The ancient Chinese believed that human beings should live in harmony with the natural cycles of their environment. The cold and darkness of winter urges us to slow down. This is the time of year to reflect on our health, replenish our energy and conserve our strength.

Winter is Yin in nature; it is inactive, cold, and damp.  Remain introspective, restful, and consolidate your Qi through the season and prepare for the outburst of new life and energy in the spring. 

Element: Water
Nature: Yin
Organs: Kidney, Urinary Bladder, Adrenal Glands, Ears and Hair
Emotion: Fear and Depression
Flavor: Salty

Winter is ruled by the Water element, which is associated with the kidneys, bladder and adrenal glands. According to the philosophy of Chinese medicine, the kidneys are considered the source of all energy or“Qi” within the body.  They store all of the reserve Qi in the body so that it can be used in times of stress and change, or to heal, prevent illness, and age gracefully. 

During the winter months it is important to nurture and nourish our kidney Qi.  It is the time where this energy can be most easily depleted. Our bodies are instinctively expressing the fundamental principles of winter – rest, reflection, conservation and storage.  

The Nei Ching, an ancient Chinese classic, advised people to go to sleep early and rise late, after the sun's rays have warmed the atmosphere a bit. This preserves your own Yang Qi for the task of warming in the face of cold.

Eating warm hearty soups, whole grains, and roasted nuts help to warm the body’s core and to keep us nourished.  Sleep early, rest well, stay warm, and expend a minimum quantity of energy.

MISO SOUP WITH SCALLIONS - A CURE FOR THE COMMON COLD

WINTER and the KIDNEYS

The ancients understood that winter is a time of contraction and introspection, a time to evaluate your actions from the previous year and meditate on changes that you would like to institute for the future. We still embrace this concept with new years resolutions. Traditional Chinese dietary therapy is a great way to incorporate the enormous effects of the season into our personal lives and, like our lives, always keep evolving.

In Chinese Medicine, the winter is associated with the KIDNEYS, the OCEAN, SALTY foods, REPRODUCTION and the emotion of FEAR. When the KIDNEYS become out of balance people suffer from: Joint problems, Knee pain, Teeth problems, Back pain, Pre-mature graying, Reproductive imbalances, Pre-mature aging, Excessive fear or worry.

The following list of foods (from Paul Pitchford’s book, Healing with Whole Foods) help address any KIDNEY weakness and should be eaten by everyone in the winter.

Foods should be cooked longer with less water and less heat. The theory is that concentrated foods will provide longer lasting energy on those cold and dark days.
•    Soups (avoid raw foods)
•    Molasses (source of iron, calcium, potassium and magnesium)
•    Black Beans
•    Seaweeds: kelp, wakame, hijiki
•    Tuna, Sardines, Crab
•    Root vegetables: turnips, sweet potato, parsnips, beets
•    Ox Tail soup, Chicken soup-anything with marrow for the bones
•    Wheat germ
•    Spirulina
•    Pork
•    Miso
•    Soy sauce
•    Black sesame seeds
•    Millet, Buckwheat, Kasha, Barley
•    Walnuts
•    Asparagus
•    Kidney beans

Staying Healthy this Winter

Seasonal Changes Affect the Body's Environment.  With the wind, rain and snow comes the colds, flu and aches and pains – Here are a few tips to staying healthy this winter.

Wash your hands – Studies have shown that one of the main reasons that we catch colds and flu in the winter season is that we are indoors and in closer vicinity to others in cold weather.  Protect yourself by washing your hands regularly and try not to touch your face.

Sleep - The Nei Ching, an ancient Chinese classic, advised people to go to sleep early and rise late, after the sun's rays have warmed the atmosphere a bit. This preserves your own Yang Qi for the task of warming in the face of cold.

No Stress - Find a release valve for your stress. According to Chinese medicine, stress, frustration, and unresolved anger can play an important part in throwing the immune system off and allowing pathogens to affect the body. Find a way to relax and release stress on a daily basis. Such methods may include yoga, meditation, biofeedback, simple relaxation therapy, or whatever method you use to release the stress and pressures of modern life.

Acupuncture for Prevention - Acupuncture and Oriental medicine can prevent colds and flu by building up the immune system with just a few needles inserted into key points along the body's energy pathways. These points are known for strengthening the circulation of blood and energy and for consolidating the outer defense layers of the skin and muscle (Wei Qi) so that germs and viruses cannot enter through them. Seasonal acupuncture treatments just four times a year also serve to tonify the inner organ systems and can correct minor annoyances before they become serious problems. The ultra- thin needles don't hurt and are inserted just under the skin. The practitioner may twist or "stimulate" them once or twice and they are removed within ten to twenty minutes. 

Acupuncture to Get Better Faster - If you've already happened to catch that cold, acupuncture and herbal medicine can also help with the chills, sniffles, sore throat or fever in a safe, non-toxic way that doesn't 't bombard your body with harmful antibiotics. 
Acupuncture does not interfere with Western medical treatment. On the contrary, it provides a welcome complement to it in most cases, and with its emphasis on treating the whole person, recovery time for illness is often shortened.

Herbal Medicine - There is a one thousand year old Chinese herbal formula that forms a handy complement to these immune-boosting treatments and it is elegantly entitled The Jade Windscreen Formula. It is made up of just three herbs: Radix Astragalus, Atractylodis Macrocephalae, and Radix Ledebouriellae. These three powerful herbs combine together to tonify the immune system, strengthen the digestive system (so that we can be sure to gain the nutrients from our food), and fortify the exterior of the body so that we can fight off wind-borne viruses and bacteria. This handy formula which comes in pill, capsule or liquid form can be taken for a few days each month to stave off colds or flu or when there's been a challenging work-load, or perhaps some loss of sleep.

Any great personal trainer will tell you that your fitness program isn’t just about what you do during the workout.  Most of the current scientific research and evidence regarding fitness reveals that what to do when you are not working out is just as important if not more. How to be in relationship with your body in a sustainable way is something to discover and is unique to every individual.

Here are five different ways that you could consider to optimize your efforts as an integrative approach to your exercise regime:

1)  Adequate rest – I can't stress how important rest is. Getting deep sleep at night is key to how you experience the world during your waking hours. But also remember that you need to have appropriate rest during workout sessions. Be smart. If you are training hard, listen to your body and its need for proper recovery time.

2)  Nutrition – We all know it's vital to get the proper nutrients in your system. What and when you eat is of utmost importance.  It often takes time to be able to truly listen to your body and learn what you need. Figuring out what to eat before and after your workout is something to consider, especially if you have low blood sugar or are anemic. Be smart. Stay connected as this body needs the proper fuel to take you where you want to go.

3) Stretching – When you work out, your muscles are shortening. You've felt your tight legs and other muscles and how good it feels to stretch. After the workout, a good stretching session will help alleviate post exercise soreness, and will give you proper range of motion for the next training session. Take the time to stretch. I like to do it in the morning and evening, a great way to start and end your day. This is in addition to your pre & post work out stretch!  

4)  Foam Rolling – Self-myofascial release, also known as foam rolling, is a stretching technique that uses a foam roller to apply gentle pressure to adhesions (or knots) found in a muscle, allowing the muscle to relax. When foam rolling, you must find a tender spot and maintain pressure on that area for a minimum of 20-30 seconds, or until the tension in the muscle decreases. This may take longer depending on your ability to consciously relax. Although foam rolling can be uncomfortable, especially on certain areas of the body such as the IT Band, it is important to try to relax as much as possible while holding pressure on a tender spot.  Self-myofascial release can be used as a warm up prior to activity, and can also be used as part of a cool down. I like to think of foam rolling as an inexpensive massage.

5) Massage – A lot of people think this is a luxury thing and it is. But it's also important depending on your body type and how what you do with your body. This will help work out the knots, trigger points and general ache from your workouts, however, if you don't want a qualified professional to do the work for you or you can foam roll!

6) Other modalities – Another method to add to your repertoire is to do hydrotherapy.  The easiest way to do this is in the shower.  Start with warm water and then turn the faucet to cold for 30 seconds.  Return to hot water and alternate 3-5 times.  this promotes blood flow to and from the surface of the body and get your lymphatic system going and increases your circulation

If you would like help regarding one or more of these ideas, contact us here at OHF. Good Luck! Train smart and recover properly.

SaveSnowball.com

Check out our Mascot's website. This is SNOWBALL & we're doing a fundraiser for her necessary surgery. We made a 7-minute video which was a lot of fun. She is a special canine and dear to my heart.

You have 3 minutes.

This is what Professor Bill Coplin says to me standing behind his desk, looking over and down to me sitting in the chair in his office during the first few weeks as a Freshman at Syracuse University. I went in as a Philosphy major and dreamed of talking about life in the corner cafe's in Paris. But I heard my mother's voice, "how are you going to get a job as a philosophy major?". La Vie En Rose started to fade in the background as a particular reality set in. I didn't really know the answer to that question. Since I just turned down getting into the 5-year co-op program at Northeastern to become a stock broker, I figured getting a nice, well-rounded education like a good idea. One of the main majors was Public Policy. It was run out of the Masters Program and since Syracuse had the #1 Masters in Public Policy program in the nation, I felt like it might be a good idea to see what this was all about. I didn't realize that they only admitted 40 new students every year into this demanding program and I certainly didn't realize there was going to be some sort of "interview". I was definitely nervous and he was known to yell a lot. Most people were afraid of him. Without missing a beat I started to answer his question.

"I want to create a week, have it highly publicized, where everyday of that week there is something to do in relation to the Self. Monday will be 'Call Your Mother' day where everyone in the nation picks up the phone and calls whomever they feel is their Mother and connects with her. Tuesday will be to deal with your finances. Wednesday will be to clean up the clutter in your house and so on. And I want famous people involved. I want rockstars of all kinds, movie stars of all kinds, politicians, etc. to go back to their hometown for at least a few days for publicity around this week. I want it in the newspapers, in magazines, on TV, on every billboard. I want this week to be all about Starting With Yourself. Because if everyone started with themselves, instead of trying to fix everything else around them, then that's a great way to change the world."

And at that moment I couldn't believe that I just came up with that. As if it was always there within me, this notion, this idea. I had honestly never thought about this question before I was asked it. And I certainly didn't have this idea.

He looked at me and said, "Well, ok then. Thanks for coming in."

AAHHH! I honestly thought I blew it, but on the other hand I was so pleased at what I came up with. Needless to say, I did get accepted and graduate from Syracuse through this major with concentrations on Criminal Justice and the Enivronment. And at graduation time, Bill came up to me at our private reception and told me it wasn't too late to apply to law school. Me and one other fellow were the only 2 out of the 40 who were not heading onto law school.

I tell you all this for many reasons but mainly to know the history behind my tagline, my underlying theme of my own personal journey. And a living testament that it truly is a great Path, to Start with Yourself.

The tagline for my life has been "Start With Yourself" ever since I heard Michael Jackson sing "Man in the Mirror". It really clicked when I was asked at Syracuse University by Professor Bill Coplin during my freshman year in an interview to get into the Policy Studies program , "You have 3 minutes to tell me how you are going to change the world." Now, I don't recollect if I had thought too much about that question before this moment and to this day I am amazed at how quickly I formulated something so simple, yet so beautiful that it has carried me all the way up to this point in time. I will go into the details of that vision on a later post, but read the lyrics to Michael's song and be inspired to Start With Yourself and make that change. Today. Now. 

"Man In The Mirror"

I'm Gonna Make A Change,
For Once In My Life
It's Gonna Feel Real Good,
Gonna Make A Difference
Gonna Make It Right . . .

As I, Turn Up The Collar On My
Favourite Winter Coat
This Wind Is Blowin' My Mind
I See The Kids In The Street,
With Not Enough To Eat
Who Am I, To Be Blind?
Pretending Not To See
Their Needs
A Summer's Disregard,
A Broken Bottle Top
And A One Man's Soul
They Follow Each Other On
The Wind Ya' Know
'Cause They Got Nowhere
To Go
That's Why I Want You To
Know


I'm Starting With The Man In
The Mirror
I'm Asking Him To Change
His Ways
And No Message Could Have
Been Any Clearer
If You Wanna Make The World
A Better Place
(If You Wanna Make The
World A Better Place)
Take A Look At Yourself, And
Then Make A Change
(Take A Look At Yourself, And
Then Make A Change)
(Na Na Na, Na Na Na, Na Na,
Na Nah)


I've Been A Victim Of A Selfish
Kind Of Love
It's Time That I Realize
That There Are Some With No
Home, Not A Nickel To Loan
Could It Be Really Me,
Pretending That They're Not
Alone?


A Willow Deeply Scarred,
Somebody's Broken Heart
And A Washed-Out Dream
(Washed-Out Dream)
They Follow The Pattern Of
The Wind, Ya' See
Cause They Got No Place
To Be
That's Why I'm Starting With
Me
(Starting With Me!)


I'm Starting With The Man In
The Mirror
(Ooh!)
I'm Asking Him To Change
His Ways
(Ooh!)
And No Message Could Have
Been Any Clearer
If You Wanna Make The World
A Better Place
(If You Wanna Make The
World A Better Place)
Take A Look At Yourself And
Then Make A Change
(Take A Look At Yourself And
Then Make A Change)


I'm Starting With The Man In
The Mirror
(Ooh!)
I'm Asking Him To Change His
Ways
(Change His Ways-Ooh!)
And No Message Could've
Been Any Clearer
If You Wanna Make The World
A Better Place
(If You Wanna Make The
World A Better Place)
Take A Look At Yourself And
Then Make That . . .
(Take A Look At Yourself And
Then Make That . . .)
Change!


I'm Starting With The Man In
The Mirror,
(Man In The Mirror-Oh
Yeah!)
I'm Asking Him To Change
His Ways
(Better Change!)
No Message Could Have
Been Any Clearer
(If You Wanna Make The
World A Better Place)
(Take A Look At Yourself And
Then Make The Change)
(You Gotta Get It Right, While
You Got The Time)
('Cause When You Close Your
Heart)
You Can't Close Your . . .Your
Mind!
(Then You Close Your . . .
Mind!)
That Man, That Man, That
Man, That Man
With That Man In The Mirror
(Man In The Mirror, Oh Yeah!)
That Man, That Man, That Man
I'm Asking Him To Change
His Ways
(Better Change!)
You Know . . .That Man
No Message Could Have
Been Any Clearer
If You Wanna Make The World
A Better Place
(If You Wanna Make The
World A Better Place)
Take A Look At Yourself And
Then Make A Change
(Take A Look At Yourself And
Then Make A Change)
Hoo! Hoo! Hoo! Hoo! Hoo!
Na Na Na, Na Na Na, Na Na,
Na Nah
(Oh Yeah!)
Gonna Feel Real Good Now!
Yeah Yeah! Yeah Yeah!
Yeah Yeah!
Na Na Na, Na Na Na, Na Na,
Na Nah
(Ooooh . . .)
Oh No, No No . . .
I'm Gonna Make A Change
It's Gonna Feel Real Good!
Come On!
(Change . . .)
Just Lift Yourself
You Know
You've Got To Stop It.
Yourself!
(Yeah!-Make That Change!)
I've Got To Make That Change,
Today!
Hoo!
(Man In The Mirror)
You Got To
You Got To Not Let Yourself . . .
Brother . . .
Hoo!
(Yeah!-Make That Change!)
You Know-I've Got To Get
That Man, That Man . . .
(Man In The Mirror)
You've Got To
You've Got To Move! Come
On! Come On!
You Got To . . .
Stand Up! Stand Up!
Stand Up!
(Yeah-Make That Change)
Stand Up And Lift
Yourself, Now!
(Man In The Mirror)
Hoo! Hoo! Hoo!
Aaow!
(Yeah-Make That Change)
Gonna Make That Change . . .
Come On!
(Man In The Mirror)
You Know It!
You Know It!
You Know It!
You Know . . .
(Change . . .)
Make That Change. 

Hello!
Welcome to Santa Cruz's own Optimal Health and Fitness Blog. This forum is designed to give a place for our clients to communicate ideas, thoughts, tips, networking, praise, and anything else related to health and wellness.
Periodically, I will offer my own news, updates and any sort of relevant information I see fit and giving it to you from the best resources I know.
Feel free to post as often as you like, check back as often as you wish and pass the link onto anyone you feel would benefit!
Thank you and I look forward in seeing this blog grow into something really beneficial for all of us.

Blessings,
Leta B. Jussila