Mar 16

Spring: Glorious and Problematic

By Body, Mind

Spring: Glorious and Problematic

Starting in mid to late March with the arrival of the daffodils, Bartlett Pears, forsythia and crocuses and carrying onward to the Tulips, roses and dogwoods Atlanta is a panacea of color and scent that delights all of our senses. Not many places on the planet rival the beauty that arrives in Atlanta each spring, however this beauty comes at a price. Pollen, the unwelcome yet necessary culprit that produces this cornucopia of color coats our noses, throats and eyes.

Pollen counts measure the amount of pollen grains in a cubic meter of air. Pollen counts that reach above a thousand are considered to be extremely high. With pollen counts that can regularly hang out at 2-3 thousand and have reached over 9000 you can understand why we have more than our fair share of coughing, runny noses, congestion, scratchy throat and itchy eyes during these beautiful spring days. Believe it or not even with our tremendously high pollen count we haven’t even reached the top ten pollen counts in the country. Internationally Islamabad has the highest counts reaching the 40,000’s! No matter what the pollen count is where you are there are things that you can do to help minimize your symptoms.

Consider the following to assist in ameliorating symptoms and/or preventing them before they get started:

  1. Monitor the local pollen count. Weather.com publishes the daily pollen count, delineating the specific pollens in question and whether it is mild moderate or severe. Know what you are sensitive to and avoid your exposure as much as possible on heavy pollen days.
  2. Rinse your hair before going to bed. During the day your hair is exposed to the environment leaving your hair laden with the grains of pollen. Rinsing your hair helps you prevent inhaling the pollen that would otherwise fall on your pillow.
  3. Keep your car and windows closed during heavy pollen days. Despite the fact that the temperature is usually perfect and the breeze feel delicious avoid the temptation.
  4. Wash your clothes, curtains and linens and vacuum couch and chairs.
  5. Animals that are exposed should be rinsed regularly during high pollen count days. This will avoid them tracking the pollen through the home or getting it on your hand while petting.
  6. If your allergies are severe consider wearing a mask to filter pollen when you are outside.

Treating your allergies

If you have the misfortune of developing an allergic response consider a Neti pot with a salt solution to flush your nasal passages. It can be quite effective in reducing the inflammation in you nasal passages. Acupuncture and local bee pollen can also be of great assistance in reducing your symptoms. Orally quercitin is a natural antihistamine that can be taken in a tablet form (most effective) and occurs naturally in garlic, citrus fruits broccoli, berries, wine, apples, parsley, legumes and lettuce. For those with severe reactivity immunotherapy shots may limit your reactivity and reduce allergic triggers. No matter what approach you take make sure to keep yourself hydrated. Whatever your level of sensitivity I hope you are able to enjoy the beauty that graces us throughout the spring season.

With Gratitude,
Pat

Feb 16

Pickleball? Seriously?

By Body, Spirit

Pickleball? Seriously?

Yes despite it’s ridiculous name it is sweeping the country and the fastest growing sport in the world. I play and as a result people frequently ask me about my experience of playing. This prompted me to use the opportunity in this month’s newsletter to expose those of you who are curious about the game and want to know more. Pickle ball is the fastest growing sport in the world for many reasons but the biggest is it is just flat out fun. Many of you may have heard of this new craze but have no idea what it is and many of you are already avid devotees. For those of you who are curious this will remove some of the mystery.

Pickleball is a combination of three sports-tennis, badminton and ping-pong. It is played indoors or outside on a court similar to a tennis court that is about two feet shorter on the ends but the same width. The paddle is flat and approximately the same size as a racquetball racquet. The ball is the size of a whiffle ball on steroids or about the size of a baseball. Tennis serving boxes are in the front while the pickball serving boxes are in the back close to the server. It can be played with two, three or four players.

Some additional information that makes pickleball an attractive exercise option include:

  1. It won’t break the bank. Most places available for play are either free or have a nominal fee of $3-$5. Paddles can be purchased from $28 to $198 at pickleballcentral.com and amazon (of course). Some facilities have extra paddles available for your use.
  2. You don’t have to coordinate everyone’s busy schedules. You simply show up any time during the predetermined time and play for as little or as long as you want.
  3. Most everyone can play. If you have a previous history of playing any of the sports involved you will pick it up in just a few minutes. For those of you with little to no racquet experience you can also learn very quickly however may take a little more practice to become proficient.
  4. You can play virtually anywhere. Whenever I travel I usually do an Internet search for local pickleball locations and simply show up at the appointed time. People are always welcoming to outsiders. For example if I travel to St. Simons Island I will do an Internet search for pickleball St. Simons and it let’s me know the details of where and when games will be played.
  5. It’s a very social game. Everybody is generally welcoming and gracious. Over time you get to know an entire new group of friends and competition can range from very competitive to social but either way you will get a good workout and get your body moving. The limited size of the court is also a big advantage for those with knee or foot issues.
  6. Games generally don’t last a long time. You play to 11 however if there are a number of people waiting games are often shortened to 7 to allow more playing time for everyone.
  7. It’s great exercise and you can get a good workout but you generally are just having fun so you don’t notice the effort it takes.

For more information check out this video on how to play. What is Pickleball? – USAPA Pickleball

If you are interested in seeing some high level play watch the championship from last year by clicking this link. Pickleball Channel – YouTube

No matter what part of the country you live in consider checking out your local pickle ball centers and give it a try. I think you’ll have fun and be glad you did.

With Gratitude,
Pat

Jan 15

A Gift To Yourself

By Body, Mind, Spirit

A Gift To Yourself

So here we are once again at the beginning of a new year with all the promise it holds for the upcoming year. Whether you write down goals with specific intentions, unconsciously think them through, or ignore them all together the truth is statistically 92% of us won’t win our battle.

When most of us set goals or intentions for the year they are often unrealistic and lack self-compassion. This lends itself to a fairly high probability of limited success. I am sure it comes as no surprise when you hear some one say “It’s the same every year. I want to loose weight, exercise more and sleep better. I just never seem to quite get there”. There is a reason it’s the same thing every year.

We have all made mistakes, tried and failed, done and said things that we weren’t proud of and at the end of the day usually don’t let ourselves off the hook easily. When we make a mistake or things don’t go the way we planned or in the time we allotted we often give ourselves negative messages such as I’ll never be able to do it, I don’t know why I bother, I have no will power, I’m such a looser and soon you just stop trying.

When we continually come up short in our endeavors we are usually left feeling defeated. Creating unrealistic goals such as working out 5 days a week, changing your diet and committing to sleeping at least 8 hours a night is an overwhelming amount of change. While the enthusiasm is to be admired, a total revamp of your life all at once is the perfect recipe for failure. Consider take incremental steps at whatever level of comfort seems right for you. Stretch yourself but with considerate mindfulness. It is equally important to acknowledge yourself for whatever steps you do take no matter how large or small.

Make friends with self-compassion as a companion in your desire to create something new in this year. Whether you want to loose weight, start a relationship, getting a new job, being a better parent or partner or whatever else you may want to change recognize that inherent in that will be opportunity for growth and inevitably some amount of discomfort and struggle. However, it doesn’t need to be a battle.

Supporting ourselves by reminding and equally acknowledging what we did well instead of tearing ourselves down with what we didn’t do is what self -compassion looks like. In all likelihood most of us will not make changes perfectly but that doesn’t mean we stop doing it. Assess what is working and give yourself a hand and carry on. For the things that aren’t going quite as planned have some patience and compassion for yourself and start again. You are much more likely to have success in whatever changes you are trying to make.

As you journey on the path to the newer year I ask you to consciously consider acknowledging as many things as you can that you are doing well. Consider grace and self-compassion as a gift to yourself.

With Gratitude,
Pat