Lifestyle Suggestions:

1. Rise with the sun and go to bed with the sun - turn your phone on airplane mode when the sun dips below the horizon. Avoid artificial light after sunset, especially screens. Candlelight is ideal. Turn off the WIFI in the house at sunset. If there are streetlights, close the curtains or do what is needed to block out the light.
2. Take the time you need in the morning to attune inward, walk outside and expose your skin and eyes to sunlight before turning on the phone.
3. Carve out alone time each day, where your phone is on airplane mode and you have space and quiet to take care of your needs, whether it's writing, taking a walk in nature, meditation, qigong, etc.
4. Get out in nature daily. Even if it's for a short walk. Take that time to tune in with your body, breath and the natural world.
5. Rest whenever you feel tired. Slow down, take short naps, tune in and allow the body to relax throughout the day. No need to rush.
6. Move your body every day to get the circulatory system flowing, whether it be through dance, taking a long walk, stretching, swimming, etc. Ideally something that you really enjoy doing.

Nutritional Suggestions:

1. Eat a breakfast with healthy protein within 1 hour of waking up. Organic eggs with runny yolks and bone or seaweed broth are nice.
2. Minimize sugar (especially processed sugar and sugar derivatives like high fructose corn syrup). Raw honey, raw organic sugar, maple syrup and dates are better alternatives - and of course in moderation.
3. Avoid caffeine and alcohol.
4. Avoid vegetable oils such as sunflower, safflower, canola, etc. Replace with grass-fed butter (Açores has quality dairy), ghee, cold-pressed olive oil (do not heat), cold-pressed coconut oil (small amounts) or cold-pressed avocado oil. Note: most nut milks use these vegetable oils and are high in sugar. The best option is raw milk, and if that is not available, then grass-fed milk (Açores has some good brands).
5. Eat in balance with your physical activity. Listen deeply to your body in terms of when you need to eat, how much and what.
6. Ideally make lunch the biggest meal of the day, eaten while the sun is highest in the sky, while digestive fire is strong.
7. Do not combine fluids with food. Wait 30 minutes after drinking to eat and wait 2 hours after eating to drink (unless it's fruit, which only needs about 30 minutes to digest).
8. Do not combine proteins with carbs and eat fruit alone on an empty stomach. Protein is good mixed with veggies. Carbohydrates are good mixed with veggies.

Food Suggestions

• Quality proteins (grass fed/organic meat, fish and eggs from reliable farmers)
• Organic vegetables (steamed is best for nutrients - use good water and drink the water from the steamed veggies)
• Root vegetables (beets, sweet potato, yams, etc)
• Dark leafy greens (spinach, chard, beet greens, etc)
• Bitters (wild lettuce, dandelion greens, etc)
• Purple and black foods for kidneys (black sesame seeds, miso, figs, blueberries, plums, black beans, etc)
• Seaweed
• Celery
• Parsley
• Cilantro
• Bone broth
• Meat stew
• Buckwheat (bread, pasta, etc)
• Mung beans
• Kidney beans
• Aduki beans
• Millet
• Amaranth
• Fermented foods
• Sprouted seeds and grains
• Local, organic, seasonal fruits
• Chlorella
• Ume Su (Japenese plum vinegar)
• Tamari (only organic - no GMO)
• Oat straw infusions (kidney support)

Meal Suggestions

Breakfast
High protein and nutrient dense breakfast eaten while stomach qi is the highest between about 2-4 hours after dawn (ideally before 9am)

• Eggs and steamed veggies with buckwheat bread
• Stew with some sort of protein
• Bone broth with millet and veggies
• Black sesame hummus (recipe below) with avocado, steamed spinach and buckwheat bread.

Kidney Recipes

Black Sesame Hummus
1 can/jar of organic beans (black, kidney, aduki are good)
Heaping scoop of black sesame tahini (black sesame is great for the kidneys, regular is fine if you can't find the black)
2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
Lemon to taste
Sea salt (or miso paste) and pepper to taste.
Optional additions (handful of fresh cilantro or parsley, steamed spinach, avocado, tomato or any steamed veggies you fancy)

Toss everything in a blender and good to go.

Seaweed Soup
Buckwheat or rice noodles
Miso paste or bone broth
Root veggies (sweet potato, carrot, beets, etc)
Dark leafy veggies (spinach, beet greens, nettles, etc)
Goji berries
Fish of choice or tempeh
Squeeze of lemon
Ginger to taste

Adrenal Cocktail
(kidney and adrenal support)

1/2 fresh squeezed orange or grapefruit juice (1 orange or grapefruit)
1/2 coconut water
1 scoop of high quality Chlorella
A pinch of sea salt

Drink on an empty stomach.

Herbs to support kidneys:

• Oat Straw
• Nettles
• Goji berries + Chinese Red dates (both organic) - half and half into a tea infusions. Drink Daily
• He Shou Wu/FoTi

Suggested Practices:

Keep a Body Journal:

• Take short notes throughout the day of anything you ingest (food, liquids, herbs, medicine, etc).
• Notice your bodily sensations, such as tension, relaxation, heavy, energized, etc. and what is going on around you while sensing these things.
• Note parts of the body where you may hold tension or certain breathing patterns.
• Pay attention to how you feel around certain people and environments.
• Track your sleep patterns

These are simple observations to jot down throughout the day with an objective perspective. As if you are observing an organism's activity without trying to change anything.

Keep a Dream Journal and a Plant Communication Journal

Monitoring the Kidneys and Lymph:

Don't eat for drink anything for 12 hrs (19h - 7h).

Pee in a cup - if the urine is cloudy and has sediment, that is a good sign that your kidneys are processing lymphatic waste. If the urine is clear, it is a sign that the lymphatic system is blocked up and kidneys need support.

Do this every couple weeks.

QIGONG BODY ACTIVATION

1. Rub palms together while rolling the tongue to gather saliva in the mouth. When palms are warm and you have gathered saliva, take a deep inhale through the nose. Place your palms on your face and exhale into the palms. Then inhale, drawing the energy from your palms into your face and eyes. On the next exhale, swallow the saliva and move your palms down the centerline of your body, drawing the energy down to the lower belly. Rest your palms on the lower belly for a moment, then repeat (3 times total).
2. Close your eyes and gently press the backs of your index fingers onto your eyelids, putting most of the pressure into the outer corners of the eyes. Remain here for a few moments until you see white light.
3. Tap your head starting at the front and center, moving your way down and back. Repeat 3 times. Then with your fists gently knock on the head in the same motion. Repeat 3 times.
4. Massage your earlobes for about a minute.
5. Stretch your arms over your head and breath deeply into the back and bottom of the lungs. Slowly twist to the right and then to the left.
6. Spinal roll forward making a "tchwaaay" sound directed into the kidneys. Repeat 3 times, then lightly pound the kidneys with your fists.
7. Spinal roll to the left making a "huuuu" sound directed into the spleen. Repeat 3 times, then lightly pound the spleen with your fists.
8. Spinal roll to the right making a "shhhhh" sound directed into the liver. Repeat 3 times, then lightly pound the liver with your fists.
9. Massage your kneecaps in a circular motion with your palms for about 30 seconds. Then lightly tap your knees with your fingertips. Continue tapping down the shins.
10. Press your thumbs into the pressure point about 4 finger-widths up from your inner ankle. Hold for about a minute.
11. Massage your feet. Make fists and rubs the soles of both feet in a circular motion for about 30 seconds. Lightly pound the soles of your feet with your fists. Then with open palm slaps. Then with finger tapping.

Qigong - Energetic Awareness Exercise

Play with moving very slowly, focusing on every particle between the finger tips. Slowly moving the thumb along each fingertip without making physical contact. Notice any sensations you may feel.

Winter Practices

• Cook, warm nourishing meals with grounding foods like root vegetables, good quality meats. Integrate warming spices in your foods such as clove, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, rosemary, ginger, etc. Hearty stews are nice.
• Sleep longer hours in the night.
• Spend time connecting with fire. Play with fire gazing using a candle.

Lavender Deep Dive

To deepen your relationship with Lavender, drink the tea daily. Sip it when you're about to journey. Keep flowers around so you can smell it often. Sleep with it. Basically surround yourself with lavender as much as possible. You may also explore asking Lavender to communicate with you in your dreams.