Mind/body medicine utilizes the mind/body/spirit axis to influence healing. This might feel like a big responsibility to take the reins of your own personal healing but remember to see it like a challenge versus a heavy burden. I’ve blogged a lot about how important your thoughts are in influencing healing so for starters get clear on what you are hoping to achieve. Be very specific. For myself, I would love to remyelinate my brain. Therefore I need to take time in my day to direct my attention to visualize that task happening. I suggest 20 minutes twice daily to start with.

Adam (the dreamhealer) has been instrumental in creating specific visualizations so you can do just that. I suggest reading his book “Intention Heals”. If you do not have access to Adams books, he suggests doing the following: research the area of concern thoroughly so you can create accurate visualizations; understand the body’s mechanism for healing this area; what is the healthy functioning of this area? I also spend time visualizing what I will be able to do in time.

I used to run long distances so sometimes I spend time visualizing myself running…I imagine that it feels effortless to run for a short distance. It feels great to feel the pavement under my feet…to feel the solid power in my legs and feel the oxygen flowing through my lungs. I imagine that I am carrying a stop watch and that I see it stop on the twenty minute mark. I visualize myself waking up pain free and symptom free and feeling great the day after my run.  I see this as one possible outcome of remyelinating my central nervous system- more enjoyment of my body and what it can do.

Sometimes I use visualizations to bring up specific memories from my past to create a happy feeling state… a moment where I felt pure joy in the past to draw upon in my present reality. When you use your mind in the positive to bring about positive changes in your body and spirit then it is working in your favor. Too often, we use our mind to dwell on what isn’t perfect in ourselves or our lives rather than directing our focus to what we really want; if we focus on what we want and that wanting brings up to a better space than it is never time wasted. Imagine that your body is doing everything the way it has been designed to do; imagine that the power of your own healing is limitless; you have to believe it first. I dare you to believe! Happy New Year!!

The field of mind/body medicine is the new frontier of medicine. Research has validated the mind/body connection and how it can affect healing and create positive change in the individual. For many years, we have put our doctors on a pedestal and given them all the power to make us better. We need doctors and they are a vital part of health care but there also needs to be a shift back to the individual; a shift into self empowerment. What can you do in your own life to help yourself heal? How can you use your mind in a way that promotes healing and a return to optimal wellness?  How do you harness the inherent power of the mind and focus it like a laser in the direction of your current imbalance to correct your course? Mind/body medicine views illness as an opportunity for personal growth and transformation. When viewed this way, it takes the fear out of illness and substitutes a new word – challenge…

Certainly in my own life experience, I viewed my illness as an opportunity to connect with my awareness and it was a powerful life altering experience for the better. It really woke me up and transformed my sense of ‘being’. Seeing yourself as a victim of your current health challenge does not put you in a state of being that optimizes healing. It makes you shrink in the face of your predicament.  Start to see your health imbalance or illness as a challenge and a way to empower yourself. Look for all the reasons why this challenge may have shown up in your life? Is is challenging you to grow in a new direction, become more authentic in the way that you live your life, connect in a more heart centred way with those around you, or heal from old emotional hurts? Is it challenging you to change your diet and lifestyle and put more emphasis on self care or change your perspective on a whole lot of things that are showing up in your life?

There are so many reasons why an illness will show up; use is to catalyse your own self transformation. Mind/body medicine tools such as meditation, guided imagery and biofeedback are very powerful tools to have in your healing tool box. All of these tools can help shift the expression of the autonomic nervous system for starters. Many people in Western culture spend a good majority of their life in the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system- this is the fight or flight branch of the nervous system otherwise known as the stress response. This is the ‘be prepared for danger’ side of our psyche. This side prepares us for battle but does not help us heal. M/B tools shift the expression of the autonomic nervous system to the parasympathetic branch – this side fosters healing. The parasympathetic branch is all about rest and relaxation, digesting your food, feeling a sense of calm, a slower heart rate…being versus doing…

You have to utilize self discipline to maximize your healing and benefit from using mind/body medicine in your life. You need to learn one tool whether it be meditation, guided imagery or biofeedback and set aside time in your day and night and be consistent. I suggest 30 minutes twice daily. By making it part of your daily practice, you are bringing ‘healing’ into your mind/body/spirit axis and as a nice side benefit, you are more centred, more loving and more effective in the rest of your day. You are empowered and can see the results that come from your self discipline and focus – more healing in your physical body and a sense of trust that no matter what shows up in your life in terms of your health, you are well equipped to deal with it. For more information on these tools or to learn how to use them, please book an appointment at my office. Until then, remember how powerful you are and how you can influence your health in a positive way.

Supporting your immune system

To support your immune system this fall, stock your fridge with fresh ginger, lemons, shitake mushrooms, garlic and lots of orange and yellow vegetables. The most important nutrients for the immune system are Vitamin C, Vitamin A, and zinc. Vitamin C is found in peppers, kiwis, and oranges. Vitamin A is found in orange and yellow vegetables such as carrots, squash and sweet potatoes. Zinc is found in red meat and chicken.

To boost your immunity a great cold and flu tea is as follows:

Take fresh ginger root and cut off a two inch piece. Peel the ginger and grate the ginger into a saucepan. Cut three slices of fresh lemon. Cut off the peel and throw the lemon in the saucepan.  Add six cups of water and bring to a boil. When it’s boiling, turn the heat down to medium and simmer for the next ten minutes. This is a great tea which has antiviral properties because of the ginger. The addition of the lemon makes the tea more alkaline which shifts your pH to one that is more health promoting.

Feed a cold but starve a fever. If you have a fever, listen to your body and only consume clear fluids until the fever comes down in temperature.

If you find you have frequent colds, take 1000 mg Vitamin C daily through the fall and winter months. If you feel like you are coming down with something (sore throat, fever), I would take 1000 mg every hour until you are feeling better. This will often prevent an infection. If you dose until the point of diarrhea, then you have gone too far. Everyone has a level of bowel tolerance; if you get diarrhea from dosing Vitamin C then you have reached saturation of the tissues. Because Vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin you cannot overdose; you will just get diarrhea if you take too much. Talk to your naturopath before you take Vitamin C if you are on conventional medications.

Homeopathic medicines are very effective to prevent flu. Mucococcinum, a clinically proven homeopathic preparation, formulated to stimulate the body’s own defenses in order to combat all types of influenza. It is prepared with homeopathic dilutions of the worst flu epidemics of the 20^th century. Double-blind, placebo-controlled studies have shown mucococcinum is 88% effective in the prevention of any flu type. Dose one tablet every 2 weeks for the entire cold and flu season (late fall, winter and early spring). See me for more information on Mucococcinum.

Belladonna 30c is another good homeopathic remedy to have on hand. Take 5 pellets when you have a high fever and sore throat away from food and drink; dose five pellets every 20 minutes if necessary. If after 3 doses, you notice no improvement, then stop dosing. Stop dosing once you notice any improvement, even if it is slight.

Herbal medicines to boost immunity include Echinacea, Cold Fx, oil of oregano or cat’s claw tincture. Don’t use the same antiviral all the time; your body will get used to it and it will not be as effective. I recommend rotating antivirals every ten days if you are around people who are sick or you cannot afford to get sick yourself.

Basic hygiene is so important as well. Wash your hands frequently with warm water and soap. Sing happy birthday to yourself to determine the amount of time needed to get rid of germs. Do not touch your nose, eyes, mouth as you go about your day. Get adequate sleep (at least 6.5 hours) and exercise daily for at least 30 minutes unless you are under the weather. Drink enough water (your urine is pale yellow or clear). Think good thoughts! People who are more optimistic tend to have stronger immunity.