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Writer's pictureamyk73

Crunchy Leaves and Joints


It’s not a coincidence that as the leaves start to crunch under our feet each day that we find own body a little stiffer, achy or even in pain particularly in the joints. We are a little slower to rise out of our warm beds in the mornings when it is cooler and still dark in the early morning hours. We’re moving slower and easing into our routines with hot coffee. We literally feel slower.


Our bodies are seeing a slow down in our metabolism and aches are more prominent in the cooler weather. It’s a natural change that occurs but left without support we can see those changes stick with us well past just an occasional season change. We notice our knees, fingers, toes, ankles, hips and more are tender, perhaps sore and don’t move with as much ease as they did when it was warmer outside. Part of this is because we are naturally slowing so our joints are not working as much but also because of age, sedentary lifestyles, weather, inflammation and diet. All of these things add up to some aches and pains that can sound as crunchy as the leaves under our boots.


Honoring Our Energy

I love getting up early but I’m not one that’s going to jump out of bed and go run on a treadmill. My favorite mornings are the ones where I’m up in my office watching the sun rise while I type away writing posts for this blog or developing a new course to offer you. Yes, this is my creative spirit time of day and where my head and heart are best aligned and pour onto the screen with grace. It doesn’t mean I can’t write at other times of the day but early mornings I have found are the exact moment when I don’t have to fight for words, ideas or flow.


For you it may be you can get up and just go physically. I have a sweet friend in Arizona that is one of those 5AM exercise people. She even drives to a gym at that hour to workout. I am inspired by her dedication and focus to using this time for the purpose of shaping her body in an intense workout while it’s still very much dark out. I wish I had that kind of drive that early in the morning.


Most of us struggle with fitting in exercise. There are extremes of people that work out regularly every day and then there are others who can’t fit it in at all. I say can’t fit in because as I have learned over time is that you have to make a schedule for it and stick to it otherwise other things will eat into that workout time block. How many of us say we will take a walk after work but when we get home, take care of the family meal, peel through the mail and catch up with the family about their day you are literally zapped? It’s so easy to finish dinner and then cuddle on the couch to watch a program or you have to tackle the kids homework. I get it! So there goes another day without taking that walk.


The best way to keep our joints, blood pressure, diet and other health concerns at bay is to find a window of time consistently and move our bodies. That can be literally just taking a walk or being like my friend and getting up at 5AM. I can freely admit this is hard for me to do and I struggle achieving it more than I win at it but I’ve stopped beating myself up about it too. Our self-talk can be so negative at times it can take away any joy at all for looking forward to doing something we need to like exercising. So if I can’t make a walk that day I accept responsibility for it and try again tomorrow.


Fall is a lovely time to start walking your neighborhood. If you can get out in the evenings when the sun is setting or on weekends when the sun is bright and warm it makes your body feel good. I prefer outside movement because I believe it helps my soul feel brighter. I am happier than when I am in a florescent lit gym that smells of sweat. To me exercise is more than just a physical body movement but rather it is a mental workout as well to align our body and mind to support one another in this process. So find that time and activity that speaks to you and then use the season of Fall to try it out.

Pains

Knowing we are naturally slowing and we feel aches more can make it more challenging to start a new activity. So many of us suffer from inflammation that causes a lot of pain across our body.

Inflammation is often misunderstood and thought to be not just from an physical body injury. It can actually be caused by things like:


  • Digestive issues and regular heartburn, bloat and constipation

  • Emotional stress including hormonal shifts and adrenal fatigue

  • Physical stress from excessive exercise or overdoing it

  • Sugar and insulin imbalances

  • Hormonal changes

  • Toxic exposure from synthetics, plastics and chemicals

  • Dietary allergies to preservatives and foods like dairy

Inflammation feels like stiffness, swelling, and aches in the joint, fingers, ankles and muscles. It impacts our energy, mood, cravings, sleep and can result in co-existing conditions and symptoms like a weakened immune system that makes us susceptible to colds and flu.


Most adults have some of inflammation every day and this is normal but when you are always feeling sluggish, tired and have body aches for “no apparent reason” then it’s worth looking further into what is influencing the inflammation in your body.


Addressing inflammation can occur naturally through increasing physical movement (taking that walk), improving our diet to balance hormones and help with glucose levels, eliminating soda including diet soda, reducing our exposure to toxins and giving our body quality supplements. I have found tremendous help with these changes in my own challenges with inflammation through the doTERRA Life Long Vitality supplements and Deep Blue Polyphenol Complex. They are 100% natural and align with our body’s natural healing process to reduce inflammation and provide the clear pathways for our body’s to function with better energy. To learn more about what I’m using click here: dragonspitapothecary.com

Reduce the Crunchy

As I took a walk with our dog this evening I stopped in an area where there was a thick covering of leaves to let the dog sniff and have some fun looking under the leaves for lizards. I realized how wonderful it was at that moment to be outside where it was still warm but you can tell it will be cooling off through the night. The sun was setting so there were streaks of orange, pink and yellow everywhere as things started to get darker and street lights began to flicker on. I felt a little sweaty from the walk but my body felt good and my mind free from the stress of the day. Yes this is what exercise is to me. What’s it feel like to you?

If you’re ready to start your natural health journey and enjoy the process of transforming your life to improve health and decrease things like inflammation then you have found the right place to learn, be supported and have the tools you need for success. Visit my website for information, help, courses and books on how you can live natural on your terms – dragonspitapothecary.com

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