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Showing posts with label love. Show all posts
Showing posts with label love. Show all posts
8.29.2013
6 TREATMENTS THAT FOSTER SELF HEALING
I’m
a hardcore believer in self-healing. I’m not saying we don’t need
doctors and practitioners by any means - that would be ridiculous. What I
AM saying is that I believe we all have the power to heal ourselves and
prevent illness to a very large degree.
My role as a holistic health coach is to be a partner to and guide for my clients - not to dictate how and when they heal. This is why I was stoked to read about Dr. Kelly Turner’s work on cases of spontaneous remission of cancer - or as she calls it “unexpected remission” of cancer.
My role as a holistic health coach is to be a partner to and guide for my clients - not to dictate how and when they heal. This is why I was stoked to read about Dr. Kelly Turner’s work on cases of spontaneous remission of cancer - or as she calls it “unexpected remission” of cancer.
I
first stumbled across Dr. Kelly Turner’s work in the book Mind Over
Medicine, then again in readings from the Institute of Noetic Sciences.
Dr. Turner is a researcher, lecturer, and consultant in the field of
Integrative Oncology. Her specialized research focus is the “unexpected
remission” of cancer—a remission that occurs either in the absence of
Western medicine or after Western medicine has failed to achieve
remission. Turner spent ten months traveling the world in search of
fifty nonallopathic cancer healers. She found twenty unpublished cases
of unexpected remission and conducted phone interviews with the
survivors.
How frickin cool is that?
The American Cancer Society provided partial funding for her study.
Side note: American Cancer Society also paid for my mom’s flight and hotel stay in Arizona when she was seeking alternative treatment. Nice work ACS. But I digress...
How frickin cool is that?
The American Cancer Society provided partial funding for her study.
Side note: American Cancer Society also paid for my mom’s flight and hotel stay in Arizona when she was seeking alternative treatment. Nice work ACS. But I digress...
In her research, Dr. Turner found 6 top treatments used by her interviewees to heal themselves of cancer.
Perhaps you’re asking why I’m focusing on cancer remissions... I want
to make clear that the techniques listed below may be used just as
effectively for the PREVENTION of cancer, or any disease for that
matter. And I’m allll about prevention.
Now
this is not a prescription as to what YOU should do, this is simply a
compilation of treatments that Dr. Turner identified as the top ones her
interviewees followed and that worked for them. So here we go...
6 TREATMENTS THAT FOSTER
SELF HEALING
SELF HEALING
1. DIET CHANGE
Radical diet change was a top factor in fostering self healing among those who had experienced “spontaneous remission” of their cancers. So what did that look like? Elimination of meat, dairy, sugar, and refined grains. The majority of interviewees ate a diet consisting of whole vegetables, fruits, grains and beans.
In
my recent visit to Costa Rica, I took a guided hike through the
rainforest and had some great conversations with my guide Felipe, a
native of the area (and whose family still lived in the rainforest).
We talked a lot about the environment, toxicity from pesticides, cancer and diabetes - which many of his friends and family are now dealing with - and diet. Felipe has considerable knowledge about medicinal herbs and is a “go-to” person for helping people in his community overcome certain illnesses. When asked about diet and disease, Felipe told me that the very first thing he tells someone with such diseases who come to see him is stop eating meat, dairy and sugar. Non-negotiable.
Now
I’m not an advocate that one diet fits all - by any means! And I am not
against consumption of meat and dairy, or the occasional chocolate
cupcake ;). I do however believe that when your body is severely
compromised, elimination of inflammatory or acidic foods such as the
ones indicated above will help your body to heal more rapidly.
Not to mention give your body a well deserved break for those who are
sensitive to these foods! This is why I base my detoxes and programs on
the elimination diet to start - giving your body a break from these
foods can be profoundly healing and eye-opening.
Shameless plug: For anyone who’s interested, I’m working on my fall detox program coming up soon, so be on the lookout! :)
2. TAKING HERBS & VITAMIN SUPPLEMENTS
The majority of her interviewees took various herbs and supplements that they believed would help boost their immune system, detoxify and help facilitate healing in their bodies. You might be wondering which supplements worked best... and the truth is they were all over the map. There was no single “super” supplement in common with any of the interviewees - which brings up 2 very important points:
First,
everyone is biochemically different - because of this bioindividuality,
one person’s healing herb may not be so good for another.
Pathologically, each person’s disease or ailment was also unique. So
making the claim that any one specific supplement would work for
everyone would be irresponsible and misinformed.
The
second point is that the interviewees believed their herbal and
supplement regimen was healing them. Don’t get me started on the power
of belief and the placebo/"nocebo" effect (I’ll get into that in later
articles) but the importance that your belief carries is substantial.
Check
in with your beliefs about your body and ailments... what is the story
you are living by? If it’s not serving you, then maybe it’s time to
rewrite that story.
3. SURRENDER - RELEASE SUPPRESSED EMOTIONS
Turner remarks that most of her interviewees discussed the importance of being at peace with both dying and living - to truly surrender and release repressed negative emotions such as anger, fear and grief. It does not serve us to hold onto any emotion, even happiness as happiness can easily turn into nostalgia, then longing, etc if not released.
LET THE SHIT GO. Let go of fear. Let go of resentment. Let go of any emotion that you’re harboring so you can focus on healing!
4. FEELING LOVE, JOY, HAPPINESS
This is different than positive thinking... Turner found that her interviewees all believed in the importance of joy & love in your life for facilitating healing.
Laugh every day. Do something you love each and every day. Show gratitude and be of service. Find unconditional love in your life.
5. EXPERIENCING A DEEPENING OF SPIRITUALITY
Most of the people Turner interviewed talked about having an internal sensation of spiritual energy - they felt the experience of divine, loving energy in their body, which they achieved through various ways such as meditation, prayer, gardening, energy healing, etc.
We’re not talking about the feeling you get when you see Brad Pitt take off his shirt in Fight Club (altho it seems pretty damn close to a transcendental experience for me). It’s also not about deepening one’s beliefs about spirituality. But rather, it was having an actual internal feeling/sensation/transcendent experience of loving, divine energy in their body.
And finally, #6. This last one is probably my favorite of them all (...and you thought it was diet change, didn’t you?)
6. USING INTUITION TO HELP INFORM TREATMENT DECISIONS
I’ll tell you why this one is so great to me. It puts the the patient, the person, back into the driver’s seat of our health. It shows that we know our bodies better than anyone else. It empowers us to trust our intuition and listen to our bodies. Any healthcare provider you have - whether they’re a doctor, chiropractor, acupuncturist, health coach, etc - is your partner in your health journey, not the boss of it. Remember that.
Here’s
a story from one of Turner’s interviewees, “Unexpected Survivor #7”,
who overcame recurrent metastatic breast cancer after conventional
medicine had failed to work:
[The
Tibetan healer] took his finger and with a pinpoint accuracy touched
every spot on my body where I had had cancer, or where I had cancer
presently. It was amazing! He could see what scans couldn’t see. I had
predicted my cancer four times. I had led [my doctors] to it with a
pinpoint of accuracy before the scans could even pick up the collection
of cells. [The Tibetan healer] could do what I could do with my own
body.
HOPE FOR SELF HEALING
I love Dr. Turner’s work because it not only demonstrates that we absolutely have the ability to heal ourselves, but the stories she collects provide HOPE to those who are going thru life altering diseases.
Having had a front-line experience with my mom’s cancer journey, I can undoubtedly say that the above treatments and stories from Turner’s research are invaluable. If you’re interested in checking out more stories or work from Dr. Kelly Turner, be sure to visit her website at www.radicalremission.com.
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And if you're ready to make some real changes in your health, email me to sign up for a strategy session and uncover your unique roadmap to wellness town!
2.12.2013
Make like Dr. Feelgood and UP your Love Game, Naturally
“Set your life on fire. Seek those who fan your flames.” — Rumi
Hey Lovas,
Ok, so I couldn’t help myself... I had to do a V-day love letter to y’all this week because in my eyes, more love = more healing. And while I don’t adhere to the typical Hallmark version of Valentine’s Day festivities, I do try to celebrate love EACH and EVERY DAY.
How? Well, first, by showing myself some lovin with delicious healthy foods, heartbeat raising activities and self-care practices. If I don’t take care of my own body, mind and soul first, how can I show real love for others? Then, I try to open my heart up to all the beauty that surrounds me - people, places, things. It’s amazing how much love you can feel by just opening yourself up to the world.
Of course, there are moments when it’s really hard to feel the love. I get it. Sometimes you just want to throw an F-bomb at the 4th robotic phone rep you’ve spoken to (when all you want is a correction made on your bill) after you’ve been passed around like a doobie at Woodstock. It’s moments like those that really test your zen vibe. Luckily, there are some foods and practices that can really help with getting back your love mojo if the reserves run dry.
Here are some things that’ll keep you feeling mm hmm good and up your love game...
Maca
Mmmmaca. This Peruvian root is a known aphrodisiac that does all sorts of goodness. This root regulates your hormones, enhances your immune system, increases energy and reduces anxiety. It’s full of magnesium, potassium and calcium and is considered an "adaptogenic" herb. It’s got a great nutty flavor, a bit like chicory root or coffee, yet without the caffeine stimulant properties. Maca also increases stamina and libido.... mmhmm. I love to throw in some raw maca powder in my morning smoothies, or make a maca latte with almond milk and a splash of vanilla. Make sure you start off slow (1 tsp) and work your way up.
Cacao
It is V-day after all... but this time we’re dropping all the additives and added sugars and celebrating the raw goodness of cacao (because you’re sweet enough... aww). First of all, raw chocolate is super high on the antioxidant front, and is loaded with magnesium, iron, and anandamide (aka “bliss chemical”, okaaay). This well known aphrodisiac also lifts our mood and spirits, decreases depression and makes us feel all nice and yummy. I’m sure many a female can attest to this, yes? Sooo many dope things you can do with raw cacao - use the powder form to choco-fy practically anything, or sprinkle raw cacao nibs in your banana soft serve. Um, yes please.
Chili Peppers
Okay, so I kind of have to include this on the list... being latina and all. But there’s something about chilis that can really make you hot ‘n bothered. Chilis mimic the state of sexual arousal by quickening the pulse and inducing sweating. They also stimulate the release of endorphins, which play a role in sexual pleasure. The capsaicin found in chilis indicates high antioxidant levels and can even curb your appetite. So next time, try going for a little kick and spice things up.
Exercise & Yoga
Wanna feel GOOD? Like, REALLY GOOD? Then exercise baby. Yea yea... everyone knows that exercise is good for you, but did you know that it’s just as effective as Zoloft in reducing depression? Truth... according to Dr. John Ratey, an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and author of A User's Guide to the Brain. Exercise stimulates endorphins and all those feel-good chemicals that make you feel euphoric. I’m really ok with that. But I’m also really partial to yoga.
Why?
Well, first of all any practice that’s been alive and thriving for hundreds of years has got to have something going for it. Yoga improves and increases your awareness to your breath, posture and your own body making you feel right at home in your own skin. When you’re feeling super connected to your own body and are able to clear the mind of clutter, you become that much more aware of just how sensual you are. Martin Portner, Neurologist and author of "The Orgasmic Mind", explains this - it’s much easier to reach that orgasmic place when you’ve hushed the amygdala and all its stress activities.Ok, maybe being in a class full of half naked sweaty people also has something to do with it. Real talk.
and finally....
Write a love note!
To anyone. Maybe keep the mystery and make it anonymous... but expressing gratitude and love for anyone from your main squeeze to the really nice mail guy not only makes them feel awesome, it’ll make you feel uplifted and appreciative. When we reflect on the good stuff in our lives and express gratitude, it’s much easier to 1. see how much we can be thankful for - and 2. spread the lovin’. You don’t even have to know who you’re writing one to - just write one and leave it where a complete stranger will find it or to someone who really needs one. Heck, you could even write one to yourself... if keeping within the self-love theme. I mean, how much radder would the world be if everyone got a love letter once in a while?
So get out there and spread the LOVE!
2.08.2013
Go ahead and touch yo-self: Ayurvedic love with self-abhyanga (self-massage)
Ok people, self-massage is a game-changer. No joke. But maybe some of you already know this...
In Ayurveda, a self-massage called abhyanga is a healing tool that can be practiced everyday. This daily routine helps to balance you out, lubricate the skin, muscles and joints, and melt away tension. Before you take a shower in the morning, try using sesame oil (can be infused with herbs like the one pictured) starting with a head massage, working your way down the body. Here's a video and some tips to get you started.
In Ayurveda, a self-massage called abhyanga is a healing tool that can be practiced everyday. This daily routine helps to balance you out, lubricate the skin, muscles and joints, and melt away tension. Before you take a shower in the morning, try using sesame oil (can be infused with herbs like the one pictured) starting with a head massage, working your way down the body. Here's a video and some tips to get you started.
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