You can use the focus of your mind to increase your emotional and physical well-being and your relationships.

Daniel Siegel, MD- writes about in his book ‘The Mindful Brain’ the many benefits of practicing mindfulness in our everyday lives.

In particular, Dr. Siegel highlights an 8-week study that measured participants EEG patterns.  After 8-weeks of practicing mindfulness, there was a significant shift in energy patterns to the left side of the brain.  This energy shift was found in the pre-frontal middle cortex. The pre-frontal middle cortex is in charge of the following areas in the brain.

1) Body Regulation- regulating body temp, heart rate, stress reactors

2) Attuned Communication- Within relationships, there is increased internal attunement, where an observing self can tune into a warm, open, and accepting self to the other person.

3) Emotional Balance- regulation of mood

4) Response Flexibility- ability to not act impulsively, but evaluate all your options and then make a decision

5) Insight- Parents with more insight were found to be able to provide more loving and secure attachment to their children.

6) Empathy- being able to show compassion towards another and put oneself in another persons situation or experience.

7) Fear Modulation- regulating and attending to fear and/or anxiety.

Intuition- Being in touch with your body and the messages it sends.  The body brings messages from the body to the mind if one listens.  They come in the form of sensations, images, feelings, and thoughts (SIFT).

9) Morality- Thinking about the larger social good, not just thinking, but enacting these moral ideas, even when we are alone.

If you are interested in learning more about starting a practice of mindfulness.

There are many resources available to you:

• Find a weekly sitting meditation group

Spirit Rock- www.spiritrock.org
Insight Meditation Center- http://www.insightmeditationcenter.org/
SF Insight- http://www.sfinsight.org/

• Read Books

Jon Kabat Zinn- Mindfulness for Beginners
Thich Nhat Han- The Miracle of Mindfulness
Mark Coleman- Awake in the Wild- Mindfulness in Nature as a path to self- discovery (walking meditation)
Ram Dass- The Journey of Awakening

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In addition, to eating lots of fruits and veggies and whole grains, getting enough Omega 3’s in your diet is vital.  Research has found that in order to prevent deficiency and to foster optimal health, EFA’s must be consumed daily.

There are two families of essential fats:Omega- 3 and Omega 6.  Proper cell function is dependent on a balanced intake of these fats.  The overabundance of Omega-6 fats (from refined vegetable oils, processed foods, and meat) in the Western diet has dramatically upset this balance.

Excess Omega 6 fats and a relative deficiency of Omega 3 fats, are contributing factors to many chronic health condiditons such as heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, ADHD, and depression.

The best sources of the Omega-3 fats, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are cold water fish such as sardines, anchovies, salmon, and herring.  The beneficial Omega-6, gamma linoleic acid GLA, is found in born and evening primrose oils.

The American Heart Association recommends 500 mg of EPA and DHA and that there should be a 3:1 ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 is necessary for optimal health.  The average American ratio is 15:1.  Therefore a recommendation of 1,000 mg of EPA or DHA is recommended to offset the imbalance of Omega-6’s we get from our diet.

www.nordicnaturals.com- a sustainable and green company offering Omega 3 supplements.

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Flip Flops are named for the sound they make when you walk. However, cool for summer time, wearing them all the time can have some serious implications to our gait and how we walk.

Researchers at Auburn University have found through videotaping 39 flip-flop wearing volunteers that those who wear the flip flops regularly scrunch their toes to keep the flip flops on while the heel is lifted in the air. This motion stretches the plantar fascia, the connective tissue that runs along the bottom of the foot. When the plantar fascia and plantar muscles get stretched out, the result is inflammation, pain, tired feet, and sometimes heel spurs.

What is the solution?
Flip-Flops are okay in the short run, your feet stay nice and cool, but sandals with heel straps are healthier for your feet. If you are going to wear flip flops you may also want to try fitflops or chaco. Both of these brands have been recommended by the American Podiatric Medical Association because they have a thicker sole, good arch support, and a deep heel cup that holds the foot and helps with shock absorption.

Since we are on the topic of shoes- let’s talk about the heels vs. flats scenario.

Wearing heels for prolonged periods can result in a shortening and tightening of the achilles tendon. When you walk in a relatively flat shoe, your foot flexes up (dorsiflexes) when your heel hits the ground and then flexes down (plantarflexes) as you toe off. If the Achilles tendon is short and tight because of high heels, the foot loses its ability to flex up and down, so switching to a flat can cause heel and calf pain. Flats can also aggravate conditions like plantar fascitis if they lack good arch and heel support.

If you are moving away from high heels to flats, do so gradually, wearing lower heels at first. This will give your achilles tendon some time to relax and stretch out.

Wishing you a happy summer and happy feet.

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