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Click Here To Read The Remainder Of This Article On Bodywork.

Making Peace With Food, Making Peace With Your Body by Barbara Holtzman, LICSW

Imagine a world where our bodies were all considered equally beautiful. No more dieting (and the binging which naturally follows a diet) in order to conform to this culture's current standard. What a liberating fantasy! 

Our culture, unfortunately, is still entrapped in its rigid norms. An unrealistic standard of beauty unattainable by most women is put forth and upheld by the beauty industry in particular, and by sex-oriented advertising campaigns in general. Our self-esteem as women suffers as we are told we are not okay as we are—our nose is too big, our stomachs too round, our breasts too small— tempting us into believing that if we fix these "flaws," our lives will be perfect and we will be "acceptable." Since all of us long for love and acceptance, we may buy advertising's well-spent 
message that we are not okay as we are. 

It is important for us to understand that the current standard of beauty is unhealthy for most women. Unless you were born with an endomorphic body, you cannot have a model's size and shape and still be healthy. Most models must starve themselves in order to meet the industry's standards. Even then, an "imperfect" body part may be substituted by another's in a spliced photograph. And these are the standards to which we as women compare ourselves! When we believe that only the culture's current standard for bodies is acceptable and we are not okay as we are, we may try to explain our unhappiness by focusing on these so-called flaws of our bodies, thus beginning the diet syndrome.

Click Here To Read The Remainder Of This Article On Food and Your Body.

Home Care For The Common Cold by Dr. Karen Sexton

Cold season is upon us and it's time to check your cupboard for a supply of natural remedies. The first thing to look for is Echinacea. This herb, which helps to strengthen the body's immune response, comes in many forms, both tablet and liquid, and should be used 4-6 times per day for 2-3 days, at the very first sign of illness. Do not continue beyond that time as effectiveness is lost. For children, you can now find several brands of flavored herbs that are very palatable or easily disguised. Often times your first indication of an oncoming sickness will be a fever. This is a natural and very healthy response by the body to the onslaught of offending organisms. Keeping your patient hydrated and comfortable should be your primary concern, hydration being 4-6 oz. of fluid/hour during an active fever. Fluids may take many forms but should generally not include soda or caffeinated beverages. Black currant syrup (1T.) mixed with a glass of water is well tolerated and acts as a good immune tonic. 

Baths are a simple way to comfort and rehydrate. The temperature of the bath should be warm except in extreme cases. You do not want to shock the body. Two ounces of dried pennyroyal combined with 2 quarts of water simmered for 20 minutes on the top of the stove may be added to the bath water. Save the herbs and wrap them in a washcloth and rub the body all over. That will stimulate the skin and open pores, making the bath doubly effective. 

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Quotes Of The Week

"Chance furnishes me with what I need. 
I am like a man who stumbles along; my foot strikes something, I bend over and it is exactly what I want."

Health Renewal Through Tissue Cleansing & Detoxification by Dr. Debra Anastasio

Individual perception of health varies, making it difficult to define health without reference to the absence of illness. The mere absence of disease, however, does not truly constitute health. Lowered vitality, anemia, weakened immunity, and accumulation of wastes and toxins all lead to inharmonious vibration in the body and resultant tissue destruction. The decay is insidious until we experience the aches and pains normally associated with aging. Incorporating the practice of annual cleansing and detoxification will not only help regain, but also maintain your health so that your later years are productive and joyful.

How do you know if you or your family needs cleansing and detoxification? The answer is, "Everyone needs cleansing and detoxification at least once a year." Many of us have forgotten what being healthy really feels like. We are deluged with pollutants in our air, food and water, physical inactivity and emotional stress wear down our bodies, and our souls yearn for deeper meaning and greater love in this life. Taking the time to do an annual cleanse can promote your sense of well-being far greater than you can imagine!

Initial laboratory evaluation of the blood, urine, hair or feces may be recommended for treating certain conditions. Health renewal programs are individually designed based on where you are in the spectrum of health and life. In general, cleansing involves optimizing the organs of elimination including the lungs, skin, liver, intestines, spleen/lymph and kidneys. This is accomplished with skin sloughing, liver flushes, intestinal washes, kidney flushes, spleen support and lymph drainage using diet, herbs, nutritional supplements, homeopathy, massage, and water. If the organs of elimination are not open and working properly, toxins build up in the tissues and cannot be released by their normal pathways.

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