Archives: December 2010

Have you heard of Earth Clinic? It’s a website full of home remedies with forums about the remedies and what people have tried. WOW! It’s a dream come true for me!

I absolutely had to share this one since I really enjoy learning about home remedies and thought you would like  it too. You can search by ailments, supplements, remedies and other search tools.

If you don’t have the time to browse – don’t worry, I’ll be doing my own research and posting on here for you to see and learn.

Happy home remedying!!

I’ve got some news to share – well it’s nothing too ground breaking – but for me and my health, (and possibly yours) it’s quite important.

A couple of posts ago I wrote about the amazing healing properties of apple cider vinegar (ACV).

I do still believe that ACV has those incredible healing properties a.k.a. for a sore throat or one-off stomachache – but for those of us with ulcerative colitis it might not be the greatest remedy to take on a daily basis. After a week of trying it out I’ve come to the conclusion that my stomach is definitely not feeling so hot. I think the acidity was too much for me and it definitely took a toll on me. The only thing I’ve changed in my routine is the ACV so I know it wasn’t due to any other supplements.

With lots of research I’ve figured out how to get my ph levels back to where they should be – I drank hot water with lemon for 2 mornings in a row and I’m starting to feel better again.

I apologize if any of you have had any negative effects from the ACV but it really is just trial and error – one person’s poison is another person’s cure.

I’m still on the search for a replacement for the ACV and will keep you posted on what I find next.

Stay tuned!

Every time I’m having an uncomfortable stomachache, I find myself wondering what type of movement my body needs in that particular moment. Being a yoga teacher this question often comes to mind but is most important when I’m not feeling well.

I’ve noticed that when my stomach feels off, or I’m having a flare up with my ulcerative colitis I want to literally be turned upside down. The feeling is both mental and physical. I don’t like having a stomachache and wish that the situation could be reversed, so I literally take action with those thoughts and turn myself upside down.

I’ve been practicing yoga for quite some time now and therefore my inversion practice is advanced. The reason I stress this is because not everyone can just get in the middle of their living room and come into their headstand. If that’s something that is doable, please go ahead and try it – I guarantee that turning things upside down in your body will be restorative for your organs and will literally force you to clear your head since you will literally be upside down and there won’t be much else to think about.

I know that when I have a stomachache I stress about it, which really doesn’t help my situation because the main reason that I probably have UC is stress related – so you can imagine that the extra stress of having the ache puts me over the edge. WOAH that was tiring even explaining it!

The two inversions that I would recommend trying would be full headstand and shoulder stand. Feel free to the use the wall for support. See the pictures below to get an example of what I’m talking about.

Headstand

Headstand (photo sourced from yoga-made-ez.com)

Shouldstand

Shoulder stand (photo sourced from yoga-made-ez.com)

Another pose that I enjoy coming into for a nice relaxation is legs up the wall pose. Even though it’s not a full inversion, it’s still reversing the blood flow from your legs, which is also very calming and restorative. Since we are constantly turned right side up, any movement or pose that reverses the flow will be a nice shock for the body.

Legs up the Wall

Legs up the Wall (Sourced from Heidiyoga.co.uk)

If you’d like to try this but just aren’t sure how to get started with it – contact me and we can talk about the steps to get you there. I’m always open to bounce ideas off of.

Have fun with your inversion but remember that if you are pregnant, have neck pain, high or low blood pressure, neck injuries, or are menstruating then you should be taking a modification to these inversions which will still be just as beneficial.

Cheers to a beautiful, new, upside down view!

Hi All!

I know it’s officially Winter now and we’re all bracing ourselves for the time when the temp hits below 20 degrees! Brrrrrrrrr! Hopefully that won’t be for a little while though.

On the topic of winter, it seems that our bodies are constantly fighting off colds, bugs and any other germs that might make us sick.

I have recently started adding organic apple cider vinegar into my daily routine because I’ve read that its got super powers! No, but really, apple cider vinegar is a powerful cleansing and healing elixir. From the Bragg’s website it’s “a naturally occurring antibiotic and antiseptic that fights germs and bacteria.”

To help heal your cold or cough, they say to drink 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar mixed with one tablespoon honey in a tall glass of water approx 1-2 cups.

This is meant to cut the mucus. With that exact statement I started wondering if drinking this vinegar might be beneficial to one with ulcerative colitis. I’ve done some research and found that yes, for many it has helped and for some it hasn’t. Now that seems like a frustrating answer, but the only way to really find out if it might help you with any digestive problems is to try it for yourself. It shouldn’t hurt you, but if it doesn’t sit well with you then you know it’s not the right remedy.

Everyone who has a digestive disorder has it differently. That’s why it’s hard to say that one remedy will definitely work – we are all different and the only way to tell is trial and error.

The apple cider vinegar that I’m referring to is raw, unfiltered, unheated, unpasteurized and has 5% acidity. It contains the amazing Mother of Vinegar which occurs naturally as strand-like enzymes of connected protein molecules.

Braggs makes an organic raw apple cider vinegar that you can find in the health food store. Make sure your vinegar is brown in color and not clear.

I hope you get through this Winter season with all the right remedies on hand to attack any and all unwanted bugs and germs.

Stay healthy!!

Last week in a yoga class that I took the teacher spoke about the winter solstice that is quickly approaching on December 21st. She went on to explain that it will be the shortest amount of daylight on that day;  from then on the days will begin to get longer and longer.

Because of this darkness, us humans are prone to hibernation. FINALLY! A reason to explain my laziness!! WOOHOO! Have you been feeling this way too? Maybe it’s just the cold of the winter creeping into my bones that’s making me tired all the time!

I swear: I’m eating properly, getting enough vitamins, minerals and nutrients. Being a health counselor I’m scratching my head wondering what in the world is it?

You see, if there is something wrong with me and I can’t figure out a cure to make myself feel better then it only makes me feel worse! I’m the type of person that if something goes wrong, I crack open the books and start my researching.

With this laziness I haven’t even wanted to crack open the books! SO unlike me.

So I’m thinking and wondering if there are others out there who are feeling this same sense of plain old L.A.Z.I.N.E.S.S.

Hopefully according to my yoga teacher we are all going to come out of this hibernation soon enough to experience the longer days – which I know we all love and cherish (I know I do!)

I am crossing my fingers and toes that this lazy period is plain old temporary.

Please write back with your experiences. I appreciate any feedback!

Looking forward to seeing the light!