Five Rings Wellness
Blending the best of Ancient Wisdom and cutting edge knowledge of Nutrition and Physical Wellness to help you find balance in mind, body and spirit.
Monday, June 16, 2014
Got Turmeric?
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Part 1 of the Inflammation Connection.
This has become a daily conversation. As a Massage Therapist for almost 20 years, I increasingly work on people who struggle with weight loss, chronic pain, and other conditions who resign themselves to thinking that that is just how they are supposed to feel "at their age".
IT'S NOT OK TO JUST FEEL OK ALL OF THE TIME!
Inflammation is the root cause of many conditions. The proper balance of Omega-3 rich foods is a vital first step to reversing the harmful effects of inflammation overload throughout the body. Omega-3 fatty acids produce hormones that help reduce inflammation throughout the body. Omega-6 fatty acids produce hormones that help the body create inflammation for the very necessary healing response to injury or illness. Unfortunately, the typical modern diet is inundated with Omega-6 as it is found in almost every processed food on the grocery store shelf (and don't think that just because you bought your protein bar at the "health food store" that it must be healthy. We will get into that conversation another day.) This overload of Omega-6 in our diet alters the delicate balance of the essential fatty acids to the point we produce more inflammation than our bodies can handle.
The ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6 in our diet (depending on the source of information) should be roughly 1:2. So, our daily intake of Anti-Inflammatory Omega-3 should be almost even with the Pro-Inflammatory Omega-6's. The modern Western diet has a ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6 of nearly 1:20. This has the devastating effects of creating metabolic syndromes and inflammatory diseases that are reaching epidemic levels in our modern society*.
We do not naturally produce Omega-3 in the body, so we need to add more to our diet, while reducing our intake of the pro-inflammatory Omega-6 foods. Although my friends with a more aggressive approach may disagree, I usually suggest that people start by removing one form of Omega-6 from their diet and adding one form of Omega-3. The goal is to create new habits that will stay with you for the rest of your life and not make you crazy in the process. The best place to start is with a high quality Omega-3 supplement. My favorite is Nordic Natural's Ultimate Omega, a fish oil based product for the omnivore. And for the vegetarian or vegan they have Algae Omega that has both DHA and EPA forms of Omega-3. The non-marine sources of Omega-3, like Walnuts, Chia and Flax, are great to get in your diet but it is very difficult to consume enough to effectively impact the inflammatory process. These foods contain the ALA form of Omega-3 which has to be converted in our body to DHA and EPA.
Adding Omega 3 to our diet is the easy part. The hard part will be whittling away at our Omega-6 intake. The main sources of Omega-6 (Linoleic Acid) in our diet are vegetable oils. They are very prevalent in processed foods. Reading labels is key. Soybean oil and Canola oil are NOT your friends! The exception is the amazing coconut oil (we will definitely have a talk about this soon) and the Omega-9 rich avocado oil and olive oil.
Please keep me posted on your progress!
For even more information about the connection of inflammation and the balance Omega fatty acids, check out Conquering ANY Disease: The Ultimate High-Phytochemical Food Healing System, written by Jeff Primack.
May Heath and Happiness be Yours,
Truly,
Shannon Reissman, LMT
*Danaei G, et al. The Preventable Causes of Death in the United States: Comparative Risk Assessment of Dietary, Lifestyle, and Metabolic Risk Factors. PLoS Med 2009;6(4)
Saturday, April 19, 2014
Grow your own Smoothie Garden
A great way to get more fruits and vegetables into our diet is to make Smoothies. To clarify, and possibly start a brawl, blending is FAR superior to juicing. When we blend we are able to break down and utilize the WHOLE food in a way that we can better absorb it and get the benefit of vitamins, minerals AND the Phytochemicals. Phytochemicals are plant-based compounds that have been found to assist functions in the human body and studies have shown that they have potential to reverse many diseases. I will share more about the amazing Phytochemical on another day.
Growing your own smoothie garden is a great way to offset the cost and have the peace if mind knowing how it was grown. Here is a great link I found the other day that will get you started.
http://www.bhg.com/gardening/vegetable/vegetables/grow-a-smoothie-garden/?sssdmh=dm17.731777&esrc=nwdi041914
In the meantime, if you would like to dig deeper into what Phytochemicals are and how to use Specific foods to help reverse Specific conditions check out Conquering ANY Disease at
Friday, March 21, 2014
Spring... Time to plant some seeds.
Finally! Spring is here and the air is filled with palpable buzz of energy as we move away from Winter's necessary time of resting and storing our energies. In these first days of Spring we are called to prepare the ground for the expansive growth that lies within. Over the next week take the time to plant some seeds both literally and figuratively.
The Wood (Tree) Phase of the Wu-Xing (Five Phases of Tradition Chinese Philosophy) governs the Creative Process. Planning and visualizing energies are activated now and tasks that seemed daunting a few weeks ago, now seem possible. Our vision is clear and the possibilities are endless! So write it down... Now! I know that sounds harsh but it is very easy for the energy of the Tree (Wood) Phase to get carried off with all of these great ideas and not stay grounded enough to complete the task. Those of you with strong Tree (Wood Element) influences know who you are! Dreaming, planning, creating is your Nature, but organization, discipline and completing things...not so much, right?! So, for now, let those creative juices flow, get the ideas out of your head and out into the world where they can come to life.
It is important for Tree to bring in friends or colleagues that have tendencies toward the other Four Phases Energy to provide balance to your vision. At the very least, find ways to incorporate the other elements into the process. Allow Earth's energy to ground you and keep you in the present. Bring in the discipline of Metal Element to remain focused on what it is that you would like to see happen. Water, the Mother of Wood, will feed your spirit and allow things to flow smoothly. Utilize Fire's energy to stoke the flames that keep you energized to see your plans to fruition. It is in the harmony of the Five Phases that makes things work, when any are out of balance and one is more prominent or weaker than the others is when things fall apart or plans become scattered.
Wu-Xing or Five Phases |
Regardless of what those plans and projects are, Now is the time to prepare the garden and plant the seeds that will grow in the coming months. If you have a project or business that has been a stagnant, utilize Wood's energy to bring new life and vision to your endeavor. Maybe it's time to let those in a position to assist in your vision know about the ideas you may have held quiet that are now ready to start germinating. Take the time now to let your creativity flow, plan, visualize, so you have clarity when the time comes to Spring into action.
If you would like more information on how to utilize the Five Phases in your daily life, check out "Master the 5-Elements" by Prof. Tonya Storch and Qigong Practitioner Jeff Primack.
Friday, December 20, 2013
The Metal Element: Breathe & Let Go
"Breathe In, Breathe Out... Letting go...That's what its all about."
-Ricki Byars Beckwith
Metal governs the Lung and Large Intestines, so these words from Ricki are truly the Mantra for the Metal Element, both figuratively and physiologically. Like autumn leaves in the breeze with no want for what you are letting go, with each breath allow yourself to let go of all that does not serve your highest purpose. The Metal Element calls us to cut away that which is no longer needed and create clear boundaries in all aspects of our lives.
The past several weeks may have found you getting rid of clutter in your house, your desk at work or setting clear boundaries in a relationship. Look back at this time as preparation for the Winter's season of Resting and Storing Energy ahead. The transition into Winter (Water Element) as great a time for Meditation, Breath work and clearing your digestive system with a short Smoothie Fast.
Friday, March 22, 2013
Observing the Dance of the Five Elements Within a Project
The smell of Big Plans and Big Projects is in the air with the coming of Spring.
With the thought of some friends of mine who are embarking on Earth Changing Ventures, I write my first real Blog to share a little bit of Eastern thought on the inner workings and subtle energies that surround any endeavor.
The enthusiasm that gets a project off the ground can get lost in the details as it gets underway, making it hard to see the venture come to fruition. The Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Five Element Theory provides a simple yet profound guide to seeing a project from start to finish. Using the Five Elements at work gives a means to harmonize with all involved in the endeavor. Everyone has natural tendencies towards certain elemental expressions. For example, some people are naturally good organizers or good with numbers. That same person may get totally stressed out when a co-worker comes up with yet another great idea on how something could be done. Awareness of which elements are being expressed can reduce conflicts and help individual talents shine. Great managers are able to maximize people's strengths and minimize their weakness in order to keep things flowing as smoothly as possible.
The most common diagram of the Five Elements (Wu-Xing in Chinese) is the cyclical pattern seen below. Here the outside circle shows the energy flowing from one element into the next in an endless cycle like the seasons of the year. The internal arrows show how the Elements balance each other so that no single energy over powers another.