Category: General

Cultivate Curiosity as an Adult Learner

“I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.” — Albert Einstein

Among the 2016 graduating class at South New Hampshire University, one student stood out. It wasn’t because of her perfect 4.0 GPA or the fact she was distance learning from Hawaii, nearly 5,000 miles away from SNHU’s campus. It was a few other numbers that made many sit up and take notice. After 54 years away from college courses, 94 year old Amy Craton graduated with her bachelor’s degree in creative writing and English, making her the University’s oldest graduate. She had stepped away from college in midlife to raise four children, but decided she had more to learn, and, more importantly, that it wasn’t too late. 

“It feels good to graduate, but in many ways I feel I am still on the road; I have more to learn” she told her alma matter. “If you’re thinking about going back to school, do it. You’ll open up a whole new life.” A poet with a special fondness for haiku, Amy hopes her degree will help her realize another dream — publishing a children’s book.

Not all of us are nonagenarian undergrads, but we can still benefit from the significant upticks in health, happiness, quality of life and general satisfaction to be had from learning something new in adulthood. Turns out, following Dale Carnegie’s advice “to be interesting, be interested” can keep your brain and body limber, introduce you to new people and ideas, broaden your worldview and introduce some good, old-fashioned fun. Crucially, it can also expand confidence which can take a hit once we’re no longer full-time workers or parents. 

Picking up a new skill as an adult can challenge ideas and preconceptions about who you are and who you can be. True, you may take continuing education courses as part of your job, and by adulthood, most people have taught themselves how to manage their household and finances. In many ways people continue to learn professionally and practically to grow (or change) their careers or make their lives run more smoothly. But these types of pursuits often fall under the category of “training” or “must dos.”

What about learning for the joy of learning?

Amy’s story illustrates one pathway to that joy — organized, academic, and with a clear end point. Indeed, adult student enrollment at the university level has continued to grow, year over year, since 2008. And for good reason: Adults often bring a focus, determination and a general willingness to put in the effort, along with a sense of purpose and sense of self that many younger students may not. Flubbing the correct pronunciation in your French class may not be a barrel of laughs for anyone, but you’re likely to care less about embarrassing yourself at 56 than you were at 16.

Adults can be free to indulge in their curiosity and passion. Love to paint? Curious about ceramics? Intrigued by the life of a private investigator, medic, garden designer, voice-over actor or (fill in the blank)? A variety of short-term classes can give you a taster without the time or expense inherent in a degree program.

Many adults regret not having learned a foreign language or musical instrument as children. It’s generally accepted that both of these pursuits are trickier to pick up later in life. But that doesn’t mean they’re impossible, and you’ll have something younger students don’t — real-life experience that can help you master all kinds of new tasks. My mom started playing the piano at 63 and, while occasionally frustrated with the difficulty, it gives her a great sense of satisfaction as a music lover. Plus, she has a lot of time to practice, something she definitely didn’t have while she was working full time and bringing up two kids.

And remember that not all learning is academic or requires lessons. Many adults take up a new sport. Though you’ll probably never dance with the Bolshoi if you start when you’re past the average retirement age of a prima ballerina, adults who try running, cycling (including BMX and road racing!), power- and bodybuilding regularly find success in all age groups. Runners, especially, can set records well into their golden years. The benefits of staying active, and setting goals, are enormous. Staying (or getting) in shape keeps the brain pliable and helps the release of important hormones that keep connections fresh and promote the growth of new synapses.

As a longtime advocate of mindfulness meditation (and my mother’s daughter), I practice one of the cornerstone tenants in my daily life: STAY CURIOUS. I taught myself audio recording and editing software when I hosted my podcast Preheated. I took up running in my early 30s and ran four half marathons as well as lots of shorter races over the next decade, before I took up tennis for the first time at 44. I have lots of other fascinations, too, from Second World War history to astronomy, quilting to jam making. While all of these interests may have felt overwhelming and scattered as a young person, they now feel expansive and unlimited. Who do I want to be today, and what do I want to learn?

Maybe I should take a page from Amy Craton. She’s currently studying for her master’s.

Want to indulge your curiosity?

  • Massive Open Online Courses: These online courses are available for anyone to enroll, and cover an incredible range of subjects from Shakespeare to structural engineering. Dabble in a variety or complete a master’s degree. MOOC partners with top universities all over the world, from Purdue to The University of Queensland.
  • London-based City Lit has an extensive array of evening, daytime and weekend courses, lectures, workshops and talks. Learn in person, or chose from thousands of their online offerings, covering everything from acting to anthropology. Taster courses start at just £10.
  • Your local community center, university or community college may offer courses for “mature learners.” Love it? Great! Not for you? No problem. You’re an adult and you get to decide. One of the most satisfying moments of my adult life was walking out of a knitting class when it became abundantly clear I was hopeless (more on that later this month).
  • Alternatively, in our Zoom era, the world has shrunk — you can learn to make donuts with a pastry chef in London even if you live in Milwaukee. Consider expanding your class searches outside of your geographic area. (And consider the courses at Bread Ahead — they’re fantastic.)
  • Don’t forget volunteering! It can be the perfect opportunity to expand your worldview, change your perspective, and meet people from different walks of life — all very important aspects of learning.

by Stefin Kohn, Contributing Writer

Placebo Response: A Powerful Help to Healing

When you’re feeling under the weather, do you swear by a mug of your favorite chicken soup, a binge of a box set, or a long soak in a hot bath to make you feel better?  If so, you’ve harnessed the power of the placebo.

Simply put, a placebo is a treatment without medically recognized properties. Commonly used by pharmaceutical companies during drug trials, placebos have long been the gold standard to ensure an accurate clinical test before a new medication is brought to market. In drug trials, half of the participants receive the new medication and half receive a physically identical but worthless “dummy” pill or saline injection. In a system called “double blind” neither the clinicians nor the participants know who’s receiving what, in order not to influence the outcomes. In this way, researchers can prove (or disprove) that their medication works, and be sure the trial was fair and unbiased.

Beyond the realm of double-blind studies, the placebo effect and response can have powerful implications of their own for healing and therapeutic benefits. The mind is so persuasive that patients can experience strong effects, both positive and negative, while taking a placebo. During the trial for the COVID vaccines, many people reported side effects such as fatigue and headache — even though they had been given a saline injection. On the flip side, some researchers believe the vaccination has been so well tolerated because people need and want it to work so badly. 

The magic of the placebo also comes because people can still experience relief and healing — whether they know they’re receiving the actual medication or not. The placebo effect is a real physio-biological phenomena that arises not just from the taking the dummy pill, but from the social, contextual, and verbal suggestions that are around when it is administered. It may not cure you but it can make you feel better, in part because you feel cared for. Call it a therapeutic sugar pill.

Some may be more receptive and responsive in body and mind to the effects of a placebo than others. Likewise, some conditions seem to respond better to placebos. Research has shown that depression, pain, and chronic insomnia can respond effectively to placebos, sometimes as well as or better than to their “real” pharmacological counterparts. In physical terms, placebos can hasten the release of the body’s natural “feel good” chemicals, lowering heart rate, blood pressure, anxiety, fatigue and pain perception. In psychological terms, patients who believe they will have success with a treatment shift their mindset from pain to relief, a significant and positive boost. Put another way, if a patient thinks and believes that a medication or treatment is going to work, it has a better chance of success. 

An iconic scene in the 1996 movie The Birdcage provides a perfect example. Nathan Lane’s character Albert is overcome with stage fright and begs Hank Azaria’s character, Agador, for a special  “Pirin” tablet. Though Albert thinks he’s popping a tranquilizer, Pirin turns out to be nothing more than garden-variety aspirin with the first two letters scraped off. But does it, along with Agador’s soothing, cure his anxiety? Absolutely.

But saying that placebo power is all in your mind is selling it a bit short. People with diseases that affect the prefrontal cortex (such as Alzheimer’s) often don’t respond to a placebo. Tellingly, MRI scans of patients given a placebo show increased neural activity in this region, the part of the brain responsible for, among other things, behavior, emotions, and the release of the powerful mood-boosting neurotransmitters serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. Changes start in the brain, but they’re really happening, and have a cascading and often transformative effect on the patient’s body. So although the placebo may only be a catalyst, it’s a powerful one.

As Albert experienced, and as new research shows, therapeutic acts literally change the brain’s chemistry. Of course, what constitutes a therapeutic act is highly individual. I may swear that numerous cups of hot tea with lemon shortens my cold. You may find no relief from hot beverages but insist that a spoonful of spicy mustard eases your congestion. Both “treatments” help us feel better, in large part because we believe they will.

However we individually find relief, though, we may be doing so out of a deep-seated evolutionary response. Evolution favors humans with positive expectations. Feeling optimistic about the future, and how you’ll feel in it, helps to reduce anxiety. Alternatively, an expectation that you’ll continue to feel poorly, or that you have no control over your health, only increases stress and accompanying unpleasant physical symptoms. 

Unquestionably, placebos have an important role in helping deliver new, safe and effective drugs. The scientific research studying the placebo effect and response, still in its early stages, may have equally massive implications for helping to treat a variety of conditions. To be sure, conventional medicines and treatments are often the accepted standard for a wide variety of health problems, and there are certainly conditions that won’t ever be cured with positive thoughts and placebos alone. But the next time you need to pop a pill, schedule a surgery, or roll up your sleeve for your COVID jab, expecting the best possible outcome may be a simple, and surprisingly effective, way to increase your success.

By Stefin Kohn, Contributing Writer

GUEST BLOG: The Power of Scent

Scent has the power to transport us. Unlike our other senses, the power of scent is linked directly to our brain’s limbic system, the region responsible for memory and emotion, which is why you can instantly travel back to high school, your grandmother’s garden, or anywhere in the world when you catch a whiff of a familiar fragrance.

For many years now, I’ve harnessed the ability of scent to enhance making memories, consciously choosing a specific perfume to wear on my travels. Though I rotate between a select few favorites in my “normal” life, traveling provides the perfect opportunity to road test a new scent, and, more importantly, help imprint the memory on my soul in a way that even the best photograph can’t.

At first, I experimented with having one travel perfume that I wore on all occasions away from home. As much as I liked the idea of having a reliable favorite on standby, the imprints became a little fuzzy, as I couldn’t remember which trip the scent was reminding me of. I soon switched to match the scent to the location — wearing Prada in Italy, Dior in France, Burberry in England, for example (a bonus is that many of the big perfume houses have multiple perfumes so you can work your way through them slowly). This is not only an excellent way to honor the host country, and a fun bit of extravagance to help set a suitably “off duty” mood for your wanderings, but also makes remembering choices even easier. (A travel scent journal is something I intend to start to help cement my memories even further.)

Last summer, my family and I escaped pandemic London for a week in Normandy and the Loire Valley in France. I was anxious about our first international trip during a global pandemic though COVID cases were low and the trip was allowed. Both to help comfort me, and represent the areas I would be visiting, I chose YSL Libre, with its top notes of lavender, cosy middle notes of orange blossom, and comforting base notes of warming vanilla. This scent proved perfect — I felt a little more French, and a lot more calm. Back home, with one whiff, I am reminded, not of the panic of pandemic times, but of the healing power of getaways.

There’s no right or wrong way to start making your scent memories, but I enjoy using fragrances I’m unfamiliar with before my trip. Otherwise, I find they come with strings attached. If you ask nicely at most makeup counters, you can walk away with small vials of perfume to help get you started. I find the samples easily last for a week’s vacation, with a little to spare for when you return home.

If you’d rather reference single-note fragrances, Demeter and The Library of Scent have inexpensive “purse sprays” that replicate almost any smell you can think of, quite literally — from Play-Doh to Kitten Fur. The companies offer a wide variety of scents meant to imitate particular foods, drinks, seasons, even destinations, including Ireland, Cuba, and the Great Barrier Reef, among others. If you have been lucky enough to visit these locations, you may find that you agree with these interpretations of the locale. I spritz their Apple Cider spray to remind me of my fall honeymoon in Vermont. Then again, your scent memory of the places you’ve visited may differ wildly from anyone else’s.

In a 2020 article in the Harvard Gazette, “olfactory brander” Dawn Goldworm explained that scent is the only fully-developed sense fetuses have in the womb, and it remains a child’s most vital sense until age 10 when sight takes over. This may explain why scents imprinted in childhood are so important, and lead to a lifelong like or dislike of certain smells that can be hard to override in adulthood. 

During our year-plus of enforced time at home, I’ve never been happier that I have scent memories to help me reminisce and recollect. Through the power of scent, I’ve been transported to more carefree times — reliving walks along a Venetian canal at twilight, a hunt for the city’s best strudel in Vienna, the zesty, citrusy tang and bite of a Moroccan souk — one magical sniff at a time.

Consider:

  • Trying a scented hand cream, body wash, or even hair product. Most come, or can be decanted, into travel sizes;
  • Essential oils — either single notes or ready-made blends– are another option, and you could consider creating your own bespoke combinations;
  • Purchasing a scented product on your travels — the bonus being you have a portable souvenir that you can dip into right away.

Stefin Kohn is an American writer and editor living in London. Her love affair with perfume started with Debbie Gibson’s Electric Youth, circa 1989.

 

New Season – New Menu!

Local and seasonal has been all the rage for the past few years. It’s easy to define local, but seasonal can still be challenging because we have collectively become accustomed to having some things year around and how “local” does it really need to be?

From an Ayurvedic perspective, we are always somehow striving to be in balance both with ourselves in context of body, mind, and spirit, and within the greater surrounding environment. Each part of the organism interacts and influences the other in both contexts. This is a continuous process, and the goal is to maintain balance.

Our cells contain circadian programming based on the daily fluctuations of light and seasonal distinctions of the weather and what is locally harvested. For example, in most temperate climates, the winter is cold and dry. This is balanced out with traditional dishes that are warm, wet, and heavy with plenty of fat and protein to warm the body.

As we move into spring, it’s time to shift our plates to maintain balance in the new season. If we continue to eat the same foods that sustained us in the winter, we will become heavy because those dishes on not well suited for the season. Spring is wet, damp, and muddy requiring dry and light foods to balance out the heaviness of the saturated ground.

Nature provides and we will find just what we need at the local farmers’ markets and on the produce shelves ready to nourish our bodies. The first sprouts of spring tend to be bitter and astringent to ease the body’s transition into the new season. Spicy foods are also good at this time as some cold days do linger. The benefit of the spice is that it warms the body without the heaviness of the winter dishes.

Keep an eye out for recipes to highlight the best of spring into your weekly menus and for your spring celebrations too.

Seasonal Vegetables for SPRING:

  • Alfalfa Sprouts, Artichokes, Asparagus, Bean Sprouts, Beets, Bell peppers, Bitter Melon, Cabbage, Carrots, Chicory, Collard Greens, Dandelion, Endive, Fennel, Lettuce, Peas, Radishes, Watercress

Seasonal Fruit for SPRING:

  • Citrus and Berries. Spring is the season where there the least sweetness available in nature. Enjoy the final days of the citrus fruits and the beginning of berries while looking forward to the bounty of nature’s candy in the summer!

This is by no means an inclusive list and items will vary from region to region. Eating a “lighter” plate in the spring also means less red meat and more poultry and seafood, and less heavy dairy and more eggs and legumes.

Check out this recipe for an asparagus omelette with shallots and goat cheese.

 

 

Adaptogens for Stress

Adaptogens are plants that gently support the body to manage stressors. They are foundational in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine and often part of the regular diet. Eastern medicine also considers that total healing is an alignment or congruency of the body, mind, and spirit. So consider how you are addressing your optimal health across all areas of your life.

Stress, anger, fear, and excess adrenaline create unhealthy patterns in the body and put our systems out of balance.  Adaptogens help get back into equilibrium, like a scaffold or support so to speak, to handle stress and toxic load.

Like the name suggests, adaptogens don’t work over night. The real magic comes from consistency and integrating the support systemically. They are gentle on the body and move steadily towards healing. Over the counter pain medication such as ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and paracetamol are helpful for acute relief, but continual use over an extended period of time will lead to side effects often related to the liver and digestion.

Adaptogens come from plants and there are dozens of them. I’ve listed a few of the most common ones here. Maybe you’ve heard of them or added them to your smoothies! They often come in a powdered form, or as a tea, and also in tinctures and capsules.

It’s best to do a little detective work and use them with intention for the problem you are trying to solve. Consider what will be the best time of day to take them. Be sure to learn about any contradictions, especially if you are taking medications.

  • Ashwaganda is a root that helps you to stay grounded and preserves your energy which reduces stress and anxiety by being able to better handle all that’s going on in your life.
  • Asian ginseng is a root used to boost mental performance and reduce stress
  • Chamomile flowers decrease cortisol levels and enhance a balanced mood.
  • Goji berry (fruit) boosts energy, physical and mental performance, calmness, and sense of well-being, and can also improve sleep
  • Lions mane Mushroom encourages focus and concentration.
  • Reishi Mushroom helps to regulate hormone response and helps the body adapt to stress. This encourages restorative sleep.
  • Tulsi, also known as holy basil. is known to reduce physical and mental stress, anxiety, and depression.
  • Turmeric is a known anti-inflammatory that can boost brain function and reduce feelings of depression.

Tips to ease the Spring time change

“When sleep is abundant, minds flourish. When it is deficient, they don’t.” –Matthew Walker, Why We Sleep

Daylight Savings is a false economy. It doesn’t really save anything. It’s actually a wonder that moving the clocks twice a year is still in practice given the amount of research that’s been done and its detriment to health, especially mental and emotional wellness. Spring is worse when it’s essentially imposing a sleep deficit. “March madness” rings true for many and those struggling with mental illness tend to have heightened symptoms around this time. Emergency rooms statistics also show an increase in activity around the time that the clock “spring forward” specifically related to heart attacks and car accidents. It has been shown that “sleepy” driving is more dangerous than driving under the influence of drinking or drugs. Because we lose one hour of the 24 hour day when we “spring forward”, the spring time change is really about loss of sleep.

Every year we voluntarily endure a collective jetlag. It’s rarely acknowledged and we are expected to carry on in our usual routine. However, there’s nothing usual about eating breakfast everyday at 7, then suddenly switching it to 6 am; it would be disruptive. And that’s essentially what we are doing. Even for those who are lucky enough to avoid the time change locally, everyone is still affected in some way as schedules everywhere else are shifting with the newly identified hour. I wonder if it would be better overall if it happened Saturday morning (Friday night) instead of Sunday morning (Saturday night), then we would all have an extra weekend day to adjust. It’s bad enough that electric lights and screens already induce us to be out of sync with natural cycles of light and dark, sleep researcher Matthew Walker has found that “inadequate sleep—even moderate reductions for just one week—disrupts blood sugar levels so profoundly that you would be classified as pre-diabetic.” In addition to blood sugar levels, lack of sleep is associated with immunity, memory, energy and endurance levels, hormone balance, physical coordination, and more. No wonder we don’t feel quite right in the days and sometimes weeks immediately following the time change.

The best option of course would be not to mess with the time at all. Until that happens, we can inform ourselves of best practices that have been found to manage our way through the challenging days with as little disruption as possible.

This year in 2021, Daylight Savings goes into effect starting March 14 in the U.S. and Canada, and March 28 in the UK and EU. Pay attention to your energy levels and routines at this time to have a smoother adjustment.

  • If possible, don’t schedule too much in the mornings. Gently altar your waking time by 5-10 minutes each day. Start before the time change happens if you can.
  • Stand near a window or outside in the daylight as soon as you wake up. Get sunlight in your eyes if possible. This helps with hormone regulation of the cortisol and melatonin schedule. I’ll explore that more in a coming post specific to circadian rhythms.
  • You may not be hungry at regular mealtimes. Don’t eat if you’re not hungry. I’m going to repeat this one, don’t eat if you’re not hungry. Anything consumed to avoid hunger later will not be digested properly. It will cause gut discomfort and/or be stored as fat. Wait and enjoy the next mealtime with a hearty appetite. Occasional Intermittent Fasting, especially for the evening meal may help improve sleep and encourage waking earlier.
  • Spend as much time as possible outdoors and do lots of movement and physical activity. Physical fatigue is helpful towards restorative sleep.
  • Be disciplined about turning off electronics earlier than usual to shift the bedtime hour. Dim the lights in the evening or even light candles to trigger melatonin release to prepare for sleep.
  • Avoid sugar and caffeine for regulating energy. While it may work in the short term, it’s actually damaging and encourages fluctuations in energy levels. Keep hydrated to maintain your energy throughout the day.
  • Eat plenty of protein and healthy fats. Mental wellness in particular depends on getting sufficient healthy fats in the diet which include olive oil, coconut oil, grass fed butter, ghee, avocado, fatty fish, and seeds.
  • Allow for a short nap if necessary. You will restore your energy and contrary to popular belief, it won’t interfere with your nighttime slumber as long as the nap is less than 90 minutes.

Essentials of Essential Oils

I’ve been using essential oils for a few years now and they’ve become an important part of my wellness routine in so many ways from mood and energy to skin and infections to sleep, joint & muscle recovery, and respiratory support, and so much more.

The most important things to know about essential oils are that:

1 – Essential oils are natural. They come from all parts of the plants: roots, resin, stem, leaf, bark, bud, flower, peel, and seed. It is distilled into into an oil which is the essence of the plant. The unique properties of of each oil interact with the body, mind, and spirit at a cellular level.

2 – Essential oils are safe. Pure, medicinal grade essential oils are safe and do not have negative side effects. If an oil isn’t working the way you want it to, it may simply mean that it’s not the best oil to use in that specific case. Be aware of diluted and synthetic oils. You will not receive the same results with inferior products.

3 – Essential oils can save you time and money. By having basic essential oils stocked in your home and ready to use, you can often save yourself a trip to the pharmacy or drug store. Many people have found that they feel better faster with essential oils.

Essential oils may be used aromatically, topically, or ingested internally. It really depends on the purpose. To enhance mood, you would want to use it aromatically. To get relief from sunburn or insect bite, then it would only make sense to use it topically. A drop of frankincense under the tongue for cellular renewal is an example of internal use.

A great way to get started is with these 10 basic essential oils to support wellness and daily restoration of body, mind and spirit. Click on each link for more information and a little video about each oil.

  1. Tea Tree Oil/Melaleuca – This oil is first because if I could only take one oil with me on a trip, this would be it. It’s anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, anti-parasitic regenerative, and more. I don’t like to lose a second of any adventure having to go to the pharmacy for something small. Tea tree is great to prevent infections on small abrasions, offers relief from sunburn, and can even “nip in the bud” that little tickle in the throat that you don’t want to grow into a full blown virus.
  2. Lavender Oil – Lavender is usually the first oil someone thinks of in reference to essential oils and with good reason. Lavender is well known to promote feeling of calm and anxiety to support peaceful sleep. It is also an anti-histamine, anti-microbial, and anti-inflammatory properties and can be used for bug bites and sunburns.
  3. Peppermint Oil – the invigorating properties provide a welcome boost of energy, alertness, and clarity. Peppermint oil is also known to support relief from headaches, and is also frequently as as repellent for both insects and rodents.
  4. Lemon Oil – promotes a fresh, positive mood, and is often used for cleaning and purifying both air and surfaces.
  5. Oregano Oil – a powerful oil with anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-fungal properties, strongly supports immunity. It is known to be an enhancer and equilizer. Take care to dilute the oil and only very little is needed; it’s very potent and is a “hot” oil.
  6. On Guard Protective Blend – On Guard supports healthy immune response and has the potential to enhance circulation and the body’s natural antioxidant responses. It can be energizing an uplifting. Contains Wild Orange, Clove, Cinnamon, Eucalyptus, and Rosemary
  7. Breathe (Air in EU/UK) – Respiratory Blend – Promotes maintenance of airways and comfortable respiration. Contains Laurel, Eucalyptus, Peppermint, Tea Tree, Lemon, Cardamom.
  8. DigestZen (ZenGest in EU/UK) – Digestion Blend – helps to soothe upset stomach and promotes healthy digestion. Many have reported relief from bloating, gas, and indigestion when using this blend. Contains Ginger, Peppermint, Caraway, Coriander, Anise, Tarragon, and Fennel.
  9. Deep Blue – Soothing Blend –I like to exercise because I like the results, but I don’t like the soreness after. This beauty of a blend soothes muscles and joints and has the potential to decrease recovery time. Use together with Deep Blue rub for even more relief. Contains Wintergreen, Camphor, Peppermint, Ylang Ylang, Helichrysum (Everlasting), Blue Tansy, Blue Chamomile, and Osmanthus.
  10. Frankincense – I saved the best for last. Frankincense is known as the “King of Oils” and has a history of such value and reverence such that that it came along side gold as a gift to the newborn baby Jesus in the Christian Christmas story. Frankincense will add “super power” to any oil that you. It has so much complexity and potential that if you are ever unsure what oil to use, Frankincense will almost always offer some improvement that you are looking for. If I could only have ONE oil ever, Frankincense would be a very strong contender.

The best value for all of these oils is in the Home Essentials Kit.

Click here to learn more about my favorite oils.

If you are interested in learning more about essential oils and which ones would be the best for you, email me at sheila@restorativelife.com and we will set up a brief wellness consultation.

Sneak Peek – Sample Detox Recipes

What do you eat when you’re detoxing?

I remember when I did my first detox. I was nervous about one thing: was I going to be hungry?

Food is such an important part of our daily lives, it’s silly to participate in a detox that leaves you feeing hungry and unsatisfied. That’s one of the ways the 5-Day Detox is different – We’re going to eat REAL FOOD!

In fact, I’m so sure that you will love what you’ll eat on the detox that I’m sharing two of my favorite detox recipes with you in this post:

Coconut Yam Soup (Makes enough for 3 lunches)

This soup is so delicious, nourishing, and most importantly, filling. It’s a treat every time I make and I can’t believe it’s detoxing and healing too!

Ingredients:

  • 2 large or 3 small garnet yams, peeled and cut into chunks
  • 1 small yellow onion, diced
  • 5 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 TB extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 C vegetable or chicken broth
  • 1 (14-oz) can full-fat coconut milk
  • 1 TB wheat-free tamari or coconut aminos
  • 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • Sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place yams or sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and bake until soft, about 40 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
  2. Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium high heat and sauté garlic and onions in olive oil until the onions are soft and translucent.
  3. Place all ingredients in a large blender and turn on low. Gradually blend until smooth, adding water by the TB if you need more liquid.
  4. To reheat, place in pot and warm slowly over medium-low heat, stirring until warmed through.

Note: It’s very important to place a towel between the blender and the lid if the sweet potatoes are still hot to prevent the lid blowing off when blending. Heat expands in blenders and can create so much pressure that the lid can come off and spray hot soup all over you and your kitchen.

Seed Porridge with Chopped Pear
This is a great simple recipe to kick off your day. The seeds provide protein and are packed full of nutrients. The pear is easy to digest and the coconut milk rounds it off with a satisfying creaminess.

Serves 1

Ingredients:

  • 2 TB unsweetened coconut flakes
  • 1 TB raw pumpkin seeds
  • 1 TB flax seeds
  • 2 tsp chia seeds
  • ½ pear, seeded and chopped
  • 2-4 TB refrigerated or canned full-fat coconut milk

Directions:

  1. Grind the first 4 ingredients in a clean coffee grinder and cover with 4-6 oz hot water.
  2. Let seed mixture sit for a few minutes to thicken, then add chopped pear and coconut milk. You can add a little honey to sweeten if needed.

I want to make sure you feel comfortable knowing that we’ll be eating healthy, nourishing foods that will leave you satisfied and your taste buds happy. That’s why I’ve shared these recipes with you. Try them out and if you like them, be sure to join us for the 5-Day Winter Detox that kicks off on February 8. Join us here and be sure to use the code EARLYBRD20 to save £20 when you register by February 4.

5-Day WINTER DETOX

I’m getting excited! I hope to see you there! If you have any questions, feel free to email me at sheila@restorativelife.com

Cheers,

Sheila

Want to Detox With Me?

Hi there friends!

This week’s post is focused on my upcoming 5-Day Winter Detox. This year I’m changing it up and instead of a longer program, we’re going to put the pedal to the metal and knock it out in 5 days! There will be a 5-Day session in each season to maintain momentum and continuity in our health. Just like a car needs a regular tune-up and our windows need washing a few times a year, our bodies need important maintenance attention too.

A lot of people may be wondering whether the new 5-Day Detox is a good fit for them. I thought I’d share my answers to the most common questions in a quick email just in case you’ve been wondering about this, too.

How do I know I need to detox?

A few signs of needing a detox are fatigue, low mood, headaches, skin problems, and excess fat, especially in your belly. But the truth is that if you just aren’t feeling that great, a detox can help. We live in an increasingly hectic and toxic environment, and taking time for high-level self-care like a detox can make a huge difference in your energy, mood and even your body shape.

What will happen during the detox?

You’ll get a step-by-step guide of what you’ll need to do every day on this detox. We’ll focus on eating high-nutrient foods like fresh vegetables and fruits, lean proteins, and some whole grains. We’ll cut out processed foods, dairy, and sugar. The first few days you might feel a little off as your body gets used to the new things you’re eating, but by the end of the week you’ll likely feel amazing – scroll down to read what a few past clients have said about the experience:

How do I know it will work for me?

Literally dozens of people have participated in my reset or programs. I’ve had people tell me that they’ve dropped weight, slept better, had more energy, pooped better, felt less grumpy, and even had whiter teeth. I can’t guarantee that it will work, but it’s a safe bet that you’ll see positive improvements after 5 days. And, if you don’t, let me know, and I’ll refund your money.

Here’s what a few people had to say after working with me:

“The recipes were tasty and easy to follow. I know I should eat better and I don’t always have the discipline to do it on my own. The 5-Day Detox was a great jumpstart to get back into healthier food choices, and I’m amazed how good I feel after just 5 days!”
-Amruta, Business Analyst

“I was surprised at how easy it was to follow the plan. I like carbs, sugar, and wine, but once I made it past the first couple of days, my body responded and I found it easy (mostly!) to make healthy choices. Sheila’s support and the bite-sized chunks of information meant that I wasn’t overwhelmed up front. My stomach felt noticeably less bloated and I lost weight. I felt energetic and unlike other challenges, I wasn’t eager to go back to my old eating patterns because I felt better!”
-Sara, Graduate Student

“Sheila has a wealth of knowledge and experience. She is able to think outside of the box and will continue to research and find solutions until an issue is resolved. I look forward to the 5-Day Detox because I know it’s just what my body and my mind need.”
-Jeannette, Sound Engineer

“I was skeptical at first to try yet another diet…until I lost almost 5 kilo during Sheila’s 21-Day Challenge. I found Primal Health to be an inspired nutrition and lifestyle behavior program that’s easy to slot into your life without drastically changing your daily routine. I’m very grateful for how Sheila has transformed my way of thinking about food by suggesting recipes, menu ideas, and ways to navigate all my food allergies. The best part: I’ve kept the weight off.”
-Susana, Financial Advisor

“I really appreciated this detox.  I was not able to do it exactly as suggested, but it did give me new ideas for what to eat and how to exercise.  I liked having something new to try every day.  It kept my mind on my health.”
-Christina, Special Education Teacher

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Sign up by midnight on February 4 to save £20, which means you’ll pay just £57 instead of the £77 retail price. Use the code EARLYBRD20

In case you missed it, when you sign up, you’ll get:

  • A complete suggested meal plan
  • Simple easy to follow recipes that are suitable for the whole family
  • A shopping list so you can hit print and head to the grocery store
  • A detailed daily protocol so you’ll know exactly what to do and when
  • Recommended supplements to take during the detox
  • Easy lifestyle hacks to enhance the detox experience
  • Pre-Detox Training Call
  • Support and daily feedback from our members-only online forum. We’ll definitely be there to tell you to walk away from the cookies.

SHAKE OFF THE WINTER BLUES AND REGISTER HERE.

Let me know if you have any questions, I’m here to help. Do you know someone who’s been wanting to to try a new program, but not sure where to start? This detox is totally suitable for beginners all the way on up to those who have previous detox experience. My goal is to support at many people as possible for this experience and I can only do that with your help, so please share this opportunity with your friends and family members.

Find out more about the 5-Day Winter Detox Here.

I hope you will join us, I’m getting excited. Be sure to use the code EARLYBRD20 to get £20 off you registration.

Cheers,

Sheila

P.S. If you’re on the fence, I encourage you to take a chance and sign up for this 5-day detox. The foods are filling and yummy, there’s tons and tons of support, and you won’t be miserable – pinky swear. And, if you don’t end up having a great experience, just let me know and I’ll refund your money. Give yourself a much-deserved week of self-care and sign up here:

YES, SIGN ME UP FOR THE 5-DAY WINTER DETOX!

Recipe – Liver Detox Tonic

Whether or not you have chosen to engage in some kind of scaled back consumption in January, we can all use some kind of liver support. The liver is an essential unappreciated organ that filters all of the toxins that enter our body. For many of us, it’s ofter working over time and has been for quite a while. This tonic will support its function and give it a boost to keep doing its important job.

I first consumed a similar herbal concoction of red raspberry tea and nettle as prescribed from the midwife during my pregnancies. I would boil and steep the herbs in the evening, leave them overnight, then strain and consume the “tea” throughout the day.

There are several versions of this recipe and the herbs may vary slightly. I have found this one to be my preference and the ingredients easy to find at a local shop. I found the taste quite tolerable. It’s grassy and earthy in a good way. The earthiness flavor is a lot like Jerusalem artichokes (sunchokes). You can steep it for 5 minutes or let it steep longer or overnight to extract more potency from the herbs. While these are mild herbs and generally safe for consumption, I encourage you to do your own research to be sure this is right for you.

Liver Detox Tonic
(makes 500 ml or 16 oz)

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon dried burdock root
1 teaspoon dried dandelion root
1 teaspoon dried dandelion leaves
500 ml (approx.16 oz.)boiling water

Directions:
If using a teapot, place herbs in a two-cup teapot in cover with boiling water. Steep 5 minutes or more.
If using a stovetop pot, add herbs to the pot, then add water and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat, cover and steep for 5 minutes or more.
Strain and and enjoy immediately or throughout the day. Add honey to taste if you prefer.

Burdock Root
Burdock root is commonly used in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Native American medicine. The Cherokee in North America “use Burdock as a tea to eliminate poisons in the stomach and stimulate the secretion of bile for cleaning the liver,” as described in Medicine of the Cherokee by J.T. Garrett and Michael Garrett.  A mild tea is considered to be good for an upset stomach. Interestingly it is also used to treat sores and abrasions of the skin and even to treat poison ivy and rattlesnake bites. Now that’s a powerful detoxant!
In addition to its detoxifying effect in support of the liver and stomach, burdock root is also used as a blood purifier. It is an adaptogen that contains iron and B-vitamins. It is known to be antibacterial, anti-fungal and is used to lower blood sugar, support the lymphatic system, reduce cholesterol, and to treat acne and eczema due it its detoxifying properties.
* Avoid burdock root if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have tendencies to plant allergies, or are taking diuretics, blood thinners or diabetic medications.*

Dandelion Root
Typically in nature, a remedy will be near, and the fact that dandelion is everywhere is an indication of how powerful it is. The Cherokee consider dandelion to be a “once a day” plant. The bitter leaves can be eaten in a sauté or added to soups and stews. The dried leaves are used for herbal tonics. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, dandelion aids in balancing the functions of the liver and the stomach.
Both the root and the leaves of the dandelion plant are used. They contain different properties and when used together you have a real powerhouse. Dandelion is rich in vitamins A, C, and K and specifically support the liver and gall bladder. It promotes the discharge of bile and stimulates circulation. It is anti-rheumatic and antiseptic and supports the elimination of plasma cholesterol. Dandelion leaves are antacid, antioxidant and restorative.  Dandelion root is anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, detoxifying and calming as well as acting as a diuretic. It is used to treat high-blood pressure, weight-loss, hypoglycemia, indigestion, and muscular rheumatism just to name some of its many uses.
*Talk to your medical practitioner before using dandelion root. Do not use if you are pregnant or breastfeeding unless prescribed by your provider. Do not use if you are taking antibiotics, psychiatric medications, Tylenol, diuretics or any product that interacts with liver function or if you have a history of allergies to plant.