Hi there --
In the Northeast, March has certainly
come in like a lion, with a lot of snow and blustery
winds -- after we had a day or 2 last week of balmy
weather... which is a little confusing! All the
temperature change can play havoc with our immune
systems, especially if we're already run down or
stressed, and can cause us to succumb to a cold, flu, or
an aggravation of allergy symptoms. Our bodies just
can't withstand the additional burden.
 I
recently found myself -- the picture of vibrant health,
most of the time, anyway! -- sniffling, sneezing and
hoarse, and so turned to some of my favorite remedies,
which I share with you below. These, along with
some "energy management," in the form of scaling back
commitments for a day or two and resting, have helped me
quickly regain my equilibrium.
In times of uncertainty, it's more important
than ever to take good care of yourself... you must be
strong and vital to take care of business and do all
that your life requires. Paradoxically, that can
mean taking more time for yourself to rest and
restore. If you do, you may find that you have
more to give, and that your mental, emotional and
physical resilience is better.
Not sure how to
make that happen? Talk to me. I'm happy to guide
you.
Be well and shine
on,
Bernadette
Shining Life
Nutrition
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Health Focus: Comforting Cold
Remedies
Despite what the barrage of
advertising might lead you to think, there's really no
magic bullet for the common cold. It's
generally caused by a virus, which means that
antibiotics (which treat bacterial infections) will have
no effect. Unfortunately, for many traditional
MDs, those drugs are the default line of defense, and
while they can be lifesaving at times and help when
truly called for, they themselves can be a drain on the
system, especially if they're prescribed too frequently.
A cold is often Nature's way of telling you to
SLOW DOWN and REST and EAT REAL FOOD. I'm finding
that so many people are sleep deprived, over-committed,
and running on empt y,
nutritionally and emotionally, so they try to compensate
by consuming more stimulants, such as too much refined
sugar or caffeine. That just wears down the body
more, until it reaches a screeching stop, and you can't
get out of bed or move another muscle.
One of my
favorite teachers, Annemarie Colbin, author and founder
of the Natural Gourmet Institute, has an insightful
perspective on the common cold. In her classic
book, Food and Healing
(from which this essay and recipes are adapted),
she says "Viewed as a threat, [a cold] is, like most
'sicknesses,' more of a loving friend that comes to warn
us about, and at the same time set aright, the
misalignments, stresses and dietary errors in our
lives."
Colbin classifies colds into 2
categories, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine
theory:
Expansive
colds, with symptoms of runny nose, mucus
discharge, coughing, sneezing and wheezing. These
can be caused by an excess of sugars, sweets and refined
starches, and other acid-forming foods; too much ice
cream, milk or other dairy products; and
over-consumption of cold liquids and fruit juices.
To counterbalance this kind of cold, try
these:
- Eating an umeboshi plum or 2 at the
outset of the cold -- very sour-salty Japanese plums,
found packaged in the Asian section of the
supermarket
- Meals with much less fat or
protein
- Alkalizing foods, such as cooked
vegetables miso
soup (see below), and other soups
- Fluids as needed, especially if you
feel like you need to loosen mucus
- Moderate activity, to help the body
to go through its cleansing
process
Contractive colds
feature flu-like symptoms: tightness in the chest and
head, headache, fever, exhaustion, stuffiness, chills,
fever. They're often caused by tension, overwork
and fatigue; too much salty, fatty foods, and excessive
protein and sugar. Try these remedies to loosen
things up:
- Partial fasting -- if you have a
fever, no salt, fat, protein or starches until it goes
down
- Lots of hot fluids, including hot
apple or pear juice with cinnamon; chamomile, ginger
or lemon tea
(see below); or plain hot water with lemon.
- Alkalizing foods that are expansive,
such as fruits and salads and no-salt vegetable
soup
- Rest -- especially key with this kind
of cold
These nutritional
approaches aren't designed to interrupt the process of a
cold, but to ease the discomfort of the symptoms and
help the body heal itself.
Enjoy the two recipes below, one for each
kind of cold. Feel better
soon!
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Recipe #1: Essential Miso
Soup
You can add all
manner of thinly sliced vegetables to this light and
nourishing soup. It's quick to make - a key step is not
to "cook" the miso, just heat it gently at the
end.
Serves 6
6 cups
water
1 6-inch piece of wakame or kombu (sea
vegetables)*
8 oz. firm or extra firm tofu, diced
into ½ inch cubes
6 or so fresh shiitake mushrooms,
or 1 cup dried shiitakes (if using dried, soak them
first for about 15-20 minutes in hot water, covered, and
include the soaking water in the soup)
1 medium
daikon radish, sliced in thin rounds or
matchsticks
3-4 Tblsps unpasteurized barley miso
2
scallions, minced
 1. Put water, wakame/kombu, mushrooms and
tofu into a large stock pot and bring to a
boil.
2. Reduce heat, cover
and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Remove 1 cup of soup broth from the pot and
dissolve the miso into the liquid
4. Return miso mixture to the pot, stir to
combine, reduce heat to very low and simmer for 2-3 more
minutes - don't boil it
5.
Remove from heat, garnish with scallions and enjoy.
Note: Vegetables
that are delicious in miso include watercress, leeks,
carrots, snow peas, mustard greens or other tender
greens. Add any you like in step
1.
*For an excellent resource on sea
vegetables, go to Maine Coast Sea
Vegetables
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Recipe #2: Lemon Tea
1. Cut a lemon in half. Squeeze the
juice from one half and pour the juice into a cup.
2. Cut the 1/2 juiced peel
and simmer in 1 1/4 cups of water for 8-10
minutes.
3. Strain into the
cup that holds the juice. If it's too tart or
bitter, add 1 tablespoon maple
syrup. |
Shining Life Nutrition in the
News
I am quoted in the
current issue of NJ
Biz, a statewide weekly paper, in a story, "Business
Mending Maintains Client Spending," about how women
entrepreneurs are finding and keeping new customers in
this economic environment. Gratitude to Karen, for
facilitating, and congratulations to good friends
Deborah, Nicky and Soraya, who are also
included.
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Upcoming
Classes and Events
Mark Your
Calendars!
Lotus Yoga
Montclair
-- Making a Healthy Transition
to Vegetarianism
Sunday, March
8.
I'll be working with the teacher trainees on how
to apply the yogic principle of Ahimsa (non-harming)
to their eating habits in a health-supportive way.
While this class is open only to those students, the
studio is offering a series of
FREE Workshops and Kirtans (group chanting) that you
can enjoy, along with its regular schedule of wonderful
yoga.
Neat and Simple
Living Cafe -- FREE CALL on Taking Charge of Your
Finances
Friday, March 13.
Join me and co-hosts Ariane Benefit and Ellen Shapiro
for our next in the series of free calls on sustainable
success. This month, Ellen will lead the
conversation about overcoming the emotional issues we
face about money and getting organized to promote
financial well-being. There has never a program like
this anywhere before that combines the skills of: CPA,
MBA, Educator/Instructional Design Expert, Financial
Organizing Expert, ADD Coach, Cognitive Behavioral
Belief Reframing, and Repatterning Practitioner ALL in
one program! Call in and tell us about your
challenges and see how we can help! If you can't
participate live, calls are recorded for listening
later.
TIME: 12.00 p.m.
- 1.30 p.m. ET (note new time)
2 WAYS TO LISTEN: via
teleconference: (712) 432-0600 PIN: 285167# (this
will allow you to ask questions); or online via Blog Talk
Radio
Ethical Culture Society -- Private
Fundraiser
Saturday, March
14. I'll be demonstrating how to cook a
delicious and healthful vegetarian meal to benefit this
very worthy community institution.
NJAWBO Essex
Chapter Dinner Meeting
Tuesday, March 17, 6.00
- 9.00 p.m. I'll be speaking on the very timely topic of "Maintaining Your
Sanity: Tips to Reduce Stress in Your Busy
Business Day," along with Suzanne Serio,
Independent Pampered Chef Consultant. If you're a woman
business owner -- or would like to do business with one
--- NJAWBO is the area's premier networking
organization, so come and check us out. Great
people, and great dinner. For more information,
and to register, go
here.
2nd Annual
Mindful Living Community Holistic Wellness
Fair
Sunday, March 22, 12-4
p.m. I'll be exhibiting at this FREE event
in Maplewood, which was so wonderful last year -- many
interesting alternative-health practitioners, kids'
entertainment, food samples. Come join
us!
South
Orange-Maplewood Adult School
New Class!
Tuesday, March 24, 7-9 p.m. -- Bountiful
Beans/Lecture and Cooking Demo
Learn
how to harness the health-supportive power of these
economical and tasty culinary staples.
Tuesday, April 21, 7-9
p.m. -- Glorious
Greens/Lecture and Cooking
Demo
Discover new kinds of green vegetables --
the #1 food missing from most American diets -- and
learn how to cook them easily and deliciously.
Click here for
more info or to register for SOMA Adult School
classes.
Governor's
Conference for Women
Tuesday, May 12, Atlantic
City. I've been invited on a panel, to
speak about healthy eating, at this prestigious all-day
conference that draws women from throughout New
Jersey. I'm heartened to see what a major presence
health and wellness has on the conference agenda!
Keynote speakers are Cokie Roberts and Maya
Angelou. Wow! Click the link above for
further information and registration.
NJAWBO Annual
Conference
Tuesday-Wednesday, June 2-3,
Somerset. I will be leading a workshop
entitled Put Yourself First - Why
Enlightened Self-Care is Critical to
Success. This is a fantastic
gathering of successful NJ businesswomen, and a great
opportunity to gather resources and to network.
Registration and full conference details to follow
shortly.
Would you like me to
present important, timely and interesting
health and
wellness content to your corporation,
nonprofit or civic group?
Contact me for further
details.
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More Half
Marathon Update
You CAN do it! We'll do it
together!
Training
continues for this event -- I'm increasing my mileage
gradually, and incorporating jogging as well as walking.
Much of my training has been indoors on the
treadmill, due to the weather, but also includes hikes
in the beautiful & hilly Eagle Rock Reservation and
fast walks around town with friends. I'm going to
be organizing some (free, of course) group walks in
local parks, so let me know if you are interested in
joining the informal "Team Shining Life". It'll be
fun, I promise -- especially once the weath er warms up...!
The 2009 More 1/2 Marathon is
slated for April 26. The 13.1 mile race, which
will be held in Central Park, is sponsored by More
and Fitness
magazines and is for women only. If you've
never done a race like this before,
you're in for
a treat --
there's amazing energy in the crowds of
runners and onlookers, and
it's a blast to be there with thousands of other healthy, empowered
women. Not a runner? I'm
planning to fast-walk it (as I did the 1997 NYC
Marathon), and even if you've never done this distance,
there is plenty of time to train. LET ME KNOW if you are interested...
For all the details, including registration info and to
sign up for training tips, go here.
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About Shining Life
Nutrition
ARE YOU READY to
improve your eating habits, feel confident in choosing
and preparing better food, reach your ideal weight, find
balance in all areas of your life -- and finally get a
handle on your most pressing health issues?
Not sure where to begin... or how to stay on
course? I'll be your guide and advocate on the
path toward vibrant health and lasting changes --
without crazy diets and deprivation. I'll help you
clear away the clutter of old food and lifestyle habits
so that your best self can shine out to the world.
With a customized health counseling program, you'll
learn to tune into your body's innate wisdom, find
clarity about what truly nourishes you, and move closer
to the balance that's essential for accomplishing your
goals. Please contact me to schedule a complimentary
get-acquainted conversation.
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The secret of health for both mind and body
is not to mourn for the past, worry about the
future,
or anticipate troubles,
but to live in
the present moment wisely and
earnestly.
-Buddha
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