Reflexology For The Spirit

spirituality of one's health

How to Use This Blog –

August 27, 2019 at 11:36 pm Comments disabled

This blog offers you something difficult to get in today’s market:  insight into your health.  It’s not a substitute for an x-ray or an MRI.  Nor will it take the place of a blood test prescribed by your primary healthcare provider.

I’m a reflexologist, not a doctor.  The information I share and the experiences I relate are based on my research and career.  It’s not intended to diagnose or treat a disease.

I do not prescribe  medications or treatments of any kind.

Healthcare professionals are trained and work in several different healing systems.  I feel they all work toward the same goal:  developing and maintaining your good health.  Healthcare professionals include Medical Doctors, Doctors of Osteopathy, Naturopathic Doctors, Homeopaths.

The information in these blog posts will allow you to see your health care through the added dimension of a spiritual event or situation.  This can enhance your physical situation.

This blog is not intended to replace your primary healthcare provider, or any healthcare provider, for that matter.  Instead, this blog adds a layer of personal care to every situation in your healing life.

If you have a health question or situation  offering no answer, do not be afraid to dig into the past blog posts.  There are several hundred of them.

In the coming months, there will be several hundred more.  My sincere hope is that you will join my future posts.  If you do, thank you for joining me.

Thurman Greco

PS:  Please refer this post to your favorite social media network.

Healthy Blood Pressure – 6 Things You Can Do.

August 23, 2019 at 10:23 pm Comments disabled

We all have a blood pressure.  We don’t see it.  We don’t  feel it.  Unless someone checks our blood pressure, we don’t  know we have it.  And, unless someone tells us our blood pressure is bad, we don’t even think about it.

That makes high blood pressure a quiet killer.  While we go about our lives unaware of the situation, hypertension damages our blood vessels, heart, and eyes.  High blood pressure is a set-up for heart disease, stroke, dementia, and kidney disease.

So, pay attention to your blood pressure.  When your blood pressure is high, your heart is working too much to do its job properly.  This stresses your arteries.

So, what can you do to get your blood pressure down to normal?

For starters, STAMP OUT YOUR CIGARETTES.  Smoking, whether cigarettes or pipes, is not good for your arteries.  When nicotine reaches your blood vessels, they constrict –  which is not good for you.

GET A PET – Statistically, people with pets have healthier blood pressure scores.  So, what is the best pet for you?  I, personally, love dogs and cats.  But you don’t have to get something that barks and meows.  Birds, fish, snakes, even a gold fish  make good pets.   The important thing is to get one that is good for your situation.

DO YOU HAVE A HOBBY? – Find something that you really enjoy and can get interested in.  Drawing, writing, skating, running, walking, and a thousand and one other things can be just what you need to calm your hypertension.

GET RID OF YOUR EXTRA WEIGHT.  –  When you lower your weight you’ll have better blood pressure scores, you will also feel better and look better.    And, this is a segway right into the next suggestion:

NUTRITIONAL COUNSELING – Some foods encourage a good blood pressure score.  Fruits and vegetables are good.  Some people feel oatmeal has magical qualities.  You’ll have better luck with this if you get several  sessions  with a nutritionist whose training aligns with your health needs.

EXERCISE HELPS, TOO!  Yoga is good.  But, so is anything else you do regularly.  This includes almost any physical activity you like.  The important thing is to move.

Not included in this list is pills.  I think they are important and have been taking my blood pressure medication daily for decades.    Just like everyone else I know, I objected to them for a long time.  Once I admitted that I needed them, life became better.  This is a decision for you to make, though.  Everyone I know who takes a hypertension medication, including myself, went through stages of resistance.

After all, it’s hard to face up to needing a medication for the rest of my life.  But, once I matured into this reality, my health improved and my attitude about myself certainly got better, too.

Thanks so much for reading this article.  There are many other posts in this blog which will help you lower your blood pressure.  I hope you get time to check out a few of them.

Please refer this article to your preferred social media network.

Thurman Greco

 

 

 

 

Maintaining Your Good Health – Inner Fitness for Life

July 28, 2019 at 10:06 pm Comments disabled

We each have an inner core, a spiritual center needing encouragement, support and protection.  Your inner core lets you travel through life with minimal bumps.  When encouragement, support, and protection are deficient in some way, you run a risk of developing a lack of self-confidence.  There are ways to give yourself a boost.  Life is easier with a strong inner core.

THINK POSITIVELY

Put yourself in a positive frame of mind before you even get out of bed.  Ask yourself:  “What can I be happy about?  What makes me happy?”

CONNECT WITH YOUR COMMUNITY

Volunteer someplace.  Get a job.  Read a local paper.  Use your library.  Get into your community.

INCLUDE EXERCISE OF SOME KIND…EVERY DAY

In 1513, Juan Ponce de Leon discovered the Fountain of Youth in what is now St. Augustine, Florida.  The Fountain of Youth still exists and keeps people everywhere healthy.  There is at least one branch of it in your neighborhood, located on the sidewalk or roadside where you can walk every day.  If that’s not a good option for you, the other nearby branch is in your local fitness center.  You’ll be healthier and your body will thank you if you visit one of these branches every day.

CHANGE YOUR ENVIRONMENT

De-cluttering is a bit of a fad and it’s okay with me.  This grounding and uplifting exercise has become part of my daily schedule.  I spend fifteen minutes every day clearing out clutter in a room.  There are books written about it.  Reading one is a good idea if you need a starter boost.  Whether or not you read a book about de-cluttering, your inner self will be more fit when you adopt this habit.

REVIEW YOUR SITUATION

Now might be a good time to journal about important events in your life.  Or short stories.  Or poems.  Or anything that seems appropriate for you.  You don’t necessarily need to focus on what happened to you.  The important thing is what you did with what happened to you.

SUPPORT YOURSELF

Do something nice for yourself.  Think nice thoughts about yourself.  Your nice thoughts about yourself are a treat, a gift you give you give to yourself.  You deserve it.

Thank you for reading this blog post.  Please share this article on your favorite social media network.

Thurman Greco

Five Things You Can Do For Your Good Health

July 14, 2019 at 12:19 pm Comments disabled

Good health is not that hard to achieve.  Really.  When it comes down to a bottom line, five things are essential to establishing and maintaining your good health.

NOT SMOKING IS ESSENTIAL.

Do you smoke?  Reduce your habit to five cigarettes a day.  When you are  down to five, you can get to zero with little effort.

Join a smokers’ support group.

Hypnotherapy and Biofeedback both offer successful results for many smokers.

The bottom line is this:  Do whatever you have to do to give up this habit.

MAINTAIN A HEALTHY WEIGHT.

This is a high priority.  Losing or gaining weight to reach your ideal weight for your good health gets harder with every passing year so the younger you are when you work on your weight, the easier it will be.

Weight Watchers is a good support group.

An interested nutritionist can help you reach your desired goal and include specific foods contributing to your continued good health at the same time.  You’ll get twice the bang for your buck with a nutritionist.

An example of this:  If you need to gain or lose  weight and you have heart health issues, a nutritionist can work on the weight issues along with your heart issues.  I don’t know about you, but I love to be able to do a couple of things together.  I get all involved in the different aspects of synchronicity.

EAT MANY FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.

Many wellness gurus teach five servings of fruits and vegetables are a minimum number for a well nourished person to eat daily.  This five serving recommendation is easy for me to pass on.  And, it’s also easy to have fun with.

I like the concept of thinking about which five fruits and vegetables will be on my  plate today.  Planning ahead for each day’s selection gives them focus and importance.

I also like the idea that advance planning gives me a chance to play and experiment a bit.  You can do this too.  It’s easier than you think.  All you have to do is choose one new vegetable or fruit each week.

Take it home and learn what it’s called.  What countries is it commonly grown in?  Learn how to cook it, store it, combine it with other foods, and finally how to eat it.

If you learn about one new fruit or vegetable each week, your dietary skills will be vastly different in a year.  Adventure!

EXERCISE REGULARLY.

This can be a drudgery or it can be fun.  Your good health options are open here.  Participate in  one or more activities  regularly.  The point is to keep yourself active  daily as you go throughout your life.

You can put in as much time or money as you want here.

You can also combine exercise with other daily habits. I wear an exercise watch which beeps when I’m not moving enough.  It also congratulates me when I’ve gone beyond my daily goal.

I went out and got a second job which requires that I stay off my seat and on my feet.  So, I’m making money while exercising.  I enjoy this a lot.

AVOID STRESSORS.

This can be a biggie.  Stress contributes to many health problems.  Like the sleep suggestion a few pages back, you’ll find a chapter on stress later in this book.  Things like meditation, walks, laughter, sharing, singing, nature bathing, journaling, drawing can help you avoid stress.

Stress relief is important – just as important as your diet and exercise.

Thank you for reading this blog post.  Please refer it to your favorite media network.

Thurman Greco

 

 

 

Maintain Your Good Health: Some Guidelines

May 26, 2019 at 2:48 pm Comments disabled

For me, much disease is preventable  when you maintain your good health.  Staying healthy doesn’t take a lot of time.  Small changes can make big differences.

Positive lifestyle habits contribute to a lifetime of good health.  This blog is filled with suggestions.  Throughout our lives we all make choices about how we are going to live our lives on a day to day basis.  These choices directly impact how and when our lives will end.

Developing a working relationship with your healthcare professional is essential.  Many people enjoy good health for years and feel they don’t need a doctor.  This can’t be further from the truth.  When an accident or illness strikes, you need to know a health care professional, his/her contact information, and you need to have had an appointment within the last year.

People who are never sick haven’t a clue about what to do when a bone is broken or a head is concussed.  They don’t speak hospital and they suddenly find themselves in a foreign land unable to read the directional signs.

Become aware of your body and how it works.  Know what to do when medical attention is needed.  Learn  first aid skills.

Learn to get a healthy night’s sleep.  Sleep is a core element of your good health.  It goes right along with knowing about your body and how it works.  Now, add healthy eating and good physical activity.  When you combine these stepping stones, you have a basic plan to maintain your wellness.

For me, there are several causes of disease.  Some are nutritional.  The first nutritional cause of disease is created by DEFICIENCIES in your diet.  Culprits here are sugar, white flour, processed foods, and added chemicals.

Half our population has DIGESTIVE ISSUES.  Many people have resigned themselves to living with them for the remainder of their lives.  Your body is made to heal your digestive issues because you have a built in abdominal brain which communicates with your cranial brain when there’s a problem.

This is where  prebiotics and probiotics  come in.  And where things like regular reflexology sessions  enter the picture.  And Reiki therapy.  And chakra healing.  Appropriate bodywork has a place in  maintaining your health and wellness life.

Our bodies can be toxic, all the way down to your CELLULAR  LEVEL.  Read the labels on the foods you buy.  If you can’t pronounce a word or words you read on the ingredients list, put the item back on the shelf.

CHRONIC INFLAMMATION is big on the list of cause of disease.  As you work to develop good health, you’ll get up close and personal with chronic inflammation if you go about this the right way.

When it comes to your good health, it all comes down to this:  Eat whole foods.  Eat nuts.  Use olive oils.  Eat grass fed meats.

A SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE will age you as fast as anything.  As I walk down a sidewalk, I see people who move and those who can’t.  Be the one who moves, not the one who doesn’t .  10,000 steps every day is a good start.

POOR SLEEP HABITS are huge on the list of habits which cause disease.  Sleep  regenerates.  Sleep organizes.  Sleep rehabilitates.  Sleep is therapy.

Get enough of it.

When it comes to PRESCRIPTIVE AND OVER THE COUNTER MEDICINES,  take only the minimum you need.  The same holds true for medicinal herbs.  The bottom line is that anything that can change your body for the better can also change it for the worse if it’s not appropriate for you, your health issues, your body, your age.

We all need a reason to get up in the morning – every morning.  SMILES are necessary to your good health.

SOME BASIC WELLNESS GUIDELINES:

Good quality, nourishing food is essential.  This statement does not promote one diet for all.  The diet nourishing you may not nourish me at all.

The part of the statement, good quality, is the one size for all part.  In order that what you eat does the best for your wellness, health, and physical fitness, it must be good quality.

Pure air and water are essential.

All of us need adequate warmth and shelter.

We each need a reason to get up every day.

Balancing work, play, and rest is important.

Everyone needs a positive sense of self worth.  We all need positive feelings about our spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical selves.

Thank you for reading this post.  Please forward it to your favorite social media network.

Enjoy your continued good health!

Thurman Greco

Longevity Breathing – an Easy Step to Better Health

January 14, 2019 at 2:54 pm Comments disabled

I often go through a good bit of my day without even thinking about how I’m breathing, forgetting completely that the easiest and most powerful way to stay healthy and promote good longevity is breathing right.

When we’re faced with traffic snarls, an unhappy coworker, a missed deadline at work, lack of exercise, or children with stuffy noses, automatic stress responses are all too common.  Our breathing becomes shallow, rapid.

Heart rates speed up, neck muscles tighten, teeth grind, and on and on.

There is something you can do.

You can learn – and practice –  proper longevity breathing techniques.

There are many different  breathing techniques.  I use one, in particular, a the moment I realize that stress is staring me in the face.

I always use it when I’m in a doctor’s office and I know I’m going to get my blood pressure checked.  I don’t have White Coat Syndrome, but my blood pressure definitely rises when the cuff is  put on my arm.  Sometimes, my blood pressure even rises when I walk into the doctor’s office.

So, I just cut this increase off at the pass.  I use this longevity breathing technique anytime I need to calm myself and control my emotions.  Here is what I do.  And, you can do it too.

I breathe in deeply through my  nose while mentally telling myself it’s time to be calm and lower my blood pressure.

When you breathe in deeply through your nose, focus the origin of this inhale  deep in your abdomen.  Hold this deep breath for a few seconds.

Then, exhale slowly as you breathe out.  Remind yourself that you are breathing out stress.  Let your inner self know that you are  lowering your blood pressure when you exhale this deep breath.

This deep inhale and exhale pattern works in traffic, in the doctor’s office, at work.  It works anywhere you see stress running straight toward you.

Take about four inhale-exhales and mentally check in with your body.  Observe how your body is calming itself.

Take about four  more inhale-exhales if you need.  The goal here is to be calm, grounded, solid, alert.

You  can train these inhale-exhales to work for you.  Practice them when you aren’t super stressed.  Practice them several times daily at randomly selected moments.  The goal is to become comfortable with the results of this breathing pattern.

Thank you for reading this article.  Please share it with your preferred social media network.

Thurman Greco

Woodstock, New York

 

 

 

 

Walking to Stay Youthful – Longevity Tips You Can Use

January 10, 2019 at 1:54 pm Comments disabled

Walking is my favorite fitness and longevity activity.  I like it because I can enjoy  it almost anywhere.  I ‘ve adapted my walking  pace to my changing age, abilities, health and  lifestyle.

Walking served me well during my young mother years.   Pushing a stroller was a good excuse to air out the babies and myself.

Later, through my jobs, walking was an important lunchtime activity.  Lunchtime walks gave me energy to make it through the afternoon at a desk.

As a senior, walking  keeps me moving – an extremely important benefit.  As seniors everywhere will tell you, we use it or we lose it.  Walking  keeps me going.

Walking can cost little to nothing.  No fancy memberships are needed.  No expensive outfits are necessary.  It’s adaptable to indoors as well as out.

And, best of all, it doesn’t take special skills, training,  talent, or money.  Walking works for me because  baseball, volleyball, tennis, golf, ballroom dancing, never did.  All walking takes is a little time, enthusiasm,  and interest.

I’m sharing a few tips with you so your walking exercise will be more fun and beneficial.

For starters, a pair of WALKING SHOES and socks will help you move farther and faster with fewer problems.

Dress in layers.  As you walk, you’ll warm up.  Wear COMFORTABLE CLOTHING  in layers so you can stay comfortable and keep from overheating.

Walking doesn’t require a lot of fancy warm ups.  BEGIN EACH WALK SLOWLY, calmly.  Then, if you plan to increase  your pace, you can take a warm up break.

When you walk,  think about your abdominal muscles and your posture.  They    define your WALKING STYLE.  Open shoulders, a straight spine, and stable abdominal muscles will give you strength and confidence to move.

When the time is right on your walk, give yourself a SPEED BURST  of about a minute or so.

Finally, give yourself some LONG, LUSCIOUS STRETCHES  after walking.

Thank you for reading this article.  Please refer it to your preferred social media network and share it with your friends.

Thanks again

Thurman Greco

Woodstock, New York

 

 

 

 

Longevity and the Fountain of Youth

December 29, 2018 at 3:37 pm Comments disabled

In 1513, Ponce de Leon discovered the fountain of youth in what is now St. Augustine, Florida.  Fortunately for us all, the fountain of youth still exists and there is a branch of it in your neighborhood.  It is the sidewalk where you can walk daily as you exercise.  It can also be found at your nearest fitness class.

The truth is that the best thing you can do to assure that you live a long and healthy life is move, move, move.  Exercise is where it’s at!

A good exercise class or activity is one that you enjoy, can practice at least three times a week, and is one which strikes the right balance between enthusiasm and safety.  You are doing yourself no favors if you experience sports injuries.  The fountain of youth is one where you move, move, and move.

Everybody has excuses to not be physically fit through regular exercise.

Teens are distracted from exercise by schoolwork and the powerful pull of a social life.

Young adults in their 20’s seem to be physically fit more by accident than anything else.  After all, young people are busy with careers and social activities.

Careers and family relationships are the major pulls of adults in their 30’s  and 40’s.  People exercising in this age group are often motivated by vanity.  For some, health and longevity concerns become important as  muscle strength declines.  Issues surface such as slower reaction time,  shortening ligaments,  loss of elasticity.  People in their 30’s and 40’s need to use warm ups, stretching more often.

If a person in the 50-to-60 age category continues to ignore the fountain of youth, daily life becomes more difficult  when the time comes to get out of a chair, lift and carry objects.  The quality of life improves when people rely on  regular exercise  routines.  Regular exercise improves the life of a retiree!  Go Fountain of Youth!

Exercise which supports physical fitness makes the difference between independent living and an assisted living facility for a person in the   70-to-80 age group.

The good news is that we are never too old to  enjoy the benefits of the fountain of youth.  Exercise is always there for us – no matter what our age!  It ‘s never too late to discover the fountain of youth for yourself.

Whatever your age category, get off the sofa and move for just 30 minutes a day.

Thanks for reading this article.   Please share it with your preferred social media network!

Thurman Greco

Woodstock, New York

Positive Longevity: 10 Tips You Can Use

December 25, 2018 at 9:16 pm Comments disabled

Positive longevity habits  always help us if we  use them.

GET YOUR SHOTS   – Shots  can be a royal bore but they can save lives and much disease.  These are positive longevity habits. The problem is that we have a tendency to make sure the children and the pets get everything but we skip our own vaccinations.    These things should just be added into our schedules.

Vaccines and booster shots can help us avoid things like whooping cough, shingles, hepatitus.

Some people  are afraid to vaccinate and immunize themselves and their children.  I am not in that camp.

I lived in both Mexico and Venezuela for several years.  I am a great grandparent.  My life experiences have  permitted me to both experience and see other people I know  experience some of the planet’s dread diseases.  I have seen dengue fever first hand.  A friend of mine had  typhoid.  And on and on and on.  I lived through a polio epidemic.  Fortunately, no one in our family was struck.  But still.

There are some diseases I do not want to have.  There are some diseases I do not want anyone I know  to have.

My friend who had typhoid was extremely ill.  When he finally got over the disease, he was a tragedy to behold.  He looked like he was a prison camp survivor.

I have  a  friend  with shingles now.  Shingles  is a terrible disease I definitely never want to experience.

Vaccinations only take a few moments.  They save lives.

Join the prevention club.   Get vaccinated.

SCREENINGS ARE A GOOD WAY TO PREPARE FOR A LONG LIFE – Plan for the screenings now.  Screenings are positive longevity habits in action.  Know what screenings are good in your 20’s, 30’s, 40’s, …..70’s?  In future posts, I’ll list the screenings  needed by agecategory.  For now, just know that you need to get these screenings periodically.

An easy beginning is an annual trip to your health care provider.

Plan to get your screenings every decade.  They are important longevity goals in action.

TAKE CARE OF YOUR TEETH  –  If you are interested in a long healthy life, your teeth are important in your life.  Positive longevity habits include attention to every tooth.

When your teeth deteriorate,  so does your life.  Without teeth, there are a lot of foods you cannot eat because you can’t chew them.  This  directly impacts  your health because you won’t be receiving the nutrients you need.  A visit to a dentist at least once a year is important.  Learn to brush your teeth properly.  Learn about which toothpaste is good for you.

DON’T FORGET YOUR FEET – Your feet move you forward in life so they are important too.  For one thing, 25% of the bones in your body are in your feet.   Neglected feet may result in painful bunions,  corns, warts, and other problems which   make walking painful to impossible.  Comfortable, well fitting shoes are important.

Regular foot reflexology sessions promote homeostasis, the balance of all body systems.  If you are interested in feeling your best, include these sessions regularly.

-DIET IS IMPORTANT IF YOU ARE TO LIVE LONG AND WELL – Eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily.  When you eat lots of veggies and fruits, you can help prevent chronic diseases and…prevent obesity!  Select  as many colors of produce as you can and go for the leafy greens.  These are positive longevity habits in action!

DON’T BE AFRAID OF THE SOAP AND WATER IN BATHROOMS.  Washing your hands five times a day is a good minimum goal.  When  you wash your hands often, you’ll be less likely to catch colds and  other germy diseases.

STRETCH!  Stretching regularly makes sure your daily life is easier as you get in and out of cars, buses, elevators.  Stretching regularly will help prevent falls because you’ll  have better coordination and balance.  Your joints will love you for it.  You’ll love your joints because your life will be easier.

KEEP A TO-DO LIST.  This will make your life easier day after day after day.  Year after year after year.  If you keep postponing your to-do list until you need it, it’ll be much harder to include in your life.

Besides, nobody wants someone to tell you that you need to keep a to-do list because you forgot an appointment and stood up some important friends or co-workers.

DO WHAT THE DOCTOR DAYS  – As we go through life, it’s a given that we’re going to come down with something.  Who knows what?  Diabetes, bifocals, a broken bone, high  blood pressure, whatever.

When the time comes to take medicine, get glasses, exercise regularly, eat properly, it’s important to do what should be done.

Unless you don’t really care whether you live a long, healthy life or not.

GET A DOG!  The happiest people I know are dog owners.  Your pet gives you  unconditioned love, something you can’t get anywhere else.   Dogs also need to be fed at certain times of the day and they need to be walked, communicated with, and enjoyed.  These are all activities that have positive outcomes.  Go for it!

WHAT DOES YOUR GOOD HEALTH MEAN TO YOU?  I hope you’ll take a few moments to define  your health care goals and what you hope to get out of longevity.

This is one of the last posts in the longevity articles.  It is my sincere hope that you found a few things that  resonated for you.  I hope you will be a healthier person because of these posts.  Thank you for reading this blog.

Please refer this article to your preferred social media network.

Thurman Greco

Woodstock, New York

 

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