Many of us have already begun to feel the affect of colder temperatures. “It happens every year”, you might say. Think for a moment on the power of words. You could say, “Last year I was not ready for winter and it really got me down. This year I am going to prepare myself and not put life on hold just because it is winter”! Wow! How powerful that feels! Seasonal depression can be a real challenge for many of us. Here are some additional liberating thoughts and ideas to help you in your new way of transitioning into the winter season.

•    Don’t resist something that is so natural. Flow right into it. See it coming. Plan for it.  Embrace it, like an evergreen extracting all the freshness and energy of the new season.

•    Understand the purpose of winter and how important it is to your overall health and longevity. It is the time to rest and recharge as much as possible. Go to sleep earlier. In winter your body expects more sleep, which corresponds with nature’s longer nights.

•    Keep in mind that no season lasts forever. So set goals for spring. Out of that goal setting will come many indoor projects leading up to your spring accomplishments. These projects could include research (internet and library), phone calls, inquiries, and planning.

•    Keep your body loose and fit. Stretch and do some type of exercise that is good for you everyday. Raise a window and take deep breaths to clear your lungs. The lungs and the large intestine are more dominant organs during this season, so keep them clear and mucus free.

•    Schedule indoor activities, projects, and free time. Experiment with recipes to make them healthier, and write letters to catch up with friends and family. Go to the craft shop and pick up that old hobby or start a new one. For example, get those wonderful vacation or special occasion photographs out and scrapbook them. This does several things, it becomes a keepsake or heirloom, but it also gives you wonderful thoughts as you re-live what you did, and look forward to more good times.

•    Buy fresh cut flowers weekly – place them in a prominent place in the house. Make sure to discard them as soon as they start to wilt.

•    Stop criticizing yourself and others. Add the words “its going to be all right” as your everyday affirmation. Find one thing to laugh about everyday. Laughter is therapeutic and a great massage for the internal organs.

•    Avoid TV before bed or at meals, which is a primary source for reinforcing negative thinking. Buy a few easy listening CDs and get some of that reading done. Don’t give TV too much power. Schedule your TV time – don’t allow it trespass over your entire space and time.

•    Eat less meat and more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, and nuts. Nature is at rest and living inward. Our bodies respond well to those root foods because of their medicinal properties for building a healthy immune system. They include garlic, onions, beets, ginger, and burdock.  Additionally, eat those foods that are in season, including citrus, apples, grapes, pears, walnuts, sunflower seeds squash, brown rice, corn, and wheat. Our bodies also respond well to the following spices: turmeric (which is also in curry), fennel, cumin, peppers, sage, nutmeg, and parsley. Limit sweets, cheese, bread, milk, and fried foods, which promote congestion (mucus) in our bodies.

•    Drink plenty of room temperature water. Dehydration is very common during the winter months.  Water is an essential nutrient to the brain and it promotes positive thinking. Also experiment with the wonderful variety of herbal teas. Use honey, lemon or maple syrup as sweeteners. Limit alcohol, which can lead to dehydration.

•    Alcohol weakens body and brain function. Alcohol also makes us more vulnerable to depression.

•    When you do go out, take the winter challenge. How many layers of clothing will you need in order to stay warm? Keep your chest, neck, head, and feet warm. If winter wins that day, try again tomorrow. Wear a brightly colored item (scarf, hat or gloves), which is a great pick-me-up for you and others.

•    Consider planning at least one get together where you invite some special positive people over, so that they can bring that positive energy into your home.

Notice that these things do not require a lot of money. Meaningful things don’t have to break the budget.

Winter can wear you down if you let it. With a  change  of attitude, some positive thoughts along with some gentle treatment, you may be able to cancel that standing date with seasonal depression. Instead you can embraced winter like and evergreen. And the comes spring!

Note: This information is not medical advice. Please seek help from a health practitioner if you are in need of assistance.

The best gift you can give to yourself and to others is a healthy you! All other gifts are symbolic, but in no way compare to the time, thought, and presence that comes with you being the best you can be.

Giving a healthy you is a perfect gift that you can give to the people you care about and to those that depend on you. This gift is priceless. It extends the time for everyone to benefit from your vibrant energy and zeal. It allows people to learn and experience things that can only come from your unique personality and purpose.

Everyday we live impacts the quality of the health gift. Daily investments are needed in order to preserve and protect these bodies from disease and aliments that rob us of quality living. Start now, one day at a time, working on a plan to give the gift of your good health.

To prepare yourself for giving, take an honest assessment of your current lifestyle. For many of us, if we continue our current lifestyle we will never see our grandchildren. If we do live, we will be remembered as the feeble, sickly one who had no energy or passion for living.

Whatever your state of health may be at this time, there are lifestyle changes you can make to help prevent degenerative disease and sickness. A healthier you will not happen instantly. It takes approximately four to six weeks to develop new habits. So be patient. All changes require sacrifice and planning, but it’s worth it.

The best gift you can give is absolutely a healthy you!       Merry Christmas

Nutritional and Lifestyle Consultations  contact: Zima Health

Comments are always welcome.

The proposed obesity tax for the state of New York is in theory, a good idea. However it must be implemented in a more equitable fashion. In order to explain, we have to look at refined sugar as a scientific element. Refined sugar has been stripped of its nutrients due to the refinement process. As a result, the body no longer sees it as a food. It is treated as a chemical. Sugar in its simplest terms is therefore a recreational drug of sort. Not a necessity but loved and cherished (170 lbs of sugar for the average American every year). Sugar is also habit forming.

Sugar is in fact partly responsible for obesity among many populations but also other chronic diseases, like diabetes. In some research, it has been determined that sugar is the food of choice for growing cancer cells. Other research has linked mineral deficiencies and related diseases to the over consumption of sugar.

Perhaps a more equitable implementation of the obesity tax would be to first determine if a “food” item is mostly sugar. If so, than it should be taxed. This potentially broadens the scope to include several other industries, like candy and baked goods.

Do you think companies should take some responsibility for the obesity crisis? Please comment.

As a health professional, mother, wife and daughter of seniors, what worries me most about the healthcare system in our country is that it has created a disease culture. The major topic of discussion in many of our homes and social circles relates to some form of health care — my MRI, getting an appointment, finding another doctor, what the insurance will or will not cover, drug reactions & interactions, surgery, screening, biopsy and diagnosis. We are sick, have been sick, or soon will be sick. We live lifestyles that move us from chronic disease to chronic disease. Most people over 40 years old average 2.5 pharmaceuticals or more. We are extending life due to medical advances, however the quality of life for many is not good.

Our young people think old age and sickness come bundled together into an inevitable fate. I believe that old age and sickness are not synonymous. It is clear why no one wants to get old.

A paradigm shift to a healthy lifestyle culture must be a critical part of the healthcare solution. All the facts indicate that 70% of the chronic diseases in the U.S. are preventable and are lifestyle related. This means that intervention can be made! We the people can change our minds and start taking better care of our families and ourselves. We can be motivated to do so!

We must also consider the nations food supply. As Hippocrates said, “Let your food be your medicine, and your medicine be your food “. Our food supply in general is great in volume and availability, however the nutritional quality is questionable and must be seen as the first line of defense for disease prevention and good health. More regulation and oversight will be needed to encourage the food industry to be more responsible for the 3000+ calories of food it produces for each American per day.

And finally, we need a new team of wellness and disease prevention experts to work in parallel to the existing infrastructure. If the horseshoe maker had been asked to develop the model T automobile, it would have never happen. We cannot ask the medical community to eliminate or reduce the demand for its services.

Our solution to the healthcare crisis must be one that helps the sick regardless of their ability to pay and develops a strategy for a healthy America. We cannot just throw more money at a broken system, which will provide a small band-aid at best and does nothing to eliminate the disease culture in which we find ourselves. Good health is common sense and common sense is not expensive.

We live in a very old house. It is not as energy efficient as we would like it to be. When the temperature falls the house is often colder inside than the actual temperature on the outside.

One of my faithful remedies is fresh ginger. It is great for circulation and warms the hands and feet! Simply grate about a tablespoon of ginger and place it into your favorite mug. Fill it with boiling water (3/4 full). Let it steep for 2 to 3 minutes. Add your favorite sweetener or lemon and enjoy ….. You can spoon the ginger out however, it normally settles at the bottom of the cup.

Now for some other uses of ginger:

Adds a heartier flavor – many of us use a combination of fresh garlic, green (or red) bell pepper and onions. Add fresh ginger and presto! It provides a meatier taste to your dishes.

Good for Digestion – most of the commercial “ginger ales” contain little to no ginger. It is the carbonated water that provides some temporary relief to an upset stomach. Make your own brew for a real digestive aid. Recipe (vegan)

Cookies – there is no comfort food better than a cookie made with fresh ginger, molasses, and other natural ingredients. Recipe (vegan)

Zima Health … good health is a lifestyle

This morning, I had an appointment in Delaware. While driving North on I-95, I reached for the beautiful pear that I had rinsed and wrapped in a towel on the way out of the door. I took a bite. The flavor was so intensely wonderful! It was my first of the season. For a few seconds, I forgot that I was driving! It was organic and as pure as a piece of fruit can get these days. It was so flavorful and energizing. The energy I felt was the equivalent of a cup of coffee without the let down.

Two things (I feel) made it so tasteful: 1) It was organic (grown and harvested without chemicals) and 2) It was fresh, ripened to perfection and in season.

Bottomline: Organic produce is going to be more flavorful (and contain more nutrients). Has that been your experience?