Mood: accident prone
Now Playing: Up On a Tight Rope by Leon Russell
Topic: Healing Process
Life is a Balancing Act! This is the key to good health.
Balance - To bring into or maintain in a state of equilibrium; A harmonious or satisfying arrangement or proportion of parts or elements, as in a design.
"As in design"...Yes. That is the goal!
So how do we come into balance? Blood pressure too high, blood sugar too low, moods out of kilter, way overweight, working too hard...Where in the world do we start? Even the checkbook is wrong!
Start with breathing. That's a good place to begin! Meditation and prayer practices have incorporated breathing techniques for ages and ages, for very good reasons. It opens the body and mind,and works to bring harmony.
We will be giving some workshops and publishing articles regarding breathing techniques, so be sure to check back often for those! In the meanwhile, here is some good information on breathing.. It has some really good exercises to help you get started with this!
Now what about water. Water is very important, of course, we all know. But what does it have to do with balance?
As The Charles Sturt University explains, "Water is the solvent for metabolic reactions in living cells. Many molecules and all ions important for the life of the cell are carried in an aqueous solution and these diffuse to reaction sites through the water in the cell. Metabolic reactions within the cell can occur only in solution where water is the solvent. It is critical for proper functioning of these reactions that the amount and concentration of water in the cell be kept constant. Most cells die when the water content is changed significantly."
In other words...Water is needed by every cell, to do everything that cells need to do!
Water regulates body temperature, removes wastes from the body; carries nutrients, oxygen, enzymes,hormonesand glucose to the cells; carries away toxins and metabloic waste from the cells for elimination; cushions the joints; strengthens the muscles; and provides natural moisture to skin and other tissues...We absolutely need it to live!
Why is it that people think if they are alive that they're fine. If you are experiencing thirst, then your body is already in a state of dehydration. Constipated? Dehydration. Even diahhrea can be a sign of dehydration, but I'll leave that lesson for another day.
How much water? Here is a general rule:
Take your body weight
Divide it in half
The number you get is the number of ounces of water you should drink every day...AT A MINIMUM!
Sound like a lot? To some, perhaps it might. But that's how much water your body needs to function the way that it was designed. Don't forget--It makes up more of our physical bodies than absolutely anything else!
For information regarding the safety of our nation's drinking water, be sure to read the extensive three part series published by the Houston Chronicle, entitled Tap Water At Risk.
We have been buying bottled water for use in our housesold for years, but there are a lot of problems with doing that, too--namely, the bottles. It's not a much better solution at all. Not if you consider the Hazards of Environmental Estrogens derived from synthetic sources.
Here's one solution. It's a lot more cost effective than having to pay for the cost of the loss of your health!
At any rate...even if you have terrible water...start drinking it! From SOMEWHERE! Pure water, of course is best! We're trying to eliminate poisons with water...Not drink more of them in.
But DRINK! PLEASE! You can't expect the body to find balance without it! Not when all the activities of every cell are dependent upon it's supply.
Balance. Yes. There's that word again. Let's talk now about balanced diets. What in the world does that mean?
Well, let's keep this real simple. Food gives us what we need to do what we need to do. It is our fuel. Some foods are good for some things, and some foods are good for other things. It all depends on which nutrients are contained in which food.
Soooooo....Eat a variety of foods for a variety of nutrients! :-D
Color is a good indication of the nutrient content of foods. When you fix up a plate, be sure that it's not all the same color. (And I mean REAL color! Not artificial!
It's also important in planning a balanced diet that the body's pH balance be taken into account. Our diet should be about 75% alkalinizing and only 25% acidic. Otherwise, valuable minerals will be depleted to bring the pH into balance, making the body more susceptible to the dengenerative diseases which these minerals protect us from.
We have pH testing strips available if you are interested. It's a very good indication of what's going on with your health!
Certain foods act to balance our emotional health as well as our physical health!
That makes sense, though, in the light of holistic health. You can't help but effect one realm of your being when interacting on one of the other realms. That is because we are WHOLE...not bits and pieces and parts. We are body, spirit and mind.
Herbs are another tool we can use to bring balance into our lives. Adapogenic herbs work to increase reisistance and resilience to stress, helping to balance blood pressure, blood sugar, heart rate, and maintain homeostasis throughout the body.
Aromatherapy and flower essences have particularly balancing effects on the emotions.
Exercise, of course...Balance...Yoga is exceptionally good.
Balanced lifestyle...Moderation in all things. Right now I need to moderate my work schedule a little and get myself to bed!
SLEEP is EXTREMELY important to balance! We'll talk more later about some of these things. To be continued...at a later time when I'm awake!
Just keep that word in mind...We'll pick up from here another day.
Goodnight and sleep well!
Mary Jo Eshelman, ND, CTN, CNHP
The information presented is the author's personal and professional opinion, and is intended for educational purposes only. Nothing printed here is designed to take the place of a physician's advice. If you are experiencing problems with your health, it is recommended that you consult with a licensed health care professional. All Natural HealthWorks! is not responsible for any damages or ill-effects resulting from the information presented herein, nor do we make any recommendations regarding your health. We are simply here as a resource for you in making your own choices for your health yourself.
Updated: Tuesday, 14 June 2005 7:32 AM EDT
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