Five Seasons Women’s Wellness: Health and Wellness Blog

The holly-jolly season of overindulgence is finally behind us, and a fresh new year is stretched out at our feet. A sense of new beginnings and change lights the air as we formulate brilliant resolutions regarding health, wealth, family and happiness for the year to come.  We will all lose weight, exercise daily, eat better, become better money managers, do more things we enjoy, donate more time and money to charity, take more (or fewer) risks, become less stressed, travel more, make more time for our friends, families and ourselves, read more books, finish all those projects we started last year and become better people overall! Yes we will!

Ok, well, maybe some of our resolutions are a little far-reaching, but how can you become the person you want to be without dreaming the dream?  First things first- you’re probably feeling a little sluggish and tight in the waistband after all that holiday mirth, so how about a quick and easy detox!  Detox can be a scary word, so lets use post-holiday “freshen-up’er.”

A quick warning first: Winter is by nature a time of reflection and storage, and serious cleansing during this time can drastically deplete your energy, making you more susceptible to pathogens and creating long-term imbalances.  It’s best to hold off on the big detoxes, umhum, I mean “freshen-up’ers” until spring.

An easy post-holiday “freshen-up’er” can give you the boost you need to help make your resolutions become a reality!  It’s simple: for at least a few weeks, stick to a diet rich in cooked organic veggies, fruits and grains, drink lots of clean room-temp water, enjoy moderate exercise, allow time for high-quality sleep and reduce your stress as much as possible.  Avoid super refined food, alcohol, caffeine and sugar.  That’s it- no blender, pills or starvation required!

While this is an ideal year-round routine, eating simply, exercising and taking extra good care of yourself for a few weeks allows your body to heal and release that gunky holiday build-up.   After a few weeks, you will feel clearer, more energized and ready to tackle that long list of resolutions.  (Hey, I think you may have already realized a few!)

Sample Menu:

Day One
Breakfast: Oatmeal or oat groats with cinnamon and goji berries
Lunch: Roasted winter squash with steamed kale and toasted walnuts
Dinner: Brussels sprouts with lemon, pepper and toasted pine nuts, multigrain tempeh and quinoa
Dessert: Baked apple with cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg
Snack: Toasted nuts with goji berries

Day Two
Breakfast: Amaranth with cinnamon and raisins
Lunch: Mashed parsnips (really, they’re good!), toasted almonds and lightly steamed dandelion greens
Dinner: Split pea soup with carrots and turnips
Dessert: Baked pear with cranberries and toasted walnuts
Snack: Popcorn with nutritional yeast and flax oil (one of my personal favorites)

Note: For a more long-term diet, add more protein like beans, nuts and small amounts of animal protein.

Happy New Year!

I wish you all the best of health, happiness and prosperity in 2009!

Diet pills may seem like a quick and easy way to shed those unwanted post-holiday pounds, but they can be dangerous.  A recent FDA analysis of diet drugs found 28 brands containing undeclared, potentially deadly ingredients.

Complaints about weight loss pills have increased over the last five years with consumers stating that the pills cause heart palpitations, dizziness and shortness of breath.  In past two decades, various diet pills have been removed from the market after causing heart problems and death.

There is no safe, quick fix for weight loss.  Eating a well balanced diet and getting plenty of exercise are still the best ways to loose weight.  Acupuncture and herbal medicine can assist the weight loss process by optimizing the digestive system and balancing the body’s endocrine system, but diet and exercise are still key.

According the the FDA, the following weight loss pills are “tainted” and should not be used:

- Fatloss Slimming

- 2 Day Diet

- 3x Slimming Power

- Japan Lingzhi 24 Hours Diet

- 5x Imelda Perfect Slimming

- 3 Day Diet

- 7 Day Herbal Slim

- 8 Factor Diet

- 7 Diet Day/Night Formula

- 999 Fitness Essence

- Extrim Plus

- GMP

- Imelda Perfect Slim

- Lida DaiDaihua

- Miaozi Slim Capsules

- Perfect Slim

- Perfect Slim 5x

- Phyto Shape

- ProSlim Plus

- Royal Slimming Formula

- Slim 3 in 1

- Slim Express 360

- Slimtech

- Somotrim

- Superslim

- TripleSlim

- Zhen de Shou

- Venom Hyperdrive 3.0

FDA Press Release

How to Cope with Seasonal Affective Disorder

The long and dark Pacific Northwest winters can take a toll on your health.  No one likes month after month of cold rain and grey skies, but for some, the winter moths can be debilitating.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a mood disorder that is thought to be caused by a lack of natural sunlight.  Symptoms associated with SAD such as low energy, depression, anxiety, weight gain, carbohydrate cravings, difficulty concentrating, social withdrawal, and somnolence, make it difficult to perform the daily functions that life demands.

While living with SAD may make you feel like you have a grey cloud permanently hovering over your head, there are some things you can do to help fight the winter blues.

Visit your Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner regularly:  While SAD is triggered by a lack of natural sun light, it is like any other mood disorder in that it stems from a deeper internal imbalance.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) everything has a yin and yang aspect: opposing forces that complement one another and form part of a greater whole. Spring and summer are fundamentally more yang in nature (yang= warmth, activity, brightness, expanding, joy, growth), while autumn and winter are fundamentally more yin in nature (yin= dark, cold, damp, contracting, passive, isolation, sadness, storage).

For those people whose constitutions tend to be more yin in nature, the effects of decreased yang energy during the fall and winter months can be more pronounced, leading to depression, lethargy, somnolence, cloudy thinking, a heavy feeling in the limbs, weight gain and overeating of “quick energy” foods like simple carbohydrates- all symptoms of SAD.

Acupuncture and herbal medicine can help boost yang energy in the body, counteracting the effects of the dark yin seasons and alleviating the symptoms of SAD.  Yang boosting treatments can also help ward off other cold weather related disorders like yeast infections, amenorrhea, sinus infections, colds, arthritis, asthma, pain and much more.

Get more exercise:  Exercise, especially aerobic, is yang in nature and triggers the body to release endorphins.  Endorphins, in turn, trigger positive feelings in the body.  Exercise has been proven to reduce stress, diminish the perception of pain, boost self-esteem, improve sleep and increase overall health.

Eat a balanced diet rich in warming yang foods:  Steer clear of cold foods like salads, ice cream, ice water, raw fruits and veggies in fall and winter.  Cold foods, both in the energetic and temperature sense, tend to extinguish yang, which can exacerbate symptoms of SAD over the long-term.  Instead, choose hot soups, whole grains, cooked veggies, fruits and meats seasoned with warming spices like dry ginger, cinnamon and garlic.  Fried foods, dairy, and simple carbohydrates can also create an overabundance of yin, so limit these.

Increase outdoor activities, especially on sunny days: Even in the greyest of winters the sun does occasionally peak through the clouds.  When el sol’s rays finally part the darkness, make sure you’re there to soak up the glory.  Even on cloudy days, some of the sun’s depression fighting magic makes it through the clouds, so make friends with the rain and enjoy more outdoor activities.  If you can’t make it outside, open up the blinds and let the sun shine in.

Watch Blue Crush, over and over again:  Ok, maybe not Blue Crush, but watch something warm and summery.  Research has shown that watching movies featuring warm and sunny climates can lift your mood.  It may sound strange, but it’s easy enough and worth a try.

Make sure you are getting enough vitamin D:  Vitamin D is produced when the sun’s rays hit our skin, so levels naturally fall during winter.  Low vitamin D levels have been linked to SAD, and one study found vitamin D supplementation to be more effective than light therapy in treating SAD.  Vitamin D is essential to our health, and in 2007, The Canadian Cancer Society began recommending that all adult Canadians consider taking 1000 IU of vitamin D during the fall and winter months. Vitamin D is generally considered safe, but can be toxic if taken in large doses.  It’s best to stick to the recommended daily dosage or consult a physician if you feel you need a higher dose.

Make your own sun:  Light therapy is one of the most common treatments for SAD.  There are a variety of light boxes available on the market ranging in price from about 200 to 500 dollars.  Light boxes are designed to mimic the effects of the sun.  Light therapy generally entails exposing your eyes to a light box for 15 minutes to several hours per day.

Foster connections with friends and family:  Although it can be difficult keeping your social and family connections alive when you’re down, doing so can help keep depression from spiraling out of control.  Talk to those close to you and let them know how you feel.  Make plans- play games, watch movies, go out to dinner, dance- whatever it is you like to do- just stay connected and have fun!

Make a list of things you can do to help yourself: You know yourself best.  Make a list of 10 things you can do to lift your mood during the somber winter months.  Pick one or two of the easiest things and try them for a week.  How do you feel?

Other hints: Keep a regular schedule- wake up and go to sleep at the same time every day and work at least one depression busting activity into your daily routine; avoid caffeine; try uplifting aromas like clary sage, bergamot, rose, sandalwood and ylang-ylang; take a vacation to a sunny spot.

While you can’t change the Northwest winters, there are things you can do to help fight the winter blues.  Take care of yourself and be well!

Harvard Study Reports Happiness is Contagious

Not that you needed it, but now you have one more excuse to indulge in the merriment of the holidays.  A Harvard study recently published in the British Medical Journal confirms that happiness is contagious!

The more happy people you are surrounded by, the happier you will be!  In fact, co-authors Nicholas Christakis and James Fowler found that having just one happy friend or family member increases your chances of being happy by about 9 percent. In comparison, they reported that having an extra $5,000 only increases happiness by about 2 percent.  Happy friends are worth more than gold!

According to Fowler, “happiness has been shown to have an important effect on reduced mortality, pain reduction, and improved cardiac function. So better understanding of how happiness spreads can help us learn how to promote a healthier society.”

So, now it’s up to you to smile, laugh, chuckle, hop, dance, twinkle, beam, hug, and share your happiness with friends and family this holiday season and on into the new year. Your health depends on it!

FDA Warns Against Cold Medicine for Children Under 6

In January, an FDA panel recommended against the use of cold and cough medicine for children under the age of 6.

The FDA completed a review earlier last year that found 123 child deaths from decongestants and antihistamines between 1969 and 2006.

After a two-day hearing, the experts agreed that it is not appropriate to take data from adults and apply it to children, and called for new studies.

Cold Care the Natural Way

Even with treatment, our bodies have to do the work to fight off the pathogens. Over the counter cold medicines simply mask symptoms, allowing us to ignore the signals our bodies send us. Listening to our bodies, and following the guidelines listed below, gives us a competitive edge over the pathogens and helps us on our way to a speedy recovery.

Tips for a speedy recovery:

• Bed rest is of the utmost importance when you or your child is sick. Resting frees up your body’s energy and allows it to fight pathogens more effectively. Don’t push yourself. Rest! Rest! Rest!
• Stay well hydrated. Avoid sugary drinks such as soda or juice, which compromise your immune system. Drink warm or room temperature water.
• Avoid rich, greasy, sugary and overly spicy foods. Eat bland, lightly salted foods such as chicken soup.
• Stay warm and avoid drafts.
• Finally, use common sense. If fever is very high, symptoms are severe or last longer than you think they should, consult your doctor or TCM practitioner.