wellpdx

Making Contact…

If we allow ourselves to sit and watch the world we will be witness to an ever-flowing movement. A hummingbird flies in for a closer look and then flies back out to safety; a wave from a large body of water comes in to make contact with the earth then retreats, and the Morning Glory flower that gently opens by day and closes by night. All of life is a product of this flow, and as we move in and out of relationships and experiences we also must find our way back to our center to retreat, to rejuvenate and get ready to move forward again.

At our very best we can move from this connection with the world and then withdraw from it easily and at our leisure. However, often our careers and family and other obligations pull us out of this natural rhythm into one that over time can, and will, end up having a negative impact on our lives. If we only move outward and don't take the time to retreat- anxiety, depression, fatigue, over indulging and pulling away from those who generally provide us with the love and support we need are often the outcome.

Each of us has to find a way to take the time to retreat and renew on an ongoing basis. Now

Fat: friend or foe?

I often observe a trend following the holidays of “cutting-out” (sugar, coffee, alcohol, and fat). Don’t cut out the fat! Side effects from removing fat in the diet that I have observed in my patients include: depressed mood, anxiety, hormone deficiencies, increased pain and inflammation, fatigue, weight gain, and immune deficiency.

Fat and cholesterol are essential building blocks in the body. For example, every cell in our body has a protective cell membrane made of cholesterol, and every hormone is synthesized from cholesterol. Fat in the diet is necessary to absorb the fat-soluble vitamins, A, D, E, and K. Fat also supports a stable blood sugar and energy levels.

So what kind of fat and how much should we eat? According to Mary Enig Ph.D., nutritionist/biochemist and

Somehow in the counseling field, the word “resistance” seems to have become a catchall term for all the unhelpful things that interfere with therapy. Perhaps the client is late, forgets to bring up important topics until the very end of session, doesn’t practice her new skills at home, or is flat out non-compliant. We see that the client isn’t making the progress we’d hoped for, or maybe not in the planned number of sessions.

With my clients who are getting or staying clean & sober, there is often resistant self-talk like: “it’s not a problem;” “the problem isn’t that serious;” or “I can’t do anything about the problem.” This resistance is generally seen as something to see through or get past.

But as I work with clients in helping them find their own voice, listen to their body and trust their gut, the more I wonder about the nature of these resistances. I find a tension between supporting a client to find their own timetable and

LIFE CHOICES
The New Year is a wonderful time to sit in front of the mirror and ask yourself what kind of life you would like to live. We all want health, and success and love, but what are we doing about it today and what are our intentions for this New Year?

There are so many health fads and diets out there that it sometimes seems impossible to ever find the right one. The “right one” has to be a diet that will integrate with your life in the long run. It is no use to lose 30 lbs for 6 months only to gain it back because you couldn’t bear another day of diet food.

Swear off processed foods. That’s a good start. Well, most of them anyway. There are examples all over the world of people living into a healthy old age following various diets, but the only diet that I have come across that has been statistically analyzed is the Mediterranean diet.

The Mediterranean diet is a high fat, low (or no) sugar, refined grains, hydrogenated

The end of the year can quickly become a crazy-making whirlwind of competing demands, so we've compiled some thoughts about how to stay sane and healthy in this powerful time!

On one hand, the end of the year is a winding down, a time of reflection and rejuvenation before the beginning of what's to come. On the other, it's the busy holiday season! And as we all know, that can mean a lot of decisions about what to eat, how to spend our money, who to spend our time with, and on and on and on -- all of which can make us wish we could roll ourselves in a rug and hide in the closet until January. But never fear, sanity is always at hand!

1. Laugh. Even if you have to force it - studies show that the brain doesn't know the difference between a faked smile or laugh and the genuine article. Plus, you never know, it may turn into the real thing!

2. Eat. Denying yourself food amid stressful times leads to nothing good. The brain needs glucose (more of those studies show) to function properly and make good decisions. If you want to avoid binging on things you don't particularly value (candy, etc.) then fill your breakfast, lunch, and dinner plate with beautiful, bright colors (think dark green greens, orange carrots, purple cabbage, red-orange sweet potatoes, black raisins, brown whole grains, and on and on), and delicious flavors! If you need some tasty recipe assistance, we recommend abbys-table.com.

3. Get outside. A breath of fresh air and a little blood movement can change your whole perspective. We know it's hard to get motivated to bundle up and brave the cold, but it'll be worth every second! If it's not, feel free to write to us and complain.