Creating Your Joy | Lisa P. Hamil

The JOYS of Health

tory@vagabondvirtualservices.com — Sat, 08 Sep 2018 15:46:07 +0000

The JOYS of Health

I have experienced life as a pharmacist for over four decades and things have most certainly changed. I do not like the trends that I see. This is because we, as a society, know more about health and yet are not as healthy as we used to be. In the last three or so years, the life expectancy has decreased, 2015, 2016, 2017. This decline has not been seen since 1916, 1917 and 1918 when the Spanish Flu so dramatically impacted lives worldwide.

In the early 1900’s, infections were the issue impacting longevity. Today the death toll is due to chronic diseases, diseases such as heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s. Americans suffering from a chronic disease is close to one in two people, 30% of children now have a chronic disease and seven out of 10 deaths are due to a chronic disease.

There is so much more education about health today than ever before. Yet, putting this information to work for you is not happening. I have been told, “Prevention does not sell!” OK! I say, “It is not about prevention as much as ATTENTION to your life style.

There are six important aspects about life style that must be implemented as daily habits.

Lets focus on OUR M.N.M.M.S. or R.M.N.M.M.S

R is for RELATIONSHIPS

I am talking about relationships to each other, to our health care providers, but most importantly, our relationship to our selves and the relationship you have with your Creator. When you truly love and appreciate the miracle of your body and how fortunate you are to even exist, wouldn’t you want to take better care of your vehicle of LIFE? I am emphasizing Your vehicle FOR life?

Think of it this way. You learn to drive, get a car and then you are told that this car needs to last you for the rest of your life, the next 50 to 70 years. Your body is worth so much more than any vehicle. And unlike any vehicle of travel, it has the ability to rebuild, restore and regenerate itself if given the appropriate environment and nutrition.

Your body needs honor, respect, support and love. Handle it with care! “R” is like the word “our” for remembrance sake and the word “our” is a relationship term. You become who you relate to and with. Promote relationships with health-minded people. and develop that healthy relationship with yourself. This includes the knowing of your “WHY” and the divine right power that knowing your inner wisdom brings.

M is for MINDSET

I am referring to attitude, faith, perspective, and a host of elements that contribute to stress. Stress is the foundation for the 10 most common causes of death in our modern world. Most dis-ease begins with ruminations that go nowhere and often emerge out of a victim mentality. Being “responsible” is a great place to start. Your life begins and emerges from the thoughts that you think about all day long. Choose your thoughts and choose your life. Your life is a reflection of your thoughts and those thoughts show up in your health.

N is for NUTRITION

You are what you eat. Everything that your body is made of comes from what you put IN your body or EXPOSE your body to. This includes environmental toxins, contaminated water and polluted air. Smoke of any source is a hazard to lungs, kidney and bladder tissue, not to mention what it can do to prematurely age skin. Solar nutrition is also a vital factor. Your body is like a solar panel. It derives vital energy from the sun.

M is for MOVEMENT

You were made to MOVE. Along with the toxicity of smoking because circulation is impaired, sitting has become the new smoking. Our modern conveniences allow so much to be done for us in favor of the life of leisure. Then, to sty fit, people sign up for fitness programs that take the place of washing their own car, sweeping the sidewalk, mowing the lawn, planting and harvesting the crops or simply walking to school, work or to go shopping.

Movement not only boosts circulation, it strengthens the heart, torso and muscles of the extremities. The heart consistently pumps blood through over 60 thousand miles of blood vessels each day. That distance is more than two trips around the world. Movement stimulates lymphatic circulation. It removes waste products from the cellular environment by flushing the surrounding fluids. Movement promotes removal of toxins through perspiration, breathing and bowels. It is like taking a shower on the inside.

M is for MONEY

Health cannot be bought with money and yet it is the source of your earning power. Yes, money does pay for health care, however, it does not mean that you will be healthy. One of my poorly nourished managers that enjoyed smoking on his break once told me that he did not worry about getting sick because now, “there is a drug for everything!” Yes, there are lots of drugs for lots of diseases, however, health is not the result of taking those drugs. Those drugs not only cost money, they cost you in the form of side effects, long term organ damage and consequences of forgetfulness. Prescription drug use is now responsible for more deaths per year than traffic accidents.

No one can manage your health as well as you can. You are as unique as your thumbprint and what works for you is highly individual. You have heard the saying, “Time is Money.” The last thing you want to do is waste time being sick. Your financial health is vital to creating your joy. Living up to your performance capabilities assures adequate financial health and more if desired.

S is for SLEEP

The sleep process is yet to be fully understood, however, it is the foundation of health. Sleep impacts mental clarity, focus, cell turnover and organ restoration. The dramatic miracle of healing is most profound during sleep. Sleep restores metabolic and hormonal efficiencies.

We must live in honor of the circadian rhythm in order to have the energy of vital health. When life gets hectic, it is not unusual to impose upon the invaluable benefits of sleep time. Pulling late nighters is hazardous to your health. Keeping a steady early morning wake-up time is best, even on weekends when work requirements are lighter.

You can easily wake up younger tomorrow when you consistently sleep according to the natural rhythm of your internal clock.

The World Health Organization considers health in two important categories. First, health allows your body to maintain homeostasis when presented with various challenges such as stress, infections and traumas. Secondly, health becomes a vital part of wellbeing because it allows you to fulfill on your goals and aspirations.

I am introducing The Health Leadership Forum to those who want to learn more about living in the practice of “R.M.N.M.M.S. Health EXPERTS are joining me in discussing the above six pillars for good health. These experts live and work across the country and in Canada. They have amazing stories of health challenges that were overcome by implementing practices described by these six pillars of health.

This educational series is for you if you would like to implement new health tips today that will enhance your level of performance. As awareness is valuable, so implementation is vital. My goal is to allow you to choose your path for experiencing more time, energy and the Joys of Health so that you succeed in living out your purpose with people that matter most.

Watch closely for an opportunity to register for this educational series soon. The event will begin October 15, 2018 and be available to listen to and share with friends and family if you believe helpful until October 30, 2018.

I welcome comments and/or requests for health-related issues that you may be interested in. Our series of experts will be delighted to address your requests.

Hormesis (not Hormones)

tory@vagabondvirtualservices.com — Mon, 30 Jul 2018 23:45:23 +0000

I mean hormesis, not hormones, although hormones do play a role in hormesis.

My spell checker does not even think this is a word, however, it is a specialized term. It is a scientific term used to mean “What does not kill you can make you stronger!”

This is a powerful concept and something that helps explain why we are such a highly educated, convenience oriented and yet the most pre-diabetic to diabetic and overweight generation since the dawn of humanity.

Thousands of years ago, James wrote:

“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

(James 1:2-4)

There are many, many ways that hormesis may strengthen you. I will briefly review three of them, Exercise, Fasting and Criticism.

Some people love to exercise because it makes them feel good. Exercise releases neurotransmitters and hormones that boosts mood. It strengthens your muscles, builds endurance and develops balance, (especially ballet). They have learned to enjoy the “pain” of exercise in a way that allows them to improve and build more energy for their body to do other things.

One of the important benefits of this process of hormesis is that it strengthens the energy storehouses of each cell in our body. These energy storehouses are known as mitochondria. Hormesis supports, strengthens and rebuilds new and more mitochondria.

The second area among many other ways of engaging in hormesis is the use of Fasting. Fasting is a concept extensively discussed in religious practices. However, recently, it has taken a back seat to the modern availability of food. Fasting can be a painful discipline. Currently we have a better understanding of how valuable fasting is to our health.

Thousands of years ago, food was not as readily preserved, stored under refrigeration or even harvested and shipped worldwide as it is today. It would not be unusual for food to be missing in generous quantities for days at a time. People still survived as long as plenty of water was available.

Yes it was uncomfortable and rarely were people suffering from being overweight and carrying around excess stores of fat. Any excess fat became the “new” source of energy that sustained the individual during apparent shortages of food. People virtually “fed” off of themselves.

Today, the idea of feeding off of one’s self is called autophagy. This is another term that my spell checker does not recognize. Auto- represents self and phagy represents eating. In our day-to-day conversations of recycling, you may not think of how important it is to recycle yourself. The body is very “smart” in this way.

As older, worn out cells lose their vitality, your body breaks down these older cells into new protein building blocks for new cells. Interrupting this process by eating, results in excess fat storage. Yes, it may be uncomfortable, however the results are rewarded by increasing energy, building new more efficient mitochondria and even releasing growth hormone and stem cell activity. The more this process is engaged, the less painful the transition from external eating to autophagy.

The third aspect of hormesis I will introduce now is the “pain” of Criticism. Criticism from others does not set well with “people pleasers.” The pain of criticism is a warning light for you to strengthen your compass of purpose in life. If you look at the people throughout history who have created significant strides for humanity, none of them were people pleasers.

They attracted support by being grounded in their purpose. They may have looked like rebels, however, they had the tenacity to focus on their purpose, overcome the pain of rejection and strengthen their resolve to live out their gifts to the world. Living on purpose is loaded with passion, energy and a love of and for contribution. As you may know from our past series on the Four Geniacle Commandments, you were created to be “fruitful and multiply.”

Overcoming the hazard of criticism strengthens you, energizes you and fulfills you; it is key to the process of Creating Your Joy! Losing your joy over what other people say gives them power over your life. You are responsible for your life and joy, wellbeing and self-expression.

Sometimes we grow out of the “small mindedness” of our treasured relationships. We can still love these people, however, it is important to avoid “people pleasing” while they may be struggling to grow in the awareness of what God wants them to be. Their judgment of you cannot override what God thinks of you.

Trusting in God’s process for your life, although you may be floundering, cannot be replaced by what others want you to do.

This is a brief overview of how hormesis can enhance your life energy, strengthen you physically and demonstrate the power of what James wrote so many years ago.

What aspect of hormesis strikes a chord of application for your life? Comment below!

Where are your B.B.B.A.G.S?

Lisa Hamil — Mon, 09 Jul 2018 21:26:51 +0000

When I say “bags” what comes to your mind?

There are Grocery “bags”.

Hand “bags”.

Travel “bags”. And, God forbid, there are “bags” under the eyes.

There are “baggy” pants, success in the “bag” and she ordered a “bag” of fries.

Some of you know that I am a bit of a health nut. With that as a small introductory background, you might guess that I would rather eat healthy rather than take a drug to overcome some condition that needs to be addressed.

Most health conditions are rooted in some form of internal imbalance that stems from a degree of inflammation. Things like arthritis, infections, immune based disorders such as cancer, allergies and even psoriasis and other skin conditions stem from inflammation. Senile dementia and Alzheimer’s disease is immune based. Cardiovascular issues such as high blood pressure, hardening of the arteries and stroke all have an important immune component.

One of the most powerful aspects of a plant-based diet is the ability of fruits and vegetables to limit the amount of inflammation that the body experiences. Plants have the ability to reverse hardening of the arteries, reduce cholesterol and provide the best nutrients and protein necessary for the body to restore its self as it cycles through the replacement of ALL tissues over time. The rebuilding of the body is happening every day on some cells in a cyclical replacement and restoration process.

The question then becomes, do you want those new cells to be rebuilt with the nutrients from crackers and potato chips or walnuts and celery. You are specifically exactly what you eat. When you sit down to a meal, what you are consuming will become the “new you” in some way shape or form. You get to choose.

Nature makes no mistakes. The best building blocks of your body are essentially found in nature and as close to the source as possible. The more the processing, refining and preserving the farther from the source and farther from maximal nutritional benefits the food. Seek ways to limit the generations of food processing from the source

Two important preserving ingredients are sugar and salt. Before we had “better chemistry for a better life”, it was not uncommon to preserve meats with salt or salts of chemicals that made it impossible for bacterial organisms to spoil food. Those living organisms that spoil food are not that much different than your body’s own cells. A doctor friend of mine once mentioned that he did not like to eat anything that was “spoiled” or anything that would not spoil. If something has not spoiled for over a reasonable period of time, chances are it is too over preserved to be healthy for you to eat.

Both sugar and salt interfere with the turnover and rebuilding of new healthy cells. I like to think of them as “birth control” for biologic organisms such as bacteria, yeast, and viruses. A little sugar may enhance their growth, however LOTS of sugar, such as the amount of sugar used to make jellies and jams is astronomical. Those high concentrations of sugar are preserving the fruit from spoiling by interfering with the regeneration of any bacteria that happen to be present from surviving.

Here are some suggestions for natural and nutritional substitutions in order to take advantage of the tastes and textures all of us enjoy.

Instead of:

Crackers and chips

Mayonnaise

Donuts and cakes

Ice cream

Chocolate candy bar

Sandwich bread

Antacids

Try:

Celery, nuts, sweet peas

Creamy avocado

Avocado, peaches, nectarines

Berries, apples, nuts, grapes

Romaine lettuce wrap

Pineapple to promote digestion

Brain health is also affected by the strength of your immune system. Foods that boost brain health, and strengthen immunity, promote clear thinking and alertness are given by the acrostic B. B. B. A. G. S. or “Bags” for short.

Broccoli – and other cruciferous vegetables-calcium, fiber
Beans – and other legumes-protein, fiber
Berries – and small colorful fruits-carotinoids or anti-inflammatory agents and immune boosters
Avocado – the healthy fat and creamy fruit-energy storehouse
Garlic – and green onions, shallots, for zesty taste-immune boosters and lower blood pressure.
Seeds – and nuts that are loaded with nutritious protein and brain food, omega-3s

You can choose to change your eating habits and change your health. You can regain youthful vitality, peace of mind and enjoy quality sleep. It is a network approach.

Small adjustments can be made over time to rebuild and restore your body to how it was meant to operate well into your ongoing years.

My mother at 96 is a living example of this.

Share your insights and how you might use this information to your advantage.

I welcome your perspective, experience and challenges to your health that most certainly can be overcome. You deserve to experience the youngest years ahead of you!

Keep the snacks in the picture below readily available for munching.

What Is, So What?

Lisa Hamil — Tue, 13 Jun 2017 23:31:25 +0000

What's So, So What?

One of the biggest contributors to stress and physiologic pain is coming to terms with hidden fears.

Fear of being discovered, being imperfect, being a host of shortcomings are all things you might not want people or even yourself to know and / or remember.

There may be a peak experience in your life, like the top of Mt. Rainier seen in the distance from the Greater Seattle area. Or there may be times you feel like you are under water like Angle Lake just across the street from the picture I took of Mt. Rainier. Angle Lake is hiding behind the wooden building in the center of the scene.

Life is characterized by ups and downs, or so you may think.

What helps is to remember that there is a cycle of ups and downs in everyone’s life. The peaks get higher and even the lows are on a higher level because you learn from each of them and develop your resilience.

If you can take a deep breath, or even a few of them, you will eventually see that What is So, is exactly that. It is! So What?

There are experiences and interpretations, stories and assumptions that emerge out of “what is” and yet “what is” just “IS.” Keeping events as neutral as possible without explanations and descriptions helps reduce the physiological impact.

Hiding “what is” or pretending that it is not can be a source of suppression that reaps havoc on well-being and productivity.

Revealing, recognizing and releasing “the truth” of what is without significance or meaning can be redeeming.

Recognize this practice for yourself and report back your results. I would love to hear from you about this discovery from your own experiences.

The benefits of practicing unconditional love regardless of your imperfections as our Father in Heaven does is the secret to overcoming fear. Perfect Love casts out Fear.

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.

1 JOHN 4:18

Are You Sheepish?

Lisa Hamil — Thu, 08 Jun 2017 23:26:33 +0000

Are You Sheepish?

Does fear of the unknown leave you a little sheepish? Driving across the country, up and down the West Coast and even around town, new opportunities for adventure emerge.

Are you afraid of trying new things?

New things are a way of adding variety to life, it’s the spice. It keeps the moss from growing around your toes and expands or as someone else said, ” travel broadens the mind.”

The picture below is from Grants Pass, Oregon where my brother lives on five acres. Deer and wild turkeys visit regularly.

Each of my three sisters and two brothers live in a different city with a different life-style. Visiting all of them is such an adventure as we are all so different with a common thread of stability.

Let the stability of God be the grounding force in your life. From there He will lead and protect you in the adventure of variety. He gave all us so much to appreciate and grow into.

Unlike the sheep below, with God, you do not need to be “penned” in for ultimate safety. Do something you have never done today.

Drive home from a common place on an uncommon route. Speak to a stranger and show them God’s love in your own way. The variety of this practice will reduce stress and add all of the zest life has to offer.

Are You Ready for Mama Sage?

Lisa Hamil — Mon, 29 May 2017 01:32:53 +0000

Are You Ready for Mama Sage?

Returning from Chicago, I had to go through Wyoming. Why am I roaming through Wyoming? Wyoming is the least populated state in the United States.

Wide open spaces abound. It is the home state of Yellowstone National Park in the North and West corner of this state as well as The Grand Tetons National Park just South of Yellowstone.

Wyoming’s flag commemorates the buffalo, as the brown bear is the emblem for the state of California flag. Wyoming is the home of cattle ranges and most notably where the buffalo roam.

Wyoming is also the state least developed by humankind. The water table is so low in most of this countryside as the Continental Divide runs North and South through its borders.

The mean elevation is approximately 6,700 feet with an average population density of 6 people per square mile. Living in California, this population scarcity is noticeable. It is all the more reason to depend on the provisions of Mother Nature.

One must be wise in these parts of our country and it is no coincidence that survival for Wyoming’s wild life depends on Mama Sage. See the signage below for details.

Yes, there is peace and tranquility in this “state” of being and no room for stress that results from a lack of integrity from wisdom. Mother Nature is the ultimate example and teacher.

How do you find peace from the stress that emerges from your life?

Windy City Wisdom

Lisa Hamil — Thu, 18 May 2017 23:29:12 +0000

Windy City Wisdom

Having worked for a major corporation for most of my professional career, I could not help but think, “Why can’t our country run on the financial mentality so characteristic of corporations? What is going on with our national bottom line?”

That is when I began to pray we get a person with corporate business and mindfulness towards Return On Investment (ROI) into office. I had no idea that Trump with be the one to show up. His campaign was quite a surprise to me. However, I knew
the country was not ready for a female president, number one, and number two, we needed someone in office that would not perpetuate the “Status Quo.”

Somehow, the political machine that runs our country is broken and we need a president that can and will buck the system. I do not know if Trump is that person, but it is certain that “time” will tell. I do know and trust that God is ultimately in charge and that HE knows the end from the beginning. We live in perilous times that are unpredictable and it is difficult to know for sure what the near future holds for all of us.

I do know Who holds the future and I have a lot of faith in HIM! What are your thoughts?

Going Forward

Lisa Hamil — Wed, 17 May 2017 00:50:48 +0000

Going Forward

My sister loves to camp so I sent her the picture below of a campground that is located in Rawlings, WY and right on the Continental Divide. This city is at approximately seven thousand feet in elevation. Denver, CO. the mile-high city, is at 5,280 feet or so. At this location of the Continental Divide in Wyoming, I am on my way to Chicago for a conference over the weekend.

Why bother to notice? I could not help thinking that this moment is indeed a “peak” experience. The air is so fresh, the sky is so blue and I am on top of the world.

Getting to this point was an uphill trek my car graciously afforded me. From here to Chicago, my near-term destination, it will be essentially a down hill breeze. The past is past and I am looking forward to an exciting future, yet enjoying life in the “now”.

Often the future is clouded by the past, the struggles, the mistakes and the hardships. Going uphill is a hardship, but the future does not have to be that way.

I am focusing on the bright new future that is being painted on a completely blank canvas of creation. It is a future of ease, grace and peace of mind that I know is in store for me with God at the helm. I can count on that.

Any trials that come my way can be handled by Him or directed for me to handle with His wisdom. That is the source of my JOY !

Let your future be filled with wisdom, light and love that comes from our Father and see how you can “coast” into creating your joy!

Trusting in the forever friend that accompanies your journey allows you to leave the past behind and move forward with the fresh start that you create for yourself. God will give you the desires of your heart as you delight in Him…Psalm 37:4.

Are you in the Santa Cruz area?

Join us in discussing how you can master stress next Tuesday, May 23, 2017 at the New Leaf Market, Fair Avenue, Santa Cruz, Ca.

Event to begin 7pm. Click here for additional details.

Are you an Early Bird?

Lisa Hamil — Wed, 10 May 2017 00:00:29 +0000

Are you an Early Bird?

Below is a picture just outside of Salt Lake City, Utah. Notice the moon approaching its quarter.

As I am traveling to Chicago, I rediscovered an interesting thing about time. Driving the distance to Chicago means lots of miles each day. Yet, because I am heading EAST, I get one less hour a day every thousand miles. Shucks! Just when I need it…

Going home, my day will be one hour longer each one thousand miles or so, YEAH!

As I start my day in Chicago and getting up at 6am, it is only 4am in California. No wonder people get so much done on the east coast with a three-hour jump on California or west-coasters.

IN London, their time is six hours later than Chicago, 12 noon, and Rome is at 1pm already.

So what?

In my perspective everything happens in God’s time. He wants us to celebrate the gift of “NOW.” That is why it is called “the present” regardless of the time zone.

Enjoy the present as your gift !

What Do You See?

Lisa Hamil — Mon, 08 May 2017 16:59:43 +0000

What Do You See?

I am traveling from the California coast to Chicago for a conference. This is one of my first stops to enjoy nature and find a rock that represents a monument to God, an altar of sorts. How beautiful is nature, even in May on a clear-sky afternoon just outside of Reno.

What captured my attention was the train just above me, quietly traversing it’s course.

It reminded me of my “train” of thought. I can be so busy that I do not notice the beauty all around me. Relish the moments!

What really matters is “now.”