissipation

Along with spices and herbs which help make foods taste great, they feed your body and brain with nutrients that help children grow and learn and adults maintain their cognitive and digestive powers.

Herbs and spices have been used traditionally for more than 5000 years. Traditional Chinese Medicine was on of the first cultures to integrate food, nutrition and health. In specially prepared soups, dishes and beverages for medicinal benefits and sustenance ginseng is used to improve stamina, ginkgo biloba to improve cognitive abilities and memory, nutmeg for diarrhea and cinnamon for colds and flu.

Ayurveda, 5000 year old traditional medicine of India, focuses on disease prevention and health with its emphasis on diet. Using turmeric for jaundice and inflammation, basil for the heart, mace for stomach infections, cinnamon to stimulate circulation, and ginger for nausea and indigestion. Each of these herbs and spices are used for flavor and help provide the 6 tastes*, in Indian cooking.

These are just a few of the herbs and spices you can add to your foods for new flavors and health.  They are also available in health food & grocery stores and through alternative practitioners in supplemental forms.  A wonderful liquid nutritional that makes use of Ayurvedic principles and ingredients is Zrii*. It’s tasty and effective in fighting many of today’s common digestive and inflammatory ailments.

Herbs and spices contain a variety of antioxidants, and boost your immune system – some have antimicrobial effects. The oil of Oregano is anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal. Combined with saline solution it can help you prevent and soothe sinus infections and is great used in crowded places such as buses and airplanes to prevent infection.

*6 Tastes of Ayurveda:  sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent, atringent.  for foods that exemplify these tastes see my next blog post

To your good health,

Ricki McKenna, C.N., a.k.a. Mchealthy