Epoch Health 6-26-2015 by Epoch Fit

Health

Fitness

How to Find the

Courage toChange Articulate what you want to yourself, to a higher power, or to your journal.

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By Kassandra Brown

â&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve made lots of changes in my life and helped others make changes in theirs. Most recently I moved away from consumer culture to take up residence in an ecovillage and start a home-based Internet coaching business to support my family. See Change on B2

B1 June 26â&#x20AC;&#x201C;July 2, 2015

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B2 June 26–July 2, 2015

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You have to have the courage to be diﬀerent and make diﬀerent choices with no guarantees for how those around you will respond.

How to Find the Courage to Change Change continued from B1

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Before you start reading, I ask you to keep a few things in mind. Be gentle with yourself. Know that the courage to change is often long-lasting courage. It embraces the courage to make mistakes and to have life unfold in ways you didn’t expect. While some changes happen quickly, many take months or years to fully manifest. We still need courage to keep going and keep building our lives the day after the change and the day after that, too. I suggest you read the questions in this article and then take a few minutes to write down your own answers before reading the ones I’ve written. Let’s start with a few questions about why we don’t change. When we want to change but don’t, what holds each of us back? Why do we often stay stuck in the familiar but dysfunctional? Fear Keeps Us Stuck What I have found working with myself and others is that fear keeps us stuck. Fear of embarrassment, fear of failure, and fear of success all rank in the top reasons people avoid change. When you are afraid to make a mistake for fear of looking bad, foolish, stupid, or incompetent, it is very hard to try something new. Especially if you did well in school, you have learned that it is wrong to fail or to make mistakes. Change requires that you be willing to do both. Yet fear of embarrassment is hard to overcome. Inertia is another powerful force insisting that it is easier to keep doing what you have been doing than to change direction. Inertia is easier to work with when you take change in small, incremental steps. The biggest fear, however, may be the fear of success. “What if I really change? What then?” you may ask yourself. You don’t really know what is on the other side of change. Perhaps, you worry, you will have to face something about yourself you can’t bear to face and you will lose your own regard. Perhaps change will cause you to give up something you can’t stand to lose like a person, a feeling, or a belief? You may feel fear that you will not be able to stand your life after the change or that you will fail trying. Unspoken Agreements Keep Us Stuck Do you have masks, fakes, or personae you live behind in order to keep the peace? Most of us do. Usually we have agreements, often unspoken, about what we will and won’t do, who we are, and what we believe. We have agreements about how we’ll stay stuck and how we’ll keep enabling each other. In more extreme cases, this is called codependency, but most of us do it at least some of the time to some degree. We know how to react to our friend, our lover, or our co-worker when they stay in their same habits and keep telling the same stories. They might drive us crazy, but it’s a known sort of crazy where we are comfortable in our discomfort. In order to change, you have to have the courage to break the

agreements that no longer serve you. You have to have the courage to be different and make different choices with no guarantees for how those around you will respond. You don’t really know what changes you can make and still be met with love, tolerance, and approval. On a cellular level most of us have a fear of being ostracized, kicked out of the group, or abandoned. Humans are social creatures who depend on one another for survival. Throughout our history we have needed one another in order to survive. Being kicked out of the group could literally be a death sentence. We may think we’re safe, but on some level we are aware that outliers are often punished. The courage to change is a very real courage. The courage to leave behind the known, safe, and livable for the unknown and therefore less safe is a powerful sort of courage. Sometimes you need the courage to stay in a situation and stay the course. Hang in there through the rough spots of a marriage. Wait for our kids to grow out of a rebellious phase. Wait for the bad haircut to grow out. And sometimes you need the courage to change. The courage to ask for help and start seeing a counselor. The courage to say no. The courage to say yes. Courage Needs Honesty What allows someone to let go of old patterns? What gives a person the courage to step into the new and unknown? The courage to change is the courage to look at what is. What is your reality? What do you want? Can you articulate what you want to yourself, to a higher power, or to your journal? Can you articulate it to a therapist, coach, or close friend? Can you articulate it to your boss, your co-parent, or your parent? If your heart’s deepest longing often stays hidden, it makes it much harder to manifest it. Speaking the heart’s longing is a very freeing level of honesty. The courage to change is easier when the people around you support you. Yet, when you have the courage to tell the truth and live real and out loud, you are most likely breaking a deal you’ve made with someone to stay smaller and be less than honest. They may get angry at you. Just when you want their help, they may pull away, get angry, and try everything to get you to go back to your old ways. Why? Change is destabilizing. You are shifting the balance, the control, and the source of power when you change. In the midst of your own exhilaration and fear, can you remember the people close to you are forced to change by your changes? Being compassionate with them can help them embrace your change. Offering them compassion and empathy while continuing to tell the truth and embrace your own change can also be amazingly helpful to you. Then the obstacles people offer you become gifts, and the people themselves become angels of change. These angels of change don’t often wear white or have wings. Sometimes your angels challenge you to dig deeper and

The obstacles people offer you during your changes become gifts, and the people themselves become angels of change.

realize your own depths. Sometimes they hold your hands and offer support. Sometimes they pull away and say, “Do it yourself,” and you must find strength you didn’t know you had. Who are your angels? Can you realize the gifts they offer you and say thank you? Children Catalyze Change Children are often the catalysts for change. They rock our worlds with love and with chaos. They challenge us to dig deeper and be more loving, generous, and giving then we ever were before. They ask us to grow up into the adults we want to be and to stop hiding out in excuses. My husband stopped smoking after 15 years when I was pregnant with our first child. He quit his secure job as an electrician to start his own company when I was pregnant with our second child. Each pregnancy challenged him to step up into more of his potential and strength. Knowing that his children would be looking to him as a role model for life helped give him the courage to change. A friend of mine is also finding that children are her catalyst for change. She’s been living with an emotionally abusive husband and making excuses to stay. But when he got violent with their children she found the courage to move out and face divorce, court appearances, and cross-examination. To look her husband and supposed life partner in the eye while he tried to prove her crazy took significant amounts of courage. The welfare of her children gave her the courage to keep facing her road to freedom and find more strength than she knew she had. Most of us are afraid to go through something like that. Most parents are afraid to change too much for fear that it could lead down the path of separation or divorce. The courage to change is the still, small voice within you that stays with you even when times are dark and your path is full of obstacles. It is the knowing that moving into the truest expression of your life is right, even if it is difficult. This Is Your Life The courage to change embraces the courage to look at what is without turning away. It is the courage to keep looking at it and not sink into self-defeating blame and guilt or to brush it aside with glib assurances or blame of the other person. The courage to change is to look at one’s own life and to own it. It is to say, “Yes, this is the life I have created. It is exactly the life that I have created. I need to blame no one. I need to give responsibility for my life to no one else. I own it as my own. This is my life. If I want it to be different it is my job and my job only to change it.” The courage to change is the courage to own your own life and not blame others. It is to ask for what you want, to be aware and alive to your own life. The courage to change it to be responsive and trust that you have what it takes to weather whatever storms arise. Kassandra Brown is a parent coach. This article was originally published on NaturalPapa.com

Health & Fitness

B3 June 26–July 2, 2015

www.TheEpochTimes.com As a seasoned traveler, plantain prefers a well-worn path and is often found growing in pavement cracks.

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Plantain, the Earthly Traveler’s Trusty Companion WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Food and first aid is often found underfoot By Conan Milner Epoch Times Staﬀ If you only learn one herb, make it plantain. It’s very safe, easy to find, and can be used for a wide variety of health issues. Not at all related to the large, starchy banana of the same name, plantain is a common weed that is native to Europe, but has since spread all over the world. Plantain has a yen for travel. The botanical name (Plantago) comes from the Latin word for the sole of the foot. Indeed, wherever humans go, plantain follows. Indigenous Americans and New Zealanders both dubbed the weed “white man’s footprint,” because it sprang up wherever Europeans made their settlements. As a seasoned traveler, plantain prefers a well-worn path and is often found growing in pavement cracks. While grass requires loose, aerated soil, plantain prefers hard, dense ground. It excels at pulling minerals and nutrients from compact soil that most plants could not penetrate.

Plantain is used for bites from mosquitoes, dogs, snakes, and other venomous creatures.

Spit Poultice Plantain has an astringent nature with a strong drawing action, which is why it is often used to suck out splinters, stingers, and even tiny bits of glass from the skin. Plantain is also used for bites from mosquitoes, dogs, snakes, and other venomous creatures. Herbalists like to say that plantain pulls out the poison. The plant contains a chemical called aucubin, which has been shown in studies to have potent anti-toxic and liver protective effects. Consider plantain with any burning, itchiness, or redness on the skin. It is approved by Germany’s herbal regulatory agency, Commission E, for topical skin inflammations. Plantain salves are great, but the easiest way to use this herb is a spit poultice. A poultice is a wet mash of herbs that is applied topically, and a spit

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SCHEDULE YOUR CONSULTATION poultice is made in the mouth. A few minutes of chewing breaks down plantain’s fibrous leaves so the plant’s medicinal chemicals can absorb into the skin. It doesn’t sound very hygienic, but a plantain spit poultice has been used for centuries for healing (and even disinfecting) minor wounds. It can also remove the pain and sting of other plants, such as nettles or poison ivy. Keep the poultice on the inflamed area for five to fifteen minutes to reduce redness, pain, and swelling. Reapply four or five times a day if necessary.

Ribwort plantain or narrowleaf plantain (Plantago lanceolata).

Plantain Tea Plantain tea is an excellent beverage for a cough. It helps remove phlegm, calm lung irritation, and is approved by Commission E for treating upper respiratory tract infections. Clinical trials in Bulgaria support the use of plantain for chronic bronchitis. A German study found that plantain’s gentle nature is particularly suited for children’s coughs. To make the tea, simmer four or five fresh (or a tablespoon of dried) leaves in a cup of water for about 20 minutes. The flavor is very mild, but you can add lemon and honey if you wish. Other uses for plantain tea include gut inflammation, irritable bowel, urinary tract infection, poisoning, ulcers, toothaches, and diarrhea. See Plantain on B6 CONAN MILNER/EPOCH TIMES

Plantain prefers hard, compact soil.

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Move Well for Life Quadruped Hip Rocking

By Ashley Whitson

s we age, we tend to move less and get stiff, which can put us at risk for falls. Stiffness and the fear of a potential fall can also create a downward cycle of exercising less because physical activity may be uncomfortable and intimidating. So it is important to make a conscious effort to move more and to do it well. And if you already feel disconnected from your body, there are professionals who can help. In the meantime, here are some simple things you can do to maintain a healthy range of motion in your joints as well as forge a stronger connection with your body. Remember, these are just general exercises. It is important to be assessed by a professional and learn exercises that are specifically designed to improve your ability to move.

This exercise uses developmental motor pathways in the brain. These are the same neurological pathways you used to learn to crawl, get up off the floor, and walk. Quadruped hip rocking also helps to maintain proper flexion in your hips. Many people lack proper hip mobility and often flex at the lower back rather than hinging at the hip for any bending or reaching movement. You can re-teach your body to stabilize the low back. This is important because it is the basis for many movements you do every day like sitting down in a chair or picking up an object from the ground. Dr. Stuart McGill, professor of spine biomechanics at the University of Waterloo in Canada, uses this exercise to assess whether someone is ready to perform a squat or dead lift with weight. You do not want to place extra weight on an unstable spine. Begin on all fours with your joints stacked (wrists under shoulders and knees under hips.) Your lower spine should keep its natural curve; your hip bones should be level with each other; and your ribs should be down so you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t arch your midback (this is your neutral spine). You can open your legs wider if you have a hard time maintaining a neutral spine.

: Press strongly away from the floor so your scapula remain stable on your spine. : Rock back and pay attention to the front â&#x20AC;&#x153;creaseâ&#x20AC;? of the hip joint, this is your fulcrum, not your lower spine, which should maintain its natural curve. : If you have any movement in the lower back and pelvic area, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve gone too far or lost your ability to stabilize your spine. : The idea is to get as much range of motion in the hips as possible without moving your spine.

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This exercise is good for reflexive trunk stability (your ability to react quickly in an unstable situation). This is especially important for those at risk of falling. This exercise is a good way to regain stability as your feet are mostly taken out of the equation, and you can focus on your core and breathing. This exercise will also bring out any asymmetries in your left and right sides, so if one side is harder to balance on than the other, practice this weak link. Your motor control center will have a chance to re-learn this movement if you relax and breathe.

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: Begin by kneeling with one knee down. Make sure your shoulders are over your hips, and hips are over the knee, so your trunk is in one straight line. The leg in front is bent 90 degrees at the hip and knee.Â : All you need to do here is not fall over. : If you feel unsafe, do this next to a stable object you can hold on to. If this feels too easy, narrow your stance by bringing your front foot in line with the back knee. : To make this exercise more challenging, you can try closing your eyes.

Narrow Stance Balance and Tightrope Walk This is the same pattern as half-kneeling, but now you are upright. Here again, a narrow stance is more challenging as you have a smaller base of support. With this exercise, you can can also see any asymmetries between sides and whether you prefer to have your weight on one leg more than the other. When walking the tightrope, you create an unstable situation such that you may feel as though you will fall, so you can use this opportunity to practice catching yourself. Always improve the weak links so you can move without compensations like holding your breath, lifting your shoulders, or gripping your toes. : Stand tall with one foot directly in front of the other. If this is too challenging, widen your base a bit or stand near a stable object. You can also put your arms out to the sides to help you balance. : Once you find your balance, start to walk in one straight line.

Health & Fitness

B5 June 26–July 2, 2015

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Stepping Agility and Balance Falls can occur because we misjudge our step, trip on an object like a stair, or slip. This exercise will teach you to pick your feet up and improve proprioception, which is the body’s ability to judge where it is in space. : Place objects like several yoga blocks (or any small but safe objects) in a line to set up an obstacle course. : Play around with the distance between the blocks if you are using more than one because this will force you to adapt to different situations. : You may need to take a large step or a small one depending on the distance. Again, if you are concerned about falling, perform the exercise near a stable object for support. : With the one block, you can practice stepping over with one foot and then reversing the step to the starting position, while making sure not to knock it over. : Make sure to pick the working leg up as high as possible. If you are using several blocks, walk forward stepping over each one. You can try this going backward and sideways as well.

Upper Back Extension

Hand in Fist

As a result of sitting for long hours, many of us end up stooped over. This occurs in the upper back (thoracic spine) and an excessive hunch is called kyphosis. This can affect the function of the shoulders such that we can lose ability to fully reach overhead. Excessive kyphosis can also affect breathing since the diaphragm and heart cannot function properly.

Surprisingly, grip is a function many people lose despite the intuitive knowledge of how important it is to be able pick something up and hold it. To remain independent, you need to maintain grip. Making a tight fist will also reflexively activate the muscles of the shoulder.

: Sit up tall against a chair. The chair should hit right under your shoulder blades. : Look up and send your eyes, neck, and upper back in an arch backward, make sure you do not break at the neck or lower back. : Hold and breathe for several seconds and then return upright and repeat.

: Spread your fingers wide. : Then, one finger at a time, starting with the thumb, make a fist and then squeeze. : Then open the hand again one finger at a time starting with the thumb. : Try starting with the pinky as well.

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: Place one or both feet on a towel. : Spread your toes and grab the towel with them. : Then try to pull the towel toward you with your toes until it is all bunched up.

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Make the Most of Yoga Class By Chris Freytag

love to teach high-intensity interval training (HIIT) classes. You could say I’m addicted to the adrenaline rush I get when I complete a class all sweaty and feeling totally worked over. I also teach yoga. It’s quite a contrast to my other workouts, and that contrast is a good thing. The essence of yoga is to relax, rejuvenate, recharge, release, and refresh. I love all that, but I must admit it doesn’t come as naturally to me as the adrenaline rush of my other workouts. I’ve had to teach myself to just let go and appreciate the mission of yoga. Still, sometimes that mission seems to get jumbled in the fitness and yoga world. I’ve heard people say, “That yoga class is so hard. It kicks my butt.” I have to wonder: Is yoga supposed to kick your butt? I’m not sure if there’s a right

answer to that. I do believe that trying new poses and stretching yourself (no pun intended) to new challenges in yoga is good, but in a “yoga” way, not in a “this workout is going to kill me” way. I don’t look at my students before a yoga class and think, “This class is going to kick everyone’s butt today.” (Full disclosure: I do have those thoughts before teaching my HIIT classes.) With yoga, the intention is different. We are there to shift our energy and find inner peace. That doesn’t mean the class is just gentle stretching. We build power and heat doing Down-Dog flows. We discover our strength in Warrior and Plank. We challenge ourselves with balancing and other advanced poses. But all of that is done with mindfulness toward inner peace, a sense of stability, and a deeper connection with oneself. No one feels “beat up” after class. Here are some tips to help you get relaxed, yet focused and

appreciate the benefits of yoga: Use Your Breath. Whether you’re doing yoga or sitting at your desk, deep yogic breathing can calm you. We all should take two to five minutes each day to focus on breathing deeply: in through the nose and from your diaphragm. Breathing is the most vital action we take in our lives yet it is also the most unconscious action that we take. For this reason, yoga is a great vehicle for practicing awareness of breath and can help you bring a deeper consciousness to it. Work on Balance and Stability. Having a good sense of balance means more than being able to stand on one foot. Try a few balance poses like tree pose, dancer pose, and if you really want a challenge, crow pose. These poses are about creating and improving physical, mental, and emotional stability.

Finding your center and being able to remain steady while balancing will improve focus and relieve stress. You’ll learn to approach life with a sense of awareness and calmness, which is the heart of yoga. (Don’t forget there are ways to modify most balance poses and you should feel comfortable to ease into them and work up toward the more advanced poses.) Work on Flexibility. People often tell me they are too inflexible to go practice yoga, but that is exactly the point. Yoga will help improve your flexibility while also making over your mind. I tell all my students, men and women alike, there is no such thing as a perfect pose. Being “super flexible” doesn’t make you better at yoga. And there are no winners in a yoga class. It’s about your own personal journey. Focus on the benefits of lengthening your own muscles, improving your range of motion,

USER7776296_186/ISTOCK

Yoga is a very individual practice.

and rejuvenating your body. Relish the Relaxation. In the last few minutes of yoga class, there’s savasana (final relaxation), where you lie perfectly still and just “be” in the moment. This final relaxation can be an incredibly restorative time; so don’t be tempted to skip it! You can let go of negative thoughts and gain mental clarity. Savasana is a known stress

reducer and has even been said to reduce cortisol levels (the stress hormone) in your body. Chris Freytag is a nationally recognized fitness expert, speaker, and founder of GetHealthyU.com. She writes for the Life Fitness blog, where this article was originally published. For more health and fitness information, visit LifeFitness.com/blog

Plantain, the Earthly Traveler’s Trusty Companion Plantain continued from B3 Plantain Salad Plantain is very nutritious, and it has not only healed but fed many a traveler. The leaves contain beta carotene, calcium, and vitamins A, B, C, and K. However, they are much more fibrous than lettuce or spinach, so you may only want to mix in a few leaves in your salad. Choose younger, smaller leaves, which have a milder flavor and are considerably less stringy. Avoid leaves that grow near car exhaust or that may have been exposed to lawn chemicals. Seek plants that are untainted by dog urine or other waste. Fun Plantain Facts To the Anglo-Saxons of 5th century Britain, plantain’s native land, this weed was one of nine sacred herbs. They made a bread from ground plantain seeds, which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. In medieval Europe, the Roman Catholic Church forbid the use of many medicinal herbs, but not plantain. This plant remained in use because it was considered a symbol of the well-trodden path of those seeking Christ. Plantain is also used as medicine in China, where it is called qe qian (“before the cart plant”) because it is found growing along well-worn paths. Chinese herbalists recognized that plantain produces an abundance of seed, so they considered

Plantain is used for bites from mosquitoes, dogs, snakes, and other venomous creatures.

it a remedy for male fertility. The seed is also used in Chinese medicine to address blood in the urine. Seed from one type of plantain called psyllium is often used as a fiber laxative. It is the main ingredient in Metamucil. Plantain is mentioned in three Shakespeare plays. The best known mention is in Romeo and Juliet where Romeo suggests that Benvolio use plantain leaf to heal his “broken shin.” Native Americans recognized the medicinal value of plantain soon after it arrived in the New World. In addition to using it for coughs, wounds, and snake bites, plantain is also a Native American remedy for Bell’s palsy, according to herbalist Matthew Wood. Homeopathic plantain is used for earaches and toothaches, as well as for depression and anxiety caused by nicotine addiction. Preliminary research finds that plantain may also help with cancer. A 2003 study in the American Journal of Chinese Medicine found that hot water plantain leaf extracts possessed “significant inhibitory activity” on lymphoma, carcinoma (bladder, bone, cervix, kidney, lung, and stomach) cells, and on herpes infections. Another 2003 study, published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, found that plantain “flavonoids are able to strongly inhibit the proliferation of human cancer cell lines.”

Broad leaf plantain (Plantago major).

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B7 June 26–July 2, 2015

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In Chinese medicine the heart is home to your spirit.

Chinese Medicine and the Heart of Summer By Lynn Jaffee Hot summer days are an appropriate time to think about the fire element and its corresponding organ, the heart. The longest, warmest, and brightest days of the year are related to the fire element. The warmth of fire is needed for all transformation, such as the process of maturing plants and the ripening of fruits and vegetables that sprouted in the spring. The fire element also corresponds to the organ system of the heart. We’re all familiar with terms like having a broken heart, feeling something in your heart, having a lot of heart, or emotions that are heartfelt, implying that our feelings are somehow related to our heart.

In Chinese medicine this is true, as the heart is home to your spirit, consciousness, feelings, thoughts, and memory. While the function of the heart in both Chinese and Western medicine is to move blood throughout your body, in the Chinese paradigm, the greater purpose of the heart is to govern the conscious, emotional, and spiritual self. The general health of your heart is reflected in your face and eyes, which are considered a window to your soul. In ancient times, Chinese doctors would determine the prognosis of a patient based on the health of the spirit reflected in their eyes. Symbolism involving the heart, such as valentines, the color red, and passion, is very much in keeping with the Chi-

In ancient times, Chinese doctors would determine the prognosis of a patient based on the health of the spirit reflected in their eyes.

nese view of the heart organ. The color related to the heart is red, which is also associated with passion, and the specific emotion of the heart is joy. However, the heart can have a dark side, too, in which too much joyfulness can cross a line and become mania. Hysteria, mania, and mental illness generally relate to the heart in Chinese medicine. Milder disturbances involving the heart include palpitations (the sensation of skipped heartbeats), anxiety, insomnia, forgetfulness or fuzzy thinking, and restlessness. Some things you can do to strengthen your heart include: = Gentle movements like those of tai chi, qigong, yoga, or stretching.

= Meditation or visualization. = Food therapy: In general, dark-colored fruits and vegetables and red foods, like red peppers, apples, strawberries, and small amounts of red meat, are heart-nourishing. = Acupuncture or Chinese herbs that specifically nourish the heart. So the next time your heart breaks, sings, or swells with a powerful emotion, remember that it is more than an intricate pump. Lynn Jaffee is a licensed acupuncturist and the author of “Simple Steps: The Chinese Way to Better Health.” This article was originally published on AcupunctureTwinCities.com

Managing Inflammation and Pain With Magnesium Part 2 of 2 By Mark Sircus Magnesium is at the heart of the inflammatory process, it is the prime first cause when it is not present in sufficient quantities. Increases in extracellular magnesium concentration cause a decrease in the inflammatory response while reduction in the extracellular magnesium results in inflammation. Magnesium literally puts the chill on inflammation. I received the following account from my research assistant Claudia French, who is a registered nurse in an acute care psychiatric hospital. “Yesterday I witnessed one of the most amazing benefits of transdermal magnesium I have seen. I work with another RN who is afflicted with arthritis, especially in her hands, and frequent muscle cramping/spasms in her legs. She has been using magnesium but became lax. Before leaving for work yesterday I received a phone call from her begging me to please bring with me some magnesium oil, as her hands were so cramped up and painful that she could barely stand to continue working.

“When I got there, her hands and fingers were very contorted in spasm. Her fingers were curled up and stiff and her legs were cramping badly. She reported they had been this way all day, and the pain was driving her to tears. “She immediately slathered the magnesium oil all over her hands.

The cause of the pain can often be traced back to a magnesium deficiency. We were in report and she wanted it on her hands right away so the entire nursing staff watched and within five minutes you could visibly see her fingers extend back to normal and the finger movement return. “We could literally see the relaxation taking place. It was simply amazing. Within minutes her hands were completely relaxed and functional again and

stayed that way the remainder of the evening. She also applied the magnesium to her legs and found relief. “About 30 minutes after applying the oil, she held up her hands for everyone to see and showed us the arthritic nodules on some fingers. She described how painful these always are to touch. But she poked and prodded them telling us how there was no pain now. She was able to continue working and doing the extensive writing that is a large part of our work without any further discomfort. “… The rapid relief, visible to us all was really amazing! The following day she reported that she’d gotten the first restful night of sleep in many days. The pain was not waking her up.” What is essential to remember about treating pain with magnesium is that it treats both the symptom and the cause of pain. Meaning the cause of the pain can often be traced back to a magnesium deficiency. There are not too many medicinal substances or medicines that can make this claim. It should be noted that pain management with magnesium employs magnesium chloride applied transdermally to the skin.

For Muscle Cramps, pain. And for me that was a huge Migraines, and Fatigue improvement,” said Suo, a former Dr. Linda Rapson, who special- college English teacher. izes in treating chronic pain, She dismissed suggestions that believes that about 70 percent the change is a placebo effect. “I of her patients who complain of was not one day without pain and muscle pain, cramps, and fatigue now I don’t have to take heavy are showing signs of magnesium pain medication,” she said. deficiency. “Virtually all of them improve Dr. Mark Sircus, Ac., OMD, DM when I put them on magnesium,” (P) (acupuncturist, doctor of orisaid Rapson, who runs a busy acu- ental and pastoral medicine) is a puncture clinic in Toronto. “It writer and author of medical and may sound too good to be true, health-related books. This the final but it’s a fact.” part of a two-part series. Excerpted She’s seen the mineral work from an article published on in those with fibromyalgia, GreenMedInfo.com. Join their migraines, and constipation. “The free GreenMedInfo.com newsletscientific community should take ter. To read a longer excerpt, see a good hard look at this,” she said. ept.ms/PainMagnesium Lynne Suo is one of Dr. Rapson’s patients. She had been using painkillers and steroids for years to try to ease the pain of her arthritis and fibromyalgia. Dr. Rapson started her on 675 units of magnesium a day. Within days, Suo called Dr. Rapson to report a surK prising change. /IS TO C NJEL A PE T R U “I went from being in constant pain almost throughout the day and night to having moments of

Magnesium puts the chill on inflammation.

Health & Fitness

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Gluten−Free Strawberry Tarts By Deanna Harris Naturally Savvy

RECIPE

othing signals the start of summer more than the sprouting up of farmers markets and the sweet smell of just-picked strawberries. Strawberries start the fresh summer fruit season and are one of my favorite parts of summer. Their sweet flavor and bright red color make them the perfect addition to fruit trays, salads, and of course dessert. These flaky strawberry tarts are the perfect sweet on-thego breakfast or picnic dessert. They are simple to make and taste absolutely amazing. Make sure you stop by your local farmers market and stock up on fresh seasonal produce. Celebrate the abundance of nature and help support your local community and agriculture.

The Crust + 2 cups gluten-free flour (Living Now Foods allpurpose gluten-free flour is a good choice) + 1/4 cup almond meal + 3/4 cup butter (or Melt Organic) + 1/2 teaspoon salt + 6 to 9 tablespoons ice water Strawberry Filling + 4 cups frozen strawberries + 3/4 cup plus 1/4 cup water + 4 tablespoons organic cane sugar + 1 tablespoon tapioca flour

Directions In a mixing bowl, whisk flour, almond meal, and salt to combine. Cut butter into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or two knives. You want the flour and butter to resemble little peas. Slowly add ice water while gently mixing dough with your hands without over-mixing. Start with 6 tablespoons and add more if needed. You want the dough to just come together. It should form a ball when pressed with hands but should not be dry. Form dough into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Cool in the fridge for 20 minutes. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 350º Fahrenheit and make the strawberry filling. In a large skillet over low heat, combine strawberries with 3/4 cup water and sugar. Stir to dissolve and coat the strawberries. Cook for

These flaky strawberry tarts are the perfect sweet on-the-go breakfast or picnic dessert.

10 minutes or until strawberries are soft. Once strawberries are soft, use a potato masher or fork to smash the strawberries. (It is easier to fill the tarts if you break up the strawberries.) In a measuring cup, combine the remaining 1/4 cup water with tapioca flour and whisk to combine. Slowly add starch mixture to the berries while stirring with a wooden spoon. Cook another 3 to 5 minutes until the mixture has thickened. Turn oﬀ the heat and let the strawberry filling cool. Roll out the pie dough to about 1/4 inch thick. Cut dough into equal-size pieces using a knife or cookie cutter. Carefully transfer half the dough to a parchment-lined baking sheet. I find it helpful to use a stiﬀ spatula. Spoon some strawberry filling onto the

center of half the dough pieces (ones on the tray) making sure to leave a border of dough exposed. Place the remaining dough pieces on top of the filling, pressing down the edges with a fork to seal in the filling. Cut two small slits into the top of each tart to let the steam escape and sprinkle with sugar. Place in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes or until the bottoms are lightly golden. Let cool completely and drizzle with glaze (optional). To make a glaze, simply combine icing sugar and water to create a paste. The amount of water you add depends on your desired thickness. A little water goes a very long way. Deanna Harris is a holistic nutritionist. This article was originally published on NaturallySavvy.com