Wine & Wellness Wednesday: Elimination Diets

The topic of elimination diets really intrigued me during my initial health coaching certification process. The basic premise of an elimination diet is that you eliminate from your diet the major food groups that cause issues to many people; wheat/gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, and corn. This lasts for anywhere from three to six weeks (naturally, different sources will recommend different timelines). Then you gradually add back one food group at a time and pay attention to how your body feels when you do. An elimination diet is generally used to determine if you have any food allergies or sensitivities (as those can be difficult to test). If your symptoms come back, or if your body starts feeling bad, then quit eating whatever-it-is you added back to your diet!

As a note, it’s probably a good idea to pay attention to what is happening in your life when you try an elimination diet. For some unknown reason, I picked the time when my husband had both knees replaced to do mine. Hospital cafeteria food does not make an elimination diet easy! Luckily for me, friends and family were supportive of my insane plan and helped me figure out what I could eat, in addition to actually bringing me good food that fit the elimination diet parameters.

What exactly happens?

For starters, it’s a good idea to at least move everything out of the kitchen cupboards and refrigerator (if you can) that includes ingredients you’re trying not to eat. I cannot emphasize this enough: READ EVERY LABEL on processed food. I was really pleased to find a gluten-free cracker that I really liked (Nut Thins, made with almonds and rice), only to look more closely at the ingredients and see milk labeled as a seasoning agent. Drat!

You may find yourself cooking from scratch at home more, as it can be difficult to eat out. Eating out is not impossible, and a lot of fun at times! More and more restaurants have healthier options and are good about labeling food allergens. Also, that “cooking from scratch at home more” thing can also be a lot of fun! :) Make a plan, and make a menu. If you go to the grocery store armed with a plan, you’ll be a step ahead in making healthy choices that don’t include one of the food groups you’re trying to eliminate. Also when you plan, include things that may seem indulgent but help you get past foods you’re accustomed to eating that you’re now trying to avoid. Dairy-free ice cream (made with coconut or soy or almond milk), and gluten-free snacks or bread or pasta instead of regular versions, for example, can help you not miss brownies or ice cream or Cheetos. (Although, weirdly, Cheetos are gluten-free…but they’re made with cornmeal!)

Next, live your life! Yes, it’s going to be restrictive, and no, it isn’t going to be easy. You CAN do this, however, and you WILL get through it. I know. I’ve done it. :) The elimination diet I did was a big factor in determining that I have issues with gluten.

After you’ve figured out what you can (and can’t) eat, then you have the opportunity to fine-tune your menu planning and really see long-term, positive, sustainable improvements in how you feel!

Cheers! Here’s to your health!

#winewellnesswednesday

Wine & Wellness Wednesday: Exercise!

For this week’s Wine & Wellness Wednesday, let’s talk exercise. :) Within the past several months, TIME magazine has included several pieces on the benefits of exercise. “The Exercise Cure” was the cover topic on a special double issue in September. It reinforced for me how important it is to exercise, and how it’s never too late to get started. A short version of the benefits appeared in the July 4th issue of the magazine, also; mind-body benefits, memory improvement, increased energy, decreased depression, curbing cravings, and reducing some cancer risks. WOOT! Who wouldn’t want all of those things, right? One of the things I’ve noticed is I almost always feel better on the days I exercise in the morning than when I don’t. It’s become part of my routine, and it energizes me for the day ahead.

Do you have to go to the gym or get specialized equipment for your home? Nope! Go for a walk. Use an old two-liter bottle, filled with water, for weight lifting. Mow the yard. It takes next to nothing to get started and add exercise to your routine. Do you need to go anywhere special? Also nope! You can walk around your block, or go to the mall (no membership fees required). If you do want to go somewhere, there may be more options now than in times past, related to variety of exercise. Zumba. Yoga. Gym membership. Walking clubs. Running clubs. Dance classes. Kickboxing. Dog walking volunteer work. (In fact, taking an agility class with your dog is a great way for both of you to get exercise AND increase your bond!)

The TIME magazine articles are available online if you’re a subscriber (or for a small fee). Otherwise, see the links below for a little additional info. :)

Now that you’re done reading, get moving! What’s your favorite type of exercise? Let me know…and then go do some!! Cheers! Here’s to your health!

Wine & Wellness Wednesday: Get Knitting! (Or Cross Stitching...or Crocheting...)

I’m not sure there are enough words for how much I love today’s #winewellnesswednesday topic. I had something else entirely in mind to write about and then I saw one of the links below and I thought to myself, “YES! That’s my topic today!”

So…what is it?

Knitting & crocheting are good for your health. :)

I’m going to add cross stitching, also, as I get many of the same benefits from sitting down with a needle and thread and aida cloth! I’ve known for a long time that I feel better after I’ve spent some time being crafty & creative, whether it’s working on a crochet or cross stitch project. (I used the phrase “I’m feeling STITCHY” once because I hadn’t cross stitched in weeks, and it led to a resolution to stitch every day, which I have done pretty consistently and it feels great!)

Alleviate depression. Improve motor skills. Reduce stress. Create beauty. All of these are fabulous reasons to pick up knitting or crocheting (or cross stitching). (Currently I’m much, much better at crocheting, but I’ll get the knitting down one of these days. Really. I will.)

Now if you’ll excuse me, I am going to go cross stitch! :)

Wine & Wellness Wednesday: Be Still

I’ve talked about meditation, but today I want to talk about stillness, about just being present with what you’re doing and settling down for quiet time. I’m not focusing on meditation or mindfulness (both excellent topics), although being still could be considered to be related to both of those. It’s just not being frantically busy. Be still. Sit for a conversation. Stop. Take a breath. Step back from hectic. What are the benefits? You’ll be more focused on where you are and what you’re doing. I had the opportunity today after a long day to have a nice, if brief, conversation over a glass of wine, seated in the back yard, enjoying the gorgeous weather. It was one of those moments I felt very present and blissfully still, even though the dogs were hectic and my friend’s small child was active. It helped me set a tone for the remainder of my day and remind me that small moments mean a lot. Blood pressure down, tiredness level dissipated a bit, and contentment level went way up. (And yes, there will be a future post – or posts! – about the benefits of mindfulness…) :)

Where can you make a moment in your day to be still and be present with yourself or with those around you?

Cheers! Here’s to your health!

Wine & Wellness Wednesday: Essential Oils

Close your eyes for a moment. (Ok, I know it’s a silly request when I also, clearly, want you to read this post. But do it anyway after you read the next few sentences!) Think about your favorite scents. Think about a scent that brings back a memory or a feeling that’s so strong that you’re there. Think about a scent that makes you feel happy or content or joyful.

Go ahead. Close your eyes and think for a moment. I’ll wait.

(No, seriously! Close your eyes! Just for a moment.)

What did you think about? Was it someone’s best-ever chocolate chip cookies? Was it the ocean wind over the beach? Or the smell of the garden after a rain, or the almost-forgotten scent of a loved one’s cologne, or the sharp tingle of a campfire’s smoke?

How did it make you feel? Are you calmer, happier, or maybe slightly sad or nostalgic?

Scent is a powerful thing. It can settle us down when we are agitated, or wake us up when we are dragging. Now think about having that scent in a bottle, and that’s one of the reasons that I use essential oils for some things around our home. Primarily, I use them for diffusing (aromatherapy), applying to certain acupressure points, and also for pain relief.

What’s the deal about essential oils? Many plants have beneficial properties, and if properly extracted, the essential oils for those plants compound the benefits. (That’s the theory, anyway.)

(As a side note…many plants have not-so-beneficial properties and yes, the oils compound those as well. We won’t talk about the monkshood in my garden...)

I have a few that I like very much and use almost daily. I also have an excruciatingly sensitive nose (or it seems that way) and many scents (particularly concentrated) really bother me. For example, I don’t use pure lavender oil for anything, but I have two essential oil blends that include lavender and that’s ok for me.

When I did some digging into the topic, I learned all sorts of interesting stuff. Essential oils are now being considered for alternatives to antibiotics in livestock. Some of the compounds in some essential oils might be useful in fighting inflammation caused by air pollution. Some of this I knew already; some essential oils are used in cleaning products, skin care, and even cooking!

If you’re considering adding essential oils to your wellness toolbox, do some research, such as in the WikiBooks item linked in comments. Definitely be cautious when using essential oils topically, as some can irritate your skin (you may want to use a carrier oil). Talk to people and find out what they use and why and how! You will learn something interesting and potentially useful!

If you do already use essential oils, I’d love to hear what types you use, how, and for what! :)

Cheers! Here’s to your health!

Wine & Wellness Wednesday: Translating Produce Labels

Back in April, I wrote about reading labels and translating the difference between organic, natural, and healthy. One of the other, very common labels you’ll see in a grocery store are those stickers that come on your apples, grapefruit, or bell peppers. You’ve probably noticed that produce you buy at the grocery store has a sticker with a four-digit or five-digit code on it. Have you ever wondered what those mean? Or looked it up? Well, you’re in luck! I did…and I did. :) And even though I knew some of this already, I learned something else today!

(Wait a second…fruits and veggies come with stickers?! What about those veggies from the CSA? I KNOW the origin of those veggies. ;) We don’t need stickers for those!)

Prior to today, if you’d said to me, “Jolie, what do those stickers mean?” my answer would have been as follows: five-digit codes starting with a 9 are organic; codes starting with 8 are GMO (genetically-modified organisms), and codes starting with anything else (such as a 3 or a 4) are conventionally grown. The stickers also make it easier for the checkout clerk to identify and scan the produce, instead of trying to tell the difference between a kohlrabi and a cabbage.

What I didn’t know is that the codes are part of a system that’s been in place since the early 1990s, and are now monitored by an organization called the International Federation for Produce Standards (IFPS). (The codes are also optional and not everyone uses them.)

What I learned today is that the IFPS is changing the meaning of the codes and those starting with 8 will no longer specify GMO foods, as the 8s were not being used.

So now, it’s a little simpler. A code starting with 9 must be organic (although it’s still a good idea to look for the USDA certification if you want to be really certain); all other codes are conventionally grown. (What’s that mean? Growers may use pesticides/herbicides on their crops, and nothing will tell you if the produce includes GMOs.)

What are your options? Start at the farmers’ market! :) Know your grower if you possibly can; building a relationship with local farmers is extremely rewarding. If you can’t, and you want to know what’s up with the produce you buy at the store, check the sticker. If organic is important to you, look for the 9s.

Information! It’s good for your health. Cheers!

Wine & Wellness Wednesday: Reading As Meditation

Reading can be good, and reading can be challenging, but have you ever thought about it as a meditative practice that's good for your health? :)

I thought about this recently as I was spending a lot of time reading, and each time I looked up from the book I felt better, and more relaxed, and more ready to tackle something different.

Oddly enough, those reactions are similar to the reactions I have when I meditate! It helps if you like to read (and I do), and if what you’re reading is deeply engaging and helps you focus on it instead of being scattered about by everything that goes on in daily life.

So naturally I went looking for information, to see if anyone else had the idea that reading can be a kind of meditation. And I found some! (See the comments!) :)

What do you think? Have you ever found yourself so immersed in reading that not only did you forget about the world around you, you came out of the reading more relaxed and in a better frame of mind?

Cheers! Here’s to your health!

Wine & Wellness Wednesday: Superfoods!

What on earth is a superfood? I found myself wondering that recently when I was at a bookstore and I saw several superfood cookbooks. Huh? So I looked it up. A superfood is a nutrient-rich food considered to be especially beneficial for health and well-being. Ok…so what exactly does that mean? (Also! Surprise! I did NOT buy another cookbook! Anyone who knows me knows just how shocking that is!) Foods labeled as “superfoods” are higher in nutrients, antioxidants, vitamins, etc., and include blueberries, acai berries, goji berries, salmon, seaweed, and chia seeds, to name a few. (It could also be said that “superfood” is a new marketing term to get attention; well, it worked!)

There’s a key item to note here, by the way; there is no legal or medical definition for “superfood.” So what do you do? Wait until the scientific evidence is all available? Nah. By all means try adding some of the items I’ve mentioned to your menus! Blueberries are one of my favorite fruits; knowing they’re healthy for me is an added bonus. :) I frequently add a tablespoon of chia seeds to yogurt. (I’ve even had blueberry-acai dark chocolates, but I have a feeling that the added sugar negated the health benefits of blueberries, acai, and even the dark chocolate. LOL!)

Cheers! Here’s to your health!

Wine & Wellness Wednesday: Three Reasons You Should Try Acupuncture

I am thrilled to present this week’s Wine & Wellness Wednesday on acupuncture! I started going for acupuncture about two years ago and it has become an important tool in my personal wellness toolbox.

This topic comes to us from Stephanie Braunwarth, L.Ac.,FABORM, RYT-200, with Des Moines Acupuncture Clinic. (http://desmoinesacupunctureworks.com)

For thousands of years, individuals have been using Chinese medicine and acupuncture as a way to heal the root cause of their health conditions.  Whether your health concern is physical (stress, digestion, infertility, hormone imbalance, poor sleep, musculoskeletal pain) or emotional (anxiety, sadness, irritability, etc.) acupuncture can treat the underlying cause of these life-altering health challenges so you can live a life on your terms and with purpose!  Your body tries to heal itself every day.  It’s called homeostasis.  Acupuncture stimulates the process of healing in a directed way, through the insertion of needles into the skin, increasing circulation to any area of the body that needs healing.

There are a number of amazing benefits to regular acupuncture care.  The following explains just three of the reasons why you should add it to your healthcare regime:

1)        It treats the root cause of your symptoms

We take an over-the-counter pain reliever or NSAID for our muscle tension and headaches, an anti-histamine for our allergies, birth-control pills for our menstrual cramps, and an anti-diarrheal for our IBS.  These medications, though, are masking your symptoms and not treating the root cause of why you have the symptom in the first place.  They may be a temporary relief, which at times is necessary, but when a condition becomes chronic, the issue lies in the person’s body constitution.  That’s where acupuncture and Chinese medicine come in.  Acupuncture treats each individual uniquely, based on what their body needs and what traditional diagnostics are showing.  By treating the root cause of a health condition, the individual’s health stabilizes and their body becomes more in balance.

2)        It reduces the body’s stress response

Your stressors aren’t going to disappear with acupuncture, unfortunately, but your body’s response to potential stress will be reduced.  Acupuncture helps to relax the sympathetic nervous system, which kicks in to high gear when we are in fight or flight mode.  We need our fight or flight response when we are in danger, but do we need it sitting in traffic or at our job each day?  Daily activities will be more enjoyable when we are in a more relaxed, coherent state.

3) Better sleep

When our sympathetic nervous systems don’t feel the need to release cortisol all night long, the body can more easily go in to rest and digest mode and sleep soundly through the night.  Our bodies heal and repair when we sleep.  If we don’t sleep, we don’t heal, period.

Wine & Wellness Wednesday: Going Gluten-Free

This is a topic that’s been weighing on my mind for a long time. It’s difficult to talk about, because it’s complex. It’s also easy for people to joke about. It’s a pain, in our heavily-gluten-loaded, heavily-processed-food-loaded world, to eliminate one of the ingredients widely present in foods (even where you wouldn’t expect it).

Here’s the thing. Wheat as we know it now isn’t the same wheat as 100 or 200 years ago. It may not even be the same as it was 50 years ago. Wheat has been modified to be more productive, and in that modification, the protein that is an issue for many, many people has been enhanced.

So what’s the problem? Wheat is a grain. The guidelines say have healthy whole grains in the diet. No problem. Right? Well, for some people, no, it’s not a big deal. For some people, in varying degrees, it’s a very big deal. Whether someone has full-blown celiac disease, a wheat allergy, or simply an intolerance or sensitivity, there can be multiple impacts to the person’s health. I’ve seen people who have had severe allergic skin reactions to simply being touched by someone who has handled wheat; the allergic person didn’t even ingest it. I’m not going to go into all of the science (or the icky details). I’m going to go over my experience (with a few moderately icky details).

I started wondering if I might have issues with gluten based on the things I was learning in my coaching studies, and I started paying attention to what I was eating and how I felt or what happened the day/two days after eating certain things. One of the body’s reactions to gluten is inflammation. Inflammation impacts the body in multiple ways, and everyone is different. My gut went kablooey on a regular basis. (That’s as detailed/grotesque as I’m gonna get, folks; you’re welcome.) I had regular acid reflux/heartburn. My joints and feet hurt. My moods tanked. I wanted more of whatever it was I was eating because I wasn’t full.

Then I started cutting out foods with wheat. (Barley, too, although it doesn’t strictly contain gluten, but a related protein.)

What happened? My gut issues cleared up. The acid reflux went away. The plantar fasciitis in both feet went away. For the most part, my joints felt better. My moods stabilized and improved. I stopped taking an herbal, organic, anti-inflammatory supplement. I stopped taking the anti-depressant I’d been put on as an appetite suppressant, and I stopped taking the prescription anti-acid reflux medication. (NOTE: I discussed that one with my doctor. I absolutely do NOT recommend modifying your prescription regimen without a clear and specific conversation with your medical provider!)

Cutting out foods with wheat. I’m not going to say it sounds simple, or that it is. There is NOTHING easy about cutting out foods with wheat when you’ve been accustomed to pasta, bread, beer, and brownies. And Campbell’s soups, and salad dressings, and many bottled barbecue sauces. It required lots of adjustments, both of my menus at home and what I order when we eat out. I read every label now on anything I buy that’s processed. (Processed foods are a whole different category! I’ve even done a Wine & Wellness Wednesday on it.) It was hard at first. All I wanted to do was make a huge pot of buttered noodles and eat myself dead on them. I adjusted my menus so I cook more with rice, or quinoa, or other starches if I really need a starch. I looked at multiple gluten-free foods. Some of them have way, way too many ingredients. (I’ve been thrilled to find a GF pasta I love that’s made of just two ingredients; black beans and water. It’s fantastic!) For the most part, we eat a lot more whole food or real food at home. We don’t go out to McDonald’s or Wendy’s. (For the record I also had to give up corn; it is not a gluten-containing grain, but I am allergic and that allergy manifests as gut issues. Seriously. I live in Iowa and I can’t eat corn. CRUEL.) I look at every label, every time. Sometimes I goof, and I pay the price later (sore joints, tanked mood, grumpy gut). Paying attention to how my body felt after I ate whatever-it-was, however, was what did it for me. It simply wasn’t worth suffering just to have a regular brownie. (Besides…I’ve found some really tasty GF brownie mixes.)

Everyone is different. Every body is different. My husband has noticed benefits of not eating gluten, although his reactions were never as intense as mine. Your experience will be different. Do I think everyone could benefit from not eating gluten? Yes. Do I push it? No. Do I try to avoid it? Yes. Do I goof? Occasionally. Mostly what I’ll do is discuss the reasoning behind giving it up, and the experience I’ve had since giving it up. It convinced me that even though it isn’t easy, it is totally worthwhile.

Cheers! Here’s to your health!

Wine & Wellness Wednesday: Take a Nap!

In March, one of my #winewellnesswednesday posts was on sleep. Today, after several days when I could have used a nap (and after one day when I had a very nice long nap) I want to talk about naps.

How is it fair, dear universe, that when we are small children, we don’t want to take naps, and when we are adults, we rarely seem to have the time? The joys and benefits of a good nap are definitely wasted on the young. :)

Naps have many health benefits; you can find yourself more alert, more relaxed, better able to solve problems, or all of the above. How long is the optimal nap? As with so many other things, it depends on who you ask. 20 minutes, 90 minutes, 30 minutes, 40 minutes…it is highly varied. I napped for close to two hours this past Monday and while I felt a little groggy afterwards (and I was concerned I wouldn’t sleep well that night), generally I felt a lot better than I had before my nap!

Have a nap! It’ll be good for you. :)

Cheers! Here’s to your health!

Wine & Wellness Wednesday: Positive Self-Talk

Words can hurt. Words can heal. What you say to other people matters. What about what you say to yourself? For this week’s Wine & Wellness Wednesday, I want to talk about positive self-talk.

Many years ago, my father kept telling me, “the body doesn’t hear negatives.” The philosophy he’d picked up was that if he told himself, “I’m not sick,” the body would hear and absorb “I’m sick” and then it would become a self-fulfilling prophecy, and he’d get sick. However, if he said to himself, “I am well,” it would also become a self-fulfilling prophecy and he would stay healthy. I didn’t think much about it for years, until I came down with pneumonia and then pleurisy after surgery for kidney cancer. It was at about that point that I decided I was DONE being ill. I started saying to myself, “I am healthy. I am healthy.” More importantly, I put conviction behind it. Instead of feeding myself a negative (“I’m not sick”), I invested in a positive (“I am healthy”). It worked. For the better part of two years, I avoided coming down with anything. Eventually, a point came when my immune system was run down enough that all of the positive self-talk in the world couldn’t prevent me from coming down with something. For the most part, when I feel as though I’m starting to be run-down enough to get sick, if I focus on “I am healthy,” for example, as my mantra when I’m meditating, I can (mostly) avoid coming down with whatever-it-might-be.

Positive self-talk can take many forms. I am focused. I am successful. I am kind. I am…any manner of positive things. (It sort of follows the theme of “eliminate should,” from several weeks ago.)

What positive message to yourself can you put conviction behind? Your health will thank you!

Cheers! Here’s to your health!

Wine and Wellness Wednesday: Learn to Cook!

Learn to cook! (Wait…why is that good for my health, exactly?)

Cooking at home is good for your health and your wallet. For example, we occasionally enjoy steak. (Yup. As a health coach. :) With bacon!) If we order from one of the local restaurants, a steak, with sides and a salad for one person, can be anywhere from $20 per person and up. On the other hand, if I buy a steak at my local grocery store, I can frequently get two, perfectly-sized cuts of meat (with bacon!) for $8. Let’s say the potatoes are $1 each and I buy two. So far I’m at $10 for a meal for two people. Let’s work on the expectation that I already have the fixings at home for a salad or for a green veggie on the side, so that expense has been figured in and stretched over several meals. $10 for dinner for two people instead of $40 or more? That’s pretty good! I have to invest some time in the preparation and cooking, but that doesn’t take long. (Of course, I’m a moderately experienced cook. As a new-to-the-kitchen sort, it will take longer.) I have dinner on the table in a fairly rapid fashion and for a reasonablecost. (Granted, sometimes I don’t want to do the cooking and I’d rather let someone else do the dishes…) I will frequently make random meals out of whatever veggies I have in the kitchen, tossed with a little chicken or gluten-free pasta. One of my favorite fall meals is a huge pan of ratatouille, which is a fancy way of saying veggie stew. And the leftovers are good for several meals over several days!! So that's good for the wallet too!

So there’s an example of why learning to cook can be good for the wallet. What about good for your health?

Let’s start with salt. I like salt in moderation. I find, more and more, that restaurant food is too salty for my taste. So if I’m cooking at home, I have more control over how much sodium is in my food.

I have control over what kind of oil I use to cook, and how much. I have control over the ingredients, for example, I can choose to spend a little more on organic or chemical free produce from a local grower. (Huh. I never thought of it this way. Cooking at home might make me a bit of a control freak!) :) I have control over how I choose to prepare the meal. I can make it exactly the way I want it.

Learning to cook can be overwhelming. Recipe instructions are not always complete; the authors make certain assumptions that everyone who reads the recipe will know exactly what they mean by <whatever>. (Yes, it is necessary to boil water before cooking pasta; it is at least faster and more effective.) Recipes can look complicated, and if you haven’t done much cooking, trying to wing it and do something by yourself can be completely intimidating

Learning to cook can also be an adventure! If you like to experiment or do new things, then playing in the kitchen can be a lot of fun.

I’m not suggesting you start cooking with an eye toward becoming a chef (although kudos to you if that’s the adventure you choose)! I’m not even saying “EVERYONE SHOULD LOVE TO COOK.” I know people (I’m related to people) who think cooking is one of the most awful chores on the planet and they don’t want to have to do it. Ever. I’m suggesting that learning to cook some basic, simple, healthy recipes at home can have a huge impact on your health and your financial bottom line. And in the long run, that’s critical to your success!

Cheers! :) Here’s to your health!

Wine and Wellness Wednesday: Take a Vacation!

For this Wine & Wellness Wednesday, having just planned a single vacation day for later in June, I’m thinking about the health benefits of taking vacations.

Take a vacation. Yes, I know, you don’t have time. Or you don’t have the money for three weeks in Tahiti. Or whatever the reasoning may be.

Take a vacation anyway. Even if you only take a day off and you only go a few hours away, or if you simply stay home but don’t do much other than relax, take a vacation.

It seems an obvious thing to talk about at this time of year as schools are letting out for the summer and many people plan big family trips. (I’m also fairly certain that some people will say, “A family vacation is not healthy! It’s stressful and we eat too much! That’s a different conversation entirely.) So why is it a health topic?

When you’re on vacation, your brain is relaxed (hopefully) and processing things differently. Things you’ve learned at work or have been working on may suddenly come into clearer focus and make more sense. (Make sure you spend the vacation actually vacationing, and not checking your work email!) Going somewhere new or seeing new things while you’re on vacation could give you new ideas to take back to work with you.

Working too much is a fabulous way to get run down. When you’re on vacation and sleeping better, your body can heal and regenerate. You can even take that benefit back with you when you go back to your regular routine!

Planning a vacation, even if it’s just a day, can give you a short break from the run-of-the mill. And that is a benefit that everyone could use!

Cheers! Here’s to your health! :)

Wine and Wellness Wednesday: Chiropractic Care

This week’s Wine and Wellness Wednesday come to us from Dr. Rodney Langel, a chiropractor in West Des Moines.

Chiropractic care is performed by a licensed chiropractor, concerned with the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system, and the effects of these disorders on the function of the nervous system and general health. These disorders of the musculoskeletal system come in the form of misaligned joints also known as subluxations. Those misaligned joints can affect all areas of the body in men, women, children, and the elderly. When there is a subluxation, it can put pressure on the different nerve roots that travel throughout the spinal column and in turn cause health concerns, including back and/or neck pain. Most people think of a stiff neck or lower back pain when they hear the word chiropractic, which chiropractic adjustments do help with those symptoms along with so much more.

When you’re in pain and can’t go about your regular day-to-day life, it can be hard on your body and make it difficult to concentrate, which makes your life more stressful. Chiropractic adjustments are administered to alleviate pain in any area of the body. The key point to remember is chiropractic care is not JUST for pain! It has been show to help with allergies, ear infections, digestive problems, the flu, and so much more. Everything in the body is connected to the nervous system and chiropractic care works directly with the nervous system to keep the body running at its full potential. Chiropractic care is whole body health care and it can improve your life physically, mentally, and financially.

http://www.langelchiropractic.net

(Here’s my 2 cents!) :) Personally, I started going for chiropractic care when I had severe tingling in one leg. It turned out that a really, really bad habit I had of sitting on one foot was causing misalignment in my spine, which led to some damage and pressure on a nerve, which led to some really not comfy feelings in my leg. Dr. Langel cured me of that bad habit! Conversations with him also inspired me to cut way, way back on drinking carbonated soft drinks (a habit I’d tried to kick with moderate success over the years). I look at chiropractic care the way I do massage, acupuncture, and other things: it’s another tool in my wellness toolbox.

What tools do you have in your wellness toolbox? What will you add to your wellness toolbox?

Cheers! Here’s to your health!

Wine & Wellness Wednesday: Go Outside!

Go outside.

Even if you aren’t an outdoorsy type, go outside. Five minutes, 15 minutes, 50 minutes; it doesn’t matter. If you’re at home, or at your office, or at the mall, or wherever you happen to be, step outside. I forget, sometimes, how much better I feel if I go outside for even a few minutes. Today I was lucky enough to get outside twice; once as part of my lunch hour I played with the dogs and meditated in the hammock. After work, I sat in the hammock again (are you sensing a trend?) and did some coloring in an adult coloring book. The trend here? It isn’t just the hammock. It was being outside, in the fresh air and sunshine, away from my desk, and having a change of scene. It was temporary, and it was terrific. I went back to my desk refreshed and ready to refocus on the rest of the day.

It doesn’t have to be for hours on end, and it probably wouldn’t be good to go out during a lightning storm, or a blizzard, or when the temperature is 105F in the shade, or during a hailstorm. (During a light rain, though, if it’s warm? That can be an awesome time to be out playing in the garden!) It’s a lot easier to think about being outside when the weather is as nice as it is right now in Iowa; 4ºF in January is less inspiring (but no less energizing).

So! Go outside. Your health (mental and physical) will thank you. :)
Cheers! Here’s to your health!

My first Wine & Wellness Wednesday (12/9/15)

It's Wednesday and I have a glass of wine; let's talk about wellness! I'm fond of alliteration, and the wine-wellness-Wednesday combo tickles my funny bone. :) For starters, since I have a glass (and anyone who knows me knows I have a ridiculous number of bottles in the house), let's talk about the benefits of wine!

You may have heard that tannins are good or bad, resveratrol is good, red wine is always better, etc., etc., etc. Let's be honest. The science is always evolving and it can be super confusing. (Also? The benefits in wine can be found in other foods as well.) So at the end of this I'll add one interesting link. 

Wine is a lovely thing to share with friends, and friends are lovely to spend time with. Laughter and good conversation are good for the soul!

Wine can be fun to cook with, and often enhances the flavor of food. (I’m a fan of cooking with what I’ll be drinking, too. Or drinking what I’ll be cooking with!)

To be clear, while it might occasionally be entertaining to over-indulge, I'm not advocating getting drunk. That will tend to negate the health benefits! And wine has a fair number of calories, which is also a good reason not to over-indulge. 

Also, if you aren’t a wine drinker, there’s no reason to start. You can find some of the health benefits from wine in Concord grape juice (or just eating red or purple grapes), or possibly in other foods, such as blueberries. (Again, the science can be confusing; give me a call & we’ll chat about it sometime!)

For now, here’s more reading, and…cheers! Here’s to your health!

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/in-depth/red-wine/art-20048281?pg=2

#winewellnesswednesday