Welcome to WholeHealth Resources

October, 2002

Welcome to the premier edition of our online e-newsletter. Our mission at Whole Health Resources is to help you achieve radiant health and passionate, abundant living. We will provide information on the relationship between diet, attitudes, lifestyle and well-being. Every life has meaning and passionate, radiant, healthy living is a possibility for all of us. Many are experiencing barriers to this ideal. It is our mission to help you remove those barriers. The foundation of our philosophy is Holistic and based on the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Attitudinal Healing. This e-newsletter will offer articles and tips for our physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and lifestyle aspects. The contents do not serve as a substitute for professional health care.

All of our choices Matter—what we choose to eat, think, feel, and believe; how we relate to others; our life’s work; and the rhythm of our life all impact our well-being. If some aspect of your health or life is not working as well as you would like, you have many options. Incorporating therapeutic foods will benefit not only your body, but also your mind, emotions, and spirit. Perhaps you’re more drawn to spiritual work such as meditation or attitudinal healing which will positively impact every aspect of your health and life. Or perhaps some coaching on work-life balance can bring you back to equilibrium. It doesn’t matter where you begin. Fall is one of the best times to make new choices that will create a healthier reality.

Our Health and the Seasons

Have you noticed the relationship between the seasons and your personal health? As humans we are part of nature. Our mental outlook, emotional state and physical health flow with the cycles of nature. How well we transition through the seasons gives us many clues as to how balanced our health is. Smooth seasonal transitions are crucial to our wellness and tend to be times when many experience more intensity in chronic health conditions. As we enter into the Autumn season, nature is contracting and moving its energy inward. It’s time for us to draw inward and focus the more outward energies of the summer season. It is also a time of harvest. The more “in balance” we are, the bigger our personal harvest will be. When we adapt ourselves to seasonal changes it is easy to maintain good health. Seasonal changes are an opportune time to work on our “whole” health.

Conditions related to Autumn

The Autumn season impacts the lungs and large intestine. Colds, sinus problems, lung ailments (including allergies and asthma), digestive problems, skin conditions, weakness in the arms, flaccid biceps, weak abdominal muscles, pain and/or weakness in the thumb and index fingers, rounded shoulders, (as though carrying the weight of the world on one’s shoulders) are some common imbalances that are prevalent during this season. On a mental/emotional level, if there is an imbalance in these organs, these qualities will be more pronounced: indecisiveness, lethargy, depression, inability to see positive solutions and move beyond adversity; self-blame, not-good-enough syndrome, unresponsive, indifferent and negative, ineffective, isolation, self-destructive, and overly self-protective. These symptoms are caused by dietary imbalances, excessive or insufficient activity, climate, and/or organ malfunction.

Most dry conditions are exacerbated during this season and are related to the lungs—dry skin and throat, itchiness, excessive thirst. Even more common are conditions caused by an excess of mucus forming fluids. This creates problems in the lungs by inhibiting the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide. When too much moisture or mucus collects in the lungs, these gases cannot pass freely. Milk and dairy products cause a lot of mucus in the respiratory system as does fruit. Too much mucus in the tissues of the lungs makes them susceptible to inflammation and hypersensitive to the effects of irritants in the air. Mucus traps harmful pollutants allowing them to accumulate rather than be excreted. Each case must be individualized; however, some general guidelines are listed below.

Exercise and activities that promote higher oxygen levels in the blood will make one feel more alert and positive. Raising oxygen levels also allows the brain to function better and promotes a positive mental outlook. Try yoga, tai chi or qigong. Brisk walking, hiking, or riding a bike outdoors are helpful. These all improve lung health and help to eliminate some of the above symptoms.

Foods to Emphasize

Pungent foods help clear mucus in the lungs and intestines. They include onions, garlic, turnip, ginger, cabbage, horseradish, radish, daikon, small amounts of hot peppers and chilies, seaweeds, flaxseed. Pungent cooking herbs include basil, fennel, marjoram, rosemary, caraway, dill and bay leaf. The rich beta-carotene content of golden-orange and dark green vegetables helps protect these organs. They include carrot, winter squash, broccoli, parsley, kale, mustard greens, watercress, and wheat or barley grass. High fiber foods help to cleanse the colon and lungs and whole grains are the best source, including brown rice, barley, quiona and millet. For dry conditions use seaweed, peaches, pears, apples, string beans soy milk, tofu, tempeh, rice syrup, flaxseed, organic butter or ghee, organic eggs, oysters, clams; minimize bitter and sour foods, and eliminate dehydrating substances such as coffee, alcohol and cigarettes. There are many herbs that can clear these conditions (without negative side effects) and a qualified herbal practitioner should be consulted for recommendations.

Fall Cleanse

A 3-5 day cleansing diet of simple, easy to digest foods can help bring us back to balance. Eat only whole grains, cooked vegetables and Fall Renewal Soup. Click here for recipe. Start the day with warm lemon water and drink plenty of liquids including water and herbal teas. Chew well to alkalize the food, sit down and eat in a relaxed way, and avoid eating after 6 p.m.

This is a season of "letting go" and many have much resistance to releasing habits and choices that no longer serve their highest good. Often this is because we are too focused on what we are losing. Why not keep your attention on what you have to gain. Get excited about it. Fantasize about the new positives you are bringing into your life as a result of releasing the old. Exercise your imagination in positive ways. "Holding on" is often reflected in the bowels, and constipation is your body’s way of letting you know you are holding on to things mentally or in your life that need to be released. Releasing emotional attachments is vital to lung and large intestinal health. Grief and sorrow are the emotions associated with these organs. These states congest the lungs. When they are identified, expressed and transformed, repression is cleared. Appropriate diet can assist in clearing grief.

There is within all of us an inherent nature that is instinctive and has all the answers we are seeking. Our awareness of that aspect intensifies it. So, why not turn down the volume of your mind for 5-15 minutes a day. Sit quietly and allow that intuitive part of you to emerge. Focus on your breathing and ignore any thoughts that come. Quieting the mind allows a certain kind of knowledge to come to us which cannot be accessed through our typical ways of thinking. This receptive state may be foreign to our active, thinking, problem-solving way of being. However, with consistency of this practice, often problems seem to take care of themselves, stress dissolves, productivity and performance improve and much more.

Cultivate friendships with people who are positive, enthusiastic, caring, and trustworthy. Be that kind of friend to others. Learn to communicate effectively and lovingly and practice this art. Let go of anything that is not feeding you in a positive way. This may mean toxic thoughts, beliefs, people or external clutter in the home or workplace. Doing so will help you harmonize with the autumn season and improve your health.

"Nutrition counseling can make a difference in the health of high-risk patients." American Journal of Preventive Medicine 9.25.02.

"Daily consumption of whole grains has been associated in a number of studies with reductions in risk for ischemic stroke, coronary artery disease, and type 2 diabetes." American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 8.23.02.

"After only a few weeks of following your recommendations I feel 100% better. I am no longer short-tempered or miserable and my emotions are more even. My muscles aren’t as tense, my sleep is better, and I am not waking up tired as I used to. I no longer need to take a nap and my energy has improved significantly. I lost 5-10 pounds and am eating more than I used to." Georgeanne Y. Pittsburgh, 9.10.02

Holistic Stress Strategies -- Want to learn simple techniques for transforming the stresses, conflicts and problems of modern day living into joyful, peaceful, abundant and healthy lives? Learn to condition your mind, understand your emotions, and nourish, strengthen and grow your spirit. This workshop will discuss the healing power of food and includes many creative processes for dissolving stress. Improved health, inner peace, increased creativity and productivity, and radiant energy are a few of the benefits.

Deborah Barr is available to present Holistic Stress Strategies to your organization or company in a half-day or multiple session workshop. Call 412.421.770 or send an email to health@wholehealthresources.com for details. CLICK HERE for a complete listing of all presentation topics.

Practical Spirituality, October 6; Working With Past Lives, November 2; Introduction to Meditation begins October 26; Qigong & Taiji, Sundays ongoing; Lunchtime Yoga begins November 4; all evening yoga classes are full until December; however, we would be happy to put together a class for your group. We also give individual yogatherapy sessions. Natural Weight Loss Workshop dates will be announced soon. CLICK HERE for class details..

Is there anything in your life that you would like to improve? Are you suffering with health, weight, or lifestyle problems? Have you accepted as normal problems that you know can be changed? For over 20 years I have been helping clients achieve renewed health, vital energy, weight loss, passionate living, a nourishing lifestyle, and inner peace with my unique "whole person" approach.

My background is in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Holistic Health, and Attitudinal Healing. CLICK HERE for Complete Bio I help clients make choices that will create harmonious emotions, radiant health, and joyful, abundant living. I will help you gain clarity, achieve results more quickly and easily, remove obstacles, teach you creative problem solving, and make the process of change easy and joyful. FREE initial session (30-40 minutes) can be done in my Pittsburgh office or by phone. Offer expires October 24. Call 412.421.7760 or send an email to health@wholehealthresources.com to schedule. CLICK HERE for additional Coaching information.

www.Christinacooks.com for tips and recipes for healthy living from Christina Pirello.
macroboyd@aol.com for healthy cooking classes in Pittsburgh with Heather Boyd.
www.coreu.com/relationshipcoaching/telecourse.html for attracting healthy, authentic love with relationship coach, Tom Volkar.

Coming in my November issue "Whole Health" Products.

Your comments and suggestions are welcome.
email: health@wholehealthresources.com

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