Being With the Breath

Being in the present moment is as simple as noticing your breath. Much of the time, the mind is wandering, worrying or mulling over past or future experiences. Or chasing after feeling good or powerful, rather than vulnerable or helpless. When we are constantly in this thought pattern we miss out on the one-of-a-kind moment right in front of us that we can't ever get back. Not only does this rob the positive moments in front of you, it can also worsens feelings of worry and anxiety. Essentially, if we don't practice being still, we are more likely to feel blown about by every wind of life. When we are aware of our breathing, we can help calm the body and the mind even in our most stressful moments. 

Shallow breathing - which is common for most of us - doesn't oxygenate the blood circulating in your arteries and veins very efficiently. Before you know it, you feel mentally sluggish and emotionally run down. But just with a couple of rounds of deep breathing, you can feel the opposite effect. Deep breathing nourishes your nervous system and puts you in a better mood. It relaxes the muscles, lowers blood pressure and reduces the workload on the heart and strengthens the lungs. With this increase of oxygen, your brain automatically produces neuro-chemicals that calm anxiety and worry.

Beyond the science of our breath, there is also reason to come out of our heads for a moment and into our bodies. The more we practice awareness of the breath, the more we are connected to what causes negative feelings, as well as the positive ones. 

Here's a Simple Way to Start:

1. Sit comfortably in a chair or on the floor
2. Focus on the sensations where your body contacts the floor or chair. Simple “feel” into your body and let it breath itself 
3. Bring your attention to your chest and belly, feeling them rise gently on the in-breath and fall on the out-breath
4. Be with each breath for its full duration. You may even notice a short pause after each breath, and also that each seems to have a life of its own
5. Afterwards, take a few moments to sit with your eyes closed and notice the difference in how you feel overall

Craving Comfort

Craving comfort foods as the temperatures drop is something many of us can relate to - yet tend to feel guilty about. However, many of the warming casseroles or soups that we make this time of year can be made with nutrient dense foods to up your intake of essential vitamins, trace minerals and other nutrients which are necessary for immune function. Shifting to a healthier lifestyle is about choosing healthier options most of the time, and allowing those indulgent foods be a treat. Once these foods are not apart of your daily diet, you may learn that you actually enjoy them more, and can be satisfied with less.

So what foods are we talking about? Foods that tend to be high in saturated fat, sugar, refined carbohydrates or come in a package. Swapping one or two ingredients is a simple way to keep the dish’s original taste and texture, and you don’t have spend a lot of money to do it, either. 

1. Macaroni and Cheese

Cheese is a beloved food here in Wisconsin, but the way we tend to eat it - piled onto pizza, poured over nachos or stacked on crackers cancels out any health benefits. It’s high in sodium, calories and saturated fat. So how does one substitute cheese, you ask? Nutritional Yeast. It has a pleasantly cheesy flavor and is grown on enriched purified cane and beet molasses with added vitamin B12. Here's a 10 minute recipe for nutritional yeast sauce to make your own macaroni and cheese. 

2. Soup

Most soups are actually full of vegetables - making them already a healthy option. However, heavier soups such as chowders or creams tend to ask for heavy cream to be added to thicken it. As your soup is cooking, you can take half of the vegetables, put them in a blender and then add some of the stock it’s been cooking in and puree it. This instantly thickens the soup without adding heavy cream. This can also work on bean, tomato or cauliflower soups. Like mentioned above, there are benefits to having some dairy in our diet, but Wisconsinites tend to put it in everything. For many people, dairy is a hard to digest food and can cause long-term inflammation, so substituting when it’s not an essential ingredient is beneficial. 

3. Pie

Dessert can feel like it’s everywhere this time of year, but even treats can have good sources of fiber, protein and vitamins. Let’s use pie as an example. Adding a dollop of greek yogurt to your pie crush in place of butter or lard can help amp up those nutrition facts and keep your pie holder nice and flaky. You can also replace some or all of the flour with nuts. Using almond flour - for example - adds healthy fats, fiber, protein and vitamin E. An easy way to cut added sugar is to choose fruits that are naturally sweet like golden delicious apples.

4. Sandwiches

Sandwiches tend to be loaded with cheese, mayo and other fatty toppings. Easy, flavorful substitutions include: hot sauce, mustard, hummus or even a slice or two of avocado. Although not everyone has an intolerance to gluten, it is easy to rely too much on bread and refined carbohydrates especially when you’re on the go. An easy switch? Whole Wheat bread or a leaf of romaine lettuce. 

5. Spaghetti and Meatballs

It’s understandable why spaghetti and meatballs are common in most households. It’s a quick weeknight meal that even the kids can help out with. You can keep this meal in your rotation, just swap in whole wheat or brown rice noodles instead. As for the meatballs, we’re a fan of making these Vegan Sun Dried Tomato Basil Meatballs in a big batch and freezing them to use for quick dinners.

Far Infrared Sauna and Changing Seasons

The change of seasons doesn’t have to be a negative thing. Sure, in Wisconsin it undoubtedly means there are more colds and the flu going around, but it’s also a great time to turn inward and practice some self-care. Preventing illness from taking hold is all about building a strong immune system and balancing life’s hectic schedule with relaxation. 

Our Far Infrared Sauna is a noninvasive, simple way to do just that: relax. 

First, let’s breakdown what the Far Infrared Sauna is and how it is different than traditional steam saunas. The term “far” refers to where infrared waves fall on the light spectrum. They are invisible and beneficial light rays naturally produced by the sun. This type of light ray penetrates the skin surface up to two inches, which provides heat to blood vessels, tissues and muscles.

This therapeutic effect is what creates a long list of benefits from using the Far Infrared Sauna even on the first visit. Here are the top benefits we have heard from our clients:

1. Relaxation

After just 30 minutes in the sauna, your beta-endorphins levels in the blood can double. Beta-endorphins are released during intense exercise but also enhance mood and foster feelings of relaxation. Also the act of sitting still without numerous stimuli pulling for your attention i.e. your smartphone, will certainly calm stress and aid in relaxation. 

2. A Healthy Immune System 

Booking a sauna session while you are fighting a cold can be one of the best things to keep your immune system strong. Sauna therapy creates an artificial “fever” by increasing the body’s set point for temperature. A fever is the body’s natural defense mechanism to kill microbes. 

3. Increased Blood Circulation

Better blood flow and circulation helps lower blood pressure, provides drug-free pain relief and reduces inflammation. Heat from the sauna stimulates vessels to dilate and increase blood flow to the skin surface. This increased demand on the heart creates the conditioning benefits of continuous exercise. 

So who is Far Infrared Sauna good for?

Those that struggle with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), low energy or have a hard time committing to a relaxation practice. The release of beta-endorphins provides a calming effect for both the brain and the body. If you don’t enjoy massage therapy but still want to soothe sore muscles, sauna therapy can also loosen and lubricate the joints and reduce stiffness. Lastly, if you aren’t as physically active as you’d like to be, sauna therapy’s ability to raise your basal metabolic rate means you will burn calories at an elevated rate for hours after the session. 

Other benefits include improved sleep, increased metabolism and improved heart health. For long-term benefits, you can use the Infrared Sauna up to two to three times per week. If you’re ready to give it a try, we’re offering half off one session from now until Oct. 28th. Book your appointment here.