10 Things You Can do to Live a Longer Life
When you establish everyday habits with a goal toward a longer life, you’ll know you are doing your best to get the most out of each and every day. Seeking a longer life is a serious quest because you have to decide not only how long you want to live but also what you plan to do with all those years you plan to have.
SUNSHINE HELPS YOU
Get out into the sun for a few minutes every day. Ten to 15 minutes of sun daily will help you store the “sunshine vitamin” which will help your body use the calcium necessary to stay healthy for a longer life and avoid osteoporosis.
THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH
In 1513, Juan Ponce de Leon landed at what is now Saint Augustine, Florida, in search of the fountain of youth. He found it there. And, it still exists. Branches of the fountain of youth can be found today in your neighborhood. They are found on the sidewalk where you walk as you exercise. They are also found in the fitness center in your community.
Exercise is a premiere activity for a longer life. It doesn’t matter much what exercise plan you have. Running? Weight lifting? Self Defense? Yoga? Whatever you choose, you need to like it enough to do it several times a week. For me, regular exercise is the Fountain of Youth in action!
STAY CONNECTED
Be a part of your community. The most important thing is that you develop strong social ties. You can get active in a church or synagogue. Or join a book club. Donate time at a library or food pantry. Collect stamps. Whatever you do, choose something you’ll enjoy and show up regularly. Your blood pressure will go down. Your immune system will improve. Your heart will work better. You will have yourself on a path to a longer life.
DRINK TEA
Take time each day to enjoy a cup of tea or a glass of iced tea. Relax, and refresh.
While you enjoy your tea, know that it will boost your immune system because tea is rich in antioxidants which fight cholesterol and cancer. Tea loves to fight free radicals. W hen you drink more tea, you’ll be drinking fewer soda drinks which don’t have the antioxidants and can’t fight diseases like cancer and cholesterol.
GET RID OF PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS.
Stress is not a problem in and of itself. Stress is a word describing how you respond to an event causing mental tension and worry. I do not know anyone whose life is not filled with stress. Stress affects your health when it weakens the immune system and contributes to disease.
I’ve written much about stress in my book “Healer’s Handbook” and in other articles in this blog.
Reiki therapy and reflexology are good anti-stress activities.
Exercise, meditation, a positive mental attitude work to support your ability to shed stress.
DEVELOP YOUR STRENGTH
There are many, many kinds of exercise. Choose one that works for your body and your lifestyle. But, whichever one you choose, include strength training. Strength training is every bit as important as cardiovascular workouts because the strength we develop and maintain in our back, core muscles and legs is what is going to keep us upright as we age and live longer. Strength training keeps the spine straight. Strength training prevents falls. Check with your healthcare provider when you begin a strength training fitness program.
My physical therapist, Carolyn Abedor, teaches a weekly yoga class which she calls “Posture”. I attend this class every week and depend on it to help straighten my spine, my core muscles and my legs.
CHOLESTEROL
Do you know your scores? It’s a good idea to learn, if you don’t. Once you know your cholesterol scores, you’ll be more interested in things you can do to make your self healthier for the long haul.
VOLUNTEER
Statistics show us that people who volunteer live longer than those who don’t. Do you have time in your life to give of yourself? If so, choose an activity which puts you in direct contact with people at least an hour every week.
This task is probably mandatory if you are seriously interested in longevity.
GIVE UP A FEW THINGS
Multitasking creates unnecessary stress and the efficiency gains you experience aren’t that much of a plus in your life. This becomes real when you find yourself caught in a trap of serving demanding people and situations which steal your energy.
Your spirit will tell you when it’s time to reduce your To-Do list and learn to say “no” to demanding people. Simplifying your life can become a spiritual process.
HALT HYPERTENSION
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is the most common cardiovascular disease in America. There are three things to know about hypertension:
For the most part, hypertension is preventable with proper diet and lifestyle.
Many people suffer with hypertension and don’t even know it.
Hypertension leads to kidney failure, damaged eyesight, cognitive impairment, and other situations.
There are four things you can do about hypertension:
Cut down on salt.
Lose excess weight.
Keep moving.
Pitch the cigarettes.
DODGE DIABETES
Diabetes is a disease which, in many cases, can be prevented and controlled. Like hypertension, diabetes is a silent disease for many people.
And, if you are interested in living a longer life, you need to respect it because diabetes can trim 10 years off your life expectancy.
If you think you have diabetes, or if you have diabetes, get yourself on the correct eating plan, get active, and do the things your healthcare provider tells you to do.
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Hopefully you found some things which will benefit your search for a longer, healthier life. More tips will follow soon!
Thanks again.
Thurman Greco
Make Time for Yourself, Reflexologists!
One of the really nice things about being a Reflexologist is that 25 sessions per week is considered to be a full time career.
Even with less than a full time client-partner load, it’s easy to lose sight of yourself and your personal needs as you look after your client partners and their needs.
You can prevent this from happening if you pamper yourself regularly and make sure your own needs for time and space are met.
A reflexologist who protects a bit of personal time and space is a much better healer to his/her client partners. Your life is just as important as those of your client-partners, family, friends. Actually, an argument can be made that you are most important because all these people depend on you.
We all enter the healing arts wanting to be the best practitioner we can be. Taking time for yourself is part of that mix. Don’t feel guilty about this. You need rejuvenation and energizing as much as other practitioners, and at least as much as your client-partners.
Begin by claiming one of those 25 weekly sessions for yourself. Make a weekly appointment with another practitioner and receive a session. This might be a good opportunity to get to know other practitioners by visiting a different professional every week.
Throughout the week, there are other things you can do to maintain your rejuvenation and energy.
- Script a healing journal.
- Pamper yourself with relaxing baths. Use candles, salts, essential oils.
- Read a book.
- Take a few moments to enjoy a cool fruit smoothie and a magazine.
- Exercise regularly.
- Pursue a hobby.
- Get yourself out in nature to enjoy the sounds, sights, textures, and smells without technology.
Finally, don’t take everything on your own shoulders all the time.
Thanks for reading this blog.
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My book “A Healer’s Handbook” is now available through Amazon or my website http://www.thurmangreco.com.
Thanks, Thurman Greco
The First Chakra and Reflexology
All 7 of the major Chakras are reflected in our feet. They line up on the spine and they relate to energy centers found on the body. The first Chakra is found at the base of the spine.
The reflex point for the first Chakra is located on the heel of both feet. First Chakra issues are concerned with
security
survival
connection to our earth – our environment
issues with grounding
one’s connection to the community
protection
FOR ME, IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO LEARN ABOUT FIRST CHAKRA ISSUES WITHOUT QUESTIONING:
Have you put down roots? Or are unable to establish a home?
Do you find it hard to move ahead in life? Or, are you unable to let go of your family?
Do you feel vulnerable? Are you refusing to budge?
Do you eat properly?
Do you hang onto unhealthy relationships?
Can you receive?
Can you give?
Are you in a rut?
Are you afraid of change, even if it is positive?
Are you in your body?
Are you controlling?
There are many first Chakra phrases using the word “heel”:
Cool your heels
Down at your heels
Well heeled
Take to your heels
Drag your heels
Achilles heel
I’m sure you can come up with even more.
Fear is a first Chakra issue. Fear is a culprit in almost every disease, health issue, and problem we encounter in life. Fear keeps us all from being the totally healthy beings we were born to be.
We carry fear over from past lives. And, if you don’t believe in past life issues, just skip them and think for a few minutes about the fear issues we carry from childhood. We can be perfectly rational adults and still carry fear baggage around. Sometimes I see clients whose fear issues weigh more than their physical bodies weigh. Many obese people are holding fear in the form of extreme fat around their bodies.
If you and/or your client partners want to be healthy, it’s important to have a balanced first Chakra. There are several ways to balance one’s first Chakra:
Reflexology for the Spirit sessions offer homeostasis which is the balance of all body systems.
Reiki therapy sessions balance the Chakras.
Meditation. Set aside a few minutes daily to meditate on a balanced Chakra system. The first Chakra needs to be grounded. Take time each day to listen to what your body tells you. If you listen, it will never lie to you. If you listen, you will know when you are not grounded and when your Chakras are not balanced.
It is also easy to tell how balanced your first Chakra is by observing your hips. What is the range of movement for your hips, knees, and ankles? How do they feel? Your ankles, knees, and hips move you forward in this world. They keep you balanced. Stability is important for the first Chakra. Pain, tightness, restricted movement, and inflexibility are strong indicators of a need to balance the first Chakra.
Physically, the first Chakra governs 3 systems:
Immune System
Skeletal System
Lower Digestive Tract.
When you work with your client partner’s first chakra, you offer an opportunity for increased self awareness. What a gift you give!
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Photos provided by Renee Ruwee
Thurman Greco
Circulatory System – Bottom Line Information, 15 Essential Oils, 54 Foods that Nourish the Circulatory System, and 2 Improvements to be Expected from Regular Sessions to the Circulatory System.
BOTTOM LINE INFORMATION:
A healthy circulatory system is important to a person’s overall well being, physically, mentally, and spiritually. Our blood represents our life force. A key word here is happiness. High blood pressure, for example, can represent an emotional or spiritual issue in one’s life. And, while this may be a situation with emotional origins, it’s not an opportunity to ignore a warning sign.
A healthy circulatory system is necessary to feel and express emotions positively. A high cholesterol level interferes with open channels necessary for accepting happiness. High or low blood pressure represents longstanding unresolved emotional issues. And, of course, callouses on the heart area of the foot are important to the practitioner.
As you work the circulatory system, you have an opportunity to distribute love and healing feelings – improving a client partner’s sense of self worth and balancing blood flow. A person with a healthy heart is more likely to be happy.
ESSENTIAL OILS TO USE WHEN WORKING THE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM INCLUDE cistus, clove, cypress, geranium, grapefruit, helichrysum, lavender, lemon, marjoram, myrtle, nutmeg, orange, peppermint, valerian, wintergreen.
FOODS NOURISHING THE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM INCLUDE almonds, apples, artichokes, avocadoes, beans, beets, blueberries, broccoli, brown rice, butter, cabbage, carrots, cashews, celery, chocolate, coconut, coffee, cranberry juice, dandelions, eggs, fish, flaxseed oil, garlic, kale, leeks, legumes, mushrooms, mussels, nuts, oatmeal, olive oil, olives, onions, peanuts, pecans, peppers, persimmons, pineapple, pistachios, pomegranate juice, prunes, pumpkin, raspberries, sesame seeds, sesame oil, spinach, sunflower seeds, tomatoes, walnuts, water, whey, protein, yogurt.
Of the foods on the above list, the following items are also on Johnny Bowden PH.D.’s list of the 150 Healthiest foods on earth: almonds/almond butter, almond oil, apples, artichokes, avocados, beans, beets, blueberries, broccoli, butter, cabbage, cashews, celery, chocolate (dark), coconut/coconut oil, coffee, cranberry juice, dandelions, eggs, fish, flaxseeds/flaxseed oil, garlic, kale, leeks, mushrooms, mussels, oatmeal, olive oil(extra virgin), olives, onions, peanuts/peanut butter, pecans, peppers, pineapple, pistachio nuts, pomegranate juice, prunes, pumpkin/pumpkin seeds, raspberries, sesame seeds/sesame butter, tahini/sesame oil, sunflower seeds, walnuts, water, yogurt.
So you’ve actually got two lists here. The top list is the list of foods nourishing the circulatory system. The second list is those foods on Johnny Bowden, Ph .D.’s list. In the case of the circulatory system list, the majority of the foods are on both lists. This gets a little complicated but worth knowing. Please let me know if you have trouble with the information and how it is listed.
IMPROVEMENTS TO BE EXPECTED FROM SESSIONS TO THE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM INCLUDE the fact that regular sessions will improve the circulation of the body and help normalize blood pressure if this is called for. There is a definite spiritual aspect to the circulatory system which Reflexology for the Spirit sessions address.
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Peace and food for all.
Thurman
Fatigue is a very important component of disease.
Fatigue is an important symptom and is best not ignored…although many people try. The five reasons why people feel tired are:
Insufficient Sleep: The first step toward overcoming fatigue is to begin to sleep more. Sleep is extremely important.
We repair our bodies and souls as we sleep.
We maintain our mental and emotional systems as we sleep.
We use the subconscious mind as we asleep.
Try for nine hours of sleep each night. If you’re sleeping nine hours each night and still feel tired, you need to look further into your causes of fatigue. If you’re unable to sleep over eight hours each night and you’re trying to get that amount of sleep, you need to have your sleep habits evaluated at a sleep clinic. Sleeping pills are not the answer.
There is a correlation between insufficient sleep and some diseases. People with poor sleeping habits can suffer from type 2 diabetes, depression, fibromyalgia, heartburn, heart disease, heart failure, high blood pressure, menopause problems, memory loss, and obesity more often than their counterparts with good sleeping habits.
I’m going to put in a plug for reflexology now. People who receive regular reflexology sessions report that they sleep significantly better.
Hormonal Imbalances: Often, if a person is sleeping eight hours or more each night and still feels tired, it’s time to go to an Endocrinologist and get the thyroid and adrenal glands tested. When the Endocrine system gets your body back on track you’ll feel like a new person.
Proper Nutrition: Most people think they eat properly. Most people don’t. Some basics for a good diet include eliminating things: flour, sugar, processed foods. Stay away from foods with label listings you can’t understand. If you read a word on the ingredient list that you don’t understand, don’t buy the product and don’t eat it. Much of what we buy in grocery stores today is not food. It is a collection of chemicals that have been manufactured and combined for consumption but it’s not food.
If you are serious about maintaining good health and overcoming fatigue, it’s important to get the proper vitamins and minerals. I use Liz at Village Apothecary here in Woodstock. Either contact her at 845-679-0790, or try to find your own nutritionist to guide you in the selection of vitamins and minerals you need to have the healthiest body possible. Just purchasing your vitamins and minerals randomly based on the color of the label or what might be on sale will not always result in you getting the best product for your needs.
Inactivity: The message here is easy. Keep moving. If you feel tired, try moving around. Walk on your lunch hour. Go for a hike instead of going to the movies or sitting down in front of the TV.
Depression: Fatigue and depression go hand in hand. And, the cause of the fatigue sometimes leaves clues in the kinds of depression experienced. For example, the depression caused by a low thyroid is very different from the depression created by too much sugar is very different from the depression caused by inactivity. If you find yourself depressed, think about how it is manifesting itself. What can be the cause?
Disease: There are at least 65 diseases for which fatigue is a symptom. This statement alone tells you how important fatigue is to diagnosing, and ultimately overcoming many diseases. Some diseases affecting the circulatory system that have fatigue as a symptom include Cardiomyopathy, Congestive heart failure, Myocarditis, Valvular heart disease.
When treating fatigue with Reflexology for the Spirit sessions, begin by working the brain reflexes.
Then work the respiratory system as you focus on the lung reflexes.
Follow the work on the lung reflexes by working the circulatory system with the emphasis on the heart reflex.
Next, work on the digestive system with a focus on the liver reflex.
Work the endocrine system with emphasis on the adrenal gland reflexes and the thyroid reflexes.
Finish the session by working the solar plexus.
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Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
Reflexology Blog – Menopause: Many See This as a Disease. For me, Menopause is a Rite of Passage
Actually, there is not that much known about menopause.
Menopause is a strong spiritual event in a woman’s life. Many women in our culture experience, in addition to the physical symptoms, a fear of no longer being wanted. They face fears of aging. They experience self-rejection. They feel that they are no longer good enough…whatever that means.
Menopause is a time to honor yourself, your body, your life. It is a time to bless yourself and encourage love.
Honor your inner goddess! You have now graduated. You are a crone.
You now have an opportunity to become a respected elder. Go Girl!
SYSTEMS TO WORK WHEN OFFERING REFLEXOLOGY FOR THE SPIRIT SESSIONS TO WOMEN EXPERIENCING MENOPAUSE: Focus on the endocrine system, the most spiritual system in the body. Also work the muscular system, the liver and the solar plexus. These sessions will encourage homeostasis, a very important part of one’s health
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Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
Reflexology for the Spirit: Backaches are Very Definitely Spiritual Events.
The kind of spiritual event that creates a backache depends on whether the pain is in the lower, middle or upper back.
People with back issues in the lower back are dealing with money and financial issues. They’re also dealing with core beliefs. These sufferers need to work to feel safe, cared for.
Mid-back issues deal with guilt. These mid-back problems focus on the need to leave the past behind. This person is trying to move forward.
Upper back issues deal with things like emotional support, love. The person needs to feel supported and loved.
When we refer to these issues and their physical causes, it’s good to remember that backache can be caused by injury, poor posture, muscle strain, pinched nerves, stress or other conditions.
Middle and lower-back problems result from injury, poor posture, standing or sitting for long periods of time, tension, improper lifting.
WORK THE FOLLOWING SYSTEMS WHEN ADDRESSING BACKACHES: Begin with the sciatic nerve reflexes. Work the endocrine system, circulatory system, urinary system, muscular system, skeletal system, liver and solar plexus.
As you offer these sessions, you are encouraging homeostasis, relieving stress and tension. The person on your table also needs to go to a medical health care professional for a diagnosis and possibly treatment. Visits to a chiropractor, acupuncturist, physical therapist can supplement your visits.
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Peace and food for all.
Thurman
Want to Stay Healthy? Treat Yourself to a Power Breakfast Everyday
And, what might be a power breakfast?
Starting your day each day with a bowl of oatmeal can add years to your life.
When you begin your day with oatmeal, you’ll have energy for hours before feeling hungry. And, more than that, oatmeal is packed with nutrients that fight disease.
Some nutritionists believe that oatmeal has powerful anti-cancer antioxidents.
Heart specialists believe that oatmeal contains chemicals that stop blood vessels from sticking to your artery walls, thus helping prevent the onset of heart disease. Oatmeal is also believed to reduce the need for blood pressure medication as well as reduce cholesterol levels.
Diet and fitness experts claim that oatmeal fights obesity because people who eat it for breakfast experience less hunger throughout the day.
Diabetes specialists love oatmeal because it is a slowly digested food, thus reducing the need for insulin.
Gastroenterologists love oatmeal because it’s a good source of probiotics – the fighters of toxic bacteria in our colon.
Longevity specialists believe that anyone wanting to live longer should eat oatmeal regularly.
All these claims made by health professionals make oatmeal a miracle food!
People really like oatmeal because there are many ways to dress it up each morning:
You can put a couple of tablespoons of yogurt on the top of a serving.
Drizzle honey on the top of the oatmeal.
Flavor your oatmeal with cinnamon or grated nutmeg.
Serve your oatmeal the “warrior way” with dried apricots and nuts.
But, however you enjoy your oatmeal…the important thing is just to enjoy a serving of it every day.
Thanks again for reading this post.
As always, this post comes to you from my healing space in scenic downtown Woodstock, NY
Peace and food for all
Thurman Greco
Reflexology Blog – Bladder Infections Can be Spiritual Afflictions – 3 Things You Can Do To Avoid Infections
There are many kinds of bladder problems. This post focuses on bladder infections because we’re examining the immune system.
Bladder infections are just one more in a long list of spiritual afflictions. People develop bladder infections when they have a fear of letting something from the past go. When this fear occurs, the person can develop anxiety over the issue.
Bladder infections can be very troublesome: pain, frequent urination, etc. Never ignore these symptoms.
Prevention helps. People experiencing repeat bladder infections can do several things to try to prevent frequent recurrence of these infections.
Drinking lots of fluids helps. The goal is to wash germs found in kidneys, ureters, bladder, and bloodstream. Include cranberry juice in your diet.
Improving sanitary habits is necessary. Frequent bathing helps. Wiping from the front of the body to the back after urination is important also.
Bladder infections have a way of showing up when a person’s stress level is high and resistance level is low. Do what you can to release old issues and welcome new things in your life.
When addressing bladder infections, work the immune system, the spleen reflex, adrenal gland reflexes, kidney reflexes, bladder reflex, lymphatics, liver, and solar plexus.
Thank you for reading this post.
Thurman Greco
Woodstock, NY
Reflexology Blog: Is It a Cold or the Flu?
We’ve all had this happen to us: We wake up one morning with nasal congestion, sneezing, runny eyes, muscle aches, coughing, maybe even fever.
The first thought is this: “Am I coming down with the flu or a common cold?
There are differences.
FEVER AND HEADACHE are rare in colds. Headaches, on the other hand, are common in flu as well as a high fever which can last 3 to 4 days.
ACHES AND PAINS are only slight or mild in colds. Flu creates severe aches and pains.
FATIGUE: Colds make people tired sometimes. Flu, however, makes people tired for up to 2 to 3 weeks.
EXHAUSTION: Colds are never exhausting. Flu is usually extremely exhausting.
STUFFY NOSES, SNEEZING, and SORE THROATS are common in colds. They’re fairly rare in flu.
The list you just read is somewhat complicated. Especially if you just woke up and are trying to figure out which “side of the aisle” you belong on. Would you like to ask yourself one question and make everything easy?
Well, here is the question:
“Do I feel so bad I can’t get out of bed”? If the answer to that question is “yes”…
YOU PROBABLY HAVE THE FLU
“Do I feel so bad I can’t get out of bed”? If the answer to that question is “no”…
YOU PROBABLY HAVE A COMMON COLD
So, now what do I need to do?
If you have a cold, stick with antihistamines, decongestants, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories.
With the flu, you may want to see your doctor.
How could you have prevented this thing in the first place? There are several things you can do to prevent a common cold and the flu – wash your hands often, stay away from those who are sick, and take your annual flu shot.
With a cold, you want to get rest so that you avoid the complications of a sinus congestion, a middle ear infection, and asthma. Don’t forget to call your reflexologist and schedule an appointment.
With flu, you want to get rest so that you avoid the complications of bronchitis or pneumonia.
SYSTEMS TO WORK WHEN ADDRESSING THE COMMON COLD:
Work the immune system. Then go to the pituitary gland reflexes, the sinus reflexes, the ear reflexes, the lung reflexes, and adrenal gland reflexes. Finish the session by working the lymphatics.
Thanks for reading this post. Hope you’ll find it’s helpful.
Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
Woodstock, NY
