I have a question for you as you begin this new year:

 

Who will manage your health?

 

I hope my clients out there will answer that they are the managers of their health.

 

And why is that?

 

There isn’t anyone who knows more about your symptoms than you do and to stay on top of your game you are going to have to take charge. You don’t have to have all of the answers but you certainly need a daily awareness of how your body functions.

 

You are the one

You will be the first to observe changes in your body from the very subtle to the dramatic. You are the only one who can have control over what you put in your mouth for nourishment each and every meal. Only you decide whether you make exercise a priority.

 

While your practitioner can provide a protocol, taking charge of your health requires not only your participation but your taking the lead.  It requires observing physical changes, eating responsibly, and some form of daily movement.

 

As an adult, you are in the position to make significant choices in your health that directly impact your quality of life and lifespan. You get to choose whether we want to approach aging from the perspective of your recliner or like one of the 80+ year old die-hards I meet each morning at Barton Springs Pool.

 

I’ve made my decision. And this start of a new year is the perfect opportunity for you to be clear of yours and the implications of your choice.

 

Once you sign on to take charge of your health, the next question is what type model we’d like to support our health.

 

Dis-ease Fighting Model

There is the healthcare model attached to our insurance programs that is disease focused. Whether it be heart disease, cancer, MS, or a simple ear infection, the system is built around the fight. The motto of this healthcare model is to “fight dis-ease” and this is done by suppressing and controlling the symptoms your body produces.

 

This fight is clearly portrayed in medications that are given upon the early signs of disease. We see this with prescriptions for lowering blood pressure, reducing urinary discomfort, correcting erectile dysfunction, etc. Or, in the case of cancer, the use of chemotherapy, radiation, and medications that suppress the body’s natural responses.

 

In this model it is common practice for organs and body parts to be removed when they are viewed as dis-eased. “Check-ups” that look for the known first signs of these diseases are the norm. At check-up appointments, blood pressure is measured, blood and urine labs are reviewed, and the metrics discovered tell the physician what type and how much medication is needed.

 

This model for healthcare has expanded and thrived for more than a half century. It is expensive and it is also the primary choice of the majority of Americans. In fact, there is considerable political debate over how to sustain it.

 

In my practice I see the results of the“care” provided by this system and they can be both heartbreaking and preventable.

 

Dis-ease Prevention Model

 

There is an alternative model I’d like to offer up in opposition. This model works with the body’s own built in systems to clean and self heal. The motto of this model is “dis-ease prevention” and that occurs by resolving rather than fighting symptoms.

 

This model, however, requires active awareness and participation. It depends on you to learn and take note of the early signs and symptoms that appear when your cleaning and healing systems are out of alignment or not functioning effectively.

 

Learning these signs and symptoms doesn’t take a medical degree, but rather awareness and some time with a good teacher. They will indicate distress in the body well before any lab test, providing time for natural correction with diet, exercise, and plant based therapies. This model of “dis- ease prevention” healthcare can be provided by practitioners who work with a variety of modalities.

 

Important to note however is whether or not you have been put in the driver’s seat. These questions should serve as your guide.

 

Is the tracking of signs and symptoms relegated to laboratory tests or are you the one watching for the subtle changes in your body?

 

Have you been made aware of what the indications are that your health is improving?

 

This is critical. If you don’t know what you are watching for and your health is only measured by lab results, then this isn’t the model that I am proposing.

 

 

Here’s what I offer

 

In order to restore the body’s natural ability to clean and heal, my clients first observe their symptoms of elimination associated with the urinary tract and bowels, around the clock. It doesn’t take much to learn whether your body is cleaning optimally or not.

 

I also take note of vitality symptoms of the eyes, hair, teeth, skin, and sleep. Vitality must be raised in order to restore the body’s own healing capabilities. Protocols that pair a plant based diet and Gemmotherapy extracts make a dynamic team as they work together to restore an alkaline state, optimize elimination, and boost the function of the immune system for healing.

 

What’s beautiful about this is that if you are not yet experiencing chronic disease, then the decision is all yours.

 

I can’t repeat enough that you are the one who gets to decide how you’d like to manage your health. You get to decide whether you want to be proactive or reactive; whether you want a model that simply fights dis-ease or prevents it by cleaning and healing. If you decide to choose the latter, I’d love to talk further as it happens to be not only my personal choice, but also the work I do each and every day.

 

Is it too late to change models if you have a current diagnosis of a chronic dis-ease? Absolutely not! You just need to keep in mind the changes you make may need to be more dramatic, particularly when it comes to diet. Restoring organs that have deteriorated is possible, it just takes time and commitment and practitioners in both models that are willing to support your journey towards a more natural solution.

 

 

I’m often asked by friends, family, and colleagues what is the first and most important recommendation I have to those who wish to improve their overall health. The answer comes easy and quick: change their breakfast! The path to health is found by tapping into the body’s innate abilities to clean and heal and, unfortunately, most of what we do on a daily basis works against those important functions. My suggestion is to start the day right and build from there!

Considerable information circulates today claiming breakfast to be the most important meal of the day. I could not agree more, but for very different reasons than what is usually reported. Be aware the loudest messages are promoted by industries which will benefit financially from your choice of breakfast so proceed with caution! I’m going to present to you a perspective you will never see promoted by the American dairy board or egg board who, by the way, fund an incredible amount of research to back their claims. My breakfast viewpoint on the other hand comes from a place of reality instead of hype.

I’ll bet you didn’t know that while you sleep away the night, many of your organs are hosting clean up parties! If you have trouble sleeping through certain hours of the night this may be of particular interest as you can discover what organ is having to clean to the degree it is waking you during those specific hours.

You can see in the Traditional Chinese Medicine clock above that your body is actually hard at work during the night cleaning and restoring the gall bladder, liver, lung, large intestine, and finally stomach. The waste product from this clean-athon should exit the body first thing each morning. When this cleaning does not occur in an efficient and effective manner we may experience a foggy head, stiffness, achiness, and a sour disposition.

How do we work with the body to clear the waste from the previous night’s cleaning in order to be alert, sharp, and even cheerful? The goal is to eat a cleansing meal that alkalizes the highly acidic state your body wakes up in and encourage the lymphatic system to clean and promote efficient and effective elimination.

What’s the perfect cleansing meal to break the fast from sleep? 
Nature’s perfect alkalizing product is fruit.

Are there better fruits to choose?
Actually, yes, there are some fruits that are more effective. The fruits that are the most cleansing are: apples, berries, citrus, grapes, mangoes, and melons. You don’t need them all or even a blend every day. Pick one that you enjoy, eat a nice bowlful, and switch out when you are ready for something different.

Wait! What about all that sugar first thing in the morning?
If it’s the sweet taste you struggle with and you prefer something more savory first thing in the morning, I suggest cucumbers, celery, greens, or sweet peppers. They are all good choices for breaking your fast. However, if it’s really the sugar that scares you, here is some great research to dispel those myths.

If you currently struggle with glycemic symptoms, you need to know that spikes or drops in blood sugar is not a primary symptom caused by the food you are eating at the moment. Rather, it is secondary symptom caused by the food you ate over a lifetime that resulted in a fatty liver. Check out this series of videos from Michael Greger that goes into this subject in great detail. (I’ll be sharing more on that subject and how I work with clients who experience this symptom in a future post.)

How can fruit be the most nutritious breakfast? 
If we are comparing nutrients and calories, fruit is not going to compare to traditional western breakfast. But that’s not the goal here. The goal of eating a fruit meal in the morning is to:

1. Break our fast from the night before.
2. Stimulate the lymphatic system to eliminate the waste product produced.
3. Start the day fresh, alert, and ready for what lies ahead.

How will a fruit meal sustain me?
If you are used to a cooked breakfast, or even muesli or toast, the fruit breakfast will feel different but for very good reasons. The meal you were eating before can take up to 2-3 hours to digest depending on the ingredients and it has been sitting on top of what was cleaned the night before giving a sensation of fullness. Fruit in contrast will feel light and refreshing because it digests and provides the body with energy in as fast as 15-20 minutes!

Important to note: When you are just getting started- you will feel hungry. The first solution is to eat what you would have normally eaten for breakfast later in the morning, or at least not sooner than 30-45 minutes after consuming the fruit. Keep in mind that over time the goal would be to drop and replace that second “breakfast” with more whole fruit or a fruit and veggie smoothie.

What about coffee?
Besides that fact that it is a ritual and you love it, most adults continue the coffee habit because it helps them out of the morning fog they experience from their body not cleaning in the first place. It also provides a false boost to overworked and exhausted adrenal glands. Additionally, the acid level of coffee often produces a quick bowel movement which many see as healthy elimination, but it’s not.

Here’s what I ask my coffee drinking clients to do, eat their fruit meal on an empty stomach and hold the coffee for a minimum of 30 minutes. Over time, most will admit they no longer need the coffee because of the positive impact of the fruit or they are able to switch to tea. Do you have to give up the coffee completely?  Well, that is another article altogether. For now let’s say No, but limit it to one cup and time it well away from your fruit meal to break your fast.

So, what’s holding you back? Your body deserves to start the day clean and refreshed and you will reap the benefits all day long. Have some questions? I’d be delighted to answer them here or in an email.

These past eighteen months I’ve had the most fortunate experience of supporting Homeopaths along the east coast integrate Gemmotherapy extracts into the protocols they are now offering their clients. Last year I made several trips to the Boston area to teach day long seminars, each one warmly received and quite rewarding for me as well. At one point, however, I was struck with the idea of offering a deeper and more meaningful venue, one in which we could connect with one another and the passions we each carry to lead others to a healthier more fulfilling life. As months passed, the concept of a retreat began to form, one that  would provide time and space to arrive, be in the midst of nature, share ideas, contemplate new concepts, and discuss further over delicious plant based meals. The idea grew over time until it actually became a reality last weekend.

From Friday evening on March 10th until Sunday lunch on March 12th, ten of us gathered just outside of Leyden, MA and immersed ourselves in the next levels of Gemmotherapy protocols and Plant Based Eating. While I came with hot off the press curriculum, each practitioner also brought his or her own magic to make it an unsurpassed weekend that was truly guided by a Universal Force far greater than us all.

We opened our weekend together with a candlelit circle at sundown on Friday in the cozy meditation room as the icy wind whipped and howled through the surrounding trees. We spent the next hour getting to know one another through a “giving and receiving” offering. Each individual brought a small token for their fellow participants of what they hoped to receive as the days unfolded ahead. This simple act provided a beautiful heart opening connection for all.

While we gathered, our retreat hosts Tim and Steve prepared a glorious meal we would share before the first teaching session. The dinner set a gold standard for what we could expect in the meals to come: pure, plant based deliciousness!

I would be holding out on you if I didn’t pause here to share a bit more about our location as it was absolutely sublime. I have my dear friend and fellow practitioner, Jhuma Biswas, to thank when she sent me the venue referral in my early planning stages. Spirit Fire Retreat Center is situated just on the northwestern border of Massachusetts and Vermont outside of Leyden, MA, on 95 acres of forested and meadowed grounds. The pristine beauty is breathtaking. What better setting to learn about the healing power of trees?

And so the weekend unfolded. We covered a considerable amount of new material, from a new intake process for clients who have reached optimal elimination (Stage Two), protocol formulas for the next stage of Gemmotherapy drainage (Stage Two), more on plant based eating for ourselves and our clients, and an additional intake process specifically designed for infants and small children.

In between, we were nourished ourselves with first class vegan meals from our morning smoothie to roasted veggies with pesto at night. We wandered in the forest, on our own or in groups, breathing the crisp March air, we did some yoga, and even sang to welcome the full moon. It was truly magical only due to the willingness of each participant to show up and open up to the moment in time we were gifted.

It wasn’t long into our weekend that the murmurings of an annual event began and, yes, I have to say that I agree! We need more of this in all of our lives and the world needs us to do more pausing and connecting for ourselves as practitioners and for those we serve.

“We are all souls who have met for a purpose on this mysterious journey;
each of us is here for the other and all that is required is to be present.”
– Elizabeth Lesser, Marrow