I spent the morning writing up a handout for the next class I'm teaching, "Journaling for Perfect Weight and Wellness." So go ahead, call me a geek, but I love this process of surrounding myself with books, paging through them to find just the right reference, then distilling and organizing information on an 8 ½ x 11 page. Ah, the handout! Preparing one usually starts out as review and almost always ends up with discovery.
This time, the process has renewed my enthusiasm for writing as a healing tool. In my class, I plan to cover wellness journaling, affirmative journaling, and expressive writing, all of which I've done and all of which can support physical wellness in different ways. But I am most excited by what I've reviewed and discovered this morning about expressive writing -- a method of therapeutic writing which links description of a traumatic or emotionally upsetting event with uncensored expression of the deep emotions felt during and after its occurrence.
This kind of expressive writing, studies show, can enhance immune function, reduce blood pressure, decrease arthitic pain, reduce stress, and generally improve mood and happiness over the long term. It has even raised grades among college students (probably by improving working memory) and increased employment prospects among job seekers (probably by alleviating depression and hostility and making them more appealing to employers). And it cuts down doctor visits. With research results like that, I'm surprised health insurance companies don't require it as a condition of coverage.
It certainly has the potential to reduce personal health care costs as it boosts wellness for those of us willing to try it. In the class tomorrow night, I'll be passing out basic expressive writing instructions and leading exercises in this and other forms of journaling.
If you want to join us, class starts at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, July 8th, 2009, and runs for one hour. It's at the Jutila Center (aka the old hospital), 200 Michigan Street in Hancock, Michigan, in Room 324. Cost is $10 at the door. Hope to see you!
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Tapping Away Cravings
Does tapping really work? From the time of their inception in the 1980s, tapping systems have been controversial in scientific circles. Also known by the umbrella term "energy psychology," these techniques are based around systematic tapping of meridians or acupoints while focusing on a particular issue, malady, or problem. Fans report remarkable successes with tapping systems like Thought Field Therapy (TFT), Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), Mental Field Therapy/Technique (MFT), and others. But critics say there have been few peer-reviewed studies supporting their effectiveness.
Recently, though, that has begun to change. For instance, the abstract for David Feinstein's paper "Energy Psychology: A review of the preliminary evidence" states that "energy psychology has reached the minimum threshold for being designated as an evidence-based treatment." In other words, there is now enough evidence that it works to take it seriously.
There is still the need for much more tapping research. In the meantime, individuals have many ways they can evaluate these techniques for themselves. The tapping system I use is Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt's Mental Field Technique, or MFT, and I am still learning about ways it can work for me.
The most recent way I used MFT was in dealing with some food cravings. Though I have used the technique for a few years now, my cravings on this night were so strong that I really didn't expect tapping to quell them. But I went through the process anyway – it only takes a couple of minutes – and darned if it didn't work. As I began tapping the first of nine spots in the MFT sequence, the craving was still strong and I fully expected to head to the cupboard for a snack after I was done. But by the time I finished with the ninth spot, my craving had simply evaporated. I felt indifferent to food, and didn't need anything more to eat that night.
It was a great reminder for me that this really is an effective and worthwhile technique. Tomorrow night, we'll be teaching a class about tapping and will go into more detail about how it works and how to do it. That's at 6:30 p.m. at the Jutila Center in Hancock, $10 at the door. If you live in the area, please join us.
Recently, though, that has begun to change. For instance, the abstract for David Feinstein's paper "Energy Psychology: A review of the preliminary evidence" states that "energy psychology has reached the minimum threshold for being designated as an evidence-based treatment." In other words, there is now enough evidence that it works to take it seriously.
There is still the need for much more tapping research. In the meantime, individuals have many ways they can evaluate these techniques for themselves. The tapping system I use is Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt's Mental Field Technique, or MFT, and I am still learning about ways it can work for me.
The most recent way I used MFT was in dealing with some food cravings. Though I have used the technique for a few years now, my cravings on this night were so strong that I really didn't expect tapping to quell them. But I went through the process anyway – it only takes a couple of minutes – and darned if it didn't work. As I began tapping the first of nine spots in the MFT sequence, the craving was still strong and I fully expected to head to the cupboard for a snack after I was done. But by the time I finished with the ninth spot, my craving had simply evaporated. I felt indifferent to food, and didn't need anything more to eat that night.
It was a great reminder for me that this really is an effective and worthwhile technique. Tomorrow night, we'll be teaching a class about tapping and will go into more detail about how it works and how to do it. That's at 6:30 p.m. at the Jutila Center in Hancock, $10 at the door. If you live in the area, please join us.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Classes Starting – Tapping Class Coming Up
On Wednesday night Patty Markham Peterson will lead off the Perfect Weight and Wellness class series with a session on "The Physical Body and the Energy Body." Patty is a wonderful and charismatic teacher, very knowledgeable about her topic. I expect her class will be fun (her classes usually are!) and it should also be a great lead-in to our class the following week, "Tapping for Wellness," which my spouse Kraig and I will lead.
So what exactly do I mean here by tapping? No, this is not about dancing! Tapping as a healing technique is based on acupuncture and meridian theory, the ancient Chinese medical belief that a number of pathways – meridians – conduct energy – or chi -- through the body, and that the flow of energy affects and maintains our emotional and physical health. With various tapping techniques, points along the meridians are tapped repeatedly in a certain order. The tapping protocol is often used in conjunction with belief statements, eye movements, and other techniques to relieve difficult emotional states or overcome phobias, blocks, and cravings. Tapping can be used as a therapy by health-care practitioners, or as a simple self-care technique by anyone.
There are a few different tapping-for-health systems out there, including:
• Roger Callahan's Thought Field Therapy (TFT), which is described in Callahan's book Tapping the Healer Within and is the first such system developed;
• Gary Craig's Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), developed as a simplification of Callahan's TFT after Craig was a student of Callahan's;
• the Energy Tapping outlined by Fred Gallo and Harry Vincenzi, and described in their book by the same name;
• the Mental Field Therapy / Technique (MFT) taught by Dietrich Klinghardt, MD PhD, which draws both on Callahan's work and on Dr. Klinghardt's expertise in neural therapy. Kraig and I are students of Dr. Klinghardt's, and it is his system we will be introducing in our class.
As you might figure from the names of these systems, emotional health so far has been the primary application of tapping – though not the only one. I have used tapping to quickly dispel intense anger, but I have also gotten good results from using it to help resolve a toothache. Dr. Klinghardt suggests that his patients tap on a regular basis to shift the body into a more parasympathetic or healing state. Among the many uses for tapping are improving digestion, decreasing food cravings, and removing emotional blocks.
We'll be talking more about how all this works and how to use it at the tapping class on June 3rd. In the meantime, I hope Copper Country folks can join us as our class series gets started with Patty's class on May 27th! Below is the full list of spring/summer classes for Perfect Weight and Wellness.
PERFECT WEIGHT AND WELLNESS:
Bringing Balance to Your Relationship With Food and Your Body
Selected Wednesday evenings starting May 27, 2009
6:30 to 7:30 p.m. with informal discussion to follow
Jutila Center Room 324, 200 Michigan Street, Hancock
Classes are $10 per person at the door
Spring / Summer Class Schedule:
May 27 - Introduction: The Physical Body and the Energy Body, taught by Patty Peterson
June 3 - Tapping for Wellness, hosted by Katie Alvord
June 10 - Mindfulness and Body Image, taught by Kim Menzel
June 17 - Internal Cleansing of Toxins for Vitality & Weight Loss, taught by Vicki Usitalo
June 24 - Eating Without FEAR, taught by Patty Peterson
July 8 - Journaling for Perfect Weight and Wellness, taught by Katie Alvord
July 22 - Overcoming Self-Sabotage, taught by Kim Menzel
Aug 5 - Conscious & Unconscious Beliefs and Body Weight, taught by Patty Peterson
Aug 19 - Pop Diets vs. the Unique You, taught by Katie Alvord
Sept 9 - Food as a Metaphor, taught by Kim Menzel
So what exactly do I mean here by tapping? No, this is not about dancing! Tapping as a healing technique is based on acupuncture and meridian theory, the ancient Chinese medical belief that a number of pathways – meridians – conduct energy – or chi -- through the body, and that the flow of energy affects and maintains our emotional and physical health. With various tapping techniques, points along the meridians are tapped repeatedly in a certain order. The tapping protocol is often used in conjunction with belief statements, eye movements, and other techniques to relieve difficult emotional states or overcome phobias, blocks, and cravings. Tapping can be used as a therapy by health-care practitioners, or as a simple self-care technique by anyone.
There are a few different tapping-for-health systems out there, including:
• Roger Callahan's Thought Field Therapy (TFT), which is described in Callahan's book Tapping the Healer Within and is the first such system developed;• Gary Craig's Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), developed as a simplification of Callahan's TFT after Craig was a student of Callahan's;
• the Energy Tapping outlined by Fred Gallo and Harry Vincenzi, and described in their book by the same name;
• the Mental Field Therapy / Technique (MFT) taught by Dietrich Klinghardt, MD PhD, which draws both on Callahan's work and on Dr. Klinghardt's expertise in neural therapy. Kraig and I are students of Dr. Klinghardt's, and it is his system we will be introducing in our class.
As you might figure from the names of these systems, emotional health so far has been the primary application of tapping – though not the only one. I have used tapping to quickly dispel intense anger, but I have also gotten good results from using it to help resolve a toothache. Dr. Klinghardt suggests that his patients tap on a regular basis to shift the body into a more parasympathetic or healing state. Among the many uses for tapping are improving digestion, decreasing food cravings, and removing emotional blocks.
We'll be talking more about how all this works and how to use it at the tapping class on June 3rd. In the meantime, I hope Copper Country folks can join us as our class series gets started with Patty's class on May 27th! Below is the full list of spring/summer classes for Perfect Weight and Wellness.
PERFECT WEIGHT AND WELLNESS:
Bringing Balance to Your Relationship With Food and Your Body
Selected Wednesday evenings starting May 27, 2009
6:30 to 7:30 p.m. with informal discussion to follow
Jutila Center Room 324, 200 Michigan Street, Hancock
Classes are $10 per person at the door
Spring / Summer Class Schedule:
May 27 - Introduction: The Physical Body and the Energy Body, taught by Patty Peterson
June 3 - Tapping for Wellness, hosted by Katie Alvord
June 10 - Mindfulness and Body Image, taught by Kim Menzel
June 17 - Internal Cleansing of Toxins for Vitality & Weight Loss, taught by Vicki Usitalo
June 24 - Eating Without FEAR, taught by Patty Peterson
July 8 - Journaling for Perfect Weight and Wellness, taught by Katie Alvord
July 22 - Overcoming Self-Sabotage, taught by Kim Menzel
Aug 5 - Conscious & Unconscious Beliefs and Body Weight, taught by Patty Peterson
Aug 19 - Pop Diets vs. the Unique You, taught by Katie Alvord
Sept 9 - Food as a Metaphor, taught by Kim Menzel
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Measuring pH: Acid-Alkaline Balance, Part 4
I measure my pH every morning. Taking the measurements is easy; interpreting them can be tricky.
In this post I'll tell you what I do, but I encourage you to check out other sources -- including the books I've mentioned in this series -- to get further information.
My routine is to measure both my saliva and urine pH first thing when I get up. I keep sample collection jars, pH tape, 3x5 cards, and a pen or pencil ready to use on my bathroom shelf.
The pH tape I use comes from Body Rescue, and is available from several Internet sources. I use a small glass jar for urine collection and a small shot glass for saliva; I prefer glass because it's inert, but of course glass can break so others might prefer using plastic for greater safety. I collect my samples (for saliva, you only need a little in the bottom of the glass – maybe a teaspoon), then tear off about a one-to-two inch piece of pH tape for each sample.
For urine, I dip the tape, remove it right away, and read it by comparing the color to the chart that comes with the pH tape. For saliva, Body Rescue's instructions suggest leaving the tape in the sample for three seconds, then removing it and comparing it to the color chart.
In both cases, I've noticed that exposure to air can slightly change the color of the tape, so it's most accurate right after being dipped. I record the pH numbers I get on my 3x5 card next to the date, so I can see trends in my acid-alkaline balance over time.
Now the tricky part. How do you interpret these numbers? Sometimes the results seem more clear. For instance, I've noticed that I tend to get more acid pH results if I've had more grains and fewer fresh vegetables the day before. I've also noticed that a good dose of aerobic exercise really helps shift my pH toward alkaline. At other times, though, my results don't seem straightforward. For instance, sometimes I get very alkaline urine pH readings but more acid saliva readings. In this case, I might be experiencing an imbalance that is causing my body to pull minerals from my bones to balance too much acidity in my blood. Or my body might be having trouble excreting acidic metabolic wastes.
Different authors have slightly different takes on where your numbers should be. I like Michelle Schoffro Cook's advice. "Ideally," she writes in The Ultimate pH Solution, "your saliva pH should be between 7.0 and 7.4, while your urine pH should be around 6.8." It makes sense to me that urine should be more acidic, since this is a key pathway for the body to rid itself of metabolic acids.
I have discussed pH levels with naturopaths I've consulted, but have not done so with my general practitioner. It's my understanding that mainstream MDs don't get training in this. However, I've read that some recent research on acid-alkaline balance is being pursued at University of California, San Francisco's respected medical school, so maybe that's in the process of changing.
In this post I'll tell you what I do, but I encourage you to check out other sources -- including the books I've mentioned in this series -- to get further information.
My routine is to measure both my saliva and urine pH first thing when I get up. I keep sample collection jars, pH tape, 3x5 cards, and a pen or pencil ready to use on my bathroom shelf.
The pH tape I use comes from Body Rescue, and is available from several Internet sources. I use a small glass jar for urine collection and a small shot glass for saliva; I prefer glass because it's inert, but of course glass can break so others might prefer using plastic for greater safety. I collect my samples (for saliva, you only need a little in the bottom of the glass – maybe a teaspoon), then tear off about a one-to-two inch piece of pH tape for each sample.For urine, I dip the tape, remove it right away, and read it by comparing the color to the chart that comes with the pH tape. For saliva, Body Rescue's instructions suggest leaving the tape in the sample for three seconds, then removing it and comparing it to the color chart.
In both cases, I've noticed that exposure to air can slightly change the color of the tape, so it's most accurate right after being dipped. I record the pH numbers I get on my 3x5 card next to the date, so I can see trends in my acid-alkaline balance over time.Now the tricky part. How do you interpret these numbers? Sometimes the results seem more clear. For instance, I've noticed that I tend to get more acid pH results if I've had more grains and fewer fresh vegetables the day before. I've also noticed that a good dose of aerobic exercise really helps shift my pH toward alkaline. At other times, though, my results don't seem straightforward. For instance, sometimes I get very alkaline urine pH readings but more acid saliva readings. In this case, I might be experiencing an imbalance that is causing my body to pull minerals from my bones to balance too much acidity in my blood. Or my body might be having trouble excreting acidic metabolic wastes.
Different authors have slightly different takes on where your numbers should be. I like Michelle Schoffro Cook's advice. "Ideally," she writes in The Ultimate pH Solution, "your saliva pH should be between 7.0 and 7.4, while your urine pH should be around 6.8." It makes sense to me that urine should be more acidic, since this is a key pathway for the body to rid itself of metabolic acids.
I have discussed pH levels with naturopaths I've consulted, but have not done so with my general practitioner. It's my understanding that mainstream MDs don't get training in this. However, I've read that some recent research on acid-alkaline balance is being pursued at University of California, San Francisco's respected medical school, so maybe that's in the process of changing.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Perfect Weight and Wellness
I'm very excited to be included with a group of wonderful teachers who are getting ready to offer a new class series: "Perfect Weight and Wellness: Bringing Balance to Your Relationship with Food and Your Body."
This series starts Wednesday, May 27th, and promises to be both great fun and a fantastic learning experience. The first class will be taught by Patty Peterson RN of Keweenaw Natural Wellness. If you know Patty, you know she's a delightful, popular and accomplished energy healer who has taught previous holistic wellness and intuition classes. I've taken some of these and have loved them.
Here's Patty Peterson (right), teaching one of her previous
natural wellness classes at the Jutila Center in Hancock, Michigan.
Kim Menzel LMSW of Indigo Creek Counseling is another superb teacher who'll be part of Perfect Weight and Wellness. Kim is my charming next-door neighbor at the Jutila Center who specializes in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and prevention of eating disorders.
Also teaching will be Vicki Usitalo RN of Preventive Health Maintenance. I've used Vicki's excellent services and think we are so lucky to have her practicing Field Control Therapy – a sophisticated form of internal cleansing that releases deep toxicities using homeopathy and herbs – here in the Keweenaw.
All three of these women are very talented healers, and believe me, I feel honored to find myself in their company!
The Perfect Weight and Wellness classes will be held on Wednesday evenings at the Jutila Center in Hancock, with presentations from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. and informal discussion among participants after that. Each class is $10 at the door. You can attend the whole series or pick and choose. Here's the spring-summer schedule, showing who teaches each class:
May 27- Introduction: The Physical Body and the Energy Body (Patty)
June 3- Tapping for Wellness (me with my spouse Kraig)
June 10- Mindfulness and Body Image (Kim)
June 17- Internal Cleansing of Toxins for Vitality & Weight Loss (Vicki)
June 24- Eating Without FEAR (Patty)
July 8- Journaling for Perfect Weight and Wellness (me)
July 22- Overcoming Self-Sabotage (Kim)
August 5- Conscious & Unconscious Beliefs and Body Weight (Patty)
August 19– Pop Diets vs. the Unique You (me)
September 9– Food as a Metaphor (Kim)
If you want more information, drop me a message or call 906-487-7451. And I will post about these classes again!
This series starts Wednesday, May 27th, and promises to be both great fun and a fantastic learning experience. The first class will be taught by Patty Peterson RN of Keweenaw Natural Wellness. If you know Patty, you know she's a delightful, popular and accomplished energy healer who has taught previous holistic wellness and intuition classes. I've taken some of these and have loved them.
Here's Patty Peterson (right), teaching one of her previousnatural wellness classes at the Jutila Center in Hancock, Michigan.
Kim Menzel LMSW of Indigo Creek Counseling is another superb teacher who'll be part of Perfect Weight and Wellness. Kim is my charming next-door neighbor at the Jutila Center who specializes in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and prevention of eating disorders.
Also teaching will be Vicki Usitalo RN of Preventive Health Maintenance. I've used Vicki's excellent services and think we are so lucky to have her practicing Field Control Therapy – a sophisticated form of internal cleansing that releases deep toxicities using homeopathy and herbs – here in the Keweenaw.
All three of these women are very talented healers, and believe me, I feel honored to find myself in their company!
The Perfect Weight and Wellness classes will be held on Wednesday evenings at the Jutila Center in Hancock, with presentations from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. and informal discussion among participants after that. Each class is $10 at the door. You can attend the whole series or pick and choose. Here's the spring-summer schedule, showing who teaches each class:
May 27- Introduction: The Physical Body and the Energy Body (Patty)
June 3- Tapping for Wellness (me with my spouse Kraig)
June 10- Mindfulness and Body Image (Kim)
June 17- Internal Cleansing of Toxins for Vitality & Weight Loss (Vicki)
June 24- Eating Without FEAR (Patty)
July 8- Journaling for Perfect Weight and Wellness (me)
July 22- Overcoming Self-Sabotage (Kim)
August 5- Conscious & Unconscious Beliefs and Body Weight (Patty)
August 19– Pop Diets vs. the Unique You (me)
September 9– Food as a Metaphor (Kim)
If you want more information, drop me a message or call 906-487-7451. And I will post about these classes again!
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