Newsletter, July 2005

July's Health Tip - A Review

Time constraints don't allow me to research and write a new Health Tip this month. Instead, I will take this opportunity to do a review of past health tips. There has been a lot of material covered in the last two years and the following is an easy way to access some of the health topics that may be of interest to you.

Looking over all my health tips, they seem to fall into three general categories. I would label these "Inner Care," "Outer Care" and "Allies". "Inner Care" examines our attitudes, emotions, beliefs and personal history, along with the role these play on the inner dynamics of health. "Outer Care" explores the way our body functions and addresses issues of positive habits and lifestyle choices that support healthy living. "Allies" looks at a few of the many wonderful foods and herbs abundantly provided by nature to benefit our health.

Inner Care:

My first health tip in June 2003, was entitled "Focus and Anxiety." Anxiety cripples many people and this tip provides an introduction to safe ways of activating our courage and facing this debilitating emotion. Knowing that it is impossible to be focused and anxious at the same time, I suggest a simple exercise which is a powerful tool for integrating our anxious energy.

"Addiction Free" in August 2003, encourages a minor change of perception in dealing with compulsive behaviour that can yield substantial results. Because addiction is often rooted in a wounding or a loss of something precious, it becomes important to emphasize what we have to gain from confronting compulsive behaviour rather than what we have to lose, quit or stop.

September 2003's health tip is entitled "Pain's Message" and it encourages us to change our attitude towards pain. Pain alerts us and calls us to body awareness. Ignoring pain by way of medication is like ignoring a problem with our car by way of disconnecting a warning light flashing on the dashboard. The annoying warning is gone but the problem persists.

The first health tip for 2004 suggests that we find ways to integrate our true heart's desire into our day to day lives. "Honouring Our Dreams" is not an all or nothing piece of advice but rather an encouragement to open a dialogue between our dreams and the fears that deny their possibility.

"Learn to Live" is the health tip for September 2004. Learning, just like breathing, is a vital part of life. Our minds thrive on learning and any effort made in this direction activates and opens neurological pathways full of new potential.

Have you had a good laugh lately? December 2004's "Laugh for Health," outlines all the latest benefits being associated with having a good sense of humour and reminds us to not take ourselves too seriously.

Learn to Live / September 2004

Last April's health tip is on "Emotional Health." This health tip encourages awareness of our emotional life and a respect for its importance. Optimum health cannot be achieved unless we accept and integrate all aspects of our being. The tendency to ignore, negate or belittle our emotions will inevitably inhibit us from fully expressing who we are.

Outer Care:

"Choosing a Health Practitioner" was the health tip for July 2003. Whenever we need to turn to someone for help in terms of our health, we have a right to a sense of being supported, of being treated with respect, of being empowered and of gaining knowledge and awareness of the workings of our bodies. After visiting a health practitioner, we should be moving in that direction and not towards dependency, blind trust and submission. Ultimately, we are the ones who will have to live with all decisions made in regards to our health.

For October 2003, I addressed the issue of body armouring with the health tip "The Body Remembers." My ongoing massage studio experience truly confirms that the body does in fact remember and speaks its mind loud and clear. Our life story with its joys, past trauma and emotional coping is all written in the book that is our body. Massage, Yoga and Tai Chi are just a few suggested activities that can help us not only with the tension we hold in our body but also to remember (re-member) a time when our body was vital, excited, vibrant and free.

Please Touch / February 2004

"Please Touch" was a sweet Valentine story for 2004. It illustrates both the power of touch and the value of trusting our instincts, as shown in the case of the maternity ward nurse who saved a new-born's life by placing her twin sister in her incubator.

The following month I continued the theme of touch with "Skin is Alive" for March 2004. Skin is a living, breathing organ taking in oxygen, moisture, nutrients and discharging carbon dioxide, waste and toxins. It is our body's largest organ. With summer upon us, it especially needs and deserves our special care and attention.

We all know that exercise is good for us. Read May 2004's health tip "Walk On" and find out how true this is. Not only do we benefit physically from a daily walk but our mental, emotional and spiritual state improves as well. Walking can help with foul moods and depression. By clearing the mind, it can also help with improving a cherished relationship and can even contribute to the achievement of personal goals or the attainment of personal prosperity.

A year later, in May 2005, I wrote "Maximizing Your Massage," a health tip meant to address ways in which my clients (or anyone else receiving a massage) can get the most out of their experience. Some of the "quiet the mind" exercises suggested here, can be used while receiving a massage but can also be of great use in many day to day events.

Last month's health tip, "Healthy Eyes" is an introduction to the way our eyes function. It is also a call to awareness of the value of our eyes, of the need to care for them and of the ways available to prevent unnecessary damage. My husband tells me that after following some of the suggestions made here, he no longer has symptoms of dry eyes. This, in spite of the fact that he was told by a medical "expert," that dry eyes was a result of ageing and could not in any way be helped.

Allies:

There are six health tips in this category. My husband and I have first hand experience with all the suggestions made here and find that we've had some "noticeable" positive improvements to our health.

Stinging Nettle in November 2003, Red Clover in April 2004 and Dandelion in July 2004 are the three herbs featured as health tips. Each health tip outlines the particular benefits derived from each herb. While most of us are familiar with drinking herbal teas, the most potent, inexpensive and easily accessible way of using these herbs is by way of tea infusions. A herbal tea infusion involves letting the herb sit for a period of four or more hours in water that has been boiled. If you are going to use any of these herbs on an ongoing basis, make sure to consult a physician. This is especially important, if you are pregnant, nursing, on medication or suffering from an ongoing health problem.

Ginger is featured in December 2003's health tip entitled "Ginger Aid." We make our own "Ginger Ale" by cutting up some organic ginger and letting it steep for four or more hours in water that was boiled. We then pour half a glass of the infusion and fill the rest of the glass with Perrier or some other carbonated water. A teaspoon of honey can be added as well. This is a great drink after a heavy meal.

Ginger Aid / December 2003

Summertime is the perfect season to try my August 2004 health tip; "Recipe for Health." With fresh vegetables now available at local farms or at the Farmer's Market, this raw food recipe is a delicious, potent, health and energy booster. Your body will thank you for making it.

I placed "Good Fats / Bad Fats" from November 2004 in this "Allies" category because I wanted to emphasize how important healthy fats are to our health and how they need to be readily available in our diet. We not only need beneficial fats, but they may also contribute to controlling weight problems. The "Bad Fats" side of this newsletter urges us to caution when buying foods containing "Trans Fats" or hydrogenated oils. It was interesting to me that later in the month of November 2004, after writing this newsletter, Health Canada announced a task force to study ways to reduce trans fats in the Canadian diet. A motion was also passed in Parliament banning trans fats in our processed food.

A Reminder:

Do not forget that while you can read my health tips directly on my web site, I have written a book entitled Inner Care, which is a compilation of ten of my health tips revised and expanded. Inner Care sells for $15 and makes a wonderful gift for anyone interested in optimum health. Inner Care is available by contacting me directly or by can be purchased by credit card using our PayPal shopping cart. Visit our Products' Web Site - Inner Guidance Page by clicking here.

"...Every heart sings a song incomplete, until another heart whispers back. Those who wish to sing, always find a song..."

Plato
Classical Greek Philosopher

"...Let the beauty we love be what we do. There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground..."

Rumi
13th. Century Persian Mystical Poet

Cedar Creek Estate Winery

With so many wineries in the Kelowna area, it's difficult to choose which one to feature in this section of the newsletter. Cedar Creek Estate Winery certainly has made that choice easier. Family owned and operated since 1986, the winery operates under the guiding principles of "Respect the Land," "Honour Tradition," and "Pursue Perfection." With a dining patio, wine shop, deli, vineyard theatre, beautifully kept gardens, wine tasting and winery tours, Cedar Creek has so much to offer its visitors.

Visit their site and plan your next visit by taking a virtual tour of their facilities. If you plan to have lunch you can find out what is on the menu here. Don't forget to check their events calendar for times and dates of their upcoming Sunset Concerts.

Contact Information for Cedar Creek Estate Winery:

5445 Lakeshore Road
Kelowna, BC
V1W 4S5

click here for map

(250) 764-8866

www.cedarcreek.bc.ca

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