by Elson Haas, M.D. copyright © 2007
1. Open up to the harvest of your year and be willing to work hard and discipline yourself as you head into a new season. If
you're a student (we are all students of life), get back to your
studies. Yes, it's time to shift from the frivolity and laziness of
Summer. Nature is so giving, and it helps to be receptive to her and
what the Earth has to offer. What do we have to give to life for all
the energy, love, and beauty I hope we all receive?
2. Relationships are important to all of us. This is a good time
to deepen and clarify our love and family connections. This helps us
discover more about our own needs and those of others close to us, as
well as learn to listen to them (both the needs and the people). Also,
learn to be alone and listen to your inner guidance and truth. Some
folks focus relationships on their computers and TV's, cars or other
electronics. Can you still your mind chatter, and let your body breathe
deeply to your soul? Give it a try and your spirit will be calmed and
can also fly free of the burdens of time.
3. Open to the creative Spirit. We can receive new ideas and
actions necessary to fulfill our purpose and move us forward in our
life. This can help to improve motivation with new energy and
excitement for life. This could be writing about past experiences or
our future goals, working on a book or personal story, reading a
self-help book and applying it to improve our life, or taking up a new
exercise. In other words, start a program now that you can develop and
work on in the colder, darker months.
4. The foundation and fortification with our foods and diet is an important focus now. Again,
this is Harvest time and there are a great many foods - apples and
walnuts, sunflower seeds, zucchini and other squash, cabbages, peppers
and tomatoes, plus many grains and beans. Learn some new recipes and
enjoy good foods. Most of us need more protein and heat generating
foods in the colder months, even the energizing spicy peppers such as
cayenne and chilis. This will keep our blood and energy moving.
5. Exercise activity is crucial now as in any season. As the
weather cools, stretching is even more important, as is having indoor
exercises we can do. Yoga and other flexibility-enhancing movements are
helpful at keeping us youthful. "We are as young as our spine is
flexible." Our weight work and aerobic activities are vital to staying
fit and toned, and strong to support our immune function and
circulation. A vital body rarely gets sick.
6. Nutritional supplements are often useful this time of year. Many
of my patients add some nutrients that support immune function so as
not to pick up "what's going around." Taking some echinacea now is
helpful as is the Chinese herb, astragalus. Maintaining daily vitamins
C and E along with selenium and zinc is also immune protective and
clears our body of certain toxins. Roots are helpful at tonifying our
body at this time. Ginseng is quite good for building strength and
endurance. Burdock root is good for the skin. See the Autumn section of
Staying Healthy with the Seasons for further information.
7. Detoxification is the word for September. I am doing a whole
month myself and have a 3-week group starting in mid-month (See
Upcoming Appearances). Doing an effective Detox Diet or avoiding sugar,
wheat and dairy for a couple weeks (as I write about in The False Fat
Diet) is often quite revealing and helps us to feel better - lighter
and more youthful with greater energy. Since it's getting cooler, we'll
need to exercise and sauna or steam as a means to sweat to clear
toxins. Regular sweating is important to health and longevity.
Allowing, Bowing, Plowing, Nowing is the desired outcome for
some - with cleansing their lens, their perceptions and their ability
to create a healing oasis with their inner and outer environments. This
is a healthful attitude and creates a mood that encourages longevity,
with a life lived to the fullest. Argisle
8. Prepare for the cold season. Gather your fuel and food,
breathe, and exercise as you should. In Chinese medicine, the fall
season focuses on the lungs and large intestine. Overdoing it can lead
to congestion and toxicity, as well as constipation and the clogging of
the nose and sinuses. This leads then to upper respiratory infections
as the germs grow in the mucus and then inflame the membranes. Staying
clean and clear this season along with a healthy immune system will
help keep you well. Try a facial steam and breathe in the herbal mist
(you can use mints, rosemary, chamomile, lemon verbena, and other
herbs) to help clear the sinuses.
9. Should you get any colds or flus, it's best to jump on those immediately. I
start with hourly vitamin C of about 1000 mg, increased doses of
vitamin A (not beta-carotene) 25,000-30,000 IUs 3 times daily for just
3-4 days and then lower that dosage to 10-20,000 IUs twice daily for
about a week (then take a break since excess vitamin A can be toxic if
taken too long). I also use fresh garlic as several cloves at a time
dipped in honey and chew them; I may repeat this several times the
first day. That?s a spicy and aromatic natural antibiotic and immune
defender; you can alternately use the odorless garlic caps, several 3
times daily if you don't want to smell, but they're not quite as
effective. Echinacea and goldenseal alcohol extract can also be used to
support immunity and cleanse the membranes. Some help may be achieved
with olive leaf extract as a mild anti-viral herb. Of course, drink
lots of water, herbal teas, and hot soup. You can press several cloves
of garlic into your bowl of soup before you eat, instead of eating the
garlic straight.
10. Take a rest now because the demanding holiday season is just around the corner. Don't
burn your batteries out before November. Kindle your inner flame and
fire power, which is protective from the invasion of harsh climates and
germs. The Winter blues comes partly from a loss of this fire energy.
Shifting and balancing with the Seasons is vital to Staying Healthy.
www.elsonhaas.com
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