FOOD FIRST - December 2015 - Kansas City

Food First?

By Bethany Klug

Food First is the title of this column because I firmly believe food is the foundation of health. Yet, like all generalizations, it’s never that simple. Over the years, I have clearly seen the role consciousness plays in our health and wellbeing. Habitual patterns of behavior and mind states that do not serve us can be detrimental to our health. Most of the time we aren’t aware how consciousness sabotages our efforts to be healthy.

Just as everyone needs to exercise regularly, everyone needs a regular routine to keep their consciousness in shape.

I am a big fan of daily-mindfulness meditation or centering-prayer practice. Both methods cultivate the ability to clearly see what is going on in the body and the mind, that is, identify the habitual patterns and mind states that do not serve us and cultivate the ones that do. Both practices calm the body and mind. If there is one organ that characterizes Western culture is it the adrenal glands. However, a body and mind running on adrenaline can’t restore and repair themselves or be introspective. They also eventually wear themselves out. These practices rest adrenals, giving body and mind the space it needs to heal and to see our world and our self more clearly.

I also recommend yoga, Tai Chi or Chi Gong. I think of them as meditation or prayer in motion. Because of the emphasis on breathing, they too calm our tendency toward adrenal overdrive.

Hubby and I sit in mindfulness meditation for 30 minutes every morning. I add in 15 to 30 minutes of yoga. The fact that many CEOs meditate regularly is a secret that’s recently getting out. It helps them more skillfully handle the challenges of their position, stay well, and even manage chronic health problems. Check the Internet for video interviews of Mark Bertolini, CEO of Aetna, about how his daily mindfulness and yoga practice helps him manage chronic pain after a ski accident, and how it’s changed the way he leads Aetna.

I also advocate meditating or praying in a group. A synergy arises in group meditation that makes the practice easier and more powerful. Many groups discuss what is coming up in their practice and share how they worked with similar situations in their own lives.

Once you clearly see patterns that aren’t working for you, how do you change them? The good news is awareness is usually enough. They change by themselves, all at once, or in layers as deeper insight arises. However, if a pattern won’t budge, I recommend a process called Resonance Re-Patterning. It helps clear blockages and aligns you with more healthful patterns. Check the Internet for practitioners near you.

HealthSpan, the holistic medicine practice of Dr. Bethany Klug, is offering some excellent classes this summer to help you reduce your toxic load and add some quick, easy and delicious dishes to you weekly repertoire. Learn more at www.HealthSpanKC.com

Bethany Klug, DO created HealthSpan out of a deep wish: for everyone to experience vibrant health. We go beyond the conventional pill-for an-ill approach to educate and inspire you so you can successfully make positive steps toward greater health and wellbeing. Learn more at www.healthspankc.com or 913-642-1900.