Late-Night Snack Attacks

Who hasn’t enjoyed the guilty pleasure of a big bowl of buttery popcorn, a comfy couch and a late movie? Buttery popcorn is probably OK for an occasional treat. But the comfy couch tends to scrunch you down into a position less than ideal for moving food easily into the stomach. The movie is your choice (although Texas Chainsaw Massacre is likely to mess with your dreams).

It takes a couple hours to chew food well, move it down your esophagus and into your stomach. If your popcorn, the dish of Rocky Road and a big slice of cold pepperoni pizza (yes, I was watching) is half-chewed, spread out along the esophagus, the food will lie in there undigested most of the night. There is always the troubling possibility that a lump of food will throw your esophagus into spasm or cause you to choke.

There is the possibility of coughing up food or stomach acid in your sleep and aspirating it into your lungs. I know it is a lot to ask that you chew each bite carefully while you are watching a horror movie. You need and deserve these occasional guilty pleasures but would you at least consider sitting up a little straighter and watching your movie at eight instead of midnight? Thanks.

Be well. Breathe beautifully.

Finding Your Center

And where exactly is your center and why should you care? YOUR CENTER IS THAT EXACT POINT WHERE YOUR MIND, YOUR BODY AND YOUR SPIRIT ARE IN PERFECT BALANCE. Even though your center is invisible, you have probably sensed it from time to time. We often read about star athletes who describe having been “in the zone” when they did something extraordinary. Amazing things happen when you are “in the zone.”

It is understandable that, as the day wears on, we become fragmented – the intellect is wrestling with monster problems at the computer while the neglected body slumps over the keyboard like a big bag of beans. The spirit and the body are often forgotten completely. Fortunately you have the power to quickly center yourself at will. Remember that your breathing bridges the mind, the body and the spirit. Easy access.

Mother Nature wouldn’t have made this centering process difficult since it is essential for your well-being and personal growth. FREQUENTLY during your busy day, straighten your spine, relax your shoulders and your jaws, close your eyes, breathe out the stale air and take four or five very slow and very deep breaths. Nothing fancy.

A pitcher holds more cream if the pitcher is all in one piece instead of broken fragments scattered across the floor. You will be so much more efficient, effective and comfortable if you take a few minutes to pull all parts of you together.

Be well. Breathe beautifully.

Plague on the Plane!

You are flying home for a wedding and the person in the seat next to you has a super-sloppy sneezy cold. The FAA takes a dim view of your stuffing a passenger into the overhead. The flight attendant will be terribly amused when you ask to be moved to another seat.

Some travel specialists suggest putting a little antibiotic cream in your nose although that won’t defend you from a viral ambush. Vaseline in your nose, however, will help keep you hydrated for the journey and hydration is crucial! Dried out nose, sinuses, eyes and throat cripple your glorious glistening pulmonary mucus blanket that is designed to trap and repel dangerous incoming stuff. Once this protective layer dries out, you are a sitting dried-out duck.

Drink lots and lots of water the day before the trip and lots and lots of water on the plane. LOTS. Notice I did not say coffee, soda, or alcohol, all of which dry you out. Take along eye drops and hand-sanitizer gel that comply with carry-on restrictions. You could wear a tight-fitting mask and tell everyone you are protecting everyone else from YOUR cold. Not very practical but then if you are to be the maid-of-honor . . . . .

You need to be up and moving whenever the aisle is clear to keep your legs free of possible clots anyway and with Typhoid Mary shoulder to shoulder, it is even more important.

And finally, DO NOT SLEEP ON THE PLANE. This is dangerous for your legs and very dangerous for your respiratory system. You will mouth-breathe and you can’t afford it.

Be well. Breathe beautifully.

Pluck Not

Not even once! Remember that the stiff tiny nose hairs that ring the inside of each nostril provide the initial barrier between the environment and your vulnerable deep lung tissue.

Nose hairs provide an important protective “screen door.” Since our species is oxygen-dependent, there is no choice but to inhale air that is a microscopic mess of pollens, bits of tires, bacteria, molds, soot, dust, pollens, and animal dander.

Breaking the skin in your nose is a very bad idea. Your nose serves as a filter and filters tend to get dirty. Pulling a hair breaks the skin and leaves you vulnerable to infection. Your nose is too close to the brain to take the risk.

After a certain age all the good hairs fly away and the wicked-witch hairs spring up like weeds! It is tempting to pluck. Don’t. Buy a pair of little round-tip scissors and prune if you must.

Be well. Breathe beautifully.