food as medicine – Bare Bones Health & Wellness

Raising your vibration, your energy field, begins and ends with you. YOU have to be the key player and an active participant in your overall health and wellness. One may work with expert natural healers and/or “traditional” practitioners but one can not surrender their power and expect to be “fixed”. Instead, it needs to be a collaborative effort. No-one knows “YOU” better than YOU. Each and every one of us holds our own “library of information” in our cells from past experiences/interpretations. This along with our innate guidance system, more commonly known as our intuition, gives us our SUPER POWERS that stretch far beyond what our limited minds can imagine. The only way to truly heal what ails us is to step into our power and be responsible for our own health and outcomes. Education, experience and being in-tune with our body, mind, spirit and emotions (being mindful and present) at any given time helps in guiding us to that state of balance on a daily basis. If all of this is to work, we also need to have that beacon of light called HOPE or PURPOSE in our life (our dreams, desires and aspirations) to see us through the days when all else has seemingly failed us. Our hope will always be the guiding light until we can regroup and regain the momentum needed to step into the presumed fear and move forward once again. And those days most certainly come into our life.

I would like to focus on energy, more specifically vibrational frequency. Energy, we are all made of it. The easiest example is an EKG. We are alive, our heart registers a rhythm. We die, that rhythm becomes a flat line. And we can also say that everything has its own vibrational energy pattern. The stronger the intensity, the higher the energy. The energy we are made of connects us to all living things as well as the Universe and ultimately attracts equal energy into our life. For example, when we are in a good mood we have an affinity for things that are vibrating at the same higher level and we experience love and all the feelings and encounters that resonate at the same level. We say we are having a great day! The opposite is true as well. When we are experiencing thoughts of fear (a lower vibrational energy) we attract more of the same and our experience is different.

That being said, many things are contributing to our overall daily experience. The food we ingest plays a leading role in our overall health depending on the energy it holds. The highest source of pure energy comes from foods that are the first source from the sun, plants. Plants pull nutrients from the medium they are growing in, interpreting the environment they exist in and gathering power for their activity from the sun. Unadulterated, unprocessed, plant-based nutrition and information ready for the taking. I really don’t think I need to go into great detail regarding what we have available in abundant quantities these days for our “nourishment”. The next time you take a trip into any local grocery store, truly open your eyes and see what is “posing as food”. Our food choices dictate our overall energy resources and contribute to the information being provided to our cells causing the particular genetic expressions Epigenetics Eating processed “food-like” imposters will lower our vibrational frequency by not providing the necessary fuel to our cells while concomitantly promoting pathogenic overgrowth (single-celled organisms with their “own agenda”) leading to decreased immunity, the production of excitatory neurotransmitters and more. This will ultimately becomes a contributing factor of our minds developing negative scenarios, mind chatter and channel our focus to thoughts based on fear (gut/brain connection).

Our bodies receive energy straight from the sun as well. Our cells need the direct exposure to the sun (not just for the vitamin D production). They become activated by light and act like tiny solar panels (taking in light energy) to produce ATP (energy) within the mitochondria (the powerhouse of the cell) providing the resource needed for the cells to conduct the activities necessary for their optimal functionality. The different frequencies of light from the sun provide us with diverse healing power (i.e. far infrared light spectrum, UVB).

We also require direct connection to the earth Grounding/Earthing absorbing the frequency from the earth directly to balance our body and enhance healing capabilities

WE ARE EACH OTHERS MEDICINE. When we share our story, our life experiences, we give others a gift from our heart and help them be comforted, knowing they are not alone in their trials and tribulations. I always say that our greatest strength lies within our weakness or weak moments. To show your vulnerability openly, allowing the experience to be part of who you are. This is how we help one-another heal. Your particular experience, your story will resonate with someone and give them the hope and the permission to be in the moment of rawness and the “broken” pieces that are part of our existence. From there one can integrate all of what they is into “oneness” and once again raise our vibration to a higher level than before. The power of sharing our story is amazing. Coming from the heart unconditionally holds the greatest power of all. Choose the people you surround yourself with wisely ;0)

Sound wave vibrational healing Yet another avenue to raise our vibration and energy and shift into a higher frequency. Singing bowls, chimes, bells, triangles.

Stillness and meditation There is a great power and energy gained when we become still. This gives our body the permission to unplug. Sensory deprivation tanks are a great way to achieve stillness and a meditative state.

We are all beautiful human beings. Beauty is a state of grace and longevity. Our beauty is enhanced when we are healthy, happy, loving and full of vitality. [It’s that “did you do something different with your hair or something? Because you look different” statement. Yes, that ] Truly being in the moment and mindful to our continuous state of flux expands our horizons in the continuity of good health.

So many ingredients are a part of our individual health and overall well-being every day. These ingredients will also vary in combination according to our growth in body, mind, spirit and our interaction with environment around us. We can only truly heal ourselves when we tap into this source of power.

I have only touched upon the some of the ways we can raise our vibrational energy. I would love to hear from you and any insight you may have gained on your journey of improving your health. Please share your story. You never know who’s heart you will touch and how many lives you can enhance by telling your story.

PEACE

Natalia

In my late 30’s I began to reflect on my life growing up with two very strong Russian women as my role models (my mom and my grandma or as I called her, babushka, babi for short) direct descendants form old world Russia. I was working as a full-time traditional retail pharmacist at a local chain at the time and in the midst of questioning my role in the realm of making the difference in improving people’s health. Something I took great pride in and filled my heart to be able to be in a position to make that kind of an impact. Which, after all, was my whole reason for going to pharmacy school.

At this point I had been witness to many things in the medical/pharmacy world that did not settle well with me. Drug recalls (pulling an FDA approved medication off the market/not available for sale). One in particular that made an impact on me was an antibiotic that was taken off the market after it caused over 3,000 deaths (many of which were children). The unavailability of Coumadin 5mg (brand name blood thinner at the most commonly prescribed dose) which we as pharmacists had to call the patients doctors and have them re-write the prescription until it was available once again. The list went on. The many incidents left me feeling like there had to be another way, an ability to safe-guard the public better. I wasn’t quite sure what, but I felt like there was another approach, one which was more in-tune with what I envisioned my role to be in “Saving Lives” (a statement that I used to chuckle at when I was a teenager as one of the pharmacists would say that to our customers. I would think, “well that is quite a bold statement to make”.) Now here I was searching for a safer more consistent healing approach.

I began recalling different home remedies that my mom and babushka would use. (When this is part of your daily life, of course, it doesn’t stand out right away.) One thing I remembered was my mom going out in the back yard and picking broad leaf plantain leaves (In Russian Podoroshnik = “by/on the path/road”) and applying them to my babushka’s forearm and wrapping it in a bandage to treat a black fly bite that had caused her arm to swell. It worked! (Plantain Formulas) Another memory was my babushka using active yeast and sugar with the sour cherries from our tree in the back yard and leaving it outside in a lightly covered, breathable mesh covering the mouth of a glass bottle on the screened-in porch during the late summer months. That memory came rushing the first time I opened a bottle of Kombucha. The fermented smell brought me right back. My family and I grew up eating borscht, not only the beet version (red borscht, high in fiber, Vitamin B & C, great for liver, heart and digestive system as well as your circulatory system) but also the green (Shchaveloviy) borscht (high in vitamin A & C, riboflavin and great for the eyes, heart). The green borscht main ingredient sorrel (shchavel), grew wild in the back yard and my mom and Babushka would pick that giving this version a tangy lemony taste. It would be served with a cut-up hard boiled egg, some fresh dill and a squeeze of lemon. Delicious! We also had apple trees, pear trees, peach tree, grapes, raspberries, strawberries, white and red currant bushes (made some amazing preserves), multiple flower gardens as well as a full vegetable garden in our backyard. My mom counted every penny, we were not exactly wealthy. But oh the abundance of true medicine and love in our kitchen, what I consider the real pharmacy or “apothecary” for my practice today. Something that I hope to evolve into today’s “modern apothecary” where I could help serve as the bridge between the medical world and contribute the teachings of natural medicine to the up and coming pharmacists of our future.

I have included the recipes for the two soups mentioned above. Always cook with love in your heart and please share with your family, friends and loved ones. For when you cook with love, you enhance the life-force of that food so it can nourish your body, mind and soul. I will leave you with something I remember my babushka would say,Preeyatnava Apeeteeta! Bon Apetit, Enjoy!

Traditional Beet Borscht

4 cups vegetable broth

1 small potato peeled and quartered

2 cloves minced garlic

2 cups grated carrots

2 cups grated beets

2 cups shredded cabbage

2 large Bay leaves

1/2 tsp dried basil (or use 6 leaves of fresh basil)

Himalayan sea salt and black pepper to taste

1 large can/container stewed tomatoes and juice

1/4 cup olive oil

fresh dill and sour cream (or vegan version sour cream)

Pour 4 cups of vegetable broth in saucepan. Add potato, garlic, bay leaves and dried basil simmer until potatoes are tender. Add carrots, beets and cabbage stir together and simmer until tender. Add the container of stewed tomatoes (if you can get your hands on any home-made canned tomatoes OR sauce please use that!) and simmer for 15 minutes. Add olive oil, himalayan sea salt and black pepper to taste. Pour into individual bowls garnish with 1 tsp of fresh dill and a tablespoonful of sour cream. Serve and enjoy!

Green (Shchaveloviy) Borscht

8 cups vegetable broth

3 medium potatoes peeled and cubed

3/4 cup chopped leeks

3 cloves minced fresh garlic

2 Bay leaves

1 cup loosely packed lightly chopped Fresh Parsley

1/2 cup olive oil

3 large handfuls of Sorrel chopped

1 Lemon

Himalayan Sea salt and pepper to taste

Hard boiled eggs peeled and cubed

Fresh Dill & Parsley

In a large saucepan saute leeks, garlic, bay leaves and parsley in 1/4 cup of olive oil until leeks are slightly transparent. Add vegetable broth and cubed potatoes to the pan, cover and simmer on medium heat for 20 minutes. Add chopped sorrel and 1/4 cup olive oil as well as salt and pepper to taste and simmer covered for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Squeeze the juice of 1/2 to 1 whole lemon and stir together. Pour into individual bowls and serve with cubed hard boiled egg and a tablespoon combination of fresh dill and parsley.

Tag: food as medicine

A Holistic & Sustainable YOU: Raising YOUR Vibration

Reversing and Slowing the Process of Aging: Pharmacy in Your Kitchen