Importance of Play & Community: An Invitation on Halloween

I love Halloween. It gives me an excuse to dress up and pretend I'm a kid again. I can so easily get bogged down in the seriousness of life... in the data. I can forget to smell the roses. There's a reason that children and grandchildren keep us young. They can keep us in the moment. They can be pure joy. We forget how important it is to play. Even working dogs, like rescue dogs, can only work 2 hours before they need a break and need to run and fetch a ball for fun.

This is why I love and teach Carpe Diem Dance. It is movement to music that keeps you in the moment. It's playful, fun and joyful. Sometimes I throw in an invitation to explore your emotional and spiritual self along with your physical body.  Otherwise, it's too easy to get stuck in our mental body. When you play, your body emits powerful endorphins of pleasure. This tells your body that it is safe to rest and relax, to rest and repair, and/or to mate and ovulate (depending on your goals).

It's also easy to get stuck in social inertia. If you are self employed or work at a desk on a computer every day, you can easily feel some social isolation. This is a common root cause of dis-ease that is becoming increasingly more common.

You cannot underestimate the power of both play and community. Sometimes our community can keep us stuck too. If you are wanting to create change in your life, your family and friends may be resistant. Especially when it comes to food and alcohol. Food is emotional and it takes courage to be different. This is why it is especially important to create your own community for support as we are doing with the IF Kickstart starting this week.

In yoga, we call habitual patterns, samskara's. These habitual patterns become so ingrained that they can become addictions. These can become our modern day "Ghosts"

So whaddya gonna do about it? Call Ghostbusters!

Please join me on Wednesday morning at 7:30am to dance and play to fun Halloween music. Can you think of a better way to start your day? You can bring a costume or just bring yourself in whatever attire is best for the day.  I'll be teaching my Carpe Diem Dance class at Rise Wellbeing Center. If you've been meaning to check out this beautiful new center then come this week. If it's your first time, the class will be free. Consider joining this community of like minded souls to nourish your mind, body and spirit.

When you surround yourself with healthy people, your health improves. Do you have a community that supports your samskara's or that allows you freedom to choose healthy, food, thoughts and actions?

What ghosts do you need help busting? What do you do for fun? Is there a super power you want to emulate this week?  Happy Halloween!

Carpe Diem,

Lisa

Antioxidants and Cardiovascular Health

You may not know this about me. I was diagnosed with hypertension in my 30's and on statin medications to lower my cholesterol. Never mind that I was a single mother with 3 small children. Stress was my mantra. I remember taking a meditation class at Brown's Chapel where they wanted us to sit on the floor, when every bone in my body ached. I had chronic back and neck pain then. I told them it hurt to sit that way and was told to just sit and breathe through it. I thought to myself $%* this! I didn't go back. I didn't think I had any choice back then, but to power through. I took a mindful eating class, but that didn't resonate with me either.

I've since learned ALOT about hypertension and cardiovascular disease.  I know that cholesterol is not the enemy. I know that stress is the silent killer and as in all chronic disease, there are usually multiple factors and triggers. I know that we are all unique and we need to look at root causes to find "the cure" or at least to stop progression and put the disease into remission.

I know that maintenance matters. Here's a picture of the birthday card my girlfriend Peggy gave me:

Maintenance Matters!

Those statins gave me severe muscle pain. I tried them on and off over the years always with the same result. It wasn't until this past decade that I discovered the power of micronutrient testing and functional medicine that I finally pinpointed some of the root causes of my cardiovascular disease.

I know now that if you are on a statin medication you must take CoQ10. You see statins lower this vital nutrient, there are in fact, mitochondrial killers. The mitochondria is the power plant inside each and every cell in your body that generates energy in a process called ATP. CoQ10 is the spark.

It's not just statins that lower CoQ10. Acid blockers like PPIs and antihistamine allergy drugs, antacids, antibiotics, blood thinners, blood pressure and anti arrhythmia drugs, cancer drugs, diabetes medications and psychiatric drugs, all lower this vital nutrient.

CoQ10 is just one of several powerful antioxidants. Antioxidants are powerful in that they counteract oxidative stress from free radicals. Free radicals occur from daily living like exercising and eating. They also occur from toxins in our bodies, fried foods, alcohol and internal and external stressors.

How do we raise antioxidants? We can take supplements or we can eat and drink antioxidant rich food. If you are on medications and/or live life to the max with added stress, I would suggest you do both, supplement and ingest nutrient dense food. Last month I attended a seminar on micronutrient status as it relates to cardiovascular disease sponsored by Spectracell Laboratories. This is my go to lab for many years now and I test myself annually for both micronutrient testing and cardio metabolic testing.

But what is the simplest solution? Eat 8-10 servings of a variety of vegetables particularly green leafy and cruciferous vegetables, small amount of seasonal fruit and healthy fats and proteins. It's hard to eat that many vegetables for most, so I'm a big fan of green juices. This is why I am teaming up with Tasty6 and others to offer the Intermittent Fasting KickStart. If you'd like to join us, then please register before October 25th. You can learn more via this short video.

Carpe Diem,

Lisa

Did you miss out? It's not too late for an Intermittent Fasting KickStart!

Did you miss out on the first opportunity? No worries, because now you have another chance! There is always a new day, a new opportunity for a kickstart. This fall for the first time, we are offering an Intermittent Fasting Kickstart. Why? Because it's sustainable. It's easy and it's life affirming.

What does this mean? It means, it's not about dieting. It's not about deprivation. It's not about eating less. It's about eating less often. To find your own daily rhythm. A rhythm that suits your unique body the best.

It's what everybody is talking about it! Here's the "Who's Who" of experts in healthy living from the famous Cardiologist who wrote Wheat Belly Total Health to the recent book by Dale Bredesen, MD on The End of Alzheimer's: The First Program to Prevent and Reverse Cognitive Decline. Who doesn't want to have the sharpest mind, no matter what age?!

Dr Ben Lynch writes about the benefit of intermittent fasting to clean up your dirty genes. YES! You can change the expression of your genes with diet and lifestyle! You are not bound by your genes, nor are you bound by any diagnosis. This is what we will be talking about in our first online webinar that is included in your 7 Day KickStart to Wellness.

Do you want to feel and look your best? Then, please, I urge you to join us and sign up before October 25th when we will hold our first online kickstart webinar, where you will commit to a 7 day Intermittent Fasting Kickstart program. The program will officially begin on November 1st when your Tasty6 supplemental organic fresh soups, juices, nut mylks, and MCT shots with turmeric will be delivered to your home or office.  This can be shipped directly to the address given when you register.

The day after Halloween is a perfect time to begin. Whether your goal is to prepare for the holidays, or a wedding, you want to heal from a war torn body, or you want to find your optimal weight and health.  This is the perfect program for you to get group support, education and knowledge so you can confidently create positive lifestyle change that is sustainable.  We are providing you with the best organic juices and food voted by Washingtonian Magazine, vetted tried and true simple recipes, a guidebook on eating out, group support and more.

We are really excited to be able to offer this program to you and hoping that you will join us to find your optimal health and wellness.

Carpe Diem,

Lisa

Choose Clarity on Columbus Day

This morning I woke up to my husband's snoring at 3:45 am. I used to have a lot of insomnia. Now, not so much. When I do wake up before "I should", I don't panic. Instead, I practice looking at life with more curiosity and less fear. I ask myself, "What is my body telling me? What is it that I'm needing and wanting?"

I worked 7 days this week and although I love what I do, I realized that I was needing time for me. This morning, I went outside, I danced in the moonlight, looked up, and saw a shooting star. A reminder that it was time to explore my own vast inner world. Time to exercise, to meditate and to write. It felt deeply nourishing.

Today is Columbus Day; a day to celebrate freedom. More than one of my clients have said, "I feel like a prisoner to my disease."  There are more than 68,000 diagnosis codes in the ICD-10 International Classifications of Diseases that our modern medicine relies on for insurance reimbursement. That is a lot of labels of what's wrong with us. That's a lot of negative news. It's enough to make you anxious. Add in the radio and television ads like, "Do you have Gastric Esophageal Reflux Disease?" Translated to, are you eating fake food that is irritating your stomach? Or do you have so much stress that your body thinks it should be running away instead of digesting food?  You can see how easy it is to get trapped in the "What's wrong with me?" mindset.

What if all these labels and signs and symptoms were merely a loving message from within signaling a need for change?  A nudge to point to a new direction? Imagine what your life might look like if you used your inner compass for direction instead of fearful labels. Focus on where you want to go. Use the dis-ease as a buoy so you don't shipwreck your body. Use your dreams and desires as a lighthouse to sail towards.

When you are locked into labels, it is hard to see clearly. I find it fascinating that autoimmune disease is growing at an epidemic rate. This by definition, is failure to recognize self. It's a cry and reminder to pay attention to self. If you believe that the world is flat, then it's easy to fear going too far and falling off the end of the earth. Please do not become victim to self limiting beliefs and labels.  Don't become so locked into your disease that you are covered in fog and cannot see the lighthouse.

If you know and believe that your body is self healing and self repairing then you are empowered to move in new directions. You are free to play and experiment with different choices. This can be the gift of the dis-ease, if you are open to new possibilities. 

We hear a lot about "finding balance." Balance is not a static end point. It's more like a dance with a rhythm. Some days you may need a vinyasa practice or aerobic exercise, to run, punch a bag, or to dance. Other times your body may need deep rest and a meditative practice.  We can get so locked in our "shoulds" that we lose touch with ourselves. See if you can find fluidity in your physical practice. See if you can practice self compassion on days when your body is needing deep rest. Don't worry, you won't sleep forever and you won't fall into the deep abyss, if you follow your heart.

Where do you practice freedom? Are you free to fully express yourself in your deepest relationships? Can you honor your unique thoughts, needs and desires enough to speak your truth? Being true to self takes courage in a world focused on conformity.

Free yourself from food myths and marketing. Food can be medicine or the same food can be another man's poison. We are all unique. Honor your unique body's needs and rhythms. Our genes have been adapting for as long as our existence, based on your stressors. What stress do you need to remove in order to fully digest and assimilate nutrition?

Diversity in the diet is the #1 practice you can do for longevity. Try a new food or recipe this week. Focus on feeling good without the need for addictive food or substances. Self medication is only sustainable for so long. Freedom may come by doing something radically different. Spend time fasting to give your gastrointestinal tract time to heal and repair. Or join us on October 25th to learn about and commit to an Intermittent Fasting KickStart. This is a great pre-holiday kickstart that is sustainable with supplemental juices, nut mylks, MCT shots, and soups to be delivered on November 1st, just after Halloween.

Take time today to enjoy nature, return to self and dare to explore the vast inner world of your unique body, mind and spirit. Focus on where you want to go and explore new ways to get there.  Ask yourself what limiting belief is holding you back from obtaining your goals. No amount of medication or supplementation can compare to the power of practicing self love, compassion and self care. Go where no man has gone before. Dare to explore the vast world of infinite possibility within you.

Carpe Diem,

Lisa

About Lisa Jackson, RN, CHC, RYT-500, AFMC

Lisa is an author, functional nutrition, and functional medicine trained, health coach, yoga teacher, and retired Registered Nurse with the mission to inspire, educate and empower individuals and corporations to achieve optimal health.

Lisa's book, Savvy Secrets: Eat, Think & Thrive is a self-health book offering her Seven Steps to Optimal Health.

When she is not coaching, or speaking, you can find Lisa joyfully sharing yoga and Carpe Diem Dance or playing with her two grandchildren. She is the mother of four adult children and believes, "Optimal health should not be a secret."