I’m Not Leg Pulling about the Benefits of Oil Pulling
Today’s self-care exercise will require:
- Coconut Oil (Nutiva is my favorite brand; a 15 ounce tub is available at Walmart, Whole Foods, or Amazon for approximately $15)
- Physically
Are you aware of the importance of oral health? As Dr. Sanda Moldovan plainly states on the front page of her website, “Your mouth is the gateway to your health.” In an interview, Dr. Moldovan expanded on this concept by saying, “When we improve oral health, we improve so many other things in the body. People with bad oral hygiene have higher incidence for cardiovascular issues such as heart attack and strokes, and a higher incidence for pneumonia. Men with periodontal disease have a greater risk of erectile dysfunction. Even with diabetes, improved oral health can help control problems in diabetic patients. Also, pregnant women with gum disease have lower birth-weight babies. Yes — everything is connected.”
Now that you know that, maybe you won’t consider me crazy when you discover how seriously I take my own dental hygiene. My typical routine is to floss, oil pull,…
Read MoreDry Brushing 101
Today’s self-care exercise will require:
- 1 dry brush ($10-20)
- Physically
Following our Ayurvedic theme, this week I want to introduce you to dry brushing (also called “skin brushing” or “body brushing”). This is a self-care practice that promotes the health of our skin (and so much more). Did you know that our skin is actually the largest organ in our body? Yes, that’s right, I’m here to inform you that your skin is an organ. More specifically, it’s an organ of elimination. (Approximately one-third of our body’s toxins are excreted through the skin!) This is big news, and one reason that we should really value the health of our skin. An easy way to do that is through dry brushing.
When purchasing a brush, you have several options. Rather than getting the gloves or the short-handled brush, I recommend you buy one of the brushes that has a long handle (this will make it easier to get to those hard-to-reach parts of your back). Once you’ve made that initial purchase…
Read MoreHow To Use a Neti Pot in Five Easy Steps (video included!)
This week’s self-care exercise will require:
- 1 neti pot (available through Walgreens, Whole Foods, or Amazon for $10-20)
- Saline Solution (you can buy this prepackaged or you can easily make your own)
- Physically
- Energetically
- Step 1: Heat up some filtered or distilled water. When using a neti pot, it is extremely important to never use tap water. (Note: you can get in the habit of warming up a kettle of water in the morning and using some of it for your lemon water and the rest for your neti pot!)
- Step 2: Put the saline solution into the neti pot. Walgreens sells…
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14 Reasons You Should Be Drinking Warm Lemon Water Every Morning
Today’s self-care exercise will require:
- 1 mug (free, assuming you already have one)
- 1 lemon ($0.50)
This practice will benefit you:
- Physically
The first self-care practice that I want to talk about is having a warm cup of lemon water first thing in the morning. This is especially easy to do in the winter, when it’s cold out. I’m not saying you have to replace your morning cup of coffee/tea, but this is an idea that you could implement before that daily cup of joe. Try it for a week and see how it goes.
This health tip comes from ancient Ayurvedic medicine (that is, the traditional medicine of India). Modern research supports this self-care practice by informing us that lemons have powerful antibacterial and antiviral properties and are loaded with citric acid, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, vitamin C, B vitamins, bioflavonoids, pectin, limonene, enzymes, antioxidants, and fiber. As a result, we know that having a warm glass of lemon water on an empty…
Read MoreA One Year Journey Into Self-Care
Dear Friends, Family, and Clients,
I have been preaching the gospel of self-care for several years now. Through my newsletters, blogs, coaching, and even the retreat that I held last year, I have again and again stressed the importance of taking excellent care of ourselves.
With this in mind, I am launching a new writing series. For the next 52 weeks, I am going to post one blog per week that details and highlights one of my favorite self-care strategies. These practices will benefit you physically, mentally, emotionally, energetically, and spiritually.
I believe the secret to good self-care is to find habits, rituals, and routines that YOU love. Over the next year, I’m going to increase your arsenal of options by introducing you to everything from pranayama to acupressure to essential oils to “desire mapping” to crystals to prayer to yoga to chanting to affirmations to neti pots to meditation… and more.
So, for the next year, you can look forward to a new blog from me every Tuesday that contains an explanation of one time-proven method of how to take care of yourself. I will do my best to also include a YouTube video of me demonstrating the practice (as needed and when…
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