Eat Several Small Meals A Day... or not?

Are you a grazer like this sweet "lil goat? Aradia is quite sweet as well!

I do not agree with this current health trend, health advice.  

Now I will tell you, as always... figure out what works for you, in your life, so you feel your very best, vibrant self every day.

So back to the several small meals a day advice... that I do not agree with, my diet myth buster:

Why?

1.  If a person struggles with over eating, this only gives license to over eat more times in a day.

2.  If one eats well balanced meals:  fruits and veggies (fruit in am, veggies with lunch & dinner), quality protein, and quality fat... you will be well satiated for a good 4 to 5 hours.  No need to snack or eat several small meals in a day.

3.  Eating several small meals trains your blood sugar to want to be "up."  When we get used to meals that sustain us comfortably, without overeating, our bodies get used to feeling gently full and then feeling empty, gently empty.  Empty is good.  Revel in this feeling as you innately know you are not going to starve if you feel hungry for a while.  We live in a culture with ample food. Pick 100% whole foods to fill yourself at meals.

4.  Eating constantly will leave you feeling hungry all the time.  It is the blood sugar is "up" constantly issue.  Once your blood sugar goes down, even just a little, this triggers the "Oh my, I am hungry"  feeling again. Feeling empty is ok.

5.  If you constantly are giving your body fuel, calories, when will it have a chance to go into fat burning and use up your stored fat calories?

6.  Do you really want to spend all your time preparing food and doing dishes?

7.  The digestive tract needs rest.  If you eat every 2-3 hours, it never gets a rest. Your digestive tract will always be working to digest and eliminate food. Would you want to be working your skeletal muscles constantly, no rest, no sleep?

This is my thoughts, using common sense and wisdom gained from years around food and as an eater myself! Use this in any way that works for you and makes your life a better place to be!

Cheers & Blessings!  Paula

Change is Empowering

Change can be easy, change can be difficult.  It is all in the way you approach change.

New Year's resolutions are not something I recommend.  They are usually "plans" made in desperation or out of guilt.  Not exactly the energy needed to be behind real life empowering change.

Real change is powerful.  It has to come from the heart, mind, and soul.  

I can suggest everything you need to do to change your life, lose weight, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and teach you habits that will invoke the self healing of your body. 

Change will happen only when you want it to happen and you make it happen.

Instead of making resolutions at the eve or dawn of a new year, well because, you know something has got to give... how about finding what fires your passion and allow yourself to metamorphosis into the healing being you already are.  

Make lifetime lifestyle resolutions.  Create the change you want to see happen in you.  Be the change, the healing energy, you innately are.

Natural forces within us are the true healers of disease. Hippocrates

Self Healing Lung Disease

I love this tree "lung" picture as it is so symbolic of life, health, vitality, healing, and breath! 

The human body is an amazing healing organism. Our RNA and DNA are constantly repairing. The immune system is a very busy system: searching out breaks and abnormalities in our RNA and DNA, scouting out unwanted micro-organisms in our bodies, repairing cells... the work of the immune system is amazing.

For me to say the word heal in regards to your lungs, I am only telling you what you innately know: Your body is capable of self healing any and every challenge it faces. Healing comes from within.

It is as simple as this.

Now, I will admit, sometimes the immune system is just plain exhausted. When this is the case, healing may have a hard time happening. Healing may not happen. This is the scenario when a person has seriously not taken whole health care of their bodies for years. The body, the immune system, is: worn down, malnourished, and exhausted. It just cannot rise to the occasion and do the healing work necessary.

Let's take a step back and focus on healing, focus on the fact that healing can and will happen!

What heals the lungs?

1. Removing all habits that are toxic to the lungs and the body as a whole.

2. Working on liver health is essential as the liver is your main organ of detoxification. The liver is involved in all healing and needs to be functioning at top notch health. Burdock is a good liver herb to learn about.

3. Add in 100% life giving, whole foods.

4. Add in Whole Health Lifestyle choices.

5. Add in herbs specific for healing the lungs. (More about this below.)

6. Make use of holistic healing modalities* that speak to you:

• Acupuncture or acupressure

• Reiki or any form of energy healing

• Yoga or any form of mind, body, spirit exercise

• Many, many more natural healing arts

Herbs to Heal the Lungs:  (These herbs have even more benefits than the few remarks I will make.)

• Mullein helps to strengthen the lungs

• Lungwort promotes lung and respiratory health and clears congestion

• Chaparral for lung detoxification and respiratory health support

• Elecampane clears mucous

• Eucalyptus soothes and promotes respiratory health

• Lobelia (one of my favorite herbs) opens the airways to promote ease of breath and harmonizes the other herbs in a formula to work better

  More research information on Lobelia: https://www.herballegacy.com/Lobelia_King.html

• Osha root increases circulation to the lungs

• Coltsfoot clears mucus and strengthens the lungs

• Licorice root soothes inflamed lung tissue so the immune system can get to work healing and licorice harmonizes the other herbs in a formula to work better

• Thyme is a powerful aid in congestion and a powerful anti-microbial

• Oregano is a decongestant and natural antimicrobial and contains nutrients / anti-oxidants that directly nourish lung cells

• Sage dispels lung congestion and soothes tissues

• Peppermint, and all mints, relax and soothe the respiratory tract making breathing easier

• Plantain soothes irritated mucus membranes, is an anti-microbial and anti-toxin herb

• Echinacea is an immune booster to help fight infection

• Horehound is an expectorant and lung healing herb

• Grindelia flowers are an expectorant and sedative, calming

• Pleurisy root is an expectorant and anti-spasmodic, good for coughs

• Passion flower calms and eases respiration and circulation

• Yerba Santa leaf relieves excess mucus and is used for asthma and all lung conditions

• Yerba Mansa root is a mucus membrane tonic, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, stimulates circulation and relief of lung congestion 

• Ginger root warms the body increasing circulation and loosening mucus

That's a lot of herbs to heal the lungs!

So my interest in lungs and healing? Well, I am interested in healing the body... the lungs are part of this glorious organism.

My youngest son, Eli, was born 3 months early. It was a long haul in the neo-natal intensive care unit before he could come home, in my arms, 3 months later. Because of his pre-maturity, his lungs did not fully develop. He had respiratory distress syndrome and came home with severe asthma.

The first few years were rough and tough. A cold or the flu was seriously hard on his lungs (and his Mom!) and made the viral illness hang in longer than it would in a non-asthmatic person.

I used 2 herbal formulas to heal his lungs. I chose to not use any of the prescription medications or respiratory treatments prescribed: steroids, asthma drugs, inhalers, or nebulizers breathing treatments.

The formulas:

The Lung tonic is taken daily to heal chronic lung conditions. Asthma is one of these. I keep it on hand, at my Hands On Health Healing business, for clients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Emphysema, Asthma, and other chronic lung conditions.

The Respiratonic is used in acute moments: "I cannot breathe right now!" It helps to open the airways and ease breathing. I kept this handy when Eli had a cold or the flu. I keep a supply, at my business, for clients with lung conditions.

I also used a lobelia tincture with Eli. Lobelia is also for acute, "I CAN NOT breathe NOW" moments when he turned blue or I was preventing him from turning blue. It works very quickly to open up the airways and ease the tightness of asthma and lung breathing conditions. I kept this next to my bed, in my purse, in the kitchen, and a bottle on my body most of his first 7-8 years of life. There were many times, when Eli was young, that he needed it now. When he was an infant, I carried it in the front pack or sling that I was carrying him in. I slept sitting on an incline, with Eli on my chest, for the first 4+ years of his life with a bottle in my hand as I slept. No, I kid you not.  This made so much more sense to me than the hospital prescribed apnea machine attached to my kid sleeping in a crib in the next room over... WTH?

MORE Lobelia information: https://www.herballegacy.com/Lobelia_King.html

One Lobelia products I used, Dr. Christopher's was another brand

By the time Eli was 5, the asthma was almost completely healed. By 7 years of age, it was essentially gone. I continue to give him the Lung Tonic, from time to time, just to add in healing nourishment for his lungs. I usually give him 2 daily over the hardest winter months. He is 15 now and his asthma is healed.

Got lung health and healing concerns? Looking for a more natural approach? Give me a shout, I would love to support you on your healing journey.

Sending healing love, Paula

Treating whooping cough from an MD 

* Please feel free to contact me, I would be happy to help you find practitioners in the area who work with Plant Spirit Medicine, Massage, Shamanism, Acupressure, Yoga, Tae Kwon Do, and many more healing arts, to help you on your healing path.

The Final Tip: Divine Weight Loss

This is it... the final weight loss tip coming to you with LOVE. 

Truly, I could write many more. I want to inspire you and not overwhelm.

Final Divine Weight Loss Tip:

Gratitude:  An attitude of gratitude for everything in your life and all you are as a divine human being does wonders in the quest to make healthy choices. When you see yourself, truly for the divine spirit you are, the natural tendency is for TLC towards self.

Practice gratitude for you. 

Every AM, wake up and make your first thought about what you are grateful for today. Make something up if you have to and stick with it. Every PM, as you are shutting your eyes for the day, visualize one thing that happened today that you are grateful for. Anything counts, even that you made it through the day. Heart centered thanks to self for that fact. Each day, finding 1 thing to be grateful as the sun comes up and again, as the moon shows her face, will get easier & easier. It is a practice.

Remember: There is no perfection and yet you are perfection. 

If this sounds counter-intuitive to you, try practicing honoring your divine being every day in everything you do. Let me know how this changes your attitude about you and your actions towards yourself. I love to hear people's amazing stories about their health and healing.

I often have people say to me things like: "I can't be as perfect as you, Paula, around food choices and exercise." Trust me... I am not perfect. But, I do make choices from this space:

• Is this natural for my body?

• Will it feed my cellular health?

• Will this choice inspire my highest good on this planet so I can best serve myself and others? 

  I move on from this space and make my choices. This attitude, coming from my mind,heart, and soul, makes it easy for me to choose healthy lifestyle options. Then I slather my choice with gratitude! Much as I slather my life with butter. But that’s another story.

Strive for Purr-Fection:  Ever notice how cats are Purr-Fectly content in just about any situation? Approach life from a cat mentality and make the situation Purr-Fect in the moment!

I wish you calm and peace as you heal mind, body, and spirit and re-balance your weight and health.  

Cats being Purr-Fect:

Dogs are Purr-Fect too but in a totally different way. ; )

Divine Weight Loss Tips 1- 7&8&9&10

1. https://www.paulayoumellrn.com/blog/2014/8/2/divine-weight-loss-tip-1

2. https://www.paulayoumellrn.com/blog/1370

3. https://www.paulayoumellrn.com/blog/2014/8/4/divine-weight-loss-tip-3

4. https://www.paulayoumellrn.com/blog/2014/8/5/divine-weight-loss-tip-4

5. https://www.paulayoumellrn.com/blog/2014/8/6/divine-weight-loss-tip-5

6. https://www.paulayoumellrn.com/blog/2014/8/7/divine-weight-loss-tip-6

7. https://www.paulayoumellrn.com/blog/2014/8/9/divine-weight-loss-tip-7-8-9-10

5 Shocking Ways Yoga Causes You To Lose Weight

Divine Weight Loss Tip #7, #8, #9, #10

Wait, what?!  Tips #7 through #10 in one fell swoop? 

My answer is yes. These are basic lifestyle habits that make your body soar with feel good energy, happiness, and balance your body weight.  When you feel good... you want to feel better. Health begets health; wellness begets wellness. It is an addictive thing!

Now that I have brought up the issue of addictions... Have you labeled yourself as an addictive personality type? "I can't give up sugar (or soda, or chips, or whatever), I am so addicted."

Why do addictions always seem to be for "bad" things, unhealthy choices? If we can get addicted, why not get addicted to:

• healthy choices,

• fitness,

• fruits and veggies,

• choosing to be happy despite what is going on around you,

• real food grown by real farmers,

• yoga,

• walking in the woods,

• gratitude,

• taking your health into your own hands?

Go ahead; ponder over what being addicted to healthy things could be like in your life. Sit. Be quiet. Breathe. Visualize healthy living coming from your core being. What does that look like? Feel Like? How can you put it into action, reality, in your life?

Eli, my youngest son, doing what he does when frustrated, angry, or overwhelmed with energy: quiet, breathe, visualize being calm.

Seeing 2 of Eli? Can you guess why? Leave a comment with your guess.

OK, now for Tip #7 through Tip #10

#7  Get plenty of sleep!  Skimping on sleep to “get things done” is not a whole health habit!  Getting to sleep before 10 PM maximizes production of melatonin and works with the earth's circadian rhythms for great sleep and health.  

Going to sleep, before 10 PM, reduces cortisol levels. Cortisol is a stress hormone that helps the body put on and keep on abdominal weight. Sleep peacefully to reduce your cortisol levels.

Stay away from bright lights and screens (computers, etc.) for 3 hours before sleep.  Bright lights make your body think it is daytime and impair the sleep cycles.  Get all lights out of the sleep area; even LED lights disturb good sleep hormone production. 

The moon and stars are fine!

#8 Daily physical activity. Start now and continue for life.  Your body is a beautiful creation meant for movement, poetry in motion. Your bones, muscles, and joints are singing out to be put into this motion. Listen; hear your body begging to be moved!

Hint: Get outside and move.  Fresh air and natural light are imperative to good health, endorphin, hormone, and neurotransmitter production. See below.

#9 Daily exposure to natural sun light and fresh air.  Exercise, work, play, read, and relax outside! And for an extra bonus... get to sleep (before 10 PM) outside! Seriously, sleeping outside is a health enhancing habit!

The natural light exposure, again, enhances the body's circadian rhythms. Fresh air and the sounds of nature calm and soothe body, mind, and spirit.

When our bodies function, with the rhythms of the earth, we are so much more balanced as human beings. This inner balance makes it easier to choose healthy lifestyle habits.

#10 Increase your intake of water; clean, pure water!  Water is crucial to healthy cell function. Just as your body cells need to be nourished with whole foods, so too they need water to carry on the processes of metabolism. Keep your cells happy, feed them water.

Use clean, pure water to make herbal teas. Herbal teas are high in minerals and nutrients that add to body cell nourishment.

Your gorgeous body cell. You want all of them to be healthy! There are trillions. One thing I find amazing about this is that every thing we eat has an impact on trillions of life forms (all a part of you!).

If your water supply is chlorinated, filter it.  Use a chlorine shower filter so you are not absorbing and breathing in chlorine as you shower.

Divine Weight Loss Tips 1-6 & final Tip:

1. https://www.paulayoumellrn.com/blog/2014/8/2/divine-weight-loss-tip-1

2. https://www.paulayoumellrn.com/blog/1370

3. https://www.paulayoumellrn.com/blog/2014/8/4/divine-weight-loss-tip-3

4. https://www.paulayoumellrn.com/blog/2014/8/5/divine-weight-loss-tip-4

5. https://www.paulayoumellrn.com/blog/2014/8/6/divine-weight-loss-tip-5

6. https://www.paulayoumellrn.com/blog/2014/8/7/divine-weight-loss-tip-6

7. https://www.paulayoumellrn.com/blog/2014/8/11/divine-weight-loss-final-tip-11

Divine Weight Loss Tip #6

Back today with some more thoughts and ideas around weight loss, which are really thoughts and ideas around healing body, mind, and spirit.

Took the day off yesterday (well, sort of!) to climb two Adirondack high peaks with my kids.

Boys lounging on Porter Mt 

Atop Cascade Mt.

Hiking on to thoughts on health, healing, and weight loss...

Forced to eat things we did not like... forbidden foods, foods to make our boo-boos feel better, over-abundance of food, not enough food... we all have events, in our past, that shape the way we think about, function around, choose, and eat food.

Can you think of 2 things, right now, that shaped your habits around food?

Tip #6

Acknowledge, address, and let go of emotional / spiritual issues around food, health, and your life.

Ok, so are you saying: "Hey Paula, easier said than done?"

Most of us, whether we consciously acknowledge or not, know what is keeping the weight on our bodies:

• binge eating
• sneak eating
• hiding forbidden foods
• constant snacking
• eating to soothe negative emotions and loneliness 
• overeating
• sugar addictions

I am certain there are many other emotional eating habits we could come up with, if we sat down and brain stormed together.

Examples from my funny life:  (I do have to laugh at myself... right?)

• The chocolate chips I hid in the cellar freezer.  When they are not right there, handy, I did not eat them as often or as many at a time. Sitting in the cellar, eating piles of chocolate chips was just not pleasant. But, they were there for me to grab, a few each time, when I went down to do a load of laundry or grab a real food item out of the freezer.
• The big bag of organic raisins kept by my bedside for night time snacking while reading. What is wrong with this? They are organic. They are just fruit. Fruit is good for me! Totally justifiable.
• My favorite confession... the pint of organic ice cream, in the before mentioned cellar freezer. Spoon was kept on the metal-loop, door handle on the breaker box. Hey, the breaker box was right next to the freezer. Convenience was important on those trips down to do laundry.
• One of my habits (Or lack of) that I find even funnier, is about the deprivation thing, my Mom did not buy us soda. One would think I would run to it now with Mom not around to control my drinking soda or not. Nope, never liked the sickly sweet stuff. (Well, Coke was always good for that occasional hangover, college keg party induced, back in the day...!)

Thoughts and suggestions on letting go of these issues that allow us to hang onto unhealthy lifestyle choices*:

• Holistic Health Coaching with me!  I would love to support your goals, give me a shout!
• Acupuncture. If in the St. Lawrence County area of NY State, give Shelby Connelly a call. You will be glad you did!
• Yoga... hey, haven't I mentioned this one before? Local Yoga action:  Yoga Loft in Canton, NY;  Northern Lights Yoga in Canton, NY; SUNY Potsdam CLEAR Program in Potsdam, NY; and I would be happy to work with you around Yoga. I am a NYS Health and Phys Ed Teacher, Holistic Fitness instructor, and a Yoga Teacher. Yoga is part of my daily life!

• Rich Tenace: Rich practices a Subconscious Analysis and Re-programming Therapy. This is a Spiritual System / Psychological Help, a unique way to take away fears, bad habits, phobias, and issues... those issues that keep you sabotaging your healthy eating intentions! I can vouch for this guy; he ended my kid's terrible spider phobia! 

• EFT - Emotional Freedom Training.  This is a "treatment" that Wayne Dyer recommends! Looking for a skilled EFT person to help you out of emotional and spiritual issues around food and healing? My top recommendation is Joanne Jaworski. Yes, I have known her for 15 years. This amazing lady has worked, successfully, with the US Olympic teams and people all over the world. Check out her products page, she has fun stuff coming to support people on their quest to release "issues." Joani is in the Rochester area... not such a stretch if you are in my local area and she works via phone and skype!
• Hypnotherapy for sugar addiction. Seriously, it works. Wendi Frisen is a clinical hypnotherapist and yes, I have successfully used her hypnotherapy programs. I would love to have a local person to send you to, here in Northern NY. I am not aware of a hypnotist, currently practicing, in our area. Wendi is in Colorado.

*In case you are wondering... Hey, is this just a big infomercial for local healers? Nah, I get zero kickbacks. Bummer, right?! And my recommendations are not all local. Colorado and Rochester, NY are included here! The only way I benefit (we both will benefit!) is if you work with me.

The rest I toss out to you as options, options to support you in your mind, body, spirit healing. No one therapy will appeal to everyone. Options, to find the healing method that speaks to you, is a beautiful gift I can give you. Every one of the practitioners above I have personally worked with and know their abilities to heal... mind, body, and spirit.

When we heal the emotional and spiritual blockages that are preventing us from making the best choices for our health (wellness over weight loss), we begin to make the best choices for ourselves in every given moment. That is my wish for you!

Be well, work out the issues, and make whole foods your #1 healing choice!  Peace, Paula

Practicing mind, body, spirit healing.