Am I helping too much?

Are you always helping others? Are you the one people call when they need money, time, sympathy etc? Are you confused as to why you help? Take my new quiz to find out how you rank If you can't see the quiz clearly--click link above for expanded view...

Eat, Drink, and Be Merry

The holiday season is certainly no time to feel deprived. It seems like everyone is indulging in fabulous treats, libations and good cheer. While it can be difficult to stay on track even with the best motivation, there is a way to win while still enjoying your holidays. By being selective about which foods you choose--you can stick to your healthy eating goals and improve your overall mood.

For example--many people feature a Roast Turkey or Chicken at holiday dinners. Not only is poultry an excellent source of protein, it contains the Amino Acid Tyrosine, which improves both Dopamine and Nor epinephrine levels in the brain. These key hormones regulate mood and work to support the Central Nervous system. Likewise Seafood, a common feature in Mediterranean Christmas celebrations is rich in Selenium--a mineral which also reduces anxiety, improves mood, and is said to key gray hair at bay. Citrus, such as clementines are rich in Vitamin C--an antioxidant which also raises Nor epinephrine levels. Avocados are even richer in potassium than bananas and have over 20 vitamins and minerals. To top it off--the healthy fats in avocados--satisfy your hunger faster and help to make you feel fuller. Nuts are found on many a holiday buffet and not only do they supply protein, and healthy fats which support your heart, they are also rich in Selenium and vitamins.

What about dessert? Go ahead,have some chocolate in moderation. Chocolate can cause the release of feel good hormones known as Endorphins and is rich in Minerals such as Magnesium, Calcium, Iron, Zinc, Copper, Manganese, and Potassium. Chocolate also has Antioxidants known as flavonoids and B vitamins which support the nervous system. Allow yourself to indulge, but make the calories count. Make certain to get nutrition along with good taste. Your brain is an amazing organ that supports your entire body. Support your holiday cheer with healthy and delicious choices. Use self hypnosis to manage portion control or set limits as to how much enjoyment you will allow. For instance if there is a holiday party on the weekend--give yourself a mental break and enjoy it--taking care to monitor your eating for the rest of the week.

Soul Centered Health offers the following tips to clients looking to improve mood and manage weight during this season.
-When feeling overwhelmed,practice mindfulness and meditation to reduce holiday stress.
-Remember to breathe--practice taking 3 deep breaths before entering a stressful situation or when you feel tempted to overindulge.
-Lastly--make sure you drink your water. Sometimes what you feel is not hunger, but thirst. Although there will be cider, punch, eggnog and spirits--water is readily accessible to your cells and does not require filtering or digestion. Your magnificent brain is 75-80% water! Keeping adequate hydration will go a long way to improve your mood.

All in all the holidays are about enjoying what remains of the year. If you have been moody or down, maybe the holidays are the perfect time to spread good cheer.

Tis the Season for Sadness

Even when everyone around you is acting festive and glad, you may find that you are not in the mood, or worse yet--more sad than usual. You may have a special condition known as "Seasonal Affective Disorder" or SAD for short. This is a real disorder caused in part to the shorter days and dismal weather associated with the winter months. The lack of sushine, causes a drop in hormonal levels for some people and this in turn affects their mood. Other reasons for depression, may include the financal stress, relationship stress, or grief for loved ones no longer around to make the holidays special. You are not alone. Millions of Americans feel the same way and help is available. If you are affected by the Winter Blues, you may want to open your windows and blinds to allow in more natural light, you can take a walk in the daylight and make sure you get some exercise to improve your stress levels and flush your body of toxins. You can also get natural help for depression by seeking out a practitioner of Herbal Medicine, Acupuncture, Yoga, Hypnosis, Massage, or Reiki. I would also recommend a medical consult with an allopathic or osteopathic (MD or DO)doctor to make sure you are truly benefitting from complimentary care. If your symptoms are severe and you find yourself withdrawing completely or focusing on death, you may need more immediate intervention such as a prescription medication or other therapy. Please reach out to help yourself or a loved one during this season. Tis the season where no one should feel alone.

The Power of Giving Thanks

While it may seem like a nominal gesture, there is real power in being thankful. Dr Joe Dispenza studied cases of spontaneous healings and found that gratitude was a common factor in all of the patients who recovered. Not only were they thankful for each day, they truly believed that they would be healed by a higher power. In his latest book, "Evolve your Brain",he discusses the science behind the power of the mind. Expressing gratitude allows us to be receptive. We are humble and we are open to infinite possibilities. This week as we all search for things for which to be grateful--take a few moments beforehand to truly reflect on the miracles occurring in your life right now. Your heart continues to beat in spite of stress, double cheeseburgers, and for some, cigarettes. You have escaped car crashes, falls, near fatal levels of intoxication and yet you are here. Some of you have outlived Doctors who swore you'd never celebrate another birthday. Still others have survived personal tragedies and legacies of abuse and neglect. Those experiences and influences live on in the neurons and synapses in your brain and rerouting the experience into something positive can change your life for the better. One of the easiest, cheapest, and most readily accessible mind tools, is simply expressing thanks. It begins and ends with you. If you are blocked and feel there is nothing to be grateful for, not only is this part of the problem, it is imperative that you find someone or something else to focus on. Express gratitude for the weather, for a meal, for a fast checkout line, for a coupon, or for a gentle smile, or a wagging dog tail. Find some measure of validation that you are not alone--I guarantee you--the more you seek, the more proof you shall find.

Happy Thanksgiving and may you find the tools, answers, and help you need in your life's journey!

Great American Smokeout

Today is the 35th Observance of the Great American Smokeout. Over the years the numbers of active smokers has reduced by millions of people. Peer pressure, looming health concerns, and the rising expense of a pack of cigarettes has turned many off to the once common habit. If you are considering quitting smoking--plan your work and work your plan. You will need to decide how you would like to quit. Maybe you will be successful going cold turkey, maybe you will opt for Wellbutrin or Nicotine patch support. Maybe you will decide to venture down the holistic method and use Hypnosis, Acupuncture, Reflexology, Reiki or other approaches to quitting. Whatever method or methods you decide to explore--learn as much about the treatment plan, the side effects if any, the level of commitment needed from you, and the cost. All plans can ultimately work--I am partial to Hypnosis and Reiki as they both are gentle, support you as entire being, are highly effective, and can work as a stand alone system or in compliment to other methods. I have found that the average smoker can successfully quit within 3-5 Hypnosis sessions and has lower levels of anxiety, fear, and weight gain. If you would like to explore your options--contact me to schedule a free consultation to discuss your concerns. Soul Centered Health is pleased to offer individual sessions tailored to your particular needs as well as group classes.

soulcenteredhealth@yahoo.com

Soul Centered Health --Helping Vets with the Gift of Wellness

First allow me to wish the men and women of the US Marine Corps a Happy Birthday! To that end I respectfully salute all who gave some and the some who gave all. Being the widow of a Marine, I am familiar with the struggles and challenges that both the service men and women and their families face. I decided to extend my training in Reiki and Hypnosis as a way to heal my own trauma and to heal. I found that Reiki nourished my body and my mind and allowed the emotional blockages and pain to subside. I began to study the interrelation of the mind and the body and felt this was an area for which I had a passion. I did not understand or trust the validity of these modalities when my husband was suffering, but having lived through the experience and noticing a discernable difference through my own transformation, I have dedicated myself to this work. Reiki is currently being used as a Complimentary Therapy for PTSD, Post Surgical Intervention, Stress Relief and more for both Active Duty and Veterans alike. While many of the challenges facing the wellbeing of our Veterans is multi-pronged and complex--Reiki and other Alternative therapies are showing promise to heal what medicine and current protocols have not. I encourage Veterans and Servicemen to be open to healing the whole of you. Do not see yourself as broken physically or mentally. You are a hero and have made a supreme sacrifice for all of those for whom you serve. Medicine and Therapy can and does help--but if you feel you can benefit from other approaches--be willing to open yourself to the possibility of wellness. Semper Fi!


If you are facing an immediate emotional crisis or are thinking of doing harm to yourself or others--please call 911 or 1-800-273-8255 because you are too precious to lose...

If a loved one is in need of help--do the right thing--take any threat seriously and get help.

Planning Surgery--think Reiki

Patients who go into surgery with a relaxed and positive frame of mind, fare better during recovery than those who do not. That being said, if you have fears, Reiki can help to alleviate the anxiety and stress around your procedure. Reiki can be used directly after surgery and in support of the recovery during your convalescence. Many nursing and healing professionals offer Reiki in Hospitals in outpatient settings. Some do this openly and others offer the healing in conjunction with their normal duties. Patients comment that the Reiki helps them heal faster and to remain focused on balance and overall wellness. If you are scheduled to have surgery--getting your mind and body in the best preoperative state is an excellent way to manage what will no doubt be a somewhat traumatic experience for your body. Plan on having pre-operative Reiki approximately six weeks to a month before surgery to prepare yourself and to take any anxiety about Reiki itself away. You can have it before, during, and after surgery while in the hospital, and weekly thereafter or as needed. Having a supportive team to help you heal is an invaluable way to manage your personal wellness. Having an unseen advantage may well place you several steps ahead in your recovery. Consider the healing energy of Reiki whether elective or major surgery is planned and experience all the benefits of true balance.