Going Forward

Nancy Mehlert, MS

Ready to leave the COVID 19 Pandemic behind you? It seems like a lot of people are ready for the quarantined life to be over.

I’ve been thinking about what happens to our nutrition at times like these, and I think it has been different, for different people. I know many who have stayed the course, gotten more exercise and smoothly sailed through, in terms of nutrition at least. And others, who have found the stresses dragging them back to old habits, comfort food, and drinks. We are all different. We struggle in different ways.

It is common for major life changes to get in the way of our best laid nutritional plans.

May I encourage you to be kind to yourself? There is no use in beating yourself up or drowning in guilt. These times have been, and continue to be, difficult. It is hard to find anyone who thinks this is an easy time. The complexities of caring for the elderly, schooling children, staying employed, and all working under the same roof 24-7 – none of this is easy stuff, individually or collectively.

But as we see some possible light at the end of this tunnel, now is a good time to take stock and organize your thoughts in a positive, GO FORWARD mind set. It is a good time to figure out how to GO FORWARD in confidence and make some corrections to course where needed. Here are some productive and healthy things to do in the next couple of weeks as we hopefully emerge from this quarantine:

If you feel like your nutritional wheels totally fell off the wagon, have you discovered something valuable from the experience? We learn from our mistakes. What’s yours? What would you do differently next time as a key learning point? Then, forgive yourself, and GO FORWARD.

What have you done well? Look hard. Find at least one thing. There is something good to be discovered. Give yourself credit for that one thing. GO FORWARD with that good thing.

Talk to friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers. Ask them how they have coped nutritionally during this strange time and learn from their successes and mistakes. Take a new idea, a new recipe, a new habit, and GO FORWARD with it tucked into your steps.

Start now to pull your nutritional boundaries back into place, one thing at a time. Start with just one thing and do it (or stop it). Then choose the next thing. GO FORWARD in positive and affirming ways that will help you transition smoothly into the next season of life.

Reach out if you need help with course correction. Perhaps a detoxification program would be in order, or a nutrition consultation to revitalize your menu plans with a few easy recipes. Or maybe some ONDAMED sessions and/or IR Saunas to reinvigorate your energy pathways and detoxify.

Resolve to take one new good habit into the future with you. I’ve started to use Stasher® Bags for food storage and Swedish dishcloths (shop@threebluebirds.com) , both of which make me happier and less wasteful in the kitchen. Take a look at our revised and updated Highway to Health and Health Reset Protocol Cookbook where you will find helpful reminders and plenty of ideas for healthy eating. Let’s GO FORWARD TOGETHER!

By Admin|2020-04-30T14:31:35-05:00May 1st, 2020|General, NANCY’S NUTRITIONAL NUGGET|

IR Sauna: Anti-Cancer Benefits

Infrared Sauna has been found to have several specific benefits for anyone trying to prevent or treat cancer. ¹

The gentle increase in body temperature creates a form of whole-body hyperthermia that cancer cells struggle to tolerate. Cancer cells are much more sensitive to heat and become impaired when subjected to it, even to the extent of killing them. According to the National Cancer Institute, research has shown that high temperatures can damage and kill cancer cells.

IR Sauna also improves circulation which helps to deliver essential nutrients and oxygen to cells in the body.

IR Sauna also promotes waste removal from the cellular infrastructure. Toxicity is a primary cause of cancer. Heavy metals, chemicals, and pesticides enter the body through food, water, and air. IR sauna, by creating a higher body temperature and forcing circulation to increase, helps to remove lead, copper, mercury, arsenic, and cyanide from the body as well as balance the body’s pH by neutralizing excessively acidic body chemistry.

IR Sauna increases immune response too. When cancer cells are exposed to higher internal temperatures, proteins are produced on the surface of the cancer cells which mark them clearly for attack by the immune system’s natural killer cells and macrophages.

Relaxation is a surprising benefit of IR sauna and an important anti-cancer strategy. Heat inhibits the sympathetic nervous system, our fight or flight response system which, when activated, strongly inhibits our digestion, immune function, and sleep, and thus, our healing ability. In our stressful world where often we can be afraid, over-anxious or adhering to a fast-paced schedule, we can remain in this response system for excessive amounts of time much to our health’s detriment. IR sauna promotes the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system where rest, digestion, and healing take place. This favorable impact on the nervous system can also help to improve appetite, as well as reduce pain and depression in cancer patients.

¹beatcancer.org/blog-post/6 ways saunas help fight cancer

By Admin|2020-02-05T11:26:11-05:00February 2nd, 2020|Articles, General|

InfraRed Sauna

By Mila McManus MD and Nancy Mehlert MS

The Woodlands Institute for Health and Wellness is pleased to announce that we now offer Infrared Sauna sessions at our office.

Why? Two good reasons! Our patients asked for it and it is a great way to promote health and wellness in the human body.

Benefits:

Improved brain function and reduced risk of Alzheimers[i]
Lowers risk of cardiovascular events[ii] by increasing heart rate in the same way exercise does
Reduction of pain and inflammation while increasing circulation and energy
Improves wound healing through increased circulation and oxygenation.
Detoxification including helping to excrete toxic metals like arsenic, lead and mercury[iii]
Stress reduction and relaxation through parasympathetic healing effects, helping the body to handle stress more effectively[iv]
Through detoxification and increasing metabolism and caloric consumption through sweating (like exercise), it can support a healthy weight loss regime
Through detoxification, it can improve skin tone, elasticity and help to alleviate acne, eczema, psoriasis and other skin conditions
May also be beneficial to people with asthma and chronic bronchitis[v]

What is Far Infrared Heat?

Infrared (IR) radiation is electromagnetic radiation of a wavelength longer than that of visible light, but shorter than that of radio waves. These are very long wavelengths which contain very few particles and are life supporting and required by the human body for optimal functioning. This is in contrast to the more harmful short waves with high frequencies found in X-rays, gamma waves and microwaves.

How does it work?

Infrared sauna heats the body from the inside out, altering cells, cell membranes, DNA/proteins and cell fluids, including and especially water molecules. At the cellular level, mitochondrial activity takes place which favorably impacts metabolism, improving overall biological activity. These changes can restore balance. Many studies have found that regular and repeated infrared sauna therapy can contribute to overall well-being, reduce pain and inflammation, and support heart health and brain function.

How long does it take?

Infrared sauna treatments usually work well within 15-30 minutes of treatment. It is best to begin with 15 minutes and work up to a 20-30 minute treatment as the body becomes accustomed to the heat. Regular and repeated treatments have yielded the best health results in studies.

Who can benefit?

The good news is that infrared saunas are safe and gentle for most people to use and studies have shown benefits especially for those with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic fatigue, poor digestion, depression and anger as well as chronic muscle and joint pain. [vi] In our stressful and toxic world today, everyone can benefit from increasing relaxation and detoxification.

Safety Considerations

While sauna use seems to be safe for most people you may want to talk to your health care practitioner about starting infrared sauna treatments if you have sensitive skin, a history of heart problems or take medications since certain medications can alter your perspiration and heart rate
Males may need to be concerned about long term heat exposure to their scrotum due the potential for decreased fertility that may result[vii]
Always listen to your body and slowly increase the length of your sessions over time to somewhere between 15-30 minutes per session to increase heat-stress tolerance.
Be sure to hydrate well prior to, during, and after the session to avoid dehydration.

Schedule Today!

$25 per session
Buy 4 sessions and get 1 free.
The technology works best with mostly exposed skin. Room is private.
You can listen to the radio that’s in the sauna, or bring a CD of your own.
Bring a book to read. Avoid bringing phones and other electronic devices into the sauna. It’s a time to relax and unplug.

[i] Age and Ageing December 7, 2016

[ii] JAMA Internal Medicine February 23, 2015

[iii] Journal of Environmental and Public Health Volume 2012 (2012), Article ID 184745, 10 pages

[iv] https://draxe.com/infrared-sauna/

[v] AM J Med. 2001 Feb 1;110(2);118-26

[vi] https://draxe.com/infrared-sauna/

[vii] Retiner, “Sauna Visits May Lower Sperm Count,” LiveScience, March 25, 2013

By Admin|2017-01-31T07:50:51-05:00January 22nd, 2017|General|