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Feeling Winter Sluggishness?
10 Simple Ways to Invigorate Your Mind & Body
by Nancy Hearn, CNC, EFT-ADV
Most of us tend to be less active during the winter and to eat heavier foods. Even though this tendency is somewhat natural, it can lead to imbalances in the body that create feelings of sluggishness, laziness, depression, and/or congestion.
If you are feeling tired or sluggish, the following are 10 simple and effective ways to activate and invigorate your mind and body to help restore balance:
1. Drink plenty of pure water. Since our bodies are about 70% water, adequate hydration is foundational to anything else we do. The key point here is to start drinking water as soon as you wake up in the morning. I recommend drinking one quart of purified water before breakfast. Avoid tap water, reverse osmosis, and distilled water. First choice for drinking water is alkaline, ionized water. Second choice is water purified through a high-quality carbon filter.
2. Avoid heavy foods and favor spicy foods with a predominance of bitter, astringent, and pungent tastes. It’s common sense that if we are less active, we need less food. So, choose food wisely--high-fiber, nutrient-dense foods, such as vegetables and beans and berries. And learn to eat just enough to satiate hunger. Bitter foods include bitter melon, aloe vera and the herbs yellow dock, fenugreek, dandelion root, sandalwood, and turmeric root. Astringent foods include pomegranates, chickpeas, green beans, yellow split peas, okra, alfalfa sprouts and the herbs goldenseal, arjuna, alum, and turmeric. Pungent foods include hot peppers (cayenne, chili, black) as well as onions, radishes, garlic, mustard and ginger. If you feel cold, tired or congested, try a pinch of cayenne pepper in warm water. Better for you than coffee!
3. Walk or rebound for 5-15 minutes after lunch to aid digestion. This can really make a difference in digestion and will also help burn any excess calories. Where I live, however, some days are just too cold for me. So rebounding (jumping on a mini-trampoline) has been a lifesaver. In addition to the fact that rebounding is so convenient year round, it was proven by NASA to be the most efficient exercise!
4. Drink invigorating tea. Look for herbal teas or blends that include one or more of the following: organic cloves, ginger root, cinnamon bark, peppermint leaves, cardamom, allspice, orange peel and black pepper.
5. Take deep breaths throughout the day. Most people are shallow chest breathers. Learn to breathe deeply from the belly and find ways to remind yourself to take deep breathing breaks throughout the day. Even two minutes of deep breathing (which you can do anywhere at anytime) can help to oxygenate your body and restore balance to your mind, especially when under stress.
6. Perform a vigorous daily self-massage with oil. This is a wonderful after-shower practice that just takes a few minutes. In addition to feeling good, regular massage detoxifies the body’s tissues, increase circulation, calms the mind, and enhances immune function. You can use a simple base oil of organic coconut, almond, jojoba or sesame oil. Adding essential oils of peppermint, frankincense, and rosemary will help to invigorate your skin and circulation.
7. Wear or diffuse invigorating fragrances. Using the same essential oils of peppermint, frankincense or rosemary, apply these blends to the skin throughout the day or burn soy candles that contain these essential oils.
8. Organize the clutter in your environment. Recognize that the environment around you has a profound effect on how congested you feel. Make an extra effort during the winter to de-clutter, reorganize, and clean out drawers and closets.
9. Practice yoga daily. Winter is the ideal time to join a yoga class, purchase a yoga DVD, or practice yoga on your own if you have experience. Yoga will always help to connect your body and mind, as well as massage internal organs and increase strength and flexibility.
10. Listen to up-beat music. Many scientific studies have shown the healing power of music to change the vibrational frequency of thoughts and feelings, as well as increase immunity and promote wellness in the body.
It may take a little extra effort to keep your mind and body in balance during the winter, but the results are worth it! And you will be glad you did when spring rolls around.
Nancy Hearn is a Certified Nutrition Consultant and Founder of Total Wellness Health and Nutrition Center in Livingston, Montana. For specific recommendations on products and services mentioned in this article, contact Nancy at 406-222-7304.
© Copyright 2008 Nancy Hearn and Total Wellness, LLC. All Rights Reserved. www.4totalwellness.com. This content may be copied in full, with copyright, contact info, creation and information intact, without specific permission, when used only in a not-for-profit format. If any other use is desired, permission in writing from Nancy Hearn is required.
