Do you find yourself uncertain or questioning all the information out there about your health? It can be so confusing!

I recently heard a research doctor talking about this and he said something profound .....you be your own researcher and guide to what's working and what's not.

This is one reason I was drawn to Ayurveda. This ancient science teaches us to know ourselves, what works for our bodies, and not to believe and do everything you hear. 

                                              Mr Bear here knows how to activate his core :)

Here's an example.....you know how EVERYONE is talking about intermittent fasting, and how if you want to have any impact at all on your health and your weight, you need to do this practice? 

Well you know what the distance between dinner and "break fast" is called? A fasting window! Ayurveda teaches us to eat a heavier meal at lunch (when our body needs the fuel and is better equipped to digest it)) and a lighter meal at dinner (when we are winding down). That way we go to bed with an empty stomach and our body can focus on detoxing not digesting while we sleep! 

BRAVO

The research states that a fasting window of 12 hours is good to move us into the fat burning stage to get all the benefits of a fast.....14 hours is a bit better....16 hours is a bit better still. But here's the thing – it has to be doable and sustaining to be effective. Most cannot sustain a true fasting window of 16 hours. 

The other thing that this intermittent fasting craze says is you can eat whatever you want, when you want as long as you fast for a specific duration of time.....now I ask you does this make any sense? 

If food is medicine, and we are what we eat, then eating whatever we want as long as it's within a certain period of time make NO SENSE at all! 

So let's go back to knowing yourself and what you need.

In Ayurveda we have a word we use to help us....it's called Svastha and means to be situated in the self. This means on all levels, not just in one area. 

So if you have symptoms at all......gas, bloating, joint pain, headaches, low energy, brain fog, etc. then you are not situated in the self. You have an imbalance of some kind, and doing what you always do isn't working for you. 

Maybe you needs some guidance, but you ultimately have to be your own advocate, and if you have resistance to changing or trying something new, you have to ask yourself why.

We are all pretty attached to our crazy (I say that light hearted)....but really, ask yourself what you do each day and if it's moving you toward Svastha or toward imbalance. 

If you want some guidance, you know Chris and I are here for you. We offer private sessions and group programs to help you with your health and aging bodies. 

Our newest master series targets just this.....we put together a 6 week program – 3 weeks of education and practice with an additional 3 weeks of continued practice to keep the momentum in a supportive community.

MASTER SERIES - THE ART OF AGING WELL

We are all aging.....and if you're like me, you want to age well, be healthy, and live your most precious and vibrant life (like Mary Oliver states above). 

Join us in our new master series to address 3 of the most important topics for aging well....

• Movement
• Food
• Daily lifestyle

Science now shows these 3 factors are a top priority for all current dis-ease; diabetes, heart disease, cancer, arthritis, autoimmune disease, even memory loss!  Just because these are familiar (who hasn't heard about this), doesn't mean they aren't extremely important. 

You'll learn in our series how to understand yourself and what you need (we are all unique individuals), how to make choices that are specific to you, so you can move from imbalance to vitality!

Finally, ask yourself is what you're doing working? Are you at a healthy weight, have good sustained energy throughout the day, enjoy activities that you love, and feel vibrant in body and mind? If so, great you're doing something right! If not, watch for our master series coming in June. 

Be well - Stay well - Live well