Walking Into Holistic Wellness

Today I was thinking about what it means to be fit and well. Mosby’s Medical Dictionary defines physical fitness as the ability to carry out daily tasks with alertness and vigor, without undue fatigue and with enough energy reserves to meet emergencies or to enjoy leisure pursuits. The same dictionary defines wellness as a dynamic state of health in which an individual progresses toward a higher level of functioning, achieving an optimum balance between internal and external environments. I like both of those definitions because being fit and well truly means integrating all of who we are and having enough vital energy to function physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. The title of this short article is walking into holistic wellness and I choose this title because I wanted to point out the benefits of something as simple as a daily walking ritual. According to a recent study conducted by the Ochsner foundation in New Orleans, African Americans are at particularly high risk of disease from lack of physical activity.


The major findings:

• On average, African-American men in the study were three years younger than the white men, yet African-American men's fitness capacity was 7% lower than that of white men. The difference is considered significant.

• On average, African-American women in the study were four years younger than the white women. Yet African-American women's fitness capacity was 3% lower than that of white women. This difference is not considered significant.

• African-American men were more likely to be obese than white men: 44% vs. 33%.

• African-American women were more likely to be obese than white women: 37% vs. 27%.

• African-American women were also more likely than white women to be severely obese: 19% vs. 11%.

The study notes that the best predictor for premature death is poor physical fitness. Developing a walking routine takes about 20- 30 minutes of your day and is a great way to start developing overall physical fitness. We must banish the myth that in order to be physical fit you must join the gym or work out with the latest equipment. Walking into holistic wellness is free but the rewards are worth much.

Let me take the time to point out a few of the benefits according to recent research. According to Active.com walking will tone your body, put you on an emotional high and melt away pounds. All you need is the correct technique, walk faster and longer and you will definitely see and feel results. Researchers at the University Of Massachusetts found that people who walked everyday had 25% fewer colds. According to Johns Hopkins University, walking will reduce high blood pressure; the reason for this is that exercise produces weight loss and increased sensitivity to insulin (a hormone involved in the control of blood sugar) which in turn decrease blood pressure. Unfortunately, hypertension in African Americans is quite common, it is something we have come to accept and I say that it does not have to be so. African Americans have a higher rate of death from stroke and kidney disease. My mother died from kidney failure at the young age of 57, but she also suffered from hypertension as well, she never drank alcohol, she never smoked, but she also never exercised and  ate the wrong types of food. Studies are now revealing that hypertension treatment can begin with a lifestyle change and for many that will be the only treatment that will ever be needed. Take the time today to walk into holistic wellness. It will definitely impact your body,mind, emotions and spirit.

Fateria Johnson M.A. CMBFS

Fateria is a NESTA certified Lifestyle And Weight Management Specialist and Holistic Wellness Educator. She welcomes any questions you may have on getting well holistically. She can be reached at naturalhealth@its4yourwellness.com

www.its4yourwellness.com

Healing With Whole Food

As I was doing some research this week about healing foods and I came across fiber, and the importance of fiber in our diet.  Many people today are suffering from ailments that can truly be corrected with the proper nutritional balancing.  The term fiber refers to carbohydrates that can not be digested and fiber acts as an intestinal broom in your system. There are two types of fiber, insoluble and soluble. Our body requires 35 grams or more of fiber a day in order to function properly. 

According to the Linus Pauling Institute,  viscous fiber such as those found in oat products and legumes can lower serum LDL levels and and normalize blood glucose and insulin response. The same study reports that numerous people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes that increased their fiber intake improved blood serum lipid profiles.  As we can see, fiber is a very important element that should be included in our diet on a daily basis.  There are numerous studies that show a link between high fiber intake and the reduction of disease.  When we eat high fiber food, the fiber absorbs the toxins in our body and drives them out with it as it is eliminated.  Since fiber is not digested or absorbed it very beneficial for this purpose.  Cancer, diabetes, diverticulitis, breast cancer, IBS, colon cancer, all of these diseases are positively affected by a high intake of fiber.
Food Serving Fiber.  Studies report that African American Women are likely to die from breast cancer and this same study believes that diet and exercise (or lack thereof) is a contributing factor. Read more about the study on the following link.
http://main.uab.edu/Sites/reporter/articles/81083/

It is truly time to heal our self with whole food.  Processed food is destroying our communities at an alarming rate.  We are truly paying the price for it in the form of these lifestyle diseases that even the experts are realizing the truth about what the underlying causes are.  Disease does not just happen by chance, it is a process that happens as we provide the conditions in our body that welcome these offenders.  Healing will begin with going back to the basics of a whole food diet.  That will provide us with the dietary fiber we need for maximum wellness.



Legumes
                                                        Serving  and amount of dietary fiber in grams(g)
Navy beans, cooked from dried      1 cup            19.1

Split peas, cooked from dried          1 cup           16.3

Lentils, cooked from dried               1 cup           15.6



Kidney beans, canned                    1 cup 13.6

Refried beans, canned                    1 cup 12.1

Cereals and grains

100% (wheat) Bran Cereal             1/2 cup 12.5

Bulgur, cooked                              1 cup 8.2

Pearled barley, cooked                 1 cup 6.0

Oat bran, cooked                         1 cup 5.7

Quinoa, cooked                           1 cup 5.2

Instant oatmeal, cooked                1 cup 4.0

Rice, long-grained brown, cooked 1 cup 3.5

Vegetables

Artichoke hearts, cooked          1 cup 14.4

Spinach, frozen, cooked              1 cup 7.0

Brussel sprouts, frozen, cooked    1 cup 6.4

Winter squash, cooked              1 cup 5.7

Mushrooms, cooked from fresh   1 cup 3.4

Fruits

Prunes, uncooked                   1 cup, pitted 12.4

Asian pear                              1 pear 9.9

Guava, fresh                           1 cup 8.9

Raspberries, fresh                  1 cup 8.0

Blackberries, fresh                 1 cup 7.6

Nuts and Seeds

Almonds                             1 ounce (23 kernels) 3.5

Pistachio nuts                     1 ounce (49 kernels) 2.9

Pecans                                1 ounce (19 halves) 2.7

Peanuts                               1 ounce (33 kernels)


Fateria Johnson M.A. Holistic Wellness Educator

http://www.its4yourwellness.com/

Taking The Wholistic Path To Wellness

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I am sitting here thinking about wellness and our communities. I often get concerned at how people would rather be fixed, instead of just taking preventive measures to maintaining wellness. If we are going to be truly well as a community of people, we must become educated in the Wholistic Path To Wellness. The Barnhart Concise dictionary of etymology defines holistic as the theory that nature produces whole organisms from small units, the term holism and holistic were coined from the Greek word holos meaning whole.

Taking the Wholistic path to our wellness involves looking at our whole self, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. It is important to understand how our thoughts influence our actions and the way that we feel in general. When we began to understand the journey to Wholistic wellness we will experience the freedom that comes from making wellness choices that impact our life and the lives of those around us. As we become educated about proper food choices, the benefits of fresh clean air, the effects of spiritual practice and physical exercise, we will become empowered and through this empowerment we enact change. The day has come for us to take charge and to not stand by helpless as diseases like diabetes, hypertension, cancer and other lifestyle diseases plague our communities.

I remember when my mother was dying, I was not fully educated in ways to help her overcome her illness. I have made a promise to myself and to God that I will share the education that I have gained with others so that they can be prepared in the many battles that we face in life and at least have a fighting chance. One thing that I have learned is that regular herbal detoxification is very important, because it helps to clean out our liver and kidneys and these organs help to filter out the toxins in our body. Toxins are a major cause of disease, as the toxins in our body accumulate in our body we become sluggish and are prone to sickness and disease. In order for us to function properly, we must have clean blood, and detoxifying helps to ensure that this happens.

Medical science tells us that disease can be cured by drugs, when in actuality in most cases what is happening is that you are suppressing the symptoms. Unless you get to the root of a condition (cause and effect) You will most likely suffer from that condition again or a similar condition like it, to truly be healed means not having to rely on an outside substance to maintain homeostasis. To be well is to be free . It is important to take the Wholistic path to wellness and to understand why you are sick in the first place and to trace the cause of the problem and work to eliminate that cause so that the effect will be complete wellness. Always remember these important points (Naturopathy For The 21st Century;Thiel)

1. The body under the normal natural conditions, is a self sustaining organism

2. The theory of health and disease is based on nature itself.

3. The body is governed by definite natural laws with regard to the physical, chemical, biological and physiological basis

4. Ill health, is therefore, as a result of a departure, from healthful living out of harmony with Natures laws.

5. To the degree that man adheres to and applies Natures beneficial laws, to that degree will the body, through its natural inherent powers restore itself to normal.

I hope that something mentioned here will encourage you to take the path to Wholistic Wellness, and to living a life full of vigor and joy that was intended for you from the beginning.

Fateria Johnson M.A. CSMC, CMBFS

http://www.its4yourwellness.com/

Walking Into Wellness Holistically

Today is a new day, I am thinking about all that life has to offer. A thought came to me as I was meditating this morning about how powerful a simple brisk walk can be in reducing high blood pressure. The beautiful thing about walking is, it does not cost you anything, just a willingness to be well, and there are so many benefits to this simple routine. lets start with some facts,

More than 35% of African Americans have high blood pressure, which accounts for more than 20% of the African American deaths in the US. (people are stressed, sedentary, eating the wrong food)

Compared with whites, hypertension develops earlier in life, and average blood pressures are much higher in African Americans.(this is probably due to the junk food diet fed to most African American children, and lack of proper exercise )

African Americans with high blood pressure have a much higher chance of developing heart disease, than in the general population. But there is hope! First, lets get an understanding of what hypertension truly is, and the underlying causes.

Hypertension, or high blood pressure is a serious conditions that affects one in three American people. Blood pressure is the force of blood as it pumps through your arteries. Arteries are vessels that carry blood from the pumping heart to all the tissues and organs of the body. Normal blood pressure is below 120/80. The top number represents your systolic blood pressure, this relates to the pressure in the arteries, as the heart contracts and pumps blood. The bottom number represents your diastolic blood pressure, and this relates to the blood pressure in the arteries as the heart relaxes after contraction. Many people are starting to understand the relationship between high blood pressure and stress, nutrition and exercise. I believe that these three elements have a major role to play in the severity of this disease.

Now that we have a basic understanding of what high blood pressure is, lets talk about ways to help with this issue. Studies show that with 30 minutes of brisk walking three times a week you will lower your blood pressure and help with your overall wellness. As a stress management coach, I constantly look for new ways to help other as well as myself relieve the negative effects of stress. I have found that yoga is very beneficial in doing this. According to DR.Sujit, M.D. DM DMB, Endocrinologist, Diabetologist, observed effects of yoga on hypertension include the following:

Reduces blood pressure to the tune of 10-15mm/hg

Yoga can help with weight loss, which in turn can reduce blood pressure

Regular yoga performers are less likely to suffer from hypertension than their age and sex matched counterparts.
Certain postures in yoga do offer controlled pressure on the kidneys and adrenals, thereby regulating blood supply to these vital organs which mainly regulate b.p. through secretions of rennin, angiotensin etc.

I also recommend the practice of Tai Chi for hypertension, let me share with you why; I like to think of Tai Chi as the prescription of meditation and focus. There is a relaxation response triggered by Tai Chi, which will result in decreased heart rate, blood pressure, decreased metabolism and slower brain waves. I personally practice Tai Chi, and it helps me along with proper nutrition manage my hyperthyroid without the use of toxic drug therapy.

So as we can see, it is possible to walk your way into wellness, if you are consistent and desire to make a true lifestyle change. As a holistic wellness coach, I have come to realize that balance in life is truly the key. with these elements togther, exercise, stress management and proper nutrition, you are well on your way to helping your body to maintain and heal itself!

Lets take a walk today into wellness.

Fateria Johnson M.A. CSMC CMBFS
http://www.its4yourwellness.com/