New Normal

This phrase, this concept of accepting "a new normal" is interesting to me. I first heard it after a tragedy. My neighbor's son was paralyzed. I also heard it from patients and families undergoing cancer treatment. I've heard my children refer to it during and after our own tragedies.

Something about this just didn't sit right with me. The angry defiant me wanted to cry, "NO! Don't accept this as your new normal!" This idea of "the new normal" felt disempowering to me. This acceptance felt like giving up.

This morning I heard the phrase in a new light. An inspiring light. I heard it referred to as a way to uplift us into the life we want to lead.

After all, life isn't what happens to us, it's how we respond to it that matters.

How do we take our challenges and turn lemons into lemonade? (This is something I've had ample practice in, and am actually kinda good at.)

We hold on to hope and optimism. We refuse to accept the temporary pain as "forever". We fight for our lives...truly, courageously.   We choose to create a new normal based on where we want to go.

This is the precious gift I learned while working with cancer patients. This is why I am so very inspired by stories of Radical Remissions. Those who have spontaneous remissions from even the worse diagnosis, do so because they refuse to accept the new normal. They choose to do things radically different from what they've done in the past.

They engage in simple solutions. Not that this is always easy to do. You have to bypass social norms. We are hardwired to want to stay in our comfort zones. Fear feeds this paralysis. They refuse to be limited by labels and the status quo. They become the difficult patient; they question everything.

You have to decide to take personal responsibility for your thoughts and your actions. Recognize that we are here today because of past conscious or unconscious actions. We live into our present bodies. Each one of us are unique and different.

If you are in a health crisis, then instead of beating yourself up over "What's wrong with me?" Ask a radically different question.

"What is my loving body trying to tell me? What can I do, that is radically different, to change this course?" This is no time to bargain. You're either in, or you are out for your "New Normal."

The new normal has got to include new ways of feeding yourself, physically, emotionally and mentally. This requires commitment and support. We are social beings and food is emotional.

What if our comfort foods, so tied to our childhood and positive feelings, could be making us ill? How do we change these habits that made us feel so good?

We find a new normal.  But this new normal is NOT about dieting or deprivation. This new normal must be decadent and nourishing. The new normal is not fear based. The new normal seeks food, thoughts and actions that will lift you up. That will give you energy to rise higher. That will allow you to live a radically different, awesome, incredibly, energized life.

Someone dear to me recently said, "I'd like to start living my life as if I only had 100 days to live. Being conscious of every decision I make. Asking myself, does this food make me feel good or is it creating dis-ease in my body?"

I couldn't have said it any better. I'd like to challenge you. For the next 3 days, to write down everything you eat. Document how you feel one to two hours after eating. Do you feel better or worse? Is the food energizing and nourishing or does it pull your energy down? If you cannot last 3-4 hours between meals then you are not eating enough healthy fat and protein for your unique needs. Are you feeding dysbiosis or bad bugs in your gut? Or, are you feeding the new you that you want to become?

Take an honest personal assessment, with love and compassion. This is the first simple step to creating your new normal. This is my wish for you.

If you would like a coach or guidance, let me know. I'm seeking clients who are 100% committed to finding this new normal and willing to make the investment in themselves to do so.  This is how I remain inspired to reach my new normal.

Carpe Diem.

With Love & Gratitude,

Lisa

Please Join us Saturday for Befriending Cancer: the Transformative Power of Yoga and Nourishment

Please register ASAP if you are interested in attending one or all of the workshops this Saturday. My session is from 1:00-3:30pm and I would love to see you there. 

You must sign up under the session(s) you wish to attend HERE

"The study of epigenetics has clearly proven that we are not bound by our genes. The fact is that the role of genes in the development of cancer is only 5-10%. Diet and lifestyles are also "inherited" and these environmental roles determine 90-95% of our outcomes. We can change the expression of our genes with our daily choices."

Saturday, June 17th 1137 Walker Road, Great Falls, VA 22066 Each session $45 adv/$55 door. Full Day $111 Join us for a day long series of talks and practices to get educated, inspired and empowered. Whether you are a yoga teacher, a person going through the sacred journey of cancer, a friend of family of someone who is on the journey or perhaps a medical professional with an interest in Yoga and cancer, this is an ideal place to begin! In approaching cancer, we believe it requires a multi-modality approach. Our science is based on the poly-vagal theory and the study of the Vagus nerve in the regulation of our systems. The power of Yoga is that now Science is able to explain why YOGA is not only effective, it is also essential to awaken the transformative power of cancer by empowering the individual to have tools of Self-Care! Loving Compassion and Nourishment Led by Anu Kaur, MS, RDN, RYT-500  9:00 - 11:30 am Transforming Fear and Overwhelm into Empowerment Using Small Simple Steps  Led by Lisa Jackson, RN, 500 hr RYT, FDN, CHC 1:00 pm - 3:30 pm It's Essential! Fierce Self-Care with Yoga Led by Maryam Ovissi, 500 hr eRYT 4:00 - 6:30 pm You must sign up under the session(s) you wish to attend HERE About Lisa: Former Executive Director of the Integrative Wellness Program for the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, a retired Registered Nurse, Yoga Teacher and Certified Health Coach and Functional Diagnostic Nutrition and functional medicine practitioner  Lisa's passion is to inspire educate and empower clients to health from within to achieve optimal health.

Important clues in your blood work that is often missed.

Are you suffering from fatigue? Have you been told that you have low vitamin B12 or iron in your blood? What does this really mean? What might your hematologist or oncologist NOT know to tell you? Like why this is low, and what you might do to elevate them? Please don't get me wrong, I'm not bashing your doctor. I'm merely pointing out the fact that although he or she spent $200,000 and 10 years in medical school, what is sorely missing in the curriculum is nutrition and functional medicine. Ask them, they will tell you. This is why we need to move away from disease management towards prevention and an integrative functional approach.

I've spent the last few years studying applied functional medicine for coaches. You can see me in the video on the home page.  

So I'd like to share why you may be deficient in B12 and iron. More importantly, I want to empower you with education on what you can do about it.

First, always ask for a copy of your lab work so you can take it to a practitioner that will read it and explain it to you in practical functional terms. When I recently worked for a hematology/oncology clinic, I had on my desk the book, Your Blood Never Lies. Two fellow Nurse Practitioners noted this and said, "Why weren't we trained in this?" 

Unfortunately doctors, nurse practitioners and nurses are not trained in the wealth of functional markers in standard blood work. You will have to seek and find a functional nutritionist to help you; read on.

One good marker to look for in any complete blood count, CBC is the MCV, (mean corpuscle volume) measuring the size of your red blood cells. The red blood cells, RBC, carries oxygen to cells. This is essential for life.  RBC's that are too small don't carry enough oxygen; too big and they don't fit in the small capillaries like in the eyes and the kidneys. 

This is why your vision and kidneys are often the canary in the coal mine. if you've read my book you know that I no longer wear bifocals after decades of use. This is because I've learned how to maximize oxygen. Getting the right size RBCs is one way. Anything over 90 is too big to be optimal, and yet is still within normal limits on the test. This is why it is so often overlooked. 

Normal denotes the "mean average of those tested within a given population" in blood tests. It has nothing to do with optimal. Look around, obesity and chronic disease is epidemic. We need NOT to be normal. We need to create a new healthy normal. We need to assess for optimal levels.

I discovered that my RBCs were too big which suggests either B12 or folate deficiency. I've learned that I also have a genetic snp called MTHFR which affects folate metabolism. To compensate, I take a methylated folate and b vitamin complex every day. This is a simple solution that allows me to avoid brain fog and is essential for energy production and detoxification. This is essential for prevention of all chronic disease, including cancer and heart disease. This is a simple solution. I can tell the difference, so am happy to commit to this. I also notice when my night vision becomes impaired and or my vision begins to get blurry, I now recognize the need for more self care. More deep breathing, more relaxation, more yoga and supplementation, more green juice (again in my book, not the sugar laden ones in stores), and essential fatty acids to nourish cellular membranes.

MTHFR is a simple test to add on to the Spectracell Micronutrient test, one of several, that I recommend to clients.

Please note that folate and the synthetic version, folic acid are NOT the same. This is how you can tell a reputable vitamin company. Does your multi have folate in the form of methyl tetrahydrofolate or the cheaper synthetic folic acid? This is important, you can become toxic on folic acid, if you have an MTHFR snp. Lack of folate leads to miscarriages as well as trouble with energy production and impaired detoxification. Can you begin to see the power in nutritional assessment of your blood work? How missing these critical pieces can contribute to chronic disease and even misdiagnosis? 

There are several forms of vitamin B12. The most common is cyanocobalamin, which is a molecule of cyanide and cobalamin. This is the cheapest, most common form found in supplements. I don't think I need to tell you why you may NOT want to be taking cyanide every day in a supplement. The best supplement companies will have either methylcobalamin, or adeno or hydroxocobalamin, or a combination. Yes, purity and quality definitely matters when it comes to supplementation. A good nutritionist can help you with this too.

Also important to know, is that a serum B12 level does not tell you what is actually being absorbed into the cells. MMA or methylmalonic acid, is a functional marker found in an organic acids urine test, or can also be done as a blood test, or Spectracell Micronutrient test. These will all give you cellular or functional levels for your unique body. 

What food sources are rich in vitamin B12? This needs to come from animal sources. If you are vegan, you can get it from microorganisms in algae. Every body is unique and so are your needs. Some may get plenty from algae, some may need supplementation. A common root cause of low vitamin B12 in the cells is not enough stomach acid. You need HCL to cleave the b12 so it can be absorbed further down in the intestines. 

What is the major cause of low stomach acid? Stress. We live in sympathetic nervous system overdrive. Here's a picture from my book:

Stress decreases stomach acid. This impairs digestion starting in the stomach and inhibits absorption in the small intestines. Nutrition is not what you eat, it's what you absorb. You could be eating all of the right food but not giving your body the signal that it is safe to rest and digest, rest and repair, or mate and ovulate. Everything is interconnected. 

The FDA and AMA laws dictate that I cannot diagnosis, treat or cure any of the 14,000 (and growing) diagnosis codes that describe any human condition. What I AM allowed to do is to teach you how to become your own best clinician through education and coaching. Now I find that inspirational and empowering! I hope that you do too.

Carpe Diem!

WEEKEND EVENTS

June is the halfway point in 2017. Lots of opportunities for self care. This weekend in Northern Virginia is the Love Your Body Day Festival in Reston I wrote about last weeks blogpost and a PEMF demonstration in Alexandria. Also Golden Health Pharmacy in Sterling, VA will be having an Open House Saturday from 11-3pm with discounts, raffles, food and more!

About Lisa Jackson, RN, CHC, RYT-500, FDN
Lisa is an author, inspirational speaker and a coach with a mission to inspire others to feel and look their best at any age.

She is the former Executive Director of the Integrative Wellness Program for the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders.

Lisa's book, Savvy Secrets: Eat, Think and Thrive outlines her seven-step process towards optimal health that is fun and transformational.

Lisa is part of the New Self Health Movement and the Wellness Inspired Network. When she is not coaching, speaking or writing, you can find her practicing yoga and joyfully sharing Carpe Diem Dance.

Love Your Body Day & PEMF Demo Events

Consider spending a day learning how to love your body next Sunday at Reston Town Center in Reston, Virginia. I will be sharing a booth with Documenting Hope,  bringing treats and a raffle for my book, and giving a sample Carpe Diem Dance class at 3pm in the Bhakti Tent. There will be yoga classes in the pavilion from different studios all over the area, children's tents, multiple wellness vendor tents, and something for everyone. 

Jessica Claire Haney of MindfulHealthyLife.com is a new member of the Wellness Inspired Network. She wrote a blog post that provides a great overview of Love Your Body. She's got links in the post to her recaps of the past three years of Love Your Body. Share the post on social media and tag Carpe Diem Wellness & Wellness Inspired Network if you like! 

http://www.mindfulhealthylife.com/love-your-body-yoga-festival-june-11/

Also,

Next Saturday, there will be a demo on Swiss Bionic Solutions PEMF Seminar (Pulsed Electromagnetic Field) 3-5pm Sheraton Suites 801 N. Saint Asaph Street Old Town Alexandria.  

Presented by the President of Swiss Bionic Solutions, USA:

Dr. Greg Musser

Hosted by Janice Johnson, Polarity Therapy Practitioner and LifeStyle Consultant of Swiss Bionic Solutions

Learn how this resonating magnetic field application can assist you with: 

•    pain management

•    increased circulation

•    improved blood viscosity 

•    increased vitality by increasing ATP production

•    relaxed muscles

•    stimulates healthier cell production

•    reduces anxiety and depression for increased well being

•    assists to regenerate bone health

•    improve your sleep

Enter the raffle to win…..The Omnium 1 for a free 60 day trial in your home or office!

For more information contact Janice Johnson @ 302-265-8140 or email her at iamgr8ful4u@yahoo.com

Next week I'll be back with a regular blogpost on Important clues in your blood work that your doctor often misses. 

Carpe Diem,

Lisa