from
Donna Lorenz
Ready or not, it is all too apparent that the holiday season is closing in fast. Remember the healthy lifestyle checklist from the last newsletter? Well, by the time the postal service gets around to delivering this issue to you (ah, the benefits of bulk mail!), Thanksgiving dinner and holiday parties will be challenging your willpower as well as your digestive system, and the idea of "taking time" to do anything but hustle and bustle will be laughable at best. So here are some survival tips to help support (if not rescue) your digestive system, nervous system, immune system and perhaps even your sanity.
Food Enzymes are a must for this season of over-indulgence. If you can, carry some with you to those dinners and parties where you either can't or choose not to make the best food choices. After-the-fact, it's Papaya Mints, Catnip and Fennel, or Stomach Comfort to the rescue. Speaking of over-indulgence, of food or drink (or both!), the homeopathic remedy Nux Vomica (as in I feel like I am going to vomit!) can really help to settle things down.
Anyone with children can attest to the fact that the holiday season coincides with the onset of cold and flu season. Remember how fast the sparkling eyes reflecting holiday magic can become a glassy, feverish gaze? Essential oils to the rescue-or better yet, to the interception
Aside from being relaxing, uplifting, and stimulating, essential oils can also be anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and stimulating to the immune system. Their properties are many, and by choosing the appropriate oils you can enhance your internal and external environment, thereby lowering your risk factors. If you are doing any entertaining, set up your essential oil burner. The glow of a tea light is festive, and your choice of scents can further enhance the ambience. A Healthy Alternative favorite for this time of year is a blend of some peppermint and lemon oils. They smell great, will protect against airborne germs and our tea lights burn for at least 5 hours-long enough to outlast your guests!
If you are going out, you can effectively take your essential oil benefits with you. Valerie Graham has developed a blend called Travel Insurance, designed to combat airborne germs in airplane travel, and other close, crowded environments. Put a drop or two on the bottom of your feet as you are dressing to go out, and literally carry your protection with you. (The capillaries on the bottom of your feet will carry the benefits of the oil into your bloodstream.)
My last survival tip is Rescue Remedy, the ultimate rescue for all reasons and seasons. It is a must have for any type stress, anxiety, tension, or just plain "bad attitude." Carry it in your pocket or purse; put a few drops on your wrist before (or after!) you "lose your cool." Add 4 drops to your water bottle to sip "on the run." Use it with your children when they get over-stimulated or when expectations exceed reality. Put a few droppersful in a small spray bottle with spring water and "mist" the air before family and guests arrive to ease any tension. Above all, take a deep breath of it yourself before you open the door! Wishing you good food, good company, good health and good humor this holiday season.
Food For Thought:
My dad has always said, "keep your chin up." Whenever things weren't going "right," or I faced some kind of challenge he would say it. I never really gave it much thought-"keep your chin up." It seemed to be intended as words of encouragement, though I never really thought much about what it really meant, until recently. Now this saying has a whole new meaning for me, and I would like to share it with you.
After the shootings at Columbine, I remember seeing an interview with the mother of one of the victims. At a time when so many parents in the same situation were either venting their anger or being consumed by their sorrow-and understandably so, this woman was conveying peace and gratitude. In the depth of her sorrow, instead of hanging her head and closing her eyes in pain, she felt compelled to look up, skyward, as she prayed for some sign that her daughter was at peace. As her head rose, her gaze caught sight of an eagle soaring above her. At that instant, she knew that her daughter was fine, and she was ever grateful that she had chosen to lift her chin, enabling her to receive this answer to her prayer, this gift. At that instant she vowed always to "keep her chin up," to keep looking for the good, the gifts that each day, that each experience holds. Her sorrow was not going to diminish the joy that her daughter's life had given to her; her sorrow was not going to weigh her down.
A few weeks ago, I was having a conversation with Michael Stillwell, creator of Visionary Expressions greeting cards. He was sharing some of his stories of "coincidence" and how his paintings were inspired. Somehow "keep your chin up," became the subject. He told me how he remembers long ago hearing that "...the best thing to get off of your chest is your chin." This saying for him has encouraged him and enabled him to see things that he never would have otherwise seen. Anyone who has viewed his work can't help but notice an intensity and depth that goes beyond the images.
I think I'm going to ask my dad what he means when he says, "keep your chin up." Then again, maybe I won't. It doesn't really matter. Maybe I'll just thank him for imprinting that phrase in my brain. After all these years, I finally "get it." I do make a conscious effort now to "keep my chin up." Each opportunity, no matter how brief it may be, to witness the colors of the sky, to look for pictures in the clouds or to see a hummingbird hover, takes me away from my concerns of the moment. I am filled with wonder and gratitude and somehow renewed.
Especially at this time of year, I hope that you, too, will "keep your chin up." Watch for your "eagle." Your soul will soar and your spirits will rise!
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Jacqueline Sharlup... "The Choice is Yours"
Good News for all of my clients who are following the guidelines of the blood type food program, or those who are simply looking for a healthy alternative at meal time!
Jacqueline Sharlup is a graduate of the Natural Gourmet Cookery School in Manhattan, and owner and operator of "The Choice is Yours," a personalized chef and meal delivery service here on Long Island.
Recognizing a need for quick, but healthy prepared foods that fit in with our busy lifestyles, Jackie has developed recipes for tasty and healthy (what a concept!) burgers and soups, according to the beneficial and neutral food lists for each blood type. For quick lunches, dinner in-a -flash, or for those times that you just don't feel like actually making dinner, but want to eat something nutritious, soup and sandwich fare can be right in your freezer! In less time than it would take to order out and pick it up, you could be enjoying gourmet food in the comfort of your home. Pick up a menu at the store, or call Jackie at 631-422-0190. She is talented, flexible, and anxious to share her love of cooking with you. When it comes to healthy alternatives, the choice is yours.
HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON
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