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Archives for May 2018

Our Amazing Liver

The largest internal organ in our bodies is the liver. It is our chief chemical factory, producing about 1000 enzymes, and the protector our internal environment.

This large, meaty, multi-purpose organ weighs about three pounds and sits on the right side of the abdomen. It performs close to 600 functions.

The liver is responsible for regulating our entire internal condition by actions on the blood, with its most important duty being that of filtering out impurities and contaminants. As blood carrying the contents processed by the stomach and intestines winds through the liver, it’s purified and returned to the body for removal through the kidneys, bowels and skin.

The liver is the body’s EPA system responsible for neutralizing toxins and poisons. It also stores excess glucose as glycogen, produces proteins and vitamins, controls fat storage, regulates elements of blood clotting, aids digestion, produces hormones, processes drugs, manufactures cholesterol and produces bile, a liquid that looks like motor oil, that acts as a detergent to break down fat for digestion.

An organ with that much responsibility deserves our love and respect!

Reflexology and the Liver

In reflexology, the liver reflex is given a lot of real estate. It occupies the entire area between the diaphragm line and pelvic line on the plantar surface of the right foot, and extends over a little into the first zone of the left foot. It’s an easy area of the foot to work, with the tissue in the arch generally being the softest. Thumb-walking both vertically and horizontally will reveal any adhesions, congestion and or tender spots to stop and give additional attention to.

Think of working the liver when people complain of lethargy and chronic tiredness.

Trivia

Here’s a little trivia for you regarding your liver:

* 1/3 of your blood passes through the liver every minute – twice as much as what is sent to the brain.

* The liver is the only organ where a portion can be removed and it will still function to keep a human healthy. The liver cells will actually re-grow themselves over several months, depending on how much was removed. While most organ donations are harvested from the deceased, it is now possible for family members to donate portions of their liver to a close relative, after which their own will re-grow.

Now that’s pretty amazing! Let’s hear it for our LIVERS!

Blue Light

I watched a program with Katie Couric last night that I had recorded from part of The American Experience series. It was about the influence of technology on our lives now and in the future. Fascinating program if you can find it – it aired a couple of weeks ago.

One point that she did not touch on was the affect that light – all forms of light, both natural and artificial – has on our circadian rhythm (our body’s internal clock). I’d like to share a little info on that today.

When Light Hits Our Eyes

When the photosensitive cells in our eyes detect light, they send this information to the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) – a group of nerves in the brain that controls our circadian rhythm. When the SCN detects light, it triggers alertness and delays the production of melatonin, a hormone that helps us to fall sleep.

Maybe that is why we just automatically want to dim our lights in the evening when sitting around relaxing, compared to the bright lights we blare during the day when in the kitchen or at our desks.

Blue Light

It turns out that the cells in our eyes are particularly sensitive to blue light, the shortest and highest frequency of the light waves detectable by the human eye with a wavelength of around 480 nanometers. Studies have indicated that longtime exposure to blue light can cause serious harm to our eyes, such as retinal damage and macular degeneration, greater risk of certain types of cancers, diabetes, heart disease, depression and obesity. And guess what! That is exactly the light wave our smart phones, tablets and computers emit! (Blue light sources also include the sun, fluorescent lights and LED lights.)

Exposure to blue light in the hours before bed has been proven to suppress melatonin levels, making it very difficult to get to sleep.

Never fear! The device manufacturers have found a way to keep us glued to our screens and still get some sleep. Here’s what to do:

Go to the Settings on your smart phone or tablet and look under Display and Brightness. You will see options to filter out the blue light. You can schedule a Night Shift/Blue Light Reduction between certain hours so as to automatically filter out the blue light. Slide the bar that appears for Color Temperature more to the warmer side.

Here’s An Idea

Better still – turn off those devices a couple of hours before sleep! Just read a physical book by lamplight, or mediate, or do some gentle yoga, or give yourself a moisturizing, relaxing reflexology session; anything other than staring at a screen. Give some extra love and attention to the reflexes of the eyes, pituitary and pineal glands, brain and diaphragm muscle.

And, if your eyes are sore from too much time in front of the screen during the day, or time spent outside in the direct sun without protection, lay down on your back with cool herbal-infused eye pads** covering cleaned eyes, while working the eye reflexes on your hands. They are found on the palmer side of both hands in the second and third digits in the most proximal of the three phalanxes. Simple, relaxing way if your eyes feel tired or sore – and a nice way to wind down before bed, too.

** Visit this link and scroll down to the description of Pharmagel Eye Pads. These are the ones that I use personally and with clients in our student clinics.

The Foundation of Consciousness

According to ancient yogic scriptures and time-tested models of medicine, the human body developed from and is controlled by electro-magnetic fields or energy centers. Although there are over 100 energy centers in the human body there are seven primary ones known as chakras.

The chakras are energy vortexes, and are linked with the bodies’ two major communication systems, the central nervous system and the endocrine system.  Each chakra aligns with an endocrine gland and specific nerve plexus in the body, and like a cyclone operates as a pulsating orb that both draws energy in and pushes energy out. Each of these spinning wheels exhibits a different quality of energy assigned to the function and process of life governed by that center and its corresponding endocrine gland, ranging from basic survival to vastly expanded states of awareness.

Interestingly, although there is one primary chakra on the feet (the Bubbling Spring), all seven primary chakras are represented on the soles of the feet, matching the seven in the body.

The lower portion of the heel is the Root chakra (muladhara); the higher portion of the heel is the Sacral Plexus chakra (svadhishthana); the arch of the foot between the pelvic line and the diaphragm line is the Solar Plexus chakra (manipura); the Heart Chakra (anahata) covers the heads of the metatarsals between the diaphragm line and the shoulder line; at the base of the big toe, just distal to the shoulder line, is the Throat Chakra (vishuddha); the pads of the toes, the fifth chakra (ajña), or the Third Eye Center; and the tip of the toes, the Crown Chakra (sahasrara).

Since the chakras connect us to our higher self – our soul – our higher consciousness – the soles of the feet are often said to be directly connected to the human soul.

Our feet are the foundation of consciousness.

Disrupt the Concept of Aging

When I turned 50 I didn’t see myself as over the hill. On the contrary, I felt like I was standing on the top of a mountain – my mountain. Years of life experience, schooling, relationships, ups and downs, and highs and lows had brought me to a place of heightened clarity, reflection and wisdom I hadn’t enjoyed before. Life felt easier. It was time to soar; to reap the benefits of having made it this far.

I know that when I was a teen and younger, 30 seemed ancient. But, somewhere in my own upward climb I abandoned that thinking. I never bought into the belief that aging was pathological, a downhill slide into the grave.

In a recent article, AARP wrote a strong statement addressing the topic of aging:

“People 50 and older are still living in ways that reflect the attitudes, activism and aspirations of the boomer generation – the desire to live life on our own terms, to make a difference, to change the world.”

And Wendie Trubow, MD, a wonderful functional medicine doctor who spoke at the recent conference of the Reflexology Association of America, shared a challenge that really stuck in my brain:

“Reject the conventional wisdom of discrepancy as you age.”

Just like Uber disrupted the taxi industry and Airbnb the hospitality industry, I challenge myself – and you – to disrupt the concept of aging!

Believe me, I don’t have my head in the sand when it comes to aging. I know that genetics and luck play into how we age, and I’m fully aware that my aging body needs more and more, and sometimes different, attention than it did in my younger years. But, I also know that the bigger part of how I feel is a consequence of my thoughts and beliefs, not a number. Add to that the incredible amount of information that is available these days regarding self-care and there’s no excuse for me not to live my best life now. All that stands in the way is negative self-talk.

As the AARP article continued: “The negative stories we tell ourselves and one another about aging lead to negative behaviors that, in turn, create a negative reality of aging. The view of aging as decline becomes a self-fulfilled prophecy.”

 “Instead we could look at aging as a process of continuous growth. Aging is just living. Some aspects of life get a little tougher as you go along, and some get a little easier, but it’s all part of being alive.”

 It seems that the magazine editors are on the same page as Jane Fonda, who gave a short TED talk regarding the ‘third act’ of her life that absolutely knocked me out.  She challenges us to re-imagine this new phase of our lives; to recognize that no matter the number, I am still me and you are still you – and maybe even more so now than ever.

I leave you with the above thoughts to ponder, and invite you to share your beliefs around aging.

And here’s the link to Jane Fonda’s inspiring talk.