Five Things You Can Do For Your Good Health
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.
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Thurman Greco
Buyer Beware – 6 Things to Know About Eating Better
In another time I lived in the interior of Venezuela – 50 miles from headhunters in 1 direction and 50 miles from a grocery store in another direction.
Milk for my family was delivered weekly by a Spaniard who owned an area dairy. I got to know him and his cows very well. It wasn’t that I considered him to be so interesting or entertaining. I was afraid of getting milk infected with tuberculosis. I had 2 toddlers and I was doing everything I could to keep them healthy.
Most of us, when asked, will admit to eating a nearly perfect diet. Delve deeper, and you’ll find that everyone’s diet is different. You’ll also find many of the diets are not healthy…some are not even safe.
It’s hard to know which is the correct diet. There are thousands out there. Many are touted as being the best. We can go into a large book store or library and find an extremely generous selection of cookbooks, each promoting a different way of eating. Top off that with the TV Food channels and the internet and everything becomes confusing.
So, what do you do as a reflexologist when your client partner begins to discuss diet or ask questions about digestion issues?
I offer a few sane suggestions for your own diet as well as that of your client partners, friends, neighbors, and anyone else trying to eat better:
Eat whole foods that are fresh and locally grown. I realize that you may have heard/read this before but I offer new twists on the same old sentence.
Eating locally grown food is important. It’s important to not only know that the food is locally grown, but it’s important to know which farm the food came from.
Can you afford a CSA? If your household is too small, split a membership.
Eating locally grown or raised foods includes
fresh vegetables
fresh fruits
whole grains
beans
fish
lean red meat
dairy products.
When you eat whole, fresh, locally grown foods, you’ll be eating food which experiences less processing, packaging, and shipping.
Foods grown in your area can be picked later, and eaten sooner. Overall, this means a better product.
When I think of fresh foods, I think of health promotion. It’s much better to eat an apple from nearby than to eat pears, apples, strawberries or whatever from South America or China.
And, if you know the farm this food comes from, you’re even better off because you’ll know about the pesticides used. You’ll never be able to learn what pesticides were used on food that came from Chile or China, or any other foreign location, no matter what the label tells you. Our government sends few to no inspectors to faraway places to verify what they say they do.
When you eat whole, fresh, locally grown foods, you’ll be eating better quality food offering the opportunity to protect your heart, stabilize your blood sugar, boost your brainpower, and generally improve your health.
Farmers shipping their products long distances focus on growing foods that travel well as opposed to products that taste better.
Begin your quest for locally grown food at a farmers market.
Don’t be shy. Ask your grocery store produce manager where the food comes from. It goes without saying that we need pure foods if we can get them. Organic, non-GMO, etc., are important.
At the very least, buy organic when you can. Here again, it helps to know which farm the food comes from. The term “organic” doesn’t mean what it did in times past. Many farmers claim to sell organic foods today that could not make that claim in the past. This is because the government has relaxed the organic designation guidelines.
If you’re on a budget, it’s important for some foods to be organic. Foods needing to be organic include:
apples
bell peppers
celery
chard
cherries
domestic blueberries
imported grapes
kale
lettuce
nectarines
peaches
potatoes
spinach
strawberries
Foods that do not necessarily need to be eaten in the organic state include:
asparagus
avocados
cabbage
cantaloupe
eggplant
grapefruit
kiwi
mango
onions
pineapple
sweet corn
sweet onions
sweet peas
sweet potatoes
watermelon
We eat many foods over time. I’ve only listed a very few items. However, the 2 lists offer insight into what constitutes a food needing to be organic and a food that may not.
Staying away from boxed and canned foods is important. They are often filled with additives which are not good for the human body. Many boxed and canned items aren’t even foods. They’re products which have been manufactured to eat. In the 21st century, just because something is sold in a food store to eat doesn’t mean it’s a food.
Food shopping in today’s world not only involves selecting items which are foods – whole, fresh, and local – but also being careful where you buy these items. Just because a store claims to be health oriented doesn’t mean that everything it sells is nutritious or even safe.
Approach each item with a questioning attitude. Read the label. If there are a lot of words which are hard to pronounce, return the item to the shelf.
Your grocer is in business to make $$$. Food is put on the shelves to sell. Just because it’s on the shelves doesn’t guarantee that it’s healthy or even safe.
This doesn’t mean that eating can’t be fun. It can be. It’ll be even more fun once you know exactly what you’re eating.
If you can, buy your breads from a local bakery which uses organic whole grains.
Become knowledgeable about your dairy, meat, and fish products. If at all possible, stay away from fish that are farmed.
If you eat meat, eggs, cheese, try to get products coming from animals that are free range, organic fed.
Purchase eggs coming from cage free hens.
Ham, bacon, and smoked fish should have no synthetic nitrates or nitrites.
Meats should be hormone free, free range grazed, and antibiotic free.
I realize that not everyone has access to these foods. We can’t eat what we don’t have access to. I also realize that these foods may be expensive. We also can’t eat what we can’t buy. Everyone faces choices when it comes to food shopping. Staying away from processed foods can free up some funds for fresh, whole, local.
It’s okay to be a food snob only wanting the most nutritious, healthiest food available.
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Peace and food for all
Thurman Greco
Reflexology Blog – Ulcers
ULCERS ARE PHYSICAL CONDITIONS WITH STRONG SPIRITUAL INFLUENCE. Ulcers can develop on the walls of the stomach, on the upper part of the small intestine. Wherever they develop, they can be quite painful.
IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO DISCUSS DIGESTIVE ULCERS WITHOUT DISCUSSING DIET. People suffering with ulcers should avoid black pepper, chili powder, chocolate, coffee, meat extracts, mustard, and spicy foods for starters.
Ulcers require the attention of a medical professional. some lifestyle changes, and the realization that the spirit is talking loud and clear.
Lifestyle changes include:
Eat food in moderation. A stretched stomach with an ulcer can be quite painful.
Choose to eat apples, cranberry juice, onions.
Avoid coffee and alcohol
Quit smoking. If you haven’t been smoking, now is not the time to begin this habit.
Avoid aspirin and other NSAIDs.
Wash your hands after every bowel movement.
REDUCE THE STRESS IN YOUR LIFE. People dealing with ulcers are usually very stressed. They may be under too much pressure and are possibly worried by financial, work, relationship, guilt, or shame problems. The goal here is to get to the point where it’s not necessary to worry so much. People dealing with these situations feel a need to be soothed, nurtured somehow.
And, this is where reflexology for the spirit enters the picture offering not only soothing relaxation but homeostasis.
When offering reflexology for the spirit to an ulcer sufferer, begin the sessions by working the solar plexus and diaphragm.
Work the digestive system with emphasis on the stomach and duodenal reflexes.
Work the endocrine system with emphasis on the adrenal gland reflexes.
Work the intestinal reflexes focusing on the entire Intestinal tract.
Finish the session by working the liver and solar plexus.
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Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
Anxiety Affects Many People Both Physically and Spiritually
ANXIETY AFFECTS CHILDREN, ADOLESCENTS, AND ADULTS. Anxiety is the word used to describe feelings ranging from mild unease to intense fear.
ANXIETY CREATES A VARIETY OF SYMPTOMS BOTH PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL. Common physical symptoms include heart palpitations, stabbing pains, shortness of breath, headaches, back pains, and muscle spasms. Excessive sweating, dizziness, digestive problems also are included in this lineup.
SPIRITUAL SYMPTOMS INCLUDE FEELINGS OF INSECURITY, FEAR, HELPLESSNESS. Spiritual issues also include preoccupation with the future and past. A person’s life has a flow which anxiety can get in the way of.
A person suffering with anxiety needs, first, to learn to try to overcome the fear which plagues anxiety sufferers. Getting proper medical care as well as nutritional advice along with reflexology can help.
Because anxiety has a strong physical aspect to it, it’s important for the sufferer to be aware of the proper nutritional needs in addition to the needed medical care. This involves eating the proper foods, recognizing what food allergies exist, and identifying the needed vitamins and minerals necessary for a recovery.
MANY PEOPLE CAN LESSEN THEIR SYMPTOMS BY ELIMINATING CAFFEINE, SUGAR, AND ALCOHOL FROM THE DIET.
I always recommend calling Liz at Village Vitality (Woodstock Apothecary) for an analysis of vitamins and minerals needed. Her number is 845-679-0790.
When offering reflexology sessions to a person suffering with anxiety attacks, the first step is to work the entire endocrine system to balance the spiritual aspects of the issues.
Work the nervous system.
Work the digestive system and focus on the pancreas reflexes.
Work the endocrine system and focus on the pituitary gland reflexes, the thyroid and parathyroid reflexes.
Finish the session by working the liver and solar plexus.
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Peace and food for all.
Thuran Greco
A Very Common but Rarely Discussed Health Issue – Hemorrhoids
AS WE AGE, MORE AND MORE OF US SUFFER WITH HEMORRHOIDS. This makes sense when we realize that aging is part of the situation. Spiritually, as we age, some of us develop an inability to let go of life events. We develop a feeling that life has been unfair as we become critical of ourselves as well as others. Fear is always a factor in hemorrhoids. Fear, anger, lack of self-confidence Many of us cling to beliefs, opinions that are outdated.
ON A PHYSICAL LEVEL, HEMORRHOIDS ARE VARICOSE VEINS IN THE RECTUM AND ANUS AREAS. They are considered to be harmless unless they become infected or rupture. So, hemorrhoids become a part of our daily lives as the bowel movement becomes slower than we want and more difficult.
CHRONIC CONSTIPATION, PERSISTENT DIARRHEA, PROLONGED SITTING, PREGNANCY, AND ANAL INTERCOURSE CONTRIBUTE TO HEMORRHOIDS. Softening the stool, eating a high fiber diet, and being hydrated, help prevent hemorrhoids.
WHEN YOU OFFER REFLEXOLOGY TO A PERSON SUFFERING WITH HEMORRHOIDS, begin by working the digestive system as you focus on the liver, pancreas, and gallbladder reflexes.
Work the endocrine system as you focus on the adrenal gland reflexes.
Work the intestinal reflexes.
Finish the session by working the liver and solar plexus.
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Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
Cirrhosis – indeed, a spiritual disease
THE LIVER PERFORMS MANY MORE FUNCTIONS THAN WE HUMANS KNOW ABOUT OR UNDERSTAND. It’s an emotional organ, and a quite large organ at that.
MORE WOMEN SUFFER FROM CIRRHOSIS THAN MEN. And, although we think of cirrhosis as a disease of alcoholics, it’s not always necessary to drink oneself into this disease. Spiritually, the liver begins to break down and cirrhosis rears its ugly head when a person experiences frustration, aggression, rage, guilt, fear. Sometimes, when a person begins to sabotage personal progress, cirrhosis becomes a reality. In any event, the constant inner struggles encourage the disease.
LIFE EVENTS CAN CONTRIBUTE TO CIRRHOSIS. They include long term exposure to toxic chemicals, infection with Hepatitis B, C, D, or E, medication with steroids.
Reflexology helps bring about homeostasis which can be very important for the cirrhosis sufferer’s well-being.
When offering reflexology to a person suffering with cirrhosis, begin with the endocrine system and focus on the thyroid and parathyroid glands.
Work the digestive system as you focus on the liver and gallbladder reflexes.
Work the urinary system as you focus on the kidney reflexes.
End the session by working the liver again and the solar plexus.
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Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
Muscular System Bottom Line, 12 Essential Oils, 24 Foods That Nourish The Muscular System and 3 Improvements to be Expected from Sessions to the Muscular System
THE BOTTOM LINE:
Maintaining the muscular system with Reflexology for the Spirit sessions helps improve both the circulatory and skeletal systems. The ability of muscles to function directly impacts the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual life of a person.
One’s emotional and spiritual health directly impacts how the muscles function, the ability to maintain a proper body weight, and to maintain muscle tone, especially as one ages. Exercise is recommended to release endorphins that interact with the receptors in the brain to promote positive feelings, and when a client decides to start working out this will be a boon to you.
ESSENTIAL OILS TO USE WHEN WORKING THE MUSCULAR SYSTEM INCLUDE basil, fennel, geranium, German chamomile, helichrysum, lavender, marjoram, nutmeg, peppermint, rosemary, thyme, wintergreen
FOODS WHICH NOURISH THE MUSCULAR SYSTEM INCLUDE beans, caffeine, Brazil nuts, cherries, chicken, dairy, dried plums, eggs, figs, legumes, liver, meat, nuts, oily fish, oysters, peanuts, raisins, rose hip tea, soy, turkey, water, wheat germ, whole grains, yeast.
Of the foods on the above list, the following foods are also on Johnny Bowden, Ph.D.’s list of the 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth:
beans, caffeine, Brazil nuts, eggs, figs, liver(calf’s liver), milk(raw), nuts, oysters, peanuts/peanut butter, raisins, yogurt.
So, you’ve actually got two lists here. The top list is the list of foods nourishing the muscular system. The second list is those foods on Johnny Bowden’s list. This gets a little complicated but is worth knowing. Please let me know if you have problems with the information and how it’s listed.
IMPROVEMENTS TO BE EXPECTED FROM SESSIONS TO THE MUSCULAR SYSTEM:
Working the muscular system in a session can relax the whole body as well as specific places in the body.
Muscular aches and pains are relieved and muscular stress and tension can be reduced.
As the body relaxes with repeated, regular sessions, homeostasis offers balance to the body and the spirit.
Peace and food for all.
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Thurman Greco
High Blood Pressure and What You Can Do About It.
High blood pressure happens when the heart is forced to pump harder to maintain circulatory functions. Often people have high blood pressure and aren’t aware of the situation. High blood pressure can damage arterial walls and puts strain on the heart.
If you have high blood pressure, you are at risk of heart attack, stroke, peripheral artery disease, and congestive heart failure.
High blood pressure is often a lifestyle disease because factors affecting your blood pressure include smoking, overweight, inactivity, prediabetes and diabetes, and, finally, our old friend stress.
High blood pressure is also often a spiritual disease because factors affecting your blood pressure include pushing yourself beyond your limits, feeling too much pressure and too many demands in your daily life, holding onto anger and hurt.
If you want to control your hypertension, take the medication and make some lifestyle changes so the dose will be the absolute lowest possible. Often, the lifestyle changes will allow you to discontinue the medication.
Changing your diet can really help. Work on losing weight. This means cutting out the junk foods in addition to eating low calorie vegetables, fruits, beans. Cut out caffeine, alcoholic drinks and any beverage with calories. Diet is seriously important here…especially if you don’t want to take pills.
Some specific vitamins and minerals recommended for persons dealing with hypertension include Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Magnesium, Garlic, Flaxseed oil. Therefore, I advise that you find a nutritionist or call Liz at Village Apothecary in Woodstock (845-679-0790). She knows the vitamins and minerals you need and she knows what diet is going to work the best for your situation. You want to make sure that you are taking the right supplement and the right amount of the supplement to do the most good for you.
Exercise is important. Find something you like to do and then do it every day. Increase the amount of time you exercise a little each day. Until you come up with a better exercise, try walking.
Receiving Reflexology for the Spirit sessions regularly can definitely help to stabilize hypertension. Homeostasis to the rescue!
When offering a session to a person suffering with hypertension, begin the session by working the solar plexus and diaphragm reflexes.
Work the circulatory system with an emphasis on the heart reflex.
Work the urinary system as you focus on the kidney reflexes.
End the session by working the liver and solar plexus.
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Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
Gout – a disease with a spiritual component. Reflexology helps.
Gout attacks people experiencing too much stress, worry, intense pressure. People feeling the weight of responsibilities sometimes fall prey to this disease. More men experience gout than women. Gout can become a chronic condition.
Gout happens in people’s lives when they feel stuck in a situation and cannot release the past. (This is one reason why gout is a disease of the elderly. They begin to hold onto the past.)
Physical situations also contribute to gout. Risk factors include kidney disease, diabetes, leukemia, radiation treatments, obesity. Diet also plays a part. People wanting to avoid gout should avoid asparagus, sardines, mushrooms, and organ meats. These foods are high in purines which contribute to a uric acid build-up in the blood.
Gout usually begins as swelling, redness, and severe joint pain. An episode comes on rapidly and lasts about a week. After a week, the gout focuses itself on the large toe, ankles, knees, wrists, hands. There may or may not be a temperature.
Gout is a form of arthritis.
There is a chance of kidney damage with gout.
It’s important to get a diagnosis from a healthcare professional.
Diet and nutrition can help decrease symptoms. Gout sufferers should avoid alcohol, lose weight gradually and restrict foods high in purines. It also helps to drink several glasses of water daily to dilute the uric acid.
Homeopathy has proven to help alleviate the symptoms. Some people rely on Acupuncture treatments.
When offering reflexology of the spirit sessions to a gout sufferer, begin with the endocrine system with a focus on the pituitary gland and the adrenals.
Work the urinary system by focusing on the kidney reflexes.
Finish the session by working the liver and the solar plexus.
Work the immune system with a focus on the spleen.
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Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
Nephritis – this inflammation can be either acute or chronic
Nephritis can inflame either one kidney or both. People with acute nephritis usually recover. Nephritis affects people of all ages.
Nephritis can be caused by drug allergies, immunosuppressent drugs, bacterial infection, exposure to a toxin, radiation exposure, hypertension, and sickle cell anemia.
Symptoms include fatigue, loss of appetite, swelling in the face, edema, abdominal pain, and dark urine.
Treatment includes medication to reduce infection, limit kidney damage and support the body’s overall good health. Diuretics may be prescribed. Dialysis may be needed if kidney failure occurs. And, finally, a kidney transplant may be needed.
Diet is a consideration here. Not only should a person consider what is eaten, but where it came from, how it grew, how it’s prepared, and how much is eaten.
A person’s physical environment is important here. Eliminate as many toxins as you can. Create a healing environment to enhance the healing aspects of homeostasis offered in reflexology sessions.
Relationships are important in kidney diseases, especially nephritis. Be selective. Be positive in your thoughts and actions toward other people. Avoid draining relationships.
When offering Reflexology for the Spirit sessions to a person suffering with nephritis, work the endocrine system with emphasis on the pituitary gland and the adrenal glands.
Work the immune system with emphasis on the spleen.
Work the urinary system with emphasis on the kidney reflexes as well as the bladder, ureter, and urethra reflexes.
Work the lymphatic system.
End the session by working the liver and the solar plexus.
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Peace and fool for all.
Thurman Greco
