Coming Home Through Yoga
The numbers correspond to related research articles below.1. As humans, we are meant to exist in peacefulness most of the time. Yoga’s deep breathing actions activate our parasympathetic nervous system. This is our calm and soothing branch of our nervous system. Fight or flight activity stems from the sympathetic system. When we deep breath in Yoga poses, meditation, mantras, mudras, chanting, etc., we tone the vagus nerve (parasympathetic nervous system) and create a lifestyle habit of walking our world in peace.
The numbers, in front of each bullet's information, correspond to the related research articles below.1. As humans, we are meant to exist in peacefulness most of the time. Yoga’s deep breathing actions activate our parasympathetic nervous system. This is the calm and soothing branch of our nervous system. Fight or flight activity stems from the sympathetic system. When we deep breath in Yoga poses, meditation, mantras, mudras, chanting, etc., we tone the vagus nerve (parasympathetic nervous system) and create a lifestyle habit of walking our world in peace.
The Breath of Life Flows through & Benefits ALL Beings on Earth
2. All work of Yoga moves energy through our physical body. This energy movement helps to move stuck energy and release blockages. When our body’s life force energy flows freely, self healing is enhanced to its maximum.
Your Life Force Energy is a map of who you are.
3. Yoga moves energy through our energetic body. We can release heavy energy, stuck emotions, and release blockages here as well.
4., 5., & 6. Yoga increases strength, flexibility, and balance in body, mind, and spirit.
Being strong, flexible, and balanced in all aspects of our being makes for resilient living.
7. Yoga retrains your brain and whole nervous system to think wellness choices. This internal wellness focus promotes a healthy lifestyle and enhanced self healing.
See the last image with a quote from one of my favorite Yoga books.
The neurotransmitters that flow through your nervous system can create calm / peacefulness or chaos. Daily Yoga practice keeps us in Peace Mode.
Here’s a Retrain Your Brain YouTube video, that I created just for you. It is about changing your ingrained neural pathways so you CAN make positive lifestyle changes and self heal your beautiful body, mind, spirit.
8. Yoga stimulates the immune system by moving lymph fluid, increasing immune activity, enhancing white blood cell count, and so much more.
A happy, healthy immune system makes for vibrant terrain that is resistant to infections and chronic disease.
Germ Theory of Disease: Read up on it in this great book on holistic health, yup, good for female learning too. https://www.amazon.com/Male-Herbal-Definitive-Health-Care/dp/1580911757
9. Yoga calms the release of stress hormones and increases the release of joyful neurotransmitters.
Yoga creates Peace Out Syndrome. ; )
10. Yoga returns you to an innate / intuitive knowing about self.
Finding Self in the Center (Ether) Surrounded by the Elements of Fire, Water, Earth, & Wind / Air. When we are in the center of the Elements, we are whole. Sacred Circle Mentorship is about healing the body, returning to the whole of self. Water Element session of Sacred Circle begins soon, I’ll announce in my newsletter. We may be in person, we may be online again. Either way, we all heal & transform in Circle. 🌙💕🔥💧🌎💨🧚♀️ ⭕️🧘♀️🙏🌲☀️♥️
My first, and still favorite, Yoga book.
1. https://www.thecut.com/2019/05/i-now-suspect-the-vagus-nerve-is-the-key-to-well-being.html
2. & 3. https://www.yogajournal.com/lifestyle/acu-yoga-the-pressure-s-on
4. 5. & 6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4728955/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3193654/
https://www.apa.org/monitor/2009/11/yoga
7. https://www.ornish.com/zine/how-to-change-your-habits-with-yoga/
8. https://tmhome.com/benefits/meditation-strengthens-immune-system/
Preventing & Recovering From Viral Illness
In the past two weeks I have received many, many messages asking me:
How do I prevent the flu, viral illnesses, coronavirus, etc?
Are you worried about coronavirus?
How do you take care of yourself when ill so you recover quickly?
*Keep in mind, I will add more things as I think of them, so keep the post link handy.
**Medical Disclaimer: see at bottom of this post and read my full disclaimer here
This is all information coming from my Registered Nurse training & experience, Functional Medicine training & experience, Herbalist training in the Wise Woman and Vitalist traditions, and all of my Natural Health / Holistic Health trainings and experiences. Use it for what it is worth to you. I share with Love, Compassion, Peace, and deep concern for all of you.
Prevention
The key to prevention of any disease, infectious or lifestyle related, is your basic daily lifestyle medicine always building vibrant cellular health.
What I mean by that is a person’s best health defense is a good offense. This means healthy lifestyle medicine choices that are your daily habits. On my FREE Health Education Pages, I have one page that is titled Whole Health Lifestyle Choices. In the Wise Woman Tradition, our daily lifestyle habits either support a healthy immune system or deplete the immune system. Refer to the Whole Health Lifestyle Choices link above.
In the past two weeks I have received many, many messages asking me:
How do I prevent the flu, viral illnesses, coronavirus, etc?
Are you worried about coronavirus Paula?
How do you take care of yourself when you are ill so you recover quickly?
Do you recover quickly?
*Keep in mind, I will add more things as I think of them, so keep the post link handy.
**Medical Disclaimer: see at bottom of this post and read my full disclaimer here
This is all information coming from my Registered Nurse training & experience, Functional Medicine trained & experience, Herbalist trained in the Wise Woman and Vitalist traditions, and all of my Natural Health / Holistic Health trainings and experiences. Use it for what it is worth to you.
I share with Love, Compassion, Peace, and deep TLC for all of you.
Post Updates in bold
My V Basket contains herbs and supplements geared towards upping the immune system, supporting the body in a viral crisis, and restoring health after the virus has burned itself out.
Prevention
The key to prevention of any disease, infectious or lifestyle related, is your basic daily lifestyle medicine always building vibrant cellular health.
What I mean by that is a person’s best health defense is a good offense. This means healthy lifestyle medicine choices that are your daily habits. On my FREE Health Education Pages, I have one page that is titled Whole Health Lifestyle Choices. In the Wise Woman Tradition, our daily lifestyle habits either support a healthy immune system or deplete the immune system. Refer to the Whole Health Lifestyle Choices link above.
UPDATE June 16, 2020: Some research is pointing to blood coagulation / clotting as a problem in COVID infections that leads to poor outcomes. My recommendation, if sick, would be to use hot peppers of any kind, hot pepper sauces, cayenne powder, white willow extract, and fresh ground peppercorns on everything you eat / add to drinks. Hot peppers naturally thin the blood and prevent clots without the stomach disrupting issues of aspirin. Fresh garlic as well.
UPDATE 4/7/20 With breath techniques, if you are not used to deep breathing in Yoga or another holistic health techniques, do these sitting down. You could get light headed and black out. So if you are new to breath work, start out slowly and build your breath technique and lung capacity.
Below video is for lung, immune, and mood health support: deep breathing and spinal movement.
UPDATE 4/7/2020 This video is instructions for performing chest percussion to break up and move congestion out of lungs.
UPDATE 4/8/20 This is a great breath technique video, from a British Doc, sent to me by my Big Sis. Thanks Ter.
Prevention of Illness: Whole Health Lifestyle
Organic, whole food eating habits every single day.
Update 4/22/2020 AVOID ALL Dairy when sick with respiratory illnesses. Dairy is mucous forming in the respiratory tract. Not what anyone needs with respiratory illness. This is a recommendation I feel is common sense. But a lot of common sense home care has gone right out the window in modern life.
Update 4/21/20 Be well. Be happy. Your attitude is your immune health and your attitude affects the whole human mindset : Collective Soul (remember that rock group?!). Energy Medicine in Action!!
3/29 Update: No sugar: sugar depletes the immune system in many different ways. You do not want to paralyze your white blood cells at this point in time. I did not specifically put sugar here to begin with as I felt it was implied in the “eat whole food” only above. I was asked more than once. Sugar is in drinks, sodas, sweet treats. Be wise when dealing with avoiding viral illness. You want your immune system intact and your white blood cells strong & numerous.
Outdoor time to breathe in fresh air, replace the stale indoor air from your lungs and body, and get some amazing natural light. Go for a walk in the woods under Evergreen trees in the WInter. This is like a Sage smudge without having to burn sage. Crack open, even a tiny crack, a bedroom window at night for fresh air.
Update 3/30/20 Speaking of breath… Deep Breathe frequently. Deep breathing expands the lungs capacity, even at rest. Deep breathing tones and lengthens the muscles between each rib, your diaphragm, and the upper chest muscles to expand the lungs at the collarbone area. The more elastic your whole breathing apparatus is in health, the better off you will be when your body is dealing with a viral infection. This is wisdom from Yogic teachings. Practice deep breathing several times daily.
Move your body. Yes, that means exercise. This keeps the blood flow at an optimal flow to remove shit from your body that contributes to ill health. 3/29 Update: speaking of poop, keep your intestines regularly eliminating. This is a major waste removal from the body and keeps detoxification pathways functioning optimally.
Yoga (not just the poses but all of Yoga’s tools - yup, look that one up) helps to boost the immune system, keeps you in rest and digest mode (that means calm and peaceful which is necessary for immune function), promotes good breathing and circulation, promotes regular bowel habits, and so much more.
Speaking of which: prevent constipation. Constipated, stagnant digestive waste adds to the body’s toxic load. This is not good for your immunity, liver, or the whole of the digestive tract and body.
4/22/20 Update Gut Health Interview with Lorie Brown, RN & Lawyer who works with & for Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, etc. at EmpoweredNurses.
3/29 Update. Gut health is important now & always. Gut health IS immune health. Eat fermented food. Take high quality probiotics. A friend just gave me keifer granules so I’m making and eating keifer every day. https://www.paulayoumellrn.com/gut-health/
Take a whole food, organic multivitamin-mineral supplement. See the Pure Synergy vitamin above. It is a 4 tablet a day supplement. I generally take 2 daily as an “insurance policy” on my healthy eating habits. Some days I remember only one tablet. Other days I take a big fat zero of them.
Herbal medicinal infusions add minerals and plant medicines. They keep the body hydrated. This all supports a healthy immune system. Learn to brew herbal infusions properly to make healing medicine for yourself: https://www.paulayoumellrn.com/making-herbal-infusions-teas/
Wash the hands. Yup, you have heard this over & over.
Gargle with warm salt water and use it in your neti pot as well. Gargling with warm water with a splash of apple cider vinegar is a good idea as well. Swallow the vinegar water. The acidity kills viruses.
Eat black, red, white pepper. Pepper, hot foods, up your circulation. This supports the body in many ways: getting nutrients to the cells, removing waste products from the cells, stimulates the immune system, and supports the assimilation of the nutrients in your foods-supplements-herbal teas into your body cells.
Update 4/2/20 Make and use Fire Cider: https://blog.mountainroseherbs.com/fire-cider There are many versions & recipes all over the internet. It is a circulatory pizzazz thing, see pepper info above, as well as an immune booster activating your immune system to seek and destroy viruses and bacteria.
Blood clots are an issue with covid related complications and death and some covid shot side effects. Hot peppers are a natural blood thinner.
I slug down a TBSP shot of Sambucus Elderberry Concentrate daily. It is unsweetened. It costs me about $1 a day. 3/28/20 Update: I have read different views on avoiding anti-inflammatory medications for body aches and fever (Think over the counter, OTC, non steroidal anti-inflammatory, NSAID, Ibuprofen) as they interact with corona virus in ways you don’t want to deal with. I have read this is true and I have read this is a false idea on the internet. Let’s reflect on what we learned about using aspirin with viral illness fevers and reye syndrome. (The proposed mechanism for aspirin contributing to the development of Reye's syndrome is related to mitochondrial damage that can be caused by salicylates, which may be intensified during viral illness by endotoxins and cytokines.) Let’s keep in mind that this is a virus we are not familiar with. We do not know what it is doing to our liver and kidney function, what it is doing to inter-cellular & intra-cellular mechanisms, etc. Elderberry is an anti-inflammatory as is turmeric. I would suspect that whole food / whole herb anti-inflammatories would interact in the body and with the virus differently than a single constituent drug chemical like Ibuprofen (Advil, NeoProfen, Caldolor, Ibuprofen IB, I-Prin, Infant's Ibuprofen, Ibu-Drops, Infant's Advil, Advil Liqui-Gel, Advil Migraine, and more). But I do not know this for fact. Again, this is where self responsibility comes in. Update 4/1/20: Here are two articles about elderberry, inflammation, & cytokine storms. They speak deeply of wellness care, from a holistic herbalist’s perspective, as I have outlined in this post. https://commonwealthherbs.com/elderberry-cytokine-storms/ https://herballegacy.com/Elderberries%20Trigger%20Cytokine%20Storm.pdf
I take a vitamin C capsule daily. Synergy brand above. This is a whole food vitamin C supplement, NOT ascorbic acid. I do not recommend buying vitamins or supplements in a grocery, drug, or discount store. Buy high quality, trusted brand name products. It is always better to get your nutrients from food as the whole spectrum of nutrients are involved not just the one isolated nutrient. I use Synergy brand Vitamin C because it is a whole food supplement.
I do not avoid the public but I also don’t go places where I know people are sick. I stay home if I’m sick but again, was this not common sense at some point?
I use an essential oil blend if I am going to be in a crowded space: airport, airplane, etc. I put one drop of the Medieval Blend (Thieves Essential Oil Blend) on my palm, cup my hands over my nose, and breathe in the essential oil for a few minutes. Then I rub the oil off my palm with my finger and rub it just under and just inside my nasal passage ways. I cup nose and inhale for a few more minutes. If I was going to be in a plane, I would repeat this every 1 1/2 - 2 hours or so. Essential oils are very strong plant medicines. More is NOT better. Use them very sparingly as you never know what your reaction will be. AND, In order to produce a single pound of essential oil, enormous quantities of plants are used, literally hundreds of pounds. In my mind, most cases we could make far better use of all the actual plant materials to make medicinal teas and tinctures, to serve far more people on this planet, than using the plants to produce tiny quantities of essential oils. It is all about sustainable use of Mother Earth’s soil and resources. I used this technique, on airplanes, long before covid was a word we were using. It’s again, common sense, to avoid catching something on a crowded plane when you’re going on vacation.
When I first had my sons, now 18 & 21, I created treatment cards for all sorts of possible ills my kids might have. It was a step by step protocol to take care of their whole body during the illness without OTC or RX meds. These cards were used by more than one Mom in our play group.
I am sitting down, soon, to compile a list of what to do to treat this current respiratory virus. The card will be kept right in the V Basket so any family member can follow the protocol instructions.
Some of my health care protocol cards from the kid’s younger days.
Bones getting ready for broth making, Then Bones after 12+ hours of brewing & stewing, Now 3 1/2 quarts of bone broth ready.
Care of Viral Illness:
Fever? Teas & tinctures of Yarrow &/or Boneset with Chamomile & Peppermint. Boneset is for deep pain / fevers of flu, when your bones ache. It’s not particularly tasty but it’s deep medicine, bone 🦴 deep. Chamomile supports relaxing rest, Peppermint as well and Peppermint gently supports circulatory movement of the rest of the herbs through your body. Fevers are not a problem if one keeps hydrated.
Bone broth if I have any in the freezer. If not…
Herbal infusions of Stinging Nettles, Comfrey, Raspberry leaf, Mullein, Ginger, Yarrow (if fever), Chamomile & Catnip at bedtime for sleep. And I make these Herbal Medicinal Infusions whether I have bone broth or not. The herbs are medicinal, nourishing, and the fluids keep me hydrated. Fevers are not a problem if one keeps hydrated. Use the link to learn to properly prepare Herbal Infusion Medicines. I would use both herbal infusions and bone broth if I have bone broth. Keeping the body hydrated is the key to fevers doing their work. Fevers are a good thing, partof your immune systems healing mechanism. Keep them hydrated.
Oscillococcinum homeopathic: follow directions. This reduces the flu symptoms and lessens its duration but still allows the immune system to create immunity from the viral microbe. That is a good thing!
Baths with herbs or epsom salts. Drink the herbal infusions while in the bath tub. When you dry off quickly, get into warm pajamas and wool socks. Hop into a warm bed and bring herbal infusions with you. Literally keep a quart jar next to your bed.
Congestion: rub the chest (front, back, & sides) with an herbal aromatic chest rub. Think Vicks Vaporub but instead us a product made with olive oil as opposed to petroleum jelly. Put on a cotton turtle neck that is tight fitting. This keeps the warmth of the chest rub contained and helps to loosen the congestion. Keeping the lungs clear helps to prevent a secondary bacterial pneumonia. Do chest percussion after warming rub application, have someone do chest percussion on you.
Apply hot water bottle heat or heating pad warmth to the chest. Be smart with temperatures, barrier between the skin and heat source, and not falling asleep with an electric heating pad. If falling sleep is a risk: have someone monitoring you OR set an alarm for 15-30 minutes. Make certain your heating pad is in good working order, electrically speaking: no broken wires etc. Chest percussion & deep breathing after warmth has been applied to the chest.
Warm showers to allow warmth of the water to run over congested face and chest. If lightheaded and weak… sit in a plastic chair that is not going to slip about in the shower AND have someone keeping an eye on you.
Rub the same ointment, mentioned above, around the back of the ears, under the ear lobes, across facial sinuses, by the nose, etc. (Be careful of your eyes). This will help to prevent nasal congestion leading to bacterial overgrowth and a secondary sinus infection. See examples of aromatic olive oil based ointments at end of post.
Do a sinus drainage massage at least twice daily to keep the nasal, ear, facial, and neck sinuses / lymph fluid draining. This prevents things getting stopped up, constipated, and a secondary bacterial infection taking hold in the sinuses. http://blog.massagebyheather.com/drain-fluid-from-the-ears/
Neti pot rinse with warm water and kosher salt. If you do not have a neti pot, you can use a regular coffee mug. Plug one nasal passage with your finger and suck the warm salt water up into the other nasal passage way like you had a straw in you nasal passage (but you don’t). The fluid will run down the back of your nose into your throat, just spit it out. This is actually nicer than neti pot as the warm fluid helps to rinse the inner eustachian tube opening and keeps it clear as well.
Steam the face. Steaming hot water in a pot, face over water, head & pot covered with towel to form a tent. Obviously keep your face at distance to prevent scalding. Add aromatic herbs to the steam water: example would be eucalyptus. Or add a drop of the medieval or thieves blend. The chest congestion rub, added to hot water, will also work very well.
Plenty of rest.
Deep Breathe.
Do chest percussion, have someone do it on you.
Avoid over the counter medications that only create more toxins in the body and are hard on liver and body cell health. (Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Naprosyn)
Use your common sense.
Lung herbs below
3/28/20 Update
The below lung herbs will be part of my vital flu protocol card’s information.
If anyone in my family gets sick, they will be taking Lung Tonic immediately 3-4 times daily.
Respiratonic will be used 3-4 times daily, or as needed, if acute breathing issues begin.
Lobelia will be used, by the dropper full, in the “Holy Shit, I can’t breathe right now” moments.
Phytocillin will be used, per package recommendations, to maintain healthy lung microbiome.
3/29 Update:
Many companies carry similar respiratory support herbal formulas. Look at the herbs in the formula. Tell your health food store personnel what you’re looking for, the herbs in the formula, etc. They may carry a different brand.
Off the top of my head, 2 more reputable companies. There are many more. I could not know or list them all.
Dr. Christopher
Nature’s Sunshine
Lobelia is lobelia. It’s a 1 herb formula.
These herbal formulas are great to have on hand to support breathing and respiratory/bronchial/lung health.
Respiratonic opens airways. Think asthma or COPD.
Lung Tonic is a, well tonic, for long term support of lung health.
Lung & Bronchial is great for congestion during acute illness.
Phytocillin for maintaining respiratory microbial balance.
Lobelia is a strong herb for opening airways to breathe with more ease.
Liquid Respiratonic: see above image for description.
From a FB post I wrote: Paula Youmell, RN, Wise Woman Nurse, March 4 at 8:29 AM
Lifestyle Medicine, i. e.: our daily habits, ARE what keeps us healthy.
What we have been taught, by mainstream medicine, to believe about fevers and viral illnesses actually impedes our immune system’s ability to heal from illness.
1) Allow fevers to do their job. Do not try and lower them with aspirin, tylenol, ibuprofen, etc. .
2) Keep the body well hydrated and fever is not a problem.
3) Use natural methods of supporting the body to do its cleansing & healing work. See above.
4) Read up on germ 🦠 theory vs. terrain theory of disease. I suggest the book, The Male Herbal, by #JamesGreenMasterHerbalist.
To read an article by Dr. Christopher, Naturopath, on coronavirus: https://herballegacy.com/Doomsday%20for%20Coronavirus.pdf
I have watched the endless posts on FB recommending people use *hand sanitizers every move they make, every hour of the waking day, every time they touch anything, etc. This is very hard on your skin and the sanitizers are toxic.
From another FB post I wrote: Paula Youmell, RN, Wise Woman Nurse, March 5 at 6:12 PM
*Every time one uses a chemical disinfectant (hand sanitizer):
adds to body’s toxic load and this makes it harder for your immune system to do its job if it is dealing with auto-intoxication. I know this flies in the face of what you want to do, I am just stating my natural health thoughts here. DO as you feel comfortable doing. Let common sense prevail, not fear. By the way, fear depresses your immune system.
stresses liver methylation pathways, your detoxification system
adds more toxins to the water table that fills your well or water supply, the water supply of the Earth
contributes to you being antibiotic resistant if you get a bacterial infection if your hand sanitizer also has antibiotics in it. This goes for household cleaners & dish soaps, hand soaps that also have antibiotics in them.
What are the impacts of our lifestyle choices on the next seven generations?
Google all natural hand sanitizer recipes and make your own if you feel some need to have one.
Simple hand washing is very effective and non-toxic.
Take an all natural lotion (see image below) and mix in Thieves or Medieval blend essential oils. Use 5-6 drops per ounce of lotion. Now you have an antimicrobial hand lotion that is non-toxic and will keep your skin from drying out.
Hand sanitizers, besides being toxic and contributing to antibiotic resistant issues, dry out the skin and crack it. Cracked skin is more likely to harbor micro-organisms that can cause problems.
Yes, what I am saying is hand sanitizers can cause more long-term problems.
Wash your hands even if you just use plain water and friction of rubbing your hands together and rinsing.
*Disclaimer #1:
I will come back and add things as I have the “ah ha” moments of , “gee, I should have added this lifestyle habit or that herb, etc. Save the link so you can come back and recheck the info as often as necessary.
**Disclaimer #2:
Please read my entire Medical Disclaimer Page that very directly states that anything you choose to do, with my educational information or anyone else’s information, is your choice. Any supplement you use, any technique you employ in your life, etc. are all your choices including any consequences of those choices or consequences of taking herbs, foods, vitamins, or supplements. Period.
HEALNG LOVE TO ALL!
5 Reasons to Buy Organic Food, Organic Body Care, Organic Everything
Reduces the toxic load in your body. Yes, this important. We are exposed, daily, to toxins we cannot avoid in the air we breathe, the water we drink, and so much more. Eliminating every source of toxic load spares the liver the excess work of breaking down every toxin into a form that can be excreted through your urine, poop, sweat, breath, etc. You want this. In a perfect, clean world, your liver would need to basically break down (methylation) the natural byproducts of your own metabolism.
— Reduces the toxic load in your body. Yes, this is very important.
We are exposed, daily, to toxins we cannot avoid in the air we breathe, the water we drink, and so much more.
Eliminating every source of toxic load spares the liver the excess work of breaking down every toxin into a form that can be excreted through your urine, poop, sweat, breath, etc. You want this. In a perfect, clean world, your liver would need to basically break down (methylation) the natural byproducts of your own metabolism.
— Reduces the toxic load for Our Earth Home. Mother Earth has to detox from all of the toxic things we do to her.
We are a microcosm of the Macrocosm, Mother Earth.
Wise purchasing choices prevent pollution of the Soil, Waterways, Air, Medicinal Plants & Trees, and ALL Beings who live on Mother Earth.
— Developing consciousness around food and body care choices draws us Home. We begin supporting local farmers and artisans of products.
Supporting local farmers and producers in turn supports local economies. Then… You are NOT supporting agribusiness and large corporations, who quite frankly, do not give a shit about you or your health.
Your local farmers and food producers do give a shit. Your choices directly impact every aspect of their lives and your own life.
Buy local CHEMICAL FREE food: http://www.gardenshare.org/content/local-food-guide. Do not just assume farmers are chemical free. Ask deep questions about their Earth Stewardship Habits. — Supporting local farmers creates community. Having a local, chemical free farmer as a friend is a HUGE gift to yourself, your family, your neighbors, your community, and the Earth as a whole. Make friends with people who care about these issues.
— Supporting chemical free living, eating, and body care teaches our Kids HUGE lessons in self care, family care, community care, and Earth care. We are building Wise generations who will in turn be taking care of us. The next 7 Generations, in our every choice, is a huge impact.
Save The Earth, Save Yourself.
Safe Yourself, Save The Earth: Save Every Being on Mother Earth: Plants, Animals, Trees, Microbes, Birds, Insects, Fish, Reptiles… I think you can get my point.
It IS a Win-Win Situation.
Embracing Sausage & Hot Dogs
Hot dogs and sausages are foods we are often told to avoid. The scraps of meat, organs, and fat of animals are ground, spiced, and formed into sausages and dogs.
But what if we looked at these meat options from a different perspective?
Traditionally, people used all of the animal:
muscle meat
organs (eaten whole or ground into sausage)
make bone broth for soup and then grind the bones into powder to fertilize the fields
use the hides for tanning leather, etc.
Hot dogs and sausages are foods we are often told to avoid. The scraps of meat, organs, and fat of animals are ground, spiced, and formed into sausages and dogs.
But what if we looked at these meat options from a different perspective?
Traditionally, people used all of the animal:
muscle meat
organs (eaten whole or ground into sausage)
make bone broth for soup and then grind the bones into powder to fertilize the fields
use the hides for tanning leather, etc.
Why are we grossed out by the thought of eating the organ, as the whole organ, or ground into sausage meat? The nutrients needed to form these organs are exactly what you get when you eat them. For example: eating heart nourishes your heart.
The key to embracing ground up meats, hot dogs and sausages of many kinds, is to embrace products made from animals that are organically and pasture raised. This means the animals are
allowed to eat their natural diet,
supplemented with organic feed only and preferable of their natural food preferences,
not given hormones, steroids, and/or antibiotics, and
the final meat products are an all natural preparation meaning no fake stuff in the actual meat products you will eat (preservatives, stabilizers, artificial colors & flavors, etc.)
Ask your local Coop, natural food store, and supermarkets to stock food fit to eat.
Find your local farmers who raise animals on pasture, animals who roam freely and happily in their grassy, wild plant fields. Tlhe link back there, and this one, will connect you to our local food guide published yearly by Gardenshare.
Eating local food:
is more nourishing to your body cells and to the Earth, less miles to your plate and food maintains freshness and nutrients
saves petro chemicals to move food about the Earth, the more miles your food is trucked… the more gas / diesel that is sucked up and burned
supports local farm families and this is HUGE for local food security
local farm families put that money back into their farm and your local community
you create a community of farm happy people: both the farmers and the other farm customers
gives you better control of the choice of best farming practices, your vote by purchasing local-organic-pasture raised food encourages more farmers to transition to Earth friendly & sustainable farming practices
brainstorm on more ideas of why local farm products are better for you, the farmers, local communities, and the Earth
What we feed ourselves creates or destroys health. What we feed animals creates or destroys their health.
When we eat animal products that come from healthy animals, our body’s health is nourished.
When we eat products that come from unhealthy animals, our body’s health is degenerated.
Finding Nourishing Balance for Self & Our Earth
I have been asked, many times by many people, to write a blog post on the best style of eating... the best eating habits: vegan, vegetarian, paleo, omnivore, etc. etc.
I have avoided this topic as too many people get all caught up emotionally in their food choices, thinking they have all of the answers and the rest of us are failing miserably. Trust me there is no judgement here. I understand this high horse mentality as I traveled this path when I was younger, less wise with years and experience in how our eating habits affect our health and the planetary health and how those choices impact all other beings who reside upon her beautiful surface for the next Seven Generations.
I will preface this with this is my experience, from the space I am in right now in Fall 2019. I have learned to study life and choices from a space of common sense. I attempt filter out all of the food fads and food fashion hoopla that is constantly changing in the media.
Eat 100% meat to cure cancer.
Eat 100% plant foods to cure cancer.
Avoid all foods with lectins or learn to transform them before you eat them.
Ferment everything.
Grain Free.
FODMAP is the way to go and cure everything.
Paleo is hip & a cure all.
Blah, Blah, Blah.
Please feel free to post comments, questions, etc. at the bottom of this post. I only ask that your energy to be in a space of respect for all others and come from a deep, loving kindness and common sense. Otherwise, I will delete your comments and questions.
So... my answer to the best style of eating: eat what grows in your own backyard.
100 or more years ago, this would be literal. As a planetary culture, most of us still ate what we grew in our back yards sharing with our fellow humans in urban areas. Farms, just outside of cities, supplied food to the inner city. We shared the food we grew with the people and families who lived around us. Family & friends shared with us the things we did not grow or raise ourselves. My Gram used to tell me about the food they grew (yeah, seems I have always been fascinated by food, eating habits, food's impact on health & the environment, etc.)
big garden of veggies
many varieties of berries and fruit trees
chickens
meat animals
a cow, goat, or sheep for milk (I have been told the sheep are harder to milk)
picking wild berries
gathering wild plants
My Grandfather had two brothers and their families living close by who raised other foods: pork, different veggies & fruits, etc. They shared each family farm’s bounty. Each family had much to choose from over the seasonal changes of living and eating.
This literal backyard eating habit has expanded outwards a bit. Most people do not live in a grow all your own food situation anymore. But, when we get as much food as we can, from a close radius about our home area, we save the environmental impact of moving food about the globe.
Am I am advocate of one "style" of eating be it omnivore, vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, raw foodist, etc. etc. etc.?
No. In fact I incorporate all these kinds of meals depending on my mood, what my body craves, the seasonal foods available, etc.
If I have an abundance of Martin's strawberries, breakfast may be a big pile of those strawberries and nothing else. How much more vegan and raw foodist can you get than that? Would I eat like this every meal? No way... I would miss cooked food; goat's milk, cheese, & yogurt; meat; eggs, etc. Would I eat just a slab of steak each meal? Nah, probably not.
Keep in mind that all the hot on the market vegan food products floating about the globe are far from environmentally or animal friendly (non-violent).
Every time a piece of the wild prairie gets plowed up to grow grains and soybeans (for tofu, fake cheeses, etc.) many, many animals are killed in the wake of the plow machinery. Next, the machinery used to “cultivate” weeds and harvest crops leaves behind their own death toll. The resultant mono-crop fields no longer nourish a rich biodiversity of plants, bugs, microbes, birds, animals, reptiles, or amphibians. These beings can no longer survive in the mono-crop agriculture.
This mono-cropping happens all over the globe to grow nuts for nut milks and coconut to fuel the demand for coconut everything. Yes, the tropical rainforests are wiped out to mono-crop almonds, coconuts, sugar cane… not just rainforest beef.
No matter our food choices, beings die to keep us nourished. The carrot or apple must die to feed us.
Let’s also think of the environmental impact of moving the grains - soybeans - nuts, grown in these mono-cropped fields, all over the Earth. These crops must be moved hundreds and thousands of miles to the factories that are going to turn them into plant based food products (non dairy cheeses, non meat meats, dairy free milks, etc.)
Add in the harvesting and moving of the raw materials to make the packaging for these environmentally friendly "manufactured" foods. Petrochemical plastics, trees for paper, pasteboard, and cardboard packaging, etc.
Next, add in moving the finished products, in their case boxes and pallets (wood from trees), all over Our Earth.
The equation is not so simple anymore.
Would it be easier, on Our Earth, to partner with local farmers who grow and raise food sustainably / biodynamically in a bio-diverse manner (no monocrops). The resultant miles the food has to travel to my kitchen and plate is minimal. I can show up with my reusable cloth bags, avoid plastic wrap and cardboard boxes, and carry my local food choices home.
I realize there is not one easy answer that completely reduces all of our impact on our Home, the Earth. Doing our best, in every action, to serve the Next Seven Generations is a gift we give to all.
Do I have all the answers? Nope, but I look, tink, learn, and try and use my common sense in daily choices and actions.
Rooting Around In The Earth
The Earth, Herself and the soil we walk around upon, is loaded with microbes. It is the way of Nature. Our bodies have more microbial cells than human cells (The human body contains trillions of microorganisms — outnumbering human cells by 10 to 1.) Modern Human’s obsession with destroying every microbial organism is creating imbalances in our bodies and health, in all living beings, and in the general health of the entire planet.
The Earth, Herself and the soil we walk around upon, is loaded with microbes. It is the way of Nature. Our bodies have more microbial cells than human cells (The human body contains trillions of microorganisms — outnumbering human cells by 10 to 1.) Modern Human’s obsession with destroying every microbial organism is creating imbalances in our bodies and health, in all living beings, and in the general health of the entire planet.
In college for my RN degree, we learned the germ theory of disease. This germ theory (remember it is a theory not a fact) states that microorganisms, bacteria, virus and fungi, are the cause of most diseases. It is the cornerstone of modern medicine and treatment of diseases.
As soon as I finished nursing school, I began (honestly, continued) my training / learning in Natural Medicine-Natural Health. In my mid 20’s, I read a book by a talented and wise herbalist, James Green, called The Male Herbal: The Definitive Health Care Book for Men and Boys. James Green introduced me to a theory called Terrain Theory. This theory stated that germs cannot invade the body if the body is healthy. So when the terrain, the soil of our bodies - our flesh, is unhealthy, we are wide open and susceptible to inviting in micro-organisms that are not a natural part of our body’s terrain. Obviously, this will cause upset in the body’s health.
Think yeast overgrowth in the vagina. Yeast is normal there, in the vagina, but when the body is unhealthy, BAM, prime opportunity for the yeast to overgrow /over populate the vagina and you now have an irritating problem.
A light bulb went on in my head. This made so much more sense to me than the mindset that we are walking around constantly at war with every microbe we cross paths with.
Let go of the trauma of the 1950s people. Everything does not have to be heat, hot water, and/or chemical sterilized to death. Learn to live in harmony with microbes because when you kill them off with antimicrobials - antibiotics, you are killing the beneficial as well as the not so beneficial microbes.
Living in harmony with microbes means taking care of our body as Nature intended. See this link on Lifestyle Choices. Your natural living habits are your amazing Lifestyle Medicine habits that keep your terrain nourished and healthy.
Eat Dirt: pull an organic carrot from the soil, wipe off obvious Soil (Dirt as W. B. Logan calls this Ecstatic Skin) , eat the carrot & be grateful for the Soil Microbes you are not paying 50 bucks for in encapsulated form out of a supplement bottle.
100% Whole Food Eating: food are the Sacred substances that nourish your every body cell
Stop using antimicrobial hand sanitizers
Stop using chemical and antibiotic antimicrobial cleansers in your home (see image below)
Eat organic food
Avoid all chemical in home, yard, garden, garage, etc.
Live from a space of Nature because you are Nature.
Our Gut Microbial Health (digestive tract) is of top notch importance in the development, or not, of
auto-immune conditions
mood disorders: think anxiety & depression
small intestinal and colon ill health issues
The list goes on & on…
Upcoming classes at Five Elements Living to create Healthy Gut Microbial Lifestyle Habits: https://www.paulayoumellrn.com/the-science-of-functional-medicine-classes
Live a Whole Health Lifestyle for Your Well Being
