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Be Well!

All it Takes is the First Breath

Meditation: what does this word mean to you?  Is it a way to relieve stress, find peace, reach enlightenment?  For some, it may sound like something only for yogi masters or monks in the Himalayas.  For me, meditation is about finding a quiet place and resting there a while, not asleep, just silent.

I have heard time and time again from patients that they try to meditate but find it too difficult.  They can’t relax enough, their minds wander, they just can’t do it right!  I say that meditation doesn’t have to be this way.  It can be easy, and enjoyable, and you don’t have to kayak to Peru to do it.  It starts with something each and every one of us do all day, everyday:  Breathing, but maybe not quite the way that you’re used to.

What many of us don’t realize is that our breathing may actually be contributing to our stress, anxiety and even muscle tension.  We first need to learn how to breathe properly in order to begin our journey of health and meditation.

Exercise:
Sit up straight with your feet flat on the floor and your eyes closed.
Relax your shoulders and place your hands on your lap.
Inhale slowly through your nose for a count of 5, drawing your breath into your abdomen to fill and expand it.
Hold for a count of 2.
Exhale slowly through your nose for a count of 5.
Hold for 3 counts.
Repeat for one minute or about 8 breathes.
Make sure that your shoulders remain relaxed throughout the exercise. If your mind wanders, bring your focus back to your counting.

Practice this every day. Do it in the morning when you first wake up to get an energetic boost that will help you start your day, at work to help you distress before a meeting with your boss, or before bedtime to help you wind down and forget about the day.

As you start to become more comfortable with the exercise, add another minute or two.  Try to work your way up to at least five minutes daily. Sound like a lot?  That’s just slightly longer than the average commercial break and less than the time it takes to boil water.

Before long you may find yourself wanting to sit longer, or maybe adding a mental image or mantra to your breathing. However you do it, remember that there is no right or wrong way.  Don’t be hard on yourself if you find your mind wandering.  This time is for you and for whatever you want it to be.  Whether you’re striving to find your own inner nirvana or wish simply to have a minute to yourself each day, this exercise can help meditation become an easy and enjoyable part of your every day.

Aging: Eating Fish May Ward Off Dementia

Article by RONI CARYN RABIN

Published: July 21, 2009 in THE NEW YORK TIMES

Many studies have suggested that a diet rich in fish is good for the heart. Now there is new evidence that such a diet may ward off dementia as well. One of the largest efforts to document a connection — and the first such study undertaken in the developing world — has found that older adults in Asia and Latin America were less likely to develop dementia if they regularly consumed fish.

And the more fish they ate, the lower their risk, the report found. The findings appear in the August issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

The study, which included 15,000 people 65 and older in China, India, Cuba, Venezuela, Mexico, Peru and the Dominican Republic, found that those who ate fish nearly every day were almost 20 percent less likely to develop dementia than those who ate fish just a few days a week. Adults who ate fish a few days a week were almost 20 percent less likely to develop dementia than those who ate no fish at all.

“There is a gradient effect, so the more fish you eat, the less likely you are to get dementia,” said Dr. Emiliano Albanese, a clinical epidemiologist at King’s College London and the senior author of the study. “Exactly the opposite is true for meat,” he added. “The more meat you eat, the more likely you are to have dementia.” Other studies have shown that red meat in particular may be bad for the brain.

Observational studies in the West also have indicated fish may reduce dementia risk, but there is little evidence as yet from randomized, controlled clinical trials.

Read the Study

Labor Day Lunch

While many were firing up the BBQ this Labor Day weekend, I decided to take a different approach to my holiday munchies.  Where potato chips and hamburgers once resided, plums and turkey & spinach sandwiches reigned supreme.  The end result?  More energy for my fun in the sun and less time spent catering to a full and crabby tummy.

I realized, as I packed my lunch bag and headed to the beach, that it may be a sacrifice to forgo all those festivity favorites.   The smell of smoldering charcoal was filling the air and my mouth watered as I dreamed of BBQ sauce drenched baby-back ribs and macaroni salad.  But I decided to save the fat, calories and carbs for another day.  That night, as I drifted into a restful slumber, I looked to my week ahead with a joy that I wouldn’t be hitting the pavement first thing Tuesday morning to burn off a long weekend of nutrition blunders.

I urge you, next time there’s a holiday, to give good food a try.  Hand over the hot dog and reach for the chicken breast.  Say “see ya next time” to baked beans and reach for the cous-cous.  It’ll still taste good, I promise you.  Going to a party and worried what your hosts my serve?  Offer to bring a delicious and healthy dish.  With a little creativity you can create weekend wonders that will make you forget you ever held a bun.

Happy Eating!

The First Step of Wellness

I began my journey on the path of wellness as a young child.  I always had an inner sense that there was more to my health than doctor visits and prescription pads.  As I grew, I learned to listen to my body.  If I felt sick, I knew that there was a greater reason than just, “I have a cold.”  My symptoms were my body trying to tell me something.  Maybe I needed more rest or wasn’t eating right.  Perhaps there was too much dust in my room or I was stressed about something.  By learning to listen and understand my body’s cries for change, I was able to prevent and overcome my minor maladies without ever stepping foot in a doctor’s office.  Of course there was the occasional case of strep throat that required an antibiotic, but most of the time it was just a clear cut case of the body being “run down.”

In order to better educate myself in the art of health and wellness, I obtained an M.S. in Oriental Medicine from Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in San Diego, CA.  There, with the help of 3000 year old traditions, I learned that the body is a garden and I must constantly tend to this garden if I want it to flourish.  Today I have chosen to dedicate much of my time each day, not only to the cultivation of my own “body-garden” but to the education of others so that we may all live happier and healthier lives.

The intent of this blog is to share with you in the insight and tools that I have obtained along my journey.  Please feel free to contribute your knowledge and to challenge anything you may disagree with.  Visit often and contact me with any questions you may have.  I am constantly expanding my knowledge and looking for new stories to share with you as we travel together on the path of wellness.

Be Well and Namaste,

Laura Metzdorff, L.Ac