Archive for Healthy You
Hi friends,
I hope this finds you and your family healthy and your immune systems strong. Remember, what does not kill us, will make us stronger. So if you want to move in that direction, please join me for a few tips I learned throughout the years.
As a kid, I was my Mother, Dad, and my Godmother’s “guinea pig”. What they tried on us kids, they wrote about in their books, which was not always easy for us. While the rest of the kids went back to school after a couple of days of being home with the help of antibiotics, I had to fight the infection off naturally with herbs of all kinds and would be out for at least a week. What we found? Well, I did not usually get sick again for the rest of the year, while my friends that took the shorter route would often catch the same thing again a few weeks later. This is not to say there is not a time and place for antibiotics, as there most definitely is and thank goodness they can save lives. However, if you have the time and ability to work with your immune system, then by all means I invite you to do so, for in the long run this is how we get stronger.
I want to say that I have avoided giving my own daughter antibiotics thus far and although at times it takes lots of TLC, it has been bonding and ultimately a great lesson in watching her grow and strengthen.
Some obvious immune system enemies:
1. Stress – This tiresome, hard, tension-causing agent can cause restricted blood flow, high blood pressure, and 72,000 other contraindications and can lead to things like drugs, alcohol, comfort foods, smoking, and other potential dangerous life choices that can also compromise our immune systems.
2. Intoxicants and environmental toxins – These congest the body and the channels of elimination, forcing our bodies to work harder, so when we are introduced to germs, it can leave us down for the count. There is only so much we can do about what we are exposed to, but in times of sensitivity we can definitely shift what we put inside of ourselves and up the ante with our own self care. We can work even harder to keep the body clean and support it even more when we feel that it is under some pressure, traveling too much, or have been around others who are sick.
3. Change of weather – In general, the organs like to be kept warm, especially the kidneys, so try not to expose the back, chest, and/or throat to unnecessary cold or wind.
4. Dust Mites – Unused heaters and less-clean air from outside can irritate our nasal passageways and the rest of the body. We can clean the filters and keep the house clean with natural cleaning products. Right now, Meyers is my favorite with essential oils. As is our home, so are our bodies.
5. Less exercise – Not moving our bodies results in lethargy and stagnation in our systems. Moving our bodies promotes circulation, which also keeps the organs of elimination flowing and the natural process of detoxification moving.
6. Excessive holiday partying – Overeating, traveling, and other lethargic tendencies are a few more reasons that the immune system can become compromised during the change in seasons and lifestyles.
If you have a scratchy throat, are sneezing more, or feeling tired, like something could be around the corner, I recommend the following:
1. Fast on live foods and avoiding starch carbohydrates at all costs. The best is to have fresh squeezed juices and blended live soups (I gave a quick example of one on our media sections, but honestly, you can try just about anything within these definitions). Avoid dairy and wheat. They tend to create mucous that is toxic and your body will just have to do the work to eliminate it later, so you can help out by not ingesting much in the first place.
2. Eat three cloves of garlic a day. I like to put mine in dates, to soften the experience. Eat it right before going to bed, so you don’t scare away people. Do not do this all the time. In yoga this is said to create too much pitta and only needed in times of sickness.
3. Move at least 30 minutes a day at minimum. Yoga is great because you use deep twists that support internal cleanliness. Moving into the nadis/channels can help please the path for the lymph nodes to remain clear and the glands to feel supported.
4. ra’yoKa is a great option because so much of it’s focus is on the core and balance, which tones and puts focus and balance on this main area that is home to the agni/fire center of the body. This keeps the digestive fires strong and thus the organs clean and immune system strong. 80 percent of our immune system is in the cleanliness of our colon. It also works on the cardiovascular system which is good for circulation and bringing focused, non-static movement as a therapeutic benefit of yoga. If you do the levels of ra’yoKa, from Level Red all the way to Level Purple, you can align the whole body, both internally and externally.
5. Stay regular – If all else fails, you can always do an enema, which in many countries is the very first thing they do at the first sign of sickness. But start by making sure you are getting enough fiber in your food. Try flax seeds and eating plenty of fruits in the morning and vegetables the rest of the day. Of course prunes, raisins, and figs are always good choices.
6. Keep the body alkaline – Fresh squeezed juices are alkaline. Cooked juices are not and can irritate mucous. Greens should be a daily discipline, as they keep the blood in the body nourished, the chlorophyll high, and the lungs full of breath.
Great immune supports for times of need:
Raw garlic, onion, or ginger.
Thermogenic herbs such as: turmeric, clove, cayenne, cinnamon, chili powder.
Immune herbs such as: astragalus, echanachea, and goldenseal.
Backbends support the thymus gland, who’s home is in the heart and controls the immune system.
Inversions help reverse gravity and remove the toxins that can otherwise get stuck in our organs and fatty tissue.
Twists are great for detoxification.
Sweating is detoxifying, so a bath with essential oils, a sauna, or an herbal massage can also be supportive.
Blessings and may we all keep our immune systems strong during these transitory times in our lives.
Rainbeau
When we met with Rainbeau Mars, yoga spokeswoman (pictured), we were a little intimidated. She’s taken her new yoga method, Ra’yoKa, to 24 countries, and rumor has it she’s about to direct a new yoga studio with attached resto in Hollywood (owned by none other than Juliano of Raw).
Turns out she’s charming and relaxed–though her yoga method, a martial arts/yoga fusion, kicked us into the stratosphere:
It takes concentration. Like Shaolin monks, we practiced a rolling Downward Dog with feet “tennis ball distance apart.” Rising up on our heels, we tucked our chins and rolled our chests toward the floor, ending in Cobra, then reversed the movement.
It takes power. We went from basic yoga poses, like Warrior I, into kung fu-style kicks, sword-drawing moves and face blocks.
It takes balance. With Zen focus, we moved from Half-Moon Pose to standing and back, never letting our free foot touch the ground.
And we sweated. “For people who feel they can’t relax, this is sportier,” explains Mars.
We’re over the moon for it.
Want to try? Check out Mars’ free, at-home workout guide here, book a private session by emailing Mars here, or check out her DVDs.
