How to tap for decision-making is made easier in this article. For example: "I want to know how to resolve indecisions such as part of me want to go out, and part of me want to stay home; or part of me want to go to the gym, and part of me want to stay in bed".
There are two parts of this dilemma that I see. Let me put them forward to you and see what resonates. The first part is the easy one. It is about how use EFT to decide between two options. The second part involves more complexity within the issue that seems to be the problem but is actually just a surface issue which may or may not respond to tapping directly on it.
For the first part, the tapping procedure is a very simple adaptation. Let us take the example of part of me wants to go out, and part of me wants to stay home. Draw on a piece of paper or in your mind's eye, a horizontal line. On one end of this line write "Go out". On the other end of this line, write "Stay home".
Now run your finger along this line. Keep going back and forth slowly until your finger rests at a point. This point is closest to the option that you currently feel closest to. It may be in the middle, or it may be closer to, for example, "Go out", or it even may be exactly at one option, for example, "Stay home". Do not think too much about this, just allow your finger to feel its way and quickly mark that point without any further thought. Then tap, using your favourite form of EFT. For example, you can simply have the Setup, if you use one, of "I allow what is right for me right now, and that's OK", or "Even though part of me wants to go out and part of me wants to stay home, I deeply love and accept myself", Then tap on all your usual points, one at a time, interchanging the statements "Go out" and "Stay home". Do two round of EFT tapping like this, then re-assess.
Repeat the above step exactly as is. This makes it very simple. When your finger finally rests on one point closer to, or on, one of the two options, and that finger position does not change, then you are done. That option is your final decision.
If the above tapping keeps oscillating and changing for over an hour, then stop. This is where the decision does not involve something simple but something more complex. Somehow and subconsciously, the decision in this case would mean consequences, and it is the consequences or the root causes thereof that you need to tap on. The following list of consequences are all from client experience in actual client sessions. Read them and see which resonates more with how you feel: "If I go out, I might meet someone, and that means commitment and that means suffering like my parents did"; "If I go out, I might be unfaithful"; "If I go out, I will have to find interesting things to say"; "I'm too fat to go out"; "If I stay in, that will mean I'm a boring person"; "If I stay in, they will talk about me behind my back"; "If I go out, it will be yet another disappointing night, and I am fed up with disappointment". All of these are tappable statements. Simply tap them on all the points, over and over again, alternating between the statement, and "Whatever my decision, it will be the right one for now." tap on anything that comes to you from this. Ideally, I would recommend at least one session with an EFT Practitioner for the complex situation, as it is good to have someone else hold a safe space for you while you tap. If you are adept at tapping on your own in safety, then just go ahead and explore all the possibilities that come from this tapping, step by step.
I hope this helps and wish you peace, calm, and satisfaction with your decisions.
� Suzanne Zacharia 2017. Of course, you are advised to consult with your medical practitioner before embarking on any course of alternative, complementary, or beauty therapy. Want to use this article? You can, as long as you credit me with it and invite your readers to get my FREE "EFT How-to for You" and regular free EFT Tapping script samples in my newsletter at http://www.EFT-Scripts.com - New to EFT? No worries, just get your own copy of "EFT How-to for You" and start EFTing with ease very soon!
By Suzanne Zacharia
Article Source: Decision-Making EFT Procedure
If Your Diet Is Too Hard, It's Probably Wrong For You
Most people equate going on a diet with suffering. Hunger is expected, feeling grumpy, sweating like a pig at the gym, eating rabbit food, feeling stressed just walking past a bakery and not knowing what to eat, or having people around you who are eating all the things you like.
The easiest diet of all, which takes no effort at all, and the tastiest of them all, is to eat whatever you like, whenever you like! In the western world this diet has been extremely popular for decades, with occasional low calorie painful interventions.
The only problem with this diet is that you will be just like everyone else in the doctor's waiting room or hospital ward. Full of pharmaceuticals and or on the surgery list.
The easy diet created the obesity epidemic, the diabetes epidemic and generations of unwell people.
If you are told to eat less and exercise more, then you know it's going to hurt. And the discomfort doesn't go away, so the diet tends to go away very quickly.
This is also true of the many fad diets which seem to pop up all to regularly, such as the Israeli military diet which consists of eating lots of apples for a few days then cheese then who knows what.
An Israeli soldier is about as likely to eat such a diet as an iron man is to eat sugar filled nutri grain prior to an event.
So we all know that changes have to be made and that the easy diet is a terrible idea, but how hard a diet can we adopt and still manage to stick with it.
You should not be hungry. Hunger just puts you under stress and your fat burning will shut down like a hibernating animal.
You don't have to exercise so hard that you are leaving trails of sweat everywhere, because exercise is a poor way to lose weight. But you do need to move your body.
You won't be counting calories because it's boring and it doesn't help. All calories are not the same so counting them is pointless.
You should have a good variety of foods.
You must have sufficient energy to move and think clearly.
You shouldn't be dreaming about food. This happens when you are hungry, but let's face it if you are dreaming of cream filled donuts then it will take a while away from sugar to change that, and even then it's rare for someone to dream of green vegetables.
and for your free programme to reduce pain, burn fat and boost your energy go to http://roadmaptovibranthealth.com/
By Ian Newton
Article Source: If Your Diet Is Too Hard, It's Probably Wrong For You
The easiest diet of all, which takes no effort at all, and the tastiest of them all, is to eat whatever you like, whenever you like! In the western world this diet has been extremely popular for decades, with occasional low calorie painful interventions.
The only problem with this diet is that you will be just like everyone else in the doctor's waiting room or hospital ward. Full of pharmaceuticals and or on the surgery list.
The easy diet created the obesity epidemic, the diabetes epidemic and generations of unwell people.
If you are told to eat less and exercise more, then you know it's going to hurt. And the discomfort doesn't go away, so the diet tends to go away very quickly.
This is also true of the many fad diets which seem to pop up all to regularly, such as the Israeli military diet which consists of eating lots of apples for a few days then cheese then who knows what.
An Israeli soldier is about as likely to eat such a diet as an iron man is to eat sugar filled nutri grain prior to an event.
So we all know that changes have to be made and that the easy diet is a terrible idea, but how hard a diet can we adopt and still manage to stick with it.
You should not be hungry. Hunger just puts you under stress and your fat burning will shut down like a hibernating animal.
You don't have to exercise so hard that you are leaving trails of sweat everywhere, because exercise is a poor way to lose weight. But you do need to move your body.
You won't be counting calories because it's boring and it doesn't help. All calories are not the same so counting them is pointless.
You should have a good variety of foods.
You must have sufficient energy to move and think clearly.
You shouldn't be dreaming about food. This happens when you are hungry, but let's face it if you are dreaming of cream filled donuts then it will take a while away from sugar to change that, and even then it's rare for someone to dream of green vegetables.
and for your free programme to reduce pain, burn fat and boost your energy go to http://roadmaptovibranthealth.com/
By Ian Newton
Article Source: If Your Diet Is Too Hard, It's Probably Wrong For You
You Can Lose Weight Even With A Bad Diet
There are dozens of diets out there, from Paleo, to Vegan to strange and completely stupid. But one thing most of them have in common is that you can lose weight even if they are bad diets.
The best most recent example is of the famous television magician who lost a lot of weight by eating only potatoes for one year. Sounds crazy but it worked.
What is important to remember is that it wasn't that potatoes are a magic weight loss food, it is all about what he didn't eat and drink. All the sugar, the junk food, the rich gourmet meals, and all the alcohol and sweet drinks. Leaving all of this bad food out of his diet for a year was a huge caloric burden being lifted.
It is also important that while he lost weight his health would have been compromised to some extent by missing out on some key nutrients in his diet, which would become a problem over time. Low protein for muscle and immune function, plus insufficient fats for brain, cell and nervous system health, and a gap in some specific minerals and nutrients.
On even such a strange diet he would have felt better because he was resting his system from the stresses of his old diet. But this would not be sustainable.
There are, and have been many bad diets, most of which will cause people to lose weight in the short term, often through calorie restriction, which means being hungry. Some using highly processed drinks and bars to replace meals, rob people of the very basic ability to shop and construct a healthy meal.
The problem is that the weight loss industry is not necessarily a part of the wellness industry. But weight loss without an increase in health is a short term fix to a long term problem and will usually result in weight returning plus some.
Healthy weight loss requires the right food plan, plus adequate movement and importantly the right mindset and emotional support.
Most people want to have their cake and eat it to, but I'm sure we all know that it just doesn't work that way.
Sugar, and sugar rich foods such as grains all become fat in your body and most processed foods are not fit for healthy human consumption. You can either have your cake or your health, but there is little room for both.
and for your free programme to reduce pain, burn fat and boost your energy go to http://roadmaptovibranthealth.com/
By Ian Newton
Article Source: You Can Lose Weight Even With A Bad Diet
The best most recent example is of the famous television magician who lost a lot of weight by eating only potatoes for one year. Sounds crazy but it worked.
What is important to remember is that it wasn't that potatoes are a magic weight loss food, it is all about what he didn't eat and drink. All the sugar, the junk food, the rich gourmet meals, and all the alcohol and sweet drinks. Leaving all of this bad food out of his diet for a year was a huge caloric burden being lifted.
It is also important that while he lost weight his health would have been compromised to some extent by missing out on some key nutrients in his diet, which would become a problem over time. Low protein for muscle and immune function, plus insufficient fats for brain, cell and nervous system health, and a gap in some specific minerals and nutrients.
On even such a strange diet he would have felt better because he was resting his system from the stresses of his old diet. But this would not be sustainable.
There are, and have been many bad diets, most of which will cause people to lose weight in the short term, often through calorie restriction, which means being hungry. Some using highly processed drinks and bars to replace meals, rob people of the very basic ability to shop and construct a healthy meal.
The problem is that the weight loss industry is not necessarily a part of the wellness industry. But weight loss without an increase in health is a short term fix to a long term problem and will usually result in weight returning plus some.
Healthy weight loss requires the right food plan, plus adequate movement and importantly the right mindset and emotional support.
Most people want to have their cake and eat it to, but I'm sure we all know that it just doesn't work that way.
Sugar, and sugar rich foods such as grains all become fat in your body and most processed foods are not fit for healthy human consumption. You can either have your cake or your health, but there is little room for both.
and for your free programme to reduce pain, burn fat and boost your energy go to http://roadmaptovibranthealth.com/
By Ian Newton
Article Source: You Can Lose Weight Even With A Bad Diet
Getting to the Heart of Reflexology
A few years ago, I was asked to be the keynote speaker for the New Zealand Reflexology Association conference. They told me I should plan on my keynote speech being 1.5 hours. Now I have presented many workshops, trainings, and presentations but I was never a keynote speaker so this was something new for me. What was I suppose to provide for their opening conference keynote? With 1.5 hours I was told to set the tone for their weekend event. I sure as heck didn't know what I was going to say. As I began to work on my keynote, I decided to tie it to their theme which they called 'Getting to the Heart of Reflexology". This theme was linked to the Wizard of Oz as it was their 10th anniversary and 10 years relates to tin, hence, the Tin Man who was looking for a heart.
FINDING MY REFLEXOLOGY PATH ALONG THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD
Spiritual teachers tell us that the best way to discover our true purpose is to first understand who we really are. This means knowing how we think, what our limiting beliefs are and what keeps us curious and interested in something. As Reflexologists, our curiosity and love of our profession tells us a lot about ourselves. There is something magical about Reflexology that keeps us in the game and curious to explore more of this wonderful healing modality.
Each of us has our own reasons for continuing with this practice and staying on the yellow brick road seeking to clarify our journey as we go along. And just like the Tin Man, The Lion, The Scarecrow, and Dorothy, we follow our paths where it takes us - each for our own reasons and each step along the way, clarifies more of the journey itself.
My journey started about 45 years ago shortly after the death of my first husband when I was 27. I had 2 little girls and it was the early 70's. For anyone as old as I am, you will remember that the 70's were a time of confusion, deep changes in the way people went about doing their lives, challenging the system, rocking the boat, and causing many older folks to scratch their heads and wonder what has become of us as a human race. I decided to move from my small home town in New York State to the big city of Toronto to pursue my education. I wanted to learn how to be me on my own terms and I wanted to define my own path.
This was scary at times but I figured, like Dorothy who was seeking to get back to her home, I needed to discover my way back to myself - my foundation of who I am. Along this journey, I was lucky enough to marry Bill, who was also widowed and had a small son and blending our families, we became the Brady Bunch.
Bill introduced me to meditation which led me to take my first yoga teachers training in Toronto. One night after class, my yoga teacher said he wanted to show me some pressure point work. I was lucky enough to have menstrual cramps at the time and he did some points on me which completely dissipated the cramps and I thought, wow, this sure beats Midol pills.
About this same time Bill's son, Ian was diagnosed with a curvature in his spine and we were sent to Sunnybrook Hospital for X-Rays. The X-Rays showed that Ian's hip bone fit into his hip socket incorrectly which ended with one leg much shorter than the other. I asked my yoga teacher about the pressure point work and whether it could help Ian which led me to my first reflexology training called Vita Flex.
I told the teacher about Ian's leg and he had me bring Ian to him and demonstrated what I should work on to balance the imbalance taking place in Ian at that time. He said there is actually a leg-lengthening point in the collar bone and besides pressing this point, I was instructed to thumb walk down both sides of Ian's spine and press into the shoulder blade points and the hip area points along with the spinal reflexes in the hands and feet. This took me all of 2 minutes every day and after 3 months, we returned to Sunnybrook for another set of X-rays. Ian was completely normalized. We were very impressed!
Now I was on my way - the healing arts was my focus and I was thrilled and in awe of the wisdom of the natural way of addressing imbalances in the body, stress and tension and encouraging the body to getting back to balance. I couldn't put my hands on people's feet fast enough.
CONNECTING REFLEXOLOGY WITH PSYCHOLOGICAL SYSTEMS
On my journey, I gave treatments to clients while finishing my degree in Psychology and Human Resources Management. Eventually, I started to work in the corporate world where I was introduced to the Myers Briggs Personality Type Indicator which looked at the human instrument in terms of mental functions. Thinking about what the yogis stated that we are all part of the cosmos consisting of the same elements: Air, Fire, Water, Earth and linking this to the Myers Briggs, I realized that the two psychological systems had much in common when looking at the human instrument.
We can think of ourselves as composed of the following Sides or Expressions:
Mental Side - related to the element of Air,
Social Side - related to two elements - Fire and Water,
Physical Side - related to the element of Earth.
While working as a trainer in the corporate world, I spent a lot of years exploring, reading, and facilitating courses that helped people come to terms with their 'people' differences dealing with their subordinates as managers, their bosses, their family members, team mates and their clients.
So now Reflexology and 'people differences' became the two very exciting components of my journey to self-discovery and I spent my time striving to address the question: How do we deal with these differences that can create triggers, tension, and stressors caused by bumping up against others whose ideas and behaviours are different from mine? For me, life appeared to be about how we each, as individuals, seek to satisfy our needs and desires. Take, for example, the Straw Man in the Wizard of Oz who was looking for a Brain (the AIR-Mental Function of Ideas), while the Cowardly Lion was looking for courage (the FIRE-Social-Mental Function of Actions), and the Tin Man was looking for his Heart (the WATER-Social-Physical Function of subjectivity and Reactions), and Dorothy was looking for her Home (the EARTH-Physical function of shelter, safety and security). All on the same path but for different reasons - for sure, though, they were seeking to satisfy an internal need.
WHAT OUR CLIENTS' LIMITING BELIEFS CAN DO
We are all seekers going about our lives but in our own way in an attempt to satisfy our needs. Along this journey, we are faced with disappointments, with bad and good weather, with ups and downs, and with joys and sorrows. When something happens in our lives that causes us some inner tension, it may be because we have some issue that we don't want to face or deal with. It is important to bring issues to the surface so that they don't cause us a more serious problem. We can lose our focus and clarity and get out of balance not just because of poor lifestyle habits but because other people can trigger an unconscious pattern within us which strives to be addressed.
What I have found over the years was that most stress-related body imbalances were generally triggered by a serious life event. Perhaps you found this too in your Reflexology practice. In fact, as I continued to work on clients when they came for treatments around a specific imbalance, I would ask them the question: when did this imbalance start? Inevitably an imbalance in the body was triggered by an imbalance in a relationship or a disappointment at work or some kind of life disappointment that affected either the Mental side of ourselves and our expectations about our life; the Social side of ourselves where we lost connections with others who frustrated or disappointed us, or the Physical side of ourselves where we didn't honour our boundaries in terms of resources such as our energy, our money, or our time.
Limiting beliefs in how we think, act, or do things in our life can be something that we set up for ourselves when we were 5 or 10 or whatever age but that can be thoughts that still run our lives as adults such as: I don't deserve this. I am not good enough. Who do I think I am?
These limiting outdated beliefs may have had some basis in protecting us when we were young but as we advance in our age and our lives, we learn that they don't serve us any longer. First, though, we have to become aware of them and then to appreciate their support in our lives, we have to thank them for sharing but we also have to work with these beliefs by expanding or reframing them so that they are life-enhancing and not life-restricting.
Take, for example, a mother who got breast cancer right after her 17 year-old son got a girl pregnant and decided to get married to her. When asked about this event, she stated that the son was too young and this wasn't right. But what could she do? She felt trapped, confused, and unhappy and hence - being a mother, what better symbol of motherhood than her breasts. So, to deal with this on an unconscious level, she not only punished herself but also was punishing her son and his decision by getting breast cancer. Life is complex as we deal with deep personal issues in our lives and I always say, you can't solve a problem you don't understand. Answers aren't always clear but if we can explore and challenge our thinking, we can surface our unconscious beliefs and turn them into powerful action steps.
Another example was when Bill came back from a business trip and he had a sore elbow. When I asked him, 'what happened at the meeting', at first he couldn't think of anything but then when prodded, he recognized that he was in fact feeling elbowed out of the project. His conscious mind didn't pick up on that so his body had to alert him to pay attention. This was important for him to identify in order for him to move forward in his working career and address this issue which had to be addressed; the brilliant function of pain always has some information for us if we analyze it.
The body is always telling us things and we, as Reflexologists, know this very well because not only can we pick things up through conversation, we can also feel everything in the reflexes in the feet. The feet don't lie - they know exactly what is going on and they can tell us many things about our clients' imbalances.
A WHOLISTIC HEALING APPROACH
How does knowing more about who we are help us as Reflexologists? The body is connected to the whole system of ourselves - the Mental, the Social, and the Physical sides of ourselves. We cannot separate who we are from what we do, how we think and go about doing things in our lives and how things can affect us. The best way to stay healthy and balanced is to be awake, alert, and aware of what is going on both inside our self as well as how well we are adapting to the outside world of events.
As I grew in my relationship with Reflexology and with the Reflexology Association of Canada, I have taught all the courses from foot reflexology to hands, ears, and Teachers Training for all 3 modalities. I was lucky enough to have some students take all 3 modalities from me and I asked them: what is the difference for you in receiving Reflexology of the Ears, Hands, and Feet? The answers were amazing to me and these answers put it all together as a complete wholistic healing system.
What my students expressed to me was exactly as the Yoga System suggested. Balancing the system within requires that we calm the mind (Mental), cool the emotions (Social), and stimulate the body (Physical). When working the ears, students told me that they felt calmer and more at peace (Mental). When working the hands, students told me that they felt loved and that their upsets and frustrations disappeared and their emotions where in fact, cooled (Social). And working the feet, students said that they felt energized and stimulated (Physical).
Viola! What a great discovery and how closely it all fit together with Yoga, Reflexology and Personality preferences understanding. Let's do some gentle work together starting with the ears to assist in calming the Mental Function.
Let me get your oriented first. Think of the body as upside-down fetus. The ear lobe is the head and the buttocks are at the upper part of the ear.
Starting at the outer most side of your ear and with your index finger and thumb, massage it as if you have a mustard seed that you want to move around.
Go along the outer rim completely giving zone 1 a massage - Zone 1 is related to the excretion and respiratory systems.
Zone 2 is related to the skeletal system. And Zone 3 is related to the internal organs. The lobe is related to the head/rain area and the tragus and antitrgaus area is related to the inflammations and fevers. Finish up with the tragus and antitragus reflex area giving the total body a massage. You may feel like going to sleep now but hang in there, we'll do some more work.
Do the scissor movement by rubbing up and down with your index fingers behind the ears and your other fingers in front of the ears as if you are holding your head in the palms of your hand. Lovely. Here is an excerpt from my new book: The Well-Tempered Life: Coach Yourself to Wellness.
Ear Reflexes
The upper part of the ear corresponds to the lower part of the body. Applying pressure here stimulates reflexes in legs, hips, thighs, reproductive organs, and knees, parts of the urinary system, and the hands and arms.
The middle part of the ear corresponds to the middle part of the body. Applying pressure here stimulates reflexes in the intestines, stomach, liver, spleen, gall bladder, and part of the urinary system.
The mid to lower area of the ear corresponds to the upper part of the body. Applying pressure here stimulates reflexes in the chest, breast, lungs, upper neck and back.
The lower part of the ear corresponds to the top of the body. Applying pressure here stimulates reflexes in the neck, head and brain.
Let's move onto the Social Function and using Reflexology of the Hands.
METHOD:
1. Rub and wring the hands
2. Press all your finger tips together 10x
3. With your index finger, swipe all the finger necks
4. Massage the webs
5. Interlace the fingers and press into the total palmar area
6. Flex wrist and then shake your hands wildly
7. Hand clap and hug yourself
Working the hands is especially wonderful to do with older people who need the comfort of touch to help them feel connected and loved.
Next, let's stimulate the feet reflexes.
When thinking about the body, working the feet as we know has a stimulating affecting throughout the body and is especially good to do when feeling lethargic, dull, tired, and fatigued.
For this, doing a 2-minute exercise using the Foot Massage Mat -- SOCKS SHOULD BE WORN WHEN FIRST USING THE MAT AND ESPECIALLY FOR TENDER FEET. Lay the Foot Massage mat on a flat floor behind a chair and march up and down on the sole of the feet, on the toes, on the sides of the feet, on the heels, and once again on the flat of the feet.
QUESTIONS TO CLARIFY OUR REFLEXOLOGY JOURNEY
I think my journey and my love of Reflexology is evident in the longevity of my activities with it and my commitment to sharing Reflexology with others. I don't know how many students I have trained over the years in the hands, feet, and ear and teachers training reflexology courses - lots! Did I know that this was a life-long love? Not when I started but as I continued on my journey, I became clearer about what kept me curious, interested and engaged in life.
As you continue on your path down the yellow brick road to find the answers for yourself in terms of your personal and professional Reflexology journey, you may wish to answer some of these questions for yourself:
a. Do you see Reflexology as a hobby or as a profession?
b. What are some goals you might identify for yourself today and into your future with your practice of Reflexology?
c. Where do you offer your treatments? Home, clinics, spas, medical centres, chiropractic office, hairdressing, esthetics?
d. What other modalities might you consider taking to complement your reflexology treatments? Aroma therapy, Reiki and energy work, esthetics, massage?
e. What are you charging and how are you being recognized for your work? The costs can add up if you are required to take professional development education units, pay for liability insurance, join associations and pay your membership dues. Are you making sure you get paid a fair price for your service?
f. What about the economy? Who is your client and can they afford this service if it is not covered by any of their benefits or plans?
g. What about certification standards. Who sets the standards? What are they? How do we teach these to our students and practice them in our service to our clients? How do we monitor them?
Next, take a moment and then complete the following:
1. Taking Action - Let's imagine you have found a magic lamp. You pick it up and absent-mindedly begin to stroke it and it starts to talk. As you listen, it tells you that as money is not an object of concern, what action steps would it tell you to take in terms of your Reflexology career?
2. Tell someone - create a plan, share it with someone you trust and think about how you'll feel once you complete all the action steps on your plan.
The question for all of us is truly, what is reflexology to you? Where are you currently with it in your life? Where do you want to go? Getting to the heart of Reflexology is both a personal as well as a professional question.
How can we shape our experience of Reflexology today and into the future? One way is to make whatever you chose to do count for you. Love what you do. Keep doing what you love to do and I am sure that things will figure themselves out along the way - we can use the metaphors of the Scarecrow, the Lion, and the Tin Man and Dorothy to demonstrate that you do indeed find your own way based on your own needs and whatever way that is, for sure, it is the right path for you.
By Danielle R. Gault
Article Source: Getting to the Heart of Reflexology
FINDING MY REFLEXOLOGY PATH ALONG THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD
Spiritual teachers tell us that the best way to discover our true purpose is to first understand who we really are. This means knowing how we think, what our limiting beliefs are and what keeps us curious and interested in something. As Reflexologists, our curiosity and love of our profession tells us a lot about ourselves. There is something magical about Reflexology that keeps us in the game and curious to explore more of this wonderful healing modality.
Each of us has our own reasons for continuing with this practice and staying on the yellow brick road seeking to clarify our journey as we go along. And just like the Tin Man, The Lion, The Scarecrow, and Dorothy, we follow our paths where it takes us - each for our own reasons and each step along the way, clarifies more of the journey itself.
My journey started about 45 years ago shortly after the death of my first husband when I was 27. I had 2 little girls and it was the early 70's. For anyone as old as I am, you will remember that the 70's were a time of confusion, deep changes in the way people went about doing their lives, challenging the system, rocking the boat, and causing many older folks to scratch their heads and wonder what has become of us as a human race. I decided to move from my small home town in New York State to the big city of Toronto to pursue my education. I wanted to learn how to be me on my own terms and I wanted to define my own path.
This was scary at times but I figured, like Dorothy who was seeking to get back to her home, I needed to discover my way back to myself - my foundation of who I am. Along this journey, I was lucky enough to marry Bill, who was also widowed and had a small son and blending our families, we became the Brady Bunch.
Bill introduced me to meditation which led me to take my first yoga teachers training in Toronto. One night after class, my yoga teacher said he wanted to show me some pressure point work. I was lucky enough to have menstrual cramps at the time and he did some points on me which completely dissipated the cramps and I thought, wow, this sure beats Midol pills.
About this same time Bill's son, Ian was diagnosed with a curvature in his spine and we were sent to Sunnybrook Hospital for X-Rays. The X-Rays showed that Ian's hip bone fit into his hip socket incorrectly which ended with one leg much shorter than the other. I asked my yoga teacher about the pressure point work and whether it could help Ian which led me to my first reflexology training called Vita Flex.
I told the teacher about Ian's leg and he had me bring Ian to him and demonstrated what I should work on to balance the imbalance taking place in Ian at that time. He said there is actually a leg-lengthening point in the collar bone and besides pressing this point, I was instructed to thumb walk down both sides of Ian's spine and press into the shoulder blade points and the hip area points along with the spinal reflexes in the hands and feet. This took me all of 2 minutes every day and after 3 months, we returned to Sunnybrook for another set of X-rays. Ian was completely normalized. We were very impressed!
Now I was on my way - the healing arts was my focus and I was thrilled and in awe of the wisdom of the natural way of addressing imbalances in the body, stress and tension and encouraging the body to getting back to balance. I couldn't put my hands on people's feet fast enough.
CONNECTING REFLEXOLOGY WITH PSYCHOLOGICAL SYSTEMS
On my journey, I gave treatments to clients while finishing my degree in Psychology and Human Resources Management. Eventually, I started to work in the corporate world where I was introduced to the Myers Briggs Personality Type Indicator which looked at the human instrument in terms of mental functions. Thinking about what the yogis stated that we are all part of the cosmos consisting of the same elements: Air, Fire, Water, Earth and linking this to the Myers Briggs, I realized that the two psychological systems had much in common when looking at the human instrument.
We can think of ourselves as composed of the following Sides or Expressions:
Mental Side - related to the element of Air,
Social Side - related to two elements - Fire and Water,
Physical Side - related to the element of Earth.
While working as a trainer in the corporate world, I spent a lot of years exploring, reading, and facilitating courses that helped people come to terms with their 'people' differences dealing with their subordinates as managers, their bosses, their family members, team mates and their clients.
So now Reflexology and 'people differences' became the two very exciting components of my journey to self-discovery and I spent my time striving to address the question: How do we deal with these differences that can create triggers, tension, and stressors caused by bumping up against others whose ideas and behaviours are different from mine? For me, life appeared to be about how we each, as individuals, seek to satisfy our needs and desires. Take, for example, the Straw Man in the Wizard of Oz who was looking for a Brain (the AIR-Mental Function of Ideas), while the Cowardly Lion was looking for courage (the FIRE-Social-Mental Function of Actions), and the Tin Man was looking for his Heart (the WATER-Social-Physical Function of subjectivity and Reactions), and Dorothy was looking for her Home (the EARTH-Physical function of shelter, safety and security). All on the same path but for different reasons - for sure, though, they were seeking to satisfy an internal need.
WHAT OUR CLIENTS' LIMITING BELIEFS CAN DO
We are all seekers going about our lives but in our own way in an attempt to satisfy our needs. Along this journey, we are faced with disappointments, with bad and good weather, with ups and downs, and with joys and sorrows. When something happens in our lives that causes us some inner tension, it may be because we have some issue that we don't want to face or deal with. It is important to bring issues to the surface so that they don't cause us a more serious problem. We can lose our focus and clarity and get out of balance not just because of poor lifestyle habits but because other people can trigger an unconscious pattern within us which strives to be addressed.
What I have found over the years was that most stress-related body imbalances were generally triggered by a serious life event. Perhaps you found this too in your Reflexology practice. In fact, as I continued to work on clients when they came for treatments around a specific imbalance, I would ask them the question: when did this imbalance start? Inevitably an imbalance in the body was triggered by an imbalance in a relationship or a disappointment at work or some kind of life disappointment that affected either the Mental side of ourselves and our expectations about our life; the Social side of ourselves where we lost connections with others who frustrated or disappointed us, or the Physical side of ourselves where we didn't honour our boundaries in terms of resources such as our energy, our money, or our time.
Limiting beliefs in how we think, act, or do things in our life can be something that we set up for ourselves when we were 5 or 10 or whatever age but that can be thoughts that still run our lives as adults such as: I don't deserve this. I am not good enough. Who do I think I am?
These limiting outdated beliefs may have had some basis in protecting us when we were young but as we advance in our age and our lives, we learn that they don't serve us any longer. First, though, we have to become aware of them and then to appreciate their support in our lives, we have to thank them for sharing but we also have to work with these beliefs by expanding or reframing them so that they are life-enhancing and not life-restricting.
Take, for example, a mother who got breast cancer right after her 17 year-old son got a girl pregnant and decided to get married to her. When asked about this event, she stated that the son was too young and this wasn't right. But what could she do? She felt trapped, confused, and unhappy and hence - being a mother, what better symbol of motherhood than her breasts. So, to deal with this on an unconscious level, she not only punished herself but also was punishing her son and his decision by getting breast cancer. Life is complex as we deal with deep personal issues in our lives and I always say, you can't solve a problem you don't understand. Answers aren't always clear but if we can explore and challenge our thinking, we can surface our unconscious beliefs and turn them into powerful action steps.
Another example was when Bill came back from a business trip and he had a sore elbow. When I asked him, 'what happened at the meeting', at first he couldn't think of anything but then when prodded, he recognized that he was in fact feeling elbowed out of the project. His conscious mind didn't pick up on that so his body had to alert him to pay attention. This was important for him to identify in order for him to move forward in his working career and address this issue which had to be addressed; the brilliant function of pain always has some information for us if we analyze it.
The body is always telling us things and we, as Reflexologists, know this very well because not only can we pick things up through conversation, we can also feel everything in the reflexes in the feet. The feet don't lie - they know exactly what is going on and they can tell us many things about our clients' imbalances.
A WHOLISTIC HEALING APPROACH
How does knowing more about who we are help us as Reflexologists? The body is connected to the whole system of ourselves - the Mental, the Social, and the Physical sides of ourselves. We cannot separate who we are from what we do, how we think and go about doing things in our lives and how things can affect us. The best way to stay healthy and balanced is to be awake, alert, and aware of what is going on both inside our self as well as how well we are adapting to the outside world of events.
As I grew in my relationship with Reflexology and with the Reflexology Association of Canada, I have taught all the courses from foot reflexology to hands, ears, and Teachers Training for all 3 modalities. I was lucky enough to have some students take all 3 modalities from me and I asked them: what is the difference for you in receiving Reflexology of the Ears, Hands, and Feet? The answers were amazing to me and these answers put it all together as a complete wholistic healing system.
What my students expressed to me was exactly as the Yoga System suggested. Balancing the system within requires that we calm the mind (Mental), cool the emotions (Social), and stimulate the body (Physical). When working the ears, students told me that they felt calmer and more at peace (Mental). When working the hands, students told me that they felt loved and that their upsets and frustrations disappeared and their emotions where in fact, cooled (Social). And working the feet, students said that they felt energized and stimulated (Physical).
Viola! What a great discovery and how closely it all fit together with Yoga, Reflexology and Personality preferences understanding. Let's do some gentle work together starting with the ears to assist in calming the Mental Function.
Let me get your oriented first. Think of the body as upside-down fetus. The ear lobe is the head and the buttocks are at the upper part of the ear.
Starting at the outer most side of your ear and with your index finger and thumb, massage it as if you have a mustard seed that you want to move around.
Go along the outer rim completely giving zone 1 a massage - Zone 1 is related to the excretion and respiratory systems.
Zone 2 is related to the skeletal system. And Zone 3 is related to the internal organs. The lobe is related to the head/rain area and the tragus and antitrgaus area is related to the inflammations and fevers. Finish up with the tragus and antitragus reflex area giving the total body a massage. You may feel like going to sleep now but hang in there, we'll do some more work.
Do the scissor movement by rubbing up and down with your index fingers behind the ears and your other fingers in front of the ears as if you are holding your head in the palms of your hand. Lovely. Here is an excerpt from my new book: The Well-Tempered Life: Coach Yourself to Wellness.
Ear Reflexes
The upper part of the ear corresponds to the lower part of the body. Applying pressure here stimulates reflexes in legs, hips, thighs, reproductive organs, and knees, parts of the urinary system, and the hands and arms.
The middle part of the ear corresponds to the middle part of the body. Applying pressure here stimulates reflexes in the intestines, stomach, liver, spleen, gall bladder, and part of the urinary system.
The mid to lower area of the ear corresponds to the upper part of the body. Applying pressure here stimulates reflexes in the chest, breast, lungs, upper neck and back.
The lower part of the ear corresponds to the top of the body. Applying pressure here stimulates reflexes in the neck, head and brain.
Let's move onto the Social Function and using Reflexology of the Hands.
METHOD:
1. Rub and wring the hands
2. Press all your finger tips together 10x
3. With your index finger, swipe all the finger necks
4. Massage the webs
5. Interlace the fingers and press into the total palmar area
6. Flex wrist and then shake your hands wildly
7. Hand clap and hug yourself
Working the hands is especially wonderful to do with older people who need the comfort of touch to help them feel connected and loved.
Next, let's stimulate the feet reflexes.
When thinking about the body, working the feet as we know has a stimulating affecting throughout the body and is especially good to do when feeling lethargic, dull, tired, and fatigued.
For this, doing a 2-minute exercise using the Foot Massage Mat -- SOCKS SHOULD BE WORN WHEN FIRST USING THE MAT AND ESPECIALLY FOR TENDER FEET. Lay the Foot Massage mat on a flat floor behind a chair and march up and down on the sole of the feet, on the toes, on the sides of the feet, on the heels, and once again on the flat of the feet.
QUESTIONS TO CLARIFY OUR REFLEXOLOGY JOURNEY
I think my journey and my love of Reflexology is evident in the longevity of my activities with it and my commitment to sharing Reflexology with others. I don't know how many students I have trained over the years in the hands, feet, and ear and teachers training reflexology courses - lots! Did I know that this was a life-long love? Not when I started but as I continued on my journey, I became clearer about what kept me curious, interested and engaged in life.
As you continue on your path down the yellow brick road to find the answers for yourself in terms of your personal and professional Reflexology journey, you may wish to answer some of these questions for yourself:
a. Do you see Reflexology as a hobby or as a profession?
b. What are some goals you might identify for yourself today and into your future with your practice of Reflexology?
c. Where do you offer your treatments? Home, clinics, spas, medical centres, chiropractic office, hairdressing, esthetics?
d. What other modalities might you consider taking to complement your reflexology treatments? Aroma therapy, Reiki and energy work, esthetics, massage?
e. What are you charging and how are you being recognized for your work? The costs can add up if you are required to take professional development education units, pay for liability insurance, join associations and pay your membership dues. Are you making sure you get paid a fair price for your service?
f. What about the economy? Who is your client and can they afford this service if it is not covered by any of their benefits or plans?
g. What about certification standards. Who sets the standards? What are they? How do we teach these to our students and practice them in our service to our clients? How do we monitor them?
Next, take a moment and then complete the following:
1. Taking Action - Let's imagine you have found a magic lamp. You pick it up and absent-mindedly begin to stroke it and it starts to talk. As you listen, it tells you that as money is not an object of concern, what action steps would it tell you to take in terms of your Reflexology career?
2. Tell someone - create a plan, share it with someone you trust and think about how you'll feel once you complete all the action steps on your plan.
The question for all of us is truly, what is reflexology to you? Where are you currently with it in your life? Where do you want to go? Getting to the heart of Reflexology is both a personal as well as a professional question.
How can we shape our experience of Reflexology today and into the future? One way is to make whatever you chose to do count for you. Love what you do. Keep doing what you love to do and I am sure that things will figure themselves out along the way - we can use the metaphors of the Scarecrow, the Lion, and the Tin Man and Dorothy to demonstrate that you do indeed find your own way based on your own needs and whatever way that is, for sure, it is the right path for you.
By Danielle R. Gault
Article Source: Getting to the Heart of Reflexology
Prophylactic Knee Brace
This knee brace is designed to protect your knee from injury when you are playing contact sports and fits around your leg. This knee brace can incorporate bilateral or unilateral hinge designs. Bilateral means both sides and unilateral means only on one side. These braces are mainly comprised of straps with adhesives, bars, and hinges. When you have to wear a prophylactic knee brace will have to prevent or limit the severity of injuries to ligaments in your knee. Four of the main ligaments found in your knee include:
• Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)-this ligament is found in the middle of your knee joint and is connected to your tibia and femur
• Medial collateral ligament (MCL)-this ligament is found the outside of your knee joint that faces your other knee and keeps your knee joint from bending outward
• Lateral collateral ligament (LCL)-this ligament is found on the outside of your knee and connects the femur to your fibula. It stops your knee from moving too much and gives it stability
• Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL)-this ligament works with your ACL to help prevent the tibia from moving out of alignment. It also prevents it from sliding backward under your femur.
Benefits of a prophylactic knee brace
• Absorbs impact forces that could cause damage
• Protects your ACL against damage from rotational forces during contact sports like football
• Decreases the force on your MCL
The length of the brace should be as long it can fit comfortably on your leg. The energy that affects your knee during a contact injury is dissipated differently when you are wearing either a bilateral or a unilateral brace. The dispersal of the force can prevent injury to one ligament but not on the others but it all depends on the motion that was involved. If you have had knee ligament injuries before you will always be at risk for another ligament injury. To help prevent this from happening you can wear such an equipment. The one drawback to wearing this brace when playing contact sports is that it can interfere with the athlete's performance. It is possible that when they wear a knee brace that they could develop a false sense of security, making an injury possible if they are not careful. It could also cause an injury to the other players if they make contact with the brace.
An example of who might wear a prophylactic knee brace are defensive and offensive lineman during a football game. The reason is that they are a higher risk for having a knee injury. Some say that when they wear this type of knee brace if they suffer another knee injury is it less severe.
Are you in need of high quality orthotics medical equipment like back braces or knee brace? If so then all your needs can be fulfilled by Century Orthotics & Medical Equipment LLC. The company is the leading medical equipment Houston and knee brace Houston supplier. To know more about their product range or for assistance with buy medical equipment call Century Orthotics & Medical Equipment LLC at (713) 597-0923.
By Lora Davis
Article Source: Prophylactic Knee Brace
• Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)-this ligament is found in the middle of your knee joint and is connected to your tibia and femur
• Medial collateral ligament (MCL)-this ligament is found the outside of your knee joint that faces your other knee and keeps your knee joint from bending outward
• Lateral collateral ligament (LCL)-this ligament is found on the outside of your knee and connects the femur to your fibula. It stops your knee from moving too much and gives it stability
• Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL)-this ligament works with your ACL to help prevent the tibia from moving out of alignment. It also prevents it from sliding backward under your femur.
Benefits of a prophylactic knee brace
• Absorbs impact forces that could cause damage
• Protects your ACL against damage from rotational forces during contact sports like football
• Decreases the force on your MCL
The length of the brace should be as long it can fit comfortably on your leg. The energy that affects your knee during a contact injury is dissipated differently when you are wearing either a bilateral or a unilateral brace. The dispersal of the force can prevent injury to one ligament but not on the others but it all depends on the motion that was involved. If you have had knee ligament injuries before you will always be at risk for another ligament injury. To help prevent this from happening you can wear such an equipment. The one drawback to wearing this brace when playing contact sports is that it can interfere with the athlete's performance. It is possible that when they wear a knee brace that they could develop a false sense of security, making an injury possible if they are not careful. It could also cause an injury to the other players if they make contact with the brace.
An example of who might wear a prophylactic knee brace are defensive and offensive lineman during a football game. The reason is that they are a higher risk for having a knee injury. Some say that when they wear this type of knee brace if they suffer another knee injury is it less severe.
Are you in need of high quality orthotics medical equipment like back braces or knee brace? If so then all your needs can be fulfilled by Century Orthotics & Medical Equipment LLC. The company is the leading medical equipment Houston and knee brace Houston supplier. To know more about their product range or for assistance with buy medical equipment call Century Orthotics & Medical Equipment LLC at (713) 597-0923.
By Lora Davis
Article Source: Prophylactic Knee Brace
Destruction Of the Rain Forest - Not All Acai Products Are Equal
The Amazon encompasses 1.2 billion acres on the South American continent's north side of which the part is in Brazil and covers almost one half of that extensive country. Tha matter of fact is, the Amazon and its fertile ground for various plants and animals that thrive in its exotic climate, that the products from the Amazon are better than what we call organic - they are wild. Things that grow in the wild are strong in their own defense mechanisms to fight against insects and all manners of combatants, as a result. Amazon products such as the Brazil nut, guarana, and the Acai berry being recognised for their complex make up and concentrated nutritional values.
Destruction of rain forest!
Deforestation of the Amazon rain forest reached its highest in the years of 2004 and 2005. Satellite photos show loggers burned and cut down a near record over 10.000 square miles of rain forest in 2004 alone.
One of the main reasons is the world demand for heart-of-palm which is a Salad Garnish. It was known, poachers were illegally chopping down 5,000 to 10,000 palm trees a week. This was just to get the 30 to 40 cm (12 to 16 inch) section found near the crown of a 20 meter (65 foot) palm tree.
Just for this delicacy one poacher would have chopped down an average of 50 trees a day only to earn roughly $1 for every tree from which the heart-of-palm was removed. Once the heart is removed, the tree dies and rots.
The harvest of a palm tree that has grown for over 100 years has just enough of this delicacy to fill two 14-oz cans of heart-of-palm. This would retail in a supermarket for less than $5.00 per can. To feed salad bars and salad connoisseurs world-wide, is this worth such destruction of the palm and the rain forest? It is particularly a waste because the heart-of-palm has no particular nutritional value beyond its fiber.
This is not the case with the Acai berry which has significant nutritional density and the harvesting of it is a complete different approach.
Harvesting the Acai this way may safe the jungle!
Because of the huge interest and demand of the Acai berry, this has started to help the locals to realize that cutting down these precious palm trees just for a few inches of the top core of the tree was no longer a solution, and found that there are better options available. Every palm tree produces an abundant crop of Acai fruit twice a year. Within a few years, the value of the palm fruit itself exceeded by far the value of removing the top core of the palm just for the use as a salad garnish.
Therefore, a legitimate reason was found not to cut down those trees by harvesting the Acai berry another way.
Laborers now climb high into the 90-foot palm to collect what is known as the Black Pearl of the Amazon.
As these workers soon realized this type of reputed harvest every year or in some cases twice a year is a better way securing their jobs and increasing their earnings.
Harvesting the fruits from the palms is better for the environment because the palm will continue to grow for years. This was the way to stop unscrupulous loggers who destroy Acai palms for a quick profit.
This is opening another window of opportunity for the natives and showing them how to protect one of the best treasures they have, by saving the palm tree that gives so much towards people's health.
Preparations after harvesting the Acai berry!
The Amazon River is long and wide and a boat can navigate it inland from the sea for over 3,218 km (2000 miles).
The river is providing the best opportunity to navigate barges for transporting and quick preparations straight after harvesting the fruit. The timing is crucial; if not properly cared for, the oxidation process begins and quickly spoils the delicate fruit.
Without a way to keep the fruit refrigerated or quickly being processed, it would deteriorate fast as just about every food does in the tropics. In the last decade or so, a reliable and cost-effective transportation infrastructure including large refrigeration facilities being established. The well equipped barges can navigate the river deep into the jungle picking up the harvest.
Barges equipped with such facilities where certain stages of processing been done and transported to cities close to the Amazon River. One of the most effective ways is to have the fruit flash frozen into large blocks and shipped to different destinations. Why flash frozen? This is the only and most effective way for the fruit to keep all its goodness and nutritional values.
The Power of Acai
As reported in the Journal of Agriculture and food chemistry, a study showing extracts from Acai berries triggered a self-destruct response in more than 86 percent of leukemia cells tested.
This study was one of the first of its kind performed by the Institute of Food and Agricultural Science to show what people may gain from using beverages, dietary supplements made with the berries. There are many such reports of different health benefits. Therefore, there is no better reason for distributors and businesses being eager to use the name advantage of Acai.
Not all Acai products are equal
The label doesn't tell it all. On the label it may say that it includes Acai, but how much does it contain? Also, was it preserved the way it should have been? Therefore, not all Acai products as shown on labels are the same, nor contain the right amount to have the effect it should have. How this berry is preserved and processed can have a dramatic effect on its overall quality.
Many labels on products listed as including Acai, but most have only a fraction of the Acai quantity and its antioxidant activity it should have. Some companies do not understand how important all the processing actions after harvesting is, or are just trying to save money in making shortcuts in the process.
About late 1990s university labs became more advanced in accurately measuring the amounts of specific nutrients in the Acai fruits and other foods. Only than methods of preservation being realized and became available, such as freeze drying that would contain its nutritional quality.
There are not many leading companies that have done their research and follow strict rules and guidelines into preserving and transporting this highly quality product without losing any of its nutritious values.
Processing and preserving the Acai berry
The key to it is that the benefits of the Acai berry is delivered in the most effective and concentrated form. A process of freezing the fresh harvested fruit to preserve the fruits nutrients being performed at a very low heat temperature; this process removes the moisture from the berry - leaving behind pure Acai powder.
The freeze-dried Acai powder, on a gram-for-gram basis, has an ORAC of 1.027, I spoke about in the previous article. That makes it one of the highest of any kind of fruits or vegetables.
A product has been found and developed with one of the best health benefits for anyone who wants to take advantage of it. Now, more than ever people are stepping up to accept responsibility for their own health and for the food they ingest. Scientific evidence shows that the most powerful health advantages come from mother nature, and using natural food as medicine is the most logical step.
Public health officials are urging consumers to eat several servings of fruits and vegetables every day to get the all important antioxidants. Unfortunately, most people have very little knowledge of what antioxidants are and why they are important.
The other positive step is changing the process of harvesting, saving the palm trees and protecting the Amazon rain forest. It is not only for taking, it is also for giving back.
My name is Josef Bichler. I have a passion for wellness and showing others how to live healthy lives. Having successfully overcome several of my own health challenges by using natural means and supplementation. I believe that sharing information can help others to take control of their own health problems. For more ongoing health information subscribe to my free weekly newsletter; this also gives you the opportunity for comments, suggestions and questions you may have, as well download my free e-book to help making better food choices: http://www.healthythenaturalway.com
By Josef Bichler
Article Source: Destruction Of the Rain Forest - Not All Acai Products Are Equal
Destruction of rain forest!
Deforestation of the Amazon rain forest reached its highest in the years of 2004 and 2005. Satellite photos show loggers burned and cut down a near record over 10.000 square miles of rain forest in 2004 alone.
One of the main reasons is the world demand for heart-of-palm which is a Salad Garnish. It was known, poachers were illegally chopping down 5,000 to 10,000 palm trees a week. This was just to get the 30 to 40 cm (12 to 16 inch) section found near the crown of a 20 meter (65 foot) palm tree.
Just for this delicacy one poacher would have chopped down an average of 50 trees a day only to earn roughly $1 for every tree from which the heart-of-palm was removed. Once the heart is removed, the tree dies and rots.
The harvest of a palm tree that has grown for over 100 years has just enough of this delicacy to fill two 14-oz cans of heart-of-palm. This would retail in a supermarket for less than $5.00 per can. To feed salad bars and salad connoisseurs world-wide, is this worth such destruction of the palm and the rain forest? It is particularly a waste because the heart-of-palm has no particular nutritional value beyond its fiber.
This is not the case with the Acai berry which has significant nutritional density and the harvesting of it is a complete different approach.
Harvesting the Acai this way may safe the jungle!
Because of the huge interest and demand of the Acai berry, this has started to help the locals to realize that cutting down these precious palm trees just for a few inches of the top core of the tree was no longer a solution, and found that there are better options available. Every palm tree produces an abundant crop of Acai fruit twice a year. Within a few years, the value of the palm fruit itself exceeded by far the value of removing the top core of the palm just for the use as a salad garnish.
Therefore, a legitimate reason was found not to cut down those trees by harvesting the Acai berry another way.
Laborers now climb high into the 90-foot palm to collect what is known as the Black Pearl of the Amazon.
As these workers soon realized this type of reputed harvest every year or in some cases twice a year is a better way securing their jobs and increasing their earnings.
Harvesting the fruits from the palms is better for the environment because the palm will continue to grow for years. This was the way to stop unscrupulous loggers who destroy Acai palms for a quick profit.
This is opening another window of opportunity for the natives and showing them how to protect one of the best treasures they have, by saving the palm tree that gives so much towards people's health.
Preparations after harvesting the Acai berry!
The Amazon River is long and wide and a boat can navigate it inland from the sea for over 3,218 km (2000 miles).
The river is providing the best opportunity to navigate barges for transporting and quick preparations straight after harvesting the fruit. The timing is crucial; if not properly cared for, the oxidation process begins and quickly spoils the delicate fruit.
Without a way to keep the fruit refrigerated or quickly being processed, it would deteriorate fast as just about every food does in the tropics. In the last decade or so, a reliable and cost-effective transportation infrastructure including large refrigeration facilities being established. The well equipped barges can navigate the river deep into the jungle picking up the harvest.
Barges equipped with such facilities where certain stages of processing been done and transported to cities close to the Amazon River. One of the most effective ways is to have the fruit flash frozen into large blocks and shipped to different destinations. Why flash frozen? This is the only and most effective way for the fruit to keep all its goodness and nutritional values.
The Power of Acai
As reported in the Journal of Agriculture and food chemistry, a study showing extracts from Acai berries triggered a self-destruct response in more than 86 percent of leukemia cells tested.
This study was one of the first of its kind performed by the Institute of Food and Agricultural Science to show what people may gain from using beverages, dietary supplements made with the berries. There are many such reports of different health benefits. Therefore, there is no better reason for distributors and businesses being eager to use the name advantage of Acai.
Not all Acai products are equal
The label doesn't tell it all. On the label it may say that it includes Acai, but how much does it contain? Also, was it preserved the way it should have been? Therefore, not all Acai products as shown on labels are the same, nor contain the right amount to have the effect it should have. How this berry is preserved and processed can have a dramatic effect on its overall quality.
Many labels on products listed as including Acai, but most have only a fraction of the Acai quantity and its antioxidant activity it should have. Some companies do not understand how important all the processing actions after harvesting is, or are just trying to save money in making shortcuts in the process.
About late 1990s university labs became more advanced in accurately measuring the amounts of specific nutrients in the Acai fruits and other foods. Only than methods of preservation being realized and became available, such as freeze drying that would contain its nutritional quality.
There are not many leading companies that have done their research and follow strict rules and guidelines into preserving and transporting this highly quality product without losing any of its nutritious values.
Processing and preserving the Acai berry
The key to it is that the benefits of the Acai berry is delivered in the most effective and concentrated form. A process of freezing the fresh harvested fruit to preserve the fruits nutrients being performed at a very low heat temperature; this process removes the moisture from the berry - leaving behind pure Acai powder.
The freeze-dried Acai powder, on a gram-for-gram basis, has an ORAC of 1.027, I spoke about in the previous article. That makes it one of the highest of any kind of fruits or vegetables.
A product has been found and developed with one of the best health benefits for anyone who wants to take advantage of it. Now, more than ever people are stepping up to accept responsibility for their own health and for the food they ingest. Scientific evidence shows that the most powerful health advantages come from mother nature, and using natural food as medicine is the most logical step.
Public health officials are urging consumers to eat several servings of fruits and vegetables every day to get the all important antioxidants. Unfortunately, most people have very little knowledge of what antioxidants are and why they are important.
The other positive step is changing the process of harvesting, saving the palm trees and protecting the Amazon rain forest. It is not only for taking, it is also for giving back.
My name is Josef Bichler. I have a passion for wellness and showing others how to live healthy lives. Having successfully overcome several of my own health challenges by using natural means and supplementation. I believe that sharing information can help others to take control of their own health problems. For more ongoing health information subscribe to my free weekly newsletter; this also gives you the opportunity for comments, suggestions and questions you may have, as well download my free e-book to help making better food choices: http://www.healthythenaturalway.com
By Josef Bichler
Article Source: Destruction Of the Rain Forest - Not All Acai Products Are Equal
Fighting the Battle of Bulge
In recent times, obesity has become a problem affecting people of all ages and genders across the globe. This has led to various health issues. The main causes of obesity are sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy eating habits.
If we look at the children of the current generation, we see that they spend most of their time indoors. They are either studying or involved with gadgets. Most kids these days are picky eaters. They avoid fruits and vegetables. There is a trend of kids preferring fast foods. Moreover, they do not play outdoors or have any kind of exercise included in their routine. All this leads to obesity in childhood and lays the foundation for diseases in adulthood.
If we look at the lives of adults these days, their lives have become mechanical. People rush from home to work and back. As a result they do not have enough time to exercise or eat a healthy meal. Most of the time they just grab a bite between activities. This not only affects their health adversely but also makes them dull and depleted of energy. The impact is felt not only on their physical but also on their mental health. Most adults have a problem in concentrating, memory issues, etc.
It is time, we paused our rush to reflect on what we have become and whether it is worthwhile at all!
In our endeavors to acquire more, we have reduced ourselves to mere machines. We are not paying heed to the needs of the body. Well, it is time we focused on ourselves and set things right. We should aim to get fit. One of the most important aspects of fitness is weight loss. Weight loss helps us to improve our overall health and feel good.
For this, it is essential that we lead a regulated lifestyle. The main features of a regulated lifestyle are:
1. Eating balanced meals.
2. Including exercise in our schedule.
3. Getting adequate rest by sleeping on time and waking up on time.
Some benefits of a healthy lifestyle are:
• It not only gives us a fit body but also a healthy mind.
• We feel good about ourselves and this boosts our confidence levels.
• We can avoid certain diseases and fight some of them.
• Our heart will be healthy.
• Most important of all, we can set a good example for our children. This will help our children grow up into healthy individuals.
Hence, we see that it is essential to fight the tendency to put on excess weight as this has detrimental effects on our health. Change in lifestyle is one way of managing weight.
Achieving weight loss is the dream of every overweight individual. Weight loss can be effectively attained through Addrena. To know more about it visit here.
By Kanika Saxena
Article Source: Fighting the Battle of Bulge
If we look at the children of the current generation, we see that they spend most of their time indoors. They are either studying or involved with gadgets. Most kids these days are picky eaters. They avoid fruits and vegetables. There is a trend of kids preferring fast foods. Moreover, they do not play outdoors or have any kind of exercise included in their routine. All this leads to obesity in childhood and lays the foundation for diseases in adulthood.
If we look at the lives of adults these days, their lives have become mechanical. People rush from home to work and back. As a result they do not have enough time to exercise or eat a healthy meal. Most of the time they just grab a bite between activities. This not only affects their health adversely but also makes them dull and depleted of energy. The impact is felt not only on their physical but also on their mental health. Most adults have a problem in concentrating, memory issues, etc.
It is time, we paused our rush to reflect on what we have become and whether it is worthwhile at all!
In our endeavors to acquire more, we have reduced ourselves to mere machines. We are not paying heed to the needs of the body. Well, it is time we focused on ourselves and set things right. We should aim to get fit. One of the most important aspects of fitness is weight loss. Weight loss helps us to improve our overall health and feel good.
For this, it is essential that we lead a regulated lifestyle. The main features of a regulated lifestyle are:
1. Eating balanced meals.
2. Including exercise in our schedule.
3. Getting adequate rest by sleeping on time and waking up on time.
Some benefits of a healthy lifestyle are:
• It not only gives us a fit body but also a healthy mind.
• We feel good about ourselves and this boosts our confidence levels.
• We can avoid certain diseases and fight some of them.
• Our heart will be healthy.
• Most important of all, we can set a good example for our children. This will help our children grow up into healthy individuals.
Hence, we see that it is essential to fight the tendency to put on excess weight as this has detrimental effects on our health. Change in lifestyle is one way of managing weight.
Achieving weight loss is the dream of every overweight individual. Weight loss can be effectively attained through Addrena. To know more about it visit here.
By Kanika Saxena
Article Source: Fighting the Battle of Bulge
Why You Need Professional Dental Cleanings
Professional dental cleanings are important because they have a direct impact on your overall health. Dental cleanings will help to keep your smile bright and prevent serious illnesses. Even though brushing and regular flossing at home is important, regular cleanings and checkups should be scheduled annually. Here are five key reasons why you require professional cleanings.
Healthy smile
You must consult a dental hygienist twice every year for you to maintain a healthy, bright smile and enhance overall body health. It is good for every individual to practice excellent oral hygiene in their homes. However, professional cleaning of your teeth will remove buildup of plaque or tartar that is not eliminated by regular floss or brushing. Your dental hygienist will also remove stains resulting from tobacco, tea or coffee.
Improve your health
Poor oral health is associated with a wide range of serious medical problems. Therefore, regular dental checkups can lower the risks of having conditions, such as strokes, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and bone loss. In addition, oral cancer can be detected early, managed and even cured. Your gums are a direct reflection of your body health. Therefore, your dentist can diagnose leukemia, anemia and diabetes by looking at your gums.
Prevention of gum disease
Professional cleaning of your teeth will help in preventing the occurrence of gingivitis. This is usually characterized by gum inflammation and is the initial stage of periodontitis. It is mainly caused by the buildup of plaque, which can be removed with regular cleaning. Your dentist will also be able to see any signs of gum disease and take care of the situation before it worsens.
Maintain a fresh breath
Studies show that people who suffer from halitosis or bad breath may have an underlying dental problem. Excellent oral hygiene is important in preventing occurrence of bad breath. This is because it will help you to eliminate the rubbish out regularly, preventing it from stinking. Regular cleanings and dental checkups are the best ways of ensuring that you maintain the best oral hygiene practices.
Save cash
Prevention is always less costly compared to cure. Therefore, regular dental cleaning will definitely prevent future dental problems that will require lots of money. This is because your dentist will identify any oral health issues way before they become complicated. Early treatment will result in lower financial bills as you can also make use of your dental insurance.
With regular checkups and dental cleanings, your hygienist and dentist will be able to identify dental issues affecting your gums and teeth. This is crucial because it is easy to treat cavities, gum disease or broken fillings that have been detected early. This is because these problems can worsen and require teeth removal, gum surgery or root canals if they are left untreated.
To learn more about preventative-dentistry, please visit Mapleridge Dentist
By William Jam Smith
Article Source: Why You Need Professional Dental Cleanings
Healthy smile
You must consult a dental hygienist twice every year for you to maintain a healthy, bright smile and enhance overall body health. It is good for every individual to practice excellent oral hygiene in their homes. However, professional cleaning of your teeth will remove buildup of plaque or tartar that is not eliminated by regular floss or brushing. Your dental hygienist will also remove stains resulting from tobacco, tea or coffee.
Improve your health
Poor oral health is associated with a wide range of serious medical problems. Therefore, regular dental checkups can lower the risks of having conditions, such as strokes, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and bone loss. In addition, oral cancer can be detected early, managed and even cured. Your gums are a direct reflection of your body health. Therefore, your dentist can diagnose leukemia, anemia and diabetes by looking at your gums.
Prevention of gum disease
Professional cleaning of your teeth will help in preventing the occurrence of gingivitis. This is usually characterized by gum inflammation and is the initial stage of periodontitis. It is mainly caused by the buildup of plaque, which can be removed with regular cleaning. Your dentist will also be able to see any signs of gum disease and take care of the situation before it worsens.
Maintain a fresh breath
Studies show that people who suffer from halitosis or bad breath may have an underlying dental problem. Excellent oral hygiene is important in preventing occurrence of bad breath. This is because it will help you to eliminate the rubbish out regularly, preventing it from stinking. Regular cleanings and dental checkups are the best ways of ensuring that you maintain the best oral hygiene practices.
Save cash
Prevention is always less costly compared to cure. Therefore, regular dental cleaning will definitely prevent future dental problems that will require lots of money. This is because your dentist will identify any oral health issues way before they become complicated. Early treatment will result in lower financial bills as you can also make use of your dental insurance.
With regular checkups and dental cleanings, your hygienist and dentist will be able to identify dental issues affecting your gums and teeth. This is crucial because it is easy to treat cavities, gum disease or broken fillings that have been detected early. This is because these problems can worsen and require teeth removal, gum surgery or root canals if they are left untreated.
To learn more about preventative-dentistry, please visit Mapleridge Dentist
By William Jam Smith
Article Source: Why You Need Professional Dental Cleanings
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