April Newsletter 2013
Dr. Steen’s word of the month: bijou… The dictionary describes the word bijou as 1: a small dainty usually ornamental piece of delicate workmanship: jewel 2: something delicate, elegant, or highly prized. Can anyone explain to me how Colorado Springs decided to name a STREET bijou? I think it’s interesting that’s all. When I came across this word, I thought of how our health is a bijou. Anyone who has ever lost their health, I think, would agree.
Maintaining good health is a delicate balance. If we work too hard, we can get sick or injured. If we work too little, that too will harm our health by making us slothful and depressed. Work engages the mind. It also gives us social contacts that help us laugh and find solutions to problems. Even volunteer work gives the worker a renewed sense of purpose and fulfillment by helping out. Activities that allow a person to create accelerate the brain neuro transmitters and yet quiet the artisan. Whether it is to build a dog house, knit an afghan, paint a picture, or make a good meal, the satisfaction of doing is undeniable.
The body’s health is a delicate balance as well as the mind. Your bones need calcium and good nutrients to put the calcium in the bones, but too much can lead to kidney stones, gall stones or hardening in main arteries. Your skin needs sunlight to make vitamin D, but too much sun gives us sunburn or even skin cancer. Your bowels need fiber and lots of water, but too much of these things and the food nutrients won’t get absorbed. Our nose loves good
smells, but when the stimulus is too pungent we sneeze, and can get headaches. Eating delicious food gives such pleasure, but over eating leads to weight problems which hurts all
your joints, your organs, and even slows your thinking. Our health is a bijou, a delicate prized possession, and we should treat it as such.
Advice from Dr. Steen:
Ø Here is my ear piercing caution, from an acupuncturist perspective: A pierced ear is pretty, but excessive piercings cease to be attractive and can be harmful. I’ve seen people who
didn’t realize they were piercing key acupuncture master control points, and they developed pathology in that area.
Ø Strike a balance when playing sports. Playing in sports is fun and full of potential to learn sportsmanship and develop discipline. But be careful. When participation in sports is taken over board, it will lead to excessive competitive attitudes and often lead to injury.
Ø Strike a balance with an orderly home. A clean organized house makes life easier in many ways but excessive cleanliness becomes a great burden and the joy is lost.
Ø Strike a balance with TV watching. A little TV can be relaxing, great entertainment,
but sitting for too many hours absorbing passive entertainment rots both your mind and body.
Ø Don’t avoid funerals because of perceived unpleasantness. Even going to a funeral can have a good effect. It reminds you of your own mortality, and causes you to hug those you love, as you are reminded of their mortality.
Ø Drink a little wine now and then, in moderation of course. Holy Scriptures advised St. Timothy to drink a little wine for his stomach.
Ø Strike a balance with studying. Learning is wonderful for many reasons, but excessive studying is wearisome.
Ø This spring I want to remind my readers to get in shape for summer. Start gently doing things you know will strengthen your arms, legs, and back. Fun spring activities like gardening can help you stay in shape. Sharpen your tools, oil the gears, tune up the mower, and find the hat with the good brim. Plan your summer and think ahead what you can do to prepare.
It goes by so fast.
Ø Find a social group of people to gather with on a regular basis. This is especially valuable for those who have no family or all their family lives far away. Whether it’s coffee with the guys one morning a week, a bowling group, or a service club like Kiwanis, social gatherings are important. Being alone too much is another aspect of living that can get off balance.
All this talk about balance in life brings a key scripture to my mind that I would like to leave as a final thought.
Ecclesiastes 3: 1 – 8 says: To everything there is a season, a time and a purpose under heaven. A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time
to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to gain and a time to lose; a time to keep and a time to throw away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
Maintaining good health is a delicate balance. If we work too hard, we can get sick or injured. If we work too little, that too will harm our health by making us slothful and depressed. Work engages the mind. It also gives us social contacts that help us laugh and find solutions to problems. Even volunteer work gives the worker a renewed sense of purpose and fulfillment by helping out. Activities that allow a person to create accelerate the brain neuro transmitters and yet quiet the artisan. Whether it is to build a dog house, knit an afghan, paint a picture, or make a good meal, the satisfaction of doing is undeniable.
The body’s health is a delicate balance as well as the mind. Your bones need calcium and good nutrients to put the calcium in the bones, but too much can lead to kidney stones, gall stones or hardening in main arteries. Your skin needs sunlight to make vitamin D, but too much sun gives us sunburn or even skin cancer. Your bowels need fiber and lots of water, but too much of these things and the food nutrients won’t get absorbed. Our nose loves good
smells, but when the stimulus is too pungent we sneeze, and can get headaches. Eating delicious food gives such pleasure, but over eating leads to weight problems which hurts all
your joints, your organs, and even slows your thinking. Our health is a bijou, a delicate prized possession, and we should treat it as such.
Advice from Dr. Steen:
Ø Here is my ear piercing caution, from an acupuncturist perspective: A pierced ear is pretty, but excessive piercings cease to be attractive and can be harmful. I’ve seen people who
didn’t realize they were piercing key acupuncture master control points, and they developed pathology in that area.
Ø Strike a balance when playing sports. Playing in sports is fun and full of potential to learn sportsmanship and develop discipline. But be careful. When participation in sports is taken over board, it will lead to excessive competitive attitudes and often lead to injury.
Ø Strike a balance with an orderly home. A clean organized house makes life easier in many ways but excessive cleanliness becomes a great burden and the joy is lost.
Ø Strike a balance with TV watching. A little TV can be relaxing, great entertainment,
but sitting for too many hours absorbing passive entertainment rots both your mind and body.
Ø Don’t avoid funerals because of perceived unpleasantness. Even going to a funeral can have a good effect. It reminds you of your own mortality, and causes you to hug those you love, as you are reminded of their mortality.
Ø Drink a little wine now and then, in moderation of course. Holy Scriptures advised St. Timothy to drink a little wine for his stomach.
Ø Strike a balance with studying. Learning is wonderful for many reasons, but excessive studying is wearisome.
Ø This spring I want to remind my readers to get in shape for summer. Start gently doing things you know will strengthen your arms, legs, and back. Fun spring activities like gardening can help you stay in shape. Sharpen your tools, oil the gears, tune up the mower, and find the hat with the good brim. Plan your summer and think ahead what you can do to prepare.
It goes by so fast.
Ø Find a social group of people to gather with on a regular basis. This is especially valuable for those who have no family or all their family lives far away. Whether it’s coffee with the guys one morning a week, a bowling group, or a service club like Kiwanis, social gatherings are important. Being alone too much is another aspect of living that can get off balance.
All this talk about balance in life brings a key scripture to my mind that I would like to leave as a final thought.
Ecclesiastes 3: 1 – 8 says: To everything there is a season, a time and a purpose under heaven. A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time
to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to gain and a time to lose; a time to keep and a time to throw away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
