Searching for the Fountain of Youth? Eat Foods and use Essential Oils High in Antioxidents.
So, what are antioxidents anyway? Antioxidents are chemicals in food which fight free radicals. A popular theory is that we age because of the free radicals which cause oxidation. In other words, we rust.
This oxidation process damages our cells and tissues, allowing diseases such as heart disease, alzheimers, cancer to invade our bodies. It’s possible to take antioxident pills but studies show that eating the foods high in antioxidents is more effective.
If your health interests include a longer, healthier life go for the food. Choose foods with a high Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity (ORAC).
Try to eat five servings daily of foods high in antioxidents: alfalfa sprouts, avocado, baked beans, blackberries, blueberries, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cherries, cranberries, garlic, kale, kiwi, onions, oranges, plums, prunes, raisins, raspberries, red peppers, spinach, strawberries, white grapes.
Some essential oils also have significant to high ORAC counts. If you use essential oils, you might as well choose those with ORAC counts: Anise, Basil, Black Pepper, Blue Cypress, Blue Tansy, Cardamom, Cassia, Cedarwood, Celery Seed, Canadian Cinnamon Bark, Cistus, Citronella, Clary Sage, Clove, Coriander, Cumin, Cypress, Dill, Douglas Fir, Eucalyptus Citriodora, Eucalyptus Globulus, Fennel, Fleabane, Frankincense (Boswellia carteri), Galbanum, German Chamomile, Ginger, Goldenrod, Grapefruit, Helichrysum, Hyssop, Idaho Balsam Fir, Juniper, Kaffir Lime, Laurus Nobilis, Lavender, Lemon, Lemongrass, Lime, Mandarin, Manuka, Marjoram, Melaleuca Cajeput, Melaleuca Ericifolia, Melaleuca Quinquenervia, Melissa, Mountain Savory, Myrrh, Myrtle, Nutmeg, Orange, Oregano, Palmarosa, Patchouli, Peppermint, Petitgrain, Roman Chamomile, Rose, Rosemary, Rosewood, Sage, Spearmint, Spikenard, Thyme, Tsuga, Vetiver, White Fir, Wintergreen, Yarrow.
While you are doing this, please don’t forget that weekly reflexology sessions encourage homeostasis which is extremely important for continued good health.
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Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
Asthma – a Very Real Spiritual Disease
Asthma is a condition involving severe breathing difficulty due to allergies, emotional and/or spiritual stress as well as other issues. Asthma attacks include shortness of breath, cough, generalized wheezing, and abnormal breathing.
Spiritually, people suffering with asthma seem, to me, to be trying too hard to please others. When people are trying to be perfect, they sometimes have trouble standing up for themselves and expressing their feelings. Asthma sufferers often feel controlled, hurt, stuck, and caged.
Asthma is one disease which is rising rapidly in our country. Many children suffer with asthma. My opinion is that children suffer with asthma when they are pushed toward independence too soon. The children may feel insecure. The relationship to the mother is important here.
As the child grows up, the relationship issues are more often involving the boss in a work relationship. As an employee, the person has trouble breathing for him/herself. The person feels helpless and is in a situation where suffocation describes the situation. And, of course, stressful events just make the asthma worse.
Emotions felt here include a need to express one’s feelings and emotions. Anger, grief, lost boundaries.
The person suffering with asthma can do several things, the first of which is to have a competent health care professional actively involved in the situation. Asthma is not a situation where a person self treats. ACUTE ASTHMA ATTACKS REQUIRE MEDICATION IMMEDIATELY.
A good first step is to identify allergens, and take steps to reduce the allergic threshold. This means taking allergy shots. This can save or eliminate much discomfort.
Eating a diet suitable for asthmatics can significantly improve your health. Generally speaking, a vegan diet is best for an asthmatic. This diet eliminates all animal products. Your positive response to this diet might be slow so plan to eat a vegan diet for several months before you notice dramatic reduction of asthma symptoms. Consult with a nutritionist to make sure you are eating the best foods for you and your condition.
Try to eat pure foods as food additives can contribute to asthma attacks. Basically, avoid processed foods as much as possible. Stick with fresh, organic foods whenever possible.
Be sure to get a sufficient amount of omega-3 fatty acids daily.
Vitamin C, Magnesium, and B6 are also helpful.
Let your nutritionist guide you through the food supplement maze.
Whenever I need supplements, I go to Liz at the Woodstock Apothecary. She is their staff nutritionist. Her knowledge and experience have saved me money and improved my health.
When using Reflexology for the Spirit to offer sessions to an asthma sufferer, begin by focusing on the solar plexus and diaphragm. Then work the endocrine system focusing on the pituitary gland reflexes and then the adrenal gland reflexes. Work the respiratory system focusing on the lung reflexes. End the session by working the intestinal reflexes.
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Thurman Greco
Hay Fever Attacks us Seasonally When Our Defenses are Low
Hay Fever is a seasonal affliction which succeeds in making its sufferers totally miserable. My mother had several serious diseases in her life. The one that caused her the most trouble and discomfort was hay fever.
Hay Fever is not contagious. It is an allergic reaction to airborne substances such as pollen and pollution. Hay Fever sufferers are always easy to spot because they have watery inflamed eyes, inflamed sinuses, and nasal passages resulting in runny noses. There’s a lot of itching also. Sometimes, when life is really bad, they also have a sore throat and irritated bronchial tubes.
Hay Fever sufferers have a tendency to overreact to the symptoms. The itching can be very irritating. The runny eyes are very distracting.
Although Hay Fever is seasonal, its sufferers can have attacks whenever there is an intense emotional reaction to a situation.
Visiting a competent allergist regularly to reduce one’s sensitivity to allergies can change an allergy sufferer’s life for the better.
If you have a client partner suffering with hay fever, suggest weekly Reflexology for the Spirit sessions at least during allergy season. This will offer some relief and much needed homeostasis.
Begin the session by working the diaphragm reflexes and the solar plexus. Move to the endocrine system and focus on the pituitary gland reflexes and the adrenal gland reflexes. Then move to the respiratory system focusing on the lung reflexes. Finish the session by giving attention to the liver and returning to a solar plexus hold.
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Thurman Greco
Finish with
Respiratory System: Bottom Line Information, Essential Oils, Foods that Nourish the Respiratory System and Improvements to be Expected from Regular Sessions.
The respiratory system has highly emotional and spiritual facets to it. People dealing with chronic respiratory issues are often grieving. While it’s not necessary for you to know what’s causing the grief, it’s helpful to be aware of the grief process and the part it may be playing in your client partner’s health issues.
Essential Oils Nourishing the Respiratory System Include: eucalyptus radiata, frankincense, German chamomile, lavender, lemon, peppermint, ravensara, Roman chamomile, rose, thyme, and wintergreen.
Foods Nourishing the Respiratory System Include: almonds, apples, apricots, beans, cantaloupe, carrots, chicken soup, crab, decaffeinated coffee, eggs, fish, fresh fruits and vegetables, garlic, hot peppers, lamb, leafy greens, legumes, lemons, low-fat milk, non-fat cheeses, nuts, onions, oysters, papaya, pineapple, pumpkin, salmon, soy, spinach, sweet potatoes, tea, tofu, tomatoes, water, wheat germ, watercress, whole grains, yogurt.
Of the foods in the above list, the following foods are also on Johnny Bowden Ph.D.’s list of the 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth: amonds, apples, apricots, beans, cantaloupe, eggs, fresh fruits and vegetables, garlic, lamb, lentils, lemons, low-fat milk, non-fat cheese, onions, oysters, peppers (hot), pineapple, pumpkin, salmon (wild Alaska), sweet potatoes, tea, watercress, yogurt.
So, you’ve actually got two lists here. The top list is the list of foods nourishing the respiratory system. The second list is those foods on Johnny Bowden’s list. This is a little complicated but worth knowing. Please let me know if you have a problems with the information and how it’s listed.
Improvements to be Expected from Sessions to the Respiratory System:
Congestion and inflammation should be cleared. Asthma can be improved. Breathing should improve when it becomes regulated, slower and deeper. On a spiritual level, this will assist the client partner to live life more fully. Inflammation should be alleviated. Regular sessions help expel mucus.
On a spiritual level, working the respiratory system not only addresses the physical issues, but assists in dealing with the associated processes. People with respiratory issues who are willing to face whatever fears are preventing them from living life to the fullest will be able to benefit more fully from the physical improvements to the respiratory system offered by Reflexology for the Spirit sessions.
Recovery from colds, coughs can be improved.
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Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
The Sense of Taste – OR – 8 Ways to Reduce Salt in Your Diet
Salt has been with us for awhile.. Go back in time about 6000 years and you’ll find salt being processed in Romania and China. It was prized by Hebrews, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Hittites and Egyptians.
Historians tell us that salt extraction and rapid rapid population growth happened at the same time.
Salt has a history of being an issue in wars up to and including the 20th century. Governments throughout history have imposed salt taxes on their people…and throughout time people have revolted. Think the French Revolution, and Mahatma Gandhi’s protesters.
Salt has been used as currency. The word salary comes from from the word salt. Salt was traded for gold in some historical cultures.
On a religious level, salt has long been an important part of ceremonies in most of the world’s religions.
Ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans used salt and water in their offering ceremonies. Some scholars tell us that this was the basis of the Holy Water used in some Christian ceremonies today.
We know that the Aztecs used salt and salt water in their fertility rites.
Hindu, Jain, Buddhist, and Shinto followers all use salt in religious ceremonies.
Salt plays a strong part in the Old Testament which has many references to salt. One famous bible story describes Lot’s wife being turned into a pillar of salt as she looked back at the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah as they were being destroyed.
The New Testament has references to salt.
Celtic rituals use water with salt added.
We flavor our foods with seasonings in five categories: sweet, sour, salt, bitterness, and umami.
We exercise our sense of taste when we eat food. The sense of taste works with the sense of smell to help us taste food.
As a culture, we have a taste for salt…so much so that some of our citizens suffer with high blood pressure, diabetes, chronic kidney disease.
All of us, without exception, will improve our lives if we can reduce our intake to one teaspoon of salt per day. So, how do we do this?
Cut Down on Processed Foods. This is easily done by eating less processed food. Cut back on pizza, bacon, sausage, hot dogs, deli/luncheon meats. Buy fewer canned foods such as chili, soups, stews, ravioli. A key here is fresh foods have lower amounts of sodium.
Cook More Meals at Home. When you prepare meals at home, you’re spending less on food and can control what goes in it. Cooking meals at home allows you to limit the amount of salt used in your food..
Eat Veggies and Fruits. Fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables naturally have less sodium. Include a vegetable or fruit at every meal.
Cut Back on Salt Slowly, a little at a time. This way you’ll become accustomed to the natural taste of food. Learn to season your foods with herbs, spices, garlic, and lemon.
Read the Labels Many canned goods have more than a daily serving of salt. Find products that are “low salt”, “no salt”, and “low sodium”. A caution here: sometimes the processed foods which are labeled “low salt” are “high sugar”. Don’t trade one bad habit for another.
Skip the “high Sodium” Condiments. Avoid high sodium ketchup, pickles, olives, salad dressings, soy sauce. Choose those seasoned with reasonable amounts of salt.
Hide the Salt. Don’t put salt on the kitchen counter or the table. Use low salt seasonings instead.
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Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
Our Skin Protects Us and Guards Us.
The largest organ we have, our skin is our biggest protector. It is a sense organ because it is through the skin that we exercise our sense of touch.
Skin is both emotional and spiritual. When we describe skin, we use words such as protect, nourish, insulate, communicate, heal, give, receive.
Our skin is our boundary so there are many skin issues to deal with throughout life. This blog has already addressed the following issues in previous posts: acne, callouses, corns, eczema, peeling skin, psoriasis, shingles, sweaty feet, and thick skin.
Whew! That says a lot about our skin and the work it does. What it says is this:
Reflexology for the Spirit sessions are very important when addressing sense organ issues in general and skin issues specifically.
When you offer reflexology for a skin issue, please work it holistically. In other words, work to heal the physical issue but also consider where this problem is manifesting itself on the feet. It is also important to help your client partner feel safe for a few moments when you offer a session.
Safety can be suggested through the music used, the essential oils offered, and having enough blankets and pillows on the table. Think cocoon here.
Our skin is very emotional as well as spiritual. Therefore, it reacts to everything that happens to us. Rashes, in particular are emotional reactions to life events. A good example of this is hives. A person suffering with hives may be experiencing fear, irritation, feeling overwhelmed, deep anger.
There will be more posts in the future about different issues which manifest themselves through the skin.
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Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
Reflexology Blog – Ear Infections are common in young children and can be dangerous.
Ear infections are often connected with respiratory tract infections. They can be either caused by bacterial or fungal infections brought on by water or other foreign matter in the ear. They can be either chronic or acute.
Ear infections are so common that about half of all visits to pediatricians are for their treatment. This is an important statement because spiritually, ear infections occur when a person is having trouble hearing what is going on around them. Children sometimes have difficulties expressing feelings.
So…what might a child be hearing that will distress him/her to the point of an infection? Abusive language, people shouting at one another, bullying behavior. An earache suggests that the subject is very disturbing to the child. It represents a pained heart or mind.
Adults dealing with ear infections have the same spiritual issues. Words that come to mind here are resentment, unsteadiness, being judged, blame, frustration, anger, arguments.
And, of course, the most difficult voice to hear sometimes is that of the inner self.
That being said, ear infections can be very serious. Ear infections are potentially dangerous health events and need to be supervised by a physician.
The bottom line here is this: If someone has an ear infection, s/he needs to seek medical care to take care of the physical aspects of the disease. S/he also needs to deal with the painful sounds and events in life which are stressful enough to contribute to ear infections.
Reflexology for the Spirit can help, but not replace the medical attention needed. When working the feet, focus on the sense organs with emphasis on the ears, work the spleen, work the lymphatic system, and complete the session by working the liver and solar plexus. What you will bring to the table, which is very important, is relief, calm, homeostasis, an encouragement of the body systems to fight the situation.
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Thurman Greco
Ear Disorders are Both Physical and Spiritual
Physically, ears have many disorders.
Outer ears have infections, cuts, burns, frostbite, ruptured eardrums.
Middle ear problems go with upper respiratory infections. Young children suffer with ear infections. Some of these infections are connected with respiratory-tract infections as well as infections resulting from water or other foreigh substances entering the outer ear.
Inner ears suffer with allergies, infections, reactions to medications.
Spiritually, people have health issues with the ears when a person has difficulty coping with what s/he is hearing. Our ears help us maintain our balance. Listening is very challenging if the subject matter causes pain or discomfort.
At times, it is difficult to hear one’s inner voice. Listening to one’s inner voice may, at times, be more difficult than listening to someone else’s voice.
When offering Reflexology for the Spirit sessions to a person with ear disorders, it’s the goal to offer the client partner an opportunity to experience grounded listening.
Begin the session by working the sense organs focusing on the ear reflexes. Focus on the spleen and liver reflexes. Move to the lymphatic system, and finish the session with a focus on the solar plexus.
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Peace and food for all
Thurman Greco
Reflexology Blog – 8 Reasons to Call a Professional Healthcare Provider if You Have Back Pain
Not all pack pain problems need immediate medical attention. Many times a Reflexology for the Spirit session can offer relief and/or healing. Massage is helpful also. Sometimes a chiropractor or acupuncturist can offer relief. Because of the spiritual aspect surrounding back issues, time itself can offer healing. Reflexology works well with other modalities. Back discomfort is no exception.
However, it’s nice to know when you need to contact a professional about your discomfort. The following symptoms require attention:
Back pain following an accident or other injury
Constant pain which is not relieved by changing position
Pain that continues when resting, especially at night
Fever
Unexplained weight loss
Muscle weakness in arms, hands, legs, or feet
Sciatic pain felt below the level of the knee
Swelling and/or joint pain
Loss of sensation in buttocks/thighs
Urinary retention
Thank you for reading this blog/book. Tomorrow’s post will focus on things you can do to protect your back and have a more comfortable airplane ride.
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Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
Reflexology Blog – 10 Ways to Sit More Comfortably. Sitting is More Difficult Than Standing.
The inspiration for this, and the next series of posts, is a book I read by Constance A. Bean: “The Better Back Book” It’s available through Amazon and is probably available through your favorite bookstore as well. I like the way she listed information to make it easier to read, understand, and use.
Avoid sitting on unstable, soft surfaces such as a very soft chair or a bed.
Always try to sit in a chair with armrests and always use the armrests. This way, you remove weight from your lower back. Use the armrests to shift your weight occasionally if you become uncomfortable.
Rocking chairs relieve back pain as you rock back and forth because your muscles are not held in one position.
The angle on the chair is changed as you rock back and forth.
The chair you sit in should support your lumbar spine.
The front part of the seat should be higher than the back part to make your back more comfortable. Your feet should rest flat on the floor. If you can find a chair low enough to the floor so that your knees are raised higher than your hips, you’ll be even more comfortable. If this isn’t possible, place your feet on a small stool or several phone books to raise your knees. The chair seat should be deep enough to support the entire thigh.
Using your armrests for support, get up out of your seat and walk around frequently.
When sitting for long periods, raise your shoulders and tighten your abdominal muscles and buttocks for a few moments. Then release the muscles and take 2-3 deep breaths.
Balance chairs align the spine correctly.
Car seats and airplane seats are very stressful for spines.
Do not slump in your chair because this habit stresses your spine.
When driving a car, position your car seat forward to make sure the leg is extended as little as possible. This will help you keep your pelvic tilted.
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Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
