Editor’s Advice: A Simple Tool to Calm Down

A few months ago, I saw bestselling author and integrative physician, Dr. Andrew Weil, speak about a breathing technique on the Dr. Oz Show. He called it “a natural tranquilizer for the nervous system,” and in today’s busy, stress-filled society, we could all use a natural tranquilizer once in a while!

It’s known as the 4-7-8 Relaxing Breath exercise, and the best part is it takes only a minute and a half each day to practice. While many people see immediate benefits, these increase over time.

I recently added this exercise to my daily routine, and I love it. So, of course, I have to share it with all my elevated friends because it’s so simple, doesn’t take much time, and offers so many benefits! (See video below for Dr. Weil demonstrating the technique.)

The exercise must be done twice per day, at four cycles each time. Dr. Weil uses it before his morning meditation and at night when he lays down to sleep, and that is how I began incorporating into my life. I actually find it improves my meditation session and relaxes me before I even begin my mantra. I also use it whenever I feel stressed, anxious or triggered by something, and it immediately sends me into a place of calm.

Dr. Weil said this breath is the “single best method” he has found for falling back to sleep if he wakes up in the middle of the night, and it is also a very powerful anti-anxiety tool – even helping those with panic disorders.

“You are putting a signal into your nervous system and the effects of this are cumulative,” he said. “I guarantee you, if you will stick with this you will be amazed at what you will see.”

All you need to do is place the tip of your tongue against the ridge of the tissue right behind your front teeth, inhale through your nose for a count of four, hold it for a count of seven, and then exhale through your mouth making a “whoosh” sound for a count of eight. Do this for four cycles.

After a month of practice, this can be done for up to eight cycles at a time, twice per day, and also as needed throughout the day. Not only do you get immediate relief, but you are retraining your body and nervous system to function differently.

Watch Dr. Weil explain the technique and demonstrate it in the below video, and I hope you like it as much as I do!

Tammy_Mastroberte_headshotTammy Mastroberte is a three-time, award-winning writer, founder of Elevated Existence, and publisher and editorial director of the multi-award-winning Elevated Existence Magazine. She started the new age, spiritual and self-improvement publication at age 30 – eight years after the sudden death of her mother from a brain aneurysm only three days after Christmas in 1999. This tragedy led her down a synchronistic path to discover her purpose and the meaning behind many of the events in her life – including her mother’s death. She now shares her guidance, and the wisdom of today’s top authors and spiritual celebrities through Elevated Existence Magazine. Follow her on Twitter: @ElevatedTammy or on Instagram: elevatedtammy. For more information, visit www.tammymastroberte.com.

Dr. Andrew Weil Talks All-Natural Remedies and 5 New Essentials on Dr. Oz

Best-selling author and medical doctor, Andrew Weil revealed his five new essentials on a recent episode of The Dr. Oz Show, along with some other tips for optimal health and healing.

Most people don’t realize the body’s ability to heal itself, and how important lifestyle choices are, Weil told Dr. Oz.

“Most diseases that kill and disable people prematurely in our culture are lifestyle diseases that could have been avoided if people made better choices,” he said. “People expect quick fixes and don’t want to do the simple lifestyle changes that take a little more time to work but ultimately are much better.”

Here are his 5 new essentials:

— Iodine – Weil explained most women are deficient – as many as 1 in 3 – and it’s a multi-purpose mineral that keeps everything functioning, including the heart, brain and stomach. The body can’t make it, so we need to rely on food or supplements. Iodized salt is one way to get it, as well as dairy, tuna, sardines, mackerel and shellfish. However, the best was is through seaweed, and Weil recommended capsules of kelp extract.

— Pistachios and DGL Supplements – These can help with digestion, according to Weil. Pistachios are full of fiber and minerals, and recent research shows they are a good pre-biotic. One serving is 47 nuts, and has 158 calories. Also, 85 percent of the fat is not saturated, so it’s good for the heart. The DGL supplements are good for those who suffer from heartburn or acid reflux disease. The usual dose is to chew one or two tablets before meals and at bedtime. It is made from an extract of licorice that increases mucus coating in the stomach and lower esophagus to protect tissues from irritation like stomach acid, he explained.

— Dial Down Stress – Since not everyone is open to meditation, Weil said people can dial down their stress in less than a minute by performing palm reflexology. In the palm of the hand, between the thumb and the pointer finger, massage the area with pressure and in a circular motion. Then go to the tops of the fingers and massage and gently pull them. Additionally, he recommends de-stressing with his “4-7-8 breathing technique” – inhale through the nose for a count of four, hold your breath for a count of 7, and blow air out of your mouth making a whoosh sound to a count of eight. He calls this a “natural tranquilizer for your nervous system.

— Raw Food – While Weil does not recommend a total raw diet, since some food is actually more nutritious when cooked, he does recommend some things be eaten raw. Tomatoes and carrots are actually more nutritious when cooked, but greens, including asparagus are great raw. He recommends dipping the raw asparagus, which is rich in folate and essential B vitamins, in salad dressing. Also, raw garlic is very beneficial. Crush it and let it sit 10 minutes. Then add it to a salad dressing, to tomato sauce at the end of cooking, or crush it and add it to toast. Weil said he eats raw garlic when he feels a cold coming on.

— CoQ10 – This is a supplement Dr. Weil recommends everyone take as it protects the heart and the brain, and the body can’t afford to live without it. It is actually an anti-aging supplement because it protects the cells in the body from oxidative stress – especially the heart – and also regulates metabolism. Additionally, as the body ages, it makes less CoQ10, and anyone taking a statin drug should be supplementing because these drugs cause the body to make less as well. Weil recommends 120 mg per day.

In addition to his five new essentials, Dr. Weil also offered some other tips based on viewer questions, and his own personal routine. These include:

  •  Soaking in a warm bath is one of the best remedies for aches and pains.
  • DMSO solvent penetrates the skin very fast for things like tennis elbow.
  •  Eucalyptus oil is very good for the respiratory system, so he recommends putting a few drops in a pot of boiling water on the stove and steaming.
  • Enhance health by adding Asian mushrooms to your diet, including shitake and maitake.
  • Add probiotics to your daily routine to restore the friendly bacteria in the stomach. Make sure it has a combination of lactobacillus and  lacto bifidobacterium.
  • To boost memory, add a alpha lipoic acid supplement – start with 100 mg per day and increase to 400mg per day.
  • Siberian Ginseng supplements can boost energy.
  • Strawberries and oranges help to keep teeth white and protect the enamel.
  • To lower cholesterol, take red yeast rice supplement in combination with CoQ10.

Visit the health and healing and/or food and recipes section of the website for more information on these topics!

New “True Food” Cookbook by Dr. Andrew Weil

Dr. Andrew Weil, founder and director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine and a partner of True Food Kitchen, a restaurant chain, released a brand new cookbook “True Food: Seasonal, Sustainable, Simple, Pure,” with co-author Sam Fox, who is the founder and CEO of Fox Restaurant Concepts.

Known for his anti-inflammatory diet, Weil’s newest book features a range of recipes – 125 in total – true to his teachings, and easy to make. Some options include Curried Cauliflower Soup, Corn and Ricotta Cheese Ravioli, Moroccan Chicken Salad, Chocolate Icebox Tart, Chocolate Banana Tart and Pomegranate Martini.

Although the book features vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free recipes, there is plenty for meat-eaters as well.

For more cookbooks, article on food and recipes, visit the Food & Recipes section of this site!

 

Dr. Andrew Weil Introduces Seasonal Nutritional Supplements and Program

Andrew Weil, MD, the father of integrative medicine and botanist by training, along with his colleague and Scientific Advisor, Dr. Tieraona Low Dog and the team at Innate Response, developed Seasonal Therapeutics, a new line of professional nutritional supplements as a seasonal approach for maintaining health and wellness.

“Just as our dietary choices should be influenced by seasonal changes – more fruit in summer, for example, and more root vegetables in winter – so should our choices of dietary supplements and natural remedies,” said Dr. Weil.  “Our unique Seasonal Therapeutics program makes it easy, providing patients with formulations tailored to the particular needs of their body in each season of the year.”

To launch this initiative, the company is offering a Seasonal Therapeutics seminar series for health care practitioners that use an evidence-based, nature-oriented, seasonal approach to wellness. This series will be presented by a pioneer in the field of integrative medicine, Dr. Tieraona Low Dog, Fellowship Director at the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, and author of National Geographic’s “Life is Your Best Medicine.” The first seminar of this series, Autumn: Strategies for Optimal Health, will begin on Aug. 25, 2012 in Boston, Mass.

Seasonal Therapeutics focuses on achieving emotional wellness through lifestyle, behavioral and dietary changes based on an array of holistic and modern therapies and the time of year.

“We feel that there is a missing piece in health care, that it’s not just about what dietary changes or nutritional supplements to recommend, but also when to recommend them,” said Dr. Adam Killpatrick, newly appointed director of product development of Innate Response Formulas. “We are incredibly passionate about education and thrilled to be able to work with Dr. Weil and Dr. Low Dog to share this powerful message. Our aim is to empower practitioners with outstanding programs and products so they can better serve their patients and change lives.”

For more information on Innate Response Formulas/Weil events please visit www.seasonaltherapeutics.com.

 

Dr. Weil’s Pasta Puttanesca with Tuna Shared on Dr. Oz

In a recent episode of the Dr. Oz show, Dr. Andrew Weil, a leader in alternative health practices, and author of books including “Eating Well for Optimum Health,” where he prescribes food as medicine, shared a variety of helpful information with the audience, according to Dietsinreviw.com.

He spoke of the benefits of including more fiber in the diet, as well as following a supplement regimen with vitamins A, C and E, selenium, CoQ10 and niacin.

After shooting the episode, Dr. Weil went back stage and answered a few more health questions, Dietsinreview.com reported.

To achieve weight loss naturally, Weil explained people need to continue to “modify [our] diet and make sure [we’re] getting enough physical activity.” He also recommended people follow an anti-inflammatory diet like he describes in his book and on his Web site, the article stated.

Additionally, he advised that the best time to take supplements is “on a full stomach after you’ve had an ample meal,” because some supplements need fat for absorption, the article stated. In doing so, people can avoid stomach irritation and vitamin-tasting burps.

While on the show, Weil shared a “cancer-fighting super meal,” known as Pasta Puttanesca with Tuna.

Here is the recipe he shared:

PASTA PUTTANESCA WITH TUNA

Ingredients

2 (28 oz) cans Italian tomatoes, drained and crushed
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp dried hot red pepper flakes
2 tbsp capers
1/2 cup black olives, pitted and chopped
3 mashed garlic cloves
2 tbsp fresh basil leaves, minced
1 lb dried pasta
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 package/can of healthy pouch/canned tuna (low-mercury type)

Directions
In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, olive oil, red pepper flakes, capers, olives, garlic and basil. Let it stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Add the tuna to the mix. Cook the pasta in rapidly boiling water until al dente. Drain well. Toss the hot pasta with the tomato mixture. Add the grated Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.