here's the first installment of my favorite self-help stuff
newsletter series.
Today, inspired by an incident just a couple of
days ago, I'm going to write about health.
Before I get started, though, I need to add
a disclaimer:
I'm not a doctor (not a doctor of medicine anyway).
But I have been an avid student of various
alternative health modalities for a very long time.
I grew up in a doctor's household in Germany,
where you can actually buy herbal remedies in the
pharmacy.
My father, a doctor, practiced Western
medicine, but he also included herbal medicine
and other modalities whenever appropriate.
So I grew up taking many more herbs than
"normal" pills and potions. When we had colds,
we were treated with compresses and herb teas
for example.
When I was stressing over my tests in college,
I would take valerian tablets to calm down.
As a child, I took all that for granted, and I
never really realized how special this was until
I arrived in the United States (Berkeley) to begin
graduate studies.
Within the first few days, I suddenly came down
with bad stomach cramps. Something I ate, I figured.
And I knew exactly the herbs I needed to get better.
So I trudged off to the local hospital pharmacy and
requested fennel, thyme, and whatever else it was.
They looked at me as if I had just asked for illegal
drugs. I was really puzzled. Bad case of culture
clash, you could say!
Finally, a guard who had overheard that scene came
over and told me I should check the grocery store
across the street -- the spice section.
I did that, got my herbs, made some tea, and
to the best of my memory, felt better quickly.
A few days later, I told this story to my graduate
advisor who laughed and then sent me to an
alternative herb store that did have all the herbs
I could ever want.
Meanwhile, it's years later, and herbs have
become part of mainstream medicine -- almost. At least
finding them is no longer a challenge. You can get them
at your local supermarket, and no longer just the
spice section.
In surveys, herbs are still considered "alternative"
though.
But this email wasn't supposed to turn into an argument
about the availabiity of herbs, just an illustration
of where I'm coming from.
I do use Western medicine, but I draw on whatever works
for me. I think of myself as pretty undogmatic.
Over the years, I have incorporated the following
into the line-up of self-care resources (not necessarily
all at the same time):
aromatherapy, acupressure, acupuncture, bodywork,
Quantum Touch energy healing (of which I became a
certified practitioner, something I'll tell you more
about in an upcoming letter). And EFT, also known as
Emotional Freedom Technique. More about that soon
as well.
Oh, and nutrition, supplements, and visualization.
Today, though, I want to talk about colds and how to
reduce your chances of getting them. Note that I said
"reduce" and not "eliminate."
I have been traveling over the last few days and right
now I'm at the Charlotte Airport waiting for my
connecting flight back home.
On my flight out (to Las Vegas, to attend an Internet
Marketing conference, which was very cool, by the way),
I found myself seated next to a woman who was coughing
quite a lot throughout the flight, which lasted something
like 5 hours.
Oh no! I thought. I could just feel those germs
grab me by the nose and make me sick. What was worse --
I knew I hadn't slept nearly enough the night before:
a set-up for getting sick, for me at least.
The thing is, that fatigue and lack of sleep depresses
the immune system and therefore makes it less able to
fight off such infections.
On the plus side, I had come prepared. I had taken my
special cold prevention supplements, which include
Airborne, dissolvable tablets that make an effervescent
fizzy drink. You may or may not know those, but I'm a
big fan.
They were developed by a schoolteacher who was getting
sick and tired of getting sick every time one of her
students coughed at her. Or every time she went on a
plane and there was a sneezing, coughing fellow
traveler nearby.
(I also took some olive leaf and an amino acid called
NAC, both of which strengthen the immune system.)
Plus I made sure to get plenty of sleep once I arrived,
at least those 7-8 hours.
And so far so good. I didn't catch it.
Why is this important?
Well, my father used to have a great saying:
"The healthy person has many wishes.
The sick person only has one wish."
So there are two lessons here: the importance of
health to everything else. If you've ever been sick,
you know what i'm talking about.
And with that, the importance of self-care to ensure
that my/your body stays healthy, even if some people
think I'm (or you are) a bit overly concerned.
I don't think so...
I realize that you may or may not live in a place
where it's cold season right now. If you are in
a place where it's summer right now or always, I hope it
still makes sense. And, of course, all of the above
applies not just to colds.
Meanwhile, I hope this finds you healthy and happy,
and I'll be back in touch soon with another missive.
Take care of yourself,
Elisabeth
P.S.: If you would like a resource for how to be
fantastically healthy, here's a program designed to
make that happen. Jim, the author is really cool.
It also has a 3-day trial that won't
cost a penny. You can find it at:
http://www.myfavoriteselfhelpstuff.com/recommends/healthy.php
http://www.myfavoriteselfhelpstuff.com
Elisabeth Kuhn
P.O. Box 17912
Richmond, VA
23226
US
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