By Dr. Hyun K. Lee

The medical community regularly recommends mammograms as a preventive measure for breast cancer. However, it is advisable to perform self-examinations at home before any abnormalities are detected through mammograms. A simple self-examination method involves using your hands to check for lumps or discomfort in the breast tissue, which may indicate changes in the area.

If discomfort is felt around the left breast, it may suggest potential issues with the left lung and heart. Similarly, discomfort in the right breast could indicate possible concerns related to the left lung, liver, and gallbladder. It is important to take preventive measures accordingly.

Shoulder pain and frozen shoulder often originate from muscle stiffness in the chest area. Poor lymphatic circulation around the armpits can also contribute to these conditions, potentially leading to neck pain.

A simple yet effective way to prevent breast cancer, lung disease, and heart disease is through regular self-examinationsusing your hands. It is recommended to perform this self-check while showering.

For treatment, if you feel a lump or discomfort, gently massaging the affected area can help alleviate early-stage lumps or pain. If the lump persists despite massage, visiting a traditional Korean medicine clinic for acupuncture treatment can quickly reduce and even eliminate the lump within minutes. Acupuncture treatment can also provide immediate relief from pain and discomfort.

Men can also benefit from massaging the pectoral muscles. If they experience any pain or discomfort while doing so, it may indicate underlying issues with the heart, lungs, liver, or gallbladder. In such cases, acupuncture treatment is recommended to promptly address the discomfort and prevent future health issues.

Regular and simple self-massage techniques can help individuals maintain good health and prevent serious illnesses, potentially enabling them to live a long and healthy life up to the age of 120.

Dr. Lee’s office is located at 175 McMurray Road, Suite G, Buellton. Dr. Lee also harbors offices in Los Angeles and Paso Robles. To make an appointment call 805-693-5162 or 310-666-8021.

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Elna’s Dress Shop wishes everyone a happy February and invites you to check out the fantastic sale going on right now. Our clearance sale for the month of February has savings of 50-55 percent and 60 percent off regular prices.

We must make room for our spring arrivals, and we are contemplating how to best display them. Our tall ceilings and front windows allow light to come in. The brightness allows the merchandise to display well, and it makes shopping at Elna’s Dress Shop a delight. Hurry in and take advantage of the special savings on the well-known brands we feature.

Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14, is just around the corner. If you are going to step out, we have the perfect outfit for your special Valentine’s Day outing, but wearable through spring and summer as well. If you don’t know what to choose, purchase one of our gift certificates. They come in all sizes! Fashions are fun and exciting this season. We are receiving some of our early spring styles as I write this column. Just arrived, new styles of Slim-Sation pants that fit so well. We always carry the basic colors — black, navy, grey, brown, tan, dark denim, black denim, and white — in the long pants, but also have capris, ankle- and ¾-length pants. Once you tried them on you will want more than one pair.

Another winner is our brand Jess & Jane. These tops are designed for the average lady with ¾-length sleeves and come in tunic length and regular length.

A new fabric has been introduced called Mineral Wash. It is a very comfortable fabric, and our customers really like it. Wardrobe building is a free service at Elna’s Dress Shop. Stop by and let any of our qualified staff assist in helping you.

Thanks for your patronage. We value the friendships we have made over the years. Elna’s Dress Shop is located at 1673 Copenhagen Drive in the heart of Solvang. We look forward to seeing you soon. We are open Mondays, closed Tuesdays and open Wednesday thru Sunday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. If you are local, please let us know so you can receive a 10 percent discount on regular-priced merchandise.

And when Solvang celebrates the third Wednesday of each month, a 20 percent discount is available on regular priced merchandise. Specials do not apply to Danish Costumes.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

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GOOD MEDICINE

By Dr. Hyun K. Lee

You may have been hearing more about gluten lately, but perhaps have not been certain what it is or why a lot of healthfoods are labeled “gluten-free.” Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley and is indigestible to some people. A more advanced intolerance is called celiac disease and is on the rise.

Gluten issues commonly cause chronic diarrhea, bloating, gas, and constipation as well as a host of other issues such as joint pain, abdominal pain, malnutrition, infertility, fatigue, and the list goes on, varying per patient. 

Western medicine says that those with gluten intolerance or celiac disease cannot digest this protein, and when eaten, it triggers an autoimmune response, provoking the body to attack itself and destroy healthy tissues, especially the villi in the small intestine.

Korean Constitutional Medicine attributes gluten intolerance to a lack of heat in the intestines, which is common especially among So Um In constitutional types. 

Wheat, rye, and barley are termed “cool foods” that are not on the constitutional list for So Um In types, but rather on their opposite, So Yang In types. For So Yang In types, their intestinal area is already hot, and they have general problems with heat, so these foods are better for them. For So Um In types, however, they have issues with lower organ temperature and need “hot foods.” In the grain department, they thrive on brown and white rice, especially. Other foods that are better for the So Um In constitution are (but not limited to): honey, leeks, ginseng, dates, ginger, garlic, onions, curry, and spicy foods, which all increase the temperature in the intestines. 

When the temperature in the intestines is too cold, your body can no longer take all the nutrients from the food you eat, and the food becomes only partially digested. Coolness creating a malfunction in the small intestine causes gas and bloating, and the digestion process is rendered incomplete. When this occurs, the large intestine becomes stressed, and it slows down to create constipation in some sufferers. In others, the liquid that was not properly removed in the small intestine remains, and causes diarrhea when it hits the large intestine. For many with gluten intolerance, these issues are unstable, and can vacillate from constipation to diarrhea often. 

When the intestines are no longer taking the nutrients that they are supposed to, and are instead dumping them, this causes a lack of nutrition in the blood, which makes organs weak and causes fatigue. The blood also cannot cleanse itself as well any longer, which leads to a buildup of toxins in the joints that creates pain. Having coolness in the lower abdomen also makes fertility difficult.

To deal with the effects of gluten intolerance and celiac disease, it is essential for the sufferer to build their immune system with acupuncture and herbs. Limiting stress, exercising, and keeping a happy mind is ideal for all types. Constitutional food is also a must. Keeping a food diary is also a helpful thing to do, so that you may track how you feel after meals and really get to know what your body likes and dislikes; one body is always different from the next.Over time, your immune system will improve and build strong organs and things will go back to a healthy normal. 

So Um In types should also always eat on time, to a schedule, and consume smaller meals throughout the day. (Do not skip meals as this stresses out your organs.) Larger meals can be difficult on this constitution’s digestive system. Buffets should also be avoided as the temptation for larger meals is so much higher. 

It is a new year, and a great resolution to make is that of your health. Improving your immune system eliminates so many problems, including gluten intolerance. Happy New Year.

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HOLIDAY HISTORY

By John Copeland

Celebrating the start of the new year is one of the oldest of all humanity’s holidays. Cultures around the world have been celebrating the start of the new year for at least 4,000 years. However, January has not always the first month of the year.  In terms of human history, even celebrating New Year’s on Jan. 1 is a relatively new phenomenon. 

Many other ancient societies celebrated their New Year on dates tied with the seasons: The Egyptians, Phoenicians, and Persians began their new years at the fall equinox, and the Greeks celebrated theirs on the winter solstice. Today, most New Year’s festivities begin on Dec. 31, the last day of the Gregorian calendar, and continue into the early hours of Jan. 1. 

Four-thousand-year-old Babylonian cuneiform clay tablets, discovered in Iraq, are the earliest record of festivities celebrating the arrival of the new year.  However, the Babylonian New Year began with the first visible crescent moon after the spring equinox. In ancient Babylon, the New Year festival, called Akitu, was celebrated for 12 days. The cuneiform tablets reveal the Akitu was the most significant observance of the year.

Several other ancient cultures also celebrated their New Year on other dates also tied to the seasons, like the spring equinox, fall equinox, and the winter solstice.  One quickly gets the idea that New Year’s is among the oldest and most persistent of human celebrations.

The various dates for New Year’s Day beg the question: How did January become the first month on our calendar and the beginning of our new year? As a day, Jan. 1 has no astronomical or agricultural significance for beginning theyear. However, like many of our festivities that occur throughout the year, we can blame the Romans. In fact, the month of January did not even exist until around 700 BCE, when the second king of Rome, Numa Pontilius, added the months of January and February to the Roman calendar.

The month of January is associated with the god Janus.  Janus was the one Roman god that has no Greek counterpart. In prayers, his name was evoked even before that of Jupiter. According to some worshipers, Janus was the custodian of the universe, but to the Romans, he was the god of beginnings and endings, presiding over every entrance and departure. Because every door or passageway looks in two directions, Janus is always depicted as two-headed; one face looks back into the past, the other peers forward to the future.

In 46 BCE, Julius Caesar reformed the Roman calendar, introducing a new, solar-based calendar that was a vast improvement over the previous Roman calendar, which, over the years, had become wildly inaccurate. The Julian calendar decreed that the new year would occur with Jan. 1.  From that time on, within the Roman Empire, Jan. 1 was observed as start of the new year.  

After Rome’s decline and Christianity’s spread through Europe, the church considered New Year’s celebrations to bepagan and unchristian. In 567 CE the Council of Tours abolished Jan. 1 as the beginning of the year.  Throughout medieval Christian Europe, the New Year was again celebrated on a variety of dates: Dec. 25, the birth of Jesus; March 1; March 25, the Feast of the Annunciation; and Easter. Back then, there was no uniform calendar through most of the Middle Ages.

Then during the late 1500s, at the urging of Pope Gregory XII, Aloysius Lilus came up with a modification to the Julian calendar, making it more accurate. Named the Gregorian calendar, after the pope, it is the calendar most of the world still follows today. The Gregorian calendar restored Jan. 1, as New Year’s Day. Although most Catholic countries adopted the Gregorian calendar almost immediately, it was only gradually adopted by Protestant countries. The British, for example, did not adopt the Gregorian calendar until 1752. Until then, the British Empire, and the American colonies, still celebrated the new year in March.

For us in the Northern Hemisphere, January is a logical time for a new beginning. On the December solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, we experience the shortest day of the year. By the beginning of January, our days are lengthening again. This return of longer hours of daylight had a profound effect on societies that were tied to agricultural cycles. It even exerts an emotional effect on people living in cities today.

I think the ancient Romans were on to something with Janus. As the god of new beginnings, gates, and doors, the first hour of the day, the first day of the month, and the first month of the year, Janus is a good symbol for starting the New Year. He looks forward to the future of the coming year and back in contemplation to the year just past.  

This makes me think about New Year’s resolutions. Do you make them? It is believed that the Babylonians were the first to make New Year’s resolutions, and people all over the world have been making and breaking them ever since. 

The Romans had a similar tradition of making New Year’s resolutions. A common resolution in ancient Rome was to ask forgiveness from enemies of the past year.  

Early Christians believed the first day of the New Year should be spent reflecting on past mistakes and resolving to improve oneself in the new year.

Whether or not our ancestors took their resolutions seriously and always achieved what they resolved to do is unknown. Today, when we make resolutions, we’re tapping into that ancient and powerful human longing for a fresh start.  

And then there is putting the past year to rest.

Any regrets about the past year? To help focus on the future, write down your regrets on a scrap of paper and toss it in the fire. Janus, the two-faced god of the new year, would approve!

The post Starting the year on Jan. 1 is relatively new in world history appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

While neutrals are a FALL safe choice, there is something to be said about a coat , sweater, or tunic that can instantly brighten the dreariest of days. To provide plenty of impact, try a statement piece in a pastel or a warm hue of cinnamon, turquoise, red, or wine.

There are so many exciting ways to update and brighten your wardrobe right now, so go bold in pieces that work for you and above all, something that makes you feel special.

A new scarf, a new top, or a piece of jewelry can do.

With the holidays just around the corner, we have many items for the lady in your life. Our accessories answer many questions of what to get your special someone. We have tided scarves, famous artist museum scarves, hand painted leather bags, and small and large shoulder bags in many colors and styles.

Also don’t forget our Slim-Sation pants with and without pockets. The basic colors are: black, brown, navy, stone, heather grey, dark denim, and black denim. Elna’s Dress Shop has just what you need, and during the month of December, a gift from me to you, all ladies sweaters, vests, and jackets are 20 percent off original price.

Ladies, how can you resist a bargain like this on the latest pieces that have recently arrived? Come in soon and check out all the name brands that you know we carry. Shopping local helps all of us.

Thank you for shopping at Elna’s Dress Shop, located at 1673 Coppenhan Drive, in Solvang. Have any questions? You can call the store at (805) 688-4525 . Also, like us on our Facebook page or go on our website at www.elnas.com.

We are open Monday and Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed on Tuesdays. On Christmas Eve, Elna’s will close at 4 p.m., and we’ll be closed on Christmas Day.

The post FASHION CHATTER: Winter season ushers in warmer wardrobe appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

Dr. Hyun K. Lee

Second among patients only to complaints of back pain are aches in the lower limbs, especially the knees and hips. For most people, aside from having an injury to the area, the knees and hips gradually move from experiencing feelings of weakness or numbness, then to occasional pain, and finally to chronic pain. 

Some might write it off as age related or due to a lifetime of walking around, but the root cause of knee and hip pain is very different. 

Major arteries run down your legs supplying blood, oxygen, and nutrients. When there is a disturbance in circulation, it can bring weakness. Over time, if the lack of circulation continues, toxins get trapped in areas of your lower limbs, mainly the joints, and create pain. If that occasional pain is left untreated, chronic pain and a negative physical change in the area occur. 

The main reason for the disturbance in circulation is due to the person being overweight and/or constipated often. When this happens, your internal organs, especially the stomach, small intestine, large intestine, and reproductive organs, become tired and weighty. They begin to lose their original placement and hang somewhat. All of this excess weight puts pressure on the arteries, which cuts off the normal circulation to the lower limbs and limits ascending energy that pulls the blood upwards causing problems in the femoral and knee joints especially. 

Unfortunately, when these issues are present, the weakness, numbness, and pain make it difficult to exercise the excess weight off. Because of this, the problem usually exacerbates until there is a situation significant enough to warrant a knee or hip replacement.  In addition, people (especially women) get varicose veins from the lack of ascending energy, digestive problems, bowel issues, and reproductive problems, including fibrosis and polyps. They also develop weak muscles and tendons throughout their body.

Older people tend to have this problem more than younger people because they have less natural gravity holding energy. Just as the outside of you begins to sag, so does the inside of you.

Happily, before the worst happens, Korean Constitutional acupuncture and herbs can help fix these problems, and put your organs back where they belong, restore circulation, eliminate constipation, joint weakness, numbness, and pain, and quickly help you to get back to a healthier weight through proper diet and exercise. 

If you have a family history of knee or hip issues, it is smart to pay closer attention to your body to prevent these situations from happening. Joint replacement, though effective for some, is a major surgery requiring rehabilitation and often further surgical maintenance. Doing what you can to preserve that which you were born with is always the best, and most painless road to take.

Dr. Lee’s office is located at 175 McMurray Road, Suite G, Buellton. Dr. Lee also has offices in Los Angeles and Paso Robles. To make an appointment call 805-693-5162 or 310-666-8021.

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By Sue Manning

I took over Elna’s Dress Shop and it became a merging fashion, quality and versatility shop.

I take my cues from current trends, putting the freshness of street wear with the sophistication of international design for a unique look.

The key phrase for Elna’s is “attainable style for all occasions, regardless of age, body type or look.”

Our vision is forever young with effortless street style, timeless beauty, mixing past inspiration with present innovation.

If you are looking for a collection that encompasses just about every piece a girl could need in her wardrobe, look no further than Jess & Jane. The key quality customers rave about is the super soft feel. That gives them the latest trends without sacrificing comfort. We proudly carry Jess & Jane apparel, so stop in and you’ll be sure to find something that suits you.

Fashion can sometimes seem intimidating and inaccessible. We think we need the “total” look, but not all things belong together. Fall gives us the option of being free-spirited, so feel free to mix and match! Forget the norm; mix prints, textures, and colors. Look for leather, earth tones, plush textures, tapestries, florals, and jewelry with a bold look.

There are new rules on wearing scarves. The thin scarf can be considered an updated take on a choker. It surrounds the neck, but cascades in any direction the wearer desires. Play with color, textures and patterns, and don’t try to match your outfit, rather enhance it with this graphic, bold accent.

In a tough retail market, we pride ourselves on being very customer-oriented. Stop in and see what I mean. If you have a specific top, skirt, or outfit that needs a face lift, come see us. All our associates are personal shoppers for you. No guessing about size — you actually try the garments on and take them home with you.

You may discover new lines and stock up on your favorite brands, completing your immediate clothing and accessory needs. Don’t forget the third Wednesday every month for a 20 percent discount on all regular-priced merchandise, and selected sale items 50 percent off except Danish costumes.

We are open Monday, Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed on Tuesdays. We are located at 1673 Copenhagen Drive in Solvang. For any immediate questions feel free to email us at sue@elnas.com and follow us on Instagram @elnasdressshop.

Feature image: You can find Elna’s Dress Shop at 1673 Copenhagen Drive in Solvang. Look for the building with the blue facade. Star File Photo.

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Post traumatic stress disorder is an all-too-common effect of military life as well as life’s other more shocking moments or big changes. It can feel as though there is no hope of ever returning to how you once were, and it can put a strain on the relationships you hold most dear. 

Within the body, there are yin and yang energies. Yin is a cool, calming, relaxing, lazy energy. Yang is a hot, active, hardworking, adrenaline-pumping, fighting energy. They work together to create a balance, and when in alignment, bring health and vitality. 

Most war or traumatizing situations have an overriding energy of fear and being out of control. These feelings, compounded with a lack of sleep, too much deep thinking, sadness, strong emotion, and a general sensory overload, all make for a very extreme situation for your body. It’s much like pulling an elastic band. If you pull and pull on it over and over again, eventually it will either pull back to a state that is unlike how it was to begin with, or it will snap and break. Either way, what you are left with is an elastic band that is no longer in its original shape.  

Everyone’s body is individually programmed, and when that programming is altered, you feel the change. We call this an imbalance, and it produces a sickness in one way or another. The four constitutional types have organs that work together like yin and yang.  In these situations, Tae Yang In types would see their lungs acting as yang energy and their liver acting as yin energy. Tae Um In types see the opposite, with their liver energies becoming over excited and their lung energy trying to balance it. So Yang In types have an over excited spleen, pancreas, and stomach energy, while their kidneys try to pull them back to normal. So Um In types have the opposite, with their kidneys becoming over-excited and their spleen, pancreas, and stomach trying to balance them once more. This entire energy imbalance causes the brain to be out of balance as well, and so PTSD happens.

Korean Constitutional acupuncture, herbs, and diet can balance these organs, yin and yang energies, normalize your brain cells, and return your “elastic band” back to its original shape. It should be noted that it’s not a one-time shot. It takes time to mold your body back into its original state, but it is all natural, working in concert with your body without side effects, to treat the root cause. Once you are balanced, you’re able to process your experiences in a balanced way. Strong medication cannot say the same as it normally causes an up and down effect that does not cure the real problem. 

In addition, your entire body benefits greatly from exercise, especially stretching exercises like Pilates. Breathing exercises also help return the balance of yin and yang energies as it changes the state of the diaphragm and muscle support around the organs and helps the six “weather conditions” of each organ. Positive thinking is also a must. It takes effort to retrain yourself and Korean Constitutional Medicine can be extremely helpful to anyone wishing to heal the mind-body connection and get it back to its original balanced state. 

Dr. Lee’s office is located at 175 McMurray Road, Suite G, Buellton. Dr. Lee also has an office in Los Angeles and Paso Robles. To make an appointment call (805) 693-5162 or (310) 666-8021.

The post PTSD: Bringing your ‘elastic band’ back to shape appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

By John Copeland

October is a month of changes in the world around us.  Yes, we still have warm days, but the nights cool off faster, and the hours of daylight are growing shorter and the hours of darkness are increasing. 

On Oct. 31, we celebrate Halloween with its witches, ghost, goblins and scary things that go bump in the night. On Halloween, we also cross into what our ancestors considered to be the dark half of the year.

Besides New Year’s, Halloween is one of the oldest holidays still celebrated today. A night of magic and mystery that originally celebrated the inextricable link between seasonal and life cycles. Halloween has not simply survived, it’scontinued to thrive over its long history.  Here in the United States, it’s one of our most popular holidays, second only to Christmas.  

The origins of Halloween can be traced back directly to the ancient Celtic festival Samhain (sow-in, the first part rhyming with cow). The Romans, the Christian Church, and ultimately, modern society have all had a hand in altering this holiday. Today, even the most contemporary traditions preserve traces of Halloween’s ancient past.

The Celts divided their year into eight major holidays and two seasons of light and dark. The season of light began May 1 on Beltane. The season of darkness began on Samhain, on the eve of Nov. 1, a magically potent time. The word Samhain translates, from ancient Gaelic as “summers end,” and in contemporary Irish Gaelic, Samhain is the name for the month of November. 

For the Celts, Samhain was harvest’s end. It was also the end of the year and the beginning of the new year. It was “in between” the two years and on this night, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead was at its weakest allowing creatures of the night to mingle with the living.  

Many scholars believe that the ancient Celts would disguise themselves with animal skins and masks and make lots of noise in an effort to ward off malevolent spirits. They also left gifts and treats outside their dwellings to pacify spirits on Samhain night. These are the customs at the root of today’s costume parties and trick-or-treating.

On Samhain, all household fires were extinguished. At dawn, brands were taken from the hilltop bonfires and used to rekindle the hearth fires. In relighting their hearth fires, the ancient Celts surely had a sense they were also kindling new dreams, projects, and hopes for the year to come. 

By 43 BCE, the Romans had conquered nearly all of the Celtic lands. As conquerors, the Romans were surprisingly accepting of the beliefs of other cultures. In the course of the 400 years that they ruled “Celtic Europe,” two Roman festivals were combined in the Celtic celebration of Samhain.

The first was Feralia, commemorated the passing of the dead. The other was the festival of Pomona, Roman goddess of fruit and trees. The symbol of Pomona was an apple, which was a special fruit to the Celts: At the heart of the Celtic Otherworld grew an apple tree whose fruit had magical properties. 

When Christian missionaries began converting the Celtic people, Pope Gregory I issued an edict to his missionaries. Rather than obliterate the pagan customs, Pope Gregory instructed his missionaries to use them.

This proved to be a brilliant concept and helped spread Christianity across Celtic territories. The combining of Samhain and All Saints Day into Halloween is an excellent example. All Saints Day, also known as All Hallows, was originallycelebrated in late May. The evening before was All Hallows Eve, which in turn became Hallowe’en. Can you imagine trick or treating among the flowers in May?

Moving the holiday from warm spring-like weather to chilly autumn, however, changed the whole nature of the celebration. The powerful symbolism of wandering dead was too strong for the human psyche to be satisfied with the abstract Catholic feast honoring saints. Common folk continued to celebrate All Hallows Eve, but all the characters of the night were now evil, like witches.

In the melting pot of Colonial America, traditions continued to merge giving birth to a distinctly American version of Halloween. Colonial Halloween festivities featured the telling ghost stories and mischief-making of all kinds. By the early 19th century, Halloween was not universally celebrated.

In the mid-19th century, America was flooded with millions of Irish fleeing Ireland’s potato famine. Trick-or-treating came to America from Ireland, where children of tenant farmers would go to the lord’s or landlord’s manor demanding treats or they would play pranks. 

Irish children would carry with them jack-o’lanterns made by hollowing out a turnip or sugar beet and carving them with facial features. These would be illuminated by a candle placed in the inside. The original idea behind this may have been to frighten off any supernatural forces that might be about. 

Pumpkins are America’s contribution to Halloween. Big orange veggies are pretty odd as far as holiday symbols go, but there are actual historical reasons why we carve pumpkins for Halloween. In North America, pumpkins are more readily available and much larger than turnips or sugar beets making them easier to carve.  

By the turn of the century, in America, Halloween parties for both children and adults were the most common way to celebrate the day. Somewhere between 1920 and 1950, the centuries-old practice of trick-or-treating door-to-door was revived and it has continued to grow. Today, Americans spend about $7 billion on Halloween.  Halloween has managed to achieve a national status without the holiday standing of say, the 4th of July or Christmas.  

Halloween has endured because it allows its participants to both embrace and defuse their fears. From the ancient Celts seeking to appease the spirits that wandered the countryside on Samhain night to the little vampires and fairies trick-or-treating at your door, Halloween’s adaptability is the reason it remains, for over 2,000 years, the most bewitching night of the year.

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I’ve mentioned in some of my previous articles about the importance of keeping a happy mind. Certainly, the road of life is not free of bumps, but it’s how you take those bumps that can mean the difference between health and disease. What most people fail to realize is that your emotions play a major role in the development of diseases, such as cancer. 

Cancer may rear its ugly head due to numerous reasons, but you may not know that an “emotional shock” can also be the cause. A traumatic emotional experience, whether it’s the loss of a loved one, a severe worry, like losing your home, your job, the economy, or any other threat or panic, causes you stress on a physical and emotional level. This then causes very real physical changes in your body. 

If you consider your body as a computer, a power surge can easily blow your system out. It is always recommended to plug your computer into a power strip with a surge protector to stop the additional power supply running to the computer in the event of a surge. Your body works in much the same way. An emotional shock, as in electric shock, sparks a change in the body, yet your body does have natural built-in surge protectors that can be your best indication of an underlying problem. Often, we don’t know just how hard an emotional shock has hit us, or how deeply it is affecting your body.

Tiredness, insomnia, and pain are the most common of your body’s “surge protectors.” All three of them act as a slowing-down mechanism of sorts. Most people turn to, what we can term “bypass medicines”, to mask these surge protectors.Pain medicine, sleeping medicine, or caffeine and energy drinks all serve to temporarily eliminate these bothersome symptoms so that we can more easily get on with our day. However, the more you bypass your body’s surge protectors, the higher the risk of burning out your system and getting cancer.

Disease that develops is not random. Your constitution most often determines your weak points. Knowing your ownemotional proclivities also gives you indications of your weak points. If you have a lot of sadness in your life, this damages your lungs. Those with short tempers who carry a lot of anger are prone to liver damage. People who live with much fear are prone to kidney damage, while those who worry a lot or over-think things suffer damage to their stomach.  

It is so important to pay attention to your body’s built-in surge protectors. Don’t mask their presence, but rather, find their root before it turns to disease. The solution is not to treat the physical symptoms, but instead to get to the bottom of the emotional conflict, and heal yourself emotionally. Healing the emotional situation puts a halt to the growth and festering of disease so that physical healing can occur. 

If you are currently in a place where you know that you have suffered an emotional shock, the very best thing you can do is to be kind to yourself. Get plenty of rest, eat the right foods, exercise, seek out acupuncture, be with friends, take a vacation, do the things that make you happy, and essentially pamper yourself while you work through your emotional problems. Treating yourself kindly in this time serves as a protective and healing mechanism and prevents the shock from turning into disease.

Learning how to live in the moment is also very helpful. Try this simple breathing exercise to help train your mind to concentrate on the here and now: While lying comfortably on your back, place your fingers 2 inches down from your belly button. Close your eyes, and with your mind’s eye, watch the position of your fingers. Watch them rise and fall with each deep inhale and exhale. Train your mind to silence and watch and think only of your breath and the rise and fall of your fingers. Relax and center yourself. Doing this for a little while every day will help to train your mind to live in the present and assist you in working through your past or current emotional situations. 

If you listen to your body and these fundamental laws of nature — to live a conscious life, to eat healthy foods, exercise, deal with your emotional hurdles naturally, and strive for balance in your life — it will go a long way toward keeping you out of the doctor’s office and helping you prevent cancer altogether.

Dr. Lee’s office is now located at 175 McMurray Road, Suite G, Buellton. The clinic is held every Wednesday only. Dr. Lee also has offices in Los Angeles, and Atascadero. To make an appointment in the Buellton office, call 805-693-5162.

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