Helen’s Blog

04-14-2023   Who Should Pay?    

This brings to mind the story of a client who was brought to me by his wife after he had been newly diagnosed with pre-diabetes.  His medical team provided him with a folder of wonderfully colored charts and outlines how to prevent moving into diabetes.  However, it was full of lifestyle changes that he was unwilling to make even though they are what caused that condition in the first place.  Unfortunately, he continued to ignore the suggestions, eventually got a diagnosis of diabetes, and soon after was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s (which is a type of diabetes). According to the National Library of Medicine, “poorly controlled blood sugar may increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s. This relationship is so strong that some have called Alzheimer’s “diabetes of the brain” or “type 3 diabetes (T3D)”.

Sadly, this reminds me of many seniors with worn-out bodies because of unhealthy lifestyles who expect in retirement to continue with a good quality of life.  They go to the medical community and get medications to suppress signs and symptoms, get replacement parts, maybe multiple times for the same joint.  And then they get mad because the medical community is not making their quality of life as good as it was in the past, not realizing that ultimately THEY should be the first line of care for their own good health.

Let’s do an analogy with a car.  The car’s dashboard has lights that indicate a problem, duct tape is put over the light, more lights show up and more duct tape is applied.  And soon the car doesn’t run anymore.  The auto mechanic removes some duct tape, does something to make the light not show up, but doesn’t fix the core problem.  Eventually a radical job is done by the mechanic, removing more duct tape and involving the replacement of major parts.  This works for a while until the car doesn’t run well or stops altogether.

In our current medical community, I don’t think the patient is told the ramifications of not changing their core problems, short-term or long term.  Often choices are made based upon what the health provider can offer or what services insurance will cover.  Patients often don’t understand what to do and are not supported effectively if they do attempt to follow-through with life-style changes. The ultimate cost down the road for preventable conditions is probably going to be paid by others, some of whom may not even been born yet.  Meaning the financial burden for poor health for many will be handed down to our grandchildren and great children who may be paying the seniors’ growing medical costs provided by our national government with interest. 

Case in point: When I was beginning my nursing career over 50 years ago, the newly diabetic patient was given an orange and taught how to give themselves insulin shots if they had insurance.  If they did not have insurance, they were taught how to eat a healthy way.

My recommendation to you is that you have choices and need to take the responsibility upfront to ask questions!    BEFORE incurring the debt (before receiving a treatment, test or procedure), you need to ask such questions as:

• What is the financial cost?
• Who is going to pay for it?
• How will you know if the recommendation is worth the cost?
• And how much (if any) help it will provide and for how long?
• How will you know if it will cause negative side effects or future problems?

I realize working with health care providers, hospitals and insurance companies to uncover the costs can be very difficult.  Even though the consumer legally should be able to access costs, the consumer may NOT find it easy to do.  The health care provider and hospital may not know the cost.  The cost may vary for different aged people, type of insurance coverage and availability of service.  The system needs to be set up to give us this information so we can make informed choices.

In summary- There are many costs to being irresponsible about your health: to you, society through your private insurance coverage as well as federal government funded programs, and to future generations.  We need to realize that the medical costs that society (and the federal government) are expected to cover are unsustainable and need to change.  ALL OF US need to take responsibility for changing our lifestyles to prevent illnesses.  We need to listen to our bodies’ signs and symptoms, address them the best we can, so to PREVENT needing extensive medical care.  If we do need medical treatment, let’s do our best to become as educated about our bodies’ needs and our options the best we can.  We may even decide to pay for our medical services ourselves so we can to get the best care that we believe we need. 

Remember that adopting healthy lifestyles may be the best answer.  And you have control over those daily decisions that you make to contribute to a quality life. Stay tuned for future information on Routine Tips regarding how to do this!

1-15-20 Accept Responsibility and Know Your Options

PART ONE – HABITS

This is the time to begin again, to make New Year’s Resolutions, to change habits. Habits are wonderful – we couldn’t live without them.  Habits let us walk, talk, be efficient and organized.  Habits are learned actions that we have practiced until they are automatic.  However, they don’t always serve our best interests.

When we want to change a habit, we need to:

1. Notice when we are doing an old unwanted, unproductive habit
2. Determine what new habit we want to substitute for that old habit
3. Practice the new habit until it becomes automatic

Changing habits is something that clients often work on with me.

How many times have you heard me say during your appointment:

• “How do you want to be when we are done?”
• “What do you want?”
• “What resources do you want to connect with today?”
• “Remember you have all the resources you need for whatever comes your way.”

With mind-body work, I then help you identify where in your body your unconscious mind has stored that outdated thought, memory, or belief.  And then the miracle happens: the old pattern is replaced with a new pattern.  You “lock in” the new pattern by storing the memory in your body (because kinesthetic nerve memory is permanent memory).

You walk away from the appointment with the new pattern/habit/thought/perception in place.  “It is your choice whether you use this new pattern” (Paul Dennison).  And “if you practice a new pattern at least 21 times, it can become automatic” (Al Milliren). That means that you won’t consciously need to remember to do the pattern, since it has become a natural part of you.

Where do you start?  How do you get motivated?

PART TWO – ATTITUDES
Habits and healing can be driven by attitudes.  And attitudes can be changed with information as well as mind-body work.

Recently, one of my clients who is also a health care practitioner, asked me how I explain what I do in 10 words or less.  My answer was: I am here to help others find the cause of their symptoms and guide them to a point of regeneration.  If you counted, that answer was 20 words.  To make it 10 words, my answer would be: I listen, I give feedback, I support, I expect healing.

In thinking about this more, I realize how much success depends on the attitude and motivational level of my client.  I am reminded of a conversation with another client when we discussed how little, not how much, she was actually doing to get well.

I often think my clients assume an attitude that their body functions independently of what they do/don’t do. Somehow there is a disconnection between the idea of what we “feed” the body and the impact that “food” has on the functioning of the body.

All of us understand that the quality of the gasoline that we “feed” our cars will definitely impact the car’s functioning.  We also pay attention to any warning lights that light up on the dashboard.  We take it to an auto service professional and get the problem fixed/remedied and the light on the dashboard no longer lights up.

Contrary to that kind of thinking, when we get physical or emotional symptoms (our lights on the dashboard), we ignore them or suppress the symptoms with over the counter or prescribed medications.  We don’t look at or treat the root cause of the symptoms.  It’s like putting duct tape over the light on the dashboard.  We expect the body to keep functioning the same regardless of how many pieces of duct tape we use to hide the dashboard’s flashing lights.

What’s on your dashboard?  How many lights are flashing?

I am including an assessment link from my book, Alternative Health Care: Space Age Interpretations, that is located on the Options website. Complete it to identify your attitude about how much you actively participate in addressing the reasons for the warning lights on your own dashboard.

ASSESSMENT

Click this website link to my book for a quick and simple assessment: PDF Section 5

(If you want to print the document first so you can circle your answers, go to pages 171-175 in my book and print pages 12-16.)

IN CLOSING:
Be empowered to make good decisions!  Consider making some New Year’s resolutions using the awareness you gain after taking this assessment.  At Options, my goal is to assist you to reach a new level in your own healing process.  I am not offering a bag of cures or a book of answers, but rather, a variety of options you can choose from when you determine what your personal goals are, and when you are ready and willing to achieve those goals.  I will listen, I will give feedback, I will support, and I will expect healing along with you. Email me at options@mtco.com now!

Yours on the healing journey,
Helen

9-26-19 Make Writing Easy With Two Simple Exercises

I was helping my granddaughter with the papers in her school folder this past weekend. Two of the letters she was to learn to write and recognize were p and d.  Both of these letters require a student to be able to recognize left and right directions.

Two Brain Gym^® exercises that can be beneficial to help a student know their directions are Lazy 8 and Cross Crawl.

Lazy 8s are done by drawing an “8” that is lying on its side.  The student starts the Lazy 8 in the center, drawing up to the left.  Variations of this exercise include using the right, left and both hands together.  Lazy 8s can be drawn in any sizes.  The student may also use various writing utensils such as pens, crayons, colored pencils, paint, etc.  Lazy 8s relax the muscles of the eyes, neck, and shoulders while focusing and improve eye-muscle coordination.  Lazy 8s also help the student recognize symmetry and improves depth perception.  The Lazy 8s or infinity symbol integrates the right and left visual fields, enabling the reader to cross the midline without interruption. Source:  Alternative Health Care, Space Age Interpretations of Age-Old Truths, M. Press. 1994. pg. 143. http://www.options-center.com/pdf/helens%20book/sections/section_3.PDF

Cross Crawling gets both eyes working together and enhances coordination and spatial awareness.  It improves vision and hearing as well as breathing and fitness.  It activates the brain for crossing the visual, auditory, kinesthetic and tactile midline, improving left to right eye movements and binocular (both eyes together) vision.

Cross crawl also helps with such academic skills as spelling, writing, listening, reading, and comprehension by activating both brain hemispheres simultaneously and is potentially the best warm up for all skills which require crossing the midline.

Procedure:  While sitting or standing, lift one leg and touch knee with opposite hand. Repeat with other leg and its opposite hand in rhythmic cadence, back and forth. Source:  Alternative Health Care, Space Age Interpretations of Age-Old Truths, M. Press. 1994. pg. 141. http://www.options-center.com/pdf/helens%20book/sections/section_3.PDF

For your information, I would be happy to discuss with you these exercises and any other Brain Gym® exercises.  My email address is options@mtco.com. My website is www.options-center.com.

Partnering with you to make learning easy and fun.

Yours on the journey,
Helen

9-12-2019 Empathy

This past week my left ear plugged up and I could not hear anything with it.  I didn’t know what direction sound was coming from; didn’t know how loud I was talking; hard to hear others and I even thought it affected my vision!

Wow, did this give me empathy!  I thought about others who have permanent hearing loss. I remembered how in nursing classes we would have exercises like keeping our arm in a sling all day so we would know what the patients felt like when their arms were in slings. I knew my handicap was temporary and appreciated others talking louder and giving me all kinds of advice of what to do and what their experiences were of getting their hearing back.

LET’s take a closer look at EMPATHY:

HOW IT CAN BE BLOCKED

• “The frontal lobe is the seat of higher human functions such as love, connection, empathy, creativity, initiative, autonomy and willpower. By reducing human self-consciousness, these [pharmaceutical] drugs may rob us of our spirituality, our very souls.” -Rachelle Robinett, “Your Brain on Herbs: Neurotransmitters and Nature’s Pharmaceuticals,”
• “Self-absorption in all its forms kills empathy, let alone compassion. When we focus on ourselves, our world contracts as our problems and preoccupations loom large. But when we focus on others, our world expands. Our own problems drift to the periphery of the mind and so seem smaller, and we increase our capacity for connection – or compassionate action.” – Daniel Goleman, Social Intelligence

SIMPLE WAYS TO IMPROVE EMPATHY

Use Open Heart, a Flower Essence available at Options Center. Open Heart is a blend of flower essences that help people to heal wounds that are keeping them from having an open, loving heart.  This blend helps a person recognize and acknowledge their unresolved wounds from childhood and previous relationships.   It helps them grieve their losses and open to new possibilities of love and connection.  It also increases compassion, empathy and trust in relationships, where trust has been lost or damaged.  It helps to heal people who have become “hard of heart,” resulting in a lack of empathy and compassion for others.  A person with a closed heart becomes inflexible, rigid and judgmental and lacks joy, happiness and pleasure in their life.

Another way to improve empathy is to do Positive Points, a Brain Gym exercise which connects to our frontal lobe.  Simply put your hand on your forehead and focus on your breath.  We often do this automatically when we need to de-stress.

EMPATHY WITH CHILDREN

Alfred Adler, an Austrian psychotherapist and psychologist, emphasized empathy in relationships.  Those of you who know me well, know that I love his work. Adler’s approach was to not argue with a client. He helped them see that the conflict was between their private logic and common sense. He used friendliness, warmth, caring, and empathy to win them over emotionally. A purely logical argument or the unveiling of mistakes would not have elicited core psychological change. Adler used encouragement rather than argument. He first built clients up and helped them make steps in a new direction before discussing their faults.
-From Adler and Socrates:  Similarities and Differences by Henry T. Stein, Ph.D.

Now is the time of going back to school when children are being involved in many new experiences.  Let’s us, as the adults in their lives, take this opportunity to be empathetic to them.  I found some quotes and advice on empathy and wanted to share them.  Many of them are Adler based.

Respond with empathy in a matter-of-fact manner using love and logic.

• When a child misbehaves or is disappointed, keep your empathy short, sweet, simple and repetitive.  You might say something like: “This is so sad.”  Or “wow, this is so hard but you’ll have to clean your room before you can find your ball to play.”
• Use natural & logical consequences that allow them to experience the actual result of their own behavior.  If they intentionally break a toy, don’t replace it or have them earn the replacement money. -From Options Email Education Course, Part 10, Positive Parenting

Time Out vs. Time In:
Putting children in time-out deprives them of an opportunity to build skills that other types of discipline could focus on. When children concentrate on their horrible luck to have such a mean, unfair mom or dad, they miss out on an opportunity to build insight, empathy, and problem-solving skills. Setting clear limits while emphasizing collaboration, conversation, and respect gives kids a chance to practice being active, empathic decision makers who are empowered to figure things out on their own.

Next time the need for discipline arises, parents might consider a “time-in”: forging a loving connection, such as sitting with the child and talking or comforting. Some time to calm down can be extremely valuable for children, teaching them how to pause and reflect on their behavior. Especially for younger children, such reflection is created in relationship, not in isolation. And all of this will make parenting a whole lot more effective and rewarding in the long run.
– From No-Drama Discipline: The Whole-Brain Way to Calm the Chaos and Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind by Daniel J. Siegel, M.D., and Bryson

Praise their efforts.
Children need to hear when they are on the right path. It takes a lot of energy and will to work through emotions. Give them feedback about their efforts when you see them trying to work through a difficult social or emotional situation, such as sharing a toy, showing empathy, or waiting their turn at the playground. It’s better to praise their efforts rather than the outcome. This gives them the message that the outcome is in their control and dependent on their hard work. “It’s hard to wait your turn when you want something really bad, but I saw how patiently you waited for your turn on the slide today. You were respectful to the other kids and it was really nice to see.”
-From “How Do You Teach a Child Emotional Regulation?” by Alexa Brett, Balance & Thrive, Brain & Sensory, Growing UP, March 14, 2015.

Encourage with empathy.
Sympathizing with another person seldom helps him; rather it conveys that life had been unfair to him.  Understanding the situation and believing in this child’s ability to adjust to it is of much greater help to him.

Example: “I can understand how you feel (not sympathy, but empathy) but I’m sure you’ll be able to handle it.”
-From Some Words of Encouragement by Clint Reimer

Yours on the journey,
Helen

8-14-19 IT’S NEVER TOO LATE

Dear Friends,

We need to consider that “The Party’s Over”, that it’s time to consciously take care of our health.  We need to listen to our bodies and heed what our bodies need. We need to fill the blank pages in our diary with things that benefit us.  What we do when we retire, is just as important if not more so, than earlier in our life.

Janet Lang, DC says: “I spent the first half of my life taking my health for granted and the last half trying to regain it.  Know what you have lost; prioritize and get going to regain it.”

1. Ideally from childhood on we maintain a Healthy Lifestyle:

• Sun exposure, regular exercise, balanced diet
• Manage stress:  Adequate sleep, healthy relationships, scheduling downtime
• GI Health:  Whole foods diet
• Detoxification:  Plant-based diet, adequate hydration

2. When we need Lifestyle Intervention:

• Diet recommended by a hair analysis, targeted exercise & weight training
• Manage stress: Gratitude journal, yoga, Touch for Health & Brain Gym^®
• GI health: Increased fiber and water intake
• Detoxification:  Exercise, avoid known toxins, daily liver support supplement

3. When we need Augmented Lifestyle Intervention:

• Chiropractic care, massage
• Manage stress: Supplements recommended on hair analysis and functional tests
• GI Health: Supplements
• Detoxification:  Regular cleanses ideally four per year

4. When we need Rescue Intervention:

• Osteoporosis drugs, surgical intervention, pain medication
• Manage stress: Anti-depressants or anti-anxiety drugs, sleep aids
• GI Health:  Antibiotic, antacid or anti-inflammatory drugs
• Detoxification: Heavy metal chelation therapy, drugs to combat toxic symptoms.

[The above 4 lists are from T Guilliams’ chart in Immune Foundation handbook from LifeStyle Matrix Resource Center.]

“Sometimes it’s important to work for that pot of gold. But other times it’s essential to take time off and to make sure that your most important decision in the day simply consists of choosing which color to slide down on the rainbow.” -Douglas Pagels in the book, Simple Thoughts That Can Literally Change Your Life, a one-of-a-kind collection of positive, inspiring words.

I invite you to take time off from your busy schedule, make an important decision to slide down the rainbow that represents getting well and staying well.  It can be a “New” kind of party.  I look forward to guiding you on this wellness and regenerative path using very effective and efficient tools like Touch for Health and Brain Gym.

Wishing you a wonderful remaining summer as well as ongoing longevity and quality health,
Helen

07-10-19 BLANK PAGES and QUALITY OF LIFE

I learned of Douglas Pagels’ book, Simple Thoughts That Can Literally Change Your Life, through my yoga teacher. One of the things he said is, “Each new day is a blank page in the diary of your life. The secret of success is in turning that diary into the best story you possibly can.”

How about you?  How do you want to fill your blank pages?

A client wrote thanking me for the work I do and said, “I wish that the government could see the value in alternative medicine.  It is crazy. The healthiest people I know do not rely on conventional medicine.” I wrote back to her:  “Profitability is from illness; not wellness.  Conventional medicine relies on people being sick.”

In essence, it is our decision what quality of life we have and will have in our future.  It depends on our choices of food, lifestyles, exercise, etc.  We need to find out how to turn on our good genes and how to turn off our bad genes. [The epigenetics pre-conference that I talked about earlier can do this].  Learn how to support your mitochondria, the basis of all aging.   Healthy aging – it’s your choice.

A longtime client comes to mind.  She felt that when she retired, she could “enjoy” life.  That meant that she could have the lifestyle that was “stress-free”.  She decided that included  she could sleep when and how long she wanted to, eat whatever she wanted to [which was mainly sugar and junk food] and sit sewing for long periods of time and do little exercise.  She truly believed that she would maintain the quality of life the rest of the time she lived regardless of her lifestyle.  She took the recommended supplements now and then and repeated her hair analysis infrequently, and enjoyed her body mind sessions when they could be conveniently scheduled.  Then an “oops” came when she had a major health crisis.  This got her attention, and when the crisis was “over”, she went back to the same lifestyle as before. Later she experienced a second major health crisis and this one IS getting her attention.  “Life continually teaches.  Eventually we catch on.” – another quote of Douglas Pagel.

Please take time to think and plan how you want to fill your blank pages of your daily diary.  It can make the difference between a good quality of future health versus a poor one.

6-12-19 TFH Conference

EPIGENETICS:

As those of you know who do mind-body appointments with me, To keep my certifications current in both Brain Gym^® and Touch for Health I attend specified courses.  In April I had the opportunity to attend the “Touch for Health” international conference in Boise, Idaho.  That is where my sister-in-law lives so my husband, Ed, and I made our annual visit at that time so I could visit with her and take re-certification classes.

After getting more information about the conference, I realized the first day would include a pre-conference about epigenetics, which intrigued me.  I knew that epigenectics was how we turn on and off our genes and I wondered how I might apply that information to my health practice. During the pre-conference, I appreciated the explanations Dr. Bruce and Joan Dewe from New Zealand explaining the epigenetic process utilizing the Touch for Health principles to positively affect a person’s health.  This in-depth epigenetics program was well worth my time personally and professionally.

I am excited to bring my certification techniques to my clients. Prior to the study of epigenetics the belief was that genes controlled the body. Epeigentics reveals that each individual has the power to turn on the beneficial genes and turn off the detrimental genes. “I am in control of my genes. My genes are not in control of me.” I have been using these techniques with clients ever since and have received positive results and feedback.  Schedule an appointment for mind-body work if you’re curious how this might apply to you!

MEETING OLD FRIENDS AND TRYING NEW THINGS:

I was challenged with the idea of going to a conference where I virtually knew no one. Talk about taking myself out of my comfort zone!!! I also acquired a new skill… Uber rides, Uber solved the challenge of getting to and from the house where we were staying as well as our time at the hotel. I highly recommend using Uber when you travel.

I figured that I would know no one at this conference. It turned out that I reunited with an old friend, Bonnie Hershey, on the first day of the conference. (Bonnie and I had taken our Brain Gym In-Depth course in 1989).  Other pluses:  I was excited to meet in person, Colleen Gardner, who became in 1986 the first international faculty member for Brain Gym^®. Other attendees and I enjoyed many long walks surrounded in the nature and beauty of springtime around the Green Belt, a stretch of the Boise River that was next to the conference hotel.

Wishing you a wonderful summer and longevity with quality health,
Helen

3/6/2019 – Go Backwards

Recently I attended my cousin’s funeral.  This got me thinking about the memories we shared, the childhood times that we were at each other’s house, riding our bikes the ¼ mile to each other’s house, the years of being in the same grade and many of the same classes, riding on the same school bus, graduating together, double dating, getting married the same year more than 50 years ago, getting married in the same church which was now the church I was sitting  in for his funeral. I listened to the things that were being said about him.

His death was very sudden and he probably didn’t have any time to tell others good bye or any last words. I wondered, if he would have had time, what he would have said. My mind drifted to what I would like to say to others.  After a few days of pondering, today, here’s what I  have to say to others, Go Backwards.

My suggestions are:

1. First, find your passion, your mission.
   Diane Rehm, best known as being an American public radio talk show host, said that it took her years, but she eventually created the job that was best for her and that she loved to do.  She is in her 80’s and is still doing a job that she loves.
   How could you create the job you love?If you were financially secure now and for the future, physically, emotionally and mentally well and you still wanted to work, what would motivate you to still work?  What is your passion?  What is your mission?
   What would motivate you to get up and still work?
2. Get financially independent.
   Go backwards. How much money do you need for retirement, get that taken care of as soon as possible. Let the rest fall into place.
3. Get physically well.
   Go backwards. Get preventive tests. Find your weaknesses, your risks and correct them. For example, hair analysis can pick up problems up to 20 years before a medical diagnosis.
4. Stay mentally alert.
   Get the blood tests to show tendency to Alzheimer’s, etc and correct your lifestyle using such things as epigenetics to turn off your bad genes and turn on your good genes.
5. Write your own obituary.
   Go backwards. About 20 years ago, I read a book that suggested that you write your own obituary. It was one of the best exercises I have ever done. It gave me tremendous insight on how I wanted my life to be at the end of my life. I encourage you to do the same.

Starting with the end in mind and going backwards makes it easier to get there.  The brain responds to what is programmed in.  This can be beneficial or detrimental.  If we program in the brain with what we want, the brain partners with the rest of us in meeting our goals, rather than losing focus or worse yet, sabotaging what we do want.  When our brain, mind, heart and spirit are all united in common goals, it makes the process of accomplishing them much easier!

For your health,
Helen

1/23/19 – Carol Ann is coming to Peoria June 2019!

I am super excited to announce that Options Center is sponsoring Carol Ann Erickson’s Brain Gym course, Movement Exploration I on Saturday-Tuesday, June 22-25, 2019  9:00-6:00.  Carol Ann is exceptional in her ability to teach a variety of modalities and make the techniques applicable to many professions.  This is a basic course so no pre requisites are needed and the course is open to all.  Please join  us in June.

For your health,
Helen

Follow up: Picture of event is located here under June 22-25, 2019.

12/12/18 – Screen Time can be Addictive

I recently read an article discussing how addictive screen time is for children and adults. This includes gaming, tablets, cell phones, computer screens, television and movies. Are we inadvertently creating addictions in our children? I am concerned for my grandchildren and the children of the world in how they are naively being programed for addictions via sugar and screen time.

The article sights resources sharing my concern. “Glowing screens are so powerful that the University of Washington has been using a virtual reality video game to help military burn victims with pain management during their treatments.  Beneficially, when patients are immersed in the game they report reduced pain, all without the aid of actual narcotics.  Consequently, this same power of screens acts like an addictive drug to our kids (2). ”

Read the full article here.

The more we can educate ourselves of the risks to our children the more motivated we are to make positive changes to protect them.

For your health,
Helen