Today I would like to give you practical advice on taking responsibility for your wellness. It's not an easy thing to change your lifestyle. So many of us are caught up in habit and in convenience. You'll have to trust me when I tell you that actually cooking real food instead of opening a box or can, can be a spiritual action. It can be a destressor element to your day. Preparing your meals can actually be meditative!
It also forces you to think about what you are planning to eat, therefore lessening the chance of a quick drive-thru high fat, high sodium, junk meal. Dare I ask you to commit to NOT eating at fast food places for the next month? Dare I ask you to cook real food for a month? You know you just may not want to go back to those drive-thru places after a month. Hey, I'm not kidding.
For the next month before you eat anything I want you to ask yourself: Is it nutritious? I want you to think about what you eat. Keep a food journal, but expand it a little. Write not just about what you eat, but how you feel about your level of wellness and how you feel about the changes you are making to improve your state of wellness.
I would like you to write me about your progress if you'd like to. You can write to me at quantumwellness@charter.net I'll be your cheerleader, your listener......your partner in wellness.
There have been a few books which have made a lasting change in how I take care of myself. I'd like to share these books with you. I hope you find them as enlightening and helpful as I did!
Let's get started!
First, let's look at some books about nutrition.
Dr Joel Fuhrman has written an excellent book regarding nutrition.
"Eat to Live: The Revolutionary Formula for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss"
This book is especially good for folks with auto-immune disorders!
You can buy it here: http://tinyurl.com/h4lxo
Stephen Nugent, PhD has written an excellent book, "The Missing Nutrients". Do you think you eat well? Do you think you are getting all the nutrients your body needs to function optimally? Read this easily understood book to discover what your diet is missing. This is a not-to-be missed book. Get it today for the health of both you and your family.
You can buy it here: http://tinyurl.com/ogw9h
Mark Hyman and Mark Liponis, both doctors, have written an excellent book I think everyone should read!
"Ultraprevention: The 6 Week Plan That Will Make You Healthy For Life"
Lots of good info in this book! This is a life-changing awesome book with an emphasis on prevention of health problems.
You can buy it here: http://tinyurl.com/ecfxp
Next post we'll talk about exercise! But you don't have to wait till then. If it's ok with your physician, why not start today to incorporate more exercise into your life. You can do it in small increments. Park farther away from the store when you go shopping, don't use the automatic doors at the store, (use the door which requires you to expend a little energy), take a walk at lunch-time or before you go to work, take the stairs instead of the elevator. If you give it some thought, I am sure you can come up with more small opportunities for exercise in your daily life.
OK, these books will get you started! Read them and go get some REAL food!
Think how GOOD you will feel knowing how much better you are taking care of yourself!
Until next post.......Happy Reading!!!!
and don't forget to let me know how you're doing!
Wishing you wellness and joy,
Pam Murphy,B.S.,RRT
http://pamsnutritionstore.com
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Sunday, March 12, 2006
Wellness and the Magic of Harry Potter
Why has Harry Potter and his magical world grabbed the attention of so many people, young and old alike? Because in Harry's world, for a few moments, we can immerse ourselves in and touch magic in another world. Harry Potter is a mythical character but there really is a magic in life, just as Harry Potter has shown us. The magic in and of our lives is a package deal, mind, body and spirit. Ignore or deny one part of the package of who you are and your magic, the wellness of your life, diminishes.
You must have a balance between mind, body and spirit. They are interconnected. If negative, your thoughts and attitudes can play havoc with your body and spirit . If positive your thoughts and attitudes will strengthen your body and spirit. Your physical self wants to be well. In fact, the immune system is "geared" to healing your body. You have seen your body repair itself when you have had a paper cut or a broken bone or the sniffles. Illness is your physical self screaming that it isn't getting what it needs to work optimally. It is your self out of balance. Your physical body doesn't just need vitamins, minerals and glyconutrients. Illness begs the questions; How am I NOT taking care of myself? What do I need to change in my life? Does my life make me happy or am I stressed? One should ask oneself those questions periodically even if not experiencing illness.
In my life, the darkness in my journey with Lupus gave way to a light, to the magic of life, which I may have never seen so well without my lupus journey. Through my journey with Lupus (from which I am about to celebrate 2 yrs in remission), I found magic in THIS world. And you can too! It is our birthright. We are meant to live an abundant and enriched life! Indeed a life with no limits.
My journey back to wellness taught me how we limit ourselves.
We limit ourselves when we:
1. eat unconsciously - without thinking about what's best for our physical self
2. allow negative thoughts and attitudes to dominate
3. live unauthentically
4. settle for less in our relationships
5. fail to exercise regularly
6. fail to take time to be awed, to be grateful, to give back
How many of those can you relate too? Undoubtedly (and unfortunately) this is not an exhaustive list of how we limit ourselves. With a little thought I'm sure you can add to this list. Perhaps, you might give some thought to how you limit yourself and how you can "unlimit" yourself! It is in "unlimiting" yourself; by being willing to change and grow, by taking responsibility for your total wellness, that you will experience life's magic at it's best.
Wishing you wellness and joy,
Pam Murphy,B.S.,RRT
http://pamsnutritionstore.com
This article may be reprinted in it's entirety including title, authors name and website.
You must have a balance between mind, body and spirit. They are interconnected. If negative, your thoughts and attitudes can play havoc with your body and spirit . If positive your thoughts and attitudes will strengthen your body and spirit. Your physical self wants to be well. In fact, the immune system is "geared" to healing your body. You have seen your body repair itself when you have had a paper cut or a broken bone or the sniffles. Illness is your physical self screaming that it isn't getting what it needs to work optimally. It is your self out of balance. Your physical body doesn't just need vitamins, minerals and glyconutrients. Illness begs the questions; How am I NOT taking care of myself? What do I need to change in my life? Does my life make me happy or am I stressed? One should ask oneself those questions periodically even if not experiencing illness.
In my life, the darkness in my journey with Lupus gave way to a light, to the magic of life, which I may have never seen so well without my lupus journey. Through my journey with Lupus (from which I am about to celebrate 2 yrs in remission), I found magic in THIS world. And you can too! It is our birthright. We are meant to live an abundant and enriched life! Indeed a life with no limits.
My journey back to wellness taught me how we limit ourselves.
We limit ourselves when we:
1. eat unconsciously - without thinking about what's best for our physical self
2. allow negative thoughts and attitudes to dominate
3. live unauthentically
4. settle for less in our relationships
5. fail to exercise regularly
6. fail to take time to be awed, to be grateful, to give back
How many of those can you relate too? Undoubtedly (and unfortunately) this is not an exhaustive list of how we limit ourselves. With a little thought I'm sure you can add to this list. Perhaps, you might give some thought to how you limit yourself and how you can "unlimit" yourself! It is in "unlimiting" yourself; by being willing to change and grow, by taking responsibility for your total wellness, that you will experience life's magic at it's best.
Wishing you wellness and joy,
Pam Murphy,B.S.,RRT
http://pamsnutritionstore.com
This article may be reprinted in it's entirety including title, authors name and website.
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Tell Congress To Protect Your Health Freedom
Very Important!
A few honorable gentlemen of the House Mr. PAUL ,Mr. JONES of North Carolina, Mr. DUNCAN, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland, Mr. BURTON of Indiana, Mr. MILLER of Florida, and Mr. BISHOP of Utah
have introduced a bill to end, at long last, the gag rule with which the nutrient-hostile FDA has used to suppress both free speech and important health information!
HR 4292 not only allows brief, 3 sentence health claims supported by science, it also shifts the burden of proof that a health claim is false to the Government, the accuser, in other words, where it actually belongs.
Now it is OUR JOB to give it support! GO HERE and make your voice heard so that the TRUTH about the supplements YOU take can be told: http://tinyurl.com/b5br3
Wishing you wellness and joy,
Pam Murphy,B.S.,RRT
Sunday, October 16, 2005
CHOOSING TO DANCE WITH LIFE
I was watching a dance competition on tv the other day. The fluidity of the dancers movement was absolutely stunning. I was riveted to the tv. The dance was beautiful. It struck me that life is a dance. Sometimes it steps on our toe. Sometimes we sit on the sidelines. Other times we are joined to life in a fluid dance.....because we are meant to dance......
Are you dancing with life? Or sitting on the sidelines?
Even when life is dysfunctional with illness we can still dance with life. We can still dance because each of us has something special, something unique to give to this world. But when life is dysfunctional because of illness we need to take care of ourselves in an even more caring way. The drugs we take rob our bodies of nutrition, which makes nutrition even more important.
How far ahead of his time was Thomas Edison when he said:
"The doctor of the future will no longer treat the human frame with drugs, but rather will cure and prevent disease with nutrition."
Or was he not ahead of his time? Did most of his contemporaries (and most modern physicians) just ignore wisdom from long ago?
"Let food be thy medicine, and let thy medicine be food." Hippocrates
Despite all the advertising to the contrary health and wellness does not come in a pill.True wellness is much more than suppressing a symptom with a pill. Or as in many lupus patients lives ten or 12 or more prescriptions.
And I can hear you now asking, "Pam are you suggesting I not take my meds?"
The short answer to that is "no".
What I suggest to you today is that you CHANGE the things in your life which you can, which do not promote wellness. I personally know people with lupus, who smoke, still use artificial sweeteners, drink soda and eat processed foods. And because I've walked in their shoes, I know why they continue to do things which are harmful to their health. They don't believe they can ever be well again so why not do what they enjoy. I've even had a person with lupus tell me drinking soda was her last remaining joy in life. She told me in no uncertain terms, no matter what evidence I could show her of the harm it could cause her body she had no intentions of quitting ever.
I wanted to hug her. At that moment she needed a hug more than she needed a lecture about nutrition. I understand the level of despair and lack of hope that would cause someone to have such an attitude. Physicians often don't have anything positive to say to a person with Lupus about their future. It's hard to be positive in the face of being sick 24/7. It's hard to have your life turned upside down and your dreams rerouted.
BUT is giving in and giving up the answer? Isn't it more logical to want to do everything in your power to give your body every chance to regain health? Isn't life worth fighting for? Aren't YOU worth fighting for? I think yes you are! I KNOW life is worth fighting for and I KNOW you are, too.
Though you may be in so much emotional pain from having the rug pulled out from under your life by this wolf called Lupus....that you haven't been able to see it..........
YOU still have a CHOICE!
So CHOOSE LIFE! Choose to make choices in your life, your nutrition and your thoughts which promote wellness. Choose to eat well, to take care of your body and choose your thoughts carefully. Choose a physician who is positive and one you can talk to easily. Wellness is achieved thru a delicate balance of mind, body and spirit.
So please take off those old shoes which don't want to dance and find yourself a new pair of shoes. You've got a lot of dancing still to do.
Wishing you wellness and joy,
Pam Murphy,B.S.,RRT
http://pamsnutritionstore.com
PS: Stay tuned for future posts RE: choices that promote wellness
Are you dancing with life? Or sitting on the sidelines?
Even when life is dysfunctional with illness we can still dance with life. We can still dance because each of us has something special, something unique to give to this world. But when life is dysfunctional because of illness we need to take care of ourselves in an even more caring way. The drugs we take rob our bodies of nutrition, which makes nutrition even more important.
How far ahead of his time was Thomas Edison when he said:
"The doctor of the future will no longer treat the human frame with drugs, but rather will cure and prevent disease with nutrition."
Or was he not ahead of his time? Did most of his contemporaries (and most modern physicians) just ignore wisdom from long ago?
"Let food be thy medicine, and let thy medicine be food." Hippocrates
Despite all the advertising to the contrary health and wellness does not come in a pill.True wellness is much more than suppressing a symptom with a pill. Or as in many lupus patients lives ten or 12 or more prescriptions.
And I can hear you now asking, "Pam are you suggesting I not take my meds?"
The short answer to that is "no".
What I suggest to you today is that you CHANGE the things in your life which you can, which do not promote wellness. I personally know people with lupus, who smoke, still use artificial sweeteners, drink soda and eat processed foods. And because I've walked in their shoes, I know why they continue to do things which are harmful to their health. They don't believe they can ever be well again so why not do what they enjoy. I've even had a person with lupus tell me drinking soda was her last remaining joy in life. She told me in no uncertain terms, no matter what evidence I could show her of the harm it could cause her body she had no intentions of quitting ever.
I wanted to hug her. At that moment she needed a hug more than she needed a lecture about nutrition. I understand the level of despair and lack of hope that would cause someone to have such an attitude. Physicians often don't have anything positive to say to a person with Lupus about their future. It's hard to be positive in the face of being sick 24/7. It's hard to have your life turned upside down and your dreams rerouted.
BUT is giving in and giving up the answer? Isn't it more logical to want to do everything in your power to give your body every chance to regain health? Isn't life worth fighting for? Aren't YOU worth fighting for? I think yes you are! I KNOW life is worth fighting for and I KNOW you are, too.
Though you may be in so much emotional pain from having the rug pulled out from under your life by this wolf called Lupus....that you haven't been able to see it..........
YOU still have a CHOICE!
So CHOOSE LIFE! Choose to make choices in your life, your nutrition and your thoughts which promote wellness. Choose to eat well, to take care of your body and choose your thoughts carefully. Choose a physician who is positive and one you can talk to easily. Wellness is achieved thru a delicate balance of mind, body and spirit.
So please take off those old shoes which don't want to dance and find yourself a new pair of shoes. You've got a lot of dancing still to do.
Wishing you wellness and joy,
Pam Murphy,B.S.,RRT
http://pamsnutritionstore.com
PS: Stay tuned for future posts RE: choices that promote wellness
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