Categoría: Nutrición + Comida

Joven, Vital y en Movimiento: El Sistema Vascular

Posted on noviembre 9, 2016 by - Movimiento + Conciencia, Noticias, Nutrición + Comida

No sería una exageración decir que los vasos jóvenes equivalen a la juventud y que un flujo saludable y vital en los vasos sanguíneos hace que todas las demás partes de tu cuerpo brillen y funcionen bien. Ábrete a descubrir el flujo universal y las conexiones que son inherentes a tus arterias, venas y glándulas linfáticas.

Nuestro sistema vascular es uno de los elementos más sorprendentes de nuestro cuerpo. Como asistente de un profesor durante la escuela de medicina, pude ver de primera mano la increíble complejidad de nuestra red de vasos, arterias, venas y linfáticos. Hace unos años, el artista médico alemán Gunther von Hagens recorrió Europa y Estados Unidos con una exposición llamada “Body Worlds”, donde, a través de un proceso de educación médica llamado plastinación que convirtió el líquido dentro de los vasos en un compuesto acrílico, pudo mostrar segmentos enteros de vasos aislados, sin otras estructuras. Tubos cada vez más pequeños que en última instancia se volvieron finos como cabellos, extendiéndose en formas que formaban el cuerpo exacto de cada órgano, ¡una visión inolvidable! Una verdadera comunidad donde cada rincón está vinculado a los 3 atributos principales del sistema:

  1. Cada célula recibe oxígeno y nutrientes a través de una arteria
  2. Cada célula entrega CO2 y toxinas a través de una vena
  3. Cada espacio entre las células drena las excreciones sobrantes y los desechos a través de un vaso linfático.

En el pensamiento oriental y en la práctica de artes marciales, el término “vasos” era la descripción original de lo que más tarde se tradujo en Occidente como meridianos o canales. Fue la observación de la circulación por los antiguos médicos y sanadores lo que les dio una comprensión de cómo mover la información y los recursos de energía en todo el cuerpo humano.

En los principios chamánicos, tal como los aprendí de mi maestro, Carlos Castaneda, el cuerpo puede revitalizarse a través de un proceso que llamó redistribución de energía. La circulación en este caso ocurre a través de una red de vasos que llevan una fuerza vital llamada energía de los tendones. Durante la práctica de los movimientos físicos que en Being Energy llamamos Pases Energéticos, provocamos sacudidas o golpes siguiendo una cuenta, estimulando así el flujo de la energía de los tendones a lo largo de los vasos, desde los pies a la cabeza.

Aprender cómo sentir nuestro sistema vascular, y cómo activar cada una de sus tres partes, puede traer muchos beneficios y también puede ser divertido. Únete a nuestra última clase del año el próximo sábado 12 de noviembre para aprender más!

Regístrate aquí

Miles Reid, L.Ac. Certificado por la Junta Nacional
En Acupuntura y Herbología China
Médico (AR)
Fundador Energy Life Sciences Institute
Director Clínico

Dr.Reid@energylifesciences.com
info@energylifesciences.com
elsi.wpengine.com
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Desenchúfate y Mantente en Óptimas Condiciones

Posted on marzo 9, 2016 by - Acupunctura + Hierbas, Detox, Movimiento + Conciencia, Noticias, Nutrición + Comida

Como doctor en una clínica muy ocupada, a menudo me encuentro en un predicamento similar al de mis pacientes. Esto es, cómo mantenerme enfocado y presente, sin sentir que no hay suficiente tiempo para todo lo que tengo por hacer. Desde reuniones profesionales temprano por la mañana, pasando por una fila animada de pacientes a lo largo del día, hasta el importante tiempo que paso con mi familia, para mí es clave estar vital en todo momento –estar presente física, mental y emocionalmente–.

Mudwrap2016Necesito involucrarme en escuchar activamente, en ejercitar el pensamiento crítico, planeación de negocios y habilidades motoras finas, así como hacer intervenciones médicas al mismo tiempo. Mientras hago todo esto necesito que mi corazón esté abierto y conectado, y mi espíritu agradecido y alegre. Necesito que mi memoria esté clara, mis músculos relajados y a la vez listos para la acción; que mis funciones corporales se desempeñen en equilibrio, y en general crear la energía necesaria para sostener mi día. Esta es sólo la demanda básica, sin contar otras experiencias o relaciones emocionales que pueden estar presentes en mi mente en cualquier momento. ¡Bienvenido a la vida moderna! Y agárrate de tu asiento porque este viaje sólo se volverá más intenso durante los siguientes años. El tiempo se está acelerando.

Sin importar lo que esté sucediendo en mi vida, estoy sostenido por las prácticas que aprendí de mi maestro Carlos Castaneda. En particular, me enseñó varias series de movimientos para revitalizar cuerpo y mente. Uno de sus favoritos era un movimiento muy simple, y al mismo tiempo poderoso, que llamó Activar el Cuerpo. Un nombre práctico, descriptivo (muy propio de Castaneda).

“Activar el cuerpo” significa primero relajarlo completamente y después, en una fracción de segundo y tras una súbita orden, activar todos los músculos, articulaciones e incluso órganos; a ello le sigue inmediatamente apagar todo de nuevo. El efecto de esto en el sistema nervioso es un estado de prestancia y calma al mismo tiempo –casi como cuando al tomar una ducha fría y después secar la piel, frotándola rápidamente para calentarla, se crea una descarga circulatoria a partir de la derivación del torrente sanguíneo, lo cual es muy vigorizante–. La idea de activarse es muy atrayente, pero la verdadera gema está en el estado opuesto correspondiente: desactivarse. Nuestra capacidad de estar activados se desgasta a menos que exista una capacidad equivalente y opuesta de desactivarnos.

Radiant Health2016“Tienes que activarte y desactivarte,” me dijo Carlos Castaneda. Entre mayor sea la distancia entre los estados de activación y desactivación musculares, más fuerte es la activación de la conciencia del cuerpo. Cuando aplicamos esto al músculo del corazón, lo llamamos Variabilidad del Ritmo Cardiaco (HRV), y entre mayor sea la variabilidad (entre más distancia haya entre los latidos del corazón) más saludable será el resultado a largo plazo no sólo del corazón, sino de indicadores de salud generales en todos los sistemas corporales.

Biológicamente, la desactivación es algo que nos ha sido dado. A pesar que que quizá lo hayamos olvidado ahora, estamos diseñados naturalmente para ser capaces de desactivarnos sin esfuerzo por nuestra parte. Está en nuestra naturaleza. Esto es lo que vi con mis propios ojos cuando estaba en un safari en las llanuras del Serengeti. Un par de leonas persiguió a un grupo de gacelas Impala. Las gacelas entraron en pánico y corrieron en todas direcciones. Las leonas finalmente atraparon a una de ellas, se reunieron para comérsela, y entonces, cerca de donde sucedió, el resto de los Impala regresó a pastar como si nada hubiese sucedido. Entonces, ¿por qué cuando, por ejemplo, nos sentimos traicionados por lo que alguien nos dijo nos quedamos contraídos y ansiosos durante días, meses, o incluso años?

Quienes tienen el mejor desempeño saben que la habilidad de desactivarse es tan importante como ese momento en el cual se activan. Los tenistas de élite son un gran ejemplo de ello. ¿Cómo sostiene un jugador la energía a lo largo de una partida que dura horas? Entran en ciclos de activación a desactivación y viceversa, de momento a momento. Con algunos jugadores, podría parecer que tienen todo el tiempo del mundo para enviar un servicio al otro lado de la red.

Nosotros, también, podemos tener todo el tiempo del mundo y funcionar a nuestro nivel más alto.

En nuestro Retiro en Los Angeles: Energía Radiante + Salud Radiante, te mostraremos como re-adiestrar a tu cuerpo para desactivarse cuando no necesita estar activado, de forma que puedas obtener descanso profundo, aprovechar tu energía y moverte con flexibilidad. Aprenderás a identificar patrones de tensión que sostienes en tu fascia –la fascinante red de tejido suave que se activa para ayudarnos a llevar a cabo todas las cosas que necesitamos hacer en la vida–, y liberar esos patrones para que ya no interfieran con el ciclo de activación-desactivación requerido para que te desempeñes en tu mejor nivel.

Group-4b

Los tiempos han cambiado, y en nuestro mundo actual aprender a adaptarnos mejor a las demandas crecientes que la vida nos plantea es vital. También ayuda mucho recibir tratamientos especializados para apoyar la renovación de tu cuerpo, así como invertir tiempo en buscar el equilibrio neurológico. Estas cosas no son lujos. Son, hoy más que nunca, necesidades.

En salud, alegría y energía,

Dr. Miles Reid

Una Receta para Encender tu Fuego Digestivo

Posted on noviembre 15, 2015 by - Noticias, Nutrición + Comida

Es innegable. ¡Las vacaciones se acercan! ¿Cómo puede mantenerse saludable durante esta temporada tan ocupada? Una clave es fortalecer su fuego digestivo.

Carrot Soup

Las celebraciones vacacionales casi siempre incluyen alimentos ricos. Aunque todos sabemos que es importante comer bien, podemos descarrilarnos un poco en esta época del año. Además, si no estás digiriendo adecuadamente, es posible que no estés absorbiendo los nutrientes que necesitas de tu alimento.

La buena digestión es absolutamente un pilar de la buena salud. Para sentirte mejor, querrás hacer que el pilar sea fuerte. Con esto en mente, he aquí algunas cosas importantes que debes saber acerca de los alimentos y la digestión:

  • La comida es tanto la hormona como la nutrición (ver mi artículo de blog Food: A New Paradigm)
  • El proceso de digestión es cómo procesamos la información (la información tiene un sustrato bioquímico)
  • Lo que comemos está todavía fuera del cuerpo hasta que lo absorbemos

Hoy, enfocémonos en la absorción. Para ayudar a la absorción de nutrientes:

  • Masticar completamente
  • Tomar enzimas digestivas *
  • Suplemento con HCL *
  • Añadir probióticos y prebióticos a tu dieta *
  • Disfruta de agua caliente con limón fresco a primera hora de la mañana
  • Agrega jengibre fresco a tus comidas

* Esta sugerencia suplementaria no constituye un consejo médico. Consulte con su médico antes de tomar cualquier suplemento nutricional.

Con las vacaciones a la vuelta de la esquina, el último consejo de agregar jengibre a sus comidas es especialmente útil. Es una manera sencilla y sabrosa de encender el fuego digestivo. Por lo tanto, si excederte en la rica celebración de la temporada te deja con una sensación de pesadez, usa jengibre fresco.

sri_lanka_gingerUna de nuestras maneras favoritas de incorporar el jengibre en nuestras comidas en esta época del año es con esta receta deliciosa, reconfortante y cálida: Sopa de zanahoria al jengibre.

Sopa de zanahoria al jengibre
4-5 Porciones

Ingredientes

  • 3 cucharadas de aceite de oliva (o puede sustituir con ghee o mantequilla sin sal)
  • 1 ½ libras de zanahorias (6 – 8 zanahorias grandes), peladas y en rodajas finas
  • 2 tazas de cebolla blanca o amarilla picada
  • 1 cucharadita de sal marina (o al gusto)
  • 2 tazas de caldo de verduras
  • 2 tazas de agua
  • 3 grandes tiras de cáscara de una naranja (orgánico es el mejor)
  • Cebollino picado, perejil, eneldo o hinojo para adornar

Pasos

Caliente el aceite en una olla a fuego medio, agregue cebollas, zanahorias y sal marina y cocine hasta que las cebollas se ablanden, revolviendo de vez en cuando (unos 10 minutos). No deje que las verduras se doren.

Agregue el caldo de verduras, agua, jengibre y tiras de cáscara de naranja. Llevar a fuego lento, cubrir y cocinar hasta que las zanahorias estén suaves (unos 20 minutos).

Retire las tiras de cáscara de naranja y deséchelas. Trabajando en pequeños lotes, vierta la sopa en una licuadora y puré hasta que esté completamente lisa. Sólo llene el recipiente de la licuadora una tercera parte llena con el líquido caliente y mantenga una mano presionando hacia abajo sobre la tapa de la licuadora para mantenerla segura. Agregue más sal marina al gusto.

Servir con cucharón en cuencos y adornar con la cebolleta picada, perejil, eneldo o hinojo.

Esperamos que disfrutes de esto tanto como nosotros, y que te unas a mi el 5 de diciembre para la siguiente clase de Nutrición + Salud de Energy, todo sobre el corazón. La clase incluirá algunos consejos útiles para navegar a través de sus emociones durante las vacaciones.

 

Why Happiness Matters

Posted on octubre 26, 2015 by - Noticias, Nutrición + Comida

The science is in: Happiness matters!

It turns out that happiness and a strong social network are key components in your health and longevity. As the poet W. H. Auden put it, “We must love one another or die.”

BE Group PhotoThis statement is borne out by research showing that social relationships can both extend your life and improve its quality. Studies prove that social connections—family, friends, colleagues, neighbors, churches and clubs—reduce risk of death by 50 percent. A stunning statistic!

Conversely, loneliness poses a very serious health risk. Comparable to smoking and twice as dangerous as obesity, loneliness can:

  • Impair immune function
  • Increase inflammation
  • Raise blood pressure
  • Increase cortisol (the stress hormone)
  • Increase depression
  • Disrupt sleep

Scientists have found that people are happier and feel safer when they are with other people than when they are alone, and that happiness is contagious.

Conducted over 20 years, the Framingham Heart Study, published in the British Medical Journal, concluded: “People’s happiness depends on the happiness of others with whom they are connected. This provides further justification for seeing happiness, like health, as a collective phenomenon.”

Interestingly, being happy also influences our health at the level of our genes. Researchers at UCLA studying the human genome learned that people with a deep sense of happiness and sense of purpose in life had lower levels of inflammatory gene expression and stronger immune systems. The opposite was true for the type of happiness that is momentary and based in self-gratification (enjoying an ice cream cone for example).

The head of the research team, Steven Cole, said that one of the things this 10-year study shows “is that doing good and feeling good have very different effects on the human genome, even though they generate similar levels of positive emotion… Apparently, the human genome is much more sensitive to different ways of achieving happiness than are conscious minds.”

joy-jumpTrue happiness is as much a state of mind as it is an emotional and physical (and genetic!) expression. Experiencing gratitude and looking for the good in life is an important part of it. As the fictional Pollyanna said “… there is something about everything that you can be glad about, if you keep hunting long enough to find it.”

There is even more reason to be glad if you can share your happiness with friends and family.

Happiness, and how your emotions affect your biochemistry, is one of the things we’ll talk about in Being Energy’s next Nutrition + Health class, The Power of the Heart, on December 5th. Join us to gain tools and information to start the New Year filled with happiness, hope and abundance.

5 Steps to Feeling Good

Posted on octubre 1, 2015 by - Movimiento + Conciencia, Noticias, Nutrición + Comida

Feelings. The senses. Our emotions. Being aware of your feelings can have a directly positive influence on your health and wellbeing. I’ll share a couple of exercises with you here, visual and physical, to help you hone that influential connection between feelings and health.

sunriseAlso, remember our next online Nutrition class on Saturday, October 3rd. Join me to learn all about the senses, including the 6th sense!  You’ll gain tools for opening your perception for greater joy and vitality. I hope to see you there.

For now, let’s look at connecting to your feelings. Here is a very effective visualization exercise for you to try.  To prepare, begin by writing any physical symptoms that cause you discomfort. Also write down a few things that symbolize your ideal of wellbeing (for example, clear thinking).

Now, look at the first item on your symptoms list. With that in mind:

  1. Connect to the symptom. Close your eyes, breathe easily and allow any feelings, emotions and/or images related to this symptom and this part of your body to rise up, without judgment.
  2. Connect with the feeling or image. Clearly identify what’s coming up for you. What are you feeling? (For example, “My knee gives me pain when I walk; it makes me feel unworthy, and incapable of moving forward.”)
    Stay with the feeling. Resist avoiding it and instead just be there with it, allowing it to exist for what it is. Be open to what it has to teach you. Then open your eyes slowly and write down the feelings that came up for you.
  3. Track the feeling to its origin. Close your eyes again and return to the feeling or image. Once it’s clear in your mind, ask yourself: Where is this coming from? When have I felt this before? Does it relate to a past experience?
  4. Learn from the feeling. How is this feeling or image preventing you from enjoying optimal health? What past experience or belief is standing in the way of you feeling your best? What is the payoff for you holding onto this feeling? What can you learn from it? What will it take for you to resolve this feeling, or dissolve this image? What do you have to let go of in order to change?
  5. Take action. You have the power to decide to let go of this feeling.

Repeat these steps with something from your list that symbolizes wellbeing, shifting the focus in step 4 to what is preventing you from having the sense of wellbeing that the image or feeling gives you. What barriers are in the way? And what is the payoff to staying within those boundaries?

You may want to repeat this for other symptoms of disease and symbols of vitality on different days, focusing in on one pairing at a time.

This also relates to a physical exercise we want to share with you. The exercise is part of the body of the Being Energy work. The following video takes you through this simple exercise, called a Being Energy pass.

In the video, you’ll notice me mention “recapitulation”—this word in the Being Energy work means to look back to the past to the root experiences of behaviors and beliefs that are blocking you in the present. Recapitulate, as defined in Merriam-Webster and how we use it in Being Energy, means: “To give new form or expression to.”

6 Windows to Perception: Overcome Sensory Overload and Optimize Your Awareness

Posted on septiembre 15, 2015 by - Movimiento + Conciencia, Noticias, Nutrición + Comida

It’s almost here! Being Energy’s next Nutrition class—all about the senses. I invite you to join me live, online on Saturday, October 3rd. We’ll explore the importance of the five senses and how to optimize them, and even give you an exercise for activating your 6th sense for expanded perception.

eyeball-closeupSo why are we doing a class all about the senses? The senses are our windows to the world. They give us information that we use to stay safe, interact with others, experience our world and understand life (the hallmark of our species).

The challenge is that we’re so constantly bombarded with a stunning array of input, that most of us suffer from sensory overload. What we register consciously at any given moment is but a fraction of what is coming at us. So what should we pay attention to? How do we prioritize? How can we focus on what is important and ignore the rest?

The art of developing our attention is perhaps more important than ever before in human history because we are faced with more sensory information than ever before.

We do have a natural filter, the reticular activating system (RAS), that enables us to sort out what information to pay attention to and what to prune so that we don’t go crazy. Moreover, it is a filter that is trainable. We can consciously engage our awareness to manage our sensory perceptions.

An important thing to understand is that our beliefs and past experiences shape how we filter sensory input. The great news about this is that we can focus on the senses to quiet the mind (and vice versa) to affect our interpretation of what we are sensing. We can free ourselves from belief systems that don’t serve our overall wellness to activate a greater awareness of what is both seeable and un-seeable around us.

The eyes are especially important. They are often more fatigued by overstimulation than any other sense organ. We make countless decisions each day based on what our eyes are telling us. There is a voluminous amount of information to process. Computers, smart phones and TVs vie for our attention and cloud our visual sensibilities.

In the Being Energy Nutrition class on Saturday, I’ll teach a technique to soften the eyes, and relax and release the eye muscles to open up your perception.

Relaxing is a key thing for all of our senses, in fact. When we can quiet down the way we normally use our senses, we make way for opening to a more expansive way of interpreting sensory data. When you relax your eyes, for example, you’re able to see other aspects of the world. When your eyes become silent, you can see silence. This is true of all five senses. It is also a key for waking up the 6th sense.

When we activate our 6th sense, we have the capacity to apprehend what isn’t commonly available to us—something that we sometimes feel in our gut or our heart.Nutrition 2015_Featured_2

I’ll talk more about the 6th sense and how to cultivate it on Saturday. I hope you can join me!

The class airs live on September19 at 8:30am Pacific Time. For more information, and to register, please see beingenergy.com.

Cool It Down! Foods to Eat for Summer Vitality

Posted on agosto 6, 2015 by - Acupunctura + Hierbas, Noticias, Nutrición + Comida

We’re thinking about longevity lately, and sustainability.

Can what you eat really make a difference to your longevity? Yes! In fact, your daily food choices affect your mood and health both in the moment and well down the road.

First and foremost, aim to eat according to the season. This is a key for aging with vitality. It gives your body the necessary nutrients to function at its best at any given time.

In the summer heat, it’s smart to focus on cooling foods. In fact, in both the spring and summer, you want to nourish your yang energy and eat foods that are cooling by nature. Whereas the fall and winter are the yin-predominant seasons—so when we move into the fall season (just around the corner!), it will be time to nourish your yin energy with warming foods. 

Spring and Summer Diet

For those of you in the southern hemisphere, or when the season turns for us here in the north, keep these recommendations in mind.

Springtime is a perfect time to nourish the liver, and do our Being Energy Detox Program!

Also, you’ll want to eat pungent foods to help your liver—ginger, onion, garlic and chives are good. But avoid excessively spicy, hot, greasy, fried and sour foods throughout the spring and summer.

draft_lens1509672module9684140photo_1251757618cucumber_flowerThough you want to eat cooling foods during the spring and summer months, note that it’s best to avoid ice water (ice water damages the stomach energy). Instead focus on foods with cooling energy, like cucumber, watermelon, celery, tomatoes, strawberries and mung beans.

Recommended Foods for the Season                      
  • Vitamin C
  • Cucumber
  • Melons
  • Squash
  • Celery (juice is great)
  • Jicama
  • Zucchini
  • Corn
  • Water chestnuts
  • Aloe vera
  • Beets
  • Watercress
  • Clam or oyster shell soup
 Foods to Avoid
  • Barbecued, toasted, baked foods
  • greasy and/or fried foods
  • hot spices
  • alcohol
  • coffee (replace with green tea)

Fall and Winter Diet    

As we move into the cooler months, it will be time to focus on warming our bodies. A simple and enjoyable way to do this is to eat more soups and stews. Walnuts and lamb are also excellent foods for the season (lamb is the most warming of all red meats).

Especially during the fall, favor sour foods and avoid spicy foods. Incorporate more pears, yams, aloe vera, soy and honey into your diet.

Recommended Foods for the Season                                        
  • Baked or roasted foods
  • Meats–game meats and lamb are best
  • Ginger, cardamom, fennel, clove, scallions, anise, pepper
  • Cherries
  • Walnuts
  • Seeds (any kind)
  • Green beans
  • Chinese chives
  • Horseradish
  • Azuki beans
  • Supplement with green algae or chlorophyll powder (2 spoonfuls)
Foods to Avoid
  • cold, raw foods
  • dairy products

800px-Celery_1We think these tips will help keep you balanced throughout the seasons, which is a key to a long and healthy life.

For more in-depth nutrition and health information, we invite you to participate in Being Energy’s Nutrition + Health classes—these classes are taught live online about once a month.

Our next class airs live on September 19 at 8:30 a.m. Pacific Time, and will be all about the senses.

Yours in health,
Dr. Miles Reid

 

The Truth about Detoxification

Posted on julio 27, 2015 by - Detox, Noticias, Nutrición + Comida

Are you thinking about doing a cleanse? Everywhere we turn these days, we see cleanses and detox programs being promoted. The truth is that not all programs are created equal. A proper detoxification program can be greatly beneficial. But some cleanses actually do more harm than good.

detoxgreen2Why Detoxify?

A good detox program is energizing and rejuvenating.

We’re exposed to toxins every day—in our food and water (pesticides, heavy metals, microbes), in the air we breathe, from things we come into contact with through our skin (soaps, cosmetics, cleaning supplies, lead paint) and from our body’s own natural metabolic process. This toxic load can become a toxic overload.

Given this, I believe that periodic detoxification is important. Our organs are constantly trying to repair and regenerate, and we can help them do this by removing toxic obstructions. Any excess toxicity that you can shed can make a difference in your life. But therein lies the difference between a proper detoxification regime and one that is harmful. Some cleanses actually impair your body’s ability to eliminate toxins.

What to Avoid

Avoid juice-only cleanses. Why? A juice cleanse may seem like a good idea, but the truth is that doing such a cleanse without proper nutritional support can make you very ill. This is because when you fast or consume fruits and vegetables only, you diminish your body’s ability to rid itself of toxins. Amino acids are essential for liver detoxification. If you are consuming only juice, you may flush out toxins in your system that it then has inadequate ability to eliminate. It will pull amino acids from your muscles in order to deal with this, which can cause loss of muscle mass.

Other problems that can arise from some cleansing programs include blood sugar imbalances and fatigue.

Benefits of a Good Program

A good detoxification program will suggest you avoid foods and beverages that cause inflammation. It will also include proper nutritional support. Having physician support, as with Being Energy’s Detox Program, is also highly recommended.

The benefits of a good program include:

  • Greater energy
  • Clearer mind
  • Improved circulation
  • Glowing skin
  • Good sleep
  • Healthy weight loss

Ready to Energize?

Kick off the fall season with a cleanse! For an even  more profound experience, take time out for yourself with our three-day Los Angeles retreat in September.

LA_2015_Portfolio_1bJoin Being Energy’s Radiant Energy + Radiant Health retreat. The weekend includes a detoxification program and treatments tailored to your needs.

You can also purchase our 21-Day Detox Program to do at home.

Sweet Summer Slumber: 7 Foods for Better Sleep

Posted on julio 25, 2015 by - Noticias, Nutrición + Comida

Sleeping well is a struggle for some of us throughout the year, but the summer season can really turn up the heat on nighttime tossing and turning. To help, we have some recommendations for what to eat and what not to eat to invite blissful slumber any time of year.

chamomile-401490_640For even more tips and tools, be sure to check out our special Sleep Class for Women series with Aerin Alexander in October.

Let’s focus here on food. Food plays a key role in how well (or not) you sleep. The first thing is to avoid eating a heavy meal too close to bed time—say within three hours of going to bed.  Eating too much late at night puts a strain on your liver, and you might find yourself waking up between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m. and having difficulty falling back to sleep.

That said, it is good to include some quality protein in your evening meal, especially if you tend toward low blood sugar. So what other foods can help and hinder sleep?

We’ve found that these seven foods encourage better sleep:

  • Banana
  • Cherries
  • Oatmeal
  • Whole grain cereal
  • Almond milk or soymilk
  • Nuts and seeds
  • Lean turkey

A yummy, sleep-promoting evening dessert, for example, would be to blend a banana with some almond milk into a thick and frothy drink; you could even throw in some cherries and/or a date or two for extra sweetness. If it’s an especially hot evening, you might even want to make this with a frozen banana for a satisfying ice-creamlike dessert.

Just as there are foods that promote good sleep, there are also foods that prevent it. These are:

  • Alcohol (which can lead to fragmented sleep)
  • Nicotine prior to bedtime
  • Potatoes
  • Tomatoes
  • Onions
  • Salt

In addition to the foods to eat and to avoid, you might try giving yourself that extra push toward a restful sleep with a cup of warm chamomile tea. Chamomile, valerian, linden and passionflower all act as natural sleep aids.

Speaking of herbs, one of our favorite sleep inducers is lavender essential oil. You can put a few drops of lavender on your pillow or into a warm bath, or put just a drop on your temples. Not only does it smell wonderful, but you just might find that it relaxes and eases you into a peaceful sleep.

Wishing you sweet dreams,
Dr. Miles Reid

Como Ser Flexible para Mantenerse Fuerte

Posted on julio 20, 2015 by - Acupunctura + Hierbas, Movimiento + Conciencia, Noticias, Nutrición + Comida

Movement. Energy. Health. Vitality. It’s all tied together. We think it’s important to take the whole into consideration. But to understand the whole, you must look at the parts, and vice versa.

Movement is a key part of what we teach in our classes and workshops because movement, in one way or another, is a fundamental part of life, and a key for staying healthy and happy.

We want to cultivate flexible movement. To be flexible is also to be strong.

In a presentation during one of our Nutrition + Health classes this year, our colleague Jordan Hoffman shared some philosophy and simple exercises of Aikido. Jordan is a longtime Aikido practitioner, and 2nd Degree black belt, in addition to being an outstanding acupuncturist. He shared some valuable insights.

Because the class theme was bones, tendons and muscles, Jordan spoke about keeping the tendons and ligaments nice and open, and how this enables energy to flow throughout the body.  In every healthy joint there is space. That space allows for comfortable, easy movement. When we’re stressed, tight or tense, we tend to contract, reducing that space, which results in more tightness and tension. This also slows us down, and creates an environment ripe for injury. But if we’re supple, we can move faster with more fluidly and grace. When presented with an obstacle, the more supple we are, the better we can navigate in the situation.

Think about the branch of a young tree. You can bend it and it won’t break; it remains flexible; but an old branch can snap. Just so, we want to keep our bones and joints supple. We want to be able to move easily with the winds of change and challenge.

An inspiring example of flexibility and grace at any age is Aikido’s founder, Morihei Ueshiba (December 14, 1883 – April 26, 1969). In this video from 1935, these qualities, and more, are made clear.

Here, you can see his last public demonstration, in 1969, at the age of 85 (it’s a little fuzzy, but nonetheless worth watching).

So how can we embody this? What can we do to meet the challenges of life with power and grace? We can start with awareness.

At the end of every day, you might notice that you feel shorter, tighter, contracted, more compressed. Cultivating awareness is an important step in remaining strong yet flexible. Hold the image in your mind of spaciousness in your joints. Think of elongating your spine. If you’re standing and notice that your knees are locked, soften them, letting the energy flow through the joint and through your body.

To your health, strength and suppleness,
Dr. Miles Reid