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Be Your Own Valentine!!!
While listing your favorite Valentines, please don't forget yourself! We cannot give away what we don't have; so when we are not feeling any Love for ourselves, it might affect our parenting. Children watch how we take care of ourselves. What kind of a role model are you?
As mothers, we are teaching their daughters how to honor their own bodies, which has wide-ranging effects. Worthiness issues underlie many difficulties—from childhood obesity to teen pregnancy. If a mother doesn't practice care as she nourishes her own body and mind, how can her daughter learn to make the right choices? One example is a statistic that states that if an overweight parent is two to three times more likely to have a child who is overweight. Is that the legacy you want to pass on to your kids?
We are very careful about what we put into our cars, but are willing to smoke, eat junk foods and deprive ourselves of sleep. Routine oil changes and maintenance are done on our vehicle, but do we get regular check-ups? On average, most of us keep our cars for about 5 years. How long do we want our bodies to work, function, and look good?
Would we put sugar into our gas tanks? I don't think so. But, smoking clogs our systems in the same way. And how can we tell our children not to smoke when we do it ourselves? Get help. You don't have to do it alone. It is not a habit. It is a full-blown addiction, made worse by the chemicals mixed into cigarettes to keep people hooked. Imagine the financial savings when there are no more cigarettes to buy!
Our bodies give us hints. When anything is out of balance, symptoms will arise. First, little ones like bloating, loose stools, strong PMS, heavier menses flow, cramps, headaches, heartburn, and aches and pains arrive on the scene. Often, these are accompanied by irritability, anxiety, and sadness. What does the average American do? Many will take over the counter medication. Basically, that’s like seeing our car's warning light come on, and removing the bulb behind it so we won’t have to figure out what’s wrong with the engine. Medication is taxing to the liver, kidneys and intestines, so we shouldn’t take it nonchalantly.
Oriental Medicine teaches keeping energy, nutrients, and liquids flowing evenly without any blockages and problems. The digestive system should work without causing nausea, bloating, heartburn and gas. It is not “normal” to need pain medication. Listen to your body while the symptoms are small, when you still have a chance to turn things around and get your body back into balance. Get help from someone who knows what these symptoms mean, where they come from and what to do to get rid of them. This is what Oriental Medicine is all about.
Self Love means dealing with life-stressors better, another wonderful example you can set for your children. If you teach them healthy ways to deal with life’s tough issues, you provide them with the biggest treasure ever! So this Valentine’s Day, love yourself, nurture yourself, enjoy yourself, and your family will reap the benefits. Happy Valentine’s!
