New Years

Nature Medicine

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Today I was running with my usual airpods in my ears, listening to the KEXP runcast as I like to do on my longer runs. Everything was fine for about the first mile, and then the music suddenly stopped playing and my app seemed to go into ‘searching’ mode. My first reaction was annoyance because when it comes to my runs, I lean hard into my routines. I like the way my mind can wander when I don’t have to think too hard but instead can just put one foot in front of the other on autopilot, but the annoyance didn’t last long. Almost immediately I heard geese having a loud and vivid conversation off to my right in the Juanita Bay. The sound was so calming, and as my attention had been drawn to the bay, I then noticed several black and white ducks that looked almost like puffins swimming with the usual brown and green varieties, long-necked swans in the distance, and two herons quietly standing guard and might actually have been what the geese were talking about. They were in the same general vicinity and likely eyeing the same fish beneath them.

It made me realize how often we move through the world distracted nowadays, with phones and earbuds, and how much calming nature medicine we are missing. We know that the sound of waves or rain are calming sounds, but so are bird calls, the wind whistling through trees, the crunch of footsteps on dried leaves. Nature has a plethora of calming tricks up her sleeve and we should take note. For one thing, I’ve always been struck by how many herbs and essential oils are calming. Even if the herb or essential oil has other attributes it is more known for, almost all herbs and essential oils can also be said to reduce stress and calm the mind. It makes sense that nature wants us humans to be calm, because a calm brain makes better decisions, thinks deeper, moves more gracefully, and makes connections more effectively. We live at a time when speed is often subtly or not so subtly encouraged with sayings such as, “Time is Money,” in our culture, and “Fast paced environments,” in pretty much every job description. Calm does not mean slow or sluggish, it means not distracted or stressed out, but somehow it all gets lumped together in our jumpy minds and we replace calm moments with numbing.

I suppose I’m just worried about the state of the world and how separate from nature we are willingly becoming. When I walk around it seems like 95% of people are on their phones whether they are walking around and looking down at them, driving with them on nearby, or sitting somewhere with others but yet still looking at their phones. I know people who post on social media seemingly around 5 times per day. I seriously don’t understand how they are living their lives effectively with that much social media engagement. They must exist on a different timeline than I do because I cannot work, parent, cook, clean, have friendships, keep up with family, go to appointments, and not feel overwhelmed regularly much less spending countless hours on social media. It all depends on values and priorities I suppose but there are so many studies showing how disruptive distraction is in our lives, how negatively social media impacts us, and how it all relates to a dopamine cycle that puts us further and further into a dopamine chasing state. To state the obvious, if you are interested in optimal health, chasing dopamine is not in support of that goal.

I’m not really in to making New Year’s resolutions because I do more of my pattern and perspective overhauls around my birthday each year, but this seems to be calling to me as 2024 nears so I will comply. I’m going to listen to nature more from now on, especially while running. I don’t want to give up my musical runs so it’ll have to be a compromise, perhaps half of the time I’ll listen to music and half the time I’ll be present with nature’s sounds. I’ve already greatly reduced my social media use but intend to do so further. It’s just not adding value to my life, and the things I do instead of scrolling do add value, such as reading, learning languages, cooking, and just…living life.

Happy New Year and I hope you are steeped in a year that resonates with your purpose and your values. ✨

New Year, New You

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I’ve actually never gotten very into New Years resolutions very much. I tend to think in terms of personal goals and growth more around my birthday which happens to be on the first of a month when my surroundings are waking up to spring a bit, and it feels like a better time to me for renewal. But this year is different. It’s a new decade and last year was horrifically miserable, and apparently a lot of people had a seriously rough 2019’s, so I’m more than happy to see it dissolve into history and embrace a New Year with all the opportunities of newness it brings.

I’ve seen many statements about 2019 being rough because it was a year of growth, so I’ve tried to write down the ways I’ve grown to make it a true leaning and not something that has to be repeated over and over again for it to sink in. If you had a tumultuous year too, I encourage you to do the same. Don’t just be glad it’s over and jump into the next year as if it’ll be different now, instead write down what you learned, or at least have a long hard think about it if writing isn’t your thing. Make it conscious and dig deeper, because there are probably more nuggets of wisdom to uncover if you stay curious and courageous b/c it takes bravery to revisit painful things and experience the buried emotions. But it’s worth it. You have to experience the emotions before they let you be.

We all get this crazy reset opportunity once a year, and it always strikes me every single time how hopeful people are that they’ll be better next year, they’ll stick with their resolutions this time, this is the year they’ll really do it. So often the gyms are packed in January, semi-packed in February, and by March the old patterns have bullied themselves back in, stealthily disguised as life, and the world turns for another season of repetition. Don’t let that be you. Not everyone hits the gym in January, but most people do have a notion of what they want for the coming year, and if it involves you changing in some way, only you can do it. Whether you are more aligned with Virgil’s, “Fortune favors the bold,” or more Louis Pasteur with his, “Fortune favors the prepared mind,” there is decidedly more action involved than mysterious lady luck.

Cleanses and detoxes are ways to jump start any change because our mental and emotional selves need detoxing too, as do our relationships. These are the ones I wrote about last year and they are the ones I always turn to when I feel the need for a deep cleanse, especially the kitchari which that post has the recipe for. Speaking of ‘jump starts’, I read that in Denmark it is customary to jump off a chair at the stroke of midnight to leap into the New Year for good luck. I love how literal that is! There are so many global traditions for New Year’s that all are an effort to bring good luck (I compiled a list for my ESL class with more highlights from that down below) and it makes me wonder if that’s why people give up on the changes they plan to make, as in maybe they feel ‘luck’ and life aren’t cooperating fully so they surrender to it…? I’m guessing the people who hit their goals are the ones who rely a little less on fortune and a bit more on fortitude.

But a little luck never hurts so eat the grapes and lentils, wear the red or yellow underwear, and jump off all the chairs tonight~ life may not catch you where you wanted but you’ll land on your feet somewhere, that’s a promise.

Happy New Year and best wishes for 2020. Here’s some global inspiration on how to spend this evening:

From Greece: An onion is traditionally hung on the front door of homes on New Year’s Even in Greece as a symbol of rebirth in the New Year. On New Year’s Day, parents wake their children by tapping them on the head with the onion.

In Ecuador they celebrate the New Year by burning paper filled scarecrows at midnight. They also burn photographs from the last year. All in the name of good fortune.

In some South American countries wearing colored underwear will determine your fate for the new year. Red underwear means you’ll find love. Gold means wealth, and white signifies peace.

In Japan they ring all of their bells 108 times in alignment with the Buddhist belief that this brings cleanness. It’s also considered good to be smiling going into the New Year as it supposedly brings good luck.

Every year at the end of December people in a small Peruvian village fist fight to settle their differences. They then start the year off on a clean slate.

In Switzerland they celebrate the New Year by dropping ice cream on the floor.

In Romania they throw their spare coins into the river to get good luck.

In some parts of Puerto Rico, they throw pails of water out of their windows to drive away evil spirits.

And in Spain it is customary to eat 12 grapes, one at each stroke of the clock at midnight on New Year’s Eve. Each grape represents good luck for one month of the coming year. Eating grapes at midnight actually occurs in quite a few cultures around the world which begs the question, where is everyone finding grapes at this time of year? Good luck!

Cheers!🥂

Frosty Fleur

 

Cleansing for the New Year

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This is a repost of a blog I wrote around this time last year. Happy New Year everyone.

Is anyone else ready to put away the dairy and desserts and cleanse for the New Year? I personally love a good cleanse, though I’m partial to the low-suffering kind. I know people who think it’s not a real cleanse unless you take in nothing but fresh juice and water, but that never made sense to me. Our bodies like balance, and balance by extremes is not really balance at all at the human level. Just look at how bad yo-yo dieting is for people or how hard it is on the body when there are huge weight fluctuations. Gentle detox is a way to cleanse while giving the body support to adjust, instead of shocking the body and then reeling from its effects. Of course, there is a time and place for everything and if you know what you are doing and have the right support, then by all means juice away your days. If you prefer a cleansing reboot that doesn’t leave your blood sugar levels bouncing and your mood-o-meter permanently set to hangry, keep reading for some options.

Adding powdered greens to your daily routine is one way to activate detox mechanisms in your body. While cleansing you should be drinking extra glasses of water anyway, so adding a scoop or packet to one of your glasses or bottles of water is a great way to get extra goodness. It is worth noting that some green mixes, like Paradise Herbs, are formulated for energy~

while others, like the Food Science one below, are formulated more specifically for cleansing. Greens in general, whether in a powder or in a whole fresh or cooked form, are cleansing though so an energy greens mix will still work towards detoxing your system. Both these mixes came in my New Hope Blogger Box and they are tasty as well as healthy blends, but there are of course other reputable greens out there. Just be sure to read ingredients lists thoroughly.

Adding a cup or two of detoxifying herbal tea a day is another easy way to help your body cleanse. There are plenty of blends out there, such as detox teas by Yogi and Traditional Medicinals that are as easy as boiling water. Flora makes a tea concentrate that you just pour a bit out and add hot water to. They promote their cleanse every year on Facebook so you can actually join a group of others using their product to get tips and expand your knowledge a bit into the world of detox. (Plus if you join in you just might get a coupon I believe.) They do have a dry blend as well.

If you want to do something a little more involved than greens and teas, making up a batch of kitchari is what one of my herbal teachers drilled into us as the most healing, cleansing, tri-doshic thing you could do. Kitchari is a meal from the tradition of Ayurveda that is made up of mung beans and basmati rice (brown or white depending on your preference), spices, and ghee. You can eat it once a day to support a general cleanse, or you can eat kitchari three times a day and nothing else but herbal teas for 6 days straight for a more intense detox. As with all things herbal, kitchari is a traditional dish that you can find a thousand variations for so this recipe can be modified as you like. What follows is how my herbal teacher told us to make it and it has never failed me. It’s a calming meal, easy on the digestive system, and healing.

Kitchari Recipe:

1 C mung beans

1 C brown basmati rice (my herbal teacher actually used white basmati rice, so your choice really)

1 tbsp. ghee (vegans can use coconut oil)

1 tsp. each turmeric, cumin, and coriander

After soaking the mung beans overnight (or at least 6 hours), cook them in 4 C of water until they are thoroughly soft, about half an hour.

Cook rice according to its instructions, depending on white or brown, then mix together with beans.

Warm the ghee in a sauce or sauté pan and add the spices, cooking until fragrant, about 2 minutes or so.

Mix the spices and ghee with the rice and beans and you are finished. Eat as often as you like.

I’ve never been big on resolutions, but I do like the spirit of renewal that January sweeps in. A gentle cleanse sets a nice tone for the year~ a reminder to think better, feel better, act better, and be better. Best wishes for health, fulfillment, beauty, and peace to everyone for the New Year. Please subscribe for weekly posts about herbs, natural health, and green beauty, and please share this with anyone who might be interested.

 

Cleansing for the New Year

by

Is anyone else ready to put away the dairy and desserts and cleanse for the New Year? I personally love a good cleanse, though I’m partial to the low-suffering kind. I know people who think it’s not a real cleanse unless you take in nothing but fresh juice and water, but that never made sense to me. Our bodies like balance, and balance by extremes is not really balance at all at the human level. Just look at how bad yo-yo dieting is for people or how hard it is on the body when there are huge weight fluctuations. Gentle detox is a way to cleanse while giving the body support to adjust, instead of shocking the body and then reeling from its effects. Of course, there is a time and place for everything and if you know what you are doing and have the right support, then by all means juice away your days. If you prefer a cleansing reboot that doesn’t leave your blood sugar levels bouncing and your mood-o-meter permanently set to hangry, keep reading for some options.

Adding powdered greens to your daily routine is one way to activate detox mechanisms in your body. While cleansing you should be drinking extra glasses of water anyway, so adding a scoop or packet to one of your glasses or bottles of water is a great way to get extra goodness. It is worth noting that some green mixes, like Paradise Herbs, are formulated for energy~

while others, like the Food Science one below, are formulated more specifically for cleansing. Greens in general, whether in a powder or in a whole fresh or cooked form, are cleansing though so an energy greens mix will still work towards detoxing your system. Both these mixes came in my New Hope Blogger Box and they are tasty as well as healthy blends, but there are of course other reputable greens out there. Just be sure to read ingredients lists thoroughly.

Adding a cup or two of detoxifying herbal tea a day is another easy way to help your body cleanse. There are plenty of blends out there, such as detox teas by Yogi and Traditional Medicinals that are as easy as boiling water. Flora makes a tea concentrate that you just pour a bit out and add hot water to. They promote their cleanse every year on Facebook so you can actually join a group of others using their product to get tips and expand your knowledge a bit into the world of detox. (Plus if you join in you just might get a coupon or more, depending on if you are one of the firsts to sign up.) They do have a dry blend as well.

If you want to do something a little more involved than greens and teas, making up a batch of kitchari is what one of my herbal teachers drilled into us as the most healing, cleansing, tri-doshic thing you could do. Kitchari is a meal from the tradition of Ayurveda that is made up of mung beans and basmati rice (brown or white depending on your preference), spices, and ghee. You can eat it once a day to support a general cleanse, or you can eat kitchari three times a day and nothing else but herbal teas for 6 days straight for a more intense detox. As with all things herbal, kitchari is a traditional dish that you can find a thousand variations for so this recipe can be modified as you like. What follows is how my herbal teacher told us to make it and it has never failed me. It’s a calming meal, easy on the digestive system, and healing.

Kitchari Recipe:

1 C mung beans

1 C brown basmati rice (my herbal teacher actually used white basmati rice, so your choice really)

1 tbsp. ghee (vegans can use coconut oil)

1 tsp. each turmeric, cumin, and coriander

After soaking the mung beans overnight (or at least 6 hours), cook them in 4 C of water until they are thoroughly soft, about half an hour.

Cook rice according to its instructions, depending on white or brown, then mix together with beans.

Warm the ghee in a sauce or sauté pan and add the spices, cooking until fragrant, about 2 minutes or so.

Mix the spices and ghee with the rice and beans and you are finished. Eat as often as you like.

I’ve never been big on resolutions, but I do like the spirit of renewal that January sweeps in. A gentle cleanse sets a nice tone for the year~ a reminder to think better, feel better, act better, and be better. Best wishes for health, fulfillment, beauty, and peace to everyone for the New Year. Please subscribe for weekly posts about herbs, natural health, and green beauty, and please share this with anyone who might be interested.