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Post Reiki: How Does Reiki Heal?

10/28/2011

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Life energy, called ki in Japan, qi or chi in China and Prana in
India, continuously flows through your physical body and your aura. Your aura is the energy that surrounds you. When this life energy flows freely it is called “Good Health.”

 When negative thoughts or feelings or environmental toxins and stressors block the path of this life energy—flow is diminished and poor health occurs. It is important to clear these blocks as they occur because when negative thoughts become subconcious and automatic,  they permanently  block the flow of life energy—and illness occurs.

Reiki clears and heals energy pathways restoring normal life energy flow. Each block released starts the healing process. Some people report that when a block is released during a Reiki session it feels hot or cold or like it is trickling away. Others do not report feeling the block release.  Either way, “Good health” is the outcome.

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Post Wellness: Secrets of a good Portion Size?

10/24/2011

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"What is a good portion size," a man asked ?The room grew quiet. I  looked at him and all the other shapes in the audience and countered, "great  question!" A lady shouts out "Our hands are relative to our size. Just a handful of some things  might work. Another whispers, "I would not try that with peanut butter." The man reiterates, " I know when I am  finished with a meal and I feel uncomfortable, that my portions were too big. Our conversation made me realize that portion size is something we overlook, or at least understate when we are talking weight management and it should actually be something that we have a clear understanding of.

 Perhaps since the holidays are on their way, we should start learning the appropriate portion sizes for our body type and size  rather than worry about what we should or should not eat. Afterall, a piece of pecan pie is certainly a well deserved holiday treat, but how big is your piece of pecan pie. Are you also having some of the pumkin pie and the cranberry apple pie setting next to it? Are we being reasonable at holiday parties? In the case of these desserts, You might want to consider one taste of each pie and then taking a small slice of you favorite.
There are several resource tools  to help you know what a good portion size is for you. One is WebMD downloadable portion size cards  at
http://www.webmd.com/diet/printable/wallet-portion-control-size-guide. Another  resource  to look at is  http://www.choosemyplate.gov/.

 I have learned, for  financial reasons, how to control portions in a restaurant.Given my goal is to get  2-4 meals out of every meal I purchase out, I go in with a plan.  If I  order the salad with grilled fish, I  have them bring the fish wrapped to take home. If I order pasta I ask for half  to be packed to go. If I go out for Mexican food I eat all of my sides and take the main course home. If it is a place with all you can eat soup or salad, my main  course goes home.

Perhaps the take out box is a good idea for at home as well. Take your normal amount of  food. “Then put half of it in a container for your next meal. If you are strong willed, just take half your normal portion in the first place. Eat slowly  and see how you feel at the end. A glass of water or V8 juice is also good to have along with your meal. Break the large portion habit now so that you can go  into the holiday season feeling confident that, this year, you are in control. 

Portion control is one of  the trickiest skills to master, yet one of the most important when it comes to
successful weight management. If we practice now, by the holidays we might do a better job of maintaining a healthy weight through the holidays. Here are some other ideas: 
  • Routinely, use a smaller dinner plate
  • Do not go grocery shopping when you are hungry
  • Add broccoli or cauliflower to your main meal to increase portion size but retain low calories
  • Remember that there are a lot of free veggies steamed, raw and without sauce
  • Do not routinely put bread on the table
  • If you do put bread on the table, make it whole grain,
  • Turn off the TV with meals
  • Do the dishes playing and swaying to holiday music
  • Listen to music throughout the day. You'll find yourself dancing instead of snacking
  • Split snacks into reasonable portions when you bring them home from the store
  • Stick to the portion size you created for your snacks
  • Snack in-between meals. Very important so you maintain control during the meal
  • Raw veggies are great snacks and are great fiber sources
  • The fiber in fruit and veggies raise your metabolism... so eat them
Okay, one last mind-blowing trick. You are bored at a restaurant and ready to eat anything.  Grab a napkin and start drawing a picture of your slender beautiful self. You  are vivacious. When asked what the picture is, be confident. Say, “It is a picture of me”. It is one way to tell your sub-conscious what it is you really want. If it seems to be working add a broccoli in one hand and a weight in the  other. It is a similar concept to dream boarding. Once you see that it indeed helped you to maintain control over eating choices, take the picture home, put it on the refrigerator and look at it a lot. Now it is a dream board. 

Portion control is literally a lifestyle change and requires perseverance and tolerance and patience with yourself. Don’t give up and please, please, please, let me know if you draw the  picture and it works.
Free 15 minute phone wellness coaching consult
Be Well, Nancy Merrifield

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Post Wellness: Children & Writing

10/20/2011

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What does children and writing have to do with wellness? Learning at a young age to put your thoughts on pape,r whether it be journaling, creating a story from your own life events or using your creative flair to put a fictional character into action is holistically an excellant pathway to wellness and with a new publishing company making offers to children who love to write, it can become an opportunity of a lifetime. Debra Kantz has started a publishing company who accepts stories from young writers age 8-18 and will be publishing online those that they like. They will also be sending the young authors a hard copy of their book. Don't let a young writer miss this opportunity or  Perhaps you know of a teacher you could share this link with. Royalties are paid on published online books of 50%. http://www.whereangelstakeflight.com/Young_Writers_Program.html.
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Post: Wellness Coaching, Is it Right for You?

10/15/2011

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Life Solution’s Wellness Coaching program gives you an opportunity to change your lifestyle so that you are healthier and happier with one-on-one support. Support, such as coaching, has been found by an American Psychology Association poll to be vital to successful behavioral and lifestyle change.
 
Wellness coaching helps you to make changes to achieve goals in small  manageable steps. It provides   
frequent support, encouragement and suggestions and it gives you a better  chance at successful goal achievement. Lastly, as a client, you are held accountable for your goals which has also been shown to have a positive effect on goal achievement.

Life Solution’s Wellness Coaching works because we look at the whole person. We use a truly holistic approach to your assessment and care. We look at eating patterns, and lifestyle choices. We consider family, current lifestyle and social activities. Personal Nutrition, home environment, career, finacial stability and spirituality are all part of our assessment and plan.
 
If you are wondering if wellness coaching is right for you, please join me for a
free consultation to explore the possibilities. 

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Post Wellness: Salmon for longevity

10/14/2011

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Did you know that Salmon can reduce your risk of dying of a heart attack by as much as 30%? The hero’s here are the omega-3 fatty acids and an antioxidant called carotenoid astaxanthin. Choose wild salmon over farm-raised to avoid insecticides and heavy metals. Try to eat two or more servings a week. Salmon is reasonably priced at Costco, fresh and frozen. A simple way to enjoy salmon is
to place lemon slices on top and bake.

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Post: How do you know Reiki Works?

10/7/2011

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How do you know Reiki Works is an article in our fall newsletter which will be available  October 10th, 2011. If you would like to receive our newsletter, please leave a newsletter request to be notified as new ones come out .

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Post: Weight Loss and Fiber, Is Fiber the Magic Bullet?

10/5/2011

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Almost every aspect of your life has something to do with weight management. Food choices, activity, where you park when shopping, are you lifting children,  what type of exercise you do, how much time you spend sitting in a day, metabolism, and so on. The list is endless. Fiber is not the magic bullet but it certainly can be a powerful force in successful weight loss as well as in good health. 
Imagine a food source that psyches out your brain, a food that makes you
feel fuller than you would feel by eating other types of food, a food that
tricks the mind because it is so hard to break down. Imagine a food that takes longer to chew than any other food source so it gives your brain time to get the message that you are full before you get into the old habit of
overeating.

 Studies show that we eat the same volume of food no matter what types  of foods we choose. So if you eat a lot of fat and simple sugars and you switch  some of that food to fiber, you add a powerful unseen force into your weight  loss plan. It is a force that is going to carry you to success with greater ease because adding fibrous foods to your diet prompts you to eat less of other types of foods that do not help you lose weight. This happens because of the increased fiber. You eat less as the brain is tricked into thinking you are full and you will burn more calories as you work to break down the added fiber. 

Consider having an apple for a snack or a glass of apple juice fifteen minutes before lunch. How would each affect your appetite? A study from the 2009 journal, Appetite, found that people who ate an apple before lunch ate 15% less calories for lunch than those who drank juice, suggesting that the
fiber in the apple is more filling than the fiber added to the juice (Magee, Elaine, 2005).


Psychologically, the process of eating, chewing and swallowing an apple is rewarding, especially the feeling of fullness that follows. This is part of the reason why so many people are enjoying raw food. It tames the hunger  pangs.

For successful weight loss, Tufts University shows that people who eat 35-45 grams of fiber a day are less hungry and are losing more weight. The problem is that most people are not even getting half this amount. They cut back for their diet plan decreasing their fiber to less than their normal intake. 

An excerpt from the abstract of this study reports that Interventions that both lower dietary fat and increase fiber appear to be the most effective of carefully tested interventions to date, with weight loss of 3.4 kg on average in studies greater than six months (Roberts etal, 2002).

Fibers from whole foods, like fruits, nuts, vegetables, whole grains and legumes, are the best type of fiber for weight loss because on top of their  abilities to trick our brains they are also very low in calories. 
 
A word of caution when adding fiber to your diet, do it gradually and  drink plenty of water to aid in the digestive process. If you add too much too  fast, gas and bloating will remind you to progress a little
slower.

 Fiber may not be the magic bullet but it can sure take you a long way toward losing weight in a more natural comfortable way. 

As a Wellness Coach I like to start people on weight management  programs by having them give up two bad habits and picking up two good habits. Eating more fiber and drinking more water sound like two really great habits to pick up. Don't forget your free Wellness Consult.

 
Magee, Elaine, 2005, http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/why-you-need-more-fiber,  5, October, 2011.

Roberts, etal, 2002, April, http://www.jacn.org/content/21/2/140S, 5,  October, 2011.

Wellness News letter



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Blog Reiki:Exerpt from Jessica Millers Reiki Mastery newsletter

10/3/2011

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HOW  REIKI SAVES MY SOUL
Written by Sarah Minden, MSW

You might wonder how moving your hands about, praying, drawing symbols in the air and sweeping walls with imaginary brooms can  soothe moods, soften pains, ease feelings and  brighten a room…  IT CAN!
 
Reiki and the skills to apply it intensify over time. It's been about 12 years for me. In that time I've made reiki heating pads, I clear the energy in my office where I see patients,each day. I clear the energy in examining rooms where I see patients in clinics and  in my living room before and after company. It keeps the space pure and light. 
 
The shocker was when I began doing this, patients and colleagues would sit down, then  GASP, 
“Oh,  it’s so peaceful in here.” Being an anxious sort, I need peace to thrive. Reiki saves the day - every day. I'm selective about who I permit in my office.
 
Reiki is most useful when you think before you act. It works. I have Reiki symbols hidden all over my office and house. They are in pillows, on my office chair,in file cabinets, on my altar, under my bed, and  when my feet hurt - you guessed it… In my shoes! 
 
Poem Copyright  2011 
Sarah Minden, MSW
Northridge, CA 91326
snminden@yahoo.com 

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