Restoring Balance with Reflexology
By Jackie Christensen, BS, HHP, NC, MH
Faculty Member of GCNM
Many cultures have exhibited a tradition of reflexology to help restore balance to the body. The oldest documentation of reflexology dates back to around 2500BC-2330BC and was found in a physician's tomb in Egypt. The hieroglyphs depict medical practitioners treating the hands and feet of patients. Another form of reflexology discovered by archeologists, were stone-carved reflexology charts of Buddha’s feet dating to around 40 B.C. This form of reflexology was thought to have been practiced by Buddhist monks and can be traced as they migrated from India to China, Japan, Korea, Tibet and Vietnam. Although the Chinese had already established their own form of foot therapy massage with the introduction of Buddhism there were different reflexology techniques. Another theory claims that a form of reflexology was passed on to the Native Americans by the Incas. This form of reflexology has been practiced by the North American people for generations. Today, reflexology has become part of mainstream medical therapy in India, and has flourished in many European countries. In Germany the course of study for a reflexologist is comparable to that of a medical physician.
Reflexology is based on the belief that there are reflex areas on the feet, hands, and ears that correspond to different parts of the body and major organs. When pressure is applied to a specific area on the feet and hands (bottom, sides, and top) and the ear (both inside as far as the finger can reach and outside) it will affect internal organs and body systems; help to clear out congestion; and restore normal functioning and health. As the reflexologist applies the exact amount of pressure with the thumbs or fingers to a specific spot it can stimulate the flow of energy, blood, nutrients, and nerve impulses to the corresponding body zone and thereby relieve ailments in that zone. A reflexologist may perform a general session, an integrated session or may focus on specific problem areas. Whatever the approach the reflexologist uses, the attempt is to release congestion or stress in the nervous system and balance the body's energy.
Reflexology is believed to heal a number of illnesses ranging from back pain to migraines to sleep disorders. Sinus sufferers have experienced instant relief from congestion. People with sports injuries have claimed that it helped them to recover quicker. Arthritis sufferers have also found it has eased their pain. Reflexology has also been found to have psychological benefits such as improving self-confidence and helping increase concentration. As it helps the body to naturally maintain its balance, this therapy is thought to help prevent possible problems from emerging. It aims to bring about greater unity of mind, body, and spirit. As well as being an excellent form of relaxation.
To represent how the body systems correspond to one another, Reflexologists use reflexology "maps." Maps of reflex points have been passed between practitioners across the globe. Understandably, there is not agreement among all Reflexologists on all points; however, general agreement does exist on major reflex points and studies have shown that specific spots on the skin correspond with internal organs.
Over the past 25 years reflexology has grown increasingly popular as both as a complement to other treatments and as preventive measure. With the current wellness boom in the United States, reflexology is on the forefront of alternative therapies.
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Book Review
The Ultimate pH Solution, Balance Your Body Chemistry to Prevent Disease and Lose Weight
By Michelle Schoffro Cook, DNM, DCA, CNC
Michelle Schoffro Cook is a doctor of natural medicine, doctor of acupuncture, biofeedback therapist and holistic nutritionist living in Ottawa Canada. Her accomplishments include authoring five books, receiving the 2006 World Leading Intellectual Award for her contributions to natural medicine, and contributing to the publications Well Being Journal and Herbs for Health. Michelle has been on a long quest to study the role of nutrition in good health and disease prevention that began as a personal journey to heal using foods as medicine. This book is described as “capturing the paramount significance” of the acid-alkaline balance for good health and presenting a game plan for anyone desiring to experience vibrant health and energy, and live free of pain and disease. In user friendly language Michelle describes her strategy of “kicking acid”. She believes, after twenty years of research and much experience with her clients, that balancing your body’s pH is the secret to good health. In this book she shares with us information on changes we can make to gain a sense of empowerment and control over our health and life.
First, we learn the shocking extent of the dangerous revolution taking place, causing our ill health, the industrialization and commercialization of our food supply and the very sad fact that this is all done in favor of big business, food technologies and corporate profits. Our foods no longer contain the building blocks of life, the micro and macro nutrients, phytochemicals, enzymes, fiber, amino acids, natural sugars and essential fats required to create and maintain healthy new cells and organs. Michelle offers simple solutions and changes you can easily make to avoid harmful foods and regain your health. The acidic standard American diet destroys our bodies.
Simply stated, the pH balance of our bodies can be managed with careful selection of the foods we put into them. Our blood feeds our tissues, organs and body systems and should be balanced to be neutral to slightly alkaline, ideally at 7.365 on a scale that ranges from 0 (highly acid) to 14 (highly alkaline). The bowels should be slightly acidic, the urine should range between neutral and slightly acidic with the ideal pH being 6.8, our saliva fluctuates from acid to neutral to alkaline with the ideal pH being 7.0 to 7.4. While very single cell in our bodies has an optimum pH range within which it performs its functions, the body is tightly controlled in the mid-range of the pH scale.
Strategies for monitoring your pH presented in this book include the use of different testing, seeing a medical practitioner for blood tests is the most reliable method, however testing the saliva with the use of pH paper test strips found at most health stores is simple, and testing your urine with the same pH strips is an alternative and more accurate than saliva testing.
Stress, toxins, infections, and an acidic diet are discussed as causes of low pH resulting in high acidity. The book includes a self-test for how well you “kick acid”, questioning dietary habits such as sugar, fried foods, desserts, sodas, fast foods, convenience store snacks, dairy products, processed packaged foods, red meat and pork consumption, chicken and fish consumption, smoking, drinking alcohol, OTC use, stress, personal care products and baked products made with white flour, all of which gives you a good idea of the things you will want to avoid. This is followed by a checklist for the symptoms and presence of the diseases of acidity.
There is a lot of information on the effects of chronic acidity, how acidity affects enzymes, mineral assimilation, and the effects of acidity on how we age. Examples of how the body systems work to expel acidity are given. When our blood is acidic the kidneys excrete ammonia into the urine making it strong smelling, providing a clue that we are overly acidic. Urinary infections and kidney stones are also bi-products of acidity that has not been expelled from the body. The lymphatic system carries acid waste out of the body via the lymph fluid, into the veins near the heart, then it is dumped into the bloodstream and the kidneys and liver filter it out of the blood. The lymphatic system relies on movement, deep breathing and massage to effectively pump lymph fluids, so during stressful times when our breathing becomes shallow, or when we are dehydrated this vital system slows down. The body will try to neutralize acid by dumping calcium, potassium, bicarbonate, glutamine and magnesium from the bones and muscles into the bloodstream. The list of diseases caused by acidity is extensive and includes allergies, Alzheimer’s, arteriosclerosis, arthritis, cancer, candidiasis, cardiovascular diseases, chronic fatigue, dementia, depression, diabetes, fibromyalgia, heart attacks, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, hormone imbalances, immune deficiencies, kidney disease, multiple sclerosis, obesity, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, Parkinson’s, prostate problems, sinusitis and stroke.
The recommendations for “kicking acid” are eliminating harmful acidic foods from your diet, choosing healthier acidic food options and keeping them at a low level in your diet, about 30%, increasing alkaline foods to 70 % of your diet, and incorporating alkalinizing lifestyle choices and alkalinizing supplements into your life. Michelle debunks many of the myths about acidity. The facts are that all coffee is acidic no matter how you drink it; all dairy products test alkaline but are acid-forming once eaten; lemons test acidic but have an alkalinizing effect once combined with digestive juices; tomatoes test acidic but have an alkalinizing effect as in the case of lemons; almost all animal protein is acidic but most vegetarian sources of protein are alkaline; millet is slightly acidifying and there is no truth to the statement that it can balance you pH; even breads made from alkalinizing grains that containing yeast, shortening, butter, margarine, preservatives, rising agents and white or wheat flour are acidic; most fruit is acidic but lemons, limes, avocados and tomatoes have an alkalinizing effect once eaten; whether a food is acid or alkaline when tested in a lab, it is the effect when it is combined with our digestive juices that determines if it has an acidifying or alkalinizing effect on our bodies. The book includes much information on alkalinizing dietary choices and suggestions.
Alkalinizing supplements discussed are chlorophyll and chlorella. Full spectrum digestive enzymes that include lipase, protease, amylase, maltase, oxidase, peroxidase, invertase, phosphatase and cellulose are highly recommended as is bromelain. Essential Fatty Acids, multivitamins, and Vitamin C in the alkaline form of calcium ascorbate, not as ascorbic acid which is acidic, B Complex, fresh herbs and spices are all included.
Other lifestyle factors to promote good health are forms of exercise including walking and rebounding, Dry Skin Brushing, Tai Chi and Qi Gong, Yoga, Deep Breathing, Meditation, Massage Therapy, Lymphatic drainage, Acupuncture and Acupressure, Therapeutic Touch, Biofeedback Therapy, Sauna Therapy, Bathing with baking soda, adjusting you attitude to being positive and feeling gratitude are all discussed.
This very powerful little book is a highly recommended survival guide for finding your way past all the controversial information to a clear path to good health and proper pH balance, packed with great information, supported by much reliable research.
Reviewed By Moira Khouri NC, MH, HHP, CCP
Faculty Member of GCNM
Exercise Tips
Exercise of the Month
Exercise Description:
Standing Rear Leg Lifts
To make the exercise more challenging, add ankle weights.
Instructions:
Begin the exercise by standing up tall and holding onto the top of a chair or bench. Feet should be hip distance apart. Shift the weight of the body to the supporting foot. Keep the knee of the supporting leg slightly bent and the knee of the non-supporting leg straight. All movement will come from the hip as the non-supporting leg leaves the ground and moves backward. **Make sure to keep abdominals tight to avoid tipping the body forward.
Motivational Article
5 Steps to Solid, Powerful Goals
by: Stephanie Frank
You know where you want to go, but how do you get there? You may find that making some decisions is easier than others. What do you do first? How long will it take? Will you need help getting there? How do you decide what's right for you?
It helps if you understand what makes you tick; your personal value system. These values are the ones you live with; not necessarily every day, but over the course of your life, that enable you to live with your decisions.
First, sit down and make a list of the top 20 or 30 values that are important to you:
Family
Personal time
Fun
Narrow that list to 10, and then to five. Next, rank those five in numeric order, one against the other, until you have your top three.
When making choices, ask yourself if the decision will honor your top three values. If not, it is the wrong choice for you at the time.
The Five-Step Goal-Setting Process:
1. What do you want? Be specific. This is the first thing to ask yourself in your goal planning process. What is your vision? What is your dream? Without being clear as to your explicit desires, no other steps can be taken, and no progress made.
2. Why do you want it? What value does it serve? These questions are pivotal in your goal-setting process. You must reflect on your values list in order to answer it. Does your desire reflect your values? If so, you've accomplished the second step and are on your way to goal-setting success.
3. When do you want it? Determine specific dates for completion of tasks. This is a crucial part of your goal-setting procedure. Knowing that you have committed yourself to achieving a certain thing by a certain date will enable you to plan your time and thus maximize your efforts.
4. What will you give up or overcome to get it? Make sure you keep in mind why you want your goal. It will give you all the courage you need to push through your fears and move forward.
5. Create a detailed plan to get there. We are not born knowing how to do anything really, except eat, sleep and breathe. The rest we learn as we go along. Creating a detailed plan to achieve your goals is no different. Brainstorm things you can do, actions you can take. Bounce ideas off of friends, relatives. Throw out ideas (none are too insignificant or crazy). After you get the first few implausible or facetious ideas out of the way, more creative, clever and valuable ideas will surface. Brainstorm until you are able to get your ideas down to very specific, measurable tasks that you can then cross off a list when you've finished them.
In order to reach a key goal, you'll need to set interim goals - multiple short-term goals. Broken down into bite-sized pieces, the objectives are less intimidating. If you get stuck trying to create a plan, ask yourself more questions! Keep asking questions until there are no more questions, only actions left.
Prioritize your plan according to your most important goal, approach each goal individually and set a date for completion. You'll be amazed at the progress you make!
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About The Author
Stephanie Frank works with people who want to improve performance and pump up their power to profit. She is the author of the best-selling book, The Accidental Millionaire and founder of The Success IQ University, specializing in personal success, productivity and leadership education.
Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com
Search online for values in the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference.
