Sustenance! What is that?
Vitamins and minerals are important to prevent disease and retard aging.
Many, many books have been written about which vitamins and minerals we should all be taking. An early draft of my book “A Healer’s Handbook” had much information included in the chapters. I was uncomfortable with the information and removed it. It took months/years to assemble the information and get it in the manuscript. It took only a few minutes to delete it. I’ve never regretted that move.
Years later, the book is now out…without the information. I’m still happy with that decision.
That being said, I’m now going to share information about some nutritional supplements with you. This information is based on my own research, what I’ve learned over many years. I’m offering my professional opinion here. You may not, probably will not, agree with any or all I present. That’s okay. The whole subject is very controversial.
The controversy is based on differing opinions between science-based and belief-based groups. These 2 groups of people see supplements in different ways. Belief based people see supplements as natural products which:
promote health
overcome dietary deficiencies
are preferable to FDA products.
Science-based groups see supplements as being:
of questionable value
and of questionable safety.
I could continue on about this conflict for another 10,000 words…but I’m not.
There are many, many supplements out there. The questions to ask yourself are 2:
Which of these products should I take and how often?
I recommend that, whatever you choose, make sure the products come from reputable companies whose products are routinely tested by independent laboratories for purity. You want to be able to purchase a vitamin, mineral, or other supplement, composed of chemicals which are listed on the label.
You want your supplements to be manufactured by companies which have independent laboratories buy their vitamins or supplements off the shelf, test them in their own facilities, and publish the results.
There are many, many books out there recommending vitamins, minerals, etc. The authors of these books will list the products and then tell you how much and when to take them. I won’t duplicate this information. What I’m doing is telling you what I use, and why I use it. Nobody is paying me to recommend these products to you. I’m not selling them, either.
These are simply the best products I can find.
The first product is one that I feel virtually everyone should be taking.
Wiley’s Finest Wild Alaskan Fish Oil is an Omega-3 Oil. It’s processed from Alaskan Pollack grown in a well managed fishery. The fish is turned into oil and purified, then bottled and shipped out. This Omega 3 Oil is 100% American made.
If you can’t find Wiley’s Finest Wild Alaskan Fish Oil in a store near you, contact Village Apothecary, Woodstock, NY, 12498 and they’ll ship it to you.
I’m really sold on Omega 3 oils. If you are only going to take one thing…make it Wiley’s Finest Wild Alaskan Fish Oil.
Everyone recommends multivitamins. A multivitamin is a basic in our culture now. Like all the other health care professionals, nutritionists, etc. I recommend that we all, at least, take multivitamins.
I take multivitamins every day with lunch.
The multivitamin I take is manufactured in Boulder, Colorado by Nutriplex, a woman-owned, organic company. All Nutriplex products offer whole food nutrition with superior quality and nutritional standards. All Nutriplex products are formulated from evidence-based research.
The name of the Nutriplex multivitamin is Whole Food.
I take 3 Nutriplex products daily:
BFood
Whole Food
Promin.
Whole Food is the multivitamin that everyone recommends. .
BFood is a formula offering B-vitamin nutrition.
I take other nutritional products as well, but these are the basic ones I take. I rely on these products to do the job they need to do.
I hope you feel the same way about the supplements you take.
Thanks for reading this blog.
Please refer this article to your preferred social media network.
My book “A Healer’s Handbook” can be found on Amazon.
Thurman Greco
Sleep for a Healthy Lifestyle
As a reflexology practitioner, it’s important that you stay as healthy as possible. When you take care of your body, you inspire your client partners to take care of theirs.
Many conditions lurk unnoticed for years to develop in the body before they are recognized for what they are: diseases that, in the early stages, are seen as fatigue, headaches, insomnia.
But, whatever these conditions are called, they are actually ongoing health issues that no one has solved. Often, we just ignore these problems.
“I just need to learn to live with this……” is a remark I hear often. The problem is common, persistent, chronic.
Now is the time to see these issues for what they are and take steps to deal with them before they become full blown, serious, illnesses. Look at yourself:
Do you look healthy?
Do you feel healthy?
Do you have enough energy for all the things you want to do each day?
Do you sleep well?
Do you have digestive issues?
Do you feel toxic?
Make 2017 the year you turn your life around.
Begin by learning to get enough sleep.
The first step in a healthy sleep is having a healthy sleeping environment.
Do you or your sleep partner snore? This can rob you of hours and hours of sleep, necessary to good health. People don’t realize it but snoring can be a symptom of sleep apnea, a serious medical condition which contributes to Alzheimer’s. So, today, begin to address the snoring.
Snoring is not always expensive to treat. So, make your first step to a healthy year, a trip to a physician to address any and all snoring and sleep issues.
The second thing to do is declutter the sleep space. Move the home office into another room. Move the TV out. The bedroom is for sleeping and sex. Everything else goes in another part of your home or apartment.
About an hour before you are ready to go to bed, begin to calm yourself down. Prepare your body to sleep.
Taking sleeping pills is not the answer.
Instead, don’t watch television or play video games immediately before sleep. Attend fewer evening meetings.
Is your bed comfortable? Do you have enough blankets? How about the pillows?
What is your most comfortable sleep position? Do you sleep better on your stomach or are you a sleeper who prefers to be face up? Do your bed, bedding, and pillows encourage a healthy sleep every night?
Finally, schedule sufficient hours to sleep. You need at least eight hours of sleep in order to get the optimum energy and rejuvenation out of your body the next day.
One thing you can do to improve your sleep situation is to receive a reflexology session weekly. People universally claim that regular reflexology encourages better sleep. So, while you are offering reflexology sessions to your client partners to encourage their improved sleep, schedule reflexology sessions for yourself. At least, that way, you’ll know exactly how wonderful a reflexology encouraged sleep really feels.
Make it a habit to offer self-reiki therapy to encourage sleep. Teach reiki therapy to your client partners so they can give themselves sessions as they go to bed at night.
One of the secrets to a healthy body is sufficient sleep on a continued basis. Share this secret with your client partners!
Thanks for reading this article!
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Get your copy of “A Healer’s Handbook” today!
Thanks!
Thurman Greco
Oil. Oil. And More Oil!
The next time you need to purchase olive oil, read the labels on the bottles, jars, and cans. Don’t just grab the container that’s on sale or the one on the end cap or the one with the prettiest label.
I recently did a study on olive oils. I wanted this information for myself and to share with my client partners and you, my readers. Boy, did my eyes get opened WIDE!
Most olive oils on grocery store shelves are imported. The names on the labels evoke history, romance, travel to exotic places. Stand in front of the olive oil display for a couple of minutes and your brain may even wander to skin, water and summer moons:
Bertolli
Pompeiian
San Leandro
Filippo Berio
Taste Inspirations
Nature’s Place
DeCecco
Buonaturae
Spectrum
Olivari
Botticelli
l could go on and on. The least inspiring labels were Rachel Ray, Spectrum, and Hannaford’s.
When you finish reading those labels, you’re going to probably be thinking more about travel than anything else. Imported olive oils are mostly a blend of oils from many different countries:
Argentina
Australia
Chile
Egypt
Greece
Italy
Morocco
Spain
Tunisia
Turkey
Uruguay
U.S.
The average label listed 5 countries for the oil of origin. When an olive oil company blends so many oils from so many places, I feel that things get confusing. How can there be controls, health guidelines on a product coming from countries all over the world? And, truth be known, there are no controls on imported olive oil. The blend may not even be olive oil.
Oliveri oil comes from Italy, Greece, Spain, Turkey, Tunisia, and Morocco.
Pompeiian oil claims to have oil in its bottles from Italy, Greece, Spain, Argentina, Tunisia, Turkey, Morocco, Chile, U.S., and Egypt.
The only olive oil I buy and trust is organic American Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Olive oil is a food which can be therapeutic. If I’m eating something partially because of its therapeutic qualities, I want to know that I’m getting what I pay for. And, let’s face it, olive oil is not cheap. I want it to be organic and I want it to be EVOO and I want it to be what the label says it is.
When I read the labels, I discovered that most of the companies with these romantic sounding names claimed to use oils from most every country. There were some exceptions:
Pompeiian produces several different olive oils. One is American and 1 is Portuguese.
Carapelli, DeCecco, and Buonaturae sell pure Italian olive oils.
Taste of Inspirations has an oil from Italy and an oil from Greece.
San Leandro’s oil comes from Spain.
As far as my research leads me, the only Sicilian olive oil comes from Trader Joe’s.
The principal oil used in my kitchen is organic American Extra Virgin Olive Oil because medical experts believe that it is a good food to help prevent several diseases which I’m not interested in dealing with:
cancer
heart disease
high blood pressure
osteoporosis
rheumatoid arthritis.
There’s a method to this. In order for your EVOO to be therapeutic, you need to use an EVOO regularly enough to consume about 2 large spoonfuls daily. This means you’re going to cut out some less desirable oils. An easy way to do this is to substitute olive oil for margarine, butter, peanut oil.
Olive oil is a monounsaturated fat – a healthy dietary fat.
You may not even know it but your EVOO is a heavyweight in your kitchen. It’s important on your reflexology table too. When your client partner voices dietary health concerns, this is your opportunity to share the health benefit information. One of the easiest ways to begin to eat healthy is to rely on American organic extra virgin olive oil.
ENJOY!
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Thurman Greco
8 Ways to Get a Good Night’s Sleep
I estimate that one third of your client partners have problems sleeping. Many of them have just given up on getting a good night’s sleep. This is not a good thing because there are many things that a person can do to sleep well…every night, not just once in awhile.
A person who gets enough sleep looks and acts healthier because there is more energy available to do the things to get through the day successfully. So, here are some suggestions that have proven to be successful. Try them. Share them.
- Receive a reflexology session every week. People who get reflexology regularly tell me they sleep better. This is important for practitioners, too. I receive a session weekly. It’s one of the most important things I do in life.
- Reiki sessions are wonderful for sleep. Do you teach Reiki? Attune your clients to be reiki practitioners so they can give themselves sessions every night when they go to bed. Sleep is sure to follow. A well intentioned Reiki therapy session is better than a sleeping pill.
- Have a regular sleep schedule so that you go to bed every night at the same time. Schedule your evenings so that you plan on sleeping 7-8 hours every night.
- An hour before going to bed, turn off loud music, scary TV shows, and consciously wind down.
- Do you have a lot of things to do tomorrow? Before you go to bed, make out a list of all the things you have to do tomorrow. Then, put that list in another room and forget about it until tomorrow.
- Make your bedroom a sanctuary for sleep. This means moving all the clutter and junk to another part of the house. That includes the TV and anything else that is a sleep distraction.
- Take a look at your bedding. When was the last time you bought pillows, sheets, blankets? Does your mattress sag in the middle? Are you sleeping in worn out sweat pants with holes? It’s time to focus on sleep-inducing comfort.
- Get a pen and journal notebook. Early in the evening, every evening, spend a few moments writing about one thing that you feel thankful for.
Thanks for reading this blog post. I will be offering more sleep tips throughout the coming year.
The book “A Healer’s Handbook is available as an ebook on Amazon an d Nook. The paper version is available on my website: thurmangreco.com. So far, the response to the book is very positive.
Thanks again.
Thurman Greco
A Healthy Heart
A healthy heart and circulatory system are necessary to feel and express emotions positively. When you work the circulatory system, you distribute love and healing. This improves your client’s sense of self worth and balances blood flow. When your client’s sense of self worth improves and when the emotions are expressed positively, life improves physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
When I begin to address my client partner’s heart health, the first place I go is to the fourth chakra. This means that I work the heart chakra on the reflex points on my client partner’s feet.
I also include an essential oil in the reflexology session when I work the heart and circulatory system. I may choose lavender. If my client partner needs grounding, I’ll reach for geranium. You may have other oils in your tool box which will attract you.
If my client is overweight or underweight or if the skin color is not too good, I’ll offer a list of healing foods that are important for heart/circulatory issues. If I think it’s a good idea, I’ll recommend a visit to a nutritionist.
Heart health issues often take years to show themselves in the body. Lifestyle habits contribute. Heart health issues involve the whole body – the physical, mental, spiritual, emotional layers. Spiritually, heart issues reflect long standing wounds, rejection, and self-criticism.
If I have time, I’ll include a guided meditation in the session. Guided meditations are always good for fourth chakra issues. My favorite fourth chakra guided meditation invites my client partner to go beyond the curtain to a past life because heart health baggage is often past life.
This can be a little challenging if your client partner doesn’t believe in past life issues. When that happens, go to the time right after birth. Some past life issues are still open for you and your client partner in infancy.
Thank you for reading this article.
Please share this post on your favorite social media outlet.
“A Healers Handbook” is now available as an ebook on Amazon and on Nook. The
Paper version is on the way!
In the near future I’ll share a guided heart healthy meditation with you and I’ll discuss lifestyle issues affecting heart health.
Thurman Greco
Is it a Cold or the Flu?
I hear this question every year at the beginning of the flu season. So HOW DO YOU KNOW? How do you know whether it’s a cold or the flu?
Well, there are some real differences.
Fever is rare with a cold. Fever is common with the flu. It’s usually high and lasts 3 to 4 days.
Headaches are rare with cold but common with flu.
Cold sufferers may have slight aches and pains. Flu sufferers have definite aches and pains which may be severe.
Extreme fatigue and/or weakness is just not a factor with a cold. With the flu, exhaustion is common…especially at the onset of the illness.
Sore throat, stuffy nose, and sneezing are common with colds. However, with flu, these symptoms are not important.
Chest discomfort and coughs are mild with colds. A person suffering with a cold may have mild symptoms to include a hacking cough. With the flu, these symptoms can become severe.
With colds, treatment includes antihistamines, decongestants. With the flu, the patient needs to consult with a physician.
Regular Reflexology for the Spirit sessions, Reiki therapy, and chakra healing strengthen the immune system, an important tool in fighting both colds and flu.
Prevention is important. Wash your hands often and stay away from anyone with a cold. These measures also work with flu but include an annual flu shot.
Complications to a cold include sinus congestion, ear infection, and asthma. Complications to the flu can be serious. They include bronchitis and pneumonia.
Thanks for reading this blog/book.
If you are interested in purchasing my new book “A Healer’s Handbook” It is out on Amazon now. After you read it, let me know how it works for you.
Please share this post with your favorite social media outlet.
Thurman Greco
9 Things Reflexologists Don’t Do – and 5 Things we Do
Cure – Reflexologists do not cure. Instead, we promote healing, which can be a very
different thing, depending on the issue.
Patient – Reflexologists do not have patients. Physicians have patients. We have client partners. Some reflexologists have clients. But, whatever we have, we don’t have patients.
Recommend – We do not recommend. Instead, we work feet. We concentrate our energies on facilitating healing.
Advise – Reflexologists do not advise. We support our client partners in their healing path. Our work brings about homeostasis and synchronicity.
Examine – We do not examine. We read feet or hands or ears. .We notice where our findings are located. We work the feet, hands, ears, to bring about healing, homeostasis, and synchronicity.
Prescribe – We do not prescribe. That’s for physicians and other medical professionals. We rely on our hands and hearts to tell us what we find, to encourage healing, to facilitate homeostasis, to see synchronicity.
Dispense – We have nothing to dispense beyond the sessions we offer.
Diagnose – We do not diagnose. Physicians assist us in our healing efforts when they offer a diagnosis. This is important because it’s much easier to overcome a health issue if it has a name.
Administer – We do not administer anything. Instead, we read feet, offer sessions. Our noninvasive sessions have been offered to client partners for ages and ages.
Reflexology for the Spirit practitioners use our hands, brains, and hearts.
We do not need to over schedule our days to be successful. Twenty-five appointments a week is a full time practice for a Reflexology for the Spirit practitioner.
We are not wedded to advertising. Some of us don’t even have business cards. Referrals work well for us.
Because Reflexology for the Spirit works well with other modalities, many of us also practice yoga, massage, Reiki therapy, flower remedies. That means we are always growing, learning.
We honor our heritage. Reflexology for the Spirit practitioners take our traditions back many, many years:
Our history takes us far back in time with beginnings shrouded in mystery. What we do know is that early references to reflexology can be found in China, India, Japan, Egypt, Greece, North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, the Mediterranean, South American and North America.
Historians tell us that Egyptians practiced both hand and food reflexology as early as 2500 BC. If you ever travel to Egypt, please visit the burial ground at Saqqara. The Physician’s Tomb there has a famous wall painting showing two people receiving reflexology.
If you ever find yourself in Japan, be sure to visit the Medicine Teacher Temple in Nara. There you’ll find a stone carving depicting the soles of Buddha’s feet in a carving dating to 790 AD.
In India, there are paintings of Vishnu, the Hindu god’s feet with symbols corresponding to several reflexology points.
Ayurveda is an ancient Indian form of medicine becoming popular in our country. Reflexology is incorporated in Ayurvedic medicine.
Reflexology has been recorded in ancient Chinese writings describing pressure being applied to fingers and thumbs.
From this glorious history and recent twentieth century trailblazers, we now have thousands of people practicing various kinds of reflexology throughout the world.
Reflexologists the world over work in tandem with physicians as our field moves toward integrative medicine in the twenty-first century. Integrative medicine works to heal the total person: the physical, mental, emotional, spiritual.
Reflexology has endured the test of time and is modern as tomorrow in the 21st !century.
Thank you for reading this blog. It has been a long time since I’ve posted an article. I have been working full time/overtime on the new book! It’s happening!
Thurman Greco
Woodstock, New York
Progress of the Book
The book is, at last, being edited! Real book progress is being made. I hope to get it to the publisher soon. I plan to go over it one last time about mid July.
Thanks to everyone for your patience.
Please share this exciting news (for me, anyway) with your favorite media network.
Thurman Greco
Woodstock, NY
Arthritis in the Feet
THE ISSUE – Arthritis in the feet definitely addresses problems we experience as we move forward in life. Arthritis also focuses on a personality living with judgmental attitudes. Control is an issue.
PHYSICAL CAUSES – There are many, many different types of arthritis. Common risk factors include:
old age
overweight
ill-fitting shoes
traumatic injury
If your client partner wants to deal with this affliction and to know his/her specific causes, s/he needs to see a rheumatologist for a diagnosis. This is important. A diagnosis always gives the client partner more power over the health issue. Until a person has a name for the disease, it is more difficult to overcome the problems.
You also need a diagnosis because there are many different kinds of arthritis and you will treat the issue differently based on which type your client partner suffers with.
SPIRITUAL ASPECTS – Where the arthritis attacks the foot reveals much about the involved Chakras. For example, the first chakra would be affected with arthritis in the heel.
If it is in the right foot – your client partner is dealing with past issues. The left foot focuses on the present.
HEALING – The reflexology your regular sessions offer cannot be overestimated. Combine them with Reiki therapy and encourage your client partner to add a few extra reflexology spa sessions.
A person suffering with arthritis needs nurturing so that releasing the past becomes easier. Forgiving is essential with arthritis, especially arthritis in the feet.
Nurturing offered by your reflexology sessions allows your client partner to appreciate the positive things which life offers. Nurturing reflexology sessions will also help your client partner worry less about perceived limitations. This will definitely lighten the load.
In addition to your reflexology and Reiki sessions, you may want to include an occasional guided meditation focusing on changing direction in life with ease.
Thank you for reading this blog/book.
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Thurman Greco
Thank you Sangi for the beautiful art work.
A Reflexology Spa Treatment to Boost Spiritual Health
Occasionally your client partners need a bit of special attention. Life events create a need for a spiritual affirmation. A Reflexology Spa Treatment for the Spirit can be just what is needed. This session honors the part of the body beyond the bones and muscles.
Begin this session plan by selecting the essential oil you’ll use. My preferred essential oils for a Spiritual Spa Session include:
bergamot
clary sage
frankincense
galbanum
juniper
lavender
Roman chamomile
Once the oil has been selected, you’ll be guided to choose the music. the decor. When you book this Spiritual appointment, discuss and choose the oil.
Whatever oil and music you choose, make your selections both powerful and healing. Have the music playing when your client partner enters your healing space.
For this spiritual session make your client partner comfortable on your healing table and then wash his/her feet using warm, wet towels. Once your client partner’s feet are washed, wrap them in warm dry towels.
Anoint your client partner with the selected essential oil. Apply several drops of the chosen oil to both your client partner’s hands. Encourage your client partner to rub his/her palms together and then wipe them over the face, head, halo, aura.
Move to your client partner’s head and bring in Reiki. Offer three Reiki holds to the head.
Now, move to your client partner’s feet. Anoint your client partner’s feet with a lotion to which you’ve added a small amount of the selected essential oil.
Now, offer five minutes of delicious warm ups to your client partner’s first foot. While you do this, leave the other foot wrapped in the warm towel.
Follow this with twenty minutes of specific reflexology offered to reflex points chosen to encourage spiritual therapy. Work the reflex points in the following order:
1. solar plexus
2. pituitary gland
3. pineal gland
4. thymus
5. adrenal glands
6. ovary/ testicle
7. heart
8. spine
9. intestines
10. Chakras
11. Now, finish this part of the session by returning to the solar plexus and liver.
Offer five minutes of warm downs as you complete the work on the first foot.
Now, cover the first foot with the warm towel and move to the other foot where you will offer five minutes of warm ups, and twenty minutes of spiritual focus on the second food.
Now, offer five minutes of gentle warm downs on the second foot as you complete the reflexology part of this session.
It is now time to offer three Reiki therapy holds to both feet and then close the Reiki part of the session.
This has been a deep session. Your client partner needs a few moments to return to “now”. Gently cover both feet with warm towels, leave him/her alone for a moment as you prepare a glass of water and offer it to your client partner.
Quietly visit with your client partner as you end the session. This may take a few extra moments for your client partner prepares to return to “now”.
Thank you for practicing reflexology and thank you for offering this spa session to your client partners.
Please share this post on your preferred social media network.
Thurman Greco
Art work created by Jennette Nearhood.
