Dormant

Everything needs time to recharge. We do every night. Winter is a reminder of nature recharging by going dormant or into hibernation for a while. The oak trees in front of our house have lost their leaves, but they will be full in the spring. Since we don’t actually hibernate, and too many of us don’t get enough sleep, we need to try various ways to help our bodies recharge.

The body is absolutely fascinating! As a mom, I have been amazed by all the work a body does to grow, birth, and nurture a baby. If you pay attention to your body, you will see more of what it can do. When you eat well, your body will become noticeably sluggish if you eat something unhealthy or abnormal. I always get sleepy, as my body signals it has to focus on digesting and needs me to “get out of the way”.

Our bodies can run efficiently and smoothly when we assist it in its natural functions. Make sure you rest, so your body can clean up and remove old and deteriorating cells. Science has long documented the importance of sleep. Infants and children sleep so much because as they grow so rapidly, their bodies have a lot of work learning, processing, and simply growing. Studies continue to examine the relation of sleep and cell repair, especially cancer, which are defective cells. We also need to feed our machine correctly. We don’t put sugar in our gas tanks (unless it’s a biofuel or you are doing it to be mean). So why do we put poor quality foods into our bodies. Now I do it also, so I probably could answer that with some excuse, but the point is we should try to do better and be better.

I’m planning what I want to focus on next year. Health and wellness are at the top of my list. Think of what you are doing to help your body and mind recharge.

Your Temple – Eating

We often make ideas of things to do, but constantly put them off for a later date. We generally know what we need to do to live healthier, but its the getting there part. Healthy eating and exercise are key to a healthy body.

What we eat has become a huge topic and a big business. My mom was eating wheatgrass and juicing before it was popular. She is where I get that “granola” edge from. Shortly before coming to visit us in Mumbai, India my mom had a bout of chemotherapy that was so toxic to her body that she was in the hospital for a month. Her white blood cell count had been so devastated her oncologist told me she would never be able to have chemotherapy again as he didn’t believe her body would recover enough to meet the baseline. See, before receiving chemotherapy, blood work must be performed to make sure white blood counts are high enough for the treatment, which usually depletes WB cells. Well, in India my mom embraced a new way of eating.

A large percent of the Indian population are vegetarian. We had just started eating a vegetarian diet, and with the access to so many fresh produce, it was easy to do. My mom loved to cook, so she enjoyed experimenting with everything she found.

Going vegetarian can be an adjustment, but worth considering. At minimum eating more organic fruits and vegetables. The Environmental Working Group lists The Dirty Dozen, which is a list of the most pesticide contaminated produce. These should be your organic produce if nothing else.

Research continues to establish links between cancer and pesticides, other chemicals found in products we eat, put on our skin (which is our largest organ), and use in our household. Known carcinogens included Toluene, which has regularly been used in nail polish, and only recently has its use been discontinued by some- not all- companies. This is just an example. There are many more linked to cancer such as parabens and Bisphenol A (BPA). Now the last two are not considered cancer causing at this point, but they are linked because of how they present themselves in the body and studies continue to examine these effects in further detail.

You are what your eat. Think about how you are taking care of your temple. Are you helping it or hurting it. What can you do to make changes. Bon Appetit!