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Oct 21 2020

Nourishing a Healthy Life – On & Off the Plate

Unlike many others moving into their retirement years, I am choosing to move into my life of ‘entirement’, the period of my life that I have been preparing for my ‘entire’ life.

I am taking my knowledge and experience in human psychology, nutrition, stress management, anatomy and physiology, pathology, somatic practices, teaching, marketing, therapeutic communication skills, leadership, business management and spirituality to create group classes and one-on-one coaching relationships designed to transform people’s lives.

I hope you will join me! If improved health interests you, please follow my Facebook page at Nourishing a Healthy Life – On & Off the Plate, where I will regularly share information, initiate discussion and keep you up-to-date with group class schedules and opportunities to schedule a private complimentary nutrition health consultation (live or virtual) and/or book a restorative reflexology session in Saint Augustine (as soon as I get my new office opened!).

2021 will see me practicing and teaching reflexology, teaching online and live classes on healthy living, and conducting private coaching sessions. After next year, I will be letting go of teaching reflexology and focusing on simply practicing the art along with my nutrition health coaching business.

Written by Karen Ball · Categorized: Business, General · Tagged: Business

Sep 09 2020

The New Classroom

In two weeks, I’ll be on the road to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to teach my first workshop since February! Yikes! I hope I remember how to behave! 🥴

Throwing a gathering now is not as easy as it was before. I ended up changing the venue so that I could have a larger space. I want to allow for more than six feet between tables. I’ve been constantly running through the days in my mind and determining what precautions I will need to take to ensure that all of us are safe.

One thing I realized just a couple of days ago was that I could no longer accept an odd number of participants in my classes. I don’t want two people standing at the foot of the table working at the same time. So, accepting registrations is a little trickier than usual.

2021

As I stated in an earlier blog, next year will likely be my last year of teaching reflexology. I plan to teach as much as I can and am opening up my calendar now to schedule the 2021 events. I already know I will be heading to Atlanta, Georgia; Gainesville, St. Petersburg, Ocala, Deland and Saint Augustine, Florida; Memphis, Tennessee; Arizona; Toronto and Winnipeg, Canada. Please reach out as soon as possible to put your locale on the schedule, if you want me to come to you. I plan to drive to as many places as I can, so as to avoid airports and airplanes!

Safety Precautions

I fully expect to be putting safety procedures into place until the end of 2021. Here’s what I will insist on, first from the venue, then myself and of course, the attendees:

Hotels

* Increased industry-standard cleaning and sanitation procedures for guest rooms, based on recent guidance from the CDC, WHO and the AMLA (American Hotel & Lodging Association)

* Daily housekeeping service by request

* Unnecessary items removed from guest rooms

* Streamlined processes between guests and hotel associates to minimize contact, including clearly marked distancing spaces

* Disinfection of high-traffic areas and sanitizing stations throughout the hotel

In the Classroom:

* No-touch thermal temperatures will be taken at the arrival of all classes days

* More than six feet of distance will be set out between massage tables and lecture seating

* A fresh face covering (covering both nose and mouth) required while in the classroom

* Each attendee is expected to use their own table coverings, towels, foot tub and foot lubricants, and to use fresh linens on each day of class

* Tables are to be disinfected between usages. Participants should bring the disinfectant they typically use to safely sanitize their table surfaces.

* Frequent use of hand sanitizer throughout the days. I will bring and suggest that all participants bring as well.

* Classroom will be vacuumed, cleaned and sanitized, and trash removed prior to each day of classes. Hotels will be expected to follow industry-standard cleaning and sanitation procedures based on recent guidelines from the CDC, WHO and the AMLA (American Hotel & Lodging Association). In non-hotel venues, I will work with owners to ensure that standards as set out by the ABMP (Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals) and the FSMTB (Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards) are carried out. I will either personally clean the classroom at the end of each day or arrange to have the owners do so.

* Other guidelines will be explained upon arrival, dependent on the variables of the various locations.

In a Nutshell

No matter the extra expense and effort that it will now take to present quality trainings, I am committed to giving it my all this next year. I love and have sorely missed, sitting with others of my tribe and sharing information, stories and our hearts. I imagine you have missed that in your life also, so let’s plan our lives – while minimizing risk –  to once again include communing with our friends and colleagues. Contact me if you want me to visit.

Written by Karen Ball · Categorized: Business, Certification, Foot Reflexology, Thai Foot Reflexology, General, Uncategorized · Tagged: Foot reflexology, Thai reflexology, Certification, Business

Jul 15 2020

A Critical Ingredient For A Good Night’s Sleep

More and more research points to inadequate sleep as a contributor to the cause of many chronic diseases in our society. A critical ingredient for getting a good night’s sleep is managing the last couple of hours of your evening. This is even more important in the time we find ourselves having to live with the uncertainty of COVID.

It is widely acknowledged that our addiction to social media (another expert sharing his/her opinions about COVID) and the widespread fascination with our devices fuels much of the global sleep recession the world is experiencing.

Blue Light

Blue light wavelengths (from either the sun, energy-efficient lighting or electronics) are beneficial during the day because they boost attention, reaction times and mood. However, at night, the blue light emitted from our tech toys and modern-day lighting is a powerful activator of photoreceptors called ‘intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells’ that reduce the amount of melatonin our brain’s pineal gland can secrete and knocks our biological clock out of whack. Essentially, that means your body does not know whether it’s supposed to be awake or asleep, and that is why you may feel tired – exhausted even – but can’t get to sleep.

Without adequate sleep, it is fiercely difficult to get up early and be productive during the day. And if that is not enough, there are a number of other highly damaging things that happen during sleepless nights that can impair your ability to function during the day, support vibrant health and experience happiness.

What Else?

Although our bodies may take a rest during the night, our little brains are very, very active. A lot of ‘maintenance’ occurs, and can only occur when we are off in the land of nod.

One activity that happens only when we sleep is ‘brain washing’ (not the kind you may be thinking!). When we sleep, our brain is literally cleansed by cerebral spinal fluid so it can operate at warp speed during our waking hours. (Reduced occurrences of this nightly brain washing have also been cited as a possible contributor to plaque formation found in people with Alzheimer’s disease.)

Another is the production of the human growth hormone (HGH), a hormone that raises your moods, cognition, energy levels and lean muscle mass, supports a strong metabolism and a long lifespan while reducing your cravings through the regulation of leptin (the hormone that decreases appetite) and ghrelin (the hormone that signals hunger). While HGH is released through exercise (a good reason to exercise first thing in the morning), 75% of HGH production happens when you sleep.

So, how much sleep do we need? Research shows that the sweet spot turns out to be between 7&1/2 and 8&1/2 hours.

Managing Your Sleep

There are a number of things you can do to prevent sleep-deprivation. Some of them may sound familiar, too, if you have children because they involve establishing a nightly routine.

* Start early. Expose yourself to lots of sunlight during the day. It will boost your ability to sleep at night, as well as your mood and alertness during the day.

* No caffeine after 2pm. Limit alcohol in the evening.

* Begin with scheduling the last meal of the day at least 3 hours before heading to bed. Let your stomach rest also.

* Establish a nightly routine that your body will begin to recognize as the wind-down period. Do some light stretching, take a bath (by candlelight) or shower, give yourself a relaxing, moisturizing reflexology session, engage in a meaningful conversation, meditate and/or read a physical book by lamplight. These activities will train the brain to release sleep hormones and will relax the mind and body in preparation for sleep.

* Turn off all electronic devices at least one hour before you plan to retire. (preferably for the three hours discussed above)

* Remove all electronic items from your bedroom. No phones, tablets, computers or digital clocks. Use the old-style alarm clock, and ideally no television in your sleep area either.

* Go to bed and rise at the same time every night and morning. Regularity is the number one thing you can do to improve sleep. Remember how important that was for setting the kids (and yourself) up for a good day?

* Sleep in a cool, dark room.

* Try reciting all that you are grateful for that has occurred that day before drifting off to sleep. Ending the day feeling gratitude is such a gift.

* If you are having a restless night, research tells us it’s best to get up, move to another room, read a book (not look at screens) in dim light until you feel tired again; then return to bed. Tossing and turning in bed for hours just trains the brain to associate wakefulness with the bed. The other strategy that works equally well is to sit up and meditate.

* If you regularly wake with muscular pain, check out the age and state of your pillows and mattress. It may be time to replace.

* If you are not yet ready to give up your devices at night, at least go to the Settings on your smartphone 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.

Many of our clients are struggling with sleep disorders, even before the situation we find ourselves in now. Please feel free to share the above with anyone you think might benefit.

Sweet dreams!

Written by Karen Ball · Categorized: General · Tagged: Self-care

Jul 01 2020

Fifteen Things You May Not Know About Your Feet

I came across an informative blog post with some very interesting pieces of information about our beloved feet.

Enjoy!

Written by Karen Ball · Categorized: General

Jun 17 2020

Grandma Science

It’s easy these days, with health, career and human rights issues at the forefront of our awareness (and our digital devices), to lose sight of what is working in our lives. Many people find themselves imprisoned by thoughts of worry that when given constant attention reward us as reality.

Maybe it’s time to shift our attention to that which we are grateful for, and to let those thoughts and energies materialize as the ‘new normal’. If we want things to be different it is imperative that we prioritize what we want, not focus our thoughts on what we don’t want. And that starts with appreciating what we have.

The attached article does a good job explaining the neuroscience behind gratitude and gives concrete examples of how to express it. I particularly liked suggestion number five. What about you?

Written by Karen Ball · Categorized: Deeper Thoughts, General

Jun 03 2020

40 Days in the Hole

Towards the end of April, a friend of mine, Kevan Breitinger, felt strongly that the 40 days of quarantine we had just endured couldn’t all be for nothing and so invited some people to answer three questions about their experience sheltering-in-place. The result, a raw, real, and uplifting exposé came together as a wonderful little book, entitled 40 Days in the Hole: Self-Care in the Time of the Corona Pandemic. I was one of the honored invited to contribute.

So why this name?

When she realized she had been in isolation for that many days, Kevan was reminded of the significance of the number 40 in numerous spiritual practices.

* Both Jesus and the Buddha are said to have started their ministries with a time of testing in the wilderness that lasted 40 days.

* The Prophet Mohammed fasted for 40 days in a cave.

* Muslims today fast and pray for 40 days during the Ramzan period.

* Christians fast and reflect for 40 days between Lent and Easter.

* Hindu and Zoroastrian communities include 40-day periods of prayers.

The number 40 also carries within it the idea of completion, as in 40 weeks of pregnancy.

As Kevan admits, “My own story is a bit less illustrious, so my first thoughts went to jail slang and song lyrics about 40 days in the hole!”

Whatever, I think it’s a catchy title to summarize a variety of perspectives and experiences that manage to remind us that, although we may be apart, we are #alonetogether.

Purchase your copy from Amazon for only $9.99. You’ll likely recognize parts of yourself in this collaboration, and perhaps close the book feeling inspired and encouraged.

Written by Karen Ball · Categorized: General · Tagged: Self-care

May 20 2020

Baby Steps Are Big Steps!

I was listening to Darrell Rogers the other day, the Director of Advocacy at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition share some accomplishments in Washington regarding improving the health of our nation. Darrell works with federal regulators and Senate and Congressional representatives to help define policies supporting health and wellness and nutrition health coaches (which I’m training to work as).

And just as our baby’s first steps are so exciting and important, here is a gigantic baby step that the Institute of Integrative Nutrition has made on behalf of all of us:

The American Medical Association (AMA) and the American Association of Family Physicians have publicly supported health coaches and are recommending that nutrition health coaches be in all physicians’ offices! An independent study they ran revealed that patients had much better health outcomes when there was a nutrition health coach in the office working alongside the doctor.

Wowza! This is a big deal! Finally, it is being acknowledged that health is not dependent on drugs and surgeries, but on lifestyle choices that nourish a strong body, mind, and spirit.

Why Your Medical Practice Needs a Health Coach

Written by Karen Ball · Categorized: General · Tagged: Self-care, Business

Mar 18 2020

Extinguishing the Internal Flame

For many years, researchers have suspected a link between low-grade chronic inflammation and many critical diseases. Numerous studies have pointed to it and now one, in particular, may finally provide the evidence needed to prove it.[i]

Ten thousand subjects were tested with an anti-inflammatory drug to see if it would lower the rate of heart disease. It did. But the surprise was that it also reduced lung cancer mortality by more than 77% and reports of gout and arthritis!

I’ve read many articles regarding the ill effects of low-grade inflammation in the body, but none was as succinct and as simple to understand than The Cure for EVERYTHING, in a recent AARP Bulletin. I think the information is worth sharing:

Two Kinds of Inflammation

Not all inflammation is bad. On the contrary, acute inflammation is a necessary part of the healing process our bodies innately know to call upon in the event of injury or trauma to the body.

If you sprain an ankle and it swells up, or you cut your hand resulting in pain and redness, or become infected with a flu virus that causes a fever to spike – these are all signs that your body is responding to the need for healing chemicals to be released to help remedy the situation. Once the condition improves, the inflammatory process ends. All good.

And then there is acute inflammation’s troublesome cousin – chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation is caused by a misfiring of the immune system that keeps the body in a constant state of alert.

The danger with existing in this chronic state of inflammatory alertness is that eventually all healthy cells in the body are damaged.

The culprits in this destructive attack are the neutrophils, the second line of defense that the body releases when inflammation just won’t go away. They are referred to as the ‘hand grenades of the immune system’. And for good reason. They destroy all cells, not just sick or damaged ones, but healthy ones as well.

The linings of your arteries or intestines are attacked, as well as the tissue in your brain, pancreas, liver, muscles, and joints. Cellular damage can trigger diseases such as diabetes, dementia, heart disease, cancer, arthritis, and depression.

Nothing to sneeze at.

Reducing Chronic Inflammation

There is a lot written about diet and lifestyle choices that affect the level of inflammation in the body. Suffice to say, it is worth investigating for yourself and implementing some of what is suggested. Remember that internal inflammation is not something we can see or even feel, even though it may silently be mounting a lethal attack on our tissues.

Here are some commonly-referenced suggestions for lowering a chronically inflamed environment in the body:

  1. Eat plenty of anti-inflammatory foods, such as cold-water fish (salmon and tuna are examples), tofu, walnuts, flax seeds, soybeans, garlic, olive oil, black tea, ginger, rosemary, and turmeric. Load up on fruits and veggies.
  2. Cut back or eliminate foods that create inflammation: red meat, and anything with trans fats, such as margarine, corn oil, deep-fried foods, and most processed foods.
  3. Control sugar intake. Avoiding ‘white foods’ will do much to cut out the highly-refined simple carbohydrates that spike blood sugar and play havoc on the pancreas.
  4. Exercise regularly. Do anything – something – doesn’t matter what. Exercise helps to prevent inflammation.
  5. Manage your weight. Excess weight carries with it more inflammation.
  6. And, finally, manage your stress. Living with chronic stress releases a cascade of hormones in the body that inflame and damage our body’s tissues.

Make stress reduction a regular part of your healthcare strategy. Pick your medicine: meditation, yoga, walks in nature, intentional breathing, tub soaks by candlelight, and of course, reflexology and massage.

The above measures will pay off over time. Your health will improve, and you will reduce the risk of chronic disease.

[i] ‘The Cure for EVERYTHING’; AARP Bulletin November 2019

Six Keys to Reducing Inflammation

Written by Karen Ball · Categorized: General · Tagged: Self-care

Jan 29 2020

What’s Eating You?

Believe it or not, the first piece of research linking stress with digestion was recorded in 1883! The study revealed that the digestive system is much more than a ‘cement mixer’ and ‘delivery truck’. Results showed that our daily food includes emotions and all of life’s experiences, not just edible substances. Everything we take in is ultimately broken down and ‘judged’ by our digestive systems.

And why is a healthy digestive system important? All organs and systems of the body rely on the health of the digestive tract. Without REAL food (not food-like substances) to sustain them, the cells – and ultimately, the organs and glands – are unable to function. It’s that simple.

Importantly, today’s scientists have also discovered that 75% of the cells necessary for the immune system to function effectively are connected to the gastrointestinal tract! And that means a high-functioning digestive system is key to health and quality of life.

Join Marian Thompson, Integrative Nutrition Health Coach and me to learn simple ways to reduce the impact of stress on your digestive system. Discover how easy it can be to make wise food choices in the care of your digestive system, and practice simple reflexology techniques to relax and support smooth operation of your ‘second brain’.

This is a free class offered on Thursday, February 6 from 1 to 3 pm. No reservations; first come – first served.

St. Johns County Public Library
Anastasia Island Branch
124 Seagrove Main Street
Saint Augustine Beach, FL 32080

 

Written by Karen Ball · Categorized: Foot Reflexology, Hand Reflexology, General · Tagged: Foot reflexology, Self-care, Reflexology, Hand reflexology

Oct 09 2019

The Complexity of Pain

Pain is a very complex issue that involves much more than just our biology.

Old paradigms held that pain was generated at the periphery, at the site of an injury. We know that not to be true now.

The high cost of war resulting in so many lost limbs has necessitated substantial research on phantom pain, and that has changed our understanding of where and how pain is felt.

As an example, according to the new model of pain initiation, if you drop a heavy object on your foot, receptors will transmit that sensory input to the brain. Pain is not actually felt until that information reaches the brain and is interpreted there.

 We also now know that interpretation takes into account, not just the sensations from the object landing on the foot, but memories of similar past experiences, psychological concerns (such as fear) and other stressors.

In other words, the brain is more involved in the experience of pain than we once believed. It is, in fact, more involved than the actual site of injury, and as I stated at the outset, pain is multi-factorial – a very complex issue.

Bodywork and Pain

Because of the unprecedented and tragic results of opioid addiction in the United States, the medical field is scurrying to find other routes of pain mitigation.  This puts bodyworkers in a strategic position to be of service, since loving therapeutic touch does reduce pain.

Reasons that bodywork is so powerful in addressing pain:

* People coming for bodywork bring much more than their physical selves into the room – their entire history arrives with them. Research shows that hands-on approaches impact people on far more than just the physical level – therapeutic bodywork touches every layer of a human being, not just the physical. A pill cannot claim that!

* We are just now learning that it is less about what you are doing and more about how you are doing what you are doing. The latest research shows that it is the deeply relaxing and positive aspect of hands-on interventions that actually works with the brain and nervous system to help reduce pain. This is why I love reflexology so much. The modality is masterful at relaxing, and speaks directly to the brain through the neural circuits. No ‘middleman muscle’ even needs to be touched.

* Bodyworkers create longer-lasting relationships with their clients – one hour (sometimes more) versus the 15 minutes doctors budget. Giving clients the time to talk about their pain allows them to better understand all that contributes to the situation, and perhaps discover healthy ways in which they might shift the quality of their lives. Empowerment and hope do much to smooth the edges of chronic pain.

* Reflexologists and other bodyworkers take great pride in designing environments that are soothing and calm, not sterile and hectic as is the case in a medical office. Soft lighting and quiet music sets the stage for deep relaxation. And, remember ….

RELAXATION IS THE BASIS OF HEALTH!

Written by Karen Ball · Categorized: Research, General · Tagged: Reflexology

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