As pro-baseball pitchers know, a curve ball can be a great weapon in their pitching arsenal. Curve balls leave the batter guessing, often resulting in putaway pitches, more strikeouts and shorter innings. Baseball fans, players, and those in the world of baseball expect to see and look forward to favorite pitchers dishing out those forward spinning balls.
Outside of the game of baseball though, we are taken aback and often shaken by life’s curveballs. These unexpected events often bring forth challenges, obstacles and sometimes a sense of exhaustion and defeat. When we are faced with life’s curveballs, or life’s challenges, what can we do to gracefully maneuver and supersede these encumbrances? Recognizing that challenges and obstacles are a part of the journey called life and understanding that some of the world’s most talented, well-known, and successful people overcame the greatest of trials and tribulations, may give you the steam to keep moving forward in the wake of your circumstances.
Don’t resist!
Resisting the current state of affairs that were sprung upon you may cause you emotional pain, anger, and confusion. These negative emotions may block your ability to think clearly and prevent you from creating a healthy path forward. When we acknowledge and accept that an undesirable situation has occurred, we start the process that will allow us inner peace and clarity of thought.
Try not to push the fear, frustration and anger away, as it will rebound like a boomerang. Instead, give yourself grace and allow it to wash through you. Your willingness to be present with these feelings are key to their dissipation. With this peace of heart and clarity of mind, we will best prepared to resolve, recover and forge ahead on a more fulfilling journey. Remember, even a stamp takes a licking before it reaches its destination.
Never give up, move forward with renewed strength, stayed focused and you will create the most favorable outcome.
Knock that curveball right out of the park! Peace, love and great health to you!
In September of 2020, I celebrate my company Inspiring Wellness Solutions, LLC’s eighth year offering its unique services to our clients (regionally and across the United States), the community, local and national organizations. I can not be more thrilled to be a part of the Capital District community and to house my wellness practice in the beautiful urban setting of Troy, New York.
Prior to founding my holistic wellness practice, Inspiring Wellness Solutions, LLC, (IWS) in September 2012, I worked in the healthcare field for 22 years. My experience covered the spectrum of occupational health (injuries), group health plans (illness & wellness) and managed care programs (assuring appropriate care).
Guided by my spirit to create a wellness practice that teaches holistic and natural wellness, empowers others to step into their totality of wellbeing, and provide the tools and personal hands-on support, I founded IWS. I am called a healer by many, and although I love that title, the truth is, I participate in my clients’ healing, but I am not the sole source of it.
Building on my education and 22 years of healthcare experience, I enrolled, studied, and expanded my knowledge in a myriad of fields, such as: cognitive behavior counseling, nutrition, past-life regression treatments/guidance, and aromatherapy. Prior to founding IWS, I had already studied and became a Reiki Master and teacher. At the time of my Reiki training (20 years ago), Reiki students studied under a Reiki Master which included a syllabus of reading materials, writing papers, attunements, practical’s, and experience working with clients. As a respected and experienced Reiki Master, I was offered the opportunity to participate as a Reiki Research Professional through a cooperative partnership between the Center for Reiki Research and Harvard University.
Driven by the joy I see within my clients as they speak their truth, become a force in their well-being, and achieve their goals (physical, emotional & spiritual wellness, life, business) I become increasingly dedicated and committed to serve and provide opportunities of wellness for many.
The last eight years have been filled with wonderful experiences, such as writing a health column for Latino New York newspaper, hosting ‘Tune in to Wellness’ television show, speaking as a key-note speaker for a women’s cancer retreat, teaching at local community events and for national organizations; to name a few. For additional fun, I officiate weddings filled with love and laughter.
Inspiring Wellness Solutions, LLC is a heart-centered, passion-filled
home of holistic wellness for those who are ready to be heard, loved
unconditionally, heal, and create their life of comfort, good health, and
happiness.
I look forward to meeting you, learning about you, and
co-creating the most appropriate avenues of wellness for you.
Canadian scientists at the University of Lethbridge have preliminary evidence that cannabis may block COVID-19 infection. At this time, this is only a test-tube study, but the results look promising as they indicate that certain cannabis strains can reduce by 73% the receptor ACE2 (receptor the virus uses to enter cells). This means the chance of getting infected is much lower.
At this time, the researchers have not identified what the ideal ratio is of THC to CBD, or if the active ingredient is CBD or a combination of other cannabis components.
In addition to the Canadians, Israeli researchers at Tel Aviv University have started research in patients to determine whether CBD can be used as a treatment to repair damage to cells caused by COVID-19. The basis for the studies is the known anti-inflammatory properties of CBD. One of the studies uses new cell technology to deliver the CBD directly into damaged cells by inhalation. Another study is combining steroids and CBD to see if the combination is superior to steroids alone to treat the inflammation that becomes out of control, killing patients.
In addition, another study, at the Israel Institute of Technology, is looking at terpenes, another component of cannabis. In previous research related to the epidemic of SARS in 2002, it was discovered that when specific terpenes came into contact with the SARS virus, they were found to reduce its severity, both in the test tube and in human studies. The mode of action involved the withholding of a certain protein that replicates the RNA. The formulation currently being studied is for inhalation.
Although this research is new, the potential of cannabis to prevent and treat COVID-19 is powerful, and will be added to the long list of known benefits of cannabis in healthcare.
As the COVID-19 crisis and social distancing wear on, we’re facing a collective trauma. Every day we hear news about the rapid spread of the virus, the latest death counts, and tragic stories of suffering and loss. If the virus hasn’t already affected us personally, we worry for our own safety and for our loved ones. These threats can feel unpredictable and uncontrollable—the signature of traumatic events.
You may be experiencing symptoms of stress and trauma right now as a result—things like disrupted sleep, feeling on edge all the time, and stronger emotional reactions than you’re used to. I was surprised in a recent interview to find myself struggling through tears to talk about my concerns for a family member on the front lines of treating COVID-19.
Many of us are finding comfort in knowing that we’re all in this together. And yet, we’re not experiencing these conditions in exactly the same way—each of us is responding based on our unique histories, strengths, and vulnerabilities.
Past traumas may have an especially powerful effect on our reactions to this pandemic. If you’re a survivor of medical trauma, for example, it may have echoes of a life-threatening illness or injury that you or a loved one faced. In fact, the fear and uncertainty we face from COVID-19 can be a trigger for any kind of previous trauma, such as accidents, assaults, or abuse—any horrifying event that you experienced as unpredictable and uncontrollable.
If you have a history of trauma and you’ve been surprised by the intensity of your reactions to the coronavirus pandemic, you may be experiencing a reactivation of your past trauma, as indicated by the following seven signs. Please note that many of these experiences are understandable reactions to current events, and they don’t necessarily suggest that a previous trauma is being triggered.
Intrusive Memories
Memories of your past trauma may come to you out of the blue when you’re least expecting it. You might be watching TV, for example, when a scene from your trauma suddenly pops into your head, along with a jolt of emotion. The memories might be quite vivid and intense, to the point of being a flashback in which it feels like the trauma is happening all over again. The memories can intrude at night, too, in the form of bad dreams or nightmares.
Problems with Sleep
Nighttime in general may be especially hard, with or without bad dreams. You might feel increasingly unsafe as darkness descends, and you may have trouble falling asleep, or wake up often throughout the night. Perhaps you dread going to bed because you know you’ll face insomnia, or will have nightmares if you do fall asleep. You might also experience a shift in your sleep schedule, staying up till the wee hours of the morning and then sleeping well into the day.
Being Constantly on Guard
The current sense of threat that pervades our society can trigger other times you’ve felt unsafe. Perhaps you find yourself glued to the news as you monitor the current level of threat, or you have a more general feeling of impending doom. You might feel like you’re keeping watch for danger all the time and constantly bracing yourself for the worst. Your nervous system’s alarm is constantly on, and you can’t relax. You even feel it in your body—tightness in your shoulders, knots in your stomach, clenching your jaw.
Difficult Emotions
Stress and trauma can also bring up the feelings you had after a previous trauma, like being more easily upset, crying more often, or feeling hopeless. Fear reactions are common, too, like a general sense of anxiety that’s hard to shake, or being easily startled by loud noises. Guilt and shame are also common, including feeling ashamed of having a hard time coping right now. You might also feel cut off from positive emotions, like it’s hard to feel joy even when something goes well.
Feeling Numb
You might even feel cut off from your emotions altogether—unable to feel the highs or the lows. Some people describe it as feeling “wooden” or “dead inside.” The numbness can extend to your relationships, as well, as you feel cut off from others and unable to receive the support you need at this time. It might be hard to muster any interest or enthusiasm in your normal activities, like finding it nearly impossible to exercise, get engaged with a book, or lose yourself in a movie.
Avoidance
Reactivated trauma can lead to avoiding things that trigger upsetting feelings, like trying to ignore the news about COVID-19 or working hard to push away memories of your trauma. These reactions are easy to understand as self-protective measures to avoid overwhelming emotions. At the same time, avoiding trauma triggers can prevent you from working through those painful experiences.
Negative Thoughts
The current crisis might be triggering trauma-related changes in the way you see things. You may have a more negative view of the world, seeing danger everywhere. You might see other people differently, too, like thinking that no one can be trusted or that everyone is just looking out for their selfish interests. Your self-perceptions may have changed, as well, as you see yourself as weak, inadequate, defective, or damaged.
If you’re struggling with some of these reactions, start by knowing that you are not in any way weak or defective. This is an extremely difficult time, and these are all normal reactions to an overwhelming situation.
Also keep in mind that you’re probably dealing with the additional challenge of being cut off from many of the supports and ways of coping that are so important as we face current traumas and heal from past ones. For example, social distancing might make it harder to get comfort from the people close to you, and you probably don’t have access to your normal exercise or leisure activities.Extend yourself some extra gentleness through this time. Treat yourself like someone you love, who is worth taking care of. Feed yourself as well as possible, tend to sleep as best you can, give yourself breaks from the news, and offer yourself ways of relaxing and letting go of tension. Run yourself a warm bath, and give your nervous system time to relax.
More than anything else, make room for your experience to be what it is, without judging or criticizing yourself. You’re human, and you’re having a human reaction. And remember that you’re not a victim of this trauma or any other. The fact that you’ve lived through past traumas means they didn’t have the last word—you’re still here, still alive, still staring down challenges, still doing the best you can. You will come through this time, because you are a survivor.
Italy’s Department of Civil Protection: Registered Deaths ‘WITH’ Covid-19
The deaths associated with the coronavirus are people with one, two, and three advanced health conditions and high risk of morbidity, older than 70, with a peak between 80-89 years of age.
The confirmed symptoms of those dead are shortness of breath and fever.
The deaths associated with the coronavirus are people with one, two, and three advanced health conditions and high risk of morbidity, older than 70, with a peak between 80-89 years of age.
The confirmed symptoms of those dead are shortness of breath and fever.
Only two individuals under the age of 70 have died, both 39 years of age; one with diagnosed lymphoma and the other with obesity, diabetes and other health conditions present. It is confirmed that the state of health of those with existing advanced chronic health conditions has been aggravated with the presence of the virus.
Registered Deaths ‘BECAUSE OF’ Covid-19: With the present evidence, only two deaths have shown no presence of secondary health conditions, and further testing is being done at this point.
Out of China:
China CDC found that only 2.3% of confirmed cases died. But the fatality rate was 14.8% in people 80 or older, likely reflecting the presence of other diseases, a weaker immune system, or simply worse overall health. By contrast, the fatality rate was 1.3% in 50-somethings, 0.4% in 40-somethings, and 0.2% in people 10 to 39.
In the first large study of the effect of underlying illness, researchers in China analyzed 1,590 patients from throughout the country with laboratory-confirmed disease. They calculated how existing illnesses affected the risk of being admitted to intensive care, being put on a ventilator, or dying.
After taking into account the patients’ ages and smoking status, the researchers found that the 399 patients with at least one additional disease (including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, hepatitis B, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic kidney diseases, and cancer) had a 79% greater chance of requiring intensive care or a respirator or both, or of dying, they reported last week in a paper posted to medRxiv, a preprint site that posts research before it has been peer-reviewed. The 130 with two or more additional diseases had 2.5 times the risk of any of those outcomes.
The numbers are these: While patients who reported no health conditions had a case fatality rate of 0.9%, patients with health conditions had much higher rates—10.5% for those with cardiovascular disease, 7.3% for diabetes, 6.3% for chronic respiratory disease, 6.0% for hypertension, and 5.6% for cancer. Case fatality rate was also very high for cases categorized as critical at 49.0%.
Message from LisaMarie, March 19, 2020
Data published from China indicates, in greater than 80% of
people who tested positive for Covid-19, there were minimal symptoms no more
concerning than a mild cold. However, in
a small group of individuals, the symptoms were severe, and catastrophic leading
to death.
Individuals most at risk of death or severe illness had these
commonalities:
On average they were older than 60 years of age
On average they had higher rates of obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and pre-respiratory issues.
An editorial published in The New England Journal of Medicine
questioned the relationship of ACE inhibitors (blood pressure medication) and
possible increased susceptibility to COVID19.
It remains important
to heed the CDC’s recommendations, and act rationally to reduce your exposure, and
the exposure of others.
Equally important is for
you to build and maintain a strong immune system.
Please note that ten’s of thousands of people around the world who had coronavirus, had minimal symptoms, and are now healthy.
Take precautions, but do not fret. Stay calm, stay rational, and take care of your immune system.
If you have friends/family
who are in a compromised category, be extra diligent in helping them remain safe.
If you need help with
building your immune system strong, do not hesitate to call me.
Sending light and
love,
LisaMarie
Facts:
1. The same diseases which are directly related to personal habits appear to increase the severity of coronavirus. [diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity]
2. Moderate intensity exercise improves immune function and reduces the risk of common respiratory infections.
3. Beginning an exercise routine will improve your lung capacity and improve your general health
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Message from LisaMarie. March 16, 2020 Re: Covid-19 Office Status
Greetings to you on this lovely sunny March day.
Your health, peace and overall wellbeing remain my passion and priority. Inspiring Wellness Solutions remains open, and to help you be at ease during this turbulent time, I have implemented temporary measures such as; rubs on the back instead of hugs (killer for me), increased sanitary measures (being a germ-a-phobe, the changes were minimal ), and offering counseling sessions via telephone, should you prefer not to come into the office.
The concerns surrounding the Covid-19 virus has caused confusion, fear and stress among many. Stress has the strong potential to break down your immune system, therefore, it is very important you create and maintain peace within, to keep your immune system strong.
Tips: · Take recommended CDC precautions · Eat healthy · Strolls, walks, runs, bike-rides, hikes…..fitness in the fresh air · Stay appropriately hydrated · Good sleep · Essential Oils for protection and for peace & calm · Colloidal Silver, Echinacea, Zinc, CBD · Reiki treatments · Aromatherapy treatments
Spread your love. Spread calm. I am confident this situation will pass by May/June.
Vitamin B12 is essential for healthy nerves and brain
cells.
Together, folate, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 eliminate homocysteine, which can build up in the bloodstream and damage the brain. A good quality Vitamin B12 supplement is highly absorbable. Eating healthy, whole foods will help you balance your needed nutrient intake for a healthy mind and body. B12 is also important for anyone following or wanted to start a plant-based diet.
Here are a few ideas:
Blueberries and grapes get their deep colors from anthocyanins, which are powerful antioxidants shown to improve learning and recall in studies at the University of Cincinnati.
Beans and chickpeas have vitamin B6 and folate, as well as protein
and calcium without saturated or trans fats.
Sweet potatoes are the dietary staple of Okinawans, the longest-lived people on Earth, who are also known for maintaining mental clarity into old age. They are extremely rich in beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant.
Nuts and seeds are rich in vitamin E, which has been shown to
help prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Especially good sources are: almonds,
walnuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts, pecans, pistachios, sunflower seeds, sesame
seeds, and flaxseed. Just 1 ounce — a small handful — each day is plenty.
Green leafy vegetables provide iron in a form that is more
absorbable when the body needs more and less absorbable when you already have
plenty, protecting you from iron overload which can harm the brain.
Green vegetables are
also loaded with folate, an important, brain-protecting B-vitamin.
Research distorts effect of eggs on blood cholesterol.
According to a new review published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, industry-funded research has inappropriately downplayed the effects of egg consumption on cholesterol levels.
Researchers with the Physicians Committee examined all research studies published between 1950 to March of 2019 that evaluated the effect of eggs on blood cholesterol levels and examined funding sources and their influence on study findings.
The percentage of industry-funded studies increased over time; from 0% in the 1950’s to 60 percent in 2010-2019. More than 85 percent of the research studies, regardless of funding sources, showed that eggs have unfavorable effects on blood cholesterol. Forty-nine percent of industry publications reported conclusions that conflicted with actual study results, compared with 13 percent of non-industry funded trials.
Previous research published in JAMA found that eating even a
small amount of eggs daily significantly raised the risk for both
cardiovascular disease and premature death from all causes.
Caution: Remain aware of funding sources when interpreting research.
Am J Lifestyle Med. Published online December 11, 2019
According to a review published in Advances in Nutrition, the consumption of beans, lentils, peas, and other legumes reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease and high blood pressure.
Researchers reviewed publications that assessed consumption of legumes on the risk for cardiometabolic diseases and related markers. Results showed that those who consumed the most legumes reduced incidence rates for cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, and hypertension by as much as 10 percent when compared to those with the lowest intakes.
According to new data from the Tzu Chi Vegetarian Study, following a plant-based diet reduces health expenses compared with consuming a diet containing meat.
Researchers from Taiwan looked at more than 12,000 Buddhist volunteers and compared a diet of frequent fruit, vegetables, soy and nuts (vegetarian) compared to a diet characterized by relatively more consumption of meat and fish and less plant-based foods (omnivore). Vegetarians had a 15 percent lower total medical expenditure and a 13 percent lower outpatient medical expenditure, compared with omnivores in this study.
Specifically, vegetarians had lower expenses related to
hypertension, dyslipidemia, depression, heart disease and renal disease.
Compared to Taiwan’s general population, as opposed to this cohort, the vegetarian had a 25 percent lower medical expenditure.
References Lin CL, W JH, Chang CC, Chiu THT, Lin MN. Vegetarian diets and medical expenditure in Taiwan — a matched cohort study. Nutrients. 2019;11:2688. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11112688
Magnetic e-Resonance Therapy (MeRT) is showing promise for treating post-traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress (PTSD). MeRT could revolutionize brain-based medicine.
PTSD can stem from a variety of experiences; sexual abuse, military combat, severe car accident and other severe traumas, as well as multiple severe losses over a period of time.
PTSD is more than an emotional reaction, it actually causes changes inside the brain that make it difficult to move past the traumatic event and can lead to devasting symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and suicide.
Therapy and drugs have helped, but often only bring the patient/client
so far, therefore, what about looking at other modalities to assist and perhaps
heal?
Dr. Won is the President of Wave Neuroscience, Inc; a biotechnology company that has innovated the breakthrough technology MeRT. This technology utilizes computational neuroanalytics and brain imaging to customize treatment protocols with the aim of restoring optimal neurological function.
Dr. Won’s understanding of the need for new treatment
options for brain-based disorders and brain injuries is benefiting many to move
forward in more positive ways in their lives, such as receiving a restful sleep
and less anxiety, as an example.
You can find more information about Dr. Won through Wave
Neuroscience, or through Podcasts and YouTube.
