The Body Clock...

Is this what a body clock is?

Haha.  I doubt that any of you actually pictured something like this when I started talking about a body clock, but I ran across it today as I was trying to figure out the best way to explain what I know and it made me giggle.

Perhaps you've heard people call this other things.  "Her Biological Clock is ticking." "His internal clock is off again;" no matter what it is being called at the time, the theory behind the body clock or "Circadian Rhythm" is that at any given hour of the day a particular organ is at its peak energy.  Some people say that that organ is resetting or that it "rules the hour." Also, at the opposite side of the clock (aka 12 hours later) it is at its lowest energy.  Here is an image of what I mean:

So, the idea is that if you are waking up every night at the same time and can't sleep no matter what you do, or you tend to fall asleep in your desk at work every day at around the same time, that you can look at this clock and see what your body is trying to tell you.  For example, waking up every night at 2:00 am might mean that something is happening in the liver or if you are getting sluggish around 1:00 pm every day it might mean that your small intestine is overwhelmed and trying to get you to take a nap so that it can "take care of business,"  haha.  

Well, it is a neat theory, and I actually believe it...but I don't believe that it is exact (meaning at this specific time) for everyone.  Would it be at this time if I worked graveyard shifts one week and day shifts the next?  and would it be at this time if I lived in England vs America or traveled to Australia or Peru?  What about daylight savings time...does my "liver" know that the day is now an hour longer (or shorter)?

I believe that everyone follows this pattern, but not necessarily at these exact hours...unless they have reset their clock.  Dun, dun, dun (insert dramatic singing voice here)...that's what I'm doing right now.

Here are some interesting articles that you might want to look at to learn more:

Chinese "Body Clock" 

Ancient body clock discovered that helps to keep all living things alive.

Fix the mama ... Fix the baby!

I'm afraid that Charlie's body clock is being reset with mine (since he is nursing).  The last few days he has woken up with me just as the pre-sunlight has begun chasing the night away.  This morning I set up a lawn chair just inside the gate and watched the sunrise while I nursed him.  Amelia was standing inside the front door waiting for us when we came back inside.  It would appear that the sacred "alone time" I boasted of a few posts ago may have been a myth.  Haha, we'll see if it continues or not over the coming days.

My mom always told me that if you want to fix the baby, fix the mama.  Little did I know that she was actually talking about ...ME.  Who would have guessed, hee hee.  My mom is such a smart woman!  Little Charlie is AMAZING, I'm pretty sure he inherited that from his daddy.  His colon was not so amazing...I'm pretty sure he inherited that from me.  Just an example, he was having regular bowel movements every 7 to 10 days with no problems.  Not exactly ideal, but he was never really moody or ornery, so it was hard to call it a problem.  About the same time that I started this wake up with the sun challenge I also began taking a "lactation formula" from Dr. Christopher.  A good friend explained that it is not just for people who have trouble producing milk, it is designed to support the mothers in producing quality milk for the babies without robbing from the mother to give to the baby.  I like keeping my calcium etc. where I stored it in my bones and teeth, so taking this formula made a whole lot of sense to me.  He is now going 3 times per day, like clock work...I'm not so sure I like this either, haha.  Healthy baby verses happy mom, who doesn't have to change poopy diapers...hmmm, which one weighs more on the scales?

So, did resetting my body clock reset his clock and help his colon to finish developing or was it the lactation formula?  What do you think?

Permission Slip Granted

I am LOVING this wake up with the sun challenge! A few minutes to myself, time to wake up as slowly as I want, time outdoors with our beautiful garden (that I never had time to look at before). It has been a good thing, but the other day I did get a little overwhelmed...and just so you don't think that my life is perfect I thought I would tell you about it. Feeling a little like superwoman, I overbooked myself and tried to do more than humanly possible. Unfortunately, my blog, being new, sunk to the bottom of the priority list. I apologize for those of you wanting daily updates...this might be a good time to admit that there are actually 2 parts to resetting your body clock; one is to wake up with the sun and the other is to watch it set and go to sleep shortly thereafter (within a reasonable amount of time after). I have always been a "night owl" and started with this particular challenge (of all the things I "preach" in my classes) because I knew it would be the hardest for me to personally conquer, and I knew that if I could do this, any other challenge would be a piece of cake. What has happened over the last 13 days is that this "night owl" has become an "early bird" who likes to dig worms by the light of the moon...This might be okay for an ordinary person, but as a nursing mom I was also up most of the night, so I am writing myself (and you) a "permission slip to be human" if you choose to join me in taking on this challenge.

 ...and after spending an hour creating an awesome permission slip on a desktop app... is won't upload, and even the clip art isn't working for me (another reason this didn't go out 4 days ago). So...I give myself an invisible permission slip to stop being such a perfectionist and I am releasing this post without any pictures.

My body has a built in alarm clock!

My body has a built in alarm clock!

I forgot to set the alarm clock last night, but I discovered that none of that matters because I have a built in alarm clock.  My mom used to tell me about it growing up.  She never set an alarm but always seemed to wake up before all of us.  She would tell me that before you go to bed you just look at the (real) clock and imagine seeing the time that you want to wake up on it then go to sleep and the next time you open your eyes it will be that time.  It didn’t quite happen that way for me last night, waking up with babies throughout the night changes the game a bit, but I woke up just in time to get myself ready and walk calmly outside at the perfect time to watch the sunrise…or sort of sunrise.  As I was getting ready this morning, in complete shock that I woke up on my own, I was thinking “what happens on stormy days, when the sun doesn’t come out?”  Well, I guess when you reset your body clock and your natural alarm starts kicking in, so does an innate connection with nature, because it was an overcast morning.  So, not knowing how that would change the game I took a camp chair and a book out and started my day with reading something positive (another thing that I preach about in my classes).  It was the perfect reading light and everything worked out so well.  I didn’t actually get “hit with the sun rays,” but I did get to let the photo sensors in my eyes adjust slowly and naturally as the sky got brighter.  I read for about 15 minutes and went inside to make breakfast with just as much energy as the rest of the week.

Here are my observations, so far, with this challenge:

• Watching the sun rise is like drinking a glass of coffee (I assume). 
• It gives me a burst of energy that lasts throughout the morning.         
• It melts away the tension in my body and wakes up my muscles.
• I feel stronger and have a desire to exercise (don’t tell my husband!).
• I find myself “moving” more throughout the day (less desire to sit).
• I am losing weight.  (3 to 5 lbs since starting the challenge! AWESOME side effect!).
• I find myself filled with motivation, making me a bit more supermom-ish.
• I notice fewer slumps or tendencies to feel sorry for myself (less depressed)
• I have a desire to cook and eat.  Almost like my metabolism is higher.
• I have been ravenously hungry (barely made it through church without gnawing an arm off).
• I’m making decisions more easily.
• I’m de-cluttering my house and my life.
• I’m reaching out to loved ones who live far away more often.
• I’m getting more work done than usual.

Overall…so far this has been a very worthwhile challenge.  No wonder I have been preaching about it in my classes for so long, haha.  It’s the one thing that I’ve learned about but haven’t done on a regular basis.  I never saw the benefit of me doing it.  I always thought that it was something that only “sick people should do.”  Well, I dare say that I will be recommending it for EVERYONE from here on out.  

What I do for Teething

What do I do for Teething?

Recently a friend asked me what I do for teething.  It made me so excited to be able to share what I have learned that I realized others might like to know this information too.  We definitely have some pretty good solutions for teething.  So, here they are, along with my favorite websites to research more or order them through.  (I do not benefit at all from people following these links, I just want you to be able to find the help that I have been able to find). 

#1 Kid-e-Col: 

This is what I call magic in a bottle.  When I am zoning and Charlie gets a little fussy (usually because he is ready to eat) we just put a drop of this on his binky and he is golden for another 5 to 15 minutes.  It is made up of Fennel and Catnip.  It is AMAZING for gas (designed for colic) but also makes babies forget about teething pain.  I like to learn more about this and other great "Dr. Christopher" products at drchristopher.com 

 

#2 Hylander Teething Tablets:

(It's funny, I've always called these this name, but it is really Hyland's Homeopathic Teething Tablets).

INCREDIBLE!!! Taste one, you can't tell that they are doing anything spectacular, they just taste like a sweet sugar pill, but it calms the baby down instantly and helps them to go right to sleep.

You can get it from your local health food store but the best deal I have ever found is usually at swansonvitamins.com and if you do a little google search before you can usually get a coupon.

#3 Kid-e-Calc:

Speeds the teething process along.  This Calcium Formula gives your child the extra calcium that they need to help form healthy bones and teeth.  It cuts teething down from weeks to days.  You can purchase it from the Dr. Christophers website listed with Kid-e-Col or you can look at mynaturalmarket.com

#4 Clove Oil: 

Originally I thought that this would be a bad idea because clove is generally a hot oil. Then I talked to my husband who happens to know something about teeth. It made sense that if you use clove it will numb the area. Historically this oil has been used by dentists for years and it has been a common natural remedy numbing the gums. Other oils can be used as well to soothe the baby such as Lavender, Serenity, Balance or even Citrus Bliss. You can read more about essential oils or order by clicking here: 

doTERRA

        

Comfrey Green Drink...Delicious, Healthy and a Rare Treat!

Comfrey Green Drink

Waking up with the sun has given me so much more energy!  This morning, as I looked around at our beautiful flower garden I felt inspired to make one of my favorite childhood treats, Green Drink.  Not just any green drink...Comfrey Green Drink.  This plant is AMAZING!  I have seen so many miracles with it.  My favorite quality is that it is a cell proliferant, meaning that it causes the cells to replicate at an increased speed.  For most cells this is a really good thing, but for cancer this is a very bad thing.  In my opinion, I believe this is why the FDA makes anyone selling it label the container "for external use only."  Well, I am certainly not selling this amazing drink, and I caution you to drink it at your own risk.  With that said, if you happen to be in one of my classes, or  you happen to be eating at my dinner table during the right season, I just might happen to have a pitcher full in the fridge or on the table and I wouldn't stop you from having a glass.

ps. Did you know that Comfrey is a giving plant, and considered by many to be a weed?  The more you take from it, the more it gives you.  It is almost as if when you pull 1 leaf, 2 more grow in its place.  I transplanted a few leaves from my parents home last summer and we now have 9 flourishing plants...from leaves!  We brought them wrapped in wet paper towels (on a 12 hour car ride).  When we got home I put them in a big glass full of water then I forgot about them for about 2 weeks.  After I forgave myself for being careless, I finally planted them (and their brand new roots, which sprouted after only a few days in the water) in flower pots and about 2 days later new leaves were sprouting.  You can almost see them growing.  You can measure the leaf in the morning and see that by night fall it has doubled or quadrupled in size.  It is such a sturdy plant that when we transplanted it from the flower pot to the garden (that had accidentally been sprayed with ground clear the day before) it faltered a bit then flourished, despite all odds.  AND the empty flower pot, after sitting in the hot sun, (with no water for about 3 weeks) randomly began sprouting more comfrey plants after a rainstorm.  If this plant can do all this, it is no wonder to me that it can heal chipped bone and skin that has been shredded by the road burn of a motor cycle accident (just a few of the miracles I have seen with it).

Comfrey Green Drink

Ingredients:
6-10 Comfrey leaves, cleaned (usually 8-12 inches long)
1 quart of your favorite home canned fruit (with juice) or nectar/juice (Peaches are my favorite)
Large can of Pineapple Juice (46 oz, give or take)
Water (2-4 cups, to taste)

1. Blend and strain the comfrey with 2 to 4 cups  of water (more or less depending on the desired consistency and strength of the flavor).

1. Blend the bottled fruit 

1. Open the pineapple juice and combine all ingredients in a pitcher.

1. Add ice and enjoy!

Kids LOVE it.  We had a fun family over for dinner the other night and their sweet 2 year son devoured it almost as quickly as Amelia.  When she woke up this morning and heard that I was making green drink she said "Oh! Green DRINK??" and she took off running for the kitchen before I had the chance to get her dressed.  She asked for it all day log and even made an attempt at pouring it herself when I didn't respond fast enough.  Our kitchen rug has a new look to it, but Amelia was the happiest little girl because she did it herself.

Caution:  The leaves have protective hair like quills (if I can even call them that) and every once in a while I get a "comfrey sliver."  It's more annoying than anything, but if this possibility bothers you, I suggest wearing gloves while picking and blending it.

Variations:  You can add just about any fruit.  I have used bananas, pears, apples, fresh peaches, grapes and more...but this is the time tested version that is our family favorite.

Reset My Body Clock - Day 1

WOW! Who knew???  I woke up this morning before sunrise and I was able to do half a days work before the kids got up.  Honestly, I was dreading even the thought of waking up before 6am...I've never been much of a morning person; but today, as I walked outside and began breathing in the fresh morning air a little something inside of me switched.  I was feeling a bit of tension in my muscles and more than a little groggy, but after only a few moments outside all that seemed to melt away.  As the sun rose higher onto the distant rooftops a tiny magic sparkle of motivation began to rise within me.  I looked around and noticed some yard work that needed to be done and before I knew it I had singlehandedly weeded, watered and cleaned our entire yard...GO ME! Wahoo!

What would have normally taken me half the day (because of distractions and lack of motivation) took me less than an hour.   It didn't stop there either, before my first client of the day arrived I had already gotten myself and 2 kids ready for the day, prepared and eaten breakfast, picked up and vacuumed the upstairs, played on the computer, delivered upcoming class fliers to 2 blocks worth of neighbors and corrected homework...all before 10am!

Maybe there is more to this "waking up with the sun" challenge than I anticipated.  I began the challenge to "Practice what I preach," and I am often telling my students that they can "reset their body clocks" by doing this very thing.  I have heard that it takes 21 days to make a habit, so today is day 1.  Check in again and see how things are going.  I will tell you more about what "The Body Clock" is and why you might want to think about resetting yours.

What is it to be Healthy?

When your life goal is to be healthy and to inspire those around you be as healthy as possible, you need to know a thing or two about the subject.  I just happen to be the youngest of 8. That's EIGHT children.  You got it, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven kids BEFORE me at my house growing up.  Now if I didn't learn a thing or two about health from that alone...you better just stop reading right now.

"Publish blog post"

Hee, hee, hee.  Alright, I learned more than a thing or two there and I have learned heaps more of other aplicable things other places too.   Over time I hope to share many of those things with you and  your friends and family or others who may be interested too.  First, I would like to know what you believe it means to be healthy.  According to "google" it is the state of being free from illness or injury.  To me it means that I will be free to move, think, and feel as my body was intended to do; the way I see young kids on the playground moving. I want to live in a way that my body will not need to remind me, through aches and pains, that it is here or that something is out of balance.

I believe that we can all live this way.  I have seen many people do drastic things over the years to achieve a healthy body, but I believe that it takes small steps everyday to get there.  "Small steps" that's funny coming from someone who works on feet all day, haha.

As I was teaching a foot zoning class a few days ago it came to my attention that I am not living all the things that I teach.  What would my life be like if I committed to "practice what I preach"? I mean right here, right now.  I've done all of these things individually for short amounts of time, but what would happen if I started combining them?  Well...let's embark on a bloggers journal and find out.

Tomorrow I would like to take the first "small step" in taking responsibility for my own health and practicing what I preach.  In a few days I will come up with a cool name for this challenge and I will ask others to think about joining me.  For now, I will commit to you...my curious readers...Tomorrow morning I will wake up before the sun and I will be outside, breathing the fresh air, as the sun makes its entrance into my world.

Welcome to Foot Zoning!

I have started this blog to spread the word about Foot Zone Therapy and am so excited to get to know you and help you with your health concerns! Visit my About Page at the top to learn more.