Years ago I had the honor of interviewing Bernie Siegel, MD when he was in Seattle for an event. The topic was How to Have a Near-Life Experience. Here’s a inspirational excerpt from my interview:

“When I was four years old, I had a near-death experience. I was out of my body and almost died choking. And the comment I make is that if [it’s] just chemistry, then why don’t we all become drug addicts after that experience? You’d think that if it was just chemistry, you’d try to repeat that experience with something. But instead, we become very spiritual human beings, not addicted to anything except maybe life. 

If you have an alcohol or drug addict, you know when they begin to really enjoy life?  When they join AA or find something more meaningful than the addiction. And to me, the term for that became a near-life experience.”

- Excerpted from an interview with Bernie Siegel, MD

No matter what is going on in your life, you always have the choice to focus on something less troublesome and more meaningful. What’s more meaningful to you today?  

Have you ever said to yourself, a friend, or a loved one, “My life is great. I have nothing to complain about, but I just feel so sad!” Everyone experiences feelings of depression, anxiety, and sadness once in a while. Although most people can pinpoint the cause of their blues, such as experiencing hard times, needing more money, receiving bad news, living with rainy weather, or even having hormonal changes, some people feel sad or depressed without really knowing why.

Awhile back, I had lunch with a friend and when I started listening to the negative stories I was telling her about the current state of my life, I had an epiphany: I was stuck in a sad cycle that was creating a steady stream of negative thoughts in my mind!

When feeling sad leads to day after day of feeling blue, it’s time to take self-help action before greater anxiety or full-blown depression sets in. Here is a depression self-help plan for breaking your sad cycle in just three days.

Day 1

One Day 1, decide that, instead of being sad, you are going to be wealthy! In a small notebook, write down a list of the many ways that wealth touches your life.  Here are some examples to get you started:

• The money in your bank account
• Your beautiful family
• Your lovely home
• Your generous friends

Throughout the day, every time a negative thought creeps into your mind, stop what you are doing and read through your wealthy list. By the end of Day 1, your veil of sadness should begin to lift.

Day 2

On Day 2, decide that, instead of being sad, you are going to be wealthy and grateful! In your  notebook, write down a list of the many things that you’re  grateful for.

Just like Day 1, every time a negative thought creeps into your mind, stop what you’re was doing and read through your wealthy and grateful lists. By the end of Day 2, you might begin to realize that you’re no longer wallowing in sadness. In fact, you might even feel a bit hopeful about your future again.

Day 3

On Day 3, decide that, instead of letting sadness creep back into your life, you will focus on sharing joy with everyone you come in contact with. In addition to reviewing your wealthy and grateful lists, look for ways to spread joy to others. Here are some possibilities:

• Wave to the neighbor getting her morning paper and to the kids waiting at the bus stop by your house
• Hold the door for an elderly woman at the post office or the bank
• Smile randomly at strangers (they will probably smile back!)
• Give your co-worker a sincere compliment
• Answer the phone with, “Good morning!” instead of simply, “Hello.”
• When standing in line for coffee, prepay for the person behind you

By the end of Day 3, there’s a good chance that you will feel lighter in your body, as if the weight of the world was no longer sitting on top of your shoulders. You might instinctively eat a bit healthier because the craving for comfort food has subsided.

Choosing a positive apsect of your life to focus on and looking for new ways to uplift others is a fantastic depression self-help technique. Sure, the bills keep coming in and the housework still needs to be done, but worrying about them only makes you feel sad. Wouldn’t you rather feel wealthy, blessed, abundant, and grateful?

Depression and anxiety are serious illnesses that should be treated by your doctor. But if you’re feeling blue, try my 3-Day plan for breaking the sad cycle – before depression sets in!

Need some fast and easy inspiration? Check out these inspirational “shorts”.

Even though more and more women are adopting a healthy lifestyle, there are still many individuals who have not changed the habits that can become major concerns later in life.  Here are a few common factors that can sabotage your longevity: 

• Smoking
• Obesity
• Lack of exercise
• Poor stress management
• Lack of quality sleep

A recent study found that, out of 150,000+ individuals surveyed, only 3% actually maintain a healthy lifestyle. We live in a fast-paced society. Multi-tasking is the norm, and we tend to turn a blind eye to the messages our bodies are sending us. Lack of proper nutrition and exercise makes us more vulnerable to injury and disease – especially as we age.

The start of a new year is the perfect time to focus on longevity, and begin making small, incremental changes that will contribute to a long and healthy life!

An herbal body wrap provides both therapeutic and beautifying benefits by cleansing the body of toxins, smoothing the skin, and sometimes removing measurable inches off your body simply from the natural detoxification process. Clay-based body wraps are an excellent treatment for anyone that would like to improve the tone and texture of their skin. The process can also help tighten the skin, which is very beneficial for people who have loose skin from recent weight loss or pregnancy. 

Professional herbal body wraps for detoxification usually start at around $100. But if a visit to the spa isn’t a luxury you can afford (or you’re too self-conscious to be wrapped by a stranger), you can make your own herbal body wrap to detoxify in the privacy of your home. 

To make a simple, clay-based body wrap, you’ll start with the basic recipe below and add essential oils or herbs as desired. 

Basic Clay Body Wrap Recipe

• 1 cup bentonite or green clay
• 1/4 cup sea salt
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 cups water

 Directions: Boil the water, add the sea salt and stir gently until the salt is completely dissolved. Add the olive oil and clay and mix thoroughly. Add additional water if needed to create the consistency of wet paste. 

Although this basic recipe makes a fine body wrap on its own, adding essential oils or herbs will provide greater detoxification and therapeutic effects. Add several drops of oils to your clay paste or up to two tablespoons of herbs. Not sure which additions to try? Below are some suggestions based on ingredients used in actual spa body wraps. 

Essential Oils: lavender, sage, lemon, sandalwood, lemongrass, rosemary, and grapefruit.

Herbs: alfalfa leaf powder, ground basil, chamomile flower powder, rose petal powder, and rosehip powder.

Preparing for Your Detoxifying Body Wrap 

Experiencing a body wrap is not a process that can be rushed. So make sure that you schedule at least an hour and a half of uninterrupted bathroom time before you begin. 

Gather together:

• Your clay mixture
• Thin cotton towels, spa wrapping sheets or a clean, 100% cotton sheet for wrapping
• An inexpensive thermal foil blanket (optional)
• A tall glass of chilled drinking water (with a lemon wedge if you have it)
• Soothing music
• Scented candles  

Take a warm shower to open your pores and pat your body dry. Apply the clay mixture onto your body part-by-part, wrapping yourself snugly as you go along. The object of the wrapping is to create gentle pressure on the body to compress the tissue together for greater release of toxins. (Spa wrapping sheets are specifically designed with this end result in mind, so if you can find a source to buy them, it’s not a bad idea.) 

As you can imagine, covering your body in clay can be a messy endeavor. That’s why, when your application and wrapping process is complete, you’ll want to relax in an empty bathtub while you detoxify. 

If you haven’t done so already, light your candles and turn on your soothing music. Grab a hand towel to support your neck, climb into the tub and relax for 45 minutes to an hour. Sip your lemon water and enjoy the feeling of pampering your body head to toe. If you start to feel chilled, cover yourself with a thermal foil blanket if you have one, or a clean cotton throw. 

When your herbal body wrap process is complete, discard the wrappings and take another warm shower (without soap) to rinse the clay from your body. 

Following your herbal body wrap, drink plenty of water to help your tissue continue to detoxify. For optimal results, avoid caffeine, sugar, alcohol, fried foods and artificial ingredients for 24 to 48 hours after your wrap to give your body a “break” from these common toxins.

If you liked this detox article, you can read more about natural detoxification here.

Simple, low fat  ingredients make this savory soup recipe a healthy choice when you’re searching for comfort food.

Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe

Ingredients: 
1 cup chopped carrots  
1 cup chopped celery  
3/4 cup chopped onions 
3 tablespoon canola oil 
2 cans (14-1/2 oz. each) fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth (I use organic when possible)
1/2 teaspoon pepper 
4-1/2 cups broccoli florets
1/2 cup instant brown rice, uncooked 
2 cups low fat or fat free milk 
1/4 cup lite parmesan cheese (grated)

Instructions:
Put canola oil in large pan over medium heat. Heat oil until and place carrots, celery, and onion in pan. Cook for about 5 minutes, being sure to stir often to keep from sticking. Stir in chicken broth and pepper. Bring to a rapid boil. Reduce heat to low and stir in broccoli and rice. Simmer about 15 minutes or until vegetables are fork tender.  Pour broccoli mixture into blender a little at time and puree. Put broccoli puree back in pan and add milk and cheese.  Cook on low heat until cheese is completely melted and puree is heated through.    

Serving Suggestion: This puree is tasty served in hollowed-out sourdough bread rounds or over baked potatoes.