Christmas Folklore

 

Holly and Ivy

When the house is decorated with holly and ivy on Christmas Eve, good luck will bless the family in the New Year.

Mince Pies

Also called "wayfarers' pies," these tasty treats were passed out to visitors during the Christmas season. To earn good luck in the twelve months of the upcoming year, visitors tried to eat twelve pies at twelve different houses during the twelve days of Christmas.

Mistletoe

In ancient times, mistletoe represented peace and friendship. When friends stood beneath a tree adorned with mistletoe, their friendship would be blessed with good luck. Enemies who did likewise would call a truce for the day. The tradition of kissing under the mistletoe grew from these older legends.

Candy Canes

These sugary treats represent the shepherd's crook at the nativity.

Wassailing

Since the 13th century, it has been the custom to offer a toast to each other for good health and cheer during the Christmas season. The original wassail bowl contained roasted apples, ale, sugar, spices, and cream or eggs. Eventually, egg nog developed as the traditional Christmas drink.

Yule Log

Yule logs were lit during the winter solstice to ward off demons and light up the darkest day of the year.

Christmas Trees

Fir trees traditionally represent life's victory over death, or eternal life. It was common during Saturnalia for Romans to decorate their homes with evergreen boughs.

Christmas Full Moon

Christmas 2015 will be graced with the first full moon since 1977. Another one will not appear until 2034. The full moon in December is often called the Full Cold Moon, Full Long Nights Moon, or the Moon before Yule. An old tradition relates that when a full moon rises on Christmas Eve, the animals will be blessed with the gift of speech.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ONE AND ALL, AND A BLESSED NEW YEAR!

Dawn Pisturino, RN

Copyright 2015 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.

2015 Best of Kingman Award

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Cosmic Health Blog Receives 2015 Best of Kingman Award

Kingman Award Program Honors the Achievement

KINGMAN October 1, 2015 -- Cosmic Health Blog has been selected for the 2015 Best of Kingman Award in the Healthcare category by the Kingman Award Program.

Each year, the Kingman Award Program identifies companies that we believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and our community. These exceptional companies help make the Kingman area a great place to live, work and play.

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2015 Kingman Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the Kingman Award Program and data provided by third parties.

About Kingman Award Program

The Kingman Award Program is an annual awards program honoring the achievements and accomplishments of local businesses throughout the Kingman area. Recognition is given to those companies that have shown the ability to use their best practices and implemented programs to generate competitive advantages and long-term value.

The Kingman Award Program was established to recognize the best of local businesses in our community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to recognize the small business community's contributions to the U.S. economy.

SOURCE: Kingman Award Program

I was very happy to receive this notice.

Thank you!

Dawn Pisturino, RN
Cosmic Health

 

New Medicines from Deadly Poisons

 

 

Gila monsters are listed as a protected species in the state of Arizona, and thanks to new research, there is even more reason to be grateful for their protection.

 

For the last thirty years, researchers have been studying enzymes found in the lizard's poisonous saliva.

 

It was noted that people who were bitten by Gila monsters developed inflammation of the pancreas. Researchers began to study the venomous saliva and discovered that it contains hormones which stimulate the pancreas to produce insulin, thereby lowering blood sugar.

 

In April 2005, the FDA approved a new drug called Byetta*, a synthetic form of the hormones, to treat people with Type II diabetes who have not found adequate control with other oral diabetic medications.

 

The drug is given as an injection twice a day at least one hour before breakfast and dinner. The dosage is tightly controlled because even a small overdose can cause nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and low blood sugar. Patients who receive an overdose must contact a physician or the Poison Control Center immediately.

 

The drug should not be taken after meals, and patients using other diabetic drugs may need dosage adjustment to avoid low blood sugar.

 

Byetta* also contributes to weight loss by producing a feeling of fullness and delaying emptying of the stomach.

 

The drug is being used experimentally on people with Type I diabetes to see if they can eventually use less insulin.

 

Byetta* (also called exenatide) is part of a new class of drugs derived from venom. Ziconotide, derived from deadly cone snail venom, was approved by the FDA for use in severe chronic pain. Researchers at the University of California, Irvine are experimenting with toxins used by the Caribbean sea anemone to stun its prey to develop a new treatment for multiple sclerosis. Others currently being investigated for use in humans include venoms derived from spiders, snakes, and scorpions.

Dawn Pisturino, RN
March 24, 2007
Published in The Kingman Daily Miner on May 29, 2007.
Copyright 2007-2015 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.

*Byetta is a registered trademark.

Angel Lore

 

Angels are the guardians of hope and wonder, the keepers of magic and dreams.

 

Angels watch over you wherever you go, keeping each day perfect and promising a bright new tomorrow.

 

The motto of all angels is "it's a wonderful life."

 

Wherever there is love, an angel is flying by.

 

Angels help you carry the ball, carry a tune, carry your weight and carry on!

 

Your guardian angel knows you inside and out and loves you just the way you are.

 

Angels keep the world safe for hummingbirds and butterflies and rainbows in spring.

 

Angels keep it simple and always travel light.

 

Angels love whispering secrets and whistling in the dark.

 

Whenever you hear music, an angel is speaking to you.

 

Remember to leave space in your relationships so the angels have room to play.

 

Your guardian angel helps you find a place when you feel there's no place to go.

 

Keep a spare angel in your pocket.

 

Angels carry high-beam lights to help you through the darkest hours.

 

Whenever you feel lonely, a special angel drops in for tea.

 

Angels know that love is the only four letter word.

 

We are always "angels on call" for a friend.

 

Every time you hear a bell, another angel has earned its wings.

 

Angels are with you every step of the way and help you soar with amazing grace.

 

After all, we are angels in training; all we have to do is spread our wings and fly.

 

** Anonymous **

 

 

 

Every Woman is a Spiritual Mother

 

On Mother's Day, I wished all of my female patients "Happy Mother's Day!"

 

One young Native American responded, "I'm not a mother, but I've raised several children."

 

"Then you're a mother," I told her. She smiled happily.

 

One of the counselors spoke up. "I don't have any kids."

 

"You counsel our adolescents, don't you? Then you're a mother." She thought about this for a minute then nodded her head and smiled.

 

Biological motherhood is the most precious gift a woman can receive. To create new life, to feel that life growing in the womb, to nurture and love a newborn child, is the most wonderful experience in the world. But our love doesn't end there.

 

Most women, by nature, are empathetic, compassionate, and nurturing. We comfort the sick and dying, tend to the needs of our aging parents, open our homes to neighborhood children, babysit for a friend in need, care for our husbands and children, work tirelessly day and night, if necessary, and strive always to provide a safe, healthy environment. We let a co-worker cry on our shoulder, give advice over cups of coffee and tea, post funny and inspirational quotes on Facebook, and fight for good causes. We defend the helpless and hapless, create harmony and balance, and struggle to make ends meet. We love beauty and calm, tranquility and peace. We are tough when we need to be tough. We provide gentleness in a harsh world.

 

There are plenty of opportunities to "mother" children broken by abuse, neglect, and indifference: a neighbor child living down the street; a homeless child finding refuge in a local shelter; a juvenile delinquent sitting in a cell. 

 

There are plenty of opportunities to "mother" adults broken by alcohol, drugs, and hopelessness. Volunteer at a local homeless shelter or women's domestic abuse home. Go back to school and become a nurse, social worker, or counselor.

 

And don't forget our furry friends! Animals need love and protection, too. And there are so many organizations now that need donations of money and time.

 

Every woman is a spiritual mother. Let me honor all women and their capacity to give love and comfort in a difficult world by saying,

 

  THANK YOU!

 

Dawn Pisturino, RN

 

Copyright 2015 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.





 



Progressive Deep Relaxation

 

 

When we are under stress, it is natural to react by holding tension in the voluntary and involuntary muscles of our body. If we do this long enough, it can lead to stomach pain, asthma attack, tension headaches, migraines, diarrhea, constipation, back pain, teeth grinding, jaw clenching, and high blood pressure.

 

By practicing relaxation techniques, we can learn to relax the muscles and counteract the effects of stress on our body.

 

Here's a simple relaxation exercise you can do at home.

 

Lie quietly on your back with your legs spread hip-width apart and your arms at your sides with the palms turned upward. Lie quietly for a few minutes, focusing on your breathing, and allow your body to gradually sink into the floor.

 

Now, stretch out your right leg and raise it about one foot from the floor. Curling the toes under, tightly contract the leg muscles. Hold for a few seconds and release. Repeat on the left leg. Gently move your feet in a circular motion and relax.

 

Focus your attention on the right knee and thigh. Contract the muscles, hold for a few seconds, and release. Repeat on the left knee and thigh.

 

Squeeze the muscles in the buttocks as tightly as you can and release. Relax. Breathe.

 

Inhale deeply through your nose, expanding the abdomen, and bring the air down to the bottom of your lungs. Open your mouth and exhale, forcing the air out of your lungs. Relax.

 

Stretch out your right arm and squeeze your hand into a tight fist. Hold for a few seconds and release. Repeat on the left arm.

 

With your arms at your sides, curl the shoulders up toward your chin. Hold for a few seconds and release. Relax. Then gently roll your head around and return to center. Relax.

 

Stretch out your face, raise the eyebrows, open your mouth, and stick out your tongue. Hold for a few seconds and release. Relax. Then scrunch up your face as tightly as you can. Release, and relax.

 

Lie quietly and mentally scan your body from head to toe. If you feel any tension, repeat the exercise. Then wiggle your fingers and toes, and stretch out your arms and legs. Roll over onto your right side and sit up. Take a few deep breaths. Relax.

 

Dawn Pisturino, RN

March 14, 2007

Published in The Kingman Daily Miner, April 17, 2007

Copyright 2007-2015 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved. 



American Holistic Nurses Association

The American Holistic Nurses Association is a nationally-recognized organization dedicated to helping Nurses become holistic healers, in and out of the healthcare setting. Holistic nurses treat the whole person, help to ease suffering, and facilitate healing.

Holistic nursing has been recognized by the American Nurses Association as a legitimate specialty. Nurses can become board certified through the American Holistic Nurses Association Credentialing Corporation.

Nurses involved in holistic healing may become skilled in many areas of complementary alternative medicine: meditation, yoga, reflexology, energy healing, guided imagery, healing touch, herbal medicines, health and wellness education, life coaching, stress management, research, writing, hypnosis, etc. The possibilities are endless!

For more information, visit the AHNA website: http://www.ahna.org.

Dawn Pisturino, BSNH, RN
Copyright 2015 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.

How Negative and Positive Emotions Affect Your Health

Psychoneuroimmunology (try saying that three times!) is a relatively recent branch of medical research that explores the relationship between moods, thoughts, emotions, and the immune system.

Specialists in this field have established strong links between our emotions and the state of our health.

The brain and the immune system send messages to each other through nerve connections and chemical messengers. The messages sent depend a great deal on our emotional and psychological condition.

Negative emotions such as grief, loneliness, depression, and chronic stress can actually weaken the immune system by suppressing the production of immune cells in the body and making us more vulnerable to illness.

Several studies have shown that people who are chronically depressed or have a pessimistic outlook on life have a much higher risk of developing heart attack, diabetes, and stroke.

On the flip side, positive emotions such as love, friendship, joy, and serenity boost the immune system by stimulating the production of immune cells.

Age, lifestyle, and genetic predisposition all contribute to the development of disease. But people who generally have positive attitudes, supportive relationships, and a good sense of humor seem to get ill less often -- and fare better when they do become ill.

This has led to new approaches in the treatment of cancer patients. A study done at Stanford University found that women with metastatic breast cancer lived an average of eighteen months longer when involved in a support group that engaged in mind-body therapy such as self-hypnosis.

Prayer, meditation, visualization, breathing exercises, and relaxation techniques are all being used by cancer patients to create a more positive environment in which to battle this devastating disease.

Dawn Pisturino
March 23, 2007

Copyright 2007-2015 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.