Hi (Contact First Name),
Welcome
to the Vitalizm newsletter! Each month we'll explore methods and
supplements that support health and wellbeing, and that complement the
well-selected homeopathic remedy. We are the biodynamic sum of our
body, mind and spirit. As the seasons change, this balance needs
retuning. This newsletter will provide approaches and specifics that
will help you stay healthy, balanced, and well.
Vitalizm
is a practice of wellbeing. Shawna Phillips, CHom is a Classical
Homeopath who provides homeopathic treatment, nutritional counseling
and craniosacral therapy to help you experience greater well-being. She
is also a staff practitioner at Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacies. Her
practice is in Boulder, Colorado.
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This
winter, remember that classical homeopathy can help you weather the
round of winter colds and flus. If your immune system should
succumb this winter to a cold, a flu, or a stomach virus, this is an
opportunity to help you gain immunity to that virus, and at the same
time boost your overall health. The well-placed homeopathic remedy can
mean the difference between feeling run-down after a cold or
getting over the cold more quickly, and emerging healthier after the
cold is gone. Call me for an short acute appointment, and you
will emerge healthier for it!
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As I walk my dogs every morning, I'm made aware of the
settling in of Fall, and the approach of winter. The mornings are chillier. The
grass this morning was crunchy underfoot with the first big frost. Days are shorter. There
are large temperature swings from night to midday.
I see the plants in my garden turning their energy to their roots, in
preparation for deep cold.
Our bodies can become susceptible as the transition is
made from the warm effulgence of summer to the pensive concealment of winter. One
of the keys to a good immune system is to support the workings of the digestive
system. Its also time to support the core of the body with warmth and warming
foods.
Boost Digestion
In Ayurvedic healing, the agni, the fire of digestion, intensifies in order to process winter
foods which are rich in fats and proteins. It also helps warm the body overall.
Boosting digestion in this transitional time will boost your overall immune
system. Here are several ways to help your body in this natural process.
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Ginger is a
well-known herb that can boost your immune system and help the process of
digestion. It has been used in Ayurveda, Chinese medicine and throughout Asia
for over 2000 years. Ginger strengthens the bodies vitality. I like to make a
pot and keep it on the stove when it gets chilly. Slice a fresh ginger root
thinly, about 1-1/2 inches for 4 cups of water. Boil the tea for 10 minutes.
Into a cup pour the ginger tea, and add 1 teaspoon of honey. And enjoy!
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Hot baths are
warming,
stimulating, and soothing all at the same time. They help the body
digest by stimulating the digestive fire, and relaxing both body and
spirit. Take a hot
bath before bed at least once a week to warm the body to its core.
Adding one or more of the following essential oils will make it more
soothing, too! The following oils are immune-boosting: oregano, clove,
cinnamon, rosewood or
rosemary essential oils, singly, or in combination. Add 10-20
drops to your bath water, and strengthen your immune system at the same
time!
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Using spices
in your cooking will boost your digestive fire. Basil, cardamom, cinnamon,
clove, fennel, ginger, mustard seed, nutmeg, oregano, pepper, and thyme. Here
are some ideas: Add dried basil to any sautéed vegetable. Sprinkle apples with
cinnamon before eating. Add ginger to salad dressings. A curry dish once a week
includes most of these spices and will help stimulate the digestive fire, as
well as that cozy sense of well-being as it bubbles aromatically on the stove.
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Probiotics and probiotic foods increase
the
colonies of beneficial bacteria supporting your immunity in your
digestive system. These bacteria are essential for
proper digestion. If you are not able to absorb the good nutrients in
your food, your body's immune system will not be able to defend itself.
Boost these bacterial colonies with the following foods: if you can eat
dairy, add a cup of yogurt to your diet every day. Or, drink kefir
(organic and unsweetened are your best bets). Sauerkraut is a great
source of probiotics, as is kim chee, the Korean pickle. Kombucha is
very probiotic and provides essential vitamins and minerals. If none of
these is possible, find a good probiotic, and take it daily. I suggest
at least 10 billion CFU (colony forming units) per day.
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Sincerely,
Shawna Phillips
Vitalizm LLC
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