Seasonal Health and Fall Nutrition
By Karen Janusz, CA, CN, CAFT, ZYTO Practitioner
Fall Health Tips
Autumn brings in one of the greatest transitions of nature. We witness dramatic changes as trees change color and start losing leaves. Temperatures begin to drop as the sun’s angle and intensity adjusts to the shifts. According to Oriental Theory, the seasons signify changes within the environment as well as within our bodies. Everything has an ebb and flow that harmonizes with nature. In the Oriental system of Five Elements, the fall season correlates to the Metal element, which is associated with the lungs and large intestine as well as the intricate neurons and wiring of the brain.
Change is an inherent process in our lives. When you adapt yourself to the changes that come with the seasons, you will maintain health. By gaining control of your internal climates (emotions) and managing the stress in your life, you stay protected from the external climates (weather changes). Through a daily discipline of inner attention and physical exercise, you can create a more open, resilient, and supple body; a mentally and physically relaxed state, and a stronger resistance to disease. Using your body in strength training, dancing, yoga, tai chi, QiGong, jump rope, walking, jogging, cycling, and by learning quiet breathing, mindful -meditation, and relaxation you will become more balanced, open, less stressed, stronger, and happier.
The Cold Connection
Autumn is the best time to focus on keeping the lungs and large intestine healthy. If you have a history of digestive disorders or bowel weakness, or long winters with colds and lung problems, this is the time to prepare yourself for staying well. If your ability to eliminate waste is weak, or if you take in more than you need, garbage may pile up inside the large intestine, to be dealt with by other areas of the body. The common cold is often experienced as an expression from the sinuses and lungs, but this problem is actually related to the large intestine and to poor elimination of wastes from the body.
The colon is one of the clearing organs of elimination, clearing toxins from the body helped by the lungs, kidneys and skin. Foods that are processed, unnatural, preserved, or mucous-forming foods such as meats, dairy foods, sweets, and starches like bread and noodles cause congestion in the body. Then putrefaction and/or fermentation take place, which creates even more toxicity in the system. Mucus in the intestines not only leads to poor assimilation, but also provides a site for bacteria and viruses to grow, just as it does in other parts of the body like the sinuses and respiratory tract. If your body cannot handle toxins through the normal eliminative systems, the excess toxins and mucus may begin pouring out through the sinuses. The body’s production of mucus and the consequent drainage is in fact a cleansing process as the body tries to get better; but a full head, full mind, and no energy may be the result until the process is complete. You can stimulate the process by drinking lots of fluids-water, juices, teas and soups, and by getting proper rest and staying warm, rather than blocking the elimination by taking cold tablets and eating congesting foods.
Autumn Cleansing and Detoxification
Cleansing and detoxification programs allow the organs to rest and rejuvenate, boost energy levels, and may eliminate potential illness you have stored away, either by flushing out excesses, or by improving organ functions. Fruits and vegetables are abundant during this season and available for juicing. The Master Cleanser lemonade drink is an excellent choice or apple-pear juice, orange juice, or other fruit juice in the morning, with vegetable juices like carrot, beet, celery, zucchini, or parsley in the afternoon or evening.
Grapes are abundant during this season and can be used for juicing or eaten
fresh. They work as a fine cleanser, harmonizing with the body and as a tonic
for the lungs and large intestine. Fruits and steamed vegetables can also work well for a shorter cleanse of one to three days.
How to Detoxify
Detoxification involves dietary and lifestyle changes that reduce the intake of toxins while improving elimination. The avoidance of chemicals from food or other sources, including refined food, sugar, caffeine, alcohol, tobacco, and drugs, helps minimize the toxic load. Drinking extra water (purified) and increasing fiber by including more fruits and vegetables in the diet are also essential steps. Moving to a less congesting diet will also induce healing.
Foods from ← Most Congesting to Least Congesting →
Most congesting foods ¬ most congesting/potentially toxic
Drugs fats sweets
Allergenic foods fried foods milk
Organ meats refined flour eggs
Hydrogenated fats meats baked goods
Least congesting foods® least congesting/more detoxifying (the highlighted foods are best for detox
Nuts rice roots fruits
Seeds millet squash greens
Beans buckwheat vegetables herbs
Oats pasta water
Wheat potatoes
Natural Support for Cleansing and Detox
Water
Master Cleanser
NingXia Red
Detoxyme
Daily Prebiotic Fiber
Juva Flex
Balance Complete
Ningxia Red’s reputation as a powerful, natural antioxidant and nutrient dense infusion is unmatched. Ningxia Red provides dynamic and sustainable energy, making it ideal for maintaining energy while cleansing.
There are two distinct phases in the cleansing process. In Phase One, toxins are broken down and made water soluble. Phase Two removes these toxins from the body. Ningxia Red provides essential nutrients that enhance both phases of detoxification.
Ningxia Red is loaded with nutrients that nourish and support pancreatic and liver function. Ningxia Red contains constituents that help maintain normal blood sugar levels. It is high in vitamins, minerals, amino acids, flavonoids, carotenoids, cerebrosides, and xeaxanthin. Easy to digest, delicious to taste, and with a glycemic index of only eleven, Ningxia Red is an ideal part of any cleansing program.
Detoxyme combines Anise, Cumin, and Fennel Vitality essential oils with a myriad of powerful enzymes that help complete digestions, detoxify the body, and promote cleansing. Fast acting enzymes help break down food after eating to support the digestive process. Utilizes a vegetarian enzyme complex, and may be used in conjunction with a cleansing and detoxifying program.
Sip your way to gut health with Daily Prebiotic Fiber powder! Our plant-based formula supports a healthy gut microbiome, digestive system, and immune system.
Boosting your fiber intake doesn’t have to be complicated. One scoop of our Daily Prebiotic Fiber supplement serves up 6 grams of plant-based prebiotic fiber from agave, partially hydrolyzed guar gum, and prickly pear cactus extract. Naturally flavored with passionfruit powder, it’s the quickest and tastiest way to support your digestive health.*
Easily mixes with water, or added to your morning protein shake or smoothy.
JuvaFlex Vitality essential oils blend, combining Blue Tansy, Fennel, Geranium, Helichrysum, Roman Chamomile, and Rosemary essential oils, has an awakening aroma with cleansing and support for overall wellness. It can support a healthy lifestyle regimen when taken internally.
Young Living Founder D. Gary Young formulated JuvaFlex and JuvaFlex Vitality™ in his wellness clinics to support cleansing and overall thriving. Cleansing and detoxifying the liver are important aspects of overall wellness, due to the pervasive chemical pollution we face in our modern environment.
Balance Complete is an energizing, optimal meal replacement in a delicious vanilla shake, high in Young Living’s proprietary blend called V-fiber. Young Living’s cutting edge blend of soluble fiber and insoluble fiber; is ideal for cleansing, weight loss, and everyday health maintenance.
Ingredients found in this effective fiber blend have been found to help maintain normal blood sugar levels. As the fiber mixes with water, it swells in the intestines, proving bulk that absorbs and removes toxins and excess fat from the digestive tract. While some cleanses negatively affect intestinal flora, the V-fiber mix contains a prebiotic fiber that nurtures beneficial microflora like lactobacillus and bifido bacteria while decreasing pathogenic bacteria. The American Food and Nutrition Board recommends a daily minimum of 38 grams of fiber for men and 25 grams for women. Typical Americans eat only half that amount.
Balancing Mind, Body, and Spirit
As you become more aware of the changes in nature, take time to listen, observe, and become keenly aware of the subtle changes taking place within your own body. Relax and meditate giving the body ample time to adjust to the changes. Go for a nature walk. Enjoy the subtle changes you observe in the plant life around you. Clean out a closet. Create space in your life. Deal with emotional issues. These processes all help create balance in your life on all levels- physical, mental-emotional, and spiritual. As you create inner health and balance, your outer world will follow creating a greater sense of harmony and well- being in your life.
Note: Check with your doctor before beginning any cleanse/detox program if you are anemic, underweight, or have blood sugar disorders such as Diabetes I or Adult Onset Diabetes II, undergoing chemo therapy, radiation or other medical procedure.
For additional information reach out to me directly at Karen.janusz@kjholistic.com
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, the stomach, spleen, and pancreas are organs which take their energy from the Earth element. They are the organs most affected by the Late Summer Season. This season traditionally runs from August 16th through September 22nd, the first day of fall, and corresponds to the season when fruits and vegetables are at their ripest. Late summer is the beginning of harvest time, trees are heavy with fruit and vegetables are growing big and plump on the ground. Apples, grapes, tomatoes, beans, and zucchini are some of nature’s gifts; squashes and pumpkins are still in preparation, and grain is close to harvest as well.
The Stomach and Digestive Organs
The digestive organs and their functioning reflect the influence of diet, mental activity, and emotions. In fact, the stomach may be one of the most sensitive organs in the body. The whole digestive system is finely tuned by the nervous system, so stress of any kind affects its function. For example, the nerves govern the secretions of acids and enzymes, and the movements of the digestive organs. By speeding up or slowing down the transit of foods, the nervous system controls the assimilation of nutrients. Jittery nerves, apprehension, or over-excitement can cause the rapid passage of food and thus, diarrhea, when you do not have time to assimilate your nutrients. The slowing down of intestinal motility form uptightness, resistance, anger, or “holding on” can lead to constipation, where you over-absorb water and toxins from the colon back into the body.
The stomach receives the nourishment and prepares it for further digestion, while the spleen and pancreas, according to Chinese Medicine, oversees the distribution of nourishment throughout the body. The sensitive stomach has to do with “stomaching” things or being able to tolerate or digest what is happening in our lives in addition to digesting the food we eat. Some of the symptoms related to imbalances in the stomach, spleen and pancreas include:
* chronic fatigue * chronic sore throat
* gastro-intestinal disorders * constipation
* abnormal taste * toothache
* gum problems * ankle joint disorders
* insulin resistance * Type II diabetes
Digestion of the food we eat is the major role of the stomach. This complicated process begins in the mouth where the enzyme amylase begins the digestive process by breaking down starchy carbohydrates. Once in the stomach, the food is broken down further by the gastric juices and enzymes. The enzymes protease breaks down protein foods and amylase breaks down more complex carbohydrates, while the fats we eat are not broken down until they reach the intestines where the enzyme lipase works to complete the process along with bile salts. The way in which the food is then metabolized and absorbed can have a major impact on our health.
The Pancreas and Spleen
Pancreas
The pancreas secretes hormones into the blood, regulating the body’s use of glucose. Insulin, the pancreas’ main hormone, lowers the blood sugar level by stimulating glucose use by the cells, or the pancreas may secrete the hormone glucagon into the blood, raising the blood sugar level. The other function of the pancreas is the secretion of pancreatic enzymes directly into the small intestine assisting in the digestion of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates.
Spleen
The spleen is a fist-sized spongy tissue that is part of the lymphatic system. Its purpose is to filter bacteria, viruses, fungi and other unwanted substances out of the blood and to create lymphocytes (white blood cells that create antibodies.)
As you can see, digestion and assimilation of the foods we eat is a very complex process. If the body does not have sufficient enzymes to break down the nutrients, (carbohydrates, proteins and fats), indigestion, gas, bloating and malabsorption can occur. This may also result in deficiencies of key nutrients and contribute to the symptoms related to an imbalance in the Earth element.
Young Living Supplements that Support the Stomach, Spleen and Pancreas
Alkalime, Essentialzymes, Ningxia Red, Life Nine, and Master Formula
AlkaLime: This precisely balanced, acid-neutralizing mineral formulation helps preserve the body’s proper pH balance, the cornerstone of health.
Essentialzyme: This is an advanced, multi-enzyme complex that promotes digestion and assists in the assimilation of nutrients. It helps re-establish proper enzyme balance in the digestive system and throughout the body.
Ningxia Red: Supports healthy blood sugar levels as a very low-glycemic index food. A super food drink, Ningxia supports the digestive system by being a highly absorbable source of nutrients packed with vitamins and minerals that benefit the stomach, spleen, pancreas, kidneys, liver and eyes.
Life Nine: This high-potency probiotic builds and restores intestinal health. Life 9 provides a daily boost of nine of the most clinically proven and advanced probiotics, including three super strains that represent the most health-promoting and viable strains ever prepared in a supplement.
Master Formula: This full-spectrum multi-nutrient complex provides premium vitamins, minerals, and food –based nutrients to support general health and well being; has gut flora-supporting pre-biotics; neutralizes free radicals; includes antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and other food-based nutrients.
Essential Oils that Support a Healthy Earth Meridian: Stomach, Spleen and Pancreas
DiGize Vitality : DiGize™ Vitality™ essential oil blend combines Tarragon, Ginger, Peppermint, Juniper, Fennel, Lemongrass, Anise, and Patchouli, which contain antioxidants and may support the digestive system when taken internally.*
Dill Vitality: Dill Vitality contains antioxidants, may provide digestive support, and offers cleansing properties. In addition, it can be used to add a fresh herbal flavor to sauces, soups, and more.*
Fennel Vitality: Fennel Vitality has a licorice-like flavor and is fantastic in post-meal tonics and teas for digestive and general wellness support. In addition, it can be used to add a delicious flavor to sauces, soups, and marinades.*
Ginger Vitality : Ginger essential oil is known as the “oil of empowerment.” It offers a warm, spicy flavor that enhances soups, stews, and sauces, and may support a healthy digestive system when taken internally.
Peppermint Vitality : Peppermint Vitality™ essential oil promotes healthy bowel function, supports gastrointestinal system comfort, and adds a fresh, minty flavor to food and beverages.*
Laurel Nobilis Vitality : Laurus Nobilis Vitality contains antioxidants, offers cleansing properties, and may provide immune support. In addition, it can be subsituted for whole bay leaves to enhance the flavor of meat and vegetable dishes and soups.*
Ocotea: Ocotea essential oil was used historically in traditional rituals to cleanse the body and spirit. Also known as false cinnamon, it has a warm, spicy aroma that is considered cleansing and soothing.*
Transformation: This essential oil blend combines nine essential oils- Lemon, Peppermint, Sandalwood, Clary Sage, Sacred Frankincense, Idaho Blue Spruce, Cardamon, Ocotea, and Palo Santo- that help move you from feelings of darkness into an environment of light, hope, and joy. The aroma empowers positivity and a sense of self-awareness to move forward and transform behavior with courage and an inner knowing of achieving your desires.
Grounding: This essential oil blend is a unique combination of White Fir, Black Spruce, Ylang Ylang, Pine, Cedarwood, Angelica, and Juniper. It complements feelings of stability, clarity, and spirituality with its entrancing aroma that can create an atmosphere for finding self-awareness.
References: The Complete Book of Enzyme Therapy by Dr. Anthony J. Chichoke, Prescription for Nutritional Healing by James Balch, M.D. and Phyllis Balch, C.N.C. Staying Healthy with the Seasons by Elson Haas, M.D., Essential Oils Desk Reference, Life Science Publishers. Reference Guide to Essential Oils, by Connie and Alan Higley
Not sure which supplements and/or essential oils are best for your body's needs?
Schedule a ZYTO Scan with Karen. This technology pinpoints exactly what Core Body Systems are out of balance and which supplements and essential oils are best for you.
Watch for more info on Late Summer Health for the Stomach, Spleen and Pancreas over the next few weeks.
