Browsing Tag

healthy living

Practice for mindful traveling

Make Choices, Spirit for Healing April 6, 2018

 

When it comes to commitment to the healing, traveling is the best or the worst enemy you can fall for. A lot of my clients are very inspired and commit to spending a good amount of time for daily self-care after having a session with me. But when they go on a vacation or business trip, this is when they stop following their daily regimen.

What can you do?

Pack your own snacks before flying

Make sure you preplan and pick up something to bring with you before leaving home so that you can snack on while you are at the airport. You may have to spend up to two hours waiting for your plane to takes off.

It is very hard to find something that doesn’t break your healthy eating habit.

Booster juice? Starbucks smoothie? Well, could be a better choice than fries, potato chips, muffins, etc. But what’s even better? You prepare your own food that you know there are no chemicals or additives in it.

Packing your own lunch box is a great idea, or chop vegetable sticks (celery, cucumber, broccoli, etc), just grab one or two apples, and mixed nuts and seeds (fat) can make you feel full for a while.

Mindful traveling starts from the day you started getting ready for the mindful traveling happen. Anything is possible as long as you really want to keep you on track.

Drink plenty of water

When I had my first trip after I made my commitment to my healthy eating, I didn’t know whether I could carry on my own food that I bought. So I had never had my own snacks to fly with. I never really wanted to buy something from the airport either. All I did was to drink plenty of water.

As much as I believe in nutrition from whole foods, I also think it’s healthy to fast for a half day by drinking just clean water. By clean water, I mean a bottled “spring water”. Although I’m a no supporter of plastic bottles, when we are traveling, we got to give up certain things that we have no control over.

Show your gratitude. This is mindful traveling.

Search for local stores and restaurants

When I go traveling, one of my favorite things to do is to search for local organic restaurants, health food stores, and kombucha brewers. I love to find different products they sell than where I live. Since the “health” is my passion, my first priority is to eat healthy no matter where I am. Plus, I will be spending my money on local artisans when I’m eating a restaurant uses locally grown organic produces.

Once you find the stores and restaurants with where you can stay with your healthy eating habit, you feel like you are actually not traveling.

Once I was in the UK, I had a hard time finding one healthy food store around the hotel. I had a choice eating out in a non-organic restaurant. I gave my prayer over the plate and appreciated the food that I could eat. I believe what’s important is to accept and appreciate what comes to me. Disappointment and anger won’t help us digest any food that we put in our mouth.

Take time for yourself

Whether you are traveling on your own or with somebody else, it’s easy to lose track of time. Staying up late and waking up early can exhaust you before coming home. Take your time at least 10 mins daily to connect with your self. Set your mind and body peaceful.

Even though you might not be able to perform some self-care regimen that you do at home, you can easily get back on track if you don’t lose completely.

Have fun

While a lot of people fell behind of their daily regime, some want to stick to their daily habit while they go on traveling. They don’t want to forget the multiple supplements they are taking every day so that they are stressed whether they packed enough amount, and worry about the food they might or might not be able to eat during the trip.

We all adapt ourselves in a different environment. The important thing is to be easy when our environment changes. If you forget to take supplements, then forget it. You can’t stress about it like the end of the world.

As I mentioned above already, you will do your best to stay on track. And again, it’s possible. But if you fail, you may or may not have your health challenges back. It’s a learning process.

You can’t live based on your fear.

So enjoy while you are away.

If you lost it, you challenge yourself the next time to stay on track a bit longer.

What is “Self-Love”?

Educational Information, Healing Procedure, Make Choices, Spirit for Healing March 23, 2018

I was asked one day.

What does self-love mean?

Do you think I have known what self-love is before starting my healing journey?

NO.

I believe this is something you learn as you experience certain events in life and be willing to heal from those events emotionally and physically. I’m sorry but I don’t believe people lightly say “I love myself.”. Because that’s not what I’m not talking about.

Abusing is NOT self-love.

My abusing started when I stopped looking after my body.

I intentionally held bowel movement as I was ashamed to go to the toilet when I was like 7. Then started skipping meals or stopped eating “food” to lose weight. Which led to the anorexic behavior for about 6 years. The reason for the weight loss was that a boy in my class told me that I was chubby. Around the same time, my mother also told me that I was chubby. Since I was sort of competitive in nature, I promised myself to get skinny.

While I kept losing my weight, I also had an extreme pressure from my mother regarding the school work. I was probably a decent student in elementary school but the pressure was put before I enrolled mid school. This pressure gave me stomach pains every morning. I remember taking painkiller pills every day for the next several months until I collapsed in the middle of the class.

Apparently, I almost had a hole in my stomach. Who knows if that was from the pills or the stress.

In the meantime, I have introduced to laxatives from a senior student in school when I was 13 for my constipation. Luckily, my family wasn’t big on any medications unless it’s an emergency. So when I discovered the pills that helped my bowel movement, I was hooked. And addicted.

The daily dose of the laxative was two. How much I took daily was 6. It also helped me keep losing weight. This laxative addiction lasted another 10 years from then.

When I became a high school girl, my eating habit started to rebound. I binge ate pizza, cookies, and other snacks. My mother was happy I started eating no matter what I was eating. I tried to keep my weight just below 100 lbs (my height was 5’6″) with laxatives until I moved away from my parents’.

I started living alone in Tokyo while I was in college. Here I started having serious bulimic behavior. It was very tough times as I had never been able to tell anyone about my “secret”, even my boyfriend whom I was in a serious relationship with.

Tokyo is such a big city where I could easily abuse my body, such as lack of sleep, heavy alcohol intake, binge eating, and very lonely in the heart.

Let me remind you that none of above is ever “self-love”. I abused my body both physically and emotionally. Especially, I remember I cried every time I was trying to throw up in the toilet which often wasn’t an easy procedure.

And HATED me.

I hated myself not knowing when this was going to end. I hated myself not to be able to control my eating attitude. I hated myself hiding “true self” from my partner I loved. I hated myself acting happy in public and being a mess when I was alone.

On the contrary…

I’d like to think of myself I’m a much more self-loving girl now. Sure, the environment is different and I am older. I have learned what I was supposed to along the way. “Wholistic Healing Arts” – body, mind, and spirit. And I am still learning every single day.

Physically Self-loving

I sleep (at least trying to intentionally, if not.) 8 hours a day. I eat 100% organic including plenty of vegetables and occasionally fish and organ meats that nourish my body. I also quit alcohol in 2011 when I decided to commit to my healing. I excuse myself to go to a toilet whenever I need. I stopped weighing in 2005 (I have weighed once in 2009 and was the last time I did so.) but don’t feel pity about my body. I exercise lightly but daily. I enjoy the detox procedures such as Epsom salt bath, castor oil packs, vaginal steam, and coffee enema to help my body regenerate.

Mentally Self-loving

I learned to forgive myself and others in any situations. I learned to understand the unique human being. I learned to set my own boundary. I learned my limitations. I learned that every emotion (anger, sadness, grief, fear, etc) had its own right to be felt. I learned to let myself express how I feel. I learned to say no. I feel comfortable being self-reserved. I learned to let go of toxic relationships. I don’t waste my time with people engage in drama. I laugh every possible moment.

Spiritually Self-loving

I practice 1000 gratitude a day (I haven’t reached 1000 yet, I am trying every day!). I learned the relationship between female hormonal cycle and intuition, which helped me to understand when I would be more intuitive and when I would be more logic. I always ask “Why” to whatever happens in life which will let me become more aware of signs from the universe. I listen to my heart. I say thank you in every possible moment.

Other Self-loving

I don’t try to become someone whom I am not. This is a tough one from time to time, however. We meet people who are like-minded in some topics and completely opposite in other topics. Can we be still close to those people?

The answer is YES. All we have to do is to accept who they are. We don’t need to be with them 24/7. We hang out when we are talking about something in common. You don’t need to project yourself to like everything they do.

I know that I’m not for everyone. What I believe in life is not for everyone. How I see life isn’t for everyone. What works for me isn’t for everyone. Sure. If a lot of people show up in my life and they are all like-minded people, that’s great. But that’s not really my goal for self-love. Self-love here is to be okay with who you are, no matter how many people will become your people. What’s important is that you keep loving yourself despite the change “outside” you.

How to … “Oil-Pulling”

Educational Information, Healing Procedure, Spirit for Healing March 19, 2018

 

How to – Oil-Pulling

  1. Make sure to perform the oil pulling up on waking before eating, drinking anything, or brushing your teeth.
  2. Swish 1-2 teaspoons of cold pressed organic oils such as coconut oil (the best!) and sesame seed oil for 20 mins.
  3. Spit out the oil and rinse with warm salt water.
  4. Brush the teeth as usual.

 

** Time your oil pulling. As 20 minutes is definitely the ideal timing to dissolve the plaque and weaken or kill bacteria but not long enough that the body starts re-absorbing the toxins and bacteria that the oil chelated from the mouth. The oil will get thicker and milky as it mixed with saliva during the swishing but make sure not to swallow.

** If you are using coconut oil, spit out the oil in a trash can. Do not spit in the sink as it may solidify as the temperature goes down.

** Try this 3-4 times a week for the improvement.

 

 

 

Reference:

Oil Pulling Therapy by Dr. Bruce Fife

 

How EMF can Affect the Healing?

Educational Information, Healing Procedure, Make Choices February 9, 2018

 

Electromagnetic fields (EMFs) are made up of electric and magnetic fields, which are situated perpendicular to one another and travel together in the form of an invisible wave.

While EMFs have been around since the sun and even the earth naturally emits some EMFs, the human race is being exposed to previously unheard-of levels of artificial EMFs in the year 2016, and the problems keep growing with the technologies that we now enjoy and have become completely dependent on.

Every one of us is now exposed to man-made EMFs that are classified into two categories by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

  • Low-frequency EMF radiation –  they are non-ionizing radiation that bears lower frequencies than visible light. Examples include high-performing computers, smart meters, microwave ovens, cell phones, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, MRIs and power lines.
  • High-frequency EMF radiation – they are ionizing radiation that bears higher frequencies than visible light. Examples include X-rays, Gamma rays, and UV light.

Figure-2. Ionizing and non-ionizing radiation spectrum.

Danger of EMFs

There is no question that too much exposure to high-frequency radiation can create health problems like being in the sun too long. We get sunburned from the prolonged UV exposure. There is a good reason that the technician asks if we are pregnant before getting X-Rays. This is because X-Rays can cause harm to the growing baby.

The effects of low-frequency EMF radiation are more controversial for many reasons.

First, symptoms due to use of microwave ovens, smart meters, WiFi, cell phones, etc. can be very subtle at first or not noticeable at all, but they may become serious problems over time rather than immediately.

Second, the electronic and telecommunication industries have strong financial interests in consumers not being aware of potential harm from using their products, while they have a major conflict against consumers becoming aware of health effects from EMF exposure.

A meta-analysis of cell phone studies revealed that the most of studies funded by the non-cell phone industry indicated a higher risk of brain tumors among cell phone users, while the majority of studies funded by the cell-phone industry showed that cell phone users had a lower risk of brain tumors! Despite this result, The International Agency for Research on Cancer has already categorized low-frequency EMF radiation as a possible carcinogen (in a Group 2B).

However, the danger of EMF exposure isn’t limited to cancer. Becuase our nervous system and heart run on electricity, EMF interference is particularly risky for our heart and brain function.

A study shows that EMFs can directly change the behavior of tissues and cells alike, and harm our bone marrow, blood, DNA, reproductive system, cardiovascular system and endocrine system.

Symptoms related to EMF exposure

The symptoms experienced by people who are exposed to prolonged high levels of low-frequency EMFs include:

  •  Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Insomnia
  • Headaches
  • Memory loss
  • Dizziness
  • Adrenal Fatigue
  • Hormonal imbalances
  • Higher risk of cancer

What can you do to reduce exposure to man-made EMFs?

While it is almost impossible to completely avoid EMFs, there are some steps to help reduce the exposure.

  • Keep your devices (cell phones, tablets, computers, and other wi-fi or blue tooth devices) away from your body. This means to use of headphones for long conversations instead of placing the phone right by the ear and to avoid placing your cell phone in your pocket, especially close to breasts and groins.
  • Stick to hardwire connections rather than Wi-fi.
  • Sleep away from the source of the energy (breaker), electronics (router, etc) and/or large appliances (refrigerator, etc) that run overnight, even though the appliance is on the other side of the wall.
  • Keep your electronic devices switched off when they are not in use.

Also, avoid living near strong sources of EMF radiation such as smart meters, power lines, radio stations, etc.

How to mitigate the negative effect of EMF exposure?

  • Grounding can neutralize the positive ions emitted by EMFs. You can be grounding/earthing by walking barefoot or sitting on a sandy beach.
  • Expose yourself to negative ions like waterfalls, and ocean. Other nature’s negative ion source is a Himalayan salt lamp.
  • Nutrition! Antioxidants such as Vitamin C, E, Zinc, Turmeric, and more can help protect tissues and cells in the body from EMF radiation damages.

You can not completely avoid things that affect negatively in our body. But you can at least be conscious of things in life. And don’t forget to be grateful for nature protect you, aside from being aware of the EMF dangers.

 

Especially, when you are in the middle of a difficult time in healing, you want to consider those EMF radiation exposures as one of the causes for slowing down the process. The system and the function of the body are too weak to either eliminate toxins or regenerate the new tissues.

It could be a challenge but baby steps!

 

 

DefenderShield Cell Phone Radiation Protection Case

References:

Natural News

Wellness Mama

 

Organic restaurants are safe and healthy choice when going out for food?

Make Choices, Spirit for Healing December 21, 2017

 

When we are just about to enter the healing journey, eating out isn’t the first one to cut out of your life, because we have our social lives to keep. So we start suggesting friends to go to restaurants that serve more vegetables, gluten free, vegan/vegetarian options, and better yet they are either partially or completely organic. As far as I know, most of those restaurants support local farmers. That’s great! We feel less guilty eating fries if they are made in “healthy” restaurants.

Are they really healthy?

I have worked in different restaurants such as a bar, oyster house, and vegan/vegetarians’ over the years as a cook. And I have never found any restaurants that satisfy my way of eating when it comes to the way those restaurants make food, and ingredients and the way they are combined in a dish.

First of all, you don’t know what you are about to eat is really fresh. The food prep is usually done at least a day or two ago. If restaurants were slow on those days, they could be sitting in a fridge for days. Vegetable are exposed to oxygen and lights after being cut into pieces. Nutrients will be lost quickly, especially when they were pre-cooked.

Secondly, I like to mention about kitchen equipments. Among the restaurants I had worked in the past, some restaurants used teflon frying pans and aluminum pots besides stainless steel or cast iron ones. How about dishwasher they use? Do you think they use chemical free dish soap? Unfortunately, they don’t. That’s so rare to find places completely chemical free. Once dishes are washed with soap full of chemicals, they stays as they dry out. And you will be eating your food with toxic chemicals on the plates.

Lastly, yet most importantly, the biggest concern of mine is the oil. Especially, the vegetable oils such as canola oil, sunflower oil, olive oil, avocado oil, and other vegetable oils. I have written more about oils here.

The word free radicals has been well-known since a lot of scientists and doctors confirmed that they were responsible for the health crisis and degenerative diseases.  They are created from our body’s natural metabolism but the problem here I want to talk about is the way we consume oils is hugely contributing the free radical toxicity in the body.

When oils are heated, exposed to light or air, they change the chemical structure and become active as unpaired electron in the structure tries to pair up with other electron. This unpaired electron acts like a knife in the body damages the tissues and organs. This is so called free radical damages in the body.

Some oils such as coconut oil, palm oil, butter, ghee, and refined oils like high oleic sunflower oil, or high oleic safflower oil are more stable in the heat. But ideally all oils should not be heated especially when we are healing from degenerative conditions.

Restaurants consume so much oil a day so that they have to buy oils in huge bulks which usually come in plastics. When they are used for cooking, usually they are heated in high temperature.

Everybody has their own unique healing abilities. And there are differences how fast you degenerate your health or heal from health conditions. Because we all have weaknesses and strengths in different tissues and organs. So we can’t really compare with others who could be eating McDonald’s for years and they could be having no problems at all (or not paying attention to their health. Usually they are on medications masking what really is happening to their body.).

I come back to the question “How bad you want your health back?”. We can’t force anyone to do what they should do.    It’s always up to us whether we want to commit to our health.

Love in food that we are eating!

I also believe in healing property of the food we are eating. When we make food our own with love and healing energy, the food become more nutritious and will be assimilated optimally in the body.

If a cook in a restaurant had a bad day and making your food with anger, or is having a super busy moment and making your food with the pressure, your food could be burnt (which is carcinogenic) and carries on the stress as its energy.

Especially, when you are willing to reverse the health condition, take time to make your food with prayer and good healing energy.

That’s probably what you would be doing if you are trying to impress someone who you really like.                                     So why don’t you for yourself? (This is SELF-LOVE!)