If you are interested in moving beyond New Year’s Resolutions into a place of consistent holistic care for yourself, please join us on January 12, 2012 from 7:30pm to 8:30pm at Plummer Park (7377 Santa Monica Boulevard) in West Hollywood. Eddie Marashain (Yoga Instructor), Dr. Matthew Cobb (Chiropractor) and James Guay (Psychotherapist ~ Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist) will be talking about how to care for your body and mind in ways that lead to success in 2012.
AT Plummer Park:
7377 Santa Monica Boulevard
West Hollywood, CA 90046

Many of us spend the majority of our work day seated at a desk which can cause tightness and pain in our neck and shoulders as well as decreased range of motion.  Our bodies were not designed to sit all day.  Paying attention to how you position your body at your work station is a good place to start to help to avoid unnecessary tightness and pain.  Here are some things to keep in mind….

-          Sit straight up in your chair

-          Keep your spine straight – not leaning forward

-          Look straight ahead at your computer screen, not down or to the side. Adjust your computer screen or chair if possible

-          Use a headset – stand or move around while on calls

-          Try to keep your shoulders down, not elevated

Take a break every couple of hours or as needed when you feel discomfort and strain in your neck and shoulders.   Try the following exercises standing if you can, but you can also do these in your chair.

Shoulder Roll

 – Stand or sit with straight posture, inhale as you lift shoulders to ears.  Exhale as you draw your shoulders back and down, open chest and draw shoulder blades together and down your back.  Repeat for 5-10 breaths.

Neck Stretches

 – Stand or sit with straight posture, arms down at your sides, with chin slightly drawn in, let right ear drop toward right shoulder.  Reach left fingertips towards the floor.  Hold stretch for 5 breaths, feeling a stretch in the left side of neck.  Gently release stretch and repeat on other side.

– Stand or sit with straight posture, lower chin down towards chest, turn chin half way toward right shoulder.  Reach left hand behind your back towards your right pocket.  Hold stretch for 5 breaths.  Gently return head to starting position and repeat on other side.

– Stand or sit with straight posture, arms down at your sides.  Gently turn your head to the left, looking over your left shoulder.  Hold for 5 breaths.  Gently return head to starting position and repeat on other side.

Chest / Shoulder Opener

– Stand or sit with straight posture.  Clasp hands behind back, press knuckles down towards floor, squeeze shoulders blades together and down, feel your chest and shoulders open, take 5 deep breaths feeling your rib cage expanding with each inhale.

Do these stretches very gently and slowly being careful not to overstretch.  Focus on your breath.  Breathe deeply on your inhale, and feel your body relax into the stretch on your exhale.  Also, make sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day.  Doing these exercises consistently will help you relieve stress and will leave you feeling great.

Please watch this short video where James Guay describes what body image is:

Coming down with a cold? Need to rebuild your digestive tract after too many holiday treats?

Then try this soothing chicken broth to restore your body. Drinking one or two cups every day for a few weeks is a fantastic restorative tonic and helps build strong bones.

Enjoy!

Nourishing Chicken Broth

3 lbs. free-range chicken or turkey pieces[i]–necks, backs, breastbones, wings or 1 whole free-range chicken

Cold, filtered water[ii]

2 tablespoons organic white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or lemon juice[iii]

1 large onion, preferably white[iv], coarsely chopped

2 carrots, coarsely chopped

3 celery sticks, coarsely chopped[v]

1 bunch Italian parsley[vi]

2 teaspoons sea salt to extract the minerals

Equipment

Very large steel stockpot or Dutch oven

Wooden spoon for stirring

Slotted spoon

Strainer, preferably cone-shaped

3 quart glass mason jars

If you are using a whole chicken, cut off the wings and remove the neck, fat glands and the gizzards from the cavity. Cut chicken parts into several pieces. If possible, hack the bones with a cleaver to extract more nutrients.

1. If you are using necks and backs, remove as much fat as possible.
2. Place chicken or chicken pieces in a large stainless steel pot with cold water and vinegar. Let stand 30 minutes to 1 hour.
3. Heat the broth slowly and once the boil begins, remove scum that rises to the top with a spoon. Add sea salt.
4. OPTIONAL: To increase the calcium content, add the following after skimming the broth:
   • Egg shells[vii]
   • A few pieces of sea vegetables like wakame, kombu, dulse, or nori[viii]
5. Cover the pot. Reduce heat to its lowest point, so the broth just barely simmers for 11 hours[ix], or a minimum of 6 hours.
6. During the last hour of cooking, add chopped carrots, celery and onion.
7. During the last 15 min of cooking, add parsley.
8. Remove pot from heat and let it cool for about one hour.
9. Remove the chicken, bones, and vegetables with a slotted spoon.
10. Strain the broth by pouring it into glass mason jars with a cone shaped strainer or pour into a large bowl with a strainer and then pour into glass jars.
11. Chill the broth for several hours, then remove the fat with a spoon.
12. When reheating the broth, add a pinch of sea salt, to taste.

The broth will remain fresh in the refrigerator for about one week. Keep one quart in the refrigerator and freeze the rest in glass jars with the lids loose, in Ziploc bags, or in plastic containers.

Edited by Marnie Reasor and inspired by the original recipe in “Nourishing Traditions” by Sally Fallon.

Serving Suggestions

• Drink 1 cup before every meal for several months as a nutritional tonic to rebuild your digestive and immune systems.
• Make chicken noodle soup, Asian egg drop soup, Stracciatella (Roman egg drop soup), turkey rice soup, or use as a base for your favorite soup or stew.
• Add whole, organic coconut milk or creamed coconut, especially if you have a virus.  Coconut milk contains lauric acid, a powerful anti-viral agent.

DO NOT MICROWAVE the broth. Microwaves change the molecular structure of food and your body will be unable to recognize the nutrients.

Benefits of mineral-rich broth

• Helps cure colds—according to The Journal of the American College of Chest Physicians, chicken soup may contain a number of substances with beneficial medicinal activity including an anti-inflammatory mechanism that could ease the symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections.
• Relieves sore throats
• Boosts the immune system
• Strengthens the body after illness or childbirth
• Calms the nervous system
• Rebuilds the digestive tract due to the hydrophilic colloid action of gelatin, that holds liquids and aids in digestion by attracting digestive juices to food in the gut
• Helps the body use protein in an efficient way
• Builds strong bones since it provides calcium, magnesium and phosphorus in a form that the body can easily assimilate
• Eases joint pain—contains the substances chondroitin sulphate and glucosamine, which are broken down from cartilage and tendons

[ii] Water should be cold.  Slow heating helps bring out flavors.

[iii] Adding vinegar to the broth helps extract calcium from the bones.

[iv] According to the March 2005 issue of The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, white onions appear to decrease bone loss due to active chemical components glutamyl peptides, or GPCS.

[v] Extra carrots and celery can be chopped at the same time for future use. Store them in a glass jar and refrigerate. You can quickly add them as you heat up your daily cup of chicken broth.

[vi] Parsley imparts additional mineral ions to the broth.

[vii] Anytime you cook with eggs, collect the shells in a bag in the freezer. The composition of an eggshell is very similar to that of our bones and teeth and is easier for the body to digest and absorb. According to researchers at the Japan Women’s University, a combination of vitamin D3 and eggshell powder improved bone mineral density without significantly increasing blood calcium levels.

[viii] Some varieties of sea vegetables provide 10 times as much calcium as cow’s milk. For example, one serving of wakame contains 1,300 mgs of calcium. Don’t worry, your broth will not taste like seaweed. Be sure to buy only sea vegetables from pure sources and from reputable companies like Maine Coast Sea Vegetables and Mendocino Sea Vegetable Company. Do not buy seaweed at Asian groceries or use seaweed you found on the beach.

[ix] The longer you cook the stock, the richer, more flavorful, and more nutrient-dense it will be. Or you can cook the broth in a crock-pot or place the stockpot in your oven at 250-300 degrees.

Marnie Reasor – Classical Homeopathy – Resplendent Healing.com – 415.440.1970

As a health conscious consumer, you know that you are what you eat, and you want to select foods that will make you feel great today and keep you healthy for years to come. The following five super foods work best along with a fresh organic diet that emphasizes vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds.

Berries Blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and cranberries are all good choices. These fruits are low on the glycemic index so they are easy on blood sugar, and they are packed with antioxidants to protect against heart disease, eye and nerve damage, and aging throughout the body. Raspberry leaf tea is a great women’s tonic and smooth muscle relaxant (good for menstrual cramps). Unsweetened cranberry juice helps to stave off bladder infections and kidney stones.

Broccoli The cruciferous (or brassica) family of veggies provides great liver detoxification support. This family includes such delights as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, turnip, mustard greens, kale, rutabaga, kohlrabi, and collard greens. These foods are the dietary source of nutrients which aid in the safe breakdown and elimination of estrogen, and have been shown to lower the risk of breast cancer.

Coconut Oil Many people are surprised to hear that coconut oil is a healthy choice. Yes, it is a saturated fat, but we actually do need some saturated fat in our diets. Instead, you need to carefully avoid trans fats. Coconut oil is great for cooking because it resists heat damage. It is easy to digest and enables the body to burn fat for energy. This makes it a great weight loss food that also helps to maintain healthy cholesterol levels and lower the risk of heart disease. Coconut oil is a great source of lauric acid, which is the same substance in breast milk that helps to strengthen the immune system.

Flax Seeds (raw, ground) Among the variety of healthy nuts and seeds, flax plays a special role. Flax oil is a tasty and balanced source of both omega 3 and omega 6 oils. What makes flax so unique, however, is the high dose of lignans in the fiber obtained from grinding the seeds into a powder to be sprinkled over foods or mixed into drinks.  The lignans promote healthy hormone balance while aiding digestive function and prevent colon cancer. Eating 2 Tbs. per day can help with hot flashes, PMS, PCOS, diarrhea and constipation. Because it can be damaged by heat, flax should be stored in the fridge and eaten raw.

Yogurt and Kefir These fermented foods are a great source of the good bacteria that we all need to maintain a healthy colon. Keeping a good balance of colonic flora promotes proper digestion and immune function to help with IBS, yeast infections, and recovery after antibiotics. Good sources of calcium and protein, yogurt or kefir can make a great snack or smoothie.