‘Health’ Archives
Tips To Get Through Allergy Season
Spring Blooms - Daiga Ellaby on Unsplash By NIKKI FLECK Most of us are more than ready for spring, but for allergy sufferers the anticipation of spring is often accompanied with a slight sense of dread. It’s hard to look forward to the cyclical promise of a stuffy nose, itchy red eyes, headaches, fatigue and sneezes. Due to climate change, seasonal allergies have escalated in many places extending the duration and severity of symptoms. Feeling low grade ill for weeks on end isn’t fun for anyone, but there are some simple tips and lifestyle shifts that can make the season much more bearable…even enjoyable! When we are exposed to allergens, antibodies release chemicals like histamine which are often responsible for frustrating symptoms and all of the gunky mucus that comes along for the ride. Overconsuming foods that are high in histamine or mucus forming is not ideal when allergens are high. Examples include: milk, cheese, smoked meats, bananas, alcohol, tomatoes and [...]
Challenging Responsibility part two
Interview with Amy Koehnen of Ebenezer Senior Living, Part Two By DWIGHT HOBBES Ebenezer holds fast against COVID-19, operating its business of caring for people with exactly that – care. The alley concludes its conversation with Amy Koehnen, Minneapolis Campus Administrator. You have your hands at the wheel. I personally believe in being professionally hands-on. Early on, I went to each site, seven days a week. I keep my fingers in it. No sooner did things become reasonably manageable than the Omicron variant arrived. How do you cope with the curve balls this virus throws us? We made sure staff were vaccinated or given an approved accommodation. Otherwise they couldn’t be employed at Ebenezer sites. Every weekday at 9, 9:30 we do calls to pass along information, ask questions. February 24, the Minneapolis rescinded mask requirements. Except for city owned or managed buildings. Where did that leave Ebenezer? March 13, Governor Tim Walz declared a state of [...]
Nourish Your Liver
By NIKKI FLECK Green garden harvest ready to support the liver (photo by Nikki Fleck) As we transition towards spring, you may have noticed your body waking earlier, a few more birds chirping, your brain daydreaming of beautifully bold colored vegetables from the farmers market…subtle energies awakening again. From a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Perspective spring is related to the liver, or wood element. This Five Element perspective provides us with a special lens to view the seasons. This lens provides insight and wisdom on how to care for our bodies and brains throughout the ever shifting seasons. Our body's requirements in August are quite different from January for example. In March we enter liver season which is all about waking up, expanding, cleansing, visioning the future and flowing freely. It relates to the color green and being confident and clear within the choices we make while being flexible as plans often [...]
