January is the reset month. Being the first month of the new year, there is a sense of taking this opportunity to reset. I like the word reset. My daughter used it to refer to her intentions as she planned for January.
To me, it seems to give a feeling of flexibility to what you want to focus on resetting.
The wonderful thing is that it creates a shift to the present situation. One little shift does not take much to influence an effect, whether physical, mental, or emotional. Therefore if you have an intention that something in your life has to change and the big picture seems too overwhelming, then pick just one thing. It is the domino effect, and one little thing can create a big difference if applied consistently.
Here are a couple of suggestions to motivate you that you may not have considered in the realm of new year intentions.
1. Chewing. Chew anything you put in your mouth 50x before you swallow.
Some of the benefits are:
It creates efficient absorption of nutrients
It relaxes the nervous system
It calms mind chatter
It allows a clear signal for the hormones ghrelin & leptin to be released to feel satiated. Ghrelin plays a role in short-term appetite control, while leptin controls long-term weight control (not to be confused with lectin)
2. Eating seasonally. To eat with a focus to support your body’s transition from one season to another. Some of the benefits are:
Appropriate nutrition concentration
De-stressing the activity of a particular organ system influenced during certain times of the year
Provides variety in food choices and preparation
Supports immune stability from one season to another
Take the winter season, for example. In Chinese medicine, we learn that this time of year influences the reset cycle for the kidneys, adrenals, reproductive, and bladder. In the Macrobiotic Lifestyle, we emphasize activity and food choices according to what will best support these organ systems at the right time.
This is important because the more intention that is put into understanding the body’s cycles, the fewer symptoms we experience as the body transitions.
Eating what is in season is a simple concept, except when you live in a transient society where the food is grown in different seasonal climates and brought to our groceries stores for us to purchase. Though it’s nice to have the ability to eat pineapple from Hawaii in the middle of winter…is it not a good idea to be cooling the body when instead, it needs to be warmed. What does that do to our metabolism?
In this Saturday’s cooking class, I will focus on the health, energy, and emotions associated with the kidneys and how to best support these organ systems during the cold weather. I’ve designed the menu to be for kidney support, and a gentle cleanse from all the holiday indulgences.
Join us and bring a friend for the first Seasonal Cooking Class of 2023.
~Virginia
