Lightening the load

Have you ever really thought about all the stuff you have in this life?  The stuff in your house; the junk in your trunk; that extra set of dishes, clothes that no longer fit, movies we don't watch, trinkets, decorations, kitchen gadgets we don't use....the list is endless.

Every time I move, I try to weed out things I no longer need or use.  And I've moved a lot in my life.  I thought I was keeping the clutter to a minimum.  I had packing down pat.  But then I got divorced and felt the need to get rid of almost everything that had a strong memory associated with my marriage.  I suppose it was a way of purging - a clearing away of the ties.  With every piece of furniture I sold, I felt lighter, clearer.  I had used my possessions as a security blanket.  I used them sometimes to attempt to define myself.  And when they were gone, I felt freed.  I felt a space open up inside of me that hadn't been there before.  A space to allow for breathing and discovery and adventure and courage and strength.

After moving around a bit more, I decided to try and settle down again.  I began to acquire things - more furniture, pottery figurines, new clothes and jewelry.  I tried to acquire new friends.  And I ignored that space inside of me - I pushed it away, closed it up.  I ended up unhappy, lonely, stuck in a job I didn't like.  Don't get me wrong, there have been and are really great things in my life: the amazing girl I mentor, new friends, adventures, two sweet loving dogs.... But I found that the space was gone - I had filled it back up with old fears, bad memories and negative self talk.  Fortunately, I'm a fast learner.  When I realized what happened, I made some changes and took control again.  I began to lighten the load and free up some of that space inside where I'm free.  It feels good.  I've come to realize that I no longer value possessions.  I value relationships, family, friends.  I value experiences, sensations, physical movement.  Seeing the perfect sunset.  Listening to the rain.  A warm, velvety southern summer evening.  Hot, fresh apple cider on a frosty fall day while you wander the apple orchards.  Laughing with friends or family until you cry and your stomach hurts.  Making a patient feel more comfortable with a test or helping them finally understand something.  When you can distill what is in your life, the things that surround you, the things that occupy you daily, you can begin to see the things that are most important in life.

So how about you?  What are you carrying around?  Do you need to lighten your load? Can you let go and open up some space?

Science vs anecdotal evidence

Today I've been thinking about the validity of the information the we receive - specifically nutritional and health information.  Recently I shared a post on facebook about potential dangers of the flu vaccine.  A friend and I then entered into a discussion about the validity of the information.  And it was a discussion - not an argument - which I truly appreciate.  I am very happy to discuss different points of view and entertain new information.  I don't believe that I know everything nor consider myself an expert.  I like to look at all the different sides in case I can learn something new.

With the advent of the internet, and also facebook, we now are bombarded by information 24/7.  Additionally, one of the many confusing and unique realities of nutrition is that there are so many, many conflicting points of view - each with science to back it up.  For example, there is data and evidence of the need and safety for pasteurized milk.  There is also data and evidence of the need and safety of raw, unpasteurized milk.

Sometimes the differing opinions come down to science based evidence (or research trials) versus anecdotal evidence (i.e. many people noticing that eliminating a certain thing improves health; or a doctor noting that all the patients he put on this particular diet or supplement improved).  My friend is wholly on the side of scientifically based evidence only.  Facts backed up by scientific trial and approved by governmental agencies.  This is not necessarily a bad thing.  After all, scientific research has given us vaccines and treatments that save lives.

Other people are firmly in the anecdotal evidence type camp.  Things that have worked for people they know or people their doctor knows.  Information they have read or heard about.  The latest diet craze.

Myself, I tend to have a foot in both camps.  I think if something is working for a majority of people it should not be discounted for lack of a scientific trial.  (Similar to buying fresh vegetables from a farmer who doesn't used pesticides but is too small to afford the process it takes to label them organic.  They're still grown organically.  They just don't carry the official government label.)  However, that doesn't mean that it is safe for everyone or that it will work for everyone.

I have a lot of respect also for vaccines and treatments that have been tested and researched for safety before I used them to assist in my health.  But there are many research trials that are paid for by companies with enough money to either affect the trial in their favor or to slant the results the direction they want them to go.  One current example of this is GMOs (genetically modified organisms).  The government and companies such as Monsanto have been saying for years that research has shown them to be safe for human consumption.  Evidence is now coming to light that this is not necessarily the case.  Monsanto has been shown to pay their own scientists to say certain things about GMOs, then pay another of their scientists to agree with the others, and then release press statements saying that there is a unanimous consensus.  The french scientist whose studies with rats fed GMOs showed they developed massive tumors and was subsequently shushed up by Monsanto.... Monsanto in trying to discredit him said that he used the wrong kind of rats.  But they were the same kind of rats that Monsanto uses in their trials.  They also said he had too small of a control group.  But it was the same size as Monsanto groups in their trials.

As you can see, there are a lot of controversies on both sides.  I don't necessarily accept as fact what either side is saying.  But I can only try to be as informed as possible before making my decisions.  And then see what works for me.  If someone is spouting scientific evidence, I want to know who paid for that trial, what they profit from it, and how long has it been researched.  If I hear anecdotal evidence, I want to know if any type of scientific trial or research has been done, how many people have tried this, what their results were, who it didn't work for and why.

Vaccines, medications, supplements and yes, our food and cosmetics - they all affect our bodies in negative and positive ways.  Don't you want to know what you're putting in and on your body?  Don't you want to give it the best fuel and treatment possible?  The information is out there.  But you have to do the work and find out.  It's more important than you think.

Be well.
Jules

Are you writing checks that your body can't cash?

Sleep deficits.  Insomnia.  Stress.  Overwhelming schedules.  Poor eating habits.  Sugar and caffeine excess.  Processed foods.  Fast food.  Lack of exercise.  No time for myself.  Have to get this done.  Hurry.  Constantly connected.  Any of this sounding familiar?  Are you writing checks that your body can't cash?  Are you withdrawing from your body's account without making healthy deposits?

Self care has been on my mind this week.  Mostly because I need to practice it more.  Because I'm feeling exhausted, tired and depleted.  Sometimes in the hustle of getting things done, working long hours for paychecks that don't stretch, and trying to do it all - we forget to make health deposits for our bodies.  Until we either get sick, have an accident or hopefully remember to check in with ourselves.  Our bodies find a way to remind us to slow down and pay attention to the empty reserves within us.

Burning the candle at both ends depletes our body's health reserves.  I often hear patients say things like I used to be so healthy when I was younger, but once I hit __ years old everything fell apart.  Or "don't get old, it really sucks."  The way we treat our bodies (what we put into them - food, drinks; what we put on it - chemicals, cosmetics, dyes, pesticides; not resting or exercising; toxic buildups of stress), will determine our future health.  This is not an excuse to give up.  Even if you've abused your body for years and are dealing with multiple health challenges, it's not to late to turn things around.  But it won't be easy.  Big changes will have to be made.  A serious commitment to health.

Be very careful how you treat your body and health.  It won't be there for you forever.  If you're young, you don't think about future health issues.  You usually bounce right back.  If you're getting older, you've started to notice that it's harder to bounce back.  Pay attention now.  Start making small daily choices and changes to take care of yourself from the inside out.  Start taking a few minutes a day just for yourself - and build up to longer periods of time.  Find your balance between work/play/food/exercise/relationships.  Yes, it's difficult to make time in a busy schedule.  It's hard to turn people down or not be involved.  But your health is sooo much more important than external things.  Unfortunately many people don't realize it until it's too late - or they choose to ignore it.

So take a bubble bath or a long walk.  Hug your kids, your dogs, your partner.  Change one thing today about your diet.  Start journaling to assist with stress.  Go to bed a little earlier.  Drink more water.  Begin an exercise plan and stick with it.  Be kind to yourself.  Take some "me time".  It's not selfish.  It's self investment!   Let me know your thoughts on this or tell me what you'll start doing now to invest in your health.  Comment here or you can reach me at julie@er4urlife.com.

Are you media fat?

Are you media fat?  Do you suffer from information overload? How much do we really need to know? When was the last real, honest conversation you had with someone face to face and not through electronic media?  These are a few of the questions I've been wrestling with recently.

I tried to learn mindful meditation and started having panic attacks at having to spend that much time in the present with my own thoughts, looking inward.  That was a huge eye opener for me!  I've always been content to spend time alone with my thoughts.  In fact, I usually have to remind myself to focus outward more and not the opposite.  I tend to be quiet, introspective, more of a watcher on the fringe.  So being uncomfortable with my own thoughts was a wake up call.  Something more was going on that I needed to explore.  I had to stop meditating though, in order to listen to my inner self at a slower pace.  I needed time to process and sort through things with a different approach.  I realized I had been forcing myself to try to meditate instead of listening to what my mind and body needed at the time.  I haven't given up totally on meditation.  And I would still highly recommend it to everyone.  But I had to learn to let my body and mind dictate the pace.  And I began to wonder about incredible amount of input that we absorb every day.

How much information/news/tweets/Facebook posts do we really need?  Do we even realize how much time we spend each day on the computer/smart phone/ipad, etc?  While I haven't been actually tracking my time online, I've been paying a bit more attention to how often I check Facebook and email.  I basically work on computers for 8+ hours a day at work, 5 days a week as a cardiac sonographer.  I've come to realize that I'm hooked on information - checking email every hour and Facebook up to 10 times a day or more as well as texting, etc.  I call myself the Google Queen.  If anyone poses a question I don't know, I whip out the smart phone and google it.   My addiction started after my divorce when I was traveling for work.  I have friends and family all over the U.S. and in other countries.  It was the only sure way to communicate with most of them on all the various time zones and work schedules.  How else will I find out what they are up to in such concise, frequent, distilled, sterile, distant sound bites?  How else will I feel that I'm not alone when I can reach out to someone in any time zone at any time of day or night with just a few keystrokes?

So I've been paying closer attention.  I see patients who absolutely cannot stand to be quiet and still for 20 minutes or even 10 minutes or even 5 minutes.  It's absolute anathema to them.  They twitch and itch and squirm and scratch and shift and whine and sigh and huff and ask "how much longer?"  I realized that when I try to limit the amount of times I check Facebook and email that I get antsy like a junkie.  That's not good.  That's not healthy.  I've been learning and working on cleaning up my diet.  I've read about and am learning about the chemicals that we absorb through our skin.  But what about the excessive ingestion of information?  Most of the patients I see and people I know have trouble sleeping at night.  How much of that is due to the massive amount of information overload and stimulation from TV, computers, wifi waves, music through earbuds, etc? Our brains need time to process.  What if we're taking so much information in that our brains use most of the night just to process it instead of working to self-heal (repair), detoxify and renew our bodies?  What if we are so distracted by the fatness of our media absorption that we are missing the life around us?

Maybe, just maybe, it's time to start limiting our multi-tasking, media fat, e-connected ways.  If you're having a conversation or writing an email (or even a real hand-written letter!) - turn off the television.  Do one thing at time.  Not three.  It's been suggested that you should turn off all electronic devices at least an hour before bed.  And that you should remove or eliminate them from the bedroom.  Try reading a book, telling a story, re-living good memories, prayer, meditation, gentle stretching or just deep breathing and listening. Hmmm, good ideas.  Think I'll turn this computer off now and get back to my book..... What do you think?

Life is a series of choices

I've been doing a lot of soul searching lately.  And I've come to the conclusion that life is a series of choices.  Choices that we make every day; choices that are forced upon us and some that we make to change our lives.  I have learned many times over that you can change your life to be what you need.  Yes, many choices are scary and feel impossible.  But trust me, you can do it.

After my divorce, I made a promise to myself to not stay in unhappy situations for very long - not ever again.  I'm not talking about the little, daily skirmishes of life - like burnt toast or an argument with a co-worker or getting stuck in traffic.  I'm talking about the big stuff - where you live, how you live, whom you partner with, where you work, what you do for a living, etc; and of course, your health and well-being.  Sometimes you have to be in a situation that is not ideal for a while, until you can change it.  But in the end, it is up to you to make the choice to change it.  We control our own lives.  If you're unhappy, fix it.  There is always a way.  It may be difficult.  It may have to be done in stages.  It may only require small changes.  Or you might leap all at once and see what happens!  That's the great thing about choices.  If you don't like where you land, choose to change.

This, of course, also applies to our health and our body image.  There is no magic pill or diet or plan to change your body - whether it's taking weight off, putting weight on, or just tightening and toning.  Just as in the rest of our life, it is a choice.  Choose today to start making smarter, healthier lifestyle choices. Choose whole, real food.  Choose to actually cook it yourself.  Choose to invest in your health by eating well and exercising.  Choose to be happy and positive that even though you might not look the way you want, you are starting  to make good choices for yourself.

Sometimes and often, we forget that life is our choice.  We forget that we can change things - that we HAVE A CHOICE!  It's your life to live.  Choose to live it well and fully.  Choose to explore things that may be out of your comfort zone.  Sometimes my choices leave me breathless with trepidation and wonder and excitement and that feeling of leaping into the unknown.  Sometimes my choices turn out to be mistakes.  But I can learn from those too.  We have to remember that at least we are making the choices.  We aren't living half asleep in the drudgery of routine and complacency.  We are leaping and growing and trying and striving and experiencing life.

So here's to you, choice-maker!  Go for it!  Take the risk.  I'll be right there beside you, cheering you on!  We're in this life together!

Smiles & hugs,
Jules

Introduction to E.R. for ur life

Hello! I am excited to introduce my newest blog which is linked with my health coach business, Elemental Renewal Health Coaching.  E.R. for ur life is short for Elemental Renewal for your life.  Where did I get the name? Let me explain.  I began getting interested in nutrition and health through seeing numerous patients as a Cardiac Sonographer who had health issues.  I began seeing some patterns evolve.  Patients came in for testing and evaluation for palpitations (erratic heart beats) or chest pain.  Upon further inquiry, many times (certainly not all!) these were caused by stress.  Stress from work, relationships, money, loss, etc.  They didn't really have a heart problem.  They had a stress problem.  I noticed other patients coming in who were on 20+ different medications.  Take one medication, then another to counteract the side effects of the first, etc. and it just snowballs from there.  And yet other patients came in because they had developed heart problems from a lifestyle of excess - too much calorie laden food, too much of a sedentary lifestyle (no exercise), too much alcohol, too many sodas, etc.  Of course, many people also have hereditary heart problems as well.  In almost all cases, the cardiologists recommend lifestyle changes - diet, exercise, etc.  So I began to learn more about the causes of health problems.  And what I discovered was that the majority of our health issues are caused by deficiencies in nutrition, exercise and life balance!!

So I began my journey toward becoming a health coach.  I read books, watched documentaries and asked questions.  I graduated with a certificate in holistic health coaching from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition.  I am licensed with the Association of Drugless Practitioners. And I continue to learn every day.

So where does Elemental Renewal come in? Among the things I have learned about nutrition and the body is that the body is continually renewing itself at the cellular level.  We constantly shed dead cells and grow new ones.  Our organs, our skin, our tissues, our blood, our bones - they are all made of cells that die off as new ones are generated.  And everything that you eat...everything that you put on your skin and absorb...everything that you input is used at the cellular level.  Food doesn't just satisfy our hunger and fuel our energy.  It actually penetrates our cells, works to create hormones, helps to tell our heart to beat, nerves to synapse, lungs to breath.  It's absolutely amazing!!  So if food does all that, stop for a minute and think.  If food helps us grow new cells from the inside out, wouldn't it be smart to use nutrition to change our bodies from the inside out?  Couldn't better food mean better, stronger cells?  Leaner, disease-resistant, healthier cells and body?

So here's the news:  Our population is getting fatter each year.  We are fast approaching more than 50% of the population being obese along with the diseases that come from that: diabetes, heart disease, cancer, etc.  This is a crisis!  I'm sure you've heard that before.  But no one is telling you what to do about it.  Health insurance is in the beginning stages of a huge transition.  No one is sure what's going to happen.  Benefits are being slashed.  Reimbursements cut.  Access limited.  There is a growing shortage of general practitioners as many doctors leave the business.  So here's the solution:  Take control of your own life.  Do it now!  There's no time to waste.  Life is short.  Don't you want to feel the best you can?  Don't you want to live an active, happy, healthy life free of most pain and pills and tests and doctor visits?  That's why I call it E.R. for your life!  Treat this as an emergency -- because it is.  How many years have you been building your cells with fast food, processed food, sugar, sodas, stress, chemicals and negative thoughts?  But it's not too late.  You can still turn your life around.  Start with the basics - Nutrition, Exercise and Life balance. Begin building better cells.   If you control those, you control your own life and health.  You can potentially live longer and healthier.  You could stay out of the doctors office and avoid these health insurance nightmares.

So how do you do this?  The body has an incredible ability to self heal.  But we need to give it the right fuel, the right conditions.  My job is to help coach you toward meeting your goals.  I offer free initial health consultations and six month coaching programs with more services to come.  If you are interested in learning more, you may contact me at Julie@er4urlife.com.  I plan to post regularly to this blog.  So follow me here, even if you aren't interested in the coaching service I provide.  You'll still learn a few things and hopefully be entertained as well.

Thanks for reading!