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Welcome
to my electronic newsletter. My
mission is to help you achieve
radiant
health, harmonious emotions and joyful, passionate,
abundant living. This e-zine
provides information on how diet, attitudes, emotions,
environment, and lifestyle create your health
and happiness or lack thereof.
Every
choice
Matters
- what you choose to eat, think, feel, and believe;
how you relate to others; your life's work; and the rhythm
of your life all impact your well-being. If some
aspect of your health or life is not working, 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 inner work such
as Attitudinal Healing which will positively impact
every aspect of your health and life. Or some
coaching on work-life balance can bring you back to
equilibrium. It doesn’t
matter
where you begin. Now is the best time to make new
choices that will create a healthier reality.
Spring:
Beginnings and Clearing Out the Old
Do
you associate spring house cleaning and getting rid of
the old stuff with this time of year? It's time to
do the same for your body, mind and emotions, and to
lighten up your diet, making gradual shifts from the
heavier foods of winter to lighter fare.
Spring represents birth, beginnings and rapid growth in
nature and in yourself. Nature is more expansive
and active during this season. Your mental
outlook, emotional state, and physical health flow with
the cycles of nature. Smooth seasonal transitions
are crucial to your wellness and tend to be times when
many people experience more intensity in chronic health
conditions, greater stress and physical difficulty.
How well you transition through the seasons is a good
indicator of how balanced your health is.
It's Liver Season
According to the wisdom of Traditional Chinese
Medicine, , each season relates to specific organs
in the body and corresponding emotions. The
liver and its complementary organ, the gall bladder,
are related to the spring season. Following
nutritional practices that improve the health of
these organs will help you flow healthfully into
this season.
The liver stores and distributes nourishment for the
entire body; is involved in the formation and
breakdown of blood; and filters unusable materials
(toxins) from the blood. Liver cells make bile
which aids digestion, and stores bile in the gall
bladder to be used in the intestines for the
breakdown of fats, and enhancing the ability of
small intestines to absorb fatty acids.
Tendons, muscles, and ligaments are ruled by the
liver. Other related liver disharmonies
include visual abnormalities--cataracts, glaucoma,
inflamed, red or dry eyes, and night blindness.
Swellings and lumps in the body and migraine
headaches are also symptoms of a stagnant liver.
The liver stores and purifies blood, and when the
liver is stagnant, blood purification can be
inadequate, leading to the release of toxins through
the skin. Impure blood is the cause of acne,
eczema, carbuncles, boils, acidosis and allergies.
Toxic blood feeds all degenerative conditions,
including arthritis and cancer. Hormonal
balance is regulated by the liver, and many
menstrual and menopausal difficulties are rooted in
a stagnant liver.
Emotions are regulated by the liver--everything from
mood swings to depression. This will be
addressed in the Mental/Emotional section below.
Causes of Liver Imbalances
Some of
the causes of liver imbalances are excesses of many
types, including rich, fatty, greasy food, hormones
and other drugs in meat and dairy products,
chemicals, intoxicants, denatured food, and
unexpressed and repressed emotions. Spring is
a good time to lighten up these excesses. Your
eating habits of one season are reflected in your
health during the next season. During the
winter months it's natural to eat more salt, fat and
heavier, warming foods. If you're continuing to emphasize these foods as we
transition to spring, you'll experience much
discomfort.
Think Green for a Healthy Liver
The
color of spring is green. Incorporating green
plants in the diet will put you in harmony with the
season and with balanced health.
Choosing foods with the expansive qualities of
spring--fresh greens and sprouts will help eliminate
excesses from the heavier eating and cooking of
winter.
Include
fresh dandelions, watercress, kale, and other hard,
dark, leafy greens, lightly steamed. Use
leeks, scallions, chives, parsley and asparagus.
It's helpful to include high chlorophyll products
such as chlorella, algae, wheatgrass, barley grass, spirulina, or
Vitamineral greens (my favorite). Green foods
are beneficial because they clear stagnancy and cool
heat in the liver. They offset stress from
alcohol and drugs, reduce cholesterol, cleanse the
arteries, detoxify the liver, and have antioxidant
properties.
Adding
sprouts and other raw foods are beneficial for their
cleansing and cooling properties. Daikon
radish and red radish are helpful for clearing liver
stagnation as are peppermint tea and small amounts
of sassafras tea. The whole grains, barley and Job's
Tears (also called Hato Mugi) are cooling and
cleansing for the liver and should be emphasized
during this season.
Emphasize the Sour Taste
The
sour flavor is most active in the liver where it
counteracts the effects of rich, greasy food.
It functions as a solvent by breaking down fats and
protein. Sour helps in digestion to dissolve
minerals for improved assimilation and can help
strengthen weakened lungs. In spring it's
appropriate to emphasize some sour foods such as
lemon, lime, grapefruit, sauerkraut, vinegar,
naturally fermented pickles, plums, strawberries,
raspberries, blackberries, huckleberries,
rhubarb, tart apples, and sourdough bread.
Sprouted grains and sprouted breads are also
classified as sour.
Increasing the above foods can help correct physical
and emotional imbalances related to the liver.
Of course it's equally important to minimize fatty,
heavy, congesting foods and to eliminate intoxicants
and chemicals. Doing so will give you the
vitality to enjoy all the activities of the warmer
seasons.
Spring Cleaning for the Body
We
associate this season with spring cleaning and
clearing out the old. We purge our homes of
clutter, dirt, dust, and toxins, and it's time to do
the same for our body and mind. Because of
environmental factors, spring and fall are the most
auspicious times to embark on a cleanse, and there
are many approaches. Their appropriateness is
based on individual patterns, and extreme
detoxification is not recommended.
Click here for a general spring cleansing diet,
or join me on March 24 for my Spring Health Workshop
to learn how to adapt a cleansing and detoxification
program to your specific needs.
Click here
for
Workshop details. This is the first in a
series of five Workshops on seasonal health.
Cleansing and detoxification are neither appropriate
nor recommended for pregnant and lactating women;
those with serious physical and mental
degenerations; or those who are deficient, frail,
weak, or underweight.
Take Advantage of the Power of Seasonal Influences
Your body, mind, emotions and the environment are
not separate and are mimicking each other.
Seasonal changes are an opportune time to strengthen
your whole health. Take your cues from the
natural environment. When you adapt yourself
to spring transitions with appropriate foods and
practices, you will maintain good health, and
flourish as nature does.
Is Your Liver
Angry?
Emotions
are an expression of qi (pronounced chee).
Emotions are stored physically as residues in the liver.
When the liver is overloaded its energy becomes
stagnant. That energy seeks release and is often
expressed through extreme emotional states.
The emotion
of the liver is anger and that could be translated as
impatience, frustration, resentment, edginess,
arrogance, stubbornness, aggression, and an impulsive or
explosive personality. These are all indicators of
liver stagnation.
It's not so
important which emotions are expressed, but that they
are not repressed. There are times when anger and
other emotions are appropriate. A healthy liver
gives us the assertive power associated with beginnings.
Repressed feelings cause damage to the liver, and a
congested liver causes strong negative emotions.
Don't underestimate the power of a whole foods seasonal
diet to create emotional harmony.
Spring is a favorable time
to work on
mental/emotional clearing
by journaling your thoughts and feelings. Include
those that you want to clear out of your life.
Emotions are often a metaphor for what you’re holding
onto in your physical body. The process of writing can
bring to your awareness thoughts and emotions that are
keeping you where you are. As these negative states
surface, stop and pay attention to them and find ways to
release them. Reflect on their positive purpose in your
life—how they’ve caused you to grow, mature, become more
forgiving, and change in other positive ways. Negative
emotional states can cause you to make poor food choices
and eventually lead to health problems.
Learn more about emotional clearing at my Spring Health
Workshop on March 24.
Your Liver Has
a Spiritual Path
The spiritual path of the liver is to cultivate
loving kindness toward everyone and everything,
including yourself. Harsh judgments and
criticism of self and others oppose your spiritual
evolution and good health.
Spring is a wonderful time to renew your
relationship with yourself by making a decision to
love and respect yourself and others. This is
done by eliminating negative
judgment, perfectionism, and living in the
past. In doing so, the miracles that are occurring
in nature will be reflected in your life. A more
radiant, vital you will soon emerge.
Vision, passion and zest for life, and honoring your
path and your unique gifts and talents are aspects
of an energetically healthy liver. Spring reflects
new beginnings and birthing the new. Exercise
your imagination to see new possibilities.
Create a new vision for your life and imagine the
best for yourself and others. Plant the mental
seeds and take steps toward your vision. Soon
it will be your reality.
What you want isn't really way out there in the
distant future. It's here for you NOW. Feelings of
passion and excitement about your life come
more easily as you establish a harmonious flow of
liver qi (chee).
The essence of the liver is flexibility, and the
capacity to flow with and adapt to change.
Many resist change and keep themselves stuck in ways
of being that are not bringing them good health and
happiness. The guiding principle in life is
that everything will change.
It’s to your advantage to cultivate the attitude
that everyday is a new opportunity.
Trust that everything works for your
greatest good. Trust is not possible unless you
have moved beyond the belief that you’re unworthy,
not good enough, and have to do it all yourself.
Forgetting your connection to the Divine makes it
harder to trust.
Focusing on your problems, worries, and fears
dissolves trust. Recognize that there is a positive
purpose for everything. Allow yourself to connect
with something that is more of you. Allow a
greater, grander version of you to emerge. Some
people try way too hard, while others do nothing to
create a better reality. Let all of your issues and
struggles, the circumstances of your life and the
people in it transform your life once and for all.
Spring presents the perfect opportunity for new
beginnings.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Practical Spirituality
is about learning to
live with joy rather than struggle;
change difficult situations for the better; reverse negative
attitudes and patterns; deflect negative people and situations;
improve health conditions; and create a peaceful, passionate,
abundant life. Available as an e-course,
Click Here,
or in individual counseling sessions. Call
412.421.7760 to schedule a
complementary 30-minute session.
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Green
Products
for a
healthy
liver
(and
much
more)
My
favorite
green products
are
Vitamineral
Greens
and
Spirulina.
These
are
organic
and
helpful
for
blood
sugar
imbalances,
obesity,
overeating;
and
building
and
enriching
the
blood
Click
here
for
details
and
ordering.
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-
Spring into Health (includes detox info) - March 24
-
Creating Healthy Metabolism - April 24
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Shrink Your Belly - April 4
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Understanding Cravings and Addictions - April 14
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Menopause, Naturally
- April 28
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Conflicting Intentions
(Self Sabotage)
April 10 and 17
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Deborah Barr is available to present
a variety of presentations or workshops to your organization or
company in half-day or multiple session workshops, or
60-90 minute presentation. These can be
customized to meet the needs of your group. Send an email to
deborah@wholehealthresources.com
or call 412.421.770
for information.
CLICK HERE for a complete listing of all
presentation topics.
Counseling utilizes dietary
therapy, attitudinal healing and herbal/supplement
guidance. Programs are customized based on your health
condition, constitutional strengths and weaknesses,
age, and lifestyle. Coaching will guide you toward
clarity in your thinking, empower you to remove
obstacles and make changes necessary to reach your
goals, teach you creative problem solving, and give
you accountability in an environment where you are
fully listened to in a non-judgmental way.
FREE initial session
(30 minutes) can be done by phone or in my
Pittsburgh office. Offer expires April 21, 2007. Call
412.421.7760 or send an email to
health@wholehealthresources.com
to schedule.
CLICK HERE
for Counseling/Coaching, and
Attitudinal Healing information.
Nearly 50% of my clients are
long distance. We have sessions by phone and
recommendations are sent via email. Support is
given in between sessions.
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Deborah Barr, 25-year Holistic Health
Counselor/Coach, speaker, and author, works with
clients who want to reverse weight and health
issues; achieve emotional harmony, radiant health,
passion, peaceful living, work-life balance, and a
life they love. She has received Professional
training in Traditional Chinese Medicine with an
emphasis on Nutritional Therapy, Whole Foods
Cooking, Oriental Diagnosis, Herbal Medicine, and
Shiatsu; Macrobiotics; Attitudinal Healing, Yoga and
Spiritual Development, Reflexology, and
Aromatherapy. In 1985 she founded
Whole Health
Resources, the premier Holistic Health
Center in Pittsburgh. WHR’s mission is to promote
the healing and development of body, mind and
spirit, and to teach an understanding of the
relationship between diet, attitudes, lifestyle and
wellness. She offers free help through her 2 e-zines,
Natural Weight Loss™,
and
Whole Health Matters™, and free
articles at
www.wholehealthresources.com. She can be
reached at
412.421.7760.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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©Deborah Barr, 2007. All rights reserved. The content
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