Body Parts Meditation

/in , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , /by

Body Parts Meditation from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.

Learn about cultivating present moment awareness and staying grounded by focusing your attention on different parts of the body.

See More from Rx for Community Wellness

Related Programs:

Breath Counting Meditation

Breath Counting Meditation

 Chest Breathing Meditation

Chest Breathing Meditation

Complete Breathing Meditation

Transcript:

Greetings everyone. Thank you for joining this Patient Empowerment Network program. In this practice session we will be cultivating present moment awareness by focusing the attention on different parts of the body.

Before we start the practice, I want to state that focusing your attention on the body can have a grounding effect. Nonetheless, if you find this practice difficult for whatever reason, including health related or a traumatic history, please do not force it. I encourage you to be gentle and kind to yourself. Accept yourself where you are in this process. Attend softly and your capacity will build over time. To start our practice, find a comfortable seat. A chair is perfectly fine. And you may make arrangements to support your back if necessary. Or you may lie down on your back for this particular practice. Allow your eyes to softly close if you feel comfortable doing so. Begin to feel into the weight of your body being supported by whatever you are seated on or lying on. Notice any sensations without judgment of good or bad, without pushing anything away or grasping at anything. Just allow yourself to notice to the best of your abilities. If you do not feel anything, it’s ok. No need to force it. Be open to it. Whatever arises without judgment. Begin to softly bring your attention to your right foot. You may wiggle your toes to help you go there. Attending to any sensations that may arise or not without judgment. Begin to move your attention to your left foot. Attending softly without judgment. Moving your attention to your right leg. Feeling, sensing, noticing. Then bring your attention to your left leg. Moving to your right hand, attending softly without judgment. Then your left hand. Then to your right arm. Feeling, sensing, noticing. To your left arm. Bringing your attention to your head. Then your bringing your attention to your abdominal area, your belly area. Feeling, sensing, noticing. And then to your attention to your chest. From here bring your attention back to feeling the weight of your body in your seat. Gently open your eyes. We hope you enjoyed this Patient Empowerment Network program.

Breath Counting Meditation

/in , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , /by

Breath Counting Meditation from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.

Learn about cultivating present moment awareness by focusing your attention on and anchoring your mind to the natural flow of your breath through breath counting meditation. Watch now.

See More from Rx for Community Wellness

Related Programs:

Abdominal Breath Meditation

Abdominal Breath Meditation

 Chest Breathing Meditation

Chest Breathing Meditation

Complete Breathing Meditation

Transcript:

Greetings everyone. Thank you for joining this Patient Empowerment Network program. In this practice session we will be focusing our attention on the natural flow of the breath as a form of meditative practice. Before we start the practice, I want to state that the quality of your breathing is intimately related to the qualitative experience of the mind.

In this session we will be taking advantage of this relationship between the mind and the breath by anchoring the mind to the natural rhythm of the breath. For this practice, I invite you to find a comfortable seat. By sitting you minimize the chance of falling asleep. A chair is perfectly fine. You may also make arrangements to support your back if necessary. Allow your eyes to softly close if you feel comfortable doing so. By closing the eyes you minimize visual distractions. Begin to feel the weight of your body in your seat. Begin to lengthen your spine. Relaxing your shoulders. Lengthening the back of your neck. Relaxing your jaw, and the musculature of the face. Begin to take notice of the natural flow of your breath. Maybe by attending to your torso, the abdominal or chest areas, or the movement of the air as it passes through your nostrils. Wherever you are drawn to is perfectly fine. Attending to the natural uncontrolled breath. On your next inhalation, silently to yourself began to count 1 and the on the subsequent exhalation 2, 3 on the next inhalation, 4 on the following exhalation, counting until you reach 10 and then start this process over again. If you lose count, its ok. Start over at 1. Continue this practice of breath counting as long as time permits. Wherever you are in this process. Bringing this practice to a close. Just notice the natural flow of your breath. Gently open your eyes. We hope you enjoyed this Patient Empowerment Network program.

Health Benefits of Fats

/in , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , /by

Health Benefits of Fat from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.

Fats are necessary and play an important role in storing energy, providing insulation and protection, and regulating and signaling functions throughout the body. Watch now.

See More from Rx for Community Wellness

Transcript:

Contrary to what you may have heard, fat is necessary for the body to function and therefore an important part of a healthy and balanced diet. Fat in the body plays important roles in storing energy, providing insulation and protection to tissues and organs, and helping the body to produce and regulate hormones. Large amounts of dietary fat is not required because the body can produce most of what it needs. Fat also plays unique roles in the diet, including increasing the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins and phytochemicals, and contributing to the flavor and satisfaction of food. 

Triglycerides are the main form of fat in the body and in foods, where fatty acids are a major building block. Fatty acids are categorized as either saturated or unsaturated. The dietary guidelines for Americans recommends consuming fewer than 10 percent of calories from saturated fats. Above that can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. An emphasis is placed on consuming monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats because of their health promoting benefits. 

Pecans, almonds, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, avocados, olive oil, and peanut oil are some good sources of monounsaturated fats. Fatty fish like salmon and tuna, corn oil, safflower oil, walnuts, sunflower seeds, and flax seeds are good sources of polyunsaturated fats that include the essential omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Whole plant-based foods rich in omega 3 fatty acids also include other healthful nutrients, like fiber, protein, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals that are health promoting and protective against cancer. 

Thanks for joining this Patient Empowerment Network program. Please remember to ask your healthcare team what may be right for you.

Complete Breathing Meditation

/in , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , /by

Complete Breathing Meditation from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.

Learn how to cultivate a calm, soothing, and yet alert quality of mind through controlled complete breath by combining abdominal and chest breathing. A complete breath also enhances breathing efficiency. Watch now.

See More from Rx for Community Wellness

Transcript:

Greetings everyone. Thank you for joining this Patient Empowerment Network program. In this practice session we will be exploring active breathing as a form of meditative practice. Before we start the practice, I want to state that the quality of your breathing is intimately related to the qualitative experience of your mind. In this session we will be taking advantage of this relationship between the mind and the breath by manipulating the breath in order to manipulate and regulate the mind.

To start our practice, find a comfortable seat. A chair is perfectly fine. You may also make arrangements to support your back if necessary. Allow your eyes to softly close if you feel comfortable doing so. By closing the eyes, you minimize visual distractions. Begin to feel the weight of your body in your seat. Begin to lengthen your spine. Relaxing your shoulders. Lengthening the back of your neck. Relaxing your jaw, and the musculature of the face. Begin to take notice of the natural flow of your breath. Maybe by attending to your torso, the abdominal or chest areas, or the movement of the air as it passes through your nostrils. I invite you to imagine your torso as a cylindrical tube made of a lower chamber, the abdominal area, and an upper chamber, the chest area. In this practice we will focus on both the lower and upper chambers, the entire torso. Begin by actively exhaling the breath out the nostrils, gently drawing your abdomen back towards your spine. Then begin to inhale smoothly and gradually through the nostrils feeling the expansion of the lower chamber in all directions without straining. Then begin to feel the expansion of the upper chamber by allowing your lower ribs to fan out in all directions without straining, then your mid chest to upper chest and back without straining. When the lower and upper chamber fills, gently and smoothly exhale out the nostrils allowing the chest to descend and then subsequently bringing the abdomen towards the spine. Continue this smooth and gradual controlled breathing in and out the nostrils as long as time permits. Allowing your next exhalation to be your final round and return to attending to the natural flow of your breath. Gently open your eyes. We hope you enjoyed this Patient Empowerment Network program.

Benefits of Protein

/in , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , /by

Benefits of Protein from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.

Proteins are the body’s workhorses providing structure and many other functions necessary for life. They play an important role in the function of every cell in our bodies.

See More from Rx for Community Wellness

Transcript:

There are over 100,000 various proteins in the human body that are made of different combinations of 20 amino acids, 9 of which must be acquired through the diet. Proteins are often referred to as the workhorses of the body because they are a vital part of every cell and are essential for the nourishment, renewal, and continuance of life. They are the primary building blocks for bone, skin, hair, muscle, hormones, and antibodies. They give tissues like bones and muscle strength and structure. They are necessary for digesting and processing food. They regulate various bodily processes as hormones. They are important in transporting substances throughout the body and are necessary for the function of the immune system. 

These properties of proteins are very important for cancer patients who might be having problems eating and are losing weight and who may experience hair loss as a consequence of some cancer treatments. After surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy, extra protein is usually needed to heal tissues and help fight infection. Emphasis on acquiring proteins from plant based foods is highly recommended because of the additional substances in them like antioxidants and phytochemicals that are health promoting, protective against cancer and beneficial for healing. Good sources of protein can be attained by eating a variety of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, and lean meats including fish and poultry.

Thanks for joining this Patient Empowerment Network program. Please remember to ask your healthcare team what may be right for you.

Chest Breathing Meditation

/in , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , /by

Chest Breathing Meditation from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.

 Learn about cultivating an alert quality of mind through controlled chest breathing

See More from Rx for Community Wellness

Transcript:

Greetings everyone. Thank you for joining this Patient Empowerment Network program. In this practice session we will be exploring active breathing as a form of meditative practice. Before we start the practice, I want to state that the quality of your breathing is intimately related to the qualitative experience of your mind.

In this session we will be taking advantage of this relationship between the mind and the breath by manipulating the breath in order to manipulate and regulate the mind. To start our practice, find a comfortable seat. A chair is perfectly fine. You may also make arrangements to support your back if necessary. Allow your eyes to softly close if you feel comfortable doing so. By closing the eyes, you minimize visual distractions. Begin to feel the weight of your body in your seat. Begin to lengthen your spine. Relaxing your shoulders. Lengthening the back of your neck. Relaxing your jaw, and the musculature of the face. Begin to take notice of the natural flow of your breath. Maybe by attending to your torso, the abdominal or chest areas, or the movement of the air as it passes through your nostrils. I invite you to imagine your torso as a cylindrical tube made of a lower chamber, the abdominal area, and an upper chamber, the chest area. In this practice we will focus on the upper chamber, the chest area. The lower chamber/abdominal area will remain steady and still throughout this practice.

If you like, you can rest a hand on your chest to help you with this exercise. Begin by actively exhaling the breath out the nostrils. Then begin to inhale smoothly and gradually through the nostrils, feeling the expansion of the upper chamber by allowing your lower ribs to fan out in all directions without straining, then your mid chest to upper chest and back without straining. When the upper chamber fills, gently and smoothly exhale out the nostrils allowing the chest area to descend. Continue this smooth and gradual controlled breathing in and out the nostrils as long as time permits. Allowing your next exhalation to be your final round and return to attending to the natural flow of your breath. Gently open your eyes. We hope you enjoyed this Patient Empowerment Network program.

Benefits of Carbohydrates

/in , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , /by

Health Benefits of Carbohydrates from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.

Carbohydrates are the primary source of energy for the body’s cells, tissues and organs, particularly the brain. They are also a rich source of health-promoting fiber. 

See More from Rx for Community Wellness

Transcript:

Carbohydrates are the most abundant nutrient (with the exception of water) in the diets of most humans around the world. Contrary to popular belief, carbohydrates are not only the key ingredient in desserts, sugar-sweetened beverages like sodas, and many of the packaged snack foods. In actuality, carbohydrates are a part of all food groups and are found in grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, and even dairy. A healthy diet rich in carbohydrates would include those plant-based foods in their unrefined whole food form. In fact, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that carbohydrates make up 45 to 65 percent of our total daily energy intake. Every cell in our bodies can benefit from the consumption of carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates are the primary source of energy for the body’s cells, tissues and organs. The brain is particularly dependent on the glucose from carbohydrates for its fuel source. Unrefined carbohydrates are a rich source of fiber, which has many benefits including helping maintain digestive and bowel health as well as a healthy weight. Fiber also lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and colorectal cancer. 

 Consuming nutrient dense carbohydrates in their whole food form are advantageous to meeting your body’s nutritional needs. 

Thanks for joining this Patient Empowerment Network program. Please remember to ask your healthcare team what may be right for you.

Abdominal Breath Meditation

/in , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , /by

Abdominal Breath Meditation from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.

Learn how to cultivate a calm and soothing quality of mind through controlled abdominal breathing.

See More from Rx for Community Wellness

Transcript:

Greetings everyone. Thank you for joining this Patient Empowerment Network program. In this practice session we will be exploring active breathing as a form of meditative practice. Before we start the practice, I want to state that the quality of your breathing is intimately related to the qualitative experience of the mind. In this session we will be taking advantage of this relationship between the mind and the breath by manipulating the breath in order to manipulate and regulate the mind.

To start our practice, find a comfortable seat. A chair is perfectly fine. You may also make arrangements to support your back if necessary. Or you may lie down on your back for this particular practice. Allow your eyes to softly close if you feel comfortable doing so. By closing the eyes you minimize visual distractions. If you are seated feel the weight of your body in your seat. Begin to lengthen your spine. Relaxing your shoulders. Lengthening the back of your neck. Relaxing your jaw, and the musculature of the face. Begin to take notice of the natural flow of your breath. Maybe by attending to your torso, the abdominal or chest areas, or the movement of the air as it passes through your nostrils.

I invite you to imagine your torso as a cylindrical tube made of a lower chamber, the abdominal area, and an upper chamber, the chest area. In this practice we will focus on the lower chamber, the abdominal area. If you like, you can rest a hand on your abdomen to help you with this exercise. Begin by actively exhaling the breath out the nostrils, gently drawing your abdomen back towards your spine. Then begin to inhale smoothly and gradually through the nostrils feeling the expansion of the lower chamber in all directions without straining. While allowing the upper chamber/chest area to remain steady and still. When the lower chamber fills, gently and smoothly exhale out the nostrils bringing the abdomen towards the spine. Continue this smooth and gradual controlled breathing in and out the nostrils as long as time permits. Allowing your next exhale to be your final round and return to attending to the natural flow of your breath. Gently open your eyes.

We hope you enjoyed this Patient Empowerment Network program.

Benefits of Plant-Based Diets

/in , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , /by

Benefits of Plant Based Diets from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.

The benefits of a plant-based diet are positively correlated with reducing the risk of high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and some cancers like colon and breast cancer.

See More from Rx for Community Wellness

Transcript:

A healthy, plant-based diet aims to maximize consumption of nutrient-dense plant foods while minimizing refined, processed carbohydrates, added fats, oils, and animal foods (including dairy products and eggs). A plant-based diet encourages eating a variety of fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. Contrary to popular belief, a plant-based diet is a rich source of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, as well as health-promoting phytochemicals and antioxidants. However, vitamin B12 is deficient in plant-based foods and can be easily acquired by consuming foods fortified with it such as some plant-based milks or through supplementation.

The benefits of a plant-based diet are positively correlated with reducing the risk of high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity and some cancers like colorectal cancer. The rich source of phytochemicals and antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables in plant-based diets are protective against cancer and are supportive in recovery and management during cancer treatments such as chemotherapy.  

Though some may think that plant-based diets are more expensive than a more conventional diet, the opposite is actually true. Animal proteins and animal-based products like dairy make a bigger impact on a grocery budget, and incorporating more plant-based foods in your diet can provide savings on food costs.

Thanks for joining this Patient Empowerment Network program. Please remember to ask your healthcare team what may be right for you.