Reflexology For The Spirit

spirituality of one's health

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

Eczema – a skin condition we all need to know more about

January 31, 2019 at 1:35 am Comments disabled

Spiritually, if you have eczema, you have a negative attitude toward unpleasant events in your life.

Eczema is a fairly common skin condition  becoming more and more common.  Your skin becomes inflamed as it  reacts  to soaps, detergents, household chemicals, food, house dust, and other irritants.

Itching, red, inflamed skin is the first step.  It’s followed by flaking skin and a rash  appearing on legs, hands, face, neck.

In children, eczema likes the inner knees and elbows.

If the condition doesn’t improve within a week, you need to see a medical professional.

Looking at the bigger picture, eczema is also a reaction to stresses in and around you.  And, we can probably all agree that life is becoming more and more stressful.

The best way to treat eczema is to identify, remove, and avoid the allergens.  Your goal is to control and relieve  symptoms.

Looking beyond the emotional, mental, and spiritual  stress, we are all more and more stressed by the chemicals we come in contact with daily.  The soaps we clean with and the food we eat are becoming more and more laden with more and stronger chemicals as time goes by.

Eczema begins as itchy blotches on your skin.  The redness begins later.  The three culprits here are allergies, stress, and immune system overload.

These  three situations respond positively to regular reflexology, Reiki therapy and chakra healing sessions.

An important first step in treating eczema beyond regular  sessions is for you to identify the triggers which set off your bouts of eczema.  These may be animal dander, anger, cleaning products, drugs, foods, fragrances, poor circulation, house dust, .

All is not lost.  You’ll benefit from a little sun every day.

Because eczema is a situation resulting from immune system overload, a clean environment is critical.  This includes  your air, body, car, home, work place, water.

When toxins are cleaned out, your health will have a chance to improve.  Then, your reflexology sessions will be able to more effectively manage eczema’s side effects.

Eczema responds to conventional medical treatments as well as mind-body therapies.  In addition to reflexology, Reiki therapy, and chakra healing, meditation helps.

Although this may seem like  a daunting task, cleaning up your body and the environment is easier than you might think.  For starters, throw out all your cleaning supplies and cosmetics and replace them with non-toxic products which won’t exacerbate the problem.

A good next step is to clean up the diet by cooking and eating only the foods which have no artificial colors, flavors, additives.

It has been said that health begins and ends in the colon.  A colon cleanse followed by a liver cleanse is in order.  When  your environment is cleaned up and your body cleaned out, it will be easier to  cope with stressful situations.

CHAKRAS:

Eczema is a fourth chakra issue.

REFLEXOLOGY SYSTEMS TO WORK:

immune system, nervous system, lymphatics, digestive system, circulatory system, liver, solar plexus

ESSENTIAL OILS:

bergamot, frankincense, geranium, helichrysum, juniper, lavender, myrrh, neroli, peppermint, sweet orange, tea tree, yarrow,

EFFECTIVE FIELDS OF HEALING:  Conventional Medicine,  Traditional Chinese Medicine, Naturopathy, Homeopathy, Herbalism

PREVENTATIVE MEASURES:  Keep damaged skin moist using an oil-based cream.  Apply emollients liberally and frequently.

TREATMENT GOAL:  If you can avoid the itch-scratch-itch cycle  and avoid potential infection, your situation will be much better.

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

Thurman Greco

Woodstock, New York

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

 

 

 

 

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

Easy Wellness: 10 Tips for a Longer Life

December 12, 2018 at 11:08 pm Comments disabled

Easy wellness is real and is even easier than you think.

JOB STRESS IS A FACT OF LIFE.  There is a correlation between workplace stress and obesity, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, depression, gastrointestinal problems, asthma.  It’s no surprise that  people are more likely to suffer a heart attack on Monday than on the other days of the week.

So, what can you do to ease the pressure and experience easy wellness?  Easy wellness techniques you can adopt  are easier than you might think.

Go for a walk on your lunch hour.

Take your phone calls while standing up and moving around.

Play relaxing music.

Skip happy hour and go to the gym instead.

Wash your hands at least five times each day with soap and warm water.

Keep your bedroom clutter and electronics free.

Change your sheets weekly.

EASY WELLNESS  EQUALS  HEALTHY WEIGHT.  Being overweight increases your risk for all illnesses and chronic conditions.  Being underweight prevents the body from functioning at peak performance.

GET YOUR ANNUAL FLU SHOT.  AND, AS YOU AGE, GET YOUR ANNUAL PNEUMONIA SHOT AND SHINGLES SHOT.  It’s estimated that over  40,000 people die annually from the flu.  An annual shot can prevent at least some of  these deaths.

GET NAKED!  Occasionally, inspect your body from head to toe.  Look for blemishes, lesions, rashes, and other body oddities that are new on the scene.  Your skin reflects the state of your entire body.  If you will pay attention to your skin, you can catch the signs of underlying internal disease.  Your body will tell you how well you are aging through skin tone, wrinkles, and color.

Expand the skin care routine you devote to your face and neck to include a skin care routine for your entire body.

GET OFF YOUR SEAT AND ON YOUR FEET.   Easy wellness can go beyond the gym.  Is your job physically intense?  Or do you spend most of your time at a desk?  Find ways to keep yourself moving throughout your day.  Your body will love you for this!

DISCONNECT!  At least twice a week give yourself a time out.  It needn’t be too long.  Try for 20 minutes at a time.  Cut off your phone, your computer, your TV, your radio, your doorbell.   Spend a few minutes enjoying your surroundings without interruptions.  Your body, your mind, your spirit will thank you!

QUIT SMOKING – Okay, this may not be easy to do but, once you’ve done it, you’ll be healthier, more alert, richer,  live longer.  If you can get yourself down to 5 cigarettes a day, it’s easier to quit the habit completely.

GET YOUR HEART RATE UP FOR AT LEAST 20 MINUTES A DAY.    This can be real easy wellness.  One way to do this is to move your body and force your lungs and heart to work harder for 20 minutes every day.  Your entire body will appreciate this effort – including your brain!

COFFEE CAN BE GOOD FOR YOU.  Coffee goes in and out of fashion.  I recommend a reasonable amount of coffee, especially in the morning.  Both coffee and tea have antioxidants which we all need.   Your coffee does not need to include the modern energy concoctions which are overloaded with too much coffee and sugar.  Nor does it need to include any of the fashionable flavors being added these days.

GIVE YOURSELF THE GIFT OF A DNA TEST.  This is easy wellness in action.  You’ll be fascinated by  the information and you’ll also know yourself better.  Results of your DNA test can point you in the right direction for wellness habits.

Results of your DNA test can also point you in a right direction for good nutritional habits.  Through your DNA test, you’ll  discover where you came from.  Eating food in the style of your ancestors can help you nutritionally.  I’ll give you an example.  One of my clients wanted to know what to eat.  He had a DNA test which confirmed that most of his heritage was Jewish.  He had his answer right there!

Another client wanted to know what to eat.  His DNA test confirmed that most of his heritage was Mediterranean.  Well, the Mediterranean diet was a good direction for him to follow.  Sticking with the Mediterranean diet food and cutting out all the other food clutter eliminated a few pounds which he needed to lose.

Thank you for reading this easy wellness article!  Please share it with your favorite social media network.

Thurman Greco

Woodstock, New York

10 Wellness Tips for Better Health

October 25, 2018 at 12:16 am Comments disabled

Wellness is something we should all be interested in.  We can all increase our health awareness through wellness..

Following are ten easy things you can do to  promote your wellness.

Not all muffins are created equal.  Read the labels so you choose a  muffin which is more nutrition and less junk.  Look for a muffin which has less than 500 calories and at least contains whole wheat flour in addition to eggs, butter, and other healthy ingredients.

Like baked potatoes?  To get the most nutrients from your favorite food,  eat the skin too.  Ounce for ounce, the skin is where you’ll get more fiber, iron, potassium and B vitamins.  This is wellness in action!

Eat foods rich in vitamin C every day.  Besides oranges, the best sources of vitamin C are asparagus, blackberries, broccoli, cabbage, cantaloupe, cauliflower, grapefruit, kale, mustard greens, peppers, strawberries, and tomatoes.  These foods help protect against cancer and other diseases.

While you’re at it, eat at least five other fruits and vegetables daily.  Make sure these  five servings are high in antioxidants.

If you’re concerned about urinary tract infections, drink ten ounces of cranberry juice cocktail daily.  While this won’t substitute for medication, cranberry juice cocktail taken daily will help reduce infection rates over time.

Looking for low-fat cookies?  Try fig bars.  They’re both low in fat and high in fiber.

Like to bake cakes and brownies?  You can reduce the fat in the recipe when you substitute applesauce or fruit puree for the oil, margarine, or butter in the recipe.

Low-fat milks are not created equal.  If your concern is fat content, go for nonfat or 1 %.

Frozen fruits and vegetables are tasty, nutritious snacks.  Frozen bananas, strawberries, strawberries are delicious!

Try a new fruit or vegetable every month.  At the end of a year, you’ll know a lot more about food than you do now.  And, the chances are that you’ll have new favorite foods!

Read labels on frozen breakfasts.  Some are very high in fat.  Others are also very high in calories.  Go for the less fatty products.

So!  Here you have ten suggestions with a bonus thrown in for good measure.  I’ll be sending along other easy wellness tips along in coming blog posts.  Hope you enjoy them all!

Thanks for reading this blog and thank you for reading this article.  Please forward it to your friends. through your favorite social media network.

Thanks again!

Thurman Greco

Your Sleep as a Spiritual and Healing Event

October 8, 2018 at 12:03 am Comments disabled

angel with cat

For all that’s written and spoken about sleep, we all know on some level that sleep is a complex, spiritual event necessary to maintain our health and keep the body and soul together.

I was recently quite ill with a “sinus infection of global proportions” as described to me by a healing friend.  My first tip off was when I decided on a Wednesday afternoon that I suddenly needed to rest.  Fortunately, I followed my body’s demands and crawled in bed.  I promptly went to sleep and woke up on Sunday morning.

On Sunday morning, I was quite tired but felt better.  I drank a lot of water, ate fresh fruit, and made it to the doctor’s office on Monday to find out what my problem was.  Within a couple of hours, I had had enough blood tests, x-rays, and other scans to learn that I not only had the enormous sinus infection but I also had pneumonia.

I also had a physician who was angry at me, a daughter nurse who was angry at me, and several other medical professionals who were angry.

I doubt if I’ll have this experience repeat itself again.  And, I’m certain that this sleep, while highly therapeutic, may have needed some breaks for hydration, etc.

Nevertheless, I’m also convinced that, on some level, the sleep helped my situation.

I was fortunate because I fell  asleep without trouble.  Sleep is not always available to people who are ill or suffering with troubled health for whatever reason.

And, sometimes people are ill and need nothing more than a good night’s sleep to make things better.  So, encouraging a good night’s sleep on a regular basis is a good thing.  Sleep, experienced regularly, is important for wellness and good health in general.

What provision do you make for a regular sleep schedule which includes enough sleep every night?  Are you able to include enough hours to offer therapy to your self and lifestyle?

Is your pillow adequate for the job?

Truthfully, I’ve blogged many times and will blog many times more about all the things a person can do to get enough sleep.  Keep after your sleep until you are able to support your physical, mental, and spiritual health.

The first step involves honoring your self and your need to sleep well in order to live well.

Thanks for reading this blog post.  Please refer it to your favorite social media network.

Thurman Greco

Artwork provided by Jennette Nearhood

 

 

 

Healthy Sleep-

June 14, 2018 at 11:48 am Comments disabled

SLEEP WELL

Some of us sleep well.  Some of us wish we could sleep well.  And, some of us battle sleep and try to improve it.  And, for some, this is a lifelong endeavor.  Sleep simply eludes us .

Even though I sleep well, I fall in the category of those who try to improve my sleep. Through the years, I’ve developed some techniques that give me a successful night’s sleep not just once in awhile…but most nights.

Sleep is a priority with me.  And not just a decent sleep, either.  I want and need a good night’s sleep every night.

An important step I take each evening before I get into bed is establish a sleep intention.  I do this every evening because  I want my sleep to be restful and serene.  I want to sleep throughout the night because my goal is to wake up rested and ready for the coming day.  This is the  intention I set each evening before I get in my bed.

CAFFEINE…OR NOT

I begin preparing for sleep each evening in the morning before I leave home.  My caffeinated drinks are exclusively early  day beverages and I taper off the caffeine as the day goes on.

One way I do this is limit my coffee to no more than five cups a day. Even though five cups is my limit, often I never even get to five cups.  I enjoy unsweetened iced tea so I may drink more tea than coffee.

As midday rolls around, I switch to a latte.  I may occasionally have a decaffeinated coffee in the afternoon.  But, not often.

Most of the time, my afternoon drink is a large unsweetened iced tea.

TV TIME

When I’m home relaxing, I resist the temptation to watch “just one more program”.  And, I limit my email time after dinner.  And, neither my TV nor my computer can be found in my bedroom because they can interfere with my sleep.

A SLEEP SCHEDULE

I try to maintain a sleep schedule so that I go to bed pretty much the same time every evening and I get up about the same time on weekdays.

A PERFECT BEDROOM

My bedroom is the most serene room in the house.  The walls are a pale cream color.  The carpet is a quiet brown.  I have several pieces of art on the walls which make me feel calm and positive.  Sleep comes easy in this room.

And, my bed is perfect!  I love it.  The mattress is sooo comforting.

Are your sheets comfortable?  Some people love cotton sheets.  Others prefer flannel sheets.  I’m on the flannel sheet side of the argument.  I love the feel of the flannel sheets every night of the year.

When you buy sheets, carefully check the labels to be sure that you get what you pay for.  Be sure your sheets are good enough quality that you  can wash them in hot water and put them in the dryer.

Is the sheet fabric tightly woven enough to keep away dust mites, pet dander, and other allergens.

Whatever you choose, make sure you have sheets and blankets that you like.  You need to like the color.  You need to like how the fabric feels when you touch it.

And finally, you need to feel your bedding is inviting.

THE TEMPERATURE

Is your bedroom too hot or is it too cool?  The last thing you want is to sweat or shiver throughout the night because when you’re shivering  or sweating, you are not sleeping.

YOUR APPLIANCES

Your sleep doesn’t need to be disturbed with computer, smartphone, TV, and other appliances beep.  So, they don’t belong in your bedroom.

CLEAR OUT THE CLUTTER

Clearing out the clutter in your bedroom really helps.  An uncluttered space is calming, inviting, serene.  Go for it!  Try clearing out the clutter about fifteen minutes a day until the room is all cleaned out.  You’ll feel better and sleep better for it.

When I started clearing out the clutter, I felt things would look better in my bedroom but I was unprepared for the wonderful difference an uncluttered space made in my sleep.

MOVE YOUR HOME OFFICE TO SOMEWHERE ELSE

Ban your office from your bedroom.  When you bring your work to your bedroom, you make it harder to unwind as you think about tomorrow’s problems before you try to go to sleep.

There are a kazillion other things you can do to improve your sleep.  I’ll be discussing them over time.  Some of the suggestions I’ll bring up may not interest you.  Try what seems good to you.  As you discover what improves  your better sleep, you’ll benefit from the changes.

You may find you look better, feel better, and think better.  It’s worth the effort to change your habits and environment.

Thanks for reading this article!  Please refer it to your favorite social media network.

Thurman Greco

 

Healthy Kitchen

May 19, 2018 at 12:49 pm Comments disabled

Our lives are often over full with  too much going on.  We’re all busy.  Working.  Caring for children.  Running errands.  Studying.  Volunteering.

Where is the time to shop for and prepare a leisurely, healthy meal?

Food can often be therapeutic.  But, sometimes it’s hard to serve a healthy, healing meal to someone. when everyone is overworked, underpaid, short of time, and out of space.

BUT…

there are things that can be done to make your  kitchen healthy and the meals easier.

Begin by making your kitchen a place where you want to be.  Are the walls a color that you like?  Is music that you like available in your kitchen?  Do your utensils work?

If the answers to your questions were “no”, it’s time to try to make your kitchen a place where you want to be.  Tackle one thing at a time and the room will soon be your favorite place.

Review your recipes.  Do you have a few recipes for meals that are nutritious, delicious, easy to prepare, and fun to eat?  If not, be on the lookout.

What you need is an arsenal of easy-to-prepare meals which you can rely on.  Start with a few slow-cooker recipes which you can use during the week.  This way, you can load the slow-cooker with ingredients before you leave for work, turn on the cooker, and return home at the end of the day to a delicious meal.

Do you have a favorite casserole recipe?  Prepare this dish on your day off and then have it ready to eat the next evening.

Eat together as a family at least three times a week…more if you can.  Make eating together non-negotiable.

Get your family members to help with the meal.  Setting the table, washing the dishes, taking out the trash can all be done by family members.

I’m living proof that it is possible, even easy, to cook and serve healthy, nutritious, delicious, clean food that is easy to prepare and doesn’t cost a fortune.

When you work at this, you’ll soon have a kitchen that everyone enjoys.  Your food will be delicious, easy to prepare, inexpensive, and fun.

Thanks for reading this post!

Please share this article with your favorite social media network.

Thurman Greco

 

 

 

 

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