Chronic Health Conditions: What to do now?

Posted on July 31, 2012 by sunflowerhw

The CDC released a study (http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db100.htm) that reveals 21% of Americans ages 45-64 have at least 2 of 9 chronic health conditions. That’s a sad statistic that has risen in the past decade.

Those nine conditions are:

heart disease
high blood pressure
diabetes
cancer
stroke
asthma
kidney disease
chronic bronchitis
emphysema.

Prevention is the best but what happens if you already have one or more of these conditions?

I believe you can still improve your health naturally by:

eating healthy, eat as many Mother Nature foods as possible, skip the processed stuff
stay active, keep moving to get your heart in shape and breath better
get your weight as normal as possible (BMI 19-24)
drink water, herbal teas, and fresh juices. Sodas taste great but don’t have any nutritional value
deal with stress, get plenty of rest, sleep and relax
no smoking
let go of emotional baggage and have a positive outlook life
smile

3 Cool Apps

Posted on June 27, 2012 by sunflowerhw

As apps go I probably don’t have as many as most people. But I do have a few that I absolutely love. They are not free like the ones in my previous post but they are relatively expensive and worth every penny.

The first one solves the problems of what to do with all the passwords and logins you have to keep in your head. After about 5 that becomes an impossibility for me. And keeping them on scraps of paper is a disaster. Where’s that paper when you need it? Ta da … SafeWallet to the rescue. I was surprised to discover just how many logins I have. No wonder I couldn’t remember all the passwords.

The next is ToDoGenius. It is an absolute must. The memory is just not what it used to be and I don’t care enough anymore about that fact. I simply raised the white flag, gave up and decided I need my to-do-lists all in one place. You can create one for home and work.

Trouble getting to sleep and need some White Noise. This app is perfect for your or your child. Choose from 40 different sounds like water falls, chirping birds, ocean sounds, sprinkler, vacuum, thunder and more.

What are your favorite apps?

Basil coming in…

Posted on May 30, 2012 by sunflowerhw

My basil plants are coming in!!! I planted them in a big teacup. The leaves are so beautiful. They are unfolding in a 4 leaf pattern. I planted them because I love homemade pizza. For the crust I use a piece of Garlic Naan from Trader Joe’s, it’s shaped just like a triangle. Add, sauce, cheese, mushrooms, peppers and onions. Soon can add FRESH basil. Yummm…

Basil the ”Holy Herb” is good for digestion, high in anti-oxidants, minerals including a good source of iron. Basil also contains wonderful essential oils that are antibacterial and anti-inflammatory.

Dr. Oz Allergy Remedies +

Posted on May 24, 2012 by sunflowerhw

Dr. Oz was on the Today Show yesterday speaking about mediction-free solutions for allergies. He mentioned what everyone has figured out, that this is one of the worst allergy seasons. He suggested wearing sunglasses and a hat to block some of the pollen from your eyes and nose. Also using a Neti pot to rinse the pollen from your nose.

Here’s a couple of other suggestions using essential oils like Lavender, Roman Chamomile or Eucalyptus

put a few drops on cotton balls or tissue and breathe in several times a day
put 1-2 drops in your palm, rub together, then cup your hands over your nose and inhale the oils. You can do that several times a day as well.
once or twice a day use a ceramic neti pot and a drop of either oil and rinse out your nose

Click photo for more info....

Sun Salutation for Earth Day

Posted on April 22, 2012 by sunflowerhw

Happy Earth Day,

My bedroom windows face the east and so every morning the sun shines through my windows. But today on Earth Day I only saw a glimmer of the sun early this morning. It rained all day here in Maryland. Even still on Earth Day I salute the sun, it is my favorite. Can you tell by the sunflowers? I love them too.

My hope rises every morning with the sun. It is such a constant in my life. I say to myself as the sun rises I will rise as well.

After watching a show about sungazing I contemplated it. And although it’s easier for me to stare into the sun now, there’s something about losing my eyesight that snaps me out of it. Instead I’ll appreciate the warmth and power of the sun. I’ll appreciate it’s life-giving power, without it we would not survive. I’ll be thankful for the light and energy I receive from it and I’ll strive to be a beacon of light for others.

Rosemary oil to improve concentration? Clarity?

Posted on March 8, 2012 by sunflowerhw

Rosemary was in the news recently. Just the smell of it is a way to boost your mental clarity. Rosemary is one of my favorite oils. I used it initially for hair growth. I added it to my shampoo and conditioner. But I found it to be an uplifting oil as well. Now here’s some research on its benefits for boosting brain power.

http://bodyodd.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/25/10498152-a-whiff-of-rosemary-gives-your-brain-a-boost

Apparently the cognitive benefits have been “demonstrated before”, but who knew except for aromatherapists, certainly not the general public. Their research focused on whether a key component found in Rosemary oil 1,8-Cineol could be detected in the plasma after just smelling the oil. And it was found to be present. That’s important because the small particles are able to pass through nasal membranes into the blood system. So you could carry around a bottle of Rosemary, smell it and improve your brain power, clarity and concentration all day long. That would be a great substitute for some of the medications on the market used for concentration.

CLICK FOR MORE INFO

Nice surprise

Posted on September 6, 2011 by sunflowerhw

I went trail running in the woods near my home in Maryland and to my surprise when I turned the corner, beautiful orange-colored lichen were growing out of a tree stump. They were the only ones I could find on a 3 mile run. They welcomed me as I started my run and were an inspiration to me. I needed it because mid-way I ran into a couple of guys who were really running as I was jogging or more like trotting along. I tried to run faster as a way to challenge myself but felt off balance. “Really Brenda, you’re going to break your neck, trying to keep up with these guys”, I thought to myself. How in the world could those guys run so fast without tripping and falling on the uneven path?

I saw the funniest bumper stick about running the other day–In my dreams I’m a KENYAN. Took me a while to get it. Yeah so I am I (ha ha ha).

P.S. Thanks to those who cleared off the branches and limbs after Hurricane Irene at Meadowside Park. And by the way I am in the market for trail running shoes. Any suggestions?

Extreme Diets

Posted on June 21, 2011 by sunflowerhw

Just when you think you’ve heard it all there are more crazy diets on the market. Americans are on a mission to find the latest fad diet that will take off the pounds. And there are plenty of crazy diets out there to try from the grapefruit diet to the growth hormone diet and everything in between. But many of them are hard to stay on for any length of time (> 2 weeks) and so the yo-yoing continues. Sure in the first few weeks you’ll lose the weight but just as soon as you come off of it the weight you lost + some will come rolling back. It’s better to get on a healthy, slow paced diet that will take off the weight gradually while you get used to the changes and begin to make them a permanent part of your life. Then the yo-yoing can stop and you can begin to have some control over your life. The older you are the more you need exercise to boost your metabolism. Plus exercise tones muscles so that you are thinner AND look great.

HERE’S 5 TIPS TO STOP THE YO-YO CYCLE OF DIETING:

1. Prepare your mind & body for ACTION!!!

2. Decrease the 5 Whites: bread, flour, rice, potatoes, and sugar

3. Drink plenty of water

4. Do not eat after 7:30pm

5. Exercise 5-6 X per week

BEFORE

AFTER

I love tea

Posted on April 17, 2011 by sunflowerhw

This has been the year I’ve come to love tea. I’ve always liked tea but I’ve experienced some wonderful teas lately that I love and now on I’m a quest to learn more about teas. I just ordered a catalog from Harney & Sons.

I precepted a nurse practitioner student this semester and for a thank you gift she gave me a Tetsubin cast iron teapot from Teavana. About a month prior I had bought White Ayurvedic Chai loose leaf tea and was waiting for my tea bags to arrive so I could try it out. After she gave me the teapot I was able to try out my tea. I can’t describe the experience of drinking this tea. It was just amazing.

The teapot has a dragonfly on it. The dragonfly stands for good fortune, new beginnings, infinity, love, and romance. I’m open to all of that.

There’s tons of books written about teas and their health benefits. I’ll share one with you that I recommend for anyone who wants to lose weight and likes to drink tea.