| August
2005
Taking responsibility for your health may sound
like a burden but it is actually empowerment! In this
month's Art of Health bulletin I share some simple
ways that you can change the eating "culture" around
you so that it is supportive of your health and well-being.
| Empowered
to Choose! |
 |
 How many of us reach into the
candy bowl at the office just because it
is there, or consume pastries and coffee
for breakfast because someone brings some
into the break room at work? Who finds that
they have a large coffee beverage with flavored
syrups daily just because a coffee shop is
what happens to be in the neighborhood?
These are all patterns of activity that become
easy to execute without even thinking about
them. Creating a new pattern, one that might
uplift your environment, may take more thought
and effort on the front end. But, just like
the old pattern, a new way of doing things
can become the norm, rather than the exception.
The candy bowl can be used for fresh fruit
or trail mix (nuts, seeds, dried fruit--no
M&Ms!), the coffee pot can be replaced
with an herbal tea pot (see below), and the
trip to the coffee shop can become simply a
walk around the block for some movement and
fresh air. |
| Alternative
to the Coffee Pot |
|
|  Do
you find that you drink coffee throughout your
day simply because it is the beverage that
is available? What if herbal tea was just as
available? How might that change your day?
Your life?
Loose herbal teas can be prepared easily
in an automatic coffee maker just like
coffee, making it easily available, when
you want it. I recommend that you get a
new coffee maker that is designated for
teas only, so that your herbs are not tainted
with the flavor of coffee grounds.
The Art of Health herbal teas have successfully
been used in several workplaces to greet
guests or customers and for employees.
People in these environments have exclaimed
about how much less caffeine they consume
when the herbal teas are readily available
and the positive influence this has on
their state of well-being.
Our teas are available by the pound for
this type of use. For a small office setting
a standard automatic coffee maker works
well. For a larger setting the teas can
be prepared in a coffee/tea urn such as
those used by caterers (the the above photo).
These make anywhere from 12 to 60 cups.
Check Out The Art of Health Herbal Teas
|
| Surprisingly
Delicious - Greens! |
|
 Here's
a story contributed by one of my clients. Simply
by making healthy choices for herself, she
positively influenced the diet of those around
her - without even trying!
"One night, during the course of my three-week
cleanse, I spent some time with my brother
at the adult foster care home he runs. The
guys who live there eat mostly processed food
and almost no vegetables unless they are fried
or covered with dressing."
"That night, they were having a barbecue.
I brought my own food, including rainbow chard.
As it started to steam, one of the guys asked
'What are you cooking? It smells so good!'
I told him it was chard and offered him a plate.
He ate the whole thing and one of the other
guys wanted to try it too. They both liked
it."
"A week later, I had a 16-year-old girl
visiting me from out of town. I took her out
for pizza and then started cooking for me when
we came home. She wanted to try the chard too.
The next day for lunch I made big salads for
us both, and she asked, 'Do you have any more
chard?'"
|
| Win
a Free Copy of Herbal Medicine for Health
and Well-Being |
|
 Submit
your story or idea for "raising the bar".
We'll share the best stories and tips and if
we use your story, you'll get a free autographed
copy of Herbal Medicine for Health and Well-Being.
Use the link at the bottom of this page
to forward this email to friends, and encourage
them to share their stories as well!
Share
Your Story About Raising the Bar
|
| August
Events: Upcoming Talk |
|
Dr.
Laura Washington will speak on Wednesday evening
August 3rd from 6:30 PM to 7:45 PM on finding
and maintaining health in a constantly changing
world.
The presentation will include a demonstration
of how Nutritional Response Testing can
be used to zero in on the root cause of
dis-ease or imbalance and an appropriate
wellness program to address it.
There is no charge for this presentation.
Please RSVP at the front desk in person
or by calling 503-525 YOGA (9642).
|
|
Recently,
I was talking with one of my co-workers about
the new Blossoming
Lotus cafe that had moved
into the studio that houses our offices.
In our conversation we were appreciating
the high quality of food that the cafe served,
and how very fortunate we felt to have this
in our immediate environment. My co-worker
said that having this high quality food available
had "raised the bar" on her diet.
She found that eating the food at Blossoming
Lotus had increased her awareness and appreciation
for high quality whole foods. As a result,
she found she was shopping better and eating
better at home as well.
This story illustrates the importance of
our environment (the "culture" in
which we find ourselves) in shaping the kinds
of foods we eat.
Of course, we each have the ability to choose
to become a product of our environment, or
to choose our own path. But this can be easier
said than done.
Rather than wishing that our environment
were different, each of us can be a guiding
force to change the "culture" around
us. We can be the one to raise the bar and
watch the choices of others rise up to it! |
|
Yours in Health,
Laura Washington, ND
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