Bee Pollen and Seasonal Allergies...

As a child I was plagued with respiratory concerns such as asthma, bronchitis, and hay fever. After receiving allergy shots and taking a number of medications to manage my symptoms I felt doomed to a life bound to medication or the alternative of sneezing, itchy eyes, and a runny nose.

Thankfully my maternal grandfather stepped in and encouraged my mother to take me off medications and suggested that she add local bee pollen to my diet. My grandpa was a beekeeper. He knew that by ingesting local pollen I would build up a natural immunity. Within a few months I was, and continue to be, allergy free even though it’s been decades since I’ve eaten bee pollen. Removing dairy from my diet also helped tremendously. Speak to your doctor about the use of bee pollen and if it might be an option to help you manage seasonal allergies.

Be Well! ~Tiffany

*Blog first published April 25, 2019

Digestive Health...

Food is lovely and pleasurable. Food is also a powerful tool necessary for good health and well-being. Feed yourself wisely and you’ll feel amazing. My motto is simple—eat what you want and simply accept the consequences of your choices.   Digestion is a process that requires a great deal of energy and effort. Our body is making use of the food and beverages we intake to fuel our body. Overwhelming our digestive tract with excess calories, overly processed foods, and excess sugar - sodium - fat will lead to health problems.

Food can be an empowering friend or a sabotaging foe, especially when you are living with one or more chronic conditions. Some foods restore health while other foods can be harmful.  Nourish is a key concept I focus heavily on to manage my own chronic conditions.  To nourish means that we are fueling our bodies, providing ourselves with nutrients that can change our health. Sound complicated? It doesn’t need to be. Meal planning is a skill that can help you improve your diet, dine well, and save both time and money.

Our bodies are very intelligent and often provide quick feedback based on the foods we eat. Uncomfortable consequences related to diet are similar to the engine warning lights you see in your car. Do you experience...

• Heartburn or indigestion?

• Food intolerance or food tasting bland?

• Constipation or bloating after eating?

These are wake-up calls.  Your body more than likely wants better fuel. Improving your health begins in the kitchen – small additions can bring great rewards. Add healthful foods as you strive to reduce those foods that aren’t beneficial to you. Check out the resource section on my website and the FREE 10-day meal plan from Dr. John McDougall to help you eat your way to improved health.

Dine Well. ~Tiffany

Learn more about your body! Here are the basics showing you how the digestive system works.

Connect to Better Health!

Strengthening ties with others and making use of social networks can help ease feelings of depression, provide comfort in times of grief, and ease the burdens of care-taking. Connecting with others can also be a bit overwhelming if you are short on time and/or low on energy. As you strive to find balance and manage your time remember to connect with yourself. This mean spending quality time with you!

Enjoying your own company is a self-esteem boost, and having time to yourself can help you de-stress and relax. Solitude and being alone doesn't mean loneliness. Quiet time spent reading, taking a morning stroll, or practicing a favorite hobby rejuvenates the spirit. Ask yourself, "Am I allowing myself some alone time to recharge my batteries and feel my best?" If you aren’t investing in me time, here is some homework to consider…May is designated at Better Sleep Month. Even if you don’t sleep alone…getting to sleep and staying asleep is a solitary endeavor. Learn more about how you can improve your sleep environment, how your sleep position could be affecting you, and the common myths surrounding sleep.

Be Well, and improve your health with 3 simple steps - Soothe...Nourish...Rest! ~ Tiffany

*Portions of this post first published June 8, 2017

~ Author Unknown

Food Cravings and their Meaning...

Each of us has more than likely had a ‘gut instinct’, experienced ‘butterflies in the stomach’ or might have a ‘nervous stomach’. Feelings are often linked to our digestive tract. In the book, Constant Craving A-Z by Doreen Virtue, Ph.D., the author shares, “our gut never fails us; it is we who fail to heed its wisdom and trust its guidance.” Constant Craving A-Z discusses why we crave certain foods, and helps us address behaviors and emotions that can lead to overeating and weight gain.

Remember that there is a difference between a craving related to physical hunger versus an emotional hunger. Physical hunger is more gradual, is patient, is based on what our body needs, and can be satisfied by a variety of foods. Whereas emotional hunger isn’t satisfied, feels urgent, focuses on a certain food, and begins in the mouth and the mind.

I purchased Constant Craving A-Z in 1999 and found it to be an invaluable resource as a Health Educator and Wellness Coach. The insights offered also shed light on primary emotions that led to my own emotional eating patterns. In working with others I found that the A-Z guide of common foods alongside their root cause was rarely if ever inaccurate. Clients I work with have been fascinated as I look up the food they craved, read to them the probable meaning behind the craving, and then together we would read the suggested affirmation to address the unmet emotional need prompting the craving. For example, I love popcorn and could probably eat it daily for the rest of my life without getting tired of it…though my stomach, waist line, and colon would probably tell me otherwise. I read the probable meaning of a popcorn craving, “Procrastinating over starting a project because of fears of failure.” This message rings true for me since beyond a normal desire for popcorn once in awhile just because I am going to the movies is entirely different than when I feel an urgent craving for popcorn. These are times when I have been overwhelmed with work, juggling college classes plus an extra part-time job plus raising my son. The affirmation offered in response to craving popcorn? It reads, “If it’s going to be, it’s up to me. I trust, and I push myself when necessary.”

The tools and resources offered in Constant Craving A-Z have been very helpful for me. Thank you Doreen, this is a terrific book. I especially appreciate the 5 Steps to Reducing Emotional Hunger, such as giving yourself a 15-minute cooling-off period to ensure you are truly physically hungry for a food or whether it’s an emotional craving. Another step to tame mouth hunger is by brushing your teeth or drinking a large glass of water. Check out this worthy read if you or someone you love is experiencing emotional eating.

Be Well. ~Tiffany

Improving Our Shared Environment...

Happy Earth Day. How will you celebrate?

For my part, I celebrate by following a sustainable plant-based diet, will continue to use reusable bags, making time to connect with nature, recycling, driving less, walking more, and by planting a tree (or two).

Breath easier knowing that you’ve participated to help protect and heal our environment.

Check out these events, resources, and tips:

www.earthday.org

The Canopy Project

Tree seedlings at arborday.org

Nourish your body, here is a 10-day plant-based meal plan to get you started.

Be Well. ~Tiffany

Cocktails Anyone?

Our bodies rely on water inside and out to function properly. A dehydrated body feels tired, muscles ache, and I personally call this feeling ‘creaky’. When I want to relax, loosen up, and unwind, I mix a cocktail for My Body. A body cocktail hydrates on the outside…your body can sip on this type of cocktail when you soak in a warm bath or mineral pool, apply wet towel compresses, or take contrast baths.

Try this soothing technique at home…

Pour warm water into the bath, filling your tub…Shake 1-2 cups of Epsom salts into the water…Stir…then soak for at least 15 minutes. The warm water and minerals in the Epsom salts relieves muscle tension and improves sleep.

Be Well. ~Tiffany

*This post first published August 22, 2019

Joint Replacement - Feeling Your Best...

Receiving artificial joints is a life-changing procedure. You feel different, move differently, and learn new ways of living. Joint replacement takes place in a person’s life for any number of reasons…perhaps due to injury, or illness, or even long-term disability. The procedure itself may offer welcome relief to long-standing pain, or the reality of needing joint replacement might fill you with sadness, frustration, and even anger. I felt shock, fear, and confusion after learning that I needed a hip replacement at age 45. I had plenty of questions, wondered what to expect, and thought, “Why me?”

Feeling my best and learning to live with my artificial hips began while recovering from surgery. I required replacement on both the left and right side, the surgeries were over a year apart, and shortly after the second surgery I required a revision surgery due to fracture. Time spent with my physical therapist was crucial to help me understand my limitations and also how to challenge myself into doing things I was unsure of. As I wrote the content for my website and resource guide for hip replacement recipients I thought about three aspects of self-care that have helped me, they are:

Soothe - This included ways I managed stress, processed grief, and managed pain.

Nourish - Healing and thriving is improved with nutrition. Plus, my surgeon urged me to maintain a lean weight since excess weight places pressure on our joints. To put this in context…5 lbs of extra weight places up to 25 lbs of weight on a joint!

Rest - Sleep hadn’t come easy before joint replacement and getting used to my new bionic parts was an adjustment. Thankfully I have found a number of tools and resources that support slumber.

Learning how to manage pain was invaluable, and one that I had mastered prior to joint replacement…acupuncture treatments continue to be my go-to method for reducing and managing pain. I modified my home to reduce fall hazards, got rid of all those pretty high-heeled shoes, and learned that since each of my surgeries left me with posterior placement that I would never again bend past 90 degrees. So, I said goodbye to touching my toes, knowing that movement was worth avoiding to protect the integrity of my new joints. I had heard the cries of a fellow patient who dislocated his hip shortly after surgery because he was being too ambitious in his movements. Dislocation is something I NEVER want to experience.

It wasn’t that long ago that joint replacement recipients would require revisions and need ‘new parts’ since the equipment wasn’t always designed for long term use. That has thankfully changed. My surgeon assured me that with good care I could expect 25 to 30 years of use. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle and practicing my 3 Key Concepts to Living Well are what I believe will enable me to avoid future surgeries. Visit Anderson Therapeutics where you’ll find a variety of FREE wellness resources, tips, and tools to help you and your family feel your best.

Be Well. ~Tiffany Anderson, LMT, RMT, BS, CHES

Author, Butternut to Bionic: A Resource Guide to Hip Replacement Surgery