Radical Self Care Glossary
A reference guide of the treatments, techniques & principles for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
What is Radical Self Care?
A lifestyle led by prioritizing the needs of the body. Practices that provide an individual freedom from the confines of suffering by living in harmony with healthy rhythms of sleeping, eating, moving, hygiene, and fasting. Practices include disciplined observation of the body with qigong, hydrotherapy, and medicine therapies.
It is a step towards radical when you commit time away from other achievements to focus on your body. It is also radical to consciously say NO to our medical model…. Dictating us to turn to medical care only after we’ve developed disease and infection. All disease can be prevented with Radical Self Care, and many diseases can be turned around. Radical Self Care allows individuals to avoid treatments that are designed to mask symptoms.
Hormone Health
Birth Control Pill
The birth control pill, the pill, is a tiny and powerful dose of hormones that help control the body’s production of hormones. The pill is available in many different recipes. The birth control pills formulated with more estrogen act differently in the body than the pills that have forms of progesterone. Usually, the pill is taken by a woman for 3 weeks out of the month, then for one week it is a dud- meaning there are no hormones present. This drop in hormone availability usually causes the body to have a menstrual bleed. The pill can cause side effects.
IUD
The IUD (Intrauterine device) is placed in the uterus to alter the reproductive environment so that a woman cannot become pregnant. There are only two types of IUDs available in the US: the Mirena and the Paragard. Mirena is an IUD of plastic that releases a progesterone-like hormone, but is estrogen free. The Paragard has a plastic base wrapped in a thin layer of copper, but does not release synthetic hormones. Read More
Seed Cycling
Traditionally a woman’s practice, seed cycling is a way of eating that holds a magical science for creating monthly rhythm in the body. We use this technique to balance a woman’s cycle, prepare the body for fertility, or keep the body in rhythm during and after menopause.
Nutrition
Food Additives
Food additives and artificial sweetener damage the microbiome and the metabolism.
Common additives:
“Sugar free”(artificial) sweeteners
Aspartame, acesulfame-K, saccharin, sucralose, neotame, advantame.
Even sugar extracts that read like food should be avoided: sucrose, glucose, fructose
High Fructose Corn Syrup
Herbicides and pesticides
Sprouts/ sprouting
Sprouts are eaten and grown from seeds such as, alfalfa, clover, broccoli, and radish.
Learn about the miraculous brain food: Broccoli Sprouts
Check out the full DIY Seed Sprouting Guide
Microbiome
Microbiome
The micbrobiome consists of trillions of micro organisms (bacteria, fungi, archaea and viruses) that make up a diverse and harmonious community in a healthy body. The majority of the community lives in the digestive system and is responsible for creating vitamins, supporting healthy brain chemicals, balancing hormones, and regulating digestion. Maintaining a healthy weight, metabolism, and skin are also dependent on a balanced microbiome. Learn More.
Dysbiosis
A condition caused by damage to the microbiome. Our gut is our garden soil where we grow our nutrients to keep a healthy metabolism, nourished skin, and a well-fed brain. Dysbiosis is where the soil is full of sluggy stinky goo. With dysbiotic soil nothing can grow properly and weeds take over. Read Article.
Common Causes:
Food poisoning
Antibiotic use
Medications
Standard American Diet: rich in refined and processed foods.
Parasites: even those found in some city water supply.
Trauma experience disrupting the nervous system.
Conditions
Chronic pain
Chronic pain is a condition where the body perceives pain in various areas that can be changing or consistent, all or most of the time.
Treatment: Qigong therapy is effective for chronic pain. Mayo clinic studies have shown decreased pain levels in all cohorts for people living with chronic pain lasting 3+ years.
Practices & Traditions
Daoism
A tradition that honors the laws of nature as the primary guidance through life. Daoism teaches that Meditative observation of the laws of nature within and without allows one to live in harmony with nature. Guiding texts include the Yi Ching and the Tao de Ching.
Qigong
A practice for developing mindfulness, creating inner freedom, and cultivating advanced meditation. Qigong is an internal martial art practiced as the foundation of fighting arts such as kungfu. The exercises of qigong allow the practitioner to create harmony internally by supporting the natural laws at play in the body. The practitioner cultivates creative energy for self-healing. The practice balances excess and deficiency. View our Qigong Classes here.
Learn More
Winter Solstice
The winter solstice occurs around the 21st of December. It is the shortest and darkest day of the year. The solstice has been celebrated by many traditions and cultures throughout the ages. Lean More
Techniques & Treatments
Constitutional Hydrotherapy (CHT)
A radical self care treatment that uses a series of hot and cold compresses applied to the bare chest, abdomen, and back in conjunction with low voltage electrical stimulation. The 1 hour treatment is performed in a series by a hydrotherapist. Many conditions of stagnation and inflammation respond positively to CHT, including constipation, neuropathy, hemorrhoids, heartburn, chronic infections, and others.
Hydrotherapy
Treatments that use the application of water to the body to introduce variations of hot and cold as well as pressure and release. Hydrotherapy helps stimulate the body to purify the blood by removing waste and restoring flow to areas of congestion. Used in conjunction with healthy eating and appropriate treatment of infection, hydrotherapy can restore health.
Nasal rinse / neti pot
A technique for rinsing out the nasal passages. Especially useful for those with a history of chronic sinus irritation, seasonal allergies, and environmental allergies (dust, dander...).
A totally safe method for decreased exposure to environmental pollutants and irritants. Easy and comfortable (once you get used to it), it can also be integrated into a daily teeth brushing routine.
Instructions:
Fill neti pot with lukewarm water.
Add ¼ teaspoon of non-iodized salt.
Put tip of neti pot into nasal opening. Create a seal.
Lean your head over the sink so that the salt water will flow from the neti pot into the nose and out the other side of the nose.
Snort the salt water in through the nose to get a deeper rinse.
After rinsing, close the opposite nostril and blow out any remaining fluid.
Gargle with salt water to clear the back of the throat.
A ceramic neti pot is recommended. Make sure to sterilize the neti pot with hot water after each use.
Oil pulling
A radical self care technique used especially for people desiring to rehabilitate the health of their teeth and gums or prevent headaches. This technique allows for improved mouth hygiene by supporting a healthy microbiome, improved blood flow to the gums, and a deep clean.
Instructions: Use 1 tablespoon of oil (olive, grape seed, coconut). Swish it in the mouth for 15-20 minutes. (Set a timer.) Then, spit out the oil into the ground, sink, or garbage.
Skin brushing
A radical self care technique used for beauty and health promotion. Moves lymph to enhance healthy clearance of toxins in the skin.
Instructions: Use a natural bristle brush. Brush the skin from the tips of the fingers and toes toward the heart. Gentle pressure is the most effective technique for moving lymphatic fluid.
Steam inhalation
A technique used at first sign of sinus infection or difficulty breathing. This is used early on in illness in order to prevent the need for antibiotics. Steam inhalation can also be added in after long term issues to help get the body healing.
Can be used with children or adults to calm the respiratory airways, recover from chronic bronchitis, and improve nasal drainage and sinus pressure. Also useful for sore throats.
Warming socks
A radical self care technique used to activate a healthy immune response. Uses hot and cold water to move healthy blood into areas where there is stagnation. Moving stagnant lymph can help fight against illness.
How to use warming socks?