Archive for March, 2011
Posted by terrepruitt on March 31, 2011
The doctor in my Nia Class had given me the homeopathic medicine, Trauma. I really liked it so I asked for more. She said that she likes Traumeel, so I agreed to try it. Both of them say they relieve the same things (muscular pain, sprains, pulls, and bruises). The first ingredient in the Traumeel is Calendula officinalis, which is the fourth ingredient in Trauma and it shows “Garden Marigold” in parenthesis. This ointment has a lot of the same ingredients as Trauma but they are in a different order. So this ointment is very similar to the Trauma.
It is a bit greasy and has a slight odor. I just put some of it on along with some Trauma for comparison. After I put the Traumeel on I had to wash my hand. It is not extremely greasy but just greasy enough that I can’t just rub it into my hand. I am actually not convinced it works as well as the Truama. It actually smells like medicine, somewhat like a band-aid, it is not a strong odor, but compared to the Trauma it is strong because Trauma has absolutely NO odor at all.
When I was talking to my Nia student about Traumeel she mentioned that they have an oral medicine that can be taken. My Nia friend mentioned it too, in the comments of the post regarding Trauma. I was able to find informatnoi on the internet, Trauma has an oral medicine too. I have not taken either medicine orally.
Posting about these products is my way of getting information to people. I am sharing my opinion on the products so that you can learn something about them and then decide for yourself which one you might be interested in using yourself if you are interested in homeopathic medicine. I also welcome my readers sharing what they know. Having readers comment and share is the best part.
I have concluded that I like the Trauma better. I feel it works, whereas I don’t get the same sense from the Traumeel. As stated in this post, I put them both on. I put the Traumeel on my knee (which gets tired from my odd gait) and I put the Trauma on my toe (foot and a few other toes). My toes and foot feel nice, but my knee feels the same. The Traumeel is a bit greasy, whereas I think the Trauma is more of a soft cream that actually moisturized the area I have used it on. I smell a slight odor with the Traumeel but nothing with the Trauma.
Have any of you tried them both? Any of you tried either? What are your thoughts?
Posted in Helpful Hints, Misc | Tagged: bruises, Calendula officinalis, Garden Marigold, homeopathic medicine, homeopathic ointment, muscular pain, Nia class, Nia student, pulls, sprains, Trauma, Traumeel | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on March 29, 2011
There seems to be so many reasons one can get hiccups they don’t really know what EXACTLY causes them. What happens when you have the hiccups is the diaphragm contracts repeatedly. Sometimes when we suck air in really fast we make the “hic” sound. I know sometimes I have very loud hiccups. Sometimes they are so strong they hurt. I don’t really like the hiccups, they are disruptive. There are many remedies to get rid of the hiccups. I have one that I use and it works EVERY SINGLE TIME.
One remedy is to eat a package of sugar . . . . at least that is one that I know of. A package of sugar is less than a teaspoon. I have never tried it, but my husband, the person that told me about it, has used this method. He said it works.
My sure-fire cure for the hiccups is drinking water. The trick is to drink the water with your ears plugged. So you either need someone to help you or you need a straw. Plug your ears and drink through the straw or have someone plug your ears for you. I drink as much water as I can before I have to take a breath of air. They go way . . . . every time. I have never had this method fail me.
What is your method? Or what have you heard of? What have you tried that didn’t work?
On an unrelated note — please remember my Nia Class in Los Gatos where I will be collecting donations for the American Cancer Society – Relay for Life is April 17th. If you are local, I hope to see you there.
Posted in Helpful Hints, Misc | Tagged: contracting diaphragm, diaphragm contractions, disruptive hiccups, donations for American Cancer Society, hiccup, hiccup cure, hiccup remedy, hiccups, Los Gatos Nia, loud hiccups, Nia class, Nia Los Gatos, painful hiccups, Relay For Life, sugar hiccup remedy, workout in Los Gatos | 6 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on March 26, 2011
I love garlic. I made dinner tonight with a ton of garlic and it is just so yummy. Garlic is part of the onion family. It is often referred to as the “stinking rose”. Garlic itself is quite aromatic. If you eat enough of it, it usually lingers on your breath and seeps out through your pours via sweat. During digestion a portion of it cannot be digested and gets into the blood where it is excreted through lungs and skin. Aside from making you aromatic 😉 , garlic seems to help with a lot of things in the body.
There is a protein needed to move iron around in the body, while garlic does not have this protein in it garlic may help the body increase its production. Garlic is also proving to be an anti-inflammatory. Which affects the circulatory system, the muscular system, and our bones. The properties in garlic assist in the blood not clumping and in keep the vessels open. Garlic has been shown to reduce blood pressure and lower cholesterol.
If you like garlic you shouldn’t hesitate to eat it, cook with it, and use it generously. Unless, of course you are taking the type of medications that might act adversely with a large quantity of garlic.
This food helps with infections from both bacteria and viruses. I remember watching the Doctor Oz show where he said a clove of garlic in the ear over night can eliminate an ear infection. It might help in the treatment of some infections that are resistant to antibiotics. Garlic has a long history of being used in a medicinal fashion.
My family used to eat sautéed garlic. It is very strong when cooked and eaten this way. I think that roasting it tends to cut down on the bitter that comes out when frying it. Roasting helps bring out the sweetness.
I never made a marinade without garlic. I use garlic a lot. Tonight I cooked broccoli in minced garlic and sprinkled powered garlic on the pasta.
I didn’t realize that some people have a fear of garlic. This phobia is called alliumphobia. I guess I did know that there was a fear of garlic—I would think that vampires suffer from alliumphbia. 🙂
Do you like garlic? How do you use it? Do you cook with it? Do you use fresh garlic? Do you use garlic powder?
Posted in Food | Tagged: alliumphobia, anti-inflammatory, antiboiotics, curculatory system, garlic, lower cholesterol, muscular system, onion, reduce blood pressure, stinking rose, vampires | 9 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on March 24, 2011
Holy Moly! Our weather has been wet lately. Really wet. No, not as wet as a tsunami and it will not leave as much devastation as was left in Japan. But it is really wet for us. I am glad I teach Nia inside. It has been raining for days, but for us, here in San Jose we have had hours, even a day when it has stopped. This is La Niña. I had to look it up, because when my husband and I got married 13 years ago there was El Niño. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: “The 1997/98 El Niño ranks as one of the major climatic events of this century.”
The administration studied the information available and was able to predict as early as January 1997 that the winter of 1997/98 was going to be wet. As the year progressed they became more confident with their predictions of heavy rainfall and flooding. So I had heard all of this while planning our outdoor wedding. We had a plan if it rained or if the ground was too wet, good thing because that is what ended up happening. It rained the day of and the ground was too wet for us to be outside. Because El Niño is a warm type of storm pattern we were actually able to go outside for a few pictures.
This storm we are having now is cold. That is why I looked it up because I remember hearing that this year was an La Niña year and I didn’t know the difference between the El Niño and the La Niña. Colder than normal temperatures is the characteristics of La Niña. Another characteristic is that it follows El Niño. I remember there being rain last winter, but it didn’t seem more than normal and the temperatures weren’t as cold. It seems as if we have these weather patterns all the time. I guess we only really hear about them when they are really severe.
Right now the rain is causing flooding and landslides. We are fortunate because with raining happening non-stop in some areas there can be planning and people can take precautions. There is time in some cases to prepare. Not always, early this week I heard that an area where there was only one way in and one way out got closed off. The gulch had a landslide so those that were IN the neighborhood were stuck and those that were out were stuck. Some people are being evacuated. My heart goes out to them. I hope they remain safe and are able to come back to a home intact.
I’m just thinking out loud. I was curious about the weather. I also keep thinking that this is a long period of rain, but I keep thinking 40 days and 40 nights must have really seemed like forever. Also as much water as we are getting it is still not as much as Japan. I guess I keep thinking about Japan. I hope you are too, not to dwell and be upset, but to hold space for them. To pray for them and to think positive thoughts.
Posted in Misc | Tagged: bad weather March 2011, El Nina, El Nino, flooding of March 2011, Japan March 2011, Japan tsunami, La Nina, La Nino, March 2011, National Oceanic and Atmospheri Adminstartion, Nia San Jose, NOAA, San Jose Nia, San Jose rain, San Jose Weather, storm patters, weather prediction, wet weather | 5 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on March 22, 2011
I’ve mentioned that one day after Nia Class I learned one of my students is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor. How I learned that, she told me to try the Wet Sock Treatment. She also gave me a homeopathic medicine called Trauma. The box says it is for temporary relief of pain and inflammation from injuries, muscle sprains and pulls, bruises and trauma. I said I would try it even though I am a fan of Zheng Gu Shui. I have been wanting to post about this since I got it because it is pretty awesome. I am a fan of it too.
It is so nice because unlike Zheng Gu Shui it does not have a scent. It also does not stain anything. It also is not drying. I think it actually moisturizes. It is a cream so it is much easier to apply than Zheng Gu Shui which is a liquid. It is so scent free and residue free that I would often put it on after I got in bed and would just go right to sleep without even bother to wash my hands.
It has arnica in it and I have been told that arnica is great for bruises and it helps with inflammation. It has many other flowers and herbs, including witch hazel, chamomile, and echinacea. I would recommend people try it if they have the need for an ointment of this type.
This “problem” with it is according to the package and the website it is only “available through licensed providers and pharmacists”. Maybe that means you can actually get it at a pharmacy. I didn’t even think to look. Well, if you are interested in trying a homeopathic medicine that has no scent yet gives great relief maybe you can check.
Posted in Helpful Hints, Misc | Tagged: arnica, chamomile, echinacea, homeopathic medicine, Naturopathic Doctor, Nia, Nia class, Nia fan, ointment for bruises, ointment for sore muscles, Trauma, trauma cream, trauma ointment, witch hazel, Zheng Gu Shui | 9 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on March 19, 2011
I have had the opportunity to actually use the iPad. This is somewhat of an update from my iPad Coolness post in which I said, “Oooo!” but didn’t really get to use the iPad. This time I inherited one so I have it set up for me.
This version of the iPad does not have a camera nor a phone. I have a camera and a phone with a camera so I am covered. But I could see if you carry your iPad around it would be nice to have all of that included. I understand that you wouldn’t hold your iPad up to your face, as you would a phone, but headset or bluetooth device could make it nice.
I do love the beautiful display. It is sooo pretty. I know that might sound simple, but . . . c’mon . . . it IS pretty. It is crisp, it is clean–well, except for all of the finger prints on it. Because of its amazing touch-the-screen technology and the fact that the screen becomes the keyboard there is always finger prints and swipes on it. So some of its clarity gets dulled under all of that.
I was intrigued by the calendar function on the iPad and I have to laugh because I haven’t even looked at the calendar on the iPad this time. I have been using it to play a game (We Rule) my husband and I play. Because the iPad is so much larger than the iPhone it is much easier. I have also been using it to do a lot of my work on the internet.
I had mentioned in my last post that I really like the way the webpages show up. As you can see in the picture it shows the webpages that are open or easily opened. There can be up to nine webpages available. I like that since I am always going to HelpYouWell.com, the NiaNow website, my blog, my e-mail, my Yelp page, Nia Class info, and so on. It makes it really easy to sit and “watch” TV. While I am sitting there I can do research for a post. I do enjoy the ease at which I can quickly surf the web and read things, but I do not like typing on the iPad for any length of time. I would not choose to write a blog post on it. Often times I turn on a computer to comment on blogs or Facebook. I am keyboard person. I need the SENSATION of the keys. The touch screen has me typing gibberish. I am still learning, so my next post regarding the iPad could be that I use it for everything.
The iPad is heavy though . . . and I don’t mean it is HEAVY as if I can’t hold it or lift it, but when you think of the position in which you hold it it is heavy. Now the iPad2—but that is a whole other blog post. Since I do find myself setting it down a lot I end up looking down at it. With a monitor (when I am on a laptop or a “regular” computer) at least I am looking UP instead of down—that actually can be another blog post too (hump back)!
I suspect that as time goes on I will learn to use it more and appreciate it more. Now I am just experiencing the amazingness of mobility. I am not at the point where I can give up my tower. I am having to do without my tower at the moment because it is being worked on. But it is four years old, by the time I need a new tower/computer (I am getting a new one this month), I might be fully integrated into this iPad thing. It is amazing. It is fast. It is pretty. It is the future.
Do you have an iPad? Or Tablet or something like it (if so please share information because I would love to hear. Since we were gifted iPads I have never done any research on the products)? Do you have a mobile device? Do you have a smart phone?
Posted in Misc | Tagged: @HelpYouWell, bluetooth, camera phone, Facebook, helpyouwell.com, humpback, iPad, iPad2, iphone, laptop, mobile computer, mobile device, mobile phones, Nia, Nia class, Nia sensation, nianow, nianow website, NiaNow.com, smart phone, tablet, tower computer, We Rule, Yelp | 4 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on March 17, 2011
I know there is so much going on right now–our hearts are heavy with the burden of caring for Japan, its people, and the surrounding areas. I know a lot of people are not able to help financially with all of the charities and causes they would like. I found myself in a situation. My friend’s sister posted on Facebook that she was going to do the Relay for Life in memory of her sister. I was on my phone when I read the post and I told her I wanted to do it too. I didn’t even know what it was. I didn’t understand the “relay” part of it. When I got to a computer and I was gathering information someone said to me that it is difficult to raise money. I stopped. I had not thought about that. I was just thinking that I would be walking to support. I had completely forgot that part of that support is raising funds.
Then my friends and I had a discussion about our annual MS Walk. We have been walking in the MS Walk for at least three years now. We were discussing how it is always difficult to ask for money. Having to raise funds for the MS Society and having to obtain donations for the Relay would make it more of a challenge.
I thought about it. I thought, “What can I do?” What can I give so that others can get something for donating? Well, for the Relay for Life I thought of a benefit Nia Class. I contacted a Twitter Friend of mine that owns a gym. I approached him with what I would be able to pay in rent, in order to have some left over for the donation. He has a big heart and he is donating the gym time. (SUHWEET!) I am donating my time, so 100% of all proceeds are going to go to the American Cancer Relay for Life. I will be walking in May.
But I don’t want my walk in April for the MS Society to be forgotten either. So I have to mention that too.
Also the studio in Los Gatos where I teach my Friday Nia class is also doing a Relay For Life walk. I am hoping to do that one too, somehow, but it is on the same day as the MS Walk and I will be unavailable that day so I have to see if I can participate in this Relay on Friday by walking Friday night OR just by raising funds. I have to work out these logistics before I post that link.
For the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life that my friend is doing for her sister and my friend, come to my Nia Class Sunday, April 17, 2011 at 11:30 am in Los Gatos. The minimum donation is $7.00 — all of which will go to the American Cancer Society. Please see my website, HelpYouWell.com for details. If you can’t make it to the class you can donate via the following link if you would like.
If you would like to donate to my walk with the MS Society that if great too. It is understandable that you will probably have to pick one to donate to. So follow your heart. Remember giving to these causes is an act of love, so please do not give more than you comfortable can. We all would like to give hundreds and hundreds of dollars, but that is not possible, so remember every little bit counts so give what you can.
If money is not something you can give, then please do think positive thoughts for both of these causes. I know that they will be needing all the help they can get.
MS Walk: Saturday, April 30, 2011 http://bit.ly/terremswalk
American Cancer Society Relay For Life: Saturday, May 14, 2011 http://bit.ly/terreacsrelay
Posted in Misc, Nia | Tagged: American Cancer Society Relay for Life, donations, Friday Nia Class, funds, Japan charities, Los Gatos Gym, MS Society, MS Walk, Nia benefit Class, Nia class, Nia Los Gatos | 4 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on March 15, 2011
Since I’ve been teaching Nia classes our roles or our “duties” have changed a bit. Since I don’t get up at the crack of dawn any longer and I have more time at home, I try to do more. Because of this change I have been thinking a lot of one of my favorite stories. When I was working at a 8 to 5 job I was talking to a friend and the subject of marriage came up. She said she didn’t want to get married. When I asked her why, she said she didn’t want to do all the cooking and cleaning, she didn’t want to be stuck at home and not be able to go out, she didn’t want to share the finances. She looked at me so confused when I said, “Granack-ack!” Ok, I really didn’t say, “Granack-ak!” But the look she gave me would have made you think I was speaking Martian.
I had actually said, “Don’t. Don’t do all of that.” I asked her why she thought she had to do all of that and she said that is what marriage is. That is how it is. I laughed, kindly, of course, and explained that I didn’t cook every night, do his laundry, and stay home all the time. She kept looking confused. I kept talking. I explained that marriage is really whatever the two people getting married agree upon. Apparently that had never occured to her. Maybe she just really hadn’t given it much thought. I don’t know.
When I first met my hubby I told him I wasn’t going to cook every night, do his laundry, or be responsible for everything. Since I was working too, it needed to be even. We did a lot of things that might be thought unconventional in a partnership, but it worked for us. Every marriage is as unique as the two people who are married so there really is no set “norm”.
I believe the two need to be in agreement with how the marriage is going to be. It would not work if one partner thought going out every night was ok and the other one didn’t. If one thinks that dinner is going to be made and put on the table every night then the other one must be in agreement. If there is not agreement on the expectations and duties then there is going to be a lot of problems. And since marriage is not easy, since no matter what there are challenges, it is important that there is agreement on how it is going to work.
When situations change and different things come up hopefully there can be a new agreement reached, if necessary. The point is that people can make their own marriage however if works for the two in the marriage. There is no cookie cutter recipe.
Posted in Nia | Tagged: 8 to 5 job, cookie cutter, Marriage, marriage agreement, marriage challenges, marriage duties, Marriage Ruminations, married people, Nia, Nia Classes, Nia Teacher, teaching Nia | 8 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on March 12, 2011
I believe that I have mentioned before Nia allows us—even encourages us—to do routines with different focuses. I know I have posted about focuses before. This past week I led my classes in the Nia routine called Sanjana. I believe this is a routine created by Debbie Rosas NKA Debbie Rosas-Stewart. It is an awesome routine (well, yeah . . . its Nia). I decided that I would do one of the nine movement forms per class. I know I have posted about Nia’s Nine Movement Forms before, too. I had used some of the movement forms previously with this routine, so I decided the ones we did this week would be ones I had not paired up with Sanjana. Monday in my San Jose Nia class we did the ideas of Moshe Feldenkrais. For Wednesdays Nia class in San Jose we utilized the energy of Tae Kwon Do. My Los Gatos class on Friday experienced Sanjana with the Modern Dance flair.
I love this about Nia. I love that doing the same routine, but doing it with different energies allows for different movement, different sensations. Each movement form has its own energy, that is how we apply them to a routine and come up with something unique. I chose Feldenkrais for Monday because often times participants are a bit sleepy on Monday mornings. Sometimes we prefer something that moves us but something more along the lines of a stretch or a healing art. It could be that too much was done over the weekend or not enough, so Mondays are a little different. With this conscious movement as our guide we were able to focus on the sensation of the body as we moved. The dance was conscious. We could concentrate on areas that needed attention, either from the over-use during the weekend or lack of use. Whatever the case, the idea is ease. Move with ease into one’s own power and strength. This is a gentle movement form but that does not mean it is not intense. We can still move our bodies to get a great strength and/or cardio workout when playing with the healing arts, but it is with greater awareness.
By the middle of the week, Wednesday’s class was perfect for Martial Arts. Nia students have “recovered” from the weekend so the whole body can be used. We have the strength to utilize the power of the Tae Kwon Do energy. The dance can be precise, by this time of the week. Two days are behind, only three are left (class is in the morning), the desire and focus needed to push on is there. Sanjana has great opportunity for dynamic ease to be exercised. There are katas that allow for the fluid moves of martial arts with dance, kicking, punching, blocking, and striking. In fact the “Exercises” listed in The Nia Technique White Belt Manual* under the Tae Kwon Do craft seems as if they were written expressly for Sanjana.
Friday, unknown to me at the time I planned my dance week, was a great day to do Modern Dance. With the tsunami that hit Japan over the night (Thursday night for us, Japan’s Friday) it was a great time for dance. Modern Dance calls you to express yourself. This movement form is one of imagination. You can be big and/or small, fast and/or slow, a tree, a rock, sand, water, air, even a feeling. People can truly dance whatever they want. So while we are still practicing our stances the feelings put into it are those of the participant. Movements led by me are executed by whatever sense is being experienced. Many people had different issues and feelings to work through. Even if some of those feelings were a celebration with the understanding that life is short and precious so we need to celebrate what we have while we have it. This form is that of balance–both on and off, flexibility, strength, power, drama, emotions . . . whatever fits. It was a great way to let our bodies move while our hearts went out to all that were affected.
Nia is awesome like that. We danced the same routine for all three classes this week. With each class it was different while we paired up the routine with different movement forms. While the movement forms were able supply the energy, the “feel”, the sensation that was required for the day.
(Thoughts and prayers go out to ALL that are/were/and will be affected by the earthquake in Japan on March 12, 2011 and the subsequent tsunami.)
*March 2001, V# Page 2-19 thru 2-20
Posted in Nia | Tagged: 2011 tsunami, cardio dance, cardio exercises, cardio workout, Debbie Rosas, Debbie Rosas Stewart, dynamic ease, Feldenkrais, Japan's Tsunami, Los Gatos Nia, Los Gatos Nia Class, March 12, Mondern Dance, Moshe Feldenkrais, Nia cardio, Nia class, Nia Dance, Nia exercise, Nia focus, Nia katas, Nia Los Gatos, Nia Practice, Nia routine Sanjana, Nia routines, Nia San Jose, Nia Technique, Nia White Belt, Nia White Belt Manual, Nia workout, Nia's movement forms, Nine Movement Forms, San Jose Nia, San Jose Nia class, Sanjana, Tae kwon do, White Belt | 3 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on March 10, 2011
After my Nia Class earlier this week, two students and I were talking about water. I was saying that I DO NOT like lemon in my water, but since water is a bit acidic, I had been drinking lemon in my water. I don’t like the taste. I don’t like lemon, but as I learned from the video in my Balance of Acid and Alkaline post, in the body it digests to alkaline. Lemon helps the water be less acidic. One of my students said that she had recently seen Alkaline Bottle Water. She asked what it was. I had no idea so I looked it up. I thought I would share what I learned.
What I found was claims that ionized water is alkaline water. Some information states that ionization is done via electrolysis and others say the it is done via adding minerals. Wiki states, that a water ionizer separates water into alkaline and acid fractions using a process known as electrolysis.
The information that states ionized water is done via electrolysis states that it is best to drink it right away, when it is fresh. The information states that the health benefits of the water do not last when the water is bottled.
I looked at a lot of sites that had the chemical make up of the water or something (such as – H2O → H+ + OH–) and what the chemical make up was before and after ionization. I don’t know what all that means. The more I looked for more information the more confusing it became to me.
I couldn’t actually find any information on what is done to bottle water claiming to be alkaline water. Maybe it is run through an ionization system and then bottled.
As with everything (it seems) there was information stating that ionized water is great, it can all but cure diseases. Then there was information that stated it was all a bunch of hooey. So as with any thing and all things, I have to say that you just have to try it for yourself. I have not yet done it myself, but I know you can purchase pH Test Strips from health food stores, so I would think that testing the water would be the best. I guess it also depends on what you are drinking the water for. If you are drinking the alkaline water because it is less acidic, then maybe any of the above would work. But if you are drinking it because it is ionized and you are looking for all of the health benefits that are touted, then as with anything you would have to see how you feel when you drink it.
For now I will stick to putting lemon in my water. How about you? Are you a fan of ionized water? Alkaline water? Do you drink lemon in your water?
Posted in Water | Tagged: alkaline water, bottle alkaline water, bottled water, electrolysis, health benefits of iodized water, health food, iodized system, iodized water, ionization system, ionized water, lemon water, Nia, Nia Classes, pH test strips, Wiki | 13 Comments »
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