|
Newsletter: Jan. '09
| January 2009 | |
Balance
Point Acupuncture Newsletter
from BalancePointWellness.com
| | |
| | | Year
of the Earth Ox
 Well, year of the rat has passed and our hording instincts are now shifting into hard work. The ox is powerful and has an
innate ability to achieve great things. It is time to do things right on the first attempt. Let us all remember to go slow
and steady this new year. This should be an exciting year full of growth, stability, and accomplishments.
Ox's
were born in the following years:
1901 1913 1925
1937 1949 1961 1973 1985
1997 2009
source:http://sandbox14.clearconceptsllc.com/year/ox.aspx
| Brainwaves and States of Mind
Download these free meditation tracks
| |
Happy New Year! and Welcome to this first newsletter of 2009. First, help me to take care of some business
by reading about a recent report on the functionality of your FDA. If you need more motivation, read the article on the impurities
of tap water.
Then, uplift your spirits with some information on meditation and don't miss the free meditation
tracks to your left. I am also in the process of finalizing
a guided mediation cd, co-produced with a great musician, Rusty Tullius. We are very excited to get this out,
as it's been a long time in the making. Look for it next month!
Also, if you suffer from emotional eating,
there is a great article with some tips on how to overcome this tendency.
I hope this year is full of fantastic
possiblities for you!
| Your Food and Drug Administration
(FDA)
Late last year, the US government released a 60 page report entitled: FDA Science and Mission
at Risk. A more honest title would have been: FDA Science and Mission in Shambles. Apart from its title, however, the report
was forthright.
Here are a few direct quotes from the table of contents:
"The FDA cannot fulfill its mission because its scientific base... is weak...."
"The FDA cannot fulfill its mission because its scientific workforce
does not have sufficient capacity and capability." "FDA
does not have the capacity to ensure the safety of food for the nation." "The development of medical products based on 'new science' cannot adequately be regulated by
the FDA."
These failures affect the health of
all Americans. Good drugs are not approved or approved after interminable delays. Even after new drugs are shown to be safe,
doctors cannot use them with terminally ill patients whose cases are otherwise hopeless. Bad drugs are approved -- often
on the basis of a recommendation by panels whose members include drug company consultants.
The record with the
food supply is almost as bad as with drugs. When fresh food turns out to be contaminated, the only solution the Agency can
come up with is to "nuke" it with radiation. What does this do to food? The FDA certainly does not know. If irradiated
salad is not unappetizing enough, how about cloned meat, also recently approved.
To persuade Congress to address
the comprehensive failure of the FDA, a Petition to Reform the FDA has been drafted. Your
signature is vital. We must collect such a large number of names on the Petition that it compels Congressional Action.
Commentary-
It is quite apparent to
most citizens that the FDA has not done an adequate job in regulating our Food and Drugs. Now is our chance to voice our concerns.
Whether you voted for President Obama or not, whether you believe that he is honest or not, he is only one man. There is no
denying that we are living in a more conscious and aware time. We must change the institutions and agencies that no longer
work and do not serve us. We have a lot to do...
Do your part to reform
the FDA by signing a quick letter at:
www.ReformFDA.org
| Does
Meditation Work?
 Yes! Meditation
pretty much helps strengthen every aspect of life. It deepens your understanding of your eternal self and allows you greater
access to your potential. Make it simple, just allow your whole body to relax...focus on your breath...allow yourself to experience
peace. What does peace look like, feel like, taste like? Sit with this feeling. Use your imagination and move into the right
brain of intuition and feeling. In our culture, we are dominated by left brain logic and linear reality. However, this is
not the only way. Remember you can't push thoughts out of your mind just as you can't make sounds around you cease.
You simply have to make peace with them.
Brainwaves and Meditation
In the living brain, millions of nerve cells communicate with each other by emitting tiny electrical impulses. This activity
can be registered as oscillations (popularly called brainwaves) by placing electrodes on the scalp, amplifying the signals
and displaying them on a computer monitor. This method of measuring is called electroencephalo-graphy (EEG).
Brainwave activity tends to fall into four groups: beta, alpha, theta and delta. These categories are associated with the
rapidity of oscillation (frequency) of brainwaves. As it turns out, certain patterns of brainwave activity are also associated
with specific mental states.
During unconscious states, (e.g. deep sleep), the slow delta waves are dominant, whereas
it is the high-frequency beta waves that are prevalent during concious, wakeful activity. Of particular interest to us, though,
are the alpha and theta waves.
The Four Types of Brain
Waves
Beta waves (15-30 oscillations (or waves) per second (Hz)). This is the brain rhythm in the normal wakeful
state associated with thinking, conscious problem solving and active attention directed towards the outer world. You are most
likely in the "beta state" while you are reading this.
Alpha waves (9-14 Hz). When you are truly relaxed,
your brain activity slows from the rapid patterns of beta into the more gentle waves of alpha. Fresh creative energy begins
to flow, fears vanish and you experience a liberating sense of peace and well-being. The "alpha state" is where
meditation starts and you begin to access the wealth of creativity that lies just below our conscious awareness. It is the
gateway that leads into deeper states of consciousness.
Theta waves (4-8 Hz). Going deeper into relaxation and meditation,
you enter the "theta state" where brain activity slows almost to the point of sleep. Theta brings forward heightened
receptivity, flashes of dreamlike imagery, inspiration, and,sometimes, your long-forgotten memories. It can also give you
a sensation of "floating".
Theta is one of the more elusive and extraordinary realms we can explore. It is
also known as the twilight state which we normally only experience fleetingly as we rise up out of the depths of delta upon
waking, or drifting off to sleep. In theta, we are in a waking dream, and we are receptive to information beyond our normal
conscious awareness. Some people believe that theta meditation awakens intuition and other extrasensory perception skills.
Delta waves (1-3 Hz). This slowest of brainwave activity is found during deep, dreamless sleep. It is also sometimes
found in very experienced meditators.
Source: www.Meditations-UK.com
| |  Top 11 compounds in US drinking water
A comprehensive survey of the drinking water for
more than 28 million Americans has detected the widespread but low-level presence of pharmaceuticals and hormonally active
chemicals.
Little was known about people's exposure to such compounds from drinking water, so Shane Snyder
and colleagues at the Southern Nevada Water Authority in Las Vegas screened tap water from 19 US water utilities for 51 different
compounds. The surveys were carried out between 2006 and 2007.
The 11 most frequently
detected compounds - all found at extremely low concentrations - were:
· Atenolol, a
beta-blocker used to treat cardiovascular disease
· Atrazine, an organic herbicide banned
in the European Union, but still
used in the US, which has been implicated in the decline of fish stocks
and in changes in animal behaviour
· Carbamazepine, a mood-stabilising drug
used to treat bipolar
disorder, amongst other things
· Estrone, an oestrogen
hormone secreted by the ovaries and blamed
for causing gender-bending changes in fish
· Gemfibrozil, an anti-cholesterol drug
· Meprobamate, a tranquiliser
widely used in psychiatric treatment
· Naproxen, a painkiller and anti-inflammatory
linked to increases in
asthma incidence
· Phenytoin, an anticonvulsant
that has been used to treat epilepsy
· Sulfamethoxazole, an antibiotic used against
the Streptococcus
bacteria, which is responsible for tonsillitis and other diseases
· TCEP, a reducing agent used in molecular biology
· Trimethoprim, another
antibiotic
The concentrations of pharmaceuticals in drinking water were millions of times
lower than in a medical dose, and Snyder emphasizes that they pose no public health threat. He cautions, though, that "if
a person has a unique health condition, or is concerned about particular contaminants in public water systems, I strongly
recommend they consult their physician".
Christian Daughton of the EPA's National
Exposure Research Laboratory says that neither this nor other recent water assessments give cause for health concern. "But
several point to the potential for risk - especially for the fetus and those with severely compromised health."
Daughton says the contamination surveys help people realise how they are intimately and inseparably
connected with their environment. "The occurrence of pharmaceuticals in the environment also serves to make us acutely
aware of the chemical sea that surrounds us," he says.
While the US government regulates
the levels of pathogens in US drinking water, there are no rules for pharmaceuticals and other compounds, apart from one:
the herbicide atrazine.
source: www.newscientist.com
| Top
Five Tips for Handling Cravings and Emotional Eating
 The connection between food and mood for humans is generally immense. We eat to celebrate; we eat if we feel sad; we eat to
`reward` ourselves; we eat because someone gives us something and we feel `obliged`. Ironically, we rarely seem to eat simply
to fuel the physical body. Yet we tend to so rarely discuss our strong emotional connections to food. Some people
may never even have given it a thought.
At the same time, many people feel that they struggle with cravings for
foods they don`t truly want to eat, or they hanker for excessive amounts of food. Why do cravings happen? Well, a big reason
of course is that until you remove the `foods` that are highly physiologically addictive (such as processed starches
and refined sugars) from the intake completely, they remain in your system and you stay addicted. Beyond the physiological
addiction, however, there is much more to consider: the psychological aspects.
Most of us form emotional
associations with food at a very young age. Children are routinely given food to pacify them, cheer them up, reward them and
so on. This creates strong psychological bonds between our feelings and our food. Children are often coerced into eating when
they`re not hungry, finishing meals `to make Mummy happy` and so on. Eating thus becomes a way of getting approval and finding
comfort and happiness. It is mostly a false kind of happiness though, when examined more closely. Far from bringing genuine
joy, the child gets hooked into life-long patterns of `using` foods that are potentially damaging. There is a genuine joy
in life far sweeter than any candy bar, which we can all access at any moment simply by choosing to pay attention to our true
feelings and coming into alignment with what is `natural`, i.e., nature.
When one adopts a lifestyle rich in fresh
raw foods the common addicted relationship with food can change dramatically, as we`re no longer taking in toxic, processed
foods that are physiologically addictive and cause the most damage - thus, half the `battle` is already won. Changing what
you eat can make a great deal of difference. However, the eating patterns we have established with food over many
years - for comfort, excitement, reward and so on - do not simply vanish overnight, just by going raw.
It is common
to find people still acting out self-destructive patterns around food decades into life. For example, you might see a fifty-year-old
woman still diving for the ice cream tub every time she feels hurt. Once embedded, these patterns can be tough to shift. We
tend to crave familiarity and the sense of comfort that eating those `binge` foods brings. The cravings are a reflection of
the associations in our heads between food and comfort. However, those associations have as much validity as we choose to
give them. They can be restructured at any time, with new thought patterns, beliefs, choices and actions. The more you keep
moving into new patterns, the less the old cravings will affect you. They fade with time and consistency.
Let`s
take a look at five top tips to help you re-structure your emotional relationship with food:
1. `Head Hunger`
vs. `True Hunger`
When we get the impulse to eat something, we often assume it`s the stomach talking rather
than the mind. However, try asking yourself this: do you really `need` this food that you desire, to be physically nourished
and well? Or is it just your mind asking for something to distract itself with, for emotional satisfaction?
Try
reflecting on what it is that you want to eat. When we are truly hungry, we usually feel like we
could eat anything (of course, usually within any pre-defined dietary boundary, such as `any raw vegan food` for
a raw vegan, for example). If, on the other hand, your hunger is directed specifically at `that` piece of raw carrot cake
(for example) and you`re not really interested in anything else, this suggests that the hunger is coming more from the mind.
The mind wants to have the experience of eating that cake, even if your physical body isn`t really ready for it.
Remember: what the mind wants isn`t necessarily beneficial for the body.
You can gently ask yourself:
when did I last eat? Has that food digested yet? Do I genuinely feel a sense of `pulling` and emptiness in my stomach? Would
I eat something else right now, other than what I`m thinking of eating? Remember that cravings come and go; this
too shall pass. Instead of jumping in with a knee-jerk response to a craving, we can step back and ask ourselves a few quick
questions like this, to gain a clearer perspective on what`s happening.
2. Drink Water & Teas
Often, what we`ve learned to interpret as hunger is, in fact, thirst. Most people are chronically dehydrated. Whenever you
feel hunger or cravings, make it a habit to drink at least a full glass of pure water. You may find that the hunger/craving
vanishes... Other `phantom` hungers can result from eating lots of fatty/salty foods or foods that have not digested
well; we might get odd sensations in our physical body that we interpret as hunger. Again, if we wait for a while or drink
some water, we`ll commonly find that these sensations dissipate.
Drinking warm teas can also be very useful for
pacifying emotional hunger/cravings. Reaching for a cup of warm, caffeine-free, herbal tea as an alternative to any `Trigger`
foods, can help you to feel that sense of warmth, comfort and satisfaction, without the burden of a food binge. This is especially
useful if you are in a cold climate, plus it`s extra hydration for the body and can bring the bonus of some great nutrients.
Teas such as ginger to warm, rooibus or peppermint to soothe, pau d`arco for anti-candida properties and so on are recommended.
Some raw foodists don`t drink warm teas, for the same reason they don`t eat warmed foods; it can be a useful tool
for certain times though; perhaps just don`t use boiling hot water.
3. Reach Out to Others
If you`re on the brink of a binge, try reaching your hand towards the phone, rather than the fridge door. Speaking
with someone else about what is happening for us can make all the difference, helping us to step
outside the circles in our heads. A phone may not even be necessary; maybe at the end of a meal with a loved one, you feel
compelled to keep eating. Expressing your feelings about this may help you to end the meal then, rather than `acting out`
and eating more than you`d intended.
When we are isolated in our own thoughts, patterns and perspective, it`s easy
to go in negative circles in our heads focusing on `problems`. Extrovert: reach out to others, get active, get involved, get
out of your head and into your heart.
It`s highly recommended to seek out connection with others who resonate with
the experiences you`re having, especially sharing together in a group circle setting. An issue pondered in isolation can seem
immense, whereas sharing that same issue with others who understand, may help make it seem not only manageable, but also easier
to transform. There are many local support groups where you can find loving encouragement and also plenty of online resources
for connecting to like-minded others.
4. End of Meal Activities
Having activities planned
for immediately after eating can be a great incentive for ending a meal. This doesn`t necessarily need to involve physical
activity, just something to help draw you away from thoughts of eating more - perhaps a phone call to a friend, tidying up
a drawer or writing a letter. Planning activities that are far away from the kitchen/location of food in your home is a good
idea.
Reinforce good feelings about your choices by thinking to yourself with gratitude at the end of a meal something
such as, `Wow, what a feast that was`, rather than the common `Well...that`s it, I guess...` that many food addicts dread.
This helps in situations when you`ve finished what you intended to eat and your mind seems to be asking for more.
Here`s
another simple tip if you find it hard to stop eating after a meal: brush your teeth and you`re less likely to want to keep
eating, with a mouth full of minty-fresh whites...
Keeping our fingers and/or teeth `busy` with something other
than eating can help us to not binge too. You might employ your fingers, for example, in some knitting, puzzle-work or plant-tending.
Chewing on raw licorice sticks or sugar cane stalks might keep your teeth entertained. You can also purchase `jaw exercisers`
that help keep your mouth engaged, while simultaneously strengthening your jaw and teeth. If our fingers and teeth are already
involved in activity, we might find we`re less likely to reach out for food.
5. Journalling
Use the power of the written word to help keep you on track. If you`re feeling low about your eating habits, get pen to
paper and write down exactly what you`re feeling and thinking, right then. Similarly, at points when you`re feeling very clear
and focused about your eating (often first thing in the morning), make notes - what are you feeling at this point? What are
you thinking? What are you eating these days? What are you not eating? How much water do you drink? These written
notes can be invaluable if you find yourself in a sticky place with your food choices again. In challenging moments, you can
refer to these notes for a bigger perspective on your patterns and hopefully find the inspiration to stay on track.
Another useful exercise to try when you are in a clear, steady space, is to do some writing about overeating. How does overeating
seem when you are in this balanced state? Making such notes might help you to start feeling more like an `observer` of the
often impulsive and irrational action of overeating. It can even seem absurd to contemplate overeating when we are
in that space of stillness and calmness. The more we can separate ourselves from that impulsiveness, the less likely we are
to act out, when we next feel the pull to overeat.
You may also find it useful to use visual cues in your
journal, such as old photos of yourself, a picture that captures your optimal vision for your life, grocery receipts or anything
else that helps inspire you to stay on track.
Hopefully these tips have given you some `food for thought`;
remember, we have a choice in every moment. Just because we may have consistently used food as our `safety net` in
the past does not mean we must continue to do so now. We are always free to restructure our relationship with food...and whatever
issue you may be dealing with in life, unless it is true physical hunger, the answer is not in the fridge ;)
| |
| | "Work
hard and you will be purified. You do not have to bring the light; the light will unfold from within you."
-Swami Sivananda
Sincerely,
 |
Michael Meuth L.Ac., M.Ac.O.M
Balance
Point Acupuncture | | |
|
