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Hello Everyone,
Happy Spring from all of us at the Family Practice Centre of Integrative Health and Healing. Dr. Raffaele Filice, integrative medicine physician and healer, has written this month's newsletter about nurturing and caring for ourselves. Our Nutritionist, Cynthia Love, has provided us with another wonderful recipe. For anyone new to our newsletter, earlier editions can be viewed on our website www.fpcihh.com.
"We would like to draw your attention to the safety features of this aircraft," calls out the flight attendant over the audio system. If you've heard it enough times, this may be the cue for you, like me, to return to the novel you were reading. The attendant continues, "To fasten your seat belt..." Then, and as if for the first time, I am caught by, "place your oxygen mask on first then, assist your children or any others around you with theirs. Rest assured that even though the breathing bag may not inflate, oxygen is flowing through the mask." The words washed over me like a warm ocean breeze. "Put your own mask on first" kept replaying in my mind. So often in the course of both my clinical work and in my life I am reminded of how easy it is to lose sight of the importance of this simple yet somehow challenging directive. I recently saw a young woman in the clinic who had come seeking advice regarding chronic insomnia and lack of energy. She told me about herself and her life circumstances. Her daily routine included caring for her two school aged children and her spouse. In addition she had a part time job in a department store. Once or twice a week she would visit with her husband's aging parents. Not infrequently she would have to escort one or the other to their doctor's appointments. In the evenings there were the children's after-school activities and homework if her husband was away on business, laundry and so on. I made note that she wasn't particularly upset or disturbed by the amount of things she had to do in an average day. It would often be after 11 pm by the time she got to bed. Sometimes she would read or watch TV, her husband already asleep. Frequently, she would feel restless or wake in the early hours feeling like it was time to get up. In the morning however, she would have to drag herself out of bed. She innocently acknowledged that she didn't want to have to rely on coffee to keep her going and that she wanted to know which supplements she could take to "give" her "more energy" to be able to accomplish all she had to do. I acknowledged her conscientiousness and her kind and generous nature. I added how fortunate I thought her family was to have her caring for them. Then I asked her a simple question. "What do you do to care for yourself?" She looked at me for a moment seemingly at a loss for words. For the first time since she sat down she seemed a bit uncomfortable. She then asked, "Well, what exactly do you mean?" That was the opening for her to realize how she had been caring and tending to others unreservedly without having "placed her oxygen mask on first." Can you relate to this scenario in any way? It is noble and righteous and good to be of service to others. The caveat is that we really ought to be equally of service to ourselves. It is remarkable how easy it is to lose sight of this. Indeed there are many demands placed upon us. Each of us will also have a varying capacity to respond to those demands. None of us however, will be able to sustain being on output indefinitely. Sometimes all it takes is a simple shift of perspective as in the example of the patient I described above. She realized in that moment that taking ginseng was not the answer. It was taking the time to go for a walk each day; spending some quiet time in contemplation or meditation; dressing in clothes that she liked; getting a babysitter and going out for dinner with her husband; taking a warm bath by candlelight before bed; not skipping meals; taking a vitamin; not necessarily taking extra shifts at work etc. Ultimately, only you can take care of you. The most challenging part of this can be getting started. If you are not accustomed to directing some of your thought and energy towards yourself it may actually feel uncomfortable. Notice and acknowledge how you feel. Do you experience guilt? Do you admonish yourself as being selfish? Do you feel embarrassed to say no to added responsibilities? Do you sense any intolerance to having others do things you think can do better? Whatever it is, just be aware of it. You don't need to analyze or judge it. Just notice how you feel about booking that massage that would be so good for your. Then, in whatever way you decided to care for your self, be disciplined about implementing it into your day to day. In other words, commit to including your self as a high priority and commit to it no matter what! To establish a new way of being or thinking requires repeated, deliberate action. Once you experience the benefits and adjust your routine around the new direction you have chosen, it can become second nature and effortless. Take good care of your self! Raffaele Filice MD
This is a ‘light' lunch recipe, easy to make, flavourful and great for spring. Cynthia Tuna and white bean salad (Lunch) Ingredients:
Directions: In a bowl, combine beans, tuna, tomatoes, onions and basil. Stir gently to mix. In another bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, garlic, mustard, salt and pepper to taste. Pour dressing over salad and mix well. Sprinkle with pine nuts. We hope that you continue to enjoy our newsletter. Please feel free to forward our newsletter on to family and friends. They are welcome to subscribe and can request our newsletters at www.fpcihh.com. Steve Cagalj, Registered Massage Therapist |
CARE OF SELF
April's Recipe