Day 97- Trees would hug you back, if they could.

Have I talked with you about forest therapy yet?

Gazzam Lake = Heaven on Bainbridge

It's actually becoming accepted as part of health care plans by some providers in Japan. Forest therapy, or forest bathing as it's sometimes called, has been shown to increase immunities and decrease stress levels for regular users. 

Today, I felt seriously oogy when I awoke---sore, scratchy throat, slight fever. After a meander around Gazzam Lake, I feel perfectly fine. Was it the walk encouraging the lymph to remove waste from my body or the forest magic increasing my "natural killer cells" (a real thing!) to help fight off whatever germ had taken up residence in my body temple?

Don't forget to look up, too! Wow.

Who knows, and really, who cares? As long as I feel better and am healthy, you can tell me it was because you shook maracas over my head and I'm okay with that. It's the end result that matters, the proof that's in the pudding that makes me keep truckin' on and feeling positive.

Anyway, if you can, take a few minutes to read the above link, and learn about the studies done for forest therapy. If you don't need studies to prove things to your reasoning brain, then just go out for a walk in your neighborhood tree-place after dinner tonight, and see how you feel afterward. 

Lola was so overcome with the healing powers of the forest, she just went prone on the path for a few minutes.

What could it hurt? 

Tay-ay in da wee-end, 
Dani

Day 29--We don't need no sparkly undead...

Did you know that ninety-five percent of Americans are deficient in vitamin D? 

(I'm going to wait here for a second while you think about that number.)

Ninety-five percent.  That's awfully close to 100 %, isn't it? Scary close. 

Why do you think that number is so high?

For Americans. 

Oh. I see. But what about...

Yeah, but ...

Uncle! Uncle!

We are inside. Too much. We don't have a vitamin D shortage because we don't drink enough milk or we live north of the 35-degree latitude line of the U.S. or we live in Forks or poo poo poo poo. 

Yeah, that's right, I said poo on those excuses. Those excuses are one more way for you to delay your well-being.

We have a shortage because we live our lives inside. Inside cars, inside homes, inside offices, inside stores, inside gyms, inside. 

Am I saying you should quit yer job? 

Nope. 

But maybe try and get outside during every second you can, whether for a walk in the morning, your lunch outside on the plaza, a picnic in the park, a weekend flying kites...there are a billion ways to get outside. You need your vitamin D like a donut needs a hole, like an ocean needs the tide...okay, that's stupid, but here's why you do need it:

• Immune system bolster
• Stronger bones and muscles
• Lower risk of cancer
• Resistance to allergans
• Mental health support
• Protection against skin cancer
• Regulates blood sugar
• Pain relief from fibromyalgia and lower back pain

This isn't saying you should go take tons of vitamin D supplements, because that's sort of like throwing bricks at a wall, expecting it to make the wall stronger. 

No, your body needs to synthesize, or make, the vitamin, and the best way for it to do that is to be outside. Outside. It doesn't matter if it's sunny. Go outside. Outside. You don't need a huge, planned trip. Just open your front door and go for a walk every day. You'll feel it, trust me. 

This vitamin D feels AWESOME! So super sparkly!!

Yours in vitamin D synthesis, 
Dani