Did Easter suck your strength?

Did the Energy Vampire secretly follow the Easter Bunny from house to house this past Easter?  

 Hands up if Easter Sunday found you sprawled on the couch, in “comfy pants,” wondering which youngster you could convince to bring you another chocolate egg. 

Let’s face it - even the most conscientious eater cannot help but be tempted by the family smorgasbord of turkey, stuffing, ham, corn, mashed potatoes, yams, cake, pie and all the other delicious dishes that traditionally grace the holiday table.  I roll my eyes at those articles that suggest eating a small, healthy meal before hitting the party so that one doesn’t overindulge.  That doesn’t stop me – I WANT to eat all those yummy things.  I WANT to overindulge on butter and sugar.  It’s not like I eat that way every day, so why shouldn’t I?

Sitting in a sugary-fat induced stupor, I picked up Patrick Holford’s The New Optimum Nutrition Bible. (Truthfully, I stretched out my foot to nudge it closer on the coffee table so I didn’t have to actually get up and get it).  I’d been meaning to leaf through this new book.  As I started looking through it, I remembered that I’ve read another of his books…and when I was following his eating advice, I was feeling the best that I ever had in my life.

Basically, food = energy.  The body requires a myriad of carbohydrates, protein, vitamins, minerals and enzymes to work most efficiently.  The easiest way for the body to get the fuel it needs is to use carbohydrates.

 Complex carbohydrates ­ -> become glucose -> glucose is energy à body uses energy

Too much carbohydrates -> too much glucose -> spike in energy à energy crashes

The body is a wonderful system, capable of maintaining the balance that is required for health.  We eat, blood sugar raises to an appropriate level and the right amount of insulin is released to transport the glucose to our cells to keep everything running smoothly.  When blood sugar levels drop, we feel hungry so we eat to recharge this energy exchange.

Then we go and screw it up.  

I won’t feel guilty for one night of overindulgence.  But what about regularly overindulging?  I think I eat healthily 80% of the time, as I’m sure most of us do.  Thinking more deeply about it: Are we really eating the way we should?  Or have we been messing with our systems so much that we don’t even realize how we are affecting the delicate balance of energy transfer?  Food, and eating, has such an emotional component to it that it’s hard to confront the issue with ourselves.

There are numerous different theories out there saying how one should eat – the Canada Food Guide, Vegan, Hunter-Gatherer, Raw Food and even Noodletarian just to name a few.  Why are there so many theories?  Well, because people want to be healthy.  Everyone is different, so there is likely no one way of eating that is the one correct way.

Let’s just look at one aspect of nutrition; that food is energy.  Too much food, especially too much sugar, will cause our blood sugar levels to spike.  The excess glucose is basically converted into fat and our blood sugar levels then plummet, causing fatigue and a whole host of other yucky feelings.  The solution is to eat again, probably something our brains are telling us to eat to quickly get those glucose levels back up or to use a stimulant…mmm…a mocha is perfect combination of the two, no?

NO.  

 This self-perpetuating cycle is hard to break but a simple search into the negative effects brings up all sorts of scary things, such as pre-diabetes, heart disease and Alzheimers.  It makes sense: eating well keeps us healthy so the reverse must be true.  We’ve all heard “eat more whole grains, vegetables and legumes” and “eat less white bread and refined sugar.”  Seriously, this one simple change would have a profound effect on a person’s daily energy and overall health.

Not so reluctantly I will get rid of that crème egg staring at me from the kitchen counter.

“Perhaps the biggest tragedy of our lives is that freedom is possible, yet we can pass our years trapped in the same old patterns.”

- Tara Brach

Don’t Get Angerballs

I highly recommend watching the movie Playing by Heart if you are in need of a cathartic cry over love.  I was watching it the other night, just after talking with Kristi about the yuckiness of untreated trigger points.  In the movie, characters getting frustrated or upset are called “angerballs” and I thought it a fitting connection.

Trigger points are basically what we call “muscle knots,” though the tissue is not actually knotted.  A small bit of the muscle is contracted; a tiny spasm or miniature cramp.  These little points can not only hurt in their location, but also can cause pain in other areas.  This phenomenon is called “referred pain.”

Trigger point pain can refer to almost anywhere in the body.  Many of us have at one time or another experienced tension headaches, an ailment that may be caused by trigger points.  This effect of travelling pain can occur in almost any area.  The body is one connected unit and disorder in a specific area, such as the jaw, ear, or even bowel, may be compounded by trigger points.

There are two types of trigger points: active and latent.  Active trigger points causes pain at the site of the point as well as pain at another location in the body.  Latent trigger points are more stealthy; they may simply restrict muscle movement or cause muscle weakness and only be painful when pressure is directly applied to the point.

How do trigger points form?  Research suggests that an injury to an area of muscle or repetitive stress on the muscle can lead to the development of trigger points.  Surgical scars can contain trigger points.  They may occur in an avid sportsperson or someone working in a call centre.  Walking with a heavy backpack, holding a baby on the hip or doing one too many bench-presses and a myriad of other activities in our daily lives can predispose a person to these nasty little points.

There is clinical evidence that emotions can affect muscles, but you can prove it to yourself right now, no white coat required.  Imagine that it has snowed again and you are heading out in the -20 degree dark of the morning.  Your brow is probably furrowed, your shoulders hunched up and your lower back aches with the memory of shovelling snow.  Now, imagine yourself in a state of happiness…you’re lying on a hot beach with a cold drink.  How do your muscles feel?  Your back is slowly softening into the sand, you head lolls to the side and your limbs are like jelly.

Regardless of what caused the trigger point to form, it is an angry little ball inside your skin.  It is causing pain and affecting you in ways that you may not even know.  Left untreated, it can cause more trigger points to be created and overload your nervous system with messages of pain until your body is one whole angerball.  

You may not know that you have trigger points.  They can feel like a poppy seed or a frozen pea under the skin and it’s really only when they are touched that you become aware of their existence.  It feels so good to have your massage therapist find these little spots and presses them until the muscle releases.  The massage therapist is literally pushing your buttons.

Wouldn’t you love to have Devon or Ruth squishing those trigger points away while John Mellencamp sings the chorus of “Hurts so Good” in the background?

p.s. You can also ask Adam, the resident acupuncturist, about treating trigger points with needles.

This blogpost was written by a rocking friend of Prana's, Leanne Garon. And 100% loved and approved by me!

Is your depression and anxiety caused by blood sugar imbalances?

I just had a client come to me with depression and anxiety. After looking over her blood work results that she brought in from a recent doctor's visit, in combination with what I observed and her symptoms, my conclusion was that she has a blood sugar issue (in addition to the obvious mental and emotional elements involved in depression that would need to be addressed). Specifically, I suspect she has hypoglycemia. When her blood sugar plummets, due to diet and hormone issues, her adrenals are required to "step it up" and offer some support for her flagging energy, by causing surges of adrenaline. So not only does she get the lack of energy and low mood of depression, but the adrenaline causes anxiety, angry outbursts and a spinning mind (you know, the "wired but tired" feeling you get sometimes when you are trying to go to sleep?).

She is also getting dizzy spells and chest pains, as well as cold extremities and poor circulation (a result of being in the "fight or flight" state, where blood is directed away from the extremities into the large muscles of the upper legs and the heart). Waking up after about 3 hours of sleep is also an indicator of blood sugar imbalance.

So what do you do if this sounds all to familiar?

1) You need to eliminate or greatly restrict simple sugars from your diet, from obvious sources like baking, sweets and pop, as well a "non-obvious" sources of simple sugar, like fruit juice.  You will also need to limit carbohydrates or starchy foods that reduce to a sugar easily in the body, like grains and root vegetables. You can find lists of where foods are on the Glycemic Index (the rate which a food turns to sugar in your system) here, or a search engine to tell you the glycemic index of any food here (low is 55 or less; high is 70 and above).

2) You may find supplementing with chromium helpful. This trace mineral is often low in people with blood sugar balance issues.

3) Reflexology and acupuncture are both modalities that help balance hormones naturally, as well as help to bring blood sugar back into balance. They will also help to heal the adrenal glands so you can relax and stop worrying. Plus, they just feel good!

If you have depression and/or anxiety, there is many possible causes - blood sugar imbalance is just one possiblity (though a common one). Talk to your doctor and have him do blood tests to check, and ask for advice from a trained health practitioner if you suspect this might be your issue.

Walnut Helps Us Transition Into 2012 & Beyond With Grace & Ease!

Years ago, I was living in Scotland on a remote island called Iona. My mom came for a visit and we travelled to England and Ireland together, visiting relatives and seeing the beautiful sights. An associate of my father hosted us at the Marianella Centre in Dublin, and I fondly remember a majestic and very beautiful walnut tree on the grounds. At one point, I took my journal out to the walnut tree and spent some time with it, appreciating the sense of strength it imparted and leaning against it's sturdy trunk.

Walnut is a plant that lends itself to human conditions in many ways. As a food, perceiving the actual walnut is very telling as it relates to what it's good for. When you look at a walnut, notice how it appears as though a human brain. Sure enough, walnuts are a wonderful source of omega 3 fatty acids that nourish the brain and are very antioxidant, meaning that they scavenge disease-forming agents in the body.

As an herb, black walnut fights parasites and bacterial infections and stimulates the activity of the liver, gallbladder and digestive system, improving overall digestion.

As a flower essence, walnut is widely applicable, and I'll tell you why in a moment. First, let me briefly elaborate on what flower essences are and what they do. Flower essences are highly dilute floral infusions that work on an energetic level. This means that there are no chemical constituents in a flower essence, like root, stem or leaf. Flower essences are just that: essences of the flowering tops of plants. The philosophy of flower essences states that the energy of the flowers have been captured and preserved in a bottle. This energy works upon a person's energetic body, mostly affecting mental, emotional and spiritual components of being, affecting the physical in turn. Flower essences stimulate awareness, awareness being the key to change, movement and personal growth.

Walnut: for making healthy transitions
& gaining freedom from social
expectations or values of family
or community, past experiences
or beliefs in order to follow one's
own path and destiny.

Walnut is widely applicable as a flower essence because it helps us move seamlessly through transition. As I wrote earlier today in a newsletter, transition is change, and I am often reminded by my toddler son's dislike of change just how inherently we resist it. Well, that's what walnut is for - our resistance towards change. And being that change is really the only constant, walnut, as mentioned, is widely applicable. I remember the first time I used walnut flower essence. One day during my cycle with walnut, I stood in the shower and was acutely aware of just how okay it was that everything around me seemed to be in chaos as I transitioned from one stage of life to another. Suddenly, all the beautiful lessons and personal growth were at the forefront of my mind instead of the feelings of overwhelm that often accompany change.

When it comes to using plants for healing, there is a great deal of crossover between nutrition, herbology and flower essences - something I think is very beautiful and a magnificent expression from the plants themselves. This means that a particular application for walnut in herbology, for example, often relates to it's actions as a flower essence. That being said, how amazing that walnut feeds the brain while also improving digestion. This directly translates to the fact that walnut imparts a greater capacity to process and digest change. Thank you walnut!

I am left remembering one of the more poignant things my herbology teacher, Robert Rogers, taught me: notice how walnuts have a harder shell to break and often require a nutcracker. Always think of walnut when there are difficult patterns to break.
The perfect image and so fitting for walnut's application in flower essences.

So, think of walnut as you transition from 2011 to 2012 - if you are having difficulty leaving things behind and striking out anew, walnut. If you are moving in or out of a relationship, walnut. If you are starting a new job or leaving an old one, walnut. If you are moving house, moving cities or moving countries, walnut. Or if you are working on self-improvement and looking to leave self-defeatist patterns and habits behind, walnut.

Walnut could be the key to your success as you rise up to be the person you were intended to be in 2012.

Flower essences are available at all Optimum Health locations and are taken as follows: 4 drops under the tongue 4 times per day for a 28 day period. Please contact me at Prana Holistic if you would like to set up a complete flower essences session.

Roberta Shepherd for Prana Holistic

How NOT to Overeat this Holiday Season

 Want to avoid a massive overeat this holiday season? Read on!

 I adore Christmas. I adore lights, presents, friends, family, trees, elves, and most of all, I adore food. Yes, I know - I know I am supposed to be a beacon of radiant good health and moderation. This is a health blog after all. And as important as my health is, and as important as healthy eating is to a healthy body and mind, sometimes a gal enjoys a feast.

That being said, there are ways to enjoy your cupcakes without getting a muffin top.

This is a muffin top!

1. Before you go to a party or a big feast where you know you will be tempted, drink a protein shake with added fiber. I love a product from RenewLife called FiberSmart. This will do a couple of good things. It will help fill you up a bit so you make decisions based on what you actually want, rather than random shoveling of food into your open mouth (oh, come on, I know I am not the only one!). It will also help to regulate the rush of sugar you are going to unleash on your unsuspecting system. This is critical not only to your health, but to your weight. The slower the sugar rushes through your system, the better. So fiber it up before hand!


2. Choose only your favourites. If you are going to cheat and eat from the naughty list, then at least make sure it is the very best of the naughty. If you want chocolate, have chocolate, but make it the stuff you really love. High quality food, ate with enjoyment and savoured, is instantly removed from your thighs by elves...true story! Ok, maybe not, but if you truly savour and enjoy food, a few beneficial things happen. First, you tend to eat slower and therefore eat less. Second, up to 20% of digestion happens before you  ever put food in your mouth. It starts with enjoying the colour, the smell, and the anticipation. Your body, acting like a little Pavlovian dog, starts releasing anticipatory chemicals, juices and enzymes, so that the delicious treats you consume can be digested. And the better you digest, the healthier you are, the stronger your immune system and the easier your weight management will be.

3. Move away from the food! I don't know about you, but as long as I stand by the food table at a party, or as long as I sit at the dinner table with all of the leftover turkey and stuffing, I tend to keep eating. And I do it rather mindlessly. So once you ate your fill, back away from the food before it lures you back in for seconds (thirds and fourths). Simple, but effective.

I wish you a remarkably enjoyable and healthy holiday season. I know I will enjoy mine!

Kristi Shmyr

Holiday Giving

Someone very close to me was homeless for 3 years, the latter part of his experience as a homeless person being on the streets of L.A. These days, I look at homeless people in a different way, acutely aware of the fact that each one of them has a story. I love stories - I love hearing them, reading them and thinking about them. Over the years, I've gotten over the need to share and re-share my own victim stories from the past, though I have a nice collection of stories that relate to challenge, creation and growth and new stories unfold in my life every single day. I believe there is lots of power and potential to heal through our stories and what we can learn from them. A story is really only a victim story if we do not find the capacity to learn and grow from that story.

As it relates to homeless people, I've just been perusing the Mustard Seed website and there's a section on "stories", which I, of course, find very fascinating. As I perceive the homeless of Edmonton, I consider that maybe one guy started out as a wealthy business owner and lost everything to an addiction, winding up on the streets. Or maybe that woman, having come from a warm and loving family, got caught in a cycle of abuse that landed her homeless, unable to see her children. Or perhaps another guy on the street tried for years to enter a monastic order in California to no avail, so decided to take a prolonged walking pilgrimage between California and Mexico, only to end up on the streets of L.A., still unable to be accepted by the monastery. All of these stories inspire and amaze me and I only wish I could collect every one.

Regardless of what each homeless person's story is, the fact is, they've given up belongings, lodging and comfort - whether consciously or unconsciously - to pursue a much more simple and challenging life where making it day by day is the name of the game. A luxury for a homeless person is somewhere semi comfortable and warm to sleep or some warm, running water or a hot meal - all things most of us surely experience every day and likely take for granted.

I still really love the idea of re-gifting at Christmastime, as I blogged about last year. I feel that re-gifting is giving back to our precious earth, not to mention propagating a spirit of reduction as opposed to consumerism. This year, I maintain my love of re-gifting, while I have other things on the brain as well. Why not consider giving back to those who are without a home this holiday season by donating items, money or time to the Mustard Seed here in Edmonton? I am struck by compassion as I consider being without home and family at Christmastime - a time that is punctuated by a warm hearth and warm hearts that are made warm by joviality amongst family and friends.

Please check out The Mustard Seed to find out ways you can help during this holiday season. Personally, I'd like to get some Winter Backpacks (see very bottom of page) together. Please contact me at roberta.a.shepherd@gmail.com if you have any of the listed items for winter backpacks that you'd like to donate.

Happy holidays everyone! I would love to hear YOUR stories through the holiday season and/or in the new year. Flower Essences is a perfect way to share your story with a great listener (me!) and embark on a healing journey through the use of these ingestibles. Please call me at Prana Holistic (780.454.5299) if you'd like to learn more about flower essences - my absolute favorite thing to facilitate as a practitioner!

Roberta Shepherd for Prana Ho-Ho-Holistic

Remembering

Friday is Remembrance Day - a day to remember those who departed from this earth plane in an attempt to protect and serve the rights of you and me. Certainly Remembrance Day is punctuated by strong energies that relate to loss at the hands of war and the memories that living veterans carry in the present day. I also think that it lends itself to a more general remembering of those we've lost.

Loss is a bit of a challenging topic because there's so much emotion around it. Perhaps that's what I'd like to reflect on. I recently lost someone close to me and while it is a painful and emotionally charged experience, I am left thinking about how very human grief is. The more awakened part of me recognizes that all is well, that the person who was "lost" is not really lost, only changed in form - only his body is lost, our bodies being the most dense part of our beings. The human part of me struggles with remorse, regret, anger, sadness and longing. Surely the person who has departed is not feeling any of these challenging feelings - he's been set free of such dense and heavy emotion! So, why do I mourn? Do I mourn for the pain of the person who has departed? He no longer experiences pain. Do I mourn for the pain he experienced here on earth? But again, he's been set free of this pain. In my estimation, there's one primary reason that I'm mourning and that's for MY loss, not his. With him gone, I feel as though a part of me has been lost - that part of me that this person fulfilled - and pain sets up camp in that void, at least for now. We tend to grieve that which we perceive as being lost in our own lives, and that is very human of us. That being said, I think it's very important for us to honor our humanness and do what we need to do in order to BE human, moving these emotions through our bodies as productively as possible.

Meanwhile, our higher selves know that nothing has in fact been lost and that perhaps something has actually been gained. Those close to us that have departed have gained freedom and, down the road, we are able to gain strength, insight and empathy, which lends itself to our increased capacity to support those around us. Feelings that are associated with grief and loss are very heavy because we experience them in our bodies, which are also very heavy. Our spirits soar and are weightless. May we remember that once a person departs from this earth, their spirit is set free from the constraints of the body and everything is...probably pretty dreamy and amazing, to say the least.

Someone once told me that when love is "lost", as in the breakup of a relationship, that love lives on in other ways because, as love is energy, it can be neither created nor destroyed, only changed in form. It was comforting to me to consider that while my heart may have felt as though it was aching for love having been "lost", every love having been shared lives on and there really is nothing to mourn. Rather, I could celebrate that I had been blessed with the gift of experiencing love in that form for that period of time and celebrate how that same love shows up in my life in different ways.

This is a short reflection with a simple point: as we remember those that departed while protecting our country and those that have departed in other ways, may we also remember that their souls are not lost, but rather changed in form. Their souls are free from the weight of this earthly plane. May we find comfort in knowing that they now guide and protect us with a bird's eye view and that their peace is one that we do not yet know.  May we honor who they were on this earth and remember to celebrate the freedom they have now gained. Lest we forget.

Roberta Shepherd for Prana Holistic